Abstract: An electronic learning device for receiving a book having a plurality of successive page spreads, at least one page spread having selectable content and an optically readable page identifier. The device includes a housing configured to receive the book, a position sensor in the housing configured to determine the location of the selectable content on the at least one page spread, an optical sensor in the housing configured to irradiate and detect the page identifier on the at least one page spread and control electronics in the housing operatively coupled to the optical sensor and to the position sensor and configured to synchronize sequential operation of the position sensor and the optical sensor.

Abstract: An electronic learning device for receiving a book having a plurality of successive page spreads, at least one page spread having selectable content and an optically readable page identifier. The device includes a housing configured to receive the book, a position sensor in the housing configured to determine the location of the selectable content on the at least one page spread, an optical sensor in the housing configured to irradiate and detect the page identifier on the at least one page spread and control electronics in the housing operatively coupled to the optical sensor and to the position sensor and configured to synchronize sequential operation of the position sensor and the optical sensor.

Abstract: Presented is a communications protocol for use by interconnected hazardous condition detectors, such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for use in dwellings and other structures. This communications protocol provides conventional signaling to indicate the presence of a smoke condition necessitating the generation of a smoke temporal pattern by all interconnected detectors. The protocol further defines a signaling method by which conventional smoke detectors that are incapable of providing temporal patterns other than that required for a smoke alarm condition will not be sent into an alarm mode of operation upon receipt of a signal other than the conventional smoke alarm signal. This communications protocol defines a pulsed signal to indicate a non-smoke alarm condition that is of a duration that will not trigger the conventional smoke alarms.

Abstract: An electronic learning device for receiving a book having a plurality of successive page spreads, at least one page spread having selectable content and an optically readable page identifier. The device includes a housing configured to receive the book, a position sensor in the housing configured to determine the location of the selectable content on the at least one page spread, an optical sensor in the housing configured to irradiate and detect the page identifier on the at least one page spread and control electronics in the housing operatively coupled to the optical sensor and to the position sensor and configured to synchronize operation of the position sensor and the optical sensor.

Abstract: An electronic learning/teaching device operates with and without a printed sheet element having an arrangement of selectable content by means of a user responsive sensor array beneath a surface configured to receive the element. The sensor array is formed by cross-points of two sets of crossing conductive lines, one set being driven sequentially with a radio frequency square wave and the other set being sampled sequentially though a high impedance amplifier connection with an asynchronous detection circuit. Where more than one cross-point location is user activated, algorithms are used to identify one cross-point sensor location as the user activated selection.

Abstract: An apparatus for the detection and enunciation of hazardous conditions within an environment comprises at least two detection circuits positioned to sense ambient conditions within a home or business environment. One of the detection circuits senses the presence of smoke, and the other detection circuit senses the presence of carbon monoxide. The apparatus also comprises an alarm circuit which is responsive to each of the detection circuits for generating at least one alarm pattern, and preferably a separate alarm pattern for each different sensed condition. A voice synthesizer circuit is also included, and is responsive to each of the detection circuits for generating at least one voice message. As with the alarm patterns, the voice synthesizer preferably generates separate voice messages for each separate detected condition. The apparatus advantageously also contains an interleaving control circuit.

Abstract: An electronic interactive system including an electronic device and a book for use with the electronic device. The electronic device includes an optical page identification system capable of autonomously identifying page identifier codes uniquely associated with each of a plurality of page spreads of the book.

Abstract: Presented is a communications protocol for use by interconnected hazardous condition detectors, such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for use in dwellings and other structures. This communications protocol provides conventional signaling to indicate the presence of a smoke condition necessitating the generation of a smoke temporal pattern by all interconnected detectors. The protocol further defines a signaling method by which conventional smoke detectors that are incapable of providing temporal patterns other than that required for a smoke alarm condition will not be sent into an alarm mode of operation upon receipt of a signal other than the conventional smoke alarm signal. This communications protocol defines a pulsed signal to indicate a non-smoke alarm condition that is of a duration that will not trigger the conventional smoke alarms.

Abstract: An electronic learning/teaching device operates with and without a printed sheet element having an arrangement of selectable content by means of a user responsive sensor array beneath a surface configured to receive the element. The sensor array is formed by cross-points of two sets of crossing conductive lines, one set being driven sequentially with a radio frequency square wave and the other set being sampled sequentially though a high impedance amplifier connection with an asynchronous detection circuit. Where more than one cross-point location is user activated, algorithms are used to identify one cross-point sensor location as the user activated selection.

Abstract: An apparatus for the detection and enunciation of hazardous conditions within an environment comprises at least two detection circuits positioned to sense ambient conditions within a home or business environment. One of the detection circuits senses the presence of smoke, and the other detection circuit senses the presence of carbon monoxide. The apparatus also comprises an alarm circuit which is responsive to each of the detection circuits for generating at least one alarm pattern, and preferably a separate alarm pattern for each different sensed condition. A voice synthesizer circuit is also included, and is responsive to each of the detection circuits for generating at least one voice message. As with the alarm patterns, the voice synthesizer preferably generates separate voice messages for each separate detected condition. The apparatus advantageously also contains an interleaving control circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus for the detection and enunciation of hazardous conditions within an environment comprises at least two detection circuits positioned to sense ambient conditions within a home or business environment. One of the detection circuits senses the presence of smoke, and the other detection circuit senses the presence of carbon monoxide. The apparatus also comprises an alarm circuit which is responsive to each of the detection circuits for generating at least one alarm pattern, and preferably a separate alarm pattern for each different sensed condition. A voice synthesizer circuit is also included, and is responsive to each of the detection circuits for generating at least one voice message. As with the alarm patterns, the voice synthesizer preferably generates separate voice messages for each separate detected condition. The apparatus advantageously also contains an interleaving control circuit.

Abstract: An FM/FSK Transceiver for a wireless communications interface is disclosed which employs an offset phase lock loop which is accelerated into phase lock by a sweep signal to avoid data degradation, and which includes a feed forward compensation to accommodate a broadband response from DC to above 10 MHz in the exchange of information between computers, computers and peripheral equipments, and between peripheral equipments.

Abstract: A microcontroller supervision circuit comprising an electronic control capable of causing a high-impedance on at least one external pin upon occurrence of a reset condition. A supervision circuit is coupled to the at least one external pin for detecting the high-impedance condition. Upon detection of the high-impedance condition, a signal is generated to indicate failure of the microcontroller to execute code. The microcontroller is programmed to remove the high-impedance condition when code is properly executed within the microcontroller.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to automatically calibrate a carbon monoxide detector placed in an environment having a known concentration of carbon monoxide. The monitor is placed in a calibration mode in which it reads the output signal from the sensor and normalizes the output signal to a convenient scale. The normalized reading is used to compute a calibration coefficient. The calibration coefficient is stored in a non-volatile memory integrated with the carbon monoxide monitor.

Abstract: A time-domain reflectometry device and method are provided wherein TDR may be performed on active Ethernet systems. A crossover network provides proper impedance termination both for pulse information generated by the TDR and for DC path signals. If a potential collision is detected when generating TDR pulses, a collision is forced by asserting a DC bias on the network thereby simulating a collision and generating a timeout at a much lower protocol level for reducing noticeable delay to network users and increasing network throughput.

Abstract: A termination control circuit is coupled to a far end of a cable. A modulated test signal is reflected back to a near end of the cable at a different frequency but at substantially the same level of attenuation as the test signal. Signal attenuation in the reflected signal is then measured to determine the amount of attenuation in the test signal. A second embodiment of the termination control circuit measures crosstalk by enabling and disabling termination resistors at the far end of the cable. A DC bias voltage located at the near end of the cable selectively turns on switching diodes to enable the termination resistor. Alternatively, both the attenuation and crosstalk circuits are combined together allowing both signal attenuation and crosstalk measurements with the same termination control circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system that monitors the signal strength of each transmission by a node on a LAN cable of a local area network and determines the location of the node sending the signal. This system has a monitor at each end of the LAN cable, with one of the monitors typically being located in a computer node attached to the cable. When an information frame is sent on the cable, each of the monitors records the signal strength of the frame preamble and the source address contained within the frame. The distance to the node from a first end of the cable, expressed as a percentage of the length of the cable, is the ratio of the signal strength at the second end of the cable to the sum of the signal strengths.