Abstract: A duty-cycled acoustic sensor saves power, for example, by operating for relatively short periods of time in a repetitive manner. A sensor bias current provides operating power to the sensor. An output analog signal from the sensor carries the information induced by the sensor upon the bias signal. Capacitive coupling is employed to remove direct DC voltage from the output analog signal to generate an analog input signal for acoustic analysis. A capacitor for capacitive coupling is pre-charged to reduce the charging time of the capacitor as the sensor is being powered up. After the capacitor is sufficiently precharged, acoustic analysis is performed on the analog input signal. The sensor is powered down by substantially blocking current flow through the sensor, which saves power. Results of the acoustic analysis can be used, for example, to control parameters of the duty-cycling of the acoustic sensor.

Abstract: A duty-cycled acoustic sensor saves power, for example, by operating for relatively short periods of time in a repetitive manner. A sensor bias current provides operating power to the sensor. An output analog signal from the sensor carries the information induced by the sensor upon the bias signal. Capacitive coupling is employed to remove direct DC voltage from the output analog signal to generate an analog input signal for acoustic analysis. A capacitor for capacitive coupling is pre-charged to reduce the charging time of the capacitor as the sensor is being powered up. After the capacitor is sufficiently precharged, acoustic analysis is performed on the analog input signal. The sensor is powered down by substantially blocking current flow through the sensor, which saves power. Results of the acoustic analysis can be used, for example, to control parameters of the duty-cycling of the acoustic sensor.

Abstract: A duty-cycled acoustic sensor saves power, for example, by operating for relatively short periods of time in a repetitive manner. A sensor bias current provides operating power to the sensor. An output analog signal from the sensor carries the information induced by the sensor upon the bias signal. Capacitive coupling is employed to remove direct DC voltage from the output analog signal to generate an analog input signal for acoustic analysis. A capacitor for capacitive coupling is pre-charged to reduce the charging time of the capacitor as the sensor is being powered up. After the capacitor is sufficiently precharged, acoustic analysis is performed on the analog input signal. The sensor is powered down by substantially blocking current flow through the sensor, which saves power. Results of the acoustic analysis can be used, for example, to control parameters of the duty-cycling of the acoustic sensor.

Abstract: A duty-cycled acoustic sensor saves power, for example, by operating for relatively short periods of time in a repetitive manner. A sensor bias current provides operating power to the sensor. An output analog signal from the sensor carries the information induced by the sensor upon the bias signal. Capacitive coupling is employed to remove direct DC voltage from the output analog signal to generate an analog input signal for acoustic analysis. A capacitor for capacitive coupling is pre-charged to reduce the charging time of the capacitor as the sensor is being powered up. After the capacitor is sufficiently precharged, acoustic analysis is performed on the analog input signal. The sensor is powered down by substantially blocking current flow through the sensor, which saves power. Results of the acoustic analysis can be used, for example, to control parameters of the duty-cycling of the acoustic sensor.

Abstract: A false DE rejection system is described. DEs are ignored during a programmable vertical lockout period. Internal timing is used during the vertical lockout period to count the number of vertical lines to ignore. The first DE received after the vertical lockout period signifies the start of the next graphics frame. Default video is output during the vertical lockout period. The TCON is synchronized to the start of the graphics frame. A horizontal line length timer measures the timing for the horizontal line length. The horizontal line length timer may also keep a moving average of all of the lines that it has measured. This helps to ensure that the TCON does not get out-of-sync with the input stream during the vertical blanking periods. The DE rejection system includes automatic blanking detection that ignores DEs that occur after the end of a predetermined graphics frame. The vertical lockout does not occur until there has been no DE for an entire line.

Abstract: The present invention is related to staggering data to reduce noise in a graphics display system. Line-to-line data staggering is achieved by staggering the starting point at which data is transmitted within each line of data. Frame-to-frame staggering is implemented by staggering the starting point of the first line of data from its value in the previous frame by a predetermined value each frame. Alternatively, frame-to-frame data staggering can be performed every other frame instead of every frame.

Abstract: A manually manipulated shovel-like device for cleaning corrugated floors along the bottom of refrigerated containers and trailers having a blade, an elongate handle extending from the proximal end of the blade, and a plurality of elongate cleaning teeth extending perpendicularly from the opposed distal end of the blade, each of the cleaning teeth being individually slidably adjustable in both the lateral and the vertical directions with respect to the distal edge of the blade to enable the device to clean corrugated floors having unequally spaced apart corrugations of varying depth, joints between sections of corrugated panels, and uncorrugated sections near walls of the container, each of said teeth additionally being individually removable and replaceable from the blade so that teeth of various geometrical configurations and functional features may be used, including teeth tapered to a narrower distal tip, teeth of generally uniform width, and teeth having chisel-pointed edges, the blade optionally being cu

Abstract: The present invention provides a point-to-point data bus architecture and a protocol for a graphics system. The TCON transmits the data to the column drivers using separate point-to-point data buses. Data may be transmitted to the column drivers during a horizontal blanking period resulting in more data being written to the column drivers as compared to a typical graphical display system. As each point-to-point data bus contains only the data for its corresponding column driver the instantaneous data rate to any column driver is lower than in conventional multi-drop architectures. The point-to-point system has fewer printed circuit board (PCB) lines and a lower loop area than a conventional multi-drop system. A protocol may also be implemented. The protocol may provide for system level control and coordination of column drivers and other display system components. This protocol allows the TCON to control the operation of the column drivers without the need for extra PCB lines.

Abstract: A wall penetration sleeve for extending a conduit or pipe through a solid concrete, brick or other wall or connecting a first pipe provided on one side of the wall with a second pipe provided on the opposite side of the wall. The wall penetration sleeve is characterized by a cylindrical sleeve extending through the wall and internally threaded on each end to receive a corresponding pressure nut. Each pressure nut seals an o-ring or gasket in the corresponding end of the sleeve to form a moisture-tight seal between the sleeve interior and the interior of the wall such that liquid or gas cannot leak from the sleeve and accumulate in the interior of the wall as the liquid or gas flows through the pipe. An annular lock collar is either eccentrically mounted on the sleeve or includes a flat segment shaped in the collar edge to prevent the sleeve from rotating or moving transversely in the wall.