Group Call Patents (Class 340/10.32)
  • Patent number: 6448903
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an internal-pressure detection apparatus for a pneumatic fender that can reduce the labor of maintenance. The internal-pressure detection apparatus is configured of an internal-pressure detection unit 10 provided in a pneumatic fender that is fixed to an underwater structure such as a quay 2 and bridge pier 3 or floated and is used as cushioning material for a ship or the like, and a monitor unit 20 provided in an internal-pressure monitoring station 4 on land. The internal-pressure detection unit 10 is driven by the energy of an electromagnetic wave having a first frequency, and detects internal air pressure of the pneumatic fender 1; transmits this air pressure information by an electromagnetic wave having a second frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yutaka Hattori
  • Publication number: 20020118097
    Abstract: A Write Broadcast system and method uses a base station to write sent data to all or some selected number (sub group) of tags in a base station field simultaneously. By unselecting the tags that have been successfully written to, and requesting a response from the remaining tags in the field (or sub group), the system determines, by receiving a response to the request, that there are tags in the field (sub group) that were unsuccessfully written to. Another Write Broadcast signal is sent to these tags. The system is useful for quickly (simultaneously) “stamping” information on the tag memory of a large number of tags in the field of the base station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 1999
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Inventors: HARLEY KENT HEINRICH, CHRISTIAN LENZ CESAR, THOMAS A. COFINO, DANIEL J. FRIEDMAN, KENNETH ALAN GOLDMAN, SHARON LOUIS GREENE, KEVIN MCAULIFFE
  • Patent number: 6433689
    Abstract: A system for supervision and control of objects or persons within a limited area, such as a building, comprising a plurality of electronic identification chips for placing on respective objects/persons to be supervised/controlled, each chip having stored therein a special ID code and being provided with respective transmitters and receivers for communication via ultrasound as well as audible sound, a plurality of stationary detectors which are interconnected in a network and arranged for both-way communication with the chips, and a central control unit in communication with the chips via the detectors. Each chip is continuously active in operation and is arranged to transmit its ID code at predetermined time intervals. At least one of the detectors or the control unit are being arranged to trigger an alarm unit if an incorrect code is received or an approved code is not received continuously at predetermined time intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Filetrac AS
    Inventors: Ole B. Hovind, Eric Sandmol
  • Patent number: 6404339
    Abstract: A radio frequency identification tag system (10) utilizes a radio frequency identification tag (16) that includes a display (40). The display has an electrooptic display (458) sandwiched between a first display electrode 454 and an optically transparent second display electrode (456). The electrooptic display is preferably formed by the print deposition of a microencapsulated electrophoretic material between the first display electrode and the second display electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Noel H. Eberhardt
  • Patent number: 6392544
    Abstract: A radio frequency identification exciter (200) includes a plurality of antenna elements (122a-i) that are spaced to define active areas (130a-e). A matrix switch (202) flexibly connects the plurality of antenna elements to an exciter circuit (203). Independent switches (204a-i) are selectively switched such that an electric field is generated between at least two antenna elements whereby radio frequency identification tags (132) in the vicinity of the two antenna elements are capacitively powered to exchange data with the exciter. Antenna elements other than the at least two antenna elements may be selectively coupled to a signal from the exciter circuit that inhibits activation of radio frequency identification tags in the vicinity of those antenna elements. The matrix switch preferably comprises polymer-based circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy James Collins, Patrick L. Rakers, Richard Stanley Rachwalski, James G. Quaderer
  • Patent number: 6388562
    Abstract: A reader/writer (RW) requires identification of anti-collision techniques used by IC cards (A, B, C, and D). The IC cards implement answers to the anti-collision technique identification requirement by the reader/writer at different timings respectively for respective IC cards among the IC cards which use different anti-collision techniques respectively. The reader/writer requires identifications of types of the IC cards in dependence upon the anti-collision techniques in response to the answers by the IC cards. The IC cards return identification data thereof in response to the card type identification requirements by the reader/writer for respective IC cards among the IC cards which use different anti-collision techniques respectively. The reader/writer identifies the types of the IC cards in response to the identification data of the respective IC cards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Hitachi Ltd., Tokin Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Takiguchi, Kiyoshi Takahashi, Tatsuya Hirata, Shigeru Date, Hisanobu Dobashi, Shinji Nishimura, Ryouzo Yoshino, Tomoaki Ishifuji, Hiromi Sato, Toru Miura
  • Publication number: 20020047777
    Abstract: A wireless data input system has one or more switches on a keypad or the like and a number of individually addressable RFID tags. Each switch operates to enable a corresponding subset of the individually addressable RFID transponder tags, such that a unique permutation of tag codes recognized by a RFID reader identifies actuation of each particular switch or key.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventor: Martin S. Casden
  • Patent number: 6331817
    Abstract: A tracking apparatus includes a tracked object interrogator which produces a tracked object identifier output. The tracking apparatus also includes a location interrogator which produces an apparatus location output. The apparatus further includes an alarm which enunciates for a predetermined combination of the apparatus location output and the tracked object identifier output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven Jeffrey Goldberg
  • Patent number: 6317029
    Abstract: The in situ remote sensing system of this invention includes a plurality of sensors that are distributed about an area of interest, and a satellite communications system that receives communications signals from these sensors. The satellite communications system determines the location of each sensor at the time that the sensor transmits its communications signal, thereby facilitating the mapping of the value of the sensed parameter about the area of interest. In a preferred embodiment, the satellite communications system transmits a trigger signal to the sensors that are within the satellite antenna's field of view, and the sensors transmit only in response to the trigger signal. The sensors may be conventional active transmitters or passive transponders that receive their operating energy from a received trigger signal. The sensing devices within the sensor may also provide the operating energy for the sensor using, for example, photocells, piezoelectrics, and thermocouples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: AeroAstro, LLC
    Inventor: Richard David Fleeter
  • Patent number: 6297726
    Abstract: A radio paging receiver operates in two modes. In a first mode, the pager activates light and sound alarms message regardless of who the caller is. In a second, password select mode, the pager sounds the light and sound alarms only for callers who have transmitted a password with their messages to the pager. In password select mode, the pager also allows a user to discriminate among those callers who have the password, only activating both the light and sound alarm when preselected callers are detected as transmitting a message to the pager. To make this possible, the pager uses a caller's telephone number as a password. If a message from a caller who is not selected is received, only the light alarm is activated and the message is displayed. The sound alarm is not activated. Selection of callers is made in accordance with a stored and displayed telephone directory, for example, with a stylus pen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Yamazaki