Abstract: A system (500) and method (400) are presented for calibrating an analog signal path (200) associated with an Ultra Wideband (UWB) receiver (103). The analog signal path includes a plurality of analog gain stages (210, 212-214, 216), a local oscillator mixer stage (211), a compensation stage (218), and a converter stage (219). An information signal includes whitened symbols (306). When a predetermined number of whitened symbols are accumulated for one of a plurality of gain configurations, an arithmetic mean is calculated and used an offset value. The offset value is retrieved whenever the gain configuration is activated and applied at the compensation stage to reduce the offset.

Abstract: A device for detecting data synchronization in data communications includes pseudorandom noise (PN) lock circuits (101, 113, 127). The PN lock circuits (101, 113, 127) receive an input data stream (109). Each of the PN lock circuits (101, 113, 127) is time offset with respect to the other PN lock circuits. Each of the PN lock circuits (101, 113, 127) outputs a PN sequence responsive to the input data stream. For each PN lock circuit, there is provided a component (105, 117, 131) for comparing the PN sequence from the respective PN lock circuit to the input data stream, to determine whether the input data stream and the PN sequence are synchronized. An indication (107, 119, 133) that the data is synchronized is provided when the input data stream and the PN sequence are synchronized.

Abstract: A method is provided for estimating a frequency offset value. This method includes: receiving a signal from the transmitting device at the receiving device, the received signal having a transmitter frequency (510); generating a local signal at the receiving device, the local signal having a starting frequency (520); comparing a received signal phase and a local signal phase to determine an adjusted error signal representing a phase difference between the received signal and the local signal (530); adjusting a current frequency of the local signal from the starting frequency to the transmitting frequency over a time period (540); integrating the adjusted error signal over the time period to generate an integrated error signal (550); and filtering the integrated error signal to generate a frequency difference estimate indicative of the frequency difference between the transmitter frequency and the starting frequency (560).

Abstract: A circuit (100) is provided for notching an incoming wireless signal. The circuit comprises: a notching mechanism (110) for receiving an incoming signal and generating a notched signal having reduced power at the notch frequency (320), the notch frequency being adjustable in response to a notching control signal; a signal parameter detector (165, 170, 175, 180, 185) for detecting a signal parameter of the notched signal (325); a controller (155) for receiving the signal parameter and for generating the notching control signal (315), the controller being configured to vary the signal parameter within a notching control signal range (340); and a memory (160) for storing the signal parameter and the notching control signal received from the controller in a notching database (330). The controller is configured to analyze the notching database to determine an optimal notching control signal to achieve a desired level of signal performance (345).

Abstract: A non-rigid system and method for stabilizing displaced bony members include a flexible unit of tethering material coupled to the displaced bony members so as to restore a desired shape, curvature of or relationship between the bony members without excessively limiting mobility of bony members located adjacent to the displaced members the rest of the portions of the motion bony segment during a restoration process.

Abstract: A plunger tip for being located on a distal end of a syringe plunger and for sliding sealed engagement with an interior surface of a syringe barrel includes a core constructed of a generally rigid material. The core has a first end for being secured to the plunger, a second end and an endless sidewall between the first and second ends. An elastomeric sleeve at least partially surrounds the endless sidewall of the core.

Abstract: A system (500) and method (400) are presented for calibrating an analog signal path (200) associated with an Ultra Wideband (UWB) receiver (103). The analog signal path includes a plurality of analog gain stages (210, 212-214, 216), a local oscillator mixer stage (211), a compensation stage (218), and a converter stage (219). A frequency offset of 4 Mhz is applied to a local oscillator signal to reduce a correlation between a received signal and the local oscillator signal. One of the analog gain stages is activated and an offset obtained at the converter stage is stored as a compensation value (243). The compensation value is retrieved whenever the analog gain stages is activated during normal processing and the compensation value applied at the compensation stage to reduce the offset.

Abstract: A method (800) is provided of processing a wireless signal (105) at a receiving device (125). The method includes: receiving the wireless signal at the receiving device; performing an acquisition process (820, 830) to determine a phase estimate for the wireless signal; adjusting the phase estimate by a correction value (840) after performing the acquisition process; and performing a tracking process (860) to maintain accuracy in the phase estimate, after adjusting the phase estimate.

Abstract: A system (600) and method (500) are presented for mitigating a transient in processing a received signal (710) in a signal path associated with an Ultra Wideband (UWB) receiver. An impending processing event associated with processing the received signal is detected. A processing element (201, 202, 203, 204) capable of generating a transient when activated, is activated prior to the processing event such that the transient is mitigated or cleared when the processing event occurs and the received signal is processed. At least a portion of the processing element is normally deactivated so as to conserve power. The processing event includes one or more of: an acquisition processing event, a lock processing event, and a tracking processing event associated with the received signal in the signal path.

Abstract: A Faraday dose and uniformity monitor can include a magnetically suppressed annular Faraday cup surrounding a target wafer. A narrow aperture can reduce discharges within Faraday cup opening. The annular Faraday cup can have a continuous cross section to eliminate discharges due to breaks. A plurality of annular Faraday cups at different radii can independently measure current density to monitor changes in plasma uniformity. The magnetic suppression field can be configured to have a very rapid decrease in field strength with distance to minimize plasma and implant perturbations and can include both radial and azimuthal components, or primarily azimuthal components. The azimuthal field component can be generated by multiple vertically oriented magnets of alternating polarity, or by the use of a magnetic field coil. In addition, dose electronics can provide integration of pulsed current at high voltage, and can convert the integrated charge to a series of light pulses coupled optically to a dose controller.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to the field of immunology and provides immunoprotective compositions and methods for preparing such compositions from transgenic plant cells. The present invention also relates to the field of protein production (e.g., the recombinant production of enzymes, toxins, cell receptors, ligands, signal transducing agents, cytokines, or other proteins expressed in trangenic plant cell culture) and provides compositions comprising these proteins.

Abstract: A method is provided for transmitting data. A first device (121) generates a first signal (320) having a first duty cycle, comprising a first gated-on portion (323) and a first gated-off portion (363) in a time slot (260); and a second device (125) generates a second signal (330) having second duty cycle, comprising a second gated-on portion (333) and a second gated-off portion (363) in the same time slot (260). The first gated-on portion (323) is generated during a first segment of the time slot (260) and the first gated-off portion (363) is generated during a second segment of the time slot (260), while the second gated-on portion (333) is generated during the second segment and the second gated-off portion (363) is generated during the first segment. Media access control (MAC) can be used to further define positions within time slots (250) and provide error correction, power control, and the like. A preamble (860) can be transmitted at an increased power level to facilitate acquisition.

Abstract: A method is provided for receiving a data frame in an ultrawide bandwidth network. In this method, a device receives an ultrawide bandwidth signal containing a data frame. The device then performs an acquisition operation during a first preamble in the data frame, and identifies a marker after the first preamble that indicates that the first preamble has ended. After this, the device performs a signal processing operation during a second preamble in the data frame. After the training, the device then receives a header in the data frame, and then receives a payload in the data frame. By having a marker between the two preambles, this method provides a receiving device with critical information regarding the timing of the preamble section of a frame.

Abstract: A method is provided for training a rake finger (200). In this method the rake finger receives a data signal including a plurality of signal components having a plurality of signal phase values, respectively. (620). The rake finger then sets a current acquisition phase for a locally-generated signal (620) and then calculates a value of an autocorrelation function for the received data signal with the locally-generated signal at the current acquisition phase. (630). The rake finger determines when the autocorrelation function is at a peak value (640), saving the peak value in a storage device (290) when the autocorrelation function is at the peak value (650). The rake finger can then set a finger weight (W) for the rake finger based on the peak value stored in the storage device. This method can be performed at least in part during an acquisition process for the rake finger.

Abstract: An equalizer and corresponding methods is arranged and constructed to mitigate adverse effects of a wireless channel (300). The equalizer includes a delay line (503) coupled to an input signal (501) and comprising a delay circuit coupled to an output combiner (507) that is operable to provide an interim signal (g0 . . . gN) and a feed forward circuit (505) coupled to the delay line and operable to provide a feed forward signal (506) that comprises a hard decision scaled according to a scaling factor corresponding to an estimate of channel parameters, wherein the output combiner is operable to combine the feed forward signal and the interim signal to provide an output signal (509) that is compensated for an adverse effect of the wireless channel on the input signal.

Abstract: A system determines an assortment of a plurality of related products for retail placement and includes an assortment selection tool for selecting one or more of the plurality of products as a function of product data in order to define a selected product assortment, a database of additional product data and an allocation tool for adjusting the selected product assortment as a function of the additional product data in the database to define an allocated product assortment for retail placement. A virtual environment interface permits marketers, retailers and/or consumers evaluate the product assortment in a virtual environment as a function of the additional product data in the database to define an allocated product assortment for retail placement. A business method determines an assortment of a plurality of related products for retail placement. Another business method evaluates the retail placement of related products.

Abstract: A tracking circuit (100) is provided for controlling a locally-generated clock. A receive channel (110) in the tracking circuit receives an incoming signal and a local clock, generates a local signal based on the local clock, and compares the local signal and the incoming signal to generate a data signal and an unfiltered phase error signal. A loop filter (120) filters the unfiltered phase error signal to provide a filtered phase error signal. A numerically controlled oscillator (140) generates a correction clock based on the filtered phase error signal. And a filter control circuit (160) provides one or more filter control signals to control operational parameters of the loop filter. The correction clock is provided to the receive channel to modify at least one of the phase and frequency of the local clock. In addition, a sample switch (125) may also be provided to sample the unfiltered phase error signal.

Abstract: A method is provided for offsetting a reference frequency of a quadrature reference clock signal. A quadrature reference clock (110) generates the quadrature reference clock signal at the reference frequency, while a quadrature variable offset clock (130) generates a quadrature clock signal at a base offset frequency based on a base offset value it receives from a control circuit (560). The base offset value can be determined in many ways, including reading it from a local memory (910) or receiving it from a remote device (1010). A polyphase mixer (140) performs a polyphase mixing operation between the quadrature reference clock signal and the offset clock signal to generate an agile clock signal having an agile clock frequency equal to the reference frequency plus the base offset frequency. If desired, the method can revise the offset frequency based on actual conditions and determine a corresponding revised offset value (920, 1020).