Abstract: A method of remote sensing a charge includes charging or discharging a capacitor of an RC circuit to a predetermined threshold voltage using a power source. A response signal is provided from a communications module to a handheld computing device comprising a reader system once the capacitor reaches the predetermined threshold voltage. An amount of time taken for the handheld computing device to receive the response signal is determined using a processor. The processor determines charge information using the amount of time.

Abstract: A primary electrochemical cell having an anode comprising lithium and a cathode comprising iron disulfide (FeS2) and carbon particles. The cell is balanced so that the anode is in theoretical capacity excess (mAmp-hrs) compared to the theoretical capacity of the cathode. The anode and cathode can be spirally wound with separator therebetween and inserted into the cell casing with electrolyte then added. The electrolyte comprises a lithium salt dissolved in organic solvent.

Abstract: A sensor system comprises a tag. The tag comprises at least one sensor, a radio-frequency chip, and a first antenna. The sensor is adapted to provide an output analogous to a change in an environment of the sensor. The sensor produces an analog output and includes output terminals. The radio-frequency chip comprises a memory element, input terminals and output terminals. The input terminals are disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the sensor. The output of the sensor alters the value of at least one bit in the memory of the chip. The first antenna is disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the chip.

Abstract: A sensor system comprises a tag. The tag comprises at least one sensor, an analog to digital converter, a passive radio-frequency chip, and a first antenna. The sensor is adapted to provide an output analogous to a change in an environment of the sensor. The sensor produces an analog output and includes output terminals. The analog to digital converter is adapted to convert an analog output of the sensor to a digital value. The analog to digital converter includes input and output terminals. The input terminals of the analog to digital converter are disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the sensor. The passive radio-frequency chip comprises a memory element, input terminals and output terminals. The input terminals are disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the analog to digital converter. The first antenna is disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the chip.

Abstract: A battery-charging device and a method of charging batteries. The device comprises a housing, at least one hopper configured to receive a plurality of batteries, and at least one indexing barrel adjacent to the hopper and having a charging slot configured to receive and support one battery. The indexing barrel is structured to move the battery supported by the charging slot to and from a charging station comprising a set of charging terminals configured to contact terminals of the battery for charging the battery. The device further comprises at least one dispensing chute and at least one rejection chute. The chutes are configured to receive batteries that have been charged or rejected by the device, wherein each of the chutes is structured to contain several batteries.

Abstract: A sensor system comprises a tag. The tag comprises at least one sensor, an analog to digital converter, a passive radio-frequency chip, and a first antenna. The sensor is adapted to provide an output analogous to a change in an environment of the sensor. The sensor produces an analog output and includes output terminals. The analog to digital converter is adapted to convert an analog output of the sensor to a digital value. The analog to digital converter includes input and output terminals. The input terminals of the analog to digital converter are disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the sensor. The passive radio-frequency chip comprises a memory element, input terminals and output terminals. The input terminals are disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the analog to digital converter. The first antenna is disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the chip.

Abstract: A sensor system comprises a tag. The tag comprises at least one sensor, a radio-frequency chip, and a first antenna. The sensor is adapted to provide an output analogous to a change in an environment of the sensor. The sensor produces an analog output and includes output terminals. The radio-frequency chip comprises a memory element, input terminals and output terminals. The input terminals are disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the sensor. The output of the sensor alters the value of at least one bit in the memory of the chip. The first antenna is disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the chip.

Abstract: Goods may be collected and dynamically priced deposits may be redeemed to consumers. A good may be sold to a consumer and the details of the sale may be stored in a memory. A price may be collected for the good and this may be stored in the memory. A deposit on the good may be collected where the good may contain a unique code and where the deposit is correlated to a current market value of the good. The unique code may be stored with the details about the good in a memory where the unique code includes information representing at least one of whether the good is refurbish-able and whether the good contains desired recyclable material, a manufacturer of the good and a date of manufacture of the good. If the consumer consents, an indication of the consumer may be stored with the unique code. The returned good may be refurbished or recycled and the consumer may be offered a return of a deposit based on the current market value of the good which may be based on the value of the materials in the good.

Abstract: A privacy apparatus adds a privacy sound based on a speaker's own voice into the environment, thereby confusing listeners as to which of the sounds is the real source. This permits disruption of the ability to understand the source speech of the user by eliminating segregation cues that the auditory system uses to interpret speech. The privacy apparatus minimizes segregation cues. The privacy apparatus is relatively quiet and thus easily acceptable in a typical open floor design office space. The privacy apparatus contains an A/D converter that converts the speech into a digital signal, a DSP that converts the digital signal into a privacy signal with pre-recorded speech fragments that are summed so that the speech fragments at least partly overlap one another, a D/A converter that converts the privacy signal into an output signal and one or more loudspeakers from which the output signal is emitted.

Abstract: A privacy apparatus adds a privacy sound into the environment, thereby confusing listeners as to which of the sounds is the real source. The privacy sound may be based on the speaker's own voice or may be based on another voice. At least one characteristic of the speaker (such as a characteristic of the speaker's speech) may be identified. The characteristic may then be used to access a database of the speaker's own voice or another's voice, and to form one or more voice streams to form the privacy sound. The privacy sound may thus permit disruption of the ability to understand the source speech of the user by eliminating segregation cues that the auditory system uses to interpret speech.

Abstract: A privacy apparatus adds a privacy sound into the environment, thereby confusing listeners as to which of the sounds is the real source. The privacy sound may be based on the speaker's own voice or may be based on another voice. At least one characteristic of the speaker (such as a characteristic of the speaker's speech) may be identified. The characteristic may then be used to access a database of the speaker's own voice or another's voice, and to form one or more voice streams to form the privacy sound. The privacy sound may thus permit disruption of the ability to understand the source speech of the user by eliminating segregation cues that the auditory system uses to interpret speech.

Abstract: A privacy apparatus adds a privacy sound based on a speaker's own voice into the environment, thereby confusing listeners as to which of the sounds is the real source. This permits disruption of the ability to understand the source speech of the user by eliminating segregation cues that the auditory system uses to interpret speech. The privacy apparatus minimizes segregation cues. The privacy apparatus is relatively quiet and thus easily acceptable in a typical open floor design office space. The privacy apparatus contains an A/D converter that converts the speech into a digital signal, a DSP that converts the digital signal into a privacy signal with pre-recorded speech fragments of the person speaking, a D/A converter that converts the privacy signal into an output signal and one or more loudspeakers from which the output signal is emitted.