Abstract: Described and shown is a six degree of freedom physical to electrical converter with capability of tactile feedback, specifically, a human hand operated input controller with the capability of vibration feedback in the handle. Two embodiments, each capable of translating complex three dimensional linear and rotational forces into their constituent orthogonal vectors are described and shown. Also described and shown are various different sensor types which can be implemented in the embodiments. The embodiments have physical space between sensors and actuators maintained by resilient means, enabling tactile feedback (vibration) to be induced directly in the handle without erroneously activating sensors.

Abstract: A scheduling mechanism is provided for controlling when the arbitration circuit of a node sharing a CSMA communication medium is to start CSMA arbitration for access to the communication medium once the node has a message ready for transmission, the scheduling mechanism delaying the arbitration circuit from seeking access if total transmission activity on the communication medium exceeds a total use threshold value and transmission activity of the node exceeds a local use threshold value, and otherwise permitting the arbitration circuit to seek access to the communication medium by arbitration in accordance with a priority value assigned to the node.

Abstract: A system and method for locating patients in a hospital using M different frequency patient transmitters and N fixed location antennas within the hospital for receiving the patient signals. The received signals for each antenna are separated from the signals received by the other N-1 antennas, and the signal strength of each signal received by each antenna is measured. The received signal strength of each antenna is processed to determine which of the antennas received the strongest signals from each of the patient transmitters. Alternatively, the approximate location within the hospital of each operating patient transmitter is determined since the antennas are in fixed locations and the layout out of the hospital is known. In other embodiments, each of the antennas have a different modulation pattern to enable identification of which of the antennas receives which signals from the patient transmitters.

Abstract: A scheduling mechanism is provided for controlling when the arbitration circuit of a node sharing a CSMA communication medium is to start CSMA arbitration for access to the communication medium once the node has a message ready for transmission, the scheduling mechanism delaying the arbitration circuit from seeking access if total transmission activity on the communication medium exceeds a total use threshold value and transmission activity of the node exceeds a local use threshold value, and otherwise permitting the arbitration circuit to seek access to the communication medium by arbitration in accordance with a priority value assigned to the node.