Abstract: An apparatus, a carrier medium storing instructions to implement a method, and a method for controlling the gain of a radio receiver for receiving packets of information in a wireless network. The receiver is connected to an antenna subsystem and has receive signal path including a plurality of sections including a first section coupled to the antenna subsystem and a next section. Each section has an adjustable gain and is able to provide a measure of the signal strength at its output. The method includes waiting for a start of packet indication, providing a measure of the signal strength at the output of the first section and the next section, and adjusting the gains of the first and the next sections using the provided measured signal strengths. In one embodiment, the receive signal path includes a filter, the provided measure for the first section is before the filter, and the provided measure for the second section is after the filter.

Abstract: A system is disclosed that provides computer-aided processing of a rebate on a product. The system includes a rebate processing center communicating over a network with a manufacturer, a distributor, and a consumer. The rebate processing center maintains a promotion table and a transaction table in order to facilitate processing of product rebates and to offer the consumer a choice of disbursement options.

Abstract: A digital AGC system for burst operation, particularly suited for receiving packets in a wireless local area network. One embodiment includes a log detector that provides a signal strength measure, called the received signal strength indication (RSSI) over a wide dynamic range. The AGC system includes estimating the power in a received signal by averaging the log of the signal power. The Start of Packet detection avoids using the radio receiver's main analog to digital converters to preserve power.

Abstract: A wireless computer data network includes several untethered mobile units that make ad-hoc data connections with an Internet-connected base station using the IEEE-802.11a standard. Each unit includes a radio transceiver fully integrated on a single semiconductor chip. The receiver portion is a double-conversion superheterodyne type, and shares the same intermediate and local oscillator frequencies with a two-stage up-conversion transmitter. Two on-chip synthesizers that each include a voltage-controlled oscillator and phase-locked loop can be operated independently for each conversion stage, or operated in offset mode. External reference frequencies can be injected for voltage-controlled oscillator and phase-locked loop testing, chip characterization, and automatic compensation modeling. Each mobile and base unit can be outfitted with transmit/receive antenna transfer switches, RF-power amplifiers, and low-noise receiver amplifiers to increase operating range.

Abstract: A monolithic radio integrated circuit includes a substrate, a set of one or more analog subcircuits on the substrate, a programmable bias current supply on the substrate coupled to the set to provide bias currents to the analog subcircuits of the set including programmable bias currents to one or more analog subcircuits forming a first subset of the set, and a digital subsection coupled to the programmable bias supply to determine the bias currents supplied to the analog subcircuits of the first subset, such that one or more characteristics of the radio integrated circuit are modifiable by programming the programmable bias supply.

Abstract: A monolithic transceiver integrated circuit that includes a substrate, a transmitter subsystem of one or more subcircuits on the substrate, and a receiver subsystem of one or more subcircuits on the substrate. Also included is a bias current supply coupled to the receiver and transmitter subsystems to provide bias current. The bias current supply includes a first bias circuit on the substrate coupled to, and to supply bias current to, a first subcircuit of the transmitter subsystem. The first bias circuit includes a first current modulator having a first switch input to indicate that the bias current is to start or stop being supplied to the first subcircuit. The first current modulator is to control the rate of change of supplied bias current in response to the first switch input. The first subcircuit may be a power amplifier. The control of the rate of change reduces oscillator pull in at least one oscillator included in the integrated circuit.

Abstract: A system architecture is described for supporting protocol independent multicast routing and local group membership multicast protocols concurrently and consistently within a multi-cast border router on a packet switched network.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for encoding video data. The design comprises a two pass encoding system with bi-direction control to and from a classification engine. In the first pass coder, a future picture is encoded to produce a set of parameters that characterize the future picture. In the second pass coder a current picture is encoded to produce a video output. The classification engine is the center of perceptual enhancement. The classification engine interprets the set of parameters from the first pass coder and classifies the current picture.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid adjuvant comprising a) one or more surfactants of the formula (I), Ar—O—(CHR1—CHR2—O—)y—R3??(I) where Ar is aryl which is substituted by at least two (C1-C30)alkyl radicals, R1 is H or (C1-C6)alkyl, R2 is H or (C1-C6)alkyl, R3 is H, an unsubstituted or substituted (C1-C30) hydrocarbon radical, a sulfonate radical, a phosphonate radical or an acyl radical, and y is an integer from 1 to 100, and b) one or more fatty acid esters. The adjuvant is particularly suitable in the field of crop protection.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for spatial prediction in a video encoder. The method and system can operate on a set of video elements in parallel. Multiple modes can also be executed for each set of video elements. Modes correspond to a weighted combination of neighboring video elements. The weighted combination can be changed and loaded into a spatial predictor instruction table.

Abstract: A wireless computer data network includes several untethered mobile units that make ad-hoc data connections with an Internet-connected base station using the IEEE-802.11a standard. Each unit includes a radio transceiver fully integrated on a single semiconductor chip. The receiver portion is a double-conversion superheterodyne type, and shares the same intermediate and local oscillator frequencies with a two-stage up-conversion transmitter. Two on-chip synthesizers that each include a voltage-controlled oscillator and phase-locked loop can be operated independently for each conversion stage, or operated in offset mode. External reference frequencies can be injected for voltage-controlled oscillator and phase-locked loop testing, chip characterization, and automatic compensation modeling. Each mobile and base unit can be outfitted with transmit/receive antenna transfer switches, RF-power amplifiers, and low-noise receiver amplifiers to increase operating range.

Abstract: A wireless computer data network includes several untethered mobile units that make ad-hoc data connections with an Internet-connected base station using the IEEE-802.11a standard. Each unit includes a radio transceiver fully integrated on a single semiconductor chip. The receiver portion is a double-conversion superheterodyne type, and shares the same intermediate and local oscillator frequencies with a two-stage up-conversion transmitter. Two on-chip synthesizers that each include a voltage-controlled oscillator and phase-locked loop can be operated independently for each conversion stage, or operated in offset mode. External reference frequencies can be injected for voltage-controlled oscillator and phase-locked loop testing, chip characterization, and automatic compensation modeling. Each mobile and base unit can be outfitted with transmit/receive antenna transfer switches, RF-power amplifiers, and low-noise receiver amplifiers to increase operating range.

Abstract: A compressor is disclosed generally comprising a cylinder head mounted to a cylinder block having a cooling chamber and a piston channel via a bolt. A piston is disposed in the piston channel and has a contact portion that contacts the channel wall, which is integrally formed with the cylinder block, as it slides within the channel. The bolt and the cooling chamber each extend from at least as high as the highest contact point between the contact portion of the piston and the channel wall to at least as low as the lowest contact point between the contact portion of the piston and the channel wall. In certain embodiments, the cooling chamber is located between the bolt and the piston channel. In some embodiments, a crankcase is integrally formed with the cylinder block.

Abstract: A canonical interface for remote interaction with communication devices in a network is described. The canonical interface supports interactions for communicating with remote devices for the configuration of router/communication software or devices; querying run-time information (dynamic and static) and statistics from router/communication software or devices; performing multi-system consistency checking; reporting management events from router/communication software or devices; revision control; and prioritizing urgent network requests over standard network management throughput.

Abstract: A GPS receiver includes baseband resources for simultaneous determination of carrier frequency shift and code chip offset. Reduction in the power consumption of a receiver is achieved by managing the sampling rate of an analog-to-digital converter, the intermediate frequency of the RF front end, and the front end bandwidth so these are appropriate to the current function of the receiver. In a GPS receiver during signal tracking, the IF, front end bandwidth, and ADC sampling rate are set as high as possible; during signal acquisition, the IF and front end bandwidth are set to relatively low values, and the ADC sample rate is set to a high value; and during ephemeris download, the IF, front end bandwidth, and the ADC sample rate are set to relatively low values. When a low battery condition is detected, the IF, front end bandwidth, and the ADC sample rate are set to relatively low values regardless of whether the GPS receiver is in the signal acquisition mode, signal tracking mode, or ephemeris download mode.

Abstract: A reciprocating axial displacement mechanism is disclosed generally comprising a housing, a rotating device, a displacement device having first and second undulating surfaces disposed in the housing, and a cam connected to the rotating device and disposed between the first and second undulating surfaces. The cam either has an undulating shape or has first and second undulating surfaces such that, as the cam rotates with the rotating device, the cam slides along the first and second undulating surfaces of the displacement device to cause the displacement device to move back and forth along the longitudinal axis of the rotating device. In certain embodiments, the displacement device is a pumping device, or an actuator for a pumping device, in a compressor.

Abstract: A wireless computer data network includes several untethered mobile units that make ad-hoc data connections with an Internet-connected base station using the IEEE-802.11a standard. Each unit includes a radio transceiver fully integrated on a single semiconductor chip. The receiver portion is a double-conversion superheterodyne type, and shares the same intermediate and local oscillator frequencies with a two-stage up-conversion transmitter. Two on-chip synthesizers that each include a voltage-controlled oscillator and phase-locked loop can be operated independently for each conversion stage, or operated in offset mode. External reference frequencies can be injected for voltage-controlled oscillator and phase-locked loop testing, chip characterization, and automatic compensation modeling. Each mobile and base unit can be outfitted with transmit/receive antenna transfer switches, RF-power amplifiers, and low-noise receiver amplifiers to increase operating range.

Abstract: A locking switch includes a shaft that engages one or more electromechanical switches and a knob that is secured to the shaft such that when the knob is rotated, a rotary motion is imparted to the shaft and to the electromechanical switches engaged by the shaft. The locking switch also includes a lock ring having multiple slots and a lock lever that is attached to the knob and that is captured in one of the slots in the lock ring to prevent rotation of the knob.

Abstract: A wireless computer data network includes several untethered mobile units that make ad-hoc data connections with an Internet-connected base station using the IEEE-802.11a standard. Each unit includes a radio transceiver fully integrated on a single semiconductor chip. The receiver portion is a double-conversion superheterodyne type, and shares the same intermediate and local oscillator frequencies with a two-stage up-conversion transmitter. Two on-chip synthesizers that each include a voltage-controlled oscillator and phase-locked loop can be operated independently for each conversion stage, or operated in offset mode. External reference frequencies can be injected for voltage-controlled oscillator and phase-locked loop testing, chip characterization, and automatic compensation modeling. Each mobile and base unit can be outfitted with transmit/receive antenna transfer switches, RF-power amplifiers, and low-noise receiver amplifiers to increase operating range.

Abstract: An apparatus in a node of a wireless network for setting the data rate for sending data to a remote node, and a method for setting the data rate. The method includes receiving a packet from the remote node, determining a measure of signal quality for the received packet; and selecting the data rate for communicating to the remote node according to at least the determined signal quality. The measure of signal quality is a measure of the EVM of the received packet. One implementation conforms to one or more variants of the IEEE 802.11 standard that uses OFDM packets.