Abstract: The present invention describes a contactless signaling system for retail and other commercial environments whereby customers or workers can submit requests for assistance without the need to physically touch any button or other input device. A contactless call button unit comprises a proximity sensor operatively communicating with transmission means for sending a signal to at least one of a hub appliance and an employee communication receiver. The proximity sensor is triggered without requiring the user to physically contact the call button unit. Instead, when a portion of the user's body, such as the user's hand or finger, is within a predefined distance from the call button unit for a predefined period of time, a signal will be transmitted with a call request message.

Abstract: The present invention describes a contactless signaling system for retail and other commercial environments whereby customers or workers can submit requests for assistance without the need to physically touch any button or other input device. A contactless call button unit comprises a proximity sensor operatively communicating with transmission means for sending a signal to at least one of a hub appliance and an employee communication receiver. The proximity sensor is triggered without requiring the user to physically contact the call button unit. Instead, when a portion of the user's body, such as the user's hand or finger, is within a predefined distance from the call button unit for a predefined period of time, a signal will be transmitted with a call request message.

Abstract: An oil drum adapter kit may be used for connection to an oil drum containing oil. The oil drum adapter kit may include an adapter body. A fill tube may be connected to the adapter body to allow the oil drum to be filled with the oil. A drain tube may be connected to the adapter body to allow the oil to be removed from the oil drum. A level sensor may be disposed on the drain tube. The level sensor may be configured to sense a level of the oil contained in the oil drum.

Abstract: A power management IC (PMIC) and methods thereof have been achieved wherein the PMIC invented supports multiple applications while having a high degree of flexibility and allowing a small built and a low power consumption. An embedded script engine on an internal communication bus of the PMIC replaces hard-wired sequencers and control interfaces or using processors as utilized in prior art. The script engine reads instructions from a non-volatile memory as e.g. a one-time programmable (OTP) memory. Furthermore a RAM can be provided to store executable instructions loaded from a host. Moreover a FIFO process is provided if instructions or TAGs are received while a previous script is being exercised. Any type of power supplies, output GPIO or other function could be controlled also by the Script Engine. The invention is also applicable to any other kind of power management circuits.

Abstract: A power management IC (PMIC) and methods thereof have been achieved wherein the PMIC invented supports multiple applications while having a high degree of flexibility and allowing a small built and a low power consumption. An embedded script engine on an internal communication bus of the PMIC replaces hard-wired sequencers and control interfaces or using processors as utilized in prior art. The script engine reads instructions from a non-volatile memory as e.g. a one-time programmable (OTP) memory. Furthermore a RAM can be provided to store executable instructions loaded from a host. Moreover a FIFO process is provided if instructions or TAGs are received while a previous script is being exercised. Any type of power supplies, output GPIO or other function could be controlled also by the Script Engine. The invention is also applicable to any other kind of power management circuits.

Abstract: A machine-controlled method of evaluating a video data stream having multiple broadcast channels can include selecting at least two video frames for a particular channel, extracting the selected video frames from the video data stream, decoding the extracted video frames, comparing at least one of the decoded video frames to the other decoded video frame(s) or a previously stored video frame, and preparing an evaluation of the video data stream based on the comparing.

Abstract: A battery includes a first pair of terminal connectors including a positive and a negative terminal connector and a second pair of terminal connectors including a positive and a negative terminal connector. The positive and negative terminal connectors of the first pair of terminal connectors are sized and shaped for mating with the positive and negative terminal connectors of the second pair of terminal connectors, allowing the battery to coupled by like polarity terminals to a second like battery.

Abstract: A fully collapsible pallet is provided with easily adjustable rear stops, lower rear stops, and side restraints. A telescoping member is provided to allow shipment of partial pallets of windshields. Extensions allow the pallet to be used with windshields of various heights. The pallet is stackable in a folded condition as well as a loaded condition, even when extensions are used. A latch is provided to prevent leaning of the pallet even when the load is not centered in the pallet.

Abstract: A fully collapsible pallet is provided with easily adjustable rear stops, lower rear stops, and side restraints. A telescoping member is provided to allow shipment of partial pallets of windshields. Extensions allow the pallet to be used with windshields of various heights. The pallet is stackable in a folded condition as well as a loaded condition, even when extensions are used. A latch is provided to prevent leaning of the pallet even when the load is not centered in the pallet.

Abstract: A fully collapsible pallet is provided with easily adjustable rear stops, lower rear stops, and side restraints. A telescoping member is provided to allow shipment of partial pallets of windshields. Extensions allow the pallet to be used with windshields of various heights. The pallet is stackable in a folded condition as well as a loaded condition, even when extensions are used. A latch is provided to prevent leaning of the pallet even when the load is not centered in the pallet.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides apparatus and methods of operating a pumping system. The pump control apparatus includes a first sensor for measuring strain on a structure of the well pumping system and a second sensor for measuring a position of the structure. The apparatus also has a controller configured to control the well unit by receiving output signals from the first and second sensors and generating control signals according to a motor control sequence. This controller may be mounted to the structure of the pumping system to measure the strain experienced by the structure. The control signals may be transmitted to a motor control panel using a cable-less communications system. Preferably, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the controller are integrated into a single unit. In another embodiment, the pump control apparatus may be self-powered.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides apparatus and methods of operating a pumping system. The pump control apparatus includes a first sensor for measuring strain on a structure of the well pumping system and a second sensor for measuring a position of the structure. The apparatus also has a controller configured to control the well unit by receiving output signals from the first and second sensors and generating control signals according to a motor control sequence. This controller may be mounted to the structure of the pumping system to measure the strain experienced by the structure. The control signals may be transmitted to a motor control panel using a cable-less communications system. Preferably, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the controller are integrated into a single unit. In another embodiment, the pump control apparatus may be self-powered.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides apparatus and methods of operating a pumping system. The pump control apparatus includes a first sensor for measuring strain on a structure of the well pumping system and a second sensor for measuring a position of the structure. The apparatus also has a controller configured to control the well unit by receiving output signals from the first and second sensors and generating control signals according to a motor control sequence. This controller may be mounted to the structure of the pumping system to measure the strain experienced by the structure. The control signals may be transmitted to a motor control panel using a cable-less communications system. Preferably, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the controller are integrated into a single unit. In another embodiment, the pump control apparatus may be self-powered.

Abstract: A memory interface for connecting a bus to memory comprises an input, a buffer, an address input, a generator, and a writer. The input receives a plurality of data words from the bus. The buffer buffers the data words received from the bus. The address input receives from the bus addresses associated with the plurality of data words. The generator generates a series of addresses in the memory into which the buffered data words may be written. The series of addresses are derived from the received addresses. The writer writes the buffered data words into the memory at the generated addresses.

Abstract: A fully collapsible pallet is provided with easily adjustable rear stops, lower rear stops, and side restraints. A telescoping member is provided to allow shipment of partial pallets of windshields. Extensions allow the pallet to be used with windshields of various heights. The pallet is stackable in a folded condition as well as a loaded condition, even when extensions are used. A latch is provided to prevent leaning of the pallet even when the load is not centered in the pallet.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides apparatus and methods of operating a pumping system. The pump control apparatus includes a first sensor for measuring strain on a structure of the well pumping system and a second sensor for measuring a position of the structure. The apparatus also has a controller configured to control the well unit by receiving output signals from the first and second sensors and generating control signals according to a motor control sequence. This controller may be mounted to the structure of the pumping system to measure the strain experienced by the structure. The control signals may be transmitted to a motor control panel using a cable-less communications system. Preferably, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the controller are integrated into a single unit. In another embodiment, the pump control apparatus may be self-powered.

Abstract: A network communications protocol program includes an active protocol stack and an inactive protocol stack, wherein a component from the inactive stack may be called into the active stack when a particular data communications type is detected. The component may be deactivated when the particular data communications type is finished. The program preferably includes socket layer, channel layer and message handling layer components for permitting and extracting communications over a network. The socket layer component receives data from a sender over a network, and defragments and reassembles the data for multiplexing and distributing data portions into multiple channels according to the data formats the data portions resemble. The channel layer component includes channels arranged according to the multiple data formats. The channel layer receives the data portions processed by the socket layer and multiplexes and distributes new data portions according to which of multiple APIs the data is directed to.

Abstract: A CMOS Reed-Solomon decoding circuit calculates syndromes, executes a Berlekamp algorithm, performs a Chien Search, and corrects a delayed version of the received data according to a calculated magnitude of error. The circuit is optimized in terms of chip territory and circuit complexity. Signals are provided to indicate uncorrectable packet errors and other transmission errors.

Abstract: An MPEG video decompression method and apparatus utilizing a plurality of stages interconnected by a two-wire interface arranged as a pipeline processing machine. Control tokens and DATA Tokens pass over the single two-wire interface for carrying both control and data in token format. A token decode circuit is positioned in certain of the stages for recognizing certain of the tokens as control tokens pertinent to that stage and for passing unrecognized control tokens along the pipeline. Reconfiguration processing circuits are positioned in selected stages and are responsive to a recognized control token for reconfiguring such stage to handle an identified DATA Token. A wide variety of unique supporting subsystem circuitry and processing techniques are disclosed for implementing the system, including memory addressing, transforming data using a common processing block, time synchronization, asynchronous swing buffering, storing of video information, a parallel Huffman decoder, and the like.