Abstract: A paging receiver with a display function allows a conventional message to be displayed and a receiver control signal to be sent together in a single message format. A first and a second predetermined character are detected in a received message. A message occurring between the first and second characters is extracted as a receiver control signal and is not displayed on a display.

Abstract: A paging receiver is disclosed which is compatible with transmissions from analog or digital paging transmitters. The paging receiver has a command structure which permits it to be dynamically programmable to change its functionality including programming of the channels which the paging receiver is to receive. The programmability of the channels permits the paging receiver to be used for making national, regional, remote area, local area, and sublocal area pages, and pages to a group in the local area and to switch from channels which are heavily used during peak paging times to lesser used channels. The paging receiver transmits paging receiver identification code digits in an order of increasing significance which significantly lessens power consumption for all paging receivers tuned to a particular channel for determining if a page is to be received which prolongs paging receiver battery life. The paging receiver displays the place of origin of pages as either being of local origin or from other areas.

Abstract: Each of a large number of geographically distributed call boxes asynchronously transmits unique code-identified digital messages for taxicab request, vanadalism alarm, low power, or on-line status by Frequency Shift Keyed Bi-phase Modulated radio. To ensure receipt of any simultaneous, conflicting, messages at a central receiver, each call box repeats transmission of its messages three times at intervals. For human-initiated taxicab requests the call box itself feeds back a "cab dispatched" visual indication to satisfy the requestor after a predetermined delay. However, this indication actually represents only a highly probable occurrence and is not generated in response to an actual dispatch at a central location. The centrally received messages are processed by digital computer to eliminate redundance, display requests to a dispatcher of service, an log all requests and responses thereto.

Abstract: A switchable termination module for use with addressable devices on a communication bus has a terminator for each signal transmission path, a signal source, for example a switch for signalling whether termination is desired and a terminator control circuit for engaging and disengaging the terminators in response to the signal from the signal source. The control circuit has a transistor between the source of potential and the terminators to couple the terminators to the transmission paths when termination is desired. The switch which signals whether termination is desired may also be used to select the address for the device.

Abstract: A handheld pocket terminal (22) having a display screen (40) and a bar code reader (42).

Abstract: A switching component preferably in integrated circuit form is provided. The switching component has a plurality of inlet and outlet data ports with associated inlet and outlet clock ports, a clock regenerator and a flip-flop for each outlet data port, and a switch matrix for coupling each inlet data port and its associated inlet clock port to any outlet data port and its associated outlet clock port. The clock regeneration means obtains the clock signal exiting the switching core and regenerates the clock signal waveshape. The flip-flop causes data exiting the switching core to be clocked out of the switching component synchronously with its associated regenerated clock signal according to the regenerated clock signal. A plurality of identical switching components can be arranged in a folded Clos arrangement having a plurality of stages to provide a desired switch network of any size.

Abstract: In an interface module for connecting user terminals of the carrier sense multiple access collision detection (CSMA/CD) local area network (LAN) to a different access mode switching network, a transmit buffer is connected at one end through a transmit data channel to a user terminal and connected at the other end to a desired swtching system. A receive buffer is connected at one end to the switching system to store a receive packet supplied from it. An OR gate is provided having a first input connected to the transmit data channel, a second input connected to the other end of the receive buffer and an output connected through a receive data channel to the user terminal. A detector circuit detects when a transmit packet is received from the user terminal.

Abstract: There is disclosed a data communications link adapter providing flow of data control and status information between an input/output (I/O) Backplane and a fiber optic Frontplane. The adapter represents a melding of I/O channel extender technology and data communications technology: a dedicated processor handles link layer protocol, leaving to software only higher protocol layers; a flow-through architecture is provided by the adapter; a combination of windowing and handshaking are used; and a relatively short frame of sixteen bytes is employed. The adapter includes a backplane adapter portion which serves to interconnect host equipment, a processor portion dedicated to layer 3 (circuit operations), a protocol controller dedicated to layer 2 (physical layer) operations, a fiber optic interface portion dedicated to layer 1 (physical link) operations, and an arbiter portion which couples the processor to a data path connecting the backplane adapter and the protocol controller.

Abstract: In a communication device with a star circuit all electrical bus connections are terminated by their characteristic impedance at the side of the stations as well as at the side of a star circuit. In order to enable arbitrary connection/disconnection of stations without modification of the terminating impedances while at the same time the termination remains optimum, each bus connection is provided with a separating element. This element receives an active bus connection state and communicates this state to all other connections so that the local bus connections are also activated. However, when a bus applied to the relevant separating element so that the latter cannot signal a further activation. Furthermore, for each connection there is provided a logic circuit in order to prevent the signalling of the own activation back to the own bus connection, while the inhibit signal for the own bus connection need not be active either.

Abstract: An apparatus and method, using a computer, for the efficient generation of a wiring map of the connectivity between two sets of terminals at different locations which have established communication links between respective terminals at the two locations. A single at a first location uniquely identifies each of the terminals, by code, frequency, sequence of connection or the like, and is transmitted to a respective terminal at the second location via a respective communication link. The terminals at the second location are sampled and the presence of the transmitted signal correlated to the identity of the first terminal. The correlation may be direct, as by unique terminal identifier, or by a comparison of data bases stored by computers. The computer-based correlation is used to generate a map of the limited terminals.

Abstract: In a simultaneous communication as in a POS system in which the same data including a multiplicity of data blocks is transmitted from a controller to a multiplicity of terminals all at once, the controller transmits all of the data blocks to the terminals without receiving any acknowledgement from each of the terminals in the course of data transmission. Each time the data block is received, the terminals hold information concerning the acknowledgement of the data block. After the termination of transmission of the whole of the data, the controller receives the acknowledgement information from each terminal into a management table. Based on the contents of the mangement table, the controller retransmits the data to a terminal(s) indicative of a negative acknowledgement in a similar manner to the above-mentioned data transmission or while taking acknowledgement for each data block.

Abstract: In a multiplex system for automotive vehicles, battery (+V) current is supplied to each load (70, 71) connected to a non-intelligent slave unit (20) via a power switch (TR) in the slave controlled by a capacitor (CT) which is charged or discharged in an assigned time slot by high or low voltage (A,C) applied on a low current signal line from a remote intelligent unit (10). If a load (70, 71) goes open-circuit then a voltage source (TR1, Z1) in the slave provides low current via a resistor (R2, R3) and the forward direction of a zener diode Z to charge the capacitor CT to an intermediate voltage which is detected at the remote intelligent unit (10) during an assigned load driving time slot.

Abstract: A packet sequence is formed in a subscriber station which monitors a token ring network including a number of subscriber stations, the packet sequence containing an address recognition bit at a binary "0" state, a broadcast sequence identifying the packet information as a broadcast packet sequence, and the information field thereof containing either an address signaling request or an address signaling request in the address of its own subscriber station. In the respective following subscriber stations, the received binary state of the address recognition bit is modified to a binary "1" and a further broadcast packet information sequence is formed such that the address recognition bit contains a binary "0" and the most-recently received address is entered into the information field with either the address of the preceding subscriber station or with its own address.

Abstract: A paging network is disclosed which utilizes a plurality of distributed switches to transmit pages on a non-real time basis to achieve efficient and low cost transmission. Each of the switches processes packets of pages received from the network. Each of the switches also processes pages into packets of pages to be transmitted to another switch in the network or into batches of pages to be transmitted by a local paging service if the switch is a local switch. The network dynamically programs the reception channel(s) of the paging receivers in response to traffic conditions of a local switch or in accordance with service options specified by a subscriber to a local paging service. The digits of the paging receiver identification code are transmitted in an order of increasing significance to conserve battery life of the paging receivers. Pages may be initiated by placing a local call to any lata switch in the network and service options may be varied by placing of a local call to a lata switch.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein apparatus and a method for scanning information off a processing plane where the information is contained in a current signal having a very small amplitude and which can change signs and vary in amplitude by as much as five orders of magnitude. The preferred embodiment of the apparatus uses a pair of CMOS pass transistors connected to the individual processing elements and the row select lines. The pass transistors, when turned on, couple the output current from the processor containing the desired information to a column line. The column line is connected to a current to voltage converter in the form of a differential input amplifier having a non linear feedback circuit comprised of two diode connected CMOS transistors operating in the subthreshold region. The non linear feedback circuit provides an exponential transfer function which compresses the dynamic range of the output current from the processor to a smaller and more useable output range for an output voltage.

Abstract: An apparatus for non-contacting information transmission between a data carrier and a data reader includes providing at least two electrodes on the surface of the data carrier which are brought together which at least two electrodes in the data reader to form capacitors to produce at least one common circuit of the data carrier and data reader for information transmission.

Abstract: A paging network is disclosed which utilizes a plurality of distributed switches to transmit pages on a non-real time basis to achieve efficient and low cost transmission. Each of the switches processes packets of pages received from the network. Each of the switches also processes pages into packets of pages to be transmitted to another switch in the network or into batches of pages to be transmitted by a local paging service if the switch is a local switch. The network dynamically programs the reception channels of the paging receivers in response to traffic conditions of a local switch or in accordance with service options specified by a subscriber to a local paging service. The digits of the paging receiver identification code are transmitted in an order of increasing significance to conserve battery life of the paging receivers. Pages may be initiated by placing a local call to any lata switch in the network and service options may be varied by placing of a local call to a lata switch.

Abstract: A paging network is disclosed which utilizes a plurality of distributed switches to transmit pages on a non-real time basis to achieve efficient and low cost transmission. Each of the switches processes packets of pages received from the network. Each of the switches also processes pages into packets of pages to be transmitted to another switch in the network or into batches of pages to be transmitted by a local paging service if the switch is a local switch. The network dynamically programs the reception channel(s) of the paging receivers in response to traffic conditions of a local switch or in accordance with service options specified by a subscriber to a local paging service. The digits of the paging receiver identification code are transmitted in an order of increasing significance to conserve battery life of the paging receivers. Pages may be initiated by placing a local call to any lata switch in the network and service options may be varied by placing of a local call to a lata switch.

Abstract: A device has a communication line leading to a control desk and a power supply connected to the communication line. Connected to the power supply are two circuits each comprising a unit for testing the communication line for condition and a current amplifier which are connected in series with each other. Connected to the inputs of each current amplifier is an interference suppression unit having its input connected to a current comparison unit. Two current comparison units are connected to the power supply and an electrical apparatus being controlled. The device also has a logical circuit connected to the power supply and the test units and an actuating unit connected to the logical circuit and one of the test units and coupled to the electrical apparatus.

Abstract: When computing a least weight path from an origin node to a destination node in a data communication network, a route-computing network node uses information provided by the origin and destination nodes to compute least weight routes from those nodes to adjacent network nodes. The route-computing network node uses information in the topology database to compute least weight routes from network nodes adjacent the origin node to network nodes adjacent the destination node. The results of the computations are concatenated to determine an optimum route from the origin node to the destination node. The topology database need not include information about the transmission groups connecting the origin/destination nodes to network nodes.