Abstract: A system for monitoring use of a utility at a consumer's premises is disclosed. The system may include monitoring apparatus to detect use of the utility, a first register to store an indicator signal indicating whether or not use of the utility at the consumer's premises is authorized, and an unauthorized use signal generator, responsive to the monitoring apparatus output and the contents of the register, to generate an unauthorized use signal when the monitoring apparatus output indicates use of the utility and the first register contains an indicator signal indicating that use is not authorized.

Abstract: A communication system for providing a communication path between two of a plurality of devices. A first port is provided that is connected to at least one device. A second port is provided connected to a second device. A switch is provided connecting the two ports for communications connection between the ports in response to commands form the devices to each other. The switch includes the capability to monitor communications between the devices and to determine when a change is to be made in the communications path and then to make the change accordingly.

Abstract: A system for inputting signals to a terminal includes a first interface having an input port, the first interface including a decoder for decoding the signals received at said port for application to the terminal. Two external sources of signals are OR'ed to the same port. One or both the sources may include an external input device and an interface for translating signals from a first code output from the input device to a second code which the first interface is adapted to accept. In order to OR the outputs of the sources, the sources may have open collector output transistors connected to a common collector resistor in the first interface.

Abstract: A trunked communication system utilizes information on mobile unit location provided by a mobile unit to provide prioritized communication system availability. By further utilizing location information, the trunked communication system also provides a current communication system as a highest priority communication system as a mobile unit moves into a non-receiving area within an area served by the current communication system.

Abstract: A method and device for adapting a VME card for use in a VXI system are disclosed. The device resides on a circuit board that is plugged between the VXI bus and the VME card. The device provides two or more sets of VXI configuration registers. Each region of addresses normally used by the VME card is assigned to one of the simulated VXI units, and the device modifies incoming VXI addresses directed to each region so that the VME card responds to the VXI address. The VXI units simulated by the device may include one message-based device and one register-based device, so that both capabilities are available to the VME card. The device buffers signals passing between the VME card and the VXI bus, generating delays and timing signals to produce proper operation of all system components. The device provides bidirectional communication between the VME card and the VXI bus, so that the VME card can be the VXI bus master.

Abstract: A selective call receiver, such as a pager, stores an incoming message without interrupting the operation of the receiver. One set of data items displayed on a display of the receiver is updated independent of another set of data items. The updating function allows for the display of display formats such as forms and tables, wherein only the information needed to fill in the table is transmitted, the header information being retained from one update to the next.

Abstract: According to a remote control method, sound waves are output by a transmitter as short and long remote control pulses. These pulses are evaluated according to their duration. In order to largely avoid disturbances in the evaluation due to superimposition with reflected remote control signals, defined parameters, particularly at least one evaluation time of the remote control method, are adapted to variations in the duration of the remote control pulses output by the transmitter which are possible due to superimposition. Furthermore, a blanking is proposed which has a variable blanking duration that automatically adapts to a pause duration between two remote control pulses, which is varied due to a reflection.

Abstract: A large number of processing elements (e.g. 4096) are interconnected by means of a high bandwidth switch. Each processing element includes one or more general purpose microprocessors, a local memory and a DMA controller that sends and receives messages through the switch without requiring processor intervention. The switch that connects the processing elements is hierarchical and comprises a network of clusters. Sixty-four processing elements can be combined to form a cluster and sixty four clusters can be linked by way of a Banyan network. Messages are routed through the switch in the form of packets which includes a command field, a sequence number, a destination address, a source address, a data field (which can include subcommands), and an error correction code. Error correction is performed at the processing elements. If a packet is routed to a non-present or non-functional processor, the swithc reverses the source and destination field and returns the packet to the sender with an error flag.

Abstract: The radio system embodying the invention comprises a central station and a passive terminal station. First and second data signals are transmitted between data processing units respectively connected to the central and terminal stations. The terminal station comprises a same low-cost circuit associated with a square two-dimensional antenna for detecting the amplitude of a first incident microwave emitted by the central station thereby recovering the first data signal and deriving, in response to the first microwaves, a microwave modulated in phase by the second data signal by means of a retroreflection of a second incident microwave. This second incident microwave is emitted by the central station to the two-dimensional antenna of the terminal station. The terminal station is of very simple design, is compact and can therefore be included as well as the corresponding data processing unit in a contact-free chip card.

Abstract: A collision detection method and apparatus is disclosed for detecting code rule violations in Manchester encoded data packets. The signals.delta..sub.0 =S.sub.2n -S.sub.2n-1.delta..sub.1 =S.sub.2n+1 -S.sub.2n.delta..sub.2 =S.sub.2n+1 -S.sub.2n-1.sigma..sub.0 =S.sub.2n +S.sub.2n-1.are determined at time nT where S.sub.2n-1 and S.sub.2n are the Manchester code bit pair representative of the nth bit in a data stream having a bit period T. Processing of these signals permits the detection of most collisions since the Manchester coding rules are violated more than half the time in the signal formed by the colliding packets. To ensure 100% collision detection, a preamble using an intentional violation of the Manchester code in the pattern 10 11 01 10 is advantageously used in each data packet and a collision is signaled upon detection of two or more coding violations.

Abstract: A remote control system having of one or more independent transmitters transmitting code words to a receiver, wherein the code word includes an unalterable code portion, transmitted upon each code transmission together with a code portion which is variable in accordance with a predetermined algorithm, being stored in object-specific fashion both in each transmitter and in the receiver fixed to the object. A synchronizing procedure between a transmitter and the receiver, which can in any case only be carried out in dependence on a mechanical key restriction, is only possible if the individual object-specific code portion of the respective transmitter has been stored and is retrievable in the receiver.

Abstract: A crosspoint matrix is constructed in accordance with FET technology and includes matrix input lines which lead to matrix output lines at respective crosspoints, which matrix output lines each comprise, respectively, two signal conductors and having two signal inputs of a differential amplifier to which the two signal conductors of each matrix output line are respectively connectible via a pre-charging transistor to a respective terminal of the operating voltage source, the signal conductors of each matrix output line being respectively connectible to another terminal of the operating voltage source via a respective coupling element that is formed with the series circuit of an input transistor that has its control electrode connected to the sole signal conductor of the appertaining matrix input line and that is further formed by a switching transistor that has its control electrode charged with a through-connect signal or, respectively, an inhibit signal.

Abstract: In a selective call receiver, an apparatus and method are provided for accessing one or more operational functions via a plurality of displayed function indicators. The function indicators are categorized in sets with a first set representing a selective call receiver status mode that allows alteration of operating characteristics associated with a selective call receiver, and a second set representing a message read mode for controlling the disposition of received messages.

Abstract: When one module provides service while using a service providing function of other module, the service requesting module sends out a service request to other modules in a broadcast fashion. Each module receives and detects the service request, and when there is a corresponding service providing function in its own module, it sends a response back to the requesting module. Among a plurality of nodes, a selection function module which stores service providing function arrangement information of other nodes and determines a node which has the function for the corresponding service request is provided. The selection function module sends back a response to the service request.

Abstract: A system applicable to a digital radio communication system for switching a regular channel and a standby channel includes a demodulator associated with the standby channel. The demodulator has a phase locked loop for clock recovery the band width of which is variable. The band width of the phase lock loop is increased only when a channel switching operation is under way so as to guarantee clock synchronization.

Abstract: A portable passive transponder utilizes a single inductive coil transmission and reception system along with a single component rectifying means that is integratable on a single chip. The single coil is adapted to receive a power and/or information signal from an interrogator and transmit another signal simultaneously and independently of the power and/or information signal. A phase coherent frequency multiplier is also utilized which allows higher frequencies than the power signal to be generated, transmitted, and coherently detected.

Abstract: In a checkin gate apparatus, a seat table for checking practically occupied seats and also unoccupied seat deleting function are additionally provided to check which seats remain unoccupied, before the departure of passenger transport means such as airplanes. Further, unoccupied seat assigning function is provided for receiving tickets on which no seat is assigned and assigning an unoccupied seat thereto before departure. Since non-booked passengers can wait for an unoccupied seat at a boarding gate, it is possible to quickly achieve unoccupied seat assigning work.

Abstract: A central station generates and transmitted data of a transmission format. The transmission format includes an I/B bit indicating permission or inhibition of a new transmission of a next transmission timing of terminal stations, an R/N bit indicating reception or non-reception of a signal at the central station, and partial data produced from data received at the central station in accordance with a predetermined rule. One or plural of the terminal stations transmit the signal containing signal-length data W to the central station. The terminal station starts new transmission when the I/B bit indicates the permission of transmission. The central station determines and transmits the I/B bit, the R/N bit, and the partial data in accordance with the reception of the signal-length data W and the data transmitted from the terminal station. The terminal station determines whether or not a signal has been correctly received at the central station, in accordance with the R/N bit and the partial data.

Abstract: An information signal representing audio and/or video information is read together with a series of first data packets representing textual subinformation relating thereto from a record carrier on which such signal and data packets have been recorded together. A series of second subinformation data packets having the same format as the first subinformation packets are interleaved therewith so as to form a subinformation signal, such signal being combined with the main information signal to form a transmission signal for transmission to a receiver, the second subinformation packets representing textual subinformation unrelated to the main information signal. A receiver for such transmitted signal reproduces the information in the main information signal together with selected portions of the textual subinformation represented by the data packets, such selection being effected by a user in accordance with menus represented by the data packets and displayed on a video display unit of the receiver.

Abstract: A method for detecting the presence or absence of an abnormality in a signal x having a frequency f from a signal source, is implemented by a circuit arrangement for deriving a now signal provided at the present time by the signal source, and for deriving a past signal at a point of time preceding the present time by an interval of time M/f where M is an integer. The circuit arrangement also detects an abnormality in the signal and/or the signal source compared to the new signal and to the past signal. The now signal x.sub.m is provided by the signal source at a point of. Another now-signal x.sup.'.sub.m is provided at a point of time preceding the now time t1 by t-1/4f. The signals Xm and xm are derived as a pair. A past signal x.sub.n corresponding to the signal x.sub.m and another past signal x'.sub.n corresponding to the signal x'.sub.m are also provided as a pair.