Abstract: A method determines the relative locations of wirelessly controllable service device nodes and switching control nodes within a building. At least some of the service device nodes are located in different rooms of the building and should be allocated to switching control nodes on a room-specific basis. Wireless communication is established between the nodes to determine relative spatial positions of selected nodes using received signal strength indication (RSSI) values indicative of a distance of separation between two communicating nodes. The service device nodes are then grouped into two or more groups, a first group corresponding to service device nodes in one room and a second group corresponding to service device nodes in a second room, based on spatial distribution of the service device nodes as indicated by the RSSI values. The service device nodes of each group are then allocated to at least one associated switching control node.

Abstract: A communications system is described wherein consensual push of services from radio beacons (30, 32, 33) to a user's portable device (14) is enabled. The consent process comprises a user registering the portable device (14) at a registration beacon (30) to consent to data delivery from other relevant beacons (32, 33) in a network. The registration beacon (30) has a broadcast range which is constrained within, and highlighted to a user as, an indicated interaction zone (16). The range is preferably constrained and highlighted using electromagnetic shielding (18), or by using a directional antenna, or a combination of both. In use, the user must position their portable device (14) within the indicated interaction zone (16) to register for service delivery.

Abstract: A method for matching an actual device in a wireless network to a corresponding device indicated in a plan (1) of such devices is provided. The method is suitable for initiating the commissioning process for a lighting control network (2) or an automated home network and it enables the program controlling the system to establish a number of reference nodes, with respect to which the coordinates of the rest of the nodes in the network are established, without the engineer having to manually enter the identification details of the reference nodes in the computer system. The method comprises identifying a device (3a-3c, 4, 5a-5b, 6a-6c, 7a-7d, 8a-8f, 9a-9f, 10, 11b, 11b) in the plan having unique characteristics compared to the other devices in the plan (1); receiving data comprising the characteristics of the actual device from the wireless network; and in response to the characteristics of the actual device including the unique characteristics, matching the physical device with the identified device.

Abstract: A method of indicating the location of a relatively mobile object, comprising the steps of: (a) generating a first signal that is characteristic of a first, relatively immobile object; (b) transmitting the first signal from the first relatively immobile object; (c) detecting the first signal at a receiver; (d) generating a second signal that is characteristic of a second, relatively immobile object; (e) transmitting the second signal from the second, relatively immobile object; (f) detecting the second signal at a receiver; (g) generating a third signal that is characteristic of the relatively immobile object; (h) detecting the third signal at a receiver; (i) operating a processing device operatively connected to the receiver using signal time-of-flight (t-o-f) data and/or received signal strength information (RSSI) to establish the distance of the relatively mobile object respectively from the first and second relatively immobile objects; and (j) generating a signal indicating whether the relatively mobile o

Abstract: The invention provides a method for installing a positioning system, the positioning system comprising two or more base stations (BS1 to BS4), and comprises the steps of; collocating the base stations (BS1 to BS4); quantifying any lack of synchronization between the clocks of the base stations; relocating one or more of the base stations (BS2? to BS4?) to their fixed, operational positions and measuring the time of flight of a signal from each of the relocated base stations; determining from the time of flight and quantified lack of synchronization data the relative separation of the base stations (BS1, BS2? to BS4?) and hence the configuration of the installed positioning system, and recording the configuration of the installed positioning system.

Abstract: A method for commissioning installed building service devices comprises establishing wireless communication between plural building service devices L1, L2, E1, E2, 2, 3 to determine spatial positions of each device relative to at least three reference nodes G1, G2, G3 by triangulation of the signal. The coordinates of the determined spatial positions of each device are transmitted to a building services commissioning system, which generates a spatial position map of said devices. This map is then compared with a building services plan to obtain configuration data for each said device. Based on the configuration data, configuration commands are issued to each device to commission the system.

Abstract: A method for determining the relative locations of plural wirelessly controllable building service device nodes and switching control nodes within a building. At least some of the plural building service device nodes are located in different rooms of the building and should be allocated to switching control nodes on a room-specific basis. Wireless communication is established between the nodes to determine relative spatial positions of selected nodes using received signal strength indication (RSSI) values indicative of a distance of separation between two communicating nodes. The building service device nodes are then grouped into two or more groups, a first group corresponding to service device nodes in one of said different rooms and a second group corresponding to service device nodes in another of said different rooms, based on spatial distribution of service device nodes as indicated by the RSSI values, which are strongly affected by walls separating the rooms.

Abstract: A method for determining the location of partition walls within a building uses a wirelessly interconnected network of nodes to determine relative spatial positions of selected nodes using (i) received signal strength indication (RSSI) values and time of flight (ToF) values, both indicative of a distance of separation between two communicating nodes. A first map of the network topology is derived from the RSSI values and a second map of the network topology is derived from the ToF values. The RSSI values are affected by building partition walls whereas the ToF values are relatively unaffected by partition walls. A comparison of the first and second maps is used to determine the location of partition walls within the building.

Abstract: A portable color sampling device (10) facilitates comparison of a color sampled from an object using an optical sensor (11) with a database (30,42,43,44) of stored colors. The database (30,42,43,44) of stored colors includes a merchandise database of articles for sale, and an indication of the location of those articles, including an indication of some or all of retailer identity, store location, in-store location, article description or product ID, class of article and the like. A user points the color sampling device at an article to be sampled, and a color definition data file is generated for transmission to a database of articles. The database returns to the sampling device a list of merchandise that matches the sampled color or colors and any other matching criteria such as class of article, product code, and geographic proximity.

Abstract: A method for generating and coding animated graphic images for transmission to hand-held or mobile devices uses an object-component technique wherein images are composed from a limited set of component types, particularly points and polygons. An initial frame is defined as a list of objects to be displayed. Subsequent frames are encoded as a list of changes to the objects to the previous frame.

Abstract: A mobile terminal receives ‘push-type’ message broadcasts that carry header information indicating the content of the message. Three hierarchical message category designators each consist of a 16 bit word where only one bit may be set to designate each of 16 categories. The first word indicates the message category at a first hierarchical level, the second word the message category at a second hierarchical that falls within the category designated at the first hierarchical level. Similarly the third word designates a category at a third hierarchical level that falls within the category designated at the second hierarchical level. A user specifies those received message categories that are of interest by profile words and at each hierarchical level a bit-for-bit correlation is performed by correlators respectively.

Abstract: A communications system is described wherein consensual push of services from radio beacons (30, 32, 33) to a user's portable device (14) is enabled. The consent process comprises a user registering the portable device (14) at a registration beacon (30) to consent to data delivery from other relevant beacons (32,33) in a network. The registration beacon 30 has a broadcast range which is constrained within, and highlighted to a user as, an indicated interaction zone (16). The range is preferably constrained and highlighted using electromagnetic shielding (18), or by using a directional antenna, or a combination of both. In use, the user must position their portable device (14) within the indicated interaction zone (16) to register for service delivery.

Abstract: A leisure facility visitor interaction system is described. A plurality of transmitter/receivers (30) are distributed over the leisure facility (10). Portable terminal devices (20) are used, each portable terminal device (20) being issued to one or more visitors to the leisure facility (10), each transmitter/receiver (30) providing a transmission zone (35) and each having one or more electronic facilities or offers concerning the leisure facility (10) accessible via the respective transmission zone (35), wherein the portable terminal devices (20) are configured to communicate with the transmitter/receivers (30) when within the respective transmission zone to thereby access the facilities or offers.

Abstract: A communications network comprises a plurality of beacons (10) for transmitting data to mobile receivers within range, each beacon (10) storing local data items for transmission to the mobile receivers which is dependent on the location of the beacon. A central controller (14) is provided for updating the local data items stored in the beacons. The central controller (14) enables beacons to be identified which require updating in response to a desired change in a local data item. This system uses a central controller that can manage the control and configuration and software running on the remote beacons. The central controller can efficiently monitor and control the content information running on each beacon to ensure the network is providing up-to-date alerts and messages to users.

Abstract: A data transmission system for a transportation platform (100) comprising a transport beacon (102) and a user terminal (104), the transport beacon and user terminal being carried on the transportation platform (100), the transport beacon operable to access data associated with a geographical position (106), to receive a signal relating to the present geographical position (108) of the transportation platform and to exchange the data (110) with the user terminal in response to the signal.

Abstract: An electronic device, such as a portable telephone or PDA, has a display in the form of a pixel display with an image deflection system overlying the display. The display is controlled to provide at least two independent display images which, when displayed through the image deflection system, are individually visible from different viewing positions relative to the screen. Suitably, the image deflection system comprises a lenticular screen with the lenticles extending horizontally or vertically across the display such that the different views may be seen through tilting of the device.

Abstract: A method for generating and coding animated graphic images for transmission to hand-held or mobile devices uses an object-component technique wherein images are composed from a limited set of component types, particularly points and polygons. An initial frame is defined as a list of objects to be displayed. Subsequent frames are encoded as a list of changes to the objects to the previous frame.

Abstract: A two-way telecommunications system includes a primary station (10, 14, 16) and a secondary station (18, 20). The primary station is arranged for transmitting on a downlink a data message together with indicia representative of status messages it wants to receive from the secondary station. The secondary station in response to the indicia represents the desired status items as icons and when the user has taken an action affecting the status, it transmits a status message on the uplink and changes the representation of the icon. The icons are stored with the message until the latter is erased.

Abstract: A method for generating and coding graphic images for transmission to hand-held or mobile devices uses an object-component technique wherein images are composed from a limited set of component types, particularly points and polygons. Images are encoded as a list of objects to be drawn, with each object specified by a command word (FIG. 3) followed by one or more coordinate words (FIG. 4) locating that object in a fixed coordinate image field. The command word indicates the object outline colour (c), the type of object (CC), and whether it is selectable (s) by a user for interactive applications. Parameter bits (p) in the command word indicate point radii or the number of polygon vertices. With a particular type (CC) setting, text strings may be included in the image.

Abstract: An electronic device (10), such as a portable telephone or PDA, has a display (12) in the form of a pixel display with an image deflection system (8) overlying the display (12). The display is controlled to provide at least two independent display images which, when displayed through the image deflection system (8), are individually visible from different viewing positions relative to the screen. Suitably, the image deflection system (8) comprises a lenticular screen with the lenticles (24) extending horizontally or vertically across the display (12) such that the different views may be seen through tilting of the device.