Abstract: A solid state microstructure comprises a substrate (10,50,80), a detector element extending outwardly from a surface of the substrate and having first (14,60,88) and second (16,64,90) electrodes on opposing sides thereof, the detector element incorporating an onboard optoelectrically-triggered gating structure. Gating may be achieved by flooding a specified area of the detector element with gating light, preferably from a laser, thereby causing that region to become conductive.

Abstract: A nonwoven composite web suitable for use as a battery separator is formed by a wet process on a papermaking machine. The nonwoven composite material is made from a furnish of nylon binder fibers and nylon staple fibers. The web coming off the papermaking machine is dried using infra-red dryers followed by heated dryer cans. After drying, the web is thermally bonded using heated calendar rolls. The nylon binder fibers melt as the web passes through the calendar rolls and thermally bond the nylon staple fibers of the web when the melted binder fiber material fuses upon cooling. The use of dryer cans to dry and partially bond the web eliminates the need for surfactant treatment to improve potassium hydroxide absorption.

Abstract: A method of using the existing radio resources to automatically determine the current cellular topology is described. Wireless basestations are placed into a mode where they can transmit a signal which can be received by all of the base stations in range of the transmitting basestation. Each base station in the system serially broadcast a signal which is received by all other basestations within the range of the transmitting basestation. Each of the receiving radios determines the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) at which they received the transmitted signal. The RSSI values are used to determine which base stations are physically co-located into cells and then determine the relative locations of the cells to each other.

Abstract: An antenna diversity technique for use in wireless personal communications is disclosed. In the so called microcellular phone environment, fading in signal reception is an important consideration. A new way of performing the antenna diversity involves antenna switching during a period of data reception which may results in minimum bit hits to data. The system only requires single receiving part.

Abstract: An electronic system includes at least one element which is operative in response to clock signal pulses, of less than a maximum frequency of occurrence, from a clock signal source. A dither means is connected to the clock signal source for causing the frequency of occurrence to be varied such that electromagnetic radiation which accompanies the normal operation of the system is of a lesser interference effect than if the frequency of occurrence were substantially monotonous.

Abstract: A self-contained photodetector for detecting the light flash from a photoflash unit which is supposed to flash when the shutter of a camera opens. The detector has a light-activated SCR for turning on an IC chip timer, which produces an output signal that turns on a transistor and causes a piezoelectric buzzer to produce an audible signal. All these components are powered by a battery which is contained in the same housing with them. This housing has an opening for passing light onto the SCR.