Abstract: A virtual wall system includes a mobile robotic device having a steering unit for steering itself, a steering control unit connected with the steering unit for controlling the steering of the steering unit, at least one signal transmitter mounted thereon for emitting a signal, and a sonic receiver for receiving a sonic signal; and a virtual wall generator having at least one signal receiver for receiving the signal, at least one sonic transmitter for emitting a sonic signal, and a signal controller for identifying the signal and controlling the emission of the sonic transmitter. While the mobile robotic device is moving, the signal controller controls the sonic transmitter to emit the sonic signal after the signal receiver receives the signal emitted by the signal transmitter and then the sonic receiver receives the sonic signal, enabling the steering control unit to control the steering unit to steer the mobile robotic device.

Abstract: A boosting adaptor for a jack is comprised of a housing, a power input member received in the housing for rotation driven by an external input power, a boosting gear assembly connected with the power input member and having a plurality of gears and rotary shafts for running driven by the power input member and for boosting the input power, and a power output member connected with the boosting gear assembly for connection with the jack and for outputting the boosted input power to the jack. Accordingly, while in cooperative operation with a jack, the boosting adaptor not only enables the laborsaving operation of the jack but also can be connected with an electric tool to enable the convenient operation of the jack.

Abstract: An automatic charging station for an autonomous mobile machine includes a base, a housing, and a signal transmitter. The base is mounted on the ground or on a planar surface. The housing is rotatably mounted on the base, having at least one guide member and a plurality of electrically conductive members on a surface thereof. The electrically conductive members are located on the housing. The signal transmitter is mounted on the housing for transmitting a signal. When the autonomous mobile machine senses the signal transmitted by the transmitter while moving, the autonomous mobile machine moves along a route towards the housing and then forces the guide member to enable the housing to rotate for facing and accommodating the autonomous mobile machine and to further enable the autonomous mobile machine to contact against the housing to have its electrodes in contact with the electrically conductive members for charging.

Abstract: A communications receiver and method are provided for receiving a transmitted signal from a transmission channel having a low-pass filter characteristic. The receiver includes a receiver input for coupling to the channel and a switched capacitor pre-emphasis filter coupled to the receiver input. An analog-to-digital (A/D) converter is coupled to an output of the pre-emphasis filter. An equalizer is coupled to an output of the analog-to-digital converter.

Abstract: An inexpensive synchronous detection module is disclosed for a sideband signal receiver that provides for flexibility in design of the tuner. The detection module is adaptable to detection of upper or lower sideband signals. One embodiment includes an analog-to-digital converter, a Hilbert transform filter, a sideband selection switch, a complex multiplier, a carrier recovery. loop, a matched filter, and a decimator. The analog-to-digital converter oversamples an intermediate frequency (IF) signal from the tuner, and the Hilbert transform filter generates a Hilbert transform of the digital IF signal. An analytic IF signal can be generated from the digital IF signal by multiplying the Hilbert transform of the digital IF signal by j(=sqrt(−1)), and adding the resulting imaginary-valued signal to the digital IF signal. The sideband selection switch can “flip” the analytic IF signal by inverting the imaginary-valued signal.

Abstract: An adaptive equalizer for use in a communication receiver that prevents equalizer operation divergence in response to slicer errors in a high noise communication application. The equalizer uses the difference between an equalized sample value and the nearest constellation point determined by the slicer both as the equalizer adaptation value and as a control value to selectively enable or minimize (disable) adaptation modifications. The difference is compared to a threshold value to determine whether the difference should be applied to the equalizer for adaptation purposes or a minimal value to prevent equalizer divergence in response to significant slicer errors. The threshold value is determined as a function of the ratio of the probability of correct slicer determinations and the probability of incorrect slicer determinations for a given sample value and a given signal to noise ratio.