Abstract:
A wireless system includes one or more transmitters and one or more remote receivers that are respectively coupled through one or more users and room ground. The transmitters each produce low-frequency, low power signals that, through capacitive coupling, pass as displacement currents into and from the body of the user, which acts as a conductive node. A receiver that couples capacitively to the user responds to the displacement currents and reproduces the signals. The transmitter includes a signal generator and a pair of electrodes. The signal generator produces modulated signals that vary the voltage between the electrodes, a first one of which is closely coupled capacitively to the user's body such that the "quasi-electrostatic" field resulting from the electrode potential causes a displacement current to pass to the user's body. The second electrode is oriented so that its coupling to the room ground is stronger than that of the first electrode, such that room ground acts as a return path for the current from the receiver. The signal generator may modulate the information to be transmitted using, for example, a pseudorandom code, to produce spread spectrum signals. This increases noise immunity and allows multiple transmitters, each using a different modulation code, to operate at the same time. The receivers each include a detector/demodulator that acquires and tracks the signals from the one or more transmitters.
Abstract:
A diagnostic system (10) for diagnosing the cause of failures of functional tests made on a system under test wherein the system under test comprises a plurality of interacting components and wherein the diagnostic system (10) comprises means (20) for interpreting test results based on the set of operations which are involved in carrying out the tests and which components are exercised by operations.
Abstract:
A remote control uses IR (infrared) commands to control various consumer appliances made by various manufactures. The remote control is low-cost, consumer-friendly, programmable, has its own graphical display so it does not interfere with a TV or other viewing screen, and is capable of interacting with the internet or other data source to provide a rich set of functionality.