Abstract: A priority based protocol for a two-way paging system improves the life expectancy of the pager's battery by minimizing use of pager's transmitter, without significantly impacting the reliability of the system or the timeliness of message delivery. This is accomplished by eliminating the need to always sends acknowledgments of received messages and by piggybacking acknowledgments and messages together in a single transmission. In the priority based protocol, high priority messages are immediately acknowledged by the pager. All messages include a message sequence number. When a non-critical message is received by a pager, it checks the message sequence numbers of earlier messages to determine whether an earlier message is missing. If so, the pager sends to the paging network a request to resend the missing message.

Abstract: A network management system includes network stations each having a power source and a power switch to turn the power source on and off, a network management station to monitor the network stations, and a communication network enabling connections between the network stations and the network management station. When turned off by the power switch, the network station enables communication with the network management station and then sends an event to notify the power-off state thereto. This enables the network management system to display whether the communication failure is caused by a network failure or the power-off of the network station.

Abstract: The remote control receiver comprises one or more photodiodes. The signal from the photodiodes is amplified and fed to a processing unit. The processing unit is based on a conventional integrated remote control receiver circuit, which is suited to process a remote control signal. Such integrated receiver circuits are, however, not designed to process a signal from a preamplifier. Rather, their input must be connected directly to a photodiode. By applying a replacement load instead of a photodiode to the input of the integrated receiver circuit, it becomes possible, however, to feed any electrical signal to the integrated circuit. In this way the signal can be filtered and amplified before being sent to the integrated circuit, which allows a considerably higher receiver sensitivity to be reached.

Abstract: An array of like system modules linked to a common control unit by connect lines, bussed and connected to all the modules by respective removable pin units so that each module address can be generated solely according to which said pin units are not connected.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for transmitting in multi-channel fault-tolerant networks with bus, star, ring or mixed topology and multi-priority medium capacity distribution by medium idle time monitoring and changing station access numbers. Each station is connected with one or a plurality of communication channels and is assigned a unique set of initial access numbers. The current access numbers of each station are changed when a frame appears on the medium and restored to the initial values after transmission or reception of a network synchronization signal. Each station has a timer to monitor the idle time period when all input access lines of the station are quiescent. The timer starts when the medium becomes idle and stops if the medium becomes busy.

Abstract: A signal reproduction apparatus such as an audio apparatus consists of a plurality of devices including a receiver. The receiver receives a broadcast wave signal (such as an FM signal) which includes a primary signal, along with data (such as RDS data) relating to a broadcasting station, a program, etc. transmitted together with the primary signal. The receiver includes a tuner circuit for receiving the broadcast wave signal, a decoder circuit and a signal generation device. The decoder circuit extracts the data (such as RDS data) relating to the broadcasting station and the program from the broadcast wave signal received by the tuner circuit. The signal generation device generates a remote control signal based on the data output from the decoder circuit, and outputs the generated remote control signal. The audio device includes a receiving section for receiving the remote control signal output from the signal generation device.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for monitoring present location of a site arrestee confined to a permitted site of arbitrary size. Present location of the arrestee can be checked at selected time intervals of several hundred milliseconds to thousands of seconds, as desired. The arrestee wears a location-determining ("LD") unit that receives electromagnetic signals that contain information allowing determination of the present location of the LD unit and arrestee, from three or more non-collinear signal sources. These sources may be radiowave subcarrier transmitters, or may be a combination of radiowave subcarrier transmitters and (1) transmitters for a Loran, Omega, Decca, Tacan, JTIDS Relnav or PLRS or similar ground-based system, or (2) transmitters for a satellite-based positioning system, such as GPS or GLONASS. Present location or change in present location of the LD unit is determined and compared with the permitted site boundary at selected times to determine if the arrestee is present at the site.

Abstract: The present invention provides an abnormality detecting device for a vehicle communication system comprising controllers and a diagnosis unit. The controllers store data to be transmitted by means of a communication IC to the diagnosis unit. When data is transmitted to a bus at a first timing, a communication abnormality, if any, around the communication IC is detected in response to the status of data stored in the communication IC at a second timing by a CPU. The CPU determines as an abnormality a case where, after transmission of data from the communication IC to the bus, the data is kept stored in the communication IC. The CPU determines as an abnormality a case where, after transmission of part of data to the communication IC, no data is stored in the communication IC.

Abstract: A tag structure suitable for attachment to an object includes one or more bimorphs comprised of a thin strip of a magnetostrictive material attached to a thicker bar of hard magnetic material. The tag is preferably excited using either magnetic or acoustic fields, tuned to the resonance of the bimorphs. The excitation induces strain in the bimorph which causes mechanical vibrations in the bimorph which are sensed acoustically or magnetically, giving rise to a code. A device for detecting the output of the tag is provided along with a device for decoding the output from the detecting means thereby to identify the object.

Abstract: A transponder system (10) includes an interrogation unit (12) that transmits a first frequency F1 representing a binary zero, and a second frequency F2, representing a binary one. These signals are transmitted from an interrogator resonant circuit (22) within a radio frequency module (16). The transponder system (10) also includes a transponder unit (14) that receives a transmit frequency signal (51) from the interrogation unit (12) at a transponder resonant circuit (42). The transponder resonant circuit (42) is tuned to the first frequency F1 and the second frequency F2. A transponder control module (44) detects a change in the transmit frequency signal (51) from the interrogation unit (12) by a decrease in the voltage amplitude with the transponder resonant circuit (42).

Abstract: The present invention provides a security system for controlling access of persons through a controlled portal. The portal, such as a door, has a lock mechanism for securing the door. A presence detector senses the presence of an object within an approach zone located substantially adjacent the portal. When an object is detected, a fixed transceiver automatically transmits an interrogation signal into the approach zone. A portable transceiver is carried by the person seeking access to the portal. The portable transceiver responds to the interrogation signal by transmitting a response signal. Each portable transceiver or group of transceivers has a unique identification code which is included in the response signal. The fixed transceiver receives the response signal and determines whether the response signal contains a valid access code. If a valid access code is received, the portal is unlocked and other devices may be activated.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling turning on and off appliances. The method for operating a remote controller includes the steps of selecting a first one of a plurality of appliances including a television to control, selecting to send a power toggle command, measuring a time between a user selecting a first one of a plurality of appliances to control and the user selecting to send a power toggle command, comparing the measured time to a predetermined time, and sending the power toggle command to the television, if the measured time is greater than the predetermined time, otherwise, if the measured time is less than the predetermined time, sending the power toggle command to the selected first one of a plurality of appliances to control.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for securely writing confidential data from an issuerer to a customer smart card at a remote location includes, establishing a communication link between a retailer data terminal device at the remote location and the issuer's secure computer. A communication link is established between a secure terminal device, which includes a smart card reader/writer, and the data terminal device. The retailer is authenticated to the issuer and the issuer to the retailer by means of a retailer smart card presented to the secure terminal device. A session key is established for enciphering data traffic between the secure terminal device and the issuer's computer using the retailer smart card. The customer smart card is presented to the secure terminal device. Confidential customer data is enciphered using the session key and it is written from the issuer's computer to the customer smart card.

Abstract: A radio system user (126) is alerted (129) as to the occurrence of a financial transaction by a customer (118). Data (122) is obtained from the customer (118) and used to identify a radio system user (126), who is authorized to conduct the financial transaction. A message, indicative of the financial transaction, is automatically provided to a radio system and broadcast (129) to the radio system user (126), thereby alerting the user (126) to the financial transaction.

Abstract: A matrix switcher apparatus for selectively outputting information signals includes a first matrix switcher unit for selectively outputting an information signal according to control signals in the form of a first communication protocol, and a second matrix switcher unit for selectively outputting an information signal according to control signals in the form of a second communication protocol. The matrix switcher unit apparatus also includes a control unit having a plurality of remote control units each for generating control signals in the form of the first communication protocol in accordance with switching data input from an input unit, and a converting unit for converting control signals generated by the remote control units into control signals in the form of a second communication protocol.

Abstract: A priority selection circuit includes the initial value registers for re-setting the initial values of priority levels in priority level registers of one of the circuits 1a to 1d in which the service requests are accepted and the addition sections for adding +1 to the contents of the priority level registers of the circuits in which the service requests are not accepted. Thus, the priority level of the device in which the service request is made but not selected can be increased by the addition so as to eliminate the state that the service request is not accepted.