Abstract: An apparatus for holding a footwear heel to a snow travel aid is provided. The apparatus comprises a mountable base connected to a generally vertical post and an upper portion having at least one forward connector for connecting the upper portion to the heel. The upper portion is rotatable on the post between a downhill position and at least one touring position and comprises at least one part which travels over a prominence at a fixed location relative to the upper portion during rotation from the downhill position to the touring position. The at least one part becomes engageable with a depression adjacent the prominence when the upper portion is in the touring position to resist rotation from the touring position back to the downhill position. The post comprises a feature that provides clearance for the at least one part to travel over the prominence or which functions as the prominence and depression. Also provided are posts for use as a part in such an apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding a footwear heel to a snow travel aid is provided. The apparatus comprises a mountable base connected to a generally vertical post and an upper portion having at least one forward connector for connecting the upper portion to the heel. The upper portion is rotatable on the post between a downhill position and at least one touring position and comprises at least one part which travels over a prominence at a fixed location relative to the upper portion during rotation from the downhill position to the touring position. The at least one part becomes engageable with a depression adjacent the prominence when the upper portion is in the touring position to resist rotation from the touring position back to the downhill position. The post comprises a feature that provides clearance for the at least one part to travel over the prominence or which functions as the prominence and depression. Also provided are posts for use as a part in such an apparatus.

Abstract: A light collecting and disseminating apparatus is provided for use in harvesting sunlight from the exterior of a man-made structure, and providing light to the inside of the structure, via an opto-mechanical joint where sunlight would not normally be available. The internal arrangement of the collector allows for improved optical accuracy and performance over prior efforts. The apparatus is also characterized as possessing a low profile so as not to alter the appearance of buildings furnished with the invention. Further, light can be collected from any orientation and redirected through the opto-mechanical joint to a stationary light receiving port independent of the orientation of the collectors.

Abstract: A light collecting and disseminating apparatus is provided for use in harvesting sunlight from the exterior of a man-made structure, and providing light to the inside of the structure, via an opto-mechanical joint where sunlight would not normally be available. The internal arrangement of the collector allows for improved optical accuracy and performance over prior efforts. The apparatus is also characterized as possessing a low profile so as not to alter the appearance of buildings furnished with the invention. Further, light can be collected from any orientation and redirected through the opto-mechanical joint to a stationary light receiving port independent of the orientation of the collectors.

Abstract: A variable-range power supply for a model vehicle layout, such as a model train track for powering model trains or the like, is configured to receive a control input defining respective ends of an output voltage range. The control input may correspond to opposing ends of a range of motion for a hand-operated actuator, or other control input. The power supply further includes a controller configured to allow a user to select a desired output voltage level for a minimum or maximum of the output range. Output power is maintained within the user-specified range.

Abstract: A variable-range power supply for a model vehicle layout, such as a model train track for powering model trains or the like, is configured to receive a control input defining respective ends of an output voltage range. The control input may correspond to opposing ends of a range of motion for a hand-operated actuator, or other control input. The power supply further includes a controller configured to allow a user to select a desired output voltage level for a minimum or maximum of the output range. Output power is maintained within the user-specified range.

Abstract: A dynamic phase adjustment circuit that includes a multi-tap delay line that receives a clock input signal. The multi-tap delay line includes an initial portion that is adjustable, and final portion after the adjustable portion. A number of registers receive the same data. However, the clock signal that causes the registers to sample is received from a corresponding delay element in the final portion of the multi-tap delay line. An edge detect and data decision circuit receives the sampled data values from each of the registers. Sampling resolution is improved over the PLL-based dynamic phase adjustment circuit since the clock signal is delayed using delay elements, which can be made with relatively small delays. Furthermore, the circuit does not contain excessive circuit elements thereby allowing the dynamic phase adjustment circuit to be contained in a small area.

Abstract: In a data communications system, including an infrastructure arranged to communicate over a data channel with a plurality of data terminals, a method of detecting data decryption errors in a data packet includes receiving an encrypted data packet (213); decrypting the encrypted data packet to provide a decrypted data packet; and comparing a reference value to a portion of the decrypted data packet to determine when a predetermined relationship is satisfied (221).