University of Pittsburgh

Marlin H. Mickle

Peter J. Hawrylak

Shenchih Tung

Raymond R. Hoare

Chuba Oyolu

Alex Jones

James T. Cain

Marlin H Mickle

Harold E Swift

Christopher C Capelli

Peter J Hawrylak

James T Cain

Leonid Mats

Raymond R Hoare

Alex K Jones

Minhong Mi

Charles Edward Greene

Ajay Ogirala

Leonid Matts

Swapna Dontharaju

Frank Marx

Joshua R Stachel

Vyasa Sai

Mingui Sun

Robert Joseph Sclabassi

Michael Rhodes Lovell

Yuly M Pulyer

Justin M Panuski

Carl Taylor

Ervin Sejdic

Michael A Rothfuss

David Wayne Sammel, Jr

Joshua Y Maina

Kevin W Wells

Ronald G Hoelzeman

Kara Nicole-Simms Bocan

John Lee Berger

Chad Emahizer

Lorenz Neureuter

Dimitry Gorodetsky

Jungfeng Mei

Laura A Schaefer

A method of providing RF energy to a wireless transponder device includes outputting primary RF energy in a form wherein the primary RF energy comprises a plurality of RF bursts, with each consecutive pair of the RF bursts being separated by an associated time interval, and outputting secondary continuous wave RF energy in between each of the RF bursts of the primary RF energy during at least a portion of each of the associated time intervals. Also, a reader device implementing this method.

Powering and reading implanted devices

A method of storing information relating, to a medical implant device having a number of implant elements includes receiving a first image, the first image showing a surgical site and the medical implant device, creating a second image using the first image and a stored list of possible implant elements, the second image showing the surgical site and the medical implant device with a number of labels associated therewith, wherein each of the labels is associated with a respective one of the implant elements and indicates one of the possible implant. elements from the stored list, and storing the second image on an transponder device structured to be attached to the medical implant device or at a medically appropriate site on or within a patient's body.

System and method for storing information relating to a medical implant device

A method of decoding, an encoded signal includes steps of receiving the encoded signal, creating a decoding signal by delaying the encoded signal by a predetermined amount of time &#x394;, sampling the encoded signal using the decoding signal, and determining a value of each of a plurality of decoded bits represented by the encoded signal based on the sampling. Also, a method of operating a shift register wherein the shift register has an initialization state wherein a first binary symbol is stored in a first position and a second binary symbol different than the first binary symbol is stored in each of one or more intermediate positions and a last position. The method includes determining that the shift register is full responsive to detecting that the first binary symbol has been stored in either one of the intermediate positions or the last position.

Low-power pulse width encoding scheme and counter-less shift register that may be employed therewith

A method of decoding an encoded signal includes steps of receiving the encoded signal, creating a decoding signal by delaying the encoded signal by a predetermined amount of time &#x394;, sampling the encoded signal using the decoding signal, and determining a value of each of a plurality of decoded bits represented by the encoded signal based on the sampling. Also, a method of operating a shift register wherein the shift register has an initialization state wherein a first binary symbol is stored in a first position and a second binary symbol different than the first binary symbol is stored in each of one or more intermediate positions and a last position. The method includes determining that the shift register is full responsive to detecting that the first binary symbol has been stored in either one of the intermediate positions or the last position.

A means and method to connect multiple IC chips to a single apparatus where the IC chips may function as a passive system or network in space. The collection of antennae and coupled near field devices form a pool of energy in which multiple devices may be introduced so as to provide a pool of energy and/or to function as a network or networks of devices including IC chips.

Wireless systems having multiple electronic devices and employing simplified fabrication and matching, and associated methods

Various methods of mitigating RF interference with one or more critical care medical devices is provided, wherein a predetermined threshold energy acceleration value is associated with the one or more critical care medical devices that, if exceeded, will cause RF interference with the one or more critical care medical devices. The methods includes generating and transmitting RF energy, wherein at least a portion of said RF energy follows an RF power profile of power versus time having a particular format designed to mitigate interference.

Method of controlling RF transmissions to mitigate interference with critical care medical equipment

A system for estimating the current position of an asset within a location that includes a transponder associated with the asset, a plurality of wireless interface devices provided within the location, and a central computer system in electronic communication with the wireless interface devices. The central computer system is adapted to: (i) identify a particular one or more of the wireless interface devices that have received a wireless signal from the transponder, and (ii) determine an estimate of the current position based on the identified particular one or more of the wireless interface devices.

System and method for real time asset location and tracking

Various methods of mitigating RF inference with one or more critical care medical devices is provided, wherein a predetermined threshold energy acceleration value is associated with the one or more critical care medical devices that, if exceeded, will cause RF inference with the one or more critical care medical devices. The methods includes generating and transmitting RF energy, wherein at least a portion of said RF energy follows an RF power profile of power versus time having a particular format designed to mitigate interference.

A method of communicating information from a wireless autonomous device (WAD) to a base station. The WAD has a data element having a predetermined profile having a total number of sequenced possible data element combinations. The method includes receiving at the WAD an RF profile transmitted by the base station that includes a triggering portion having a number of pulses, wherein the number is at least equal to the total number of possible data element combinations. The method further includes keeping a count of received pulses and wirelessly transmitting a piece of data, preferably one bit, to the base station when the count reaches a value equal to the stored data element's particular number in the sequence. Finally, the method includes receiving the piece of data at the base station and using the receipt thereof to determine which of the possible data element combinations the stored data element is.

Wireless autonomous device data transmission

A transponder that may be used as an RFID tag includes a passive circuit to eliminate the need for an 'always on' active RF receiving element to anticipate a wake-up signal for the balance of the transponder electronics. This solution allows the entire active transponder to have all circuit elements in a sleep (standby) state, thus drastically extending battery life or other charge storage device life. Also, a wake-up solution that reduces total energy consumption of an active transponder system by allowing all non-addressed transponders to remain in a sleep (standby) state, thereby reducing total system or collection energy. Also, the transponder and wake-up solution are employed in an asset tracking system.

Methods and apparatus for switching a transponder to an active state, and asset management systems employing same

An energy harvesting circuit has an active automatic tuning circuit to search for broadcast frequencies in a band of interest and selecting only those broadcast signals received with sufficient RF strength to be used in energy harvesting. This circuit would provide power storage devices with a circuit that has a means to select the ambient RF that can maximize or enhance the performance of an RFID circuit by increasing the amount of energy for harvesting. This automatic tuning would enable a power storage devices charger circuit to move from location to location without manual tuning of the circuit and increase the effective range of an RFID circuit.

Recharging apparatus

An electronic device that includes a motion activated amplifier structured to receive a first DC signal having a first DC voltage level and output a second DC signal having a second DC voltage level that is greater than the first DC voltage level. The motion activated amplifier includes a motion activated switch operatively coupled to transformer/rectifier circuitry, wherein the motion activated switch is structured to receive the first DC signal and in response to being moved output an AC signal, and wherein the transformer/rectifier circuitry is structured to receive the AC signal and convert the AC signal into the second DC signal.

Motion activated amplifier

Various RFID based blister pack embodiments are provided for improving the ability to detect and prevent tampering and counterfeiting of blister packs and/or facilitating the chain of custody tracking of blister packs during manufacture. Some embodiments employ an RFID chip network on the blister pack and some embodiments employ an RFID strap network on the blister pack, wherein the integrity of the network (or lack thereof) is used to indicate the possibility of tampering. Other embodiments determine the possibility of tampering based on the frequency of an RF signal that is received from a chip provided on the blister pack, which will vary depending on whether the associated antenna has been detuned as a result of some type of tampering.

Security for blister packs

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Marlin H Mickle