Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying defects in a roulette wheel are described. A first trajectory of a roulette ball may be determined after launch of the roulette ball by capturing movement of the roulette ball on the roulette wheel. The roulette wheel has a region where the roulette ball orbits and spins around before the roulette ball falls into a roulette number pocket. The determining step may be repeated to determine additional trajectories, and a plurality of areas that the roulette ball avoided during travel along the trajectories may be identified. A graphical representation of the plurality of avoided areas may be generated to identify regions of the roulette wheel that include defects.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for monitoring a fuel delivery system to limit acidic corrosion. An exemplary monitoring system includes a controller, at least one monitor, and an output. The monitoring system may collect and analyze data indicative of a corrosive environment in the fuel delivery system. The monitoring system may also automatically warn an operator of the fueling station of the corrosive environment so that the operator can take preventative or corrective action.

Abstract: A communications device may include a wireless radio frequency (RF) transceiver, and a controller coupled to the wireless RF transceiver. The controller may be configured to determine received signal characteristics and perform a spectral estimation operation associated with a frequency spectrum on the received signal characteristics, determine a channel selection method characteristic associated with a channel in the frequency spectrum including channels, generate statistical values for each channel based upon the received signal characteristics, and select a portion of the frequency spectrum for a signal to be transmitted by the wireless RF transceiver based upon the spectral estimation operation, the statistical values, and the channel selection method characteristic.

Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device may include an antenna, a transceiver coupled to the antenna, and a controller coupled to the transceiver. The controller may be configured to determine a received signal characteristic, and to configure parameters of a waveform for adjacent forward transmission blocks to be transmitted as sequential forward transmission blocks and based upon the received signal characteristic. Each forward transmission block may have a preamble portion and an associated body portion. The controller may be further configured to set the preamble portion of each forward transmission block to communicate the parameters of the configured waveform.

Abstract: A protective film that can be applied using a wet or dry application process. The protective film may be part of a protective film application kit that also includes a package and, optionally, liquid, installation tabs, and a squeegee.

Abstract: A ball grid array presentment apparatus and associated method are provided. The apparatus has a stationary guard defining a first passage. A core is mounted adjacent to the stationary guard, the core being operably moveable between an unload position and a second position. The core defines a second passage and supports a workpiece fixture operably retaining the ball grid array. The unload position of the core operably aligns the second passage to the first passage, the aligned passages being sized to permit access to unload the ball grid array from the workpiece fixture. The second position of the core operably misaligns the second passage from the first passage whereat the core and the stationary guard cooperatively form an enclosure around the workpiece fixture containing a supply of balls that are not retained in the ball grid array.

Abstract: An HF radio ALE communication system may include a first HF radio communications device including a first HF radio transceiver and a first controller coupled thereto, and a second HF radio communications device including a second HF radio transceiver and a second controller coupled thereto. The first controller may cooperate with the first HF radio transceiver and may be configured to use ALE to establish a narrowband communication link with the second HF radio communications device, and to communicate a wideband message probe to the second HF radio communications device. The second controller may cooperate with the second HF radio transceiver and may be configured to determine at least one channel characteristic based upon the wideband message probe. The first controller may cooperate with the first HF radio transceiver and may be configured to update the narrowband communication link based upon the at least one channel characteristic.

Abstract: A container has a lid and a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a male wall with a switch. A female wall mounts to the inside wall of the container and, when closed, encompasses the male wall. The female wall has a magnet that activates the switch. A lever contained inside the male wall moves into and out of a slot formed in the female wall. The switch completes a circuit that generates a close signal to the lever when the lid is closed. A button extends through a hole in the lid such that the button can be depressed to indicate locking and cannot be depressed when unlocked. When unlocked, the button cannot be depressed because the lever blocks the button. To open the container when closed, the actuation mechanism moves the lever in response to an entered code that must match a stored code or calculated content-specific code.

Abstract: A wireless communications device may include a wireless transmitter, a modulator connected to the wireless transmitter, and a white Gaussian noise generator connected to the modulator. The white Gaussian noise generator may include at least one pseudorandom number generator, and a fast Walsh transform module for generating white Gaussian noise based upon the pseudorandom numbers.

Abstract: An HF radio ALE communication system may include a first HF radio communications device including a first HF radio transceiver and a first controller coupled thereto, and a second HF radio communications device including a second HF radio transceiver and a second controller coupled thereto. The first controller may cooperate with the first HF radio transceiver and may be configured to use ALE to establish a narrowband communication link with the second HF radio communications device, and to communicate a wideband message probe to the second HF radio communications device. The second controller may cooperate with the second HF radio transceiver and may be configured to determine at least one channel characteristic based upon the wideband message probe. The first controller may cooperate with the first HF radio transceiver and may be configured to update the narrowband communication link based upon the at least one channel characteristic.

Abstract: In a communication network or system, cables that interconnect systems or subsystems are provided with RFID tags embedded or affixed at least at one endpoint of each cable. An installed or portable RFID reader in the proximity of an RFID tag of a given cable enables a unique cable endpoint identifier contained in the RFID tag to be read. The identifier is combined with a unique port identifier of the port to which the cable endpoint is attached at the message is sent to a far-end system or subsystem connected to the other end of the cable. That system reads the message and the information contained therein along with a unique port identifier of its own port connected to the given cable, enables positive confirmation of the communicative connection between the two ports and also the cable providing the connection. It also enables communication of the physical routing information to an operations support system for cable management.

Abstract: A container has a lid and a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a male wall with a switch. A female wall mounts to the inside wall of the container and, when closed, encompasses the male wall. The female wall has a magnet that activates the switch. A lever contained inside the male wall moves into and out of a slot formed in the female wall. The switch completes a circuit that generates a close signal to the lever when the lid is closed. A button extends through a hole in the lid such that the button can be depressed to indicate locking and cannot be depressed when unlocked. When unlocked, the button cannot be depressed because the lever blocks the button. To open the container when closed, the actuation mechanism moves the lever in response to an entered code that must match a stored code or calculated content-specific code.

Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device may include an antenna, a transceiver coupled to the antenna, and a controller coupled to the transceiver. The controller may be configured to determine a received signal characteristic, and to configure parameters of a waveform for adjacent forward transmission blocks to be transmitted as sequential forward transmission blocks and based upon the received signal characteristic. Each forward transmission block may have a preamble portion and an associated body portion. The controller may be further configured to set the preamble portion of each forward transmission block to communicate the parameters of the configured waveform.

Abstract: A wireless communication device operates in a wireless communications system including a plurality of wireless communication devices and communicates over a wireless medium. The wireless communication device includes an antenna, a transceiver coupled to the antenna, and a controller to cooperate with the transceiver. The controller is configured to generate and transmit a waveform having a waveform frame format including data blocks and repeating training blocks, and to modulate the repeating training blocks to reduce spectral artifacts. The controller may be configured to modulate the repeating training blocks with a pseudo-random phase, a frequency offset or with an amplitude modulation, for example.

Abstract: A method, a controller and a vehicle for performing agricultural operations on a field with parallel arranged rows having ends. The operations are performed at positions related to the positions of the rows under control of the controller, based upon stored information about the orientation of the rows, stored information about a distance between adjacent rows, a distance signal related to a distance traveled by the vehicle and a direction signal related to the heading of the vehicle. The invention is particularly suited for providing dams to prevent water from a head ditch to enter into pre-selected, dry furrows on a field with an irrigation arrangement with raised rows and lower furrows between the rows, or dams matching up with adjacent raised rows so that water runs down each furrow.

Abstract: The invention is directed to encoding information in radio frequency identifier (RFID) tags disposed on cabling interconnects for the purpose of easier identification of the cables, especially when ascertaining the physical routing and connectivity of the cables. The encoding can be performed before, during, or after installation of the cable. The encoded information can then be read at any time using an RFID reader, for example to identify the cable at various positions along it, thereby enabling easy determination of the routing of the cable.

Abstract: A wireless communications device may include a wireless transmitter, a modulator connected to the wireless transmitter, and a white Gaussian noise generator connected to the modulator. The white Gaussian noise generator may include at least one pseudorandom number generator, and a fast Walsh transform module for generating white Gaussian noise based upon the pseudorandom numbers.

Abstract: Techniques to ascertain physical cabling connections of electronic systems are provided for situations where there are numerous systems interconnected by a very large number of electrical or optical cables. A cable identifying code is inserted into a message sent from a local endpoint system to remote endpoint system over the identified cable. Each intermediate system that is in the interconnection path between the two endpoint systems of interest appends its code for the cable connected to the I/O port from which the message will egress that system and be sent to the next system along the path. The remote endpoint system receives the message which now contains codes for all the cables transited along the path, extract the codes, and thereby determines the exact cabling used in the interconnection of the two endpoint systems.

Abstract: An arrangement in a fiber optic network device for analyzing a set of optical signals traversing the fiber optic network device is provided. The arrangement includes a set of ports for receiving and outputting the set of optical signals. The arrangement also includes a set of photodiodes, which is configured at least for receiving and forwarding the set of optical signals. The arrangement further includes a splitter, which is configured at least for receiving the set of optical signals from a first photodiode, splitting the set of optical signals into at least a first part and a second part, and forwarding the first part to a second photodiode and the second part to a third photodiode. The set of optical signals is configured to traverse the fiber optic network device irrespective whether power is provided to circuitry of the fiber optic network device.