Abstract: A wire detection apparatus comprises antenna means with a transmitter and a receiver, so devised as to form a pulsed radar system, further including polarization control means for controlling the polarization of waves transmitted and/or received through the antenna means, and processing means for identifying returns from wires according to wires' characteristic polarization echoes. The transmitted waves have a wavelength longer than the diameter of wires to be detected and identified. The transmitted waves preferably have a wavelength more than six times longer than the diameter of wires to be detected and identified. The apparatus is so devised as to detect wires suspended in the air.

Abstract: A Graphic Input Device comprises a pen-shaped pointing device moving about a writing surface and using ultrasonic (US) waves propagating in the air to measure displacement. Can be used in either a 2D or 3D mode. Uses displacement measuring means for two directions in space, each parallel to the writing surface, and comprising means to establish an US waves path between an US transmitter and an US receiver; means to measure changes in the phase of the received signal, and for computing the displacement. Means for measuring displacement in a third dimension are optionally provided.

Abstract: A Graphic Input Device comprises a pen-shaped pointing device moving about a writing surface and using ultrasonic (US) waves propagating in the air to measure displacement. Can be used in either a 2D or 3D mode. Uses displacement measuring means for two directions in space, each parallel to the writing surface, and comprising means to establish an US waves path between an US transmitter and an US receiver; means to measure changes in the phase of the received signal, and for computing the displacement. Means for measuring displacement in a third dimension are optionally provided.

Abstract: A method for describing an invention comprising: a. defining a vocabulary of standard terms; b. describing the invention in a concise form and using only standard terms for the substantive description. The description may be in concise form uses mathematical equations or mathematical-like statements or tables. The description comprises, for an apparatus invention, the parts of the apparatus and the interrelationships therebetween, and for a method invention the steps of the invention and the order of execution of the steps.

Abstract: A method for messaging personal pictures with others includes means for achieving a controlled level of sender's personal exposure with each recipient. A controlled level of sender's personal exposure is achieved by evaluating the picture and transmitting or displaying it only if predefined criteria regarding the evaluation results vs. characteristics of the intended recipient are met. A system for messaging personal pictures comprising means for storing pictures, means for pictures evaluation and means for pictures transfer or display according to the evaluation results.

Abstract: In a motor vehicle, a fuel consumption measurement system comprising: measuring device for the vehicle's fuel consumption as first data; measuring device for second data for variables which may affect the fuel consumption, the second data including at least locations traveled by the vehicle, and wherein vehicle's location is measured in real time using a global positioning system or using info provided by a cellular wireless supplier; c. storage for storing samples of the first data with the second data; d. computing device for analyzing in real time the stored first and second data for reaching conclusions relating to ways for reducing the fuel consumption, wherein the conclusions include at least the cost of fuel used; e. display for presenting the conclusions in real time to a vehicle's driver.

Abstract: A Graphic Input Device comprises a pen-shaped pointing device moving about a writing surface and using ultrasonic (US) waves propagating in the air to measure displacement. Can be used in either a 2D or 3D mode. Uses displacement measuring means for two directions in space, each parallel to the writing surface, and comprising means to establish an US waves path between an US transmitter and an US receiver; means to measure changes in the phase of the received signal, and for computing the displacement. Means for measuring displacement in a third dimension are optionally provided.

Abstract: A Graphic Input Device comprises a pen-shaped pointing device moving about a writing surface and using ultrasonic (US) waves propagating in the air to measure displacement. Can be used in either a 2D or 3D mode. Uses displacement measuring means for two directions in space, each parallel to the writing surface, and comprising means to establish an US waves path between an US transmitter and an US receiver; means to measure changes in the phase of the received signal, and for computing the displacement. Means for measuring displacement in a third dimension are optionally provided.

Abstract: A system for wire detection comprising a transmitter for transmitting multi-polarity waves, means for receiving waves reflected off target and means for analyzing the polarization of the reflected waves to detect linearly polarized echoes characteristic of wires and to issue a warning indicative of the presence of a wire. The wavelength of the transmitted waves is larger than the diameter of the wires to be detected. A method for wire detection comprising the following steps, for each of a plurality of angles U between 0 and 180 degrees: a. Transmit pulses of electromagnetic waves having a linear polarization at an angle U to horizontal; b. Receive echoes at the same polarization angle U; c. Prepare a map M(U, R) with the magnitude of the received echo for each angle U and each ground cell at range R.

Abstract: A system for measuring a phase difference between two input signals, including a computer performing computations in the complex domain and operating on two complex signals indicative of the two input signals respectively to compute the phase difference. Alternately, the system for measuring the phase difference includes a computer operating on two input buses indicative of the two input signals respectively to generate a signal indicative of the phase difference, and wherein: A. each input bus includes at least two digital bits; B. the two input buses are indicative of the phase of each of the two input signals; C. the two input buses each has a different range of possible values and wherein the computer further includes a device for normalizing at least one of the buses so as to bring the two buses to the same range. A phase-lock loop includes the system for measuring the phase difference, a VCO and digital devices.

Abstract: A frequency synthesizer includes a first counter for counting cycles of an input clock and for generating a reference output bus, a VCO for generating an output signal, a second counter for counting cycles of the output signal and for generating a VCO output bus, and a phase detector for measuring the phase error between the reference bus and the VCO output bus and for generating a control signal which is applied to the control input of the VCO. The phase detector includes circuitry for computing a corrected bus by multiplying the VCO output bus with a correction coefficient proportional to the reciprocal of the modulo count of the second counter.

Abstract: A smart card includes a control and logic unit which recognizes an interrogational signal sent to the card and automatically responds by sending an identification code. The interrogational signal is received using a noncontact communication medium in digital, bit-serial form. Input circuits connected to the logic unit convert the received signals to electrical digital input signals. Output circuits connected to the logic unit are used to transmit the identification code using a bit serial, noncontact communication medium. The control and logic unit automatically accepts the information received through the input circuits and stores the information in a writable memory in the card. The information which was stored in the memory during a previous transaction is automatically read and transmitted through the output circuits, together with the identification code.

Abstract: An ultrasonic digitizer pen includes an ultrasonic transmitter to transmit ultrasonic waves through the air, to illuminate a writing surface. An ultrasonic receiver receives the waves reflected off the illuminated writing surface. The writing surface is a mouse pad, a wooden tabletop or other surface having a natural amount of roughness to reflect ultrasonic waves in all directions.The transmitter and receiver are located in the pen near its tip and have radiation patterns pointing generally in the same direction, and parallel to the writing surface. At least one of the radiation patterns is narrow in a horizontal plane and wide in a vertical plane, to illuminate a narrow area of the writing surface.phase measuring circuit measures the phase difference between the transmitted and the received ultrasonic signals. This phase is indicative of the displacement of the digitizer pen.

Abstract: A frequency synthesizer includes an oscillator which may be coarse-tuned by a first input receiving a digital signal for selecting one of a plurality of frequency ranges, and fine-tuned by a second input receiving an analog signal for selecting the desired frequency within the selected frequency range. The synthesizer further includes a computer storing the oscillator's characteristics in the form of a digital table of the input signals corresponding to a plurality of frequency values, each identified by digital data. The computer receives input data representing the desired oscillator frequency and generates from the stored digital table, a digital signal indicating the frequency range of the desired oscillator frequency, and an analog signal indicating the specific oscillator frequency desired, and applies both signals to the oscillator. A frequency measuring circuit measures the actual output frequency of the oscillator and outputs a signal corresponding thereto.