National Semiconductor Corporation

Brian Lester Halla

Ahmad Reza Bahai

Gobi R Padmanabhan

Joseph Domenick Montalbo

Michael Polacek

Peter Yi-Ning Wang

A method for controlling heat dissipated from a prosthetic retinal device is described. A heat transfer device employs the Peltier heat transfer effect to cool the surface of the retinal device that faces the retina by dissipating/transferring collected heat away from the retina and towards the iris or front of the eye. According to one embodiment, a heat pump is formed in a second substrate on the retinal device. The heat pump is controlled by a temperature sense device that activates the heat pump, when a first predetermined temperature limit is exceeded. The temperature sense device deactivates the heat pump, when a temperature of the retinal device drops below a second predetermined temperature. According to another embodiment, a supply current of the retinal device may pass through the heat pump and a direction of heat transfer by the heat pump can be reversed, when the first predetermined temperature is exceeded.

Heat transfer control for a prosthetic retinal device

A plurality of mobile communication devices for performing one or more locally collaborative operations. In one embodiment, one of the mobile communication devices provides a first local energy emission and, related thereto, a local wireless transmission signal, while another of the mobile communication devices responds to the local wireless transmission signal by providing a second local energy emission related to the first local energy emission. In another embodiment, one of the mobile communication devices receives a local stimulus, exclusive of vocal energy emitted by a user, and in response thereto provides a local wireless transmission signal, while another of the mobile communication devices responds to the local wireless transmission signal by providing a local energy emission related to the local stimulus. In another embodiment, each of the mobile communication devices receives a respective portion of a local stimulus in response to which at least one of the mobile communication devices transmits a local wireless transmission signal in response to which a second one of the mobile communication devices provides a local energy emission related to responses to the local stimulus in addition to its own. In additional embodiments, each of the mobile communication devices receives a respective portion of a local stimulus and in response thereto transmits a wireless transmission signal for collaboratively providing, to a remotely located system, information about the various responses to the local stimulus.

Plurality of mobile communication devices for performing locally collaborative operations

A wireless sensor network for monitoring one or more selected environmental characteristics. Multiple wireless signal transceivers, disposed in respective portions of a selected environment, respond to one or more wireless beacon signals by selectively collecting, processing and storing data corresponding to one or more characteristics of such portions of the selected environment, and by selectively transmitting respective wireless response signals containing selected portions of such data. Alternatively, multiple wireless signal transceivers, disposed in respective sub-networks in portions of a selected environment, collect and convey data corresponding to one or more characteristics of such selected environment portions.

Wireless sensor network for monitoring one or more selected environmental characteristics

The present invention provides a capsule endoscope (CE) having sensors configured to form or to conform to the shell of the CE. The sensors are curved to correspond to the capsule's shape. According to this embodiment, the sensors may be covered by a coating material to protect the sensors. The sensors may also form the capsule shell. Instead of being covered by a shell associated with the capsule, the sensors are formed as the capsule shell. The sensors may also form part of the capsule shell. For example, one half of the capsule shell may be formed from the sensors.

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Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Brian Lester Halla