Abstract: A tag, system, and method for wireless sensor data collection, the system including: a data collection tag, the tag including: a sensor configured to provide, at a first repetition rate, a present measurement of an environmental characteristic; a memory configured to store previous measurements of the environmental characteristic; and a transmitter module configured to transmit the present measurement of the environmental characteristic and at least one previous measurement of the environmental characteristic; an access point configured to receive a transmission from the data collection tag; and a controller communicatively coupled to the access point, the controlled configured to store historical measurements extracted from the transmission from the data collection tag.

Abstract: A RTL system and method for operating, the system including: a plurality of groups, each group including: a battery-operated wireless timing beacon generator to transmit timing beacons, wherein the timing beacon generator obtains its timing synchronization for the timing beacons wirelessly from a timing server; and one or more battery-operated secondary technology base-stations to receive the timing beacons, and to transmit respective secondary technology transmissions based on the received timing beacons; and a portable tag to be located, the portable tag configured to receive timing beacons and secondary technology transmissions from at least one group.

Abstract: An object is zoomed upon selection. A scaling factor is calculated for zooming the object based on current viewing properties of a document and properties of the object as well as the current size of the application window and device. The scaling factor to zoom the object is calculated such that after the object is zoomed, viewing the object is similar to a viewing experience for the rest of the document. Text of the document may be displayed to increase the readability of the document. For example, the text may be displayed such that each line of displayed text averages out to a predetermined number of characters (e.g. 50-75 characters) per line. A display size and width of an average character are determined and used to calculate how many columns of text to display within the display. When the zoom level of the text changes, the text is redisplayed.

Abstract: Dual-mode position-locating tag, including: a transmitter module configured to communicate with a Wi-Fi network; a transceiver module configured to communicate with a non-Wi-Fi network; a processor coupled to the transmitter module and the transceiver module; and at least one location sensor coupled to the processor, the location sensor coupled to a secondary technology receiver. The transmitter module may transmit a signal to produce a first location measurement. The secondary technology receiver may receive a signal usable to calculate a second location measurement that is more accurate than the first location measurement.

Abstract: System and method of generating a received signal strength indication, the method including: selecting a high power level of a transmitter to be received above a receiver threshold at a predetermined distance from the transmitter; selecting a low power level of the transmitter to be received below the receiver threshold at the predetermined distance; transmitting a marker signal at high power; and adjacent in time to the marker signal, transmitting a power-varying signal, wherein a power of the power-varying signal varies monotonically between the high power level and the low power level.

Abstract: A wireless active RFID tag, system and method, the system including: a plurality of access points, wherein each access point is groupable by a characteristic in common with another access point; a system controller communicatively coupled to a system memory and to the plurality of access points; and an active RFID tag, the tag comprising: a transmitter module configured to transmit, to access points in the system, request for an acknowledgement from any member of a predetermined group of access points. The acknowledgement may further include one or more of a time reference used by the system; and an identification of secondary technologies used by the system.

Abstract: Systems for determining a location of a portable device are provided. The system includes stationary infrared (IR) base stations, portable devices and at least one radio frequency (RF) transceiver. At least two of the IR base stations receive timing synchronization information and transmit corresponding IR location codes in a time period based on the received timing synchronization information. Each IR location code is representative of a location of the corresponding IR base station. Each portable device detects the IR location codes and, if one of the IR location codes is detected, transmits an output signal including a portable device ID representative of the portable device and the detected IR location code. The RF transceiver periodically provides, upon a request, the timing synchronization information to the respective IR base stations relative to a unified time of origin.

Abstract: System and method for wireless infrared-aided location, including: a portable tag to be located, the portable tag comprising an infrared (IR) receiver; and a plurality of base-stations, at least one of said base-stations comprising: a processor coupled to a memory; a first clock coupled to the processor, the first clock configured to be selectively activated and deactivated by the processor; a receiver coupled to the processor, the receiver configured to receive a periodic timing synchronization signal; and an infrared transmitter coupled to the processor, the infrared transmitter configured to transmit an IR signal to the portable tag, wherein the IR signal is substantially identical and in-phase with IR signals from other base-stations, wherein the processor is configured to synchronize said base-station to the periodic timing synchronization signal.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a location and an identity of a portable device are provided. The system includes apparatus for transmitting timing synchronization information, a plurality of stationary ultrasonic base stations and a plurality of portable devices. Each ultrasonic base station is configured to receive the timing synchronization information and to transmit a corresponding ultrasonic location code in a time period based on the received timing synchronization information. Each portable device is configured to: 1) receive the timing synchronization information, 2) detect the ultrasonic location codes from the ultrasonic base stations and 3) transmit an output signal including a portable device ID representative of the portable device and the detected ultrasonic location code. Each portable device is synchronized to detect the ultrasonic location code in the time period based on the received timing synchronization information.

Abstract: System and method to determine a status of a person, the method including: receiving a sensor indication of a first orientation of a first body part of the person relative to a predetermined direction; receiving a sensor indication of a second orientation of a second body part of the person relative to the predetermined direction; receiving a sensor indication of a location of the person; inferring, by use of a processor, an orientation of the person from the sensor indication of the first orientation and the sensor indication of the second orientation; and determining, by use of a processor, the status of the person from an allowability of the inferred orientation of the person at the indicated location.

Abstract: An RFID system with a plurality of tags and base stations where transmission of information to a specific tag is carried out by one of the base stations, where said one of the base stations is selected based on received signal power of the tag relative to the plurality of the base stations.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a location and an identity of a portable device are provided. The system includes apparatus for transmitting timing synchronization information, a plurality of stationary ultrasonic base stations and a plurality of portable devices. Each ultrasonic base station is configured to receive the timing synchronization information and to transmit a corresponding ultrasonic location code in a time period based on the received timing synchronization information. Each portable device is configured to: 1) receive the timing synchronization information, 2) detect the ultrasonic location codes from the ultrasonic base stations and 3) transmit an output signal including a portable device ID representative of the portable device and the detected ultrasonic location code. Each portable device is synchronized to detect the ultrasonic location code in the time period based on the received timing synchronization information.

Abstract: A process to synchronize information transmitted from an information provider to a plurality of network elements is provided. The process determines a temporal difference between related network elements and compensates for this difference by dilating an information signal provided to at least one of the network elements to resynchronize the data presented to the network elements. The process is repeated periodically in order to maintain a desired synchronization level.

Abstract: An object is zoomed upon selection. A scaling factor is calculated for zooming the object based on current viewing properties of a document and properties of the object as well as the current size of the application window and device. The scaling factor to zoom the object is calculated such that after the object is zoomed, viewing the object is similar to a viewing experience for the rest of the document. Text of the document may be displayed to increase the readability of the document. For example, the text may be displayed such that each line of displayed text averages out to a predetermined number of characters (e.g. 50-75 characters) per line. A display size and width of an average character are determined and used to calculate how many columns of text to display within the display. When the zoom level of the text changes, the text is redisplayed.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a location and an identity of a portable device are provided. The system includes apparatus for transmitting timing synchronization information, a plurality of stationary infrared (IR) base stations and a plurality of portable devices. Each IR base station is configured to receive the timing synchronization information and to transmit a corresponding IR location code in a time period based on the received timing synchronization information. Each portable device is configured to: 1) receive the timing synchronization information, 2) detect the IR location codes from the IR base stations and 3) transmit an output signal including a portable device ID representative of the portable device and the detected IR location code. Each portable device is synchronized to detect the IR location code in the time period based on the received timing synchronization information.

Abstract: Active client buffer management methods, systems, and apparatus for transmitting electronic data from a server to a client having a limited receive buffer are disclosed. The receive buffer is managed by determining a consumption rate at the client and adjusting the transmission rate of the server responsive to the determined consumption rate to manage the fill level of the receive buffer.

Abstract: Methods and systems for locating a portable device in an enclosure having a location defining a virtual wall are provided. The system includes first and second infrared (IR) transmitters directed to opposite sides of the virtual wall. Each of the transmitters is configured to selectively transmit an interfering IR signal (IIS) and a data signal including a corresponding transmitter location ID.

Abstract: An RFID system with a plurality of tags and base stations where transmission of information to a specific tag is carried out by one of the base stations, where said one of the base stations is selected based on received signal power of the tag relative to the plurality of the base stations.

Abstract: A content navigation method that may be used with a storage device that holds multiple content objects includes a controller, at least one search switch and at least one control switch. Each of the content objects has a corresponding name which includes at least one character from an alphabet. The controller determines a set of names of the stored content that corresponds to the activation of the search switch, displays at least one name the set of names and, responsive to the control switch, selects the content object corresponding to the displayed name. The search switches may include multiple search switches, each associated with a predetermined set of letters from the alphabet. Alternatively, each switch may have an corresponding display and may be associated with a dynamically determined set of letters based on their frequency of occurrence in the names.

Abstract: A thin client device for use in a home network includes a network port by which the device connects to the home network and a data/memory port by which a data interface such as a memory card or communications port may be connected to the device. The device is configured such that data from the data interface is transferred to a server that is coupled to the home network. The transfer may be automatic or it may be controlled by a user. Where the thin client device includes signal processing hardware, the data from the data interface may be processed by the signal processing hardware and presented to the user.