Ericsson Gmbh

Seung Kil Kim

Gerard James Hayes

Nils Rutger Rydbeck

Yongbing Wan

James D MacDonald, Jr

Howard Eugene Holshouser

Michael D Doub

Norbert Donald Ingram

Michael Slayton

An improvement in manual bar code readers to improve the reliability and eliminate read errors. The improvement comprises a plurality of sensors in a single unit arranged such that a single manual scan results in multiple reads of the bar code. The results of the reads are then compared bit-wise and any read error in any bit is corrected via a bitwise majority voting scheme.

Manual bar code scanner with improved reliability

Input devices for use with radiotelephones, and other electronic devices, recognize and display handwritten alphanumeric characters on a display. A plurality of adjacent touch switches are arranged in an array beneath an exposed touch pad. Each touch switch in the array produces, in response to user activation of an area of the touch pad during a handwriting stroke, a respective analog voltage signal. An analog/digital converter receives and converts a sequence of analog voltage signals produced by a user activating one or more of the touch switches during a handwriting stroke into a sequence of digital values. A processor, working in conjunction with a handwriting recognition algorithm, processes the sequence of digital values, recognizes the alphanumeric characters that corresponds to the handwriting strokes of the user, and then displays the recognized alphanumeric characters within the display.

Handwritten character recognition devices and electronic devices incorporating same

Antenna systems for electronic devices, such as radiotelephones, include a paging antenna that enhances paging mode operation when a pivotable primary antenna is in a stored position. Paging antennas are disposed within a hinge rotatably secured to one end of a radiotelephone housing. A primary antenna, in electrical communication with the transceiver, is secured to the hinge and rotatable therewith along a predetermined path of rotation from a stored position adjacent the housing to an operating position extending away from the housing. Radiation axes for a primary antenna and a paging antenna are orthogonal.

Paging antenna and radiotelephones incorporating same

A hands-free headset includes first and second earpieces and is configured such that the second earpiece is integrally mounted to and stowed against the first earpiece during mono-communications operation or during storage. The headset includes two retractable cords which engage with a portable communications device. A sliding grommet attached to the retractable cords controls the separation of the cords and facilitates the two cords being reeled into a common cord reel. The headset also includes a switch which directs the desired electrical path to either stereo listening or communications operation. The headset further includes a docking platform which can be attached to the body of the portable communications device for storage and which holds the integral mounted earpieces against the cord storage reel for an aesthetic stowed hands-free device.

Hands-free headset with stowable stereo earpiece

A communication including a camera adapted to capture a picture, a transceiver adapted to receive a picture from a remote device and to transmit the picture captured by the camera, a processor adapted to recognize an object in the local picture and generate a position indicator of the object, and a video display adapted to display both the received remote picture and the position indicator, the position indicator being displayed on the video display to indicate the location of the local picture object. The captured picture has a boundary about its object, and the position indicator is a frame for the captured picture corresponding to the boundary. The video display displays the captured picture frame in a position corresponding to the location of the object with the video display.

Picture position indicator for picture phone

A user terminal includes a first input device, such as a microphone, electrically coupled to a conductor, wherein the microphone applies an AC signal to the conductor in response to input thereto. A second input device is electrically coupled to the conductor, and the second input device applies one of a plurality of DC signals to the conductor in response to input thereto. A microphone signal can be coupled to the conductor, and automatically passed to or blocked from the conductor by DC level generated by the second input device. A DC detector circuit is coupled to the conductor, and the DC detector circuit determines the DC signal generated by the second input device. Related methods also are discussed.

User terminals including conductors that conduct signals from input devices therein and methods of providing input via conductors in user terminals

A personal computing device comprises a chassis having a top and a bottom and a keyboard movably secured to the chassis. The keyboard includes a pair of laterally spaced arms with each arm having a connector that projects therefrom and confined within an elongated slot formed on the side of the chassis. This enables the keyboard to move between three different positions: (1) a closed position where the keyboard lies adjacent the top of the chassis, (2) an open position where the keyboard extends outwardly from the chassis, and (3) a stowed position where the keyboard lies adjacent the bottom of the chassis. Both the chassis and keyboard include IR ports that enable the keyboard to communicate with the chassis, thereby eliminating a wire connection between the chassis and keyboard.

Personal computing device with foldable keyboard

The initial portion of an audio work received from an audio source is temporarily buffered so as to allow a user to make a recording of an audio work, including the initial portion of the audio work, even when the decision to record is made after the audio work has begun. In one embodiment, the incoming data stream representing the audio work is monitored for the presence of a sound gap, indicating the beginning of a new audio work. A DSP compresses the data, preferably according to perceptual coding technique such as MPEG-3 or Windows Media Technology 4.0, and forwards the compressed data to a short term memory buffer, such as a simple FIFO buffer, for temporary storage. If the user initiates a recording procedure before buffer is filled, a central controller pulls the compressed data from the buffer and transfers it to long term memory. If the user fails to act before the buffer fills, the buffer is flushed, and the process prepares for the next audio work. Thus, before recording begins, the data in the buffer includes at least the initial portion of the audio work. This method is particularly adapted for use in small hand-held devices, such as a combined cellular telephone with digital recording, and car radios, and the like.

Recording method having temporary buffering

Retractable antennas with quarter wave-quarter wave resonances for telephones, and which are particularly suitable for radiotelephones, include a retractable antenna with a top load element, a spatially separated rod element, and a cylindrical support conductor positioned therebetween. The cylindrical support conductor is structurally configured to receive a portion of the rod therein to add structural rigidity to the antenna and to define a coaxial capacitor between the rod and the conductor when the antenna is in the extended position.

Quarter-wave quarter-wave retractable antenna

Antenna systems for radiotelephones and other electronic devices include a first impedance matching circuit that electrically connects to a retractable antenna via a feed terminal when the retractable antenna is in an extended position and a second impedance matching circuit that electrically connects to the retractable antenna via the same feed terminal when the retractable antenna is in a retracted position. A switch opens and closes in response to detected positions of a retractable antenna to allow the first and second impedance matching circuits to electrically connect with an antenna via the same feed terminal.

Retractable antenna system with switchable impedance matching

A circuit is disclosed for switching power to a battery operated device, particularly a portable radio transceiver. The power control circuit uses an on/off switch that remains in a fixed 'on' or 'off' position instead of using a momentary push button switch. The circuit allows powering down the radio to prevent deep discharging of the battery even though the switch remains in the 'on' position. Also, the circuit allows the radio to continue to be powered up under microprocessor control after the switch is placed in the 'off' position.

Power control circuit for a battery operated device

A select key is pivotable in a forward direction and a reverse direction to at least a step position and a fast position. In the fast position, the device functions are scrolled rapidly, and in the step position, the device functions are stepwise scrolled. A select key is centrally disposed on a rocking lever, enabling simple and efficient one-hand operation.

Variable speed select key and method

A portable radio having a transmitter power controller connected to the portable radio's receiver and transmitter for controlling the power transmission level of the portable radio, resulting in reduced power consumption by the portable radio and extended battery life. The transmitter power controller estimates the signal strength and quality of the down-link signal by determining a threshold adjustment parameter for the received signal. Thus, this invention eliminates false power adjustment caused by the interfering signals when RSSI (Received Signal Strength Level) is used as a means to estimate transmitter power level. The threshold adjustment parameter is an adjustment parameter used in adjusting the received signal to produce a degraded signal having a predetermined signal quality, and is determined by incrementally adjusting the received signal until the degraded signal is determined to have the predetermined signal quality. The received signal is adjusted in one embodiment by adding noise to the received signal and in another embodiment by adjusting the bias voltage of an RF amplifier and IF amplifier in the receiver. The threshold adjustment parameter corresponds to the signal strength and quality of the received signal, and a look-up table approach is used in determining and adjusting the power transmission level for the portable radio.

Portable radio power control device and method using incrementally

A combination antenna and microphone extension assembly is rotatably mounted on a portable communication unit to enable deployment from a stored position alongside the housing of the unit to an extended operating position with the antenna deployed and a speaking region connected through an acoutstic cavity in the assembly to the microphone on the unit providing extended spacing between the speaker on the housing and the speaking region to span the distance between the mouth and ears of the user.

Growing community of inventors

Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America

Seung Kil Kim