Abstract: The present invention provides improvements to an implant, system and method using passive electrical conductors which route electrical current to either external or implanted electrical devices, to multiple target body tissues and to selective target body tissues. The passive electrical conductor extends from subcutaneous tissue located below either a surface cathodic electrode or a surface anodic electrode a) to a target tissue to route electrical signals from the target body tissue to devices external to the body; b) to implanted electrical devices to deliver electrical current to such devices, or c) to multiple target body tissues or to selective target body tissues to stimulate the target body tissues. The conductor has specialized ends for achieving such purposes.

Abstract: A communications device includes a modulator and a filter downstream therefrom and operable to generate an output wideband complex signal with a frequency notch therein. The filter includes a finite impulse response (FIR) filter with L taps to generate N output values, with L>N. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) block is downstream from the FIR filter and has a length N so that filter transition regions occur between frequency bins of the FFT block. A notching block is downstream from the FFT block to generate the frequency notch. An Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) block is downstream from the notching block and has the length N.

Abstract: A circuit (100) is provided that is connectable between input lines (150, 152, 154) and output lines (160, 162). The circuit is comprised of a primary battery (103) and a hold-up battery (101). The hold-up battery is connected in parallel with the primary battery. The circuit is further comprised of an RC circuit (180) connected in parallel with the primary battery and is isolated from the hold-up battery by unidirectional current valves (108, 110). A comparator is provided with a first input (130) coupled to the RC circuit and a second input (132) coupled to a voltage reference. A switching device (104) is provided that is controlled by an output of the comparator. The switching device connects the hold-up battery to output lines in a first state and disconnects the hold-up battery from output lines in a second state. The unidirectional current valves prevent reverse leakage current from the hold-up battery from charging a capacitor during a discharge period of the RC circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an electronic stimulator configured to be implanted within a body, and a flexible member coupled to the electronic stimulator by an adhesive. In some embodiments, the flexible member is formulated to be soluble when exposed to a bodily tissue.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for testing shafts, such as golf club shafts. In one embodiment, the invention can be characterized as a shaft tester comprising: a frame; a first shaft support supporting a first portion of a shaft at a first fixed position; a second shaft support supporting a second portion of the shaft at a second fixed position; and a third shaft support supporting a third portion of the shaft at a third fixed position. An actuator couples to the third shaft support to displace the third portion relative to the first and second portions to deflect the shaft. A sensor couples to one of the first, second and third supports outputting a signal corresponding to a force exerted by the shaft due. A controller controls displacement of the shaft. In some embodiments, the shaft is rotated while being deflected.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine mounting arrangement for attaching a gas turbine engine to a support structure, such as a pylon of an aircraft, comprises a main mounting member adapted to interconnect the engine with the pylon and transmit loads therebetween under normal engine operating conditions, and an auxiliary mounting member which is capable of interconnecting the engine with the pylon and transmitting loads therebetween in the event of failure of the main mounting member, the auxiliary mounting member being arranged to be substantially unloaded under normal engine operating conditions. The main mounting member includes a first primary load transmission means for transmitting vertical loads between the engine and the pylon and a second primary load transmission means for transmitting thrust and lateral loads between the engine and the pylon.

Abstract: A method is provided for transmitting voice data in a secure communication system. The method includes: transmitting voice data using a plurality of data packets; embedding a cryptographic message indicator into each of the plurality of data packets; and correcting for bit errors in the cryptographic message indicator at a packet receiver using code-combining across two or more of the data packets.

Abstract: A method is provided for protecting flash memory residing on a computing device. The method includes: receiving a data file having a digital signature at a main processor; forwarding the data file from the main processor to a secondary processor for signature validation; validating the digital signature associated with the data file at the secondary processor; enabling a write capability of a flash memory upon successful validation of the digital signature; and writing the data file to the flash memory.

Abstract: A circuit (100) is provided that is connectable between input lines (150, 152, 154) and output lines (160, 162). The circuit is comprised of a primary battery (103) and a hold-up battery (101). The hold-up battery is connected in parallel with the primary battery. The circuit is further comprised of an RC circuit (180) connected in parallel with the primary battery and is isolated from the hold-up battery by unidirectional current valves (108, 110). A comparator is provided with a first input (130) coupled to the RC circuit and a second input (132) coupled to a voltage reference. A switching device (104) is provided that is controlled by an output of the comparator. The switching device connects the hold-up battery to output lines in a first state and disconnects the hold-up battery from output lines in a second state. The unidirectional current valves prevent reverse leakage current from the hold-up battery from charging a capacitor during a discharge period of the RC circuit.

Abstract: To avoid signal jamming, a method is provided for selecting a dwell channel on a receiver in a frequency hopping communication system. The method includes: measuring a noise level on channels over which a data signal is received at the receiver; selecting a dwell channel based on the estimated noise levels, where the dwell channel having the lowest noise level amongst a group of permissible channels over which to acquire a signal from a transmitter; and tuning the receiver to the selected dwell channel during a search state in which the receiver attempts to synchronize with a transmitter.

Abstract: An improved method is provided for decoding data in a frequency hopping communications system. The method includes: monitoring transition points between data bits in a demodulated data stream, where the data bits are transmitted to a receiver over different transmission frequencies; determining a frequency over which data bits are transmitted to the receiver; determining a reliability metric for each frequency over which data bits were received, where the reliability metric is based on transition points of data bits transmitted over a given frequency; and performing a decoding operation using the reliability metric for each frequency over which data bits were received.

Abstract: An improved method is provided for identifying a repeated codeword in an incoming bit stream.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine mounting arrangement for attaching a gas turbine engine to a support structure, such as a pylon of an aircraft, comprises a main mounting member adapted to interconnect the engine with the pylon and transmit loads therebetween under normal engine operating conditions, and an auxiliary mounting member which is capable of interconnecting the engine with the pylon and transmitting loads therebetween in the event of failure of the main mounting member, the auxiliary mounting member being arranged to be substantially unloaded under normal engine operating conditions. The main mounting member includes a first primary load transmission means for transmitting vertical loads between the engine and the pylon and a second primary load transmission means for transmitting thrust and lateral loads between the engine and the pylon.

Abstract: A method and system reduces data error in an automatic repeat request (ARQ) communications system. Data is code-combined in a communications session that uses an automatic repeat request protocol by sending alternate phases of an encoder state. The underlying signaling constellation is changed when code-combining performance degrades. An optimal signaling constellation and code rate can be determined from a previous packet acknowledgment (ACK) status or from a look-up table previously determined by use.

Abstract: A system and method for noise cancellation with noise ramp tracking in the presence of severe or ramping acoustic noise. The system conducts an estimation of the noise level in the input signal and modifies the signal based upon this noise estimate. A windowed Fourier transform is performed upon the input speech signal and an estimation of a histogram of the frequency magnitudes of the noise level and other related parameters is generated and used to compute a spectral gain function that is applied to components of the Fourier transform of the input speech signal. The enhanced components of the Fourier transform are processed by an inverse Fourier transform in order to reconstruct a noise reduced speech signal.