Abstract: The invention provides an energy generation and/or conversion system and method wherein an electrical power generator is controlled to periodically alternate between a contact-mode, during which elements of the generator are brought into contact to induce a state of charging, and a non-contact mode, during which plates of the generator are separated from one another and electrical energy is generated through electrostatic induction. Timing and duration of contact and non-contact modes are controlled by a controller, or by user commands, in dependence on a charge state of the elements of the generator: In this way elements are controlled to come into contact only when surface charge has fallen below a certain level, and re-charging is necessary; contact time between the elements may hence be minimised—thereby minimising incurred noise and surface wear—whilst still maintaining a given desired threshold power output.

Abstract: A device and method for determining and/or monitoring the respiratory effort of a subject are presented. The device comprises a receiving unit for receiving a posture signal of the subject, a breathing signal of the subject, and an electromyography signal of the subject; and a processing unit for determining an electromyography signal based on the posture signal and the breathing signal and for deriving the respiratory effort based on the determined electromyography signal.

Abstract: A triboelectric power generator system uses a power converter to provide a controllable impedance between a triboelectric power generator and a load, in dependence on the triboelectric generator output. This enables improved power transfer even though the output generated by a triboelectric power generator can be irregular and fluctuates over time.

Abstract: This invention generally relates to control of DC track lighting systems. The proposed solution implements a control system for a DC track lighting system based on the use of near-field RF technologies such as NFC. This solution is achieved by extending the limited range offered by near-field RF technologies by taking advantage of the unexpected behavior of a DC track while having thereon high frequency signals such as near-field RF signals. The proposed solution may require less tedious control of DC track lighting system since lamp holder(s) may be controlled based on a single “touch” of near-field RF enable device.

Abstract: A system and methods for automatically commissioning electrical fixtures using sound are disclosed. Electrical fixtures (140-149) detect sounds produced by a sound generator moved along a path (300) through installed fixtures according to a building plan (100). Each electrical fixture may be associated with a mapped fixture location in the building plan by correlating the detected sound with the location of the sound generator along the path.

Abstract: This invention generally relates to control of DC track lighting systems. The proposed solution implements a control system for a DC track lighting system based on the use of near-field RF technologies such as NFC. This solution is achieved by extending the limited range offered by near-field RF technologies by taking advantage of the unexpected behaviour of a DC track while having thereon high frequency signals such as near-field RF signals. The proposed solution may require less tedious control of DC track lighting system since lamp holder(s) may be controlled based on a single “touch” of near-field RF enable device.

Abstract: A dental implement (4) is presented that includes, in one embodiment, a light source (331) configured to emit an excitation light, and at least one optical unit for removing reflected excitation light and receiving a fluorescence light beam from the teeth. The dental implement further includes a detector (333) configured to receive the fluorescence light beam for detecting plaque and communicating a plaque identification signal of the teeth based on frequency domain lifetime measurements via a plaque detection circuit configured to reduce noise generated by a drive train at a drive train frequency (fdt). The plaque identification signal is demodulated to an intermediate frequency (fIF) such that the drive train frequency and the intermediate frequency are derived from a same master clock.

Abstract: A system and methods for automatically commissioning electrical fixtures using sound are disclosed. Electrical fixtures (140-149) detect sounds produced by a sound generator moved along a path (300) through installed fixtures according to a building plan (100). Each electrical fixture may be associated with a mapped fixture location in the building plan by correlating the detected sound with the location of the sound generator along the path.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods and apparatus for locating luminaires within a lighting system where multiple luminaires are located on a grid of DC power rails. The AC signal generator connects to each DC power rail and transmits an AC signal along each DC power rail in turn to luminaires that each compute their distance from the generator based upon the AC signal. The AC signal generator may similarly transmit and receive data communications with luminaires across DC power rails.

Abstract: An interactive system in which information read from two or more tags (10, 12 or 10, 12?) jointly determines a process to be carried out. One of the tags may identify a user by for example his/her store loyalty card number or by a personal identifying tag (or card) in a cordless RF terminal and the other of the tags may be a RF-ID tag storing details of an action to be performed such as the number of credit points to be given to the loyalty card in response to a transaction or provide promotional information to the user. The process may comprise issuing a command to an action server (28, 30) to provide, or instruct the sending of, output information to a user, by for example over a radio link to a cellular telephone apparatus (18, 34, 36) or PDA, or displayed to the user on a video display unit (38).