Abstract: A positioning system has an initiator device configured for emitting a high-speed wireless signal, at least one reference device configured for receiving the high-speed wireless signal and emitting a low-speed wireless signal after receiving the high-speed wireless signal, at least one target device each having one or more components for receiving the low-speed wireless signals, and at least one engine configured for determining the position of each of the at-least-one target device by calculating the distance between the target device and each of the at-least-one reference device based on at least the times-of-arrival of the low-speed wireless signals, each time-of-arrival being the time that the corresponding low-speed wireless signal being received by the target device, and determining the position of the target device based on the calculated distances.

Abstract: A system and method for packaging pine straw and a packaged mass of pine straw made therefrom, the method including providing an electronically-controlled system configured for packaging pine straw, the system including system logic that controls conveying, fluffing, cleaning, compressing and packaging of the pine straw, and using the system to compress a mass of pine straw into a rectangular mass of pine straw and enclosing the rectangular mass of pine straw within a flexible plastic sheet thereby forming a substantially rectangular packaged mass of compressed pine straw.

Abstract: An object-positioning system has a plurality of reference devices, one or more target devices at unknown positions and in communication with the plurality of reference devices via one or more wireless signal sets, at least one processing unit; and one or more signal-retransmission devices each in communication with at least a subset of the plurality of reference devices, at least a subset of the one or more target devices, and at least a subset of the at least one processing unit for populating object-positioning related data therebetween. The at least one processing unit is configured for: for each of the one or more target devices, determining the distance between the target device and each of the plurality of reference devices based on the wireless signal set communicated between said reference and target devices, and determining the position of said target device based on the determined distances.

Abstract: A range-finding and/or object-positioning system comprises one or more target devices; one or more reference devices communicating with said one or more target devices via one or more wireless signal sets, each wireless signal set comprising at least a first-speed signal having a first transmission speed and a second-speed signal having a second transmission speed, and the first transmission speed being higher than the second transmission speed; and at least one processing unit performing actions for determining at least one distance between one target device and one reference device based on the time difference between the receiving time of the first-speed signal and the receiving time of the second-speed signal of the wireless signal set communicated between said reference and target devices.

Abstract: A 3D input system and an angle encoder are disclosed. The 3D input system comprises a computing device and one or more position sensing gloves. The position sensing glove comprises a plurality of angle encoders each installed thereon at a location about a finger joint. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is installed on the glove. A firmware uses data from the angle encoders and IMU to calculate fingertip positions in a 3D space. The firmware generates keystrokes on a virtual keyboard based on the fingertip positions. The angle encoder comprises a first and a second components rotatable with respect to each other, and an encoder pattern comprising codewords for indicating the angle between the first and second components. The encoder pattern comprises a set of base encoder channels coded with a conventional Gray code, and a set of Booster channels for improving the resolution of angle measurement.

Abstract: A range-finding and/or object-positioning system comprises one or more target devices; one or more reference devices communicating with said one or more target devices via one or more wireless signal sets, each wireless signal set comprising at least a first-speed signal having a first transmission speed and a second-speed signal having a second transmission speed, and the first transmission speed being higher than the second transmission speed; and at least one processing unit performing actions for determining at least one distance between one target device and one reference device based on the time difference between the receiving time of the first-speed signal and the receiving time of the second-speed signal of the wireless signal set communicated between said reference and target devices.

Abstract: A positioning system has an initiator device configured for emitting a high-speed wireless signal, at least one reference device configured for receiving the high-speed wireless signal and emitting a low-speed wireless signal after receiving the high-speed wireless signal, at least one target device each having one or more components for receiving the low-speed wireless signals, and at least one engine configured for determining the position of each of the at-least-one target device by calculating the distance between the target device and each of the at-least-one reference device based on at least the times-of-arrival of the low-speed wireless signals, each time-of-arrival being the time that the corresponding low-speed wireless signal being received by the target device, and determining the position of the target device based on the calculated distances.

Abstract: A system and method for packaging pine straw and a packaged mass of pine straw made therefrom, the method including providing an electronically-controlled system configured for packaging pine straw, the system including system logic that controls conveying, fluffing, cleaning, compressing and packaging of the pine straw, and using the system to compress a mass of pine straw into a rectangular mass of pine straw and enclosing the rectangular mass of pine straw within a flexible plastic sheet thereby forming a substantially rectangular packaged mass of compressed pine straw.

Abstract: A positioning system has an initiator device configured for emitting a high-speed wireless signal, at least one reference device configured for receiving the high-speed wireless signal and emitting a low-speed wireless signal after receiving the high-speed wireless signal, at least one target device each having one or more components for receiving the low-speed wireless signals, and at least one engine configured for determining the position of each of the at-least-one target device by calculating the distance between the target device and each of the at-least-one reference device based on at least the times-of-arrival of the low-speed wireless signals, each time-of-arrival being the time that the corresponding low-speed wireless signal being received by the target device, and determining the position of the target device based on the calculated distances.

Abstract: A range-finding and/or object-positioning system comprises one or more target devices; one or more reference devices communicating with said one or more target devices via one or more wireless signal sets, each wireless signal set comprising at least a first-speed signal having a first transmission speed and a second-speed signal having a second transmission speed, and the first transmission speed being higher than the second transmission speed; and at least one processing unit performing actions for determining at least one distance between one target device and one reference device based on the time difference between the receiving time of the first-speed signal and the receiving time of the second-speed signal of the wireless signal set communicated between said reference and target devices.

Abstract: A range-finding and/or object-positioning system comprises one or more target devices; one or more reference devices communicating with said one or more target devices via one or more wireless signal sets, each wireless signal set comprising at least a first-speed signal having a first transmission speed and a second-speed signal having a second transmission speed, and the first transmission speed being higher than the second transmission speed; and at least one processing unit performing actions for determining at least one distance between one target device and one reference device based on the time difference between the receiving time of the first-speed signal and the receiving time of the second-speed signal of the wireless signal set communicated between said reference and target devices.

Abstract: A range-finding and/or object-positioning system comprises one or more target devices; one or more reference devices communicating with said one or more target devices via one or more wireless signal sets, each wireless signal set comprising at least a first-speed signal having a first transmission speed and a second-speed signal having a second transmission speed, and the first transmission speed being higher than the second transmission speed; and at least one processing unit performing actions for determining at least one distance between one target device and one reference device based on the time difference between the receiving time of the first-speed signal and the receiving time of the second-speed signal of the wireless signal set communicated between said reference and target devices.

Abstract: A positioning system has an initiator device configured for emitting a high-speed wireless signal, at least one reference device configured for receiving the high-speed wireless signal and emitting a low-speed wireless signal after receiving the high-speed wireless signal, at least one target device each having one or more components for receiving the low-speed wireless signals, and at least one engine configured for determining the position of each of the at-least-one target device by calculating the distance between the target device and each of the at-least-one reference device based on at least the times-of-arrival of the low-speed wireless signals, each time-of-arrival being the time that the corresponding low-speed wireless signal being received by the target device, and determining the position of the target device based on the calculated distances.

Abstract: A 3D input system and an angle encoder are disclosed. The 3D input system comprises a computing device and one or more position sensing gloves. The position sensing glove comprises a plurality of angle encoders each installed thereon at a location about a finger joint. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is installed on the glove. A firmware uses data from the angle encoders and IMU to calculate fingertip positions in a 3D space. The firmware generates keystrokes on a virtual keyboard based on the fingertip positions. The angle encoder comprises a first and a second components rotatable with respect to each other, and an encoder pattern comprising codewords for indicating the angle between the first and second components. The encoder pattern comprises a set of base encoder channels coded with a conventional Gray code, and a set of Booster channels for improving the resolution of angle measurement.

Abstract: A range-finding and/or object-positioning system comprises one or more target devices; one or more reference devices communicating with said one or more target devices via one or more wireless signal sets, each wireless signal set comprising at least a first-speed signal having a first transmission speed and a second-speed signal having a second transmission speed, and the first transmission speed being higher than the second transmission speed; and at least one processing unit performing actions for determining at least one distance between one target device and one reference device based on the time difference between the receiving time of the first-speed signal and the receiving time of the second-speed signal of the wireless signal set communicated between said reference and target devices.

Abstract: A positioning system has an initiator device configured for emitting a high-speed wireless signal, at least one reference device configured for receiving the high-speed wireless signal and emitting a low-speed wireless signal after receiving the high-speed wireless signal, at least one target device each having one or more components for receiving the low-speed wireless signals, and at least one engine configured for determining the position of each of the at-least-one target device by calculating the distance between the target device and each of the at-least-one reference device based on at least the times-of-arrival of the low-speed wireless signals, each time-of-arrival being the time that the corresponding low-speed wireless signal being received by the target device, and determining the position of the target device based on the calculated distances.

Abstract: A 3D input system and an angle encoder are disclosed. The 3D input system comprises a computing device and one or more position sensing gloves. The position sensing glove comprises a plurality of angle encoders each installed thereon at a location about a finger joint. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is installed on the glove. A firmware uses data from the angle encoders and IMU to calculate fingertip positions in a 3D space. The firmware generates keystrokes on a virtual keyboard based on the fingertip positions. The angle encoder comprises a first and a second components rotatable with respect to each other, and an encoder pattern comprising codewords for indicating the angle between the first and second components. The encoder pattern comprises a set of base encoder channels coded with a conventional Gray code, and a set of Booster channels for improving the resolution of angle measurement.

Abstract: A range-finding and/or object-positioning system comprises one or more target devices; one or more reference devices communicating with said one or more target devices via one or more wireless signal sets, each wireless signal set comprising at least a first-speed signal having a first transmission speed and a second-speed signal having a second transmission speed, and the first transmission speed being higher than the second transmission speed; and at least one processing unit performing actions for determining at least one distance between one target device and one reference device based on the time difference between the receiving time of the first-speed signal and the receiving time of the second-speed signal of the wireless signal set communicated between said reference and target devices.

Abstract: A 3D input system and an angle encoder are disclosed. The 3D input system comprises a computing device and one or more position sensing gloves. The position sensing glove comprises a plurality of angle encoders each installed thereon at a location about a finger joint. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is installed on the glove. A firmware uses data from the angle encoders and IMU to calculate fingertip positions in a 3D space. The firmware generates keystrokes on a virtual keyboard based on the fingertip positions. The angle encoder comprises a first and a second components rotatable with respect to each other, and an encoder pattern comprising codewords for indicating the angle between the first and second components. The encoder pattern comprises a set of base encoder channels coded with a conventional Gray code, and a set of Booster channels for improving the resolution of angle measurement.

Abstract: A 3D input system and an angle encoder are disclosed. The 3D input system comprises a computing device and one or more position sensing gloves. The position sensing glove comprises a plurality of angle encoders each installed thereon at a location about a finger joint. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is installed on the glove. A firmware uses data from the angle encoders and IMU to calculate fingertip positions in a 3D space. The firmware generates keystrokes on a virtual keyboard based on the fingertip positions. The angle encoder comprises a first and a second components rotatable with respect to each other, and an encoder pattern comprising codewords for indicating the angle between the first and second components. The encoder pattern comprises a set of base encoder channels coded with a conventional Gray code, and a set of Booster channels for improving the resolution of angle measurement.