Abstract: An image capture apparatus has a combined electronic camera and swipe scanner. The electronic camera has an optical system and detector array for remote capturing of a first image. The swipe scanner has an optical system and detector array for swipe capturing of a second image. The image capture apparatus further has a data storage arranged to store the first image and the second image in association with each other. The electronic camera may be a moderate resolution color camera, and the swipe scanner may have a grey-scale detector array capable of scanning an object at a higher resolution than the camera. A display is provided so that both images can be viewed separately in association with each other, or combined into a combination image, which has color information from the camera to colorize higher resolution pixels from the scanner.

Abstract: In a wireless network containing battery powered stations, one station is designated as a control point (CP). Each of the remaining stations has two operating modes: an active mode in which it receives and transmits messages, and an inactive or sleep mode which incurs reduced power consumption. The Control Point periodically transmits a beacon signal, and each station switches to its active mode to receive at least some of these beacon signals. A beacon signal may indicate that data is available for transmission to a particular station (from another station), in which case that particular station then broadcasts a message to indicate that it is awake and can receive messages.

Abstract: In a medium access control (MAC) protocol for a wireless communications network, communications between a control point and other nodes are coordinated by a repeated superframe. This superframe contains in sequence a contention-free period (CFP1), a contention-based period, and second contention-free period (CFP2). Prior to CFP1 a node hops from one channel frequency to another. CFP2 in a superframe is used for initial transmission of isochronous data (such as voice signals); CFP1 of the following superframe is used for retransmission of any such data which were not correctly received at the first attempt, after the frequency hop at the start of that following superframe. This arrangement minimises delay before retransmission of data, and improves the robustness of the system.

Abstract: In a wireless network containing battery powered stations, one station is designated as a control point (CP). Each of the remaining stations has two operating modes: an active mode in which it receives and transmits messages, and an inactive or sleep mode which incurs reduced power consumption. The Control Point periodically transmits a beacon signal, and each station switches to its active mode to receive at least some of these beacon signals. A beacon signal may indicate that data is available for transmission to a particular station (from another station), in which case that particular station then broadcasts a message to indicate that it is awake and can receive messages.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus (1) comprises: a combined electronic camera (2) and swipe scanner (4), the electronic camera (2) having an associated optical system (8) and detector array (12) for remote capturing of a first image (46) and the swipe scanner (4) having an associated optical system (28) and detector array (34) for swipe capturing of a second image (38); and a data storage means arranged to store the first image (46) and the second image (38) in association with each other. The electronic camera (2) may be a moderate resolution color camera, and the swipe scanner (4) may have a grey-scale detector (34) array capable of scanning an object at a higher resolution than the camera (2). A display (6) is provided so that both images (38,46) can be viewed separately in association with each other, or combined into a combination image, which has color information from the camera (2) to colorize higher resolution pixels from the scanner (4).

Abstract: In a wireless network containing battery powered stations, one station is designated as a control point (CP). Each of the remaining stations has two operating modes: an active mode in which it receives and transmits messages, and an inactive or sleep mode which incurs reduced power consumption. The Control Point periodically transmits a beacon signal, and each station switches to its active mode to receive at least some of these beacon signals. A beacon signal may indicate that data is available for transmission to a particular station (from another station), in which case that particular station then broadcasts a message to indicate that it is awake and can receive messages.

Abstract: In a wireless network containing battery powered stations, one station is designated as a control point (CP). Each of the remaining stations has two operating modes: an active mode in which it receives and transmits messages, and an inactive or sleep mode which incurs reduced power consumption. The Control Point periodically transmits a beacon signal, and each station switches to its active mode to receive at least some of these beacon signals. A beacon signal may indicate that data is available for transmission to a particular station (from another station), in which case that particular station then broadcasts a message to indicate that it is awake and can receive messages.