Abstract: A method and apparatus for collecting and evaluating biometric data of members of a group uses a mobile ad hoc network to relay information collected from each group member to a monitoring device. The information is collected from each group member using a chin strap biometric sensing device. The monitoring device is an endpoint of the mobile ad hoc network, and organizes the collected data for evaluation and display to a supervisor of the group. Any biometric parameter for a given group member that exceeds a preferred value can be flagged for immediate attention by the supervisor.

Abstract: A display device renders a field of view of a panoramic image that is produced from several separate images taken by different cameras. The field of view can be panned across the panoramic image. The separate images each show a portion of a panoramic view and border other images. When rendering a field of view that includes a border between two adjacent images, the images can be merged in a way that substantially eliminates the border and makes the view appear as one continuous image. The merging is performed only as needed, and border regions between images that are not in the rendered field of view are not merged so as to avoid using processing resources unnecessarily.

Abstract: A wearable health monitoring device includes one or more sensors for sampling biometric parameters of various physiological conditions of the wearer. The device is powered by a variable energy source that has an energy level that changes during operation. A rechargeable battery loses charge as it powers the device. A solar cell or cells can be used to recharge, or maintain charge of the rechargeable battery, or at least provide a supplemental power source to relieve the burden on the rechargeable battery to power the device. In some circumstances, the available energy can become diminished, and the device adjusts the rate at which it performs biometric measurements in order to conserve energy.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for facilitating audio communication remotely with a person includes the use of several observation devices, each having an audio system that can play audio signals and receive acoustic signals and convert them to audio signals. The audio signals are wirelessly communicated in the region via a wireless local area network, and outside of the region by a wide area network via a gateway device. The audio signals from a command console located remotely from the region are playing in a synchronizations by several of the observation devices such that the resulting acoustic signals combine additively at the location of a person in the region with whom communication is conducted. The observation devices are designed to be deployed on an ad hoc basis to facilitate rapid deployment of the system.

Abstract: A near field communication loop antenna (308) is mechanically coupled to the cover (300) of a cellular telephone. The antenna (308) is coupled on the inside of the cover (300) between a keypad (302) and the cover (300), whereby the antenna (308) surrounds the keys (314) and is sandwiched between the keypad assembly (302) and the cover (300). A near field communication antenna (406) is coupled to the outside surface of the cover (300) surrounding a display and sandwiched between a lens (400) and the phone cover (300). A near field communication antenna embedded in the phone cover material, whereby the antenna surrounds either the keys or the display, is disclosed as well.

Abstract: A near field communication loop antenna (308) is mechanically coupled to the cover (300) of a cellular telephone. The antenna (308) is coupled on the inside of the cover (300) between a keypad (302) and the cover (300), whereby the antenna (308) surrounds the keys (314) and is sandwiched between the keypad assembly (302) and the cover (300). A near field communication antenna (406) is coupled to the outside surface of the cover (300) surrounding a display and sandwiched between a lens (400) and the phone cover (300). A near field communication antenna embedded in the phone cover material, whereby the antenna surrounds either the keys or the display, is disclosed as well.

Abstract: A loop antenna (100) shares terminals with a thermistor on a battery. The battery (300) has at least two terminals (302 & 304) that connect to a thermistor (514). An electromagnetic wave radiating and receiving element (522) shares the at least two terminals (302 & 304) with the thermistor (514) but is electrically isolated from the thermistor (514) so that the thermistor (514) resistance can be measured while the electromagnetic wave radiating and receiving element (522) can communicate electrical RF signals via the at least two terminals with an RF circuit. A wireless communication device that uses the battery (300) and the loop antenna (100) is also disclosed.

Abstract: An integrated level (10) in a wireless device (11) can include a wireless transceiver within a housing (13), a processor (19) coupled to the wireless transceiver, a presentation device such as a display (12) or speaker (17) coupled to the processor, and an accelerometer (18) coupled to the processor where the display can serve to visually simulate the function of a level. The integrated level can further include a reference plane (15) added to the housing for proper level operation. By orienting the housing and the reference plane over a measurement plane (20), a determination of a deviation from a vertical plane or a horizontal plane can become apparent on the display. The display of the integrated level can provide a graphic user interface with a simulated level having a three segmented vertical bubble representation (16) and a three segmented horizontal bubble representation (14).

Abstract: An RF shield arrangement (30) includes a first substrate (12) having a first or top ground plane (41), a second substrate (22) having a second or bottom ground plane (42), and a plurality of solder bumped areas (14) coupled between the top ground plane and the bottom ground plane forming at least one radio frequency shielded compartment. The top and bottom ground planes can be placed on or within the respective substrate so long as they serve to form the RF shielding in accordance with the embodiments herein.

Abstract: A method (50) of forming a solder mask on a portion of a module (40) using for example LTCC technology includes the steps of forming (52) a multilayered ceramic substrate (20) with exposed metallization forming solder pads (28 or 31), masking (54 or 56) the solder pads by placing an additional ceramic layer (22 or 32) on the substrate that at least covers at least a portion of periphery of the solder pad using the LTCC process. The method can further include applying (58 or 60) solder (36) to a portion of the solder pad not covered by the solder mask (22) and placing a printed circuit board (34) having a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the multilayer ceramic substrate on the multilayer ceramic substrate to form the module before reflowing. The module can then be reflowed to form the module without cracks.

Abstract: In the present technique for managing power of a transmitter on a mobile station, the transmitter power is checked (124) against a training current threshold that can result in the termination of a training ramp during level training mode of the mobile station. Another transmission current threshold is used for comparison (134) with the transmitter current that effectually reduces the power of the transmitter as needed.

Abstract: A radio frequency amplifier module (500) has a voltage monitor (546) that monitors an input supply voltage of an input power supply (534) and an adjustable power supply (512) that accepts power from the input power supply (534) and produces an adjustable power supply output that has a controllable voltage. The radio frequency amplifier module (500) further has an amplifier (402) that is supplied by the adjustable power supply output and that amplifies a radio frequency signal. The radio frequency amplifier module (500) also has an output controller (546) that is communicatively coupled to the voltage monitor and the adjustable power supply (512). The output controller (546) controls, in response to the input source voltage, the controllable voltage of the adjustable power supply output.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing the size of a communication device in which a temperature-sensitive, non-heat generating component (302) is placed in close proximity to a heat generating component (304). The temperature of the non-heat generating component (302) is sensed to provide a sensed temperature. The operation of the heat generating component (304) is altered to avoid an over temperature condition of the non-heat generating component (302) based upon the sensed temperature.

Abstract: A radio frequency module (500) that uses reconfigurable and reprogrammable hardware to generate and condition RF signals that have one of several selectable modulation formats. A modulation controller (316) selects a selected modulation format from a plurality of modulation formats and a signal generator (408) that is capable of generating a signal modulated with any modulation format within the plurality of modulation formats generates a signal (520) modulated with the selected modulation. A signal filter (406) filters the signal according to one algorithm of a plurality of algorithms that is selected based upon the selected modulation format to produce a filtered signal (522). A signal linearizer (404) adaptively compensates the filtered signal (522) for distortions introduced by processing of the signal.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a highly efficient linear transmitter compatible with a radio capable of operating in one of several modes. In a normal mode of operation, the radio frequency power amplifier (RFPA) runs in envelope tracking mode. Accordingly, the RFPA supply voltage follows the envelope of the linear modulation. In an alternate mode of operation, the supply modulator is locked to a fixed DC voltage. A high efficiency level is maintained in both the normal mode and the alternate mode by using a single agile DC-DC converter to supply the RFPA. The converter input voltage is switched depending on the mode of operation.

Abstract: A method of diagnosing a subscriber unit 100. The method includes steps of generating a probe signal (412) at the subscriber unit (204), broadcasting the probe signal (412) from the subscriber unit (206), tuning a receiver (104) of the subscriber unit to receive the probe signal at the subscriber unit (208), establishing a signal metric for the probe signal (210) and determining whether the receiver (104) is functioning properly based upon the metric of the probe signal (218). In variations, the probe signal (412) includes several frequencies and a frequency generation unit (114) and a determination as to whether the frequency generation unit is operating properly is based upon whether the receiver 104 receives more than one of the several frequencies in the probe signal (220).