Abstract: A leaf removal process using a netted blanket is provided in this invention. This process comprises the following steps: a) the netted blanket is spread over the lawn; b) then the user waits for the leaves to fall on the netted blanket; and c) when enough leaves have fallen on to the blanket, the leaves are removed and disposed by lifting/folding/rolling/dragging the netted blanket. The netted blanket can be made from a non-biodegradable material and can be re-used one or more times. It can also be made from a disposable biodegradable material. When the biodegradable netted blanket is used, the folded/rolled/lifted netted blanket with the leaves in it can be tied up with twine or other suitable material for disposal; therefore it is time saving because there is no need to fill bags or cans with leaves for disposal. Often times, filling the bags with leaves is the time consuming task of the leaves removal process.

Abstract: An arrangement is provided which detects the loss of a high power signal in an optical transmission path and the loss of supervisory signal power and, in response thereto, automatically invokes a procedure which causes an optical signal source connected to the fiber to reduce the power level at which it is transmitting optical signals over the fiber to a safe level. More specifically, reduction of optical signal power supplied by an upstream network element by a prescribed amount is achieved by automatically controlling the output power level of the upstream network element in response to the detection of both loss of signal power and loss of supervisory signal power at a downstream network element as a result of a fiber cut, open connector, or other potentially hazardous discontinuity.

Abstract: A cordless telephone is arranged for operation in a frequency hopping system includes an arrangement which achieves optimum utilization of multiple cordless telephone portable units by permitting these units to simultaneously access a common base unit. A physical layer of an air interface is provided by a two channel time division multiple access protocol for supporting a two channel multiple access system for the portable units. These two channels are considered as virtual channels and not dedicated to any particular telephone line, as in the case of two line telephone products. Nor are these two channels dedicated to any particular portable unit, but rather they are available for use by any portable unit in the telephone. A signaling layer of the air interface is provided for supporting the two channel multiple access system. Two types of subframes, acquisition and traffic, are illustratively provided in the air interface for the cordless telephone.

Abstract: A cordless telephone arranged for operation in a frequency hopping system includes an arrangement which achieves optimum utilization of multiple cordless telephone portable units by permitting these units to not only access a common base unit, but also to access each other. In establishing communications between portable units, a first portable unit in the system, in response to a user-initiated request at this unit, transmits a broadcast or page signal to other portable units, also in the system, using a multiple channel frequency hopping sequence. Once a second portable unit in the system responds, a communication link between the first and second portable units is established. A third portable unit in the system may also respond to the user initiated request and join the communication link existing between the first and second portable units.

Abstract: A cordless telephone arranged for operation in a frequency hopping system provides for conserving battery power in a portable unit when this unit is located remote from its charging station and in a standby state. While in the standby state, the portable unit resides in a low power monitoring mode which includes deactivating certain internal circuitry and periodically activating and deactivating other selected internal circuitry for conserving battery power. When the portable unit is periodically activated from a deactivated state, battery power is conserved through an adaptive operation that reduces considerably the length of time that the selected internal circuitry needs to remain turned on. This reduced on-time period for the selected internal circuitry is provided as long as the base unit is detected as frequency hopping with at least one other of the portable units in the system.

Abstract: Communication links are quickly and reliably established between units of a cordless telephone configured for operating in a frequency hopping system. This is achieved through specific processes which detects frequency hopping patterns that are embedded in radio frequency noise. A first process is executed by the base unit and/or each of multiple handset units in the cordless telephone for performing a link acquisition with another unit, also in the cordless telephone. In the execution of this process, multiple profile scans of the frequency hopping channels are executed to build up over time tables with information about energy in all of the channels in the frequency spectrum that are used by the units in the cordless telephone for frequency hopping. In the tables will be spectrum energy from a frequency hopping base unit or handset unit that appears as a recognizable pattern.