Abstract: A system and method for receiving character entries in mobile computer devices uses an improved keypad. The keypad uses a dual key press method in which each key of the keypad includes a unique key definition when it alone is pressed. Each of two adjacent keys of the keypad also include a unique key definition when the two adjacent keys are pressed at substantially the same time. A keypad controller receives inputs from the keys and decodes the single key entries and the dual key entries. The keypad occupies a relatively small keypad area while providing full size keys for the user. The keypad also has a mode key that enables a user to change the alphabet mode of the keypad to a numerical mode.

Abstract: An input device for an electronic apparatus including a printed circuit board with an opening in which a rotary wheel module is mounted. The construction enables the input device to be thinner.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for packaging surface acoustic wave transponders for use in down-hole or other extreme environmental applications is provided. An exemplary ID tag transponder may include a surface acoustic wave (SAW) piezoelectric device, wire bonds, antennae structure, an antenna reflector, a radome, and a base constructed of a conductive, non-magnetic metal or metal alloy adapted to withstand an extreme environment encountered in down-hole applications. The metallic base may have a notched lip or flange about its periphery that is adapted for pressure fitting into the milled cylindrical orifice located on the exterior surface of a tool asset. In some embodiments, an exemplary SAW piezoelectric device may be attached directly onto an antenna substrate and wire bonded directly to an antenna. An RF reflector is created inside an exemplary transponder tag device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for selecting a keyboard key based on a position of a presence of a conductive object on a sensing device and a pre-defined area of the keyboard key. The apparatus may include a sensing device and a processing device. The sensing device may include a plurality of sensor elements to detect a presence of a conductive object on the sensing device. Multiple keyboard keys are assigned to pre-defined areas of the sensing device. The processing device is coupled to the sensing device using capacitance sensing pins, and may be operable to determine a position of the presence of the conductive object, and to select a keyboard key based on the position of the conductive object and the pre-defined areas of the sensing device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an advanced metering infrastructure system that includes electronic meters, each of which being configured to measure and store an amount of energy consumed by each customer and provided with a slave communication modem, a data concentrator for collecting meter data from the electronic meters via a master communication modem that performs wired/wireless communication with the slave communication modems of the electronic meters, and a meter reading server for receiving and managing the meter data collected by the data concentrator. The master communication modem and each of the slave communication modems implement mutual communication interfaces using a protocol stack. The protocol stack includes a network layer, an application layer, and a modem performance analysis layer disposed between the network layer and the application layer and configured to analyze quality of a communication link between the master communication modem and each slave communication modem.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses for reducing network congestion in a smart utility meter system are provided. The systems, methods, and apparatuses may include providing, for a utility meter, a first communications interface for communicating with a first network; providing, for the utility meter, a second communications interface for communicating with a second network different from the first network; receiving or generating, by the utility meter, information having a destination; selecting either the first communications interface or the second communications interface; and delivering the information to the destination via the selected communications interface.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus and a system, as well as a method and an article, may operate to monitor a first condition associated with transmitting or receiving a signal in a formation or on a drill string, or both, over a first selected interval of a drill string located down hole; to monitor a second condition associated with transmitting or receiving the signal in the formation or on the drill string or both, over a second selected interval of the drill string; to compare the first condition to the second condition to provide a comparison result; and based on the comparison result, to select one of the first selected interval or the second selected interval to transmit or receive the signal in the formation or on the drill string, or both. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of providing a password to a handheld electronic device having a reduced keyboard and a non-predictive keystroke interpretation system, wherein the reduced keyboard is of a particular keyboard type and the non-predictive keystroke interpretation system is of a particular system type. The method includes receiving a first character string in an electronic device, such as, without limitation, a PC, that is separate from the handheld electronic device, generating one or more second character strings in the electronic device based on the particular keyboard type, the first character string, and, possibly, the particular system type, and transmitting the one or more second character strings from the electronic device to the handheld electronic device as the password.

Abstract: A portable electronic device comprises a key input unit including a plurality of keys or buttons. A plurality of key backlight LEDs are arranged right below or close to predetermined keys or buttons of the plurality of keys or buttons. The key backlight LEDs are capable of selecting and setting a plurality of colors for light emission. A light emission control unit provides a notification of a state of the portable electronic device with a lighting pattern of the plurality of key backlight LEDs.

Abstract: An electronic device for disambiguation of stroke input, the device comprising: an input device coupled to the microprocessor for accepting a stroke input; and a stroke disambiguation module resident in the memory for execution by the microprocessor. The device is configured to: receive a signal representing a stroke input sequence at the stroke disambiguation module; apply one or more stroke disambiguation rules to the stroke input sequence to generate an updated input sequence; and transmit a signal representing the updated input sequence.

Abstract: An apparatus (625) with a first plurality of input keys (635). Some of the first input keys may be associated with both a numeric value and a first set of alphabetic values and arranged in a first alphabetic keypad layout. The apparatus (625) is further provided with a second plurality of input keys (645), positioned adjacent to the first plurality of input keys (635), and being associated with at least one alphabetic value. Some of the input keys of the second plurality of input keys (645) may be arranged in a second alphabetic keypad layout different from the first alphabetic keypad layout. Further, in various embodiments, at least some input keys of the first plurality of input keys (635) have a second set of alphabetic values that is used as part of the second alphabetic keypad layout. Additionally, in various embodiments, at least some of the alphabetic values of the second keyboard layout are arranged at least partially based on a frequency of use of such alphabetic values.

Abstract: A data input system and method utilize a keyboard including a first keypad having at least five keys and a second keypad having at least five keys. With the at least ten keys of the first and second keypads, at least twenty-five two-key combinations including one key from each of the first and second keypads are established, where the two-key combinations each represent characters. Additionally, at least twenty chord combinations including multiple keys from the first keypad and multiple keys from the second keypad are established, where the chord combinations each represent special characters and commands.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of monitoring a plurality of vital parameters of a patient 10 using a body sensor network with a set of on-body sensors 1 and at least one off-body monitoring device 2, the method comprising the following steps: with each on-body sensor 1, sensing a vital parameter and transmitting data related to the sensed vital parameter to the off-body monitoring device 2, and for at least one of the on-body sensors 1, determining the inclination of this on-body sensor 1 relative to the off-body monitoring device 2. In this way, a reliable and easy to use possibility for monitoring vital parameters of a patient 10 using a body sensor network is provided that minimizes the performance problem produced by RF attenuation caused by the body of the patient 10.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and several types of devices for converting meter reading signals into data messages including a first message (40) having meter data (44) representing consumption of a utility, and meter diagnostic status data (43), and a second message (60) having meter reverse flow data (63-65) and meter diagnostic data (66) particular to an electronic flow meter, and receiving said first message (40) and said second message (60) and converting first message and said second message to radio frequency signals (25) and transmitting said radio frequency signals (25) to a receiver (22, 24).

Abstract: A communication system for communicating information with a compliant medium is disclosed, the communication device includes a constrained fluid, a valve, a modulator, a sensor and a demodulator. The constrained is fluid distributed along a length. The valve is configured to operatively engage a second point relative to the length. The modulator configured to actuate the valve according to information. The sensor configured to measure pressure at a first point relative to the length, where the first point is distant from the second point. The demodulator is coupled to the sensor to recover the information.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard including a plurality of keys arranged as a matrix, each key including a plunger, and a conductive element on the bottom of the plunger, the conductive element having a characteristic resistance, an electronic circuit having an input current source, and mounted on a surface beneath the plurality of keys such that when a key is pressed its conductive element closes a switch in the circuit, an analog-to-digital convertor for converting an output voltage of the circuit to a digital signal, and a controller for determining from the digital signal when a key is pressed, and for identifying the key that is pressed.

Abstract: A system for using telemetry data based on a user habit information includes one or more sensors coupled to a wearable device that has a unique user ID, and acquires user information selected from of at least one of, a user's activities, behaviors and habit information. The wearable device includes ID circuitry that includes ID storage, a communication system which reads and transmits the unique ID from the ID storage, a power source and a pathway system to route signals through the circuitry. The telemetry system communicates with the one or more sensors. The telemetry system includes a database of user ID's. Telemetry data is analyzed using the telemetry system based on at least one of, user's activities, behaviors and habit information. Personalized information about the user is created.

Abstract: An activity meter includes an activity amount acquisition unit that acquires an amount of physical activity of a user, an activity age acquisition unit that acquires an activity age representing a standard age of a person who does a same amount of activity as the activity amount acquired in a unit period, using body information and a basal metabolic rate of the user, and an output processing unit that outputs information relating to the acquired activity age.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a detection circuit having at least a first contact point, a second contact point and a third contact point; an input key unit changes states of the individual contact points based on an accepted input operation, and a detection-circuit control unit obtains a detection signal corresponding to changed states of the individual contact points from the detection circuit, and detects the input operation from the obtained detection signal.

Abstract: A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software that is operable to disambiguate compound text input. The device is able to assemble language objects in the memory to generate compound language solutions. The device is able to generate compound language solutions by employing different groupings of data sources to generate different portions of the compound language solutions.