All The Claims

1. A method for controlling transmissions between a plurality of electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems, the EAS systems including detectors and controllers, said method comprising:
transmitting, from a detector of a first EAS system, an excitation signal into an interrogation zone during a transmit phase of the first EAS system;
receiving signals, at the detector, from excited EAS tags in the interrogation zone;
determining noise information during a noise detection phase of the first EAS system, wherein the excitation signal does not occur during the noise detection phase, the noise information representative of a noise level experienced at the detector of the first EAS system;
processing the received signals during a detection processing phase; and
wirelessly communicating messages between the controllers of the plurality of EAS systems during a communications phase of the first EAS system that occurs outside the transmit phase.
2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein wirelessly communicating messages comprises transmitting one of phase, amplitude and frequency modulated messages.
3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein wirelessly communicating messages comprises using an interrogation antenna to transmit the messages during the communications phase, and using the interrogation antenna to transmit the EAS excitation signal during the transmit phase, and using a communications antenna to receive the wirelessly transmitted messages during the communications phase.
4. An electronic article surveillance (EAS) system, said system comprising:
detectors configured to monitor associated interrogation zones for EAS tags;
controllers connected to the corresponding detectors, the controllers each having a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter configured to transmit an EAS excitation signal into the interrogation zones during a first window, the receiver connected to the detectors and configured to receive a signal generated by an EAS tag; and
a communications channel configured to convey wireless communication messages, outside the first window, between the controllers, the messages being used by the controllers to control transmission of the EAS excitation signals.
5. A system in accordance with claim 4 wherein the controllers are configured to transmit the messages during a communication phase that occurs different in time from a transmit phase in which the EAS excitation signal is transmitted.
6. The system in accordance with claim 5 further comprising an interrogation antenna to transmit the EAS excitation signals and a communications antenna to transmit the messages, wherein the messages and the EAS excitation signals are transmitted separate from one another.
7. A system in accordance with claim 4 wherein the controller is configured to one of phase, amplitude and frequency modulate the message as a wireless communication signal.
8. A method for synchronizing operation of detectors within an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system, the method comprising:
providing controllers that are connected to detectors of at least one EAS system, the detectors configured to monitor associated interrogation zones for EAS tags, the controllers configured to cause the detectors to transmit EAS excitation signals into the interrogation zones during a first window and receive signals from excited EAS tags;
providing a wireless communications channel between the controllers;
transmitting, outside the first window, messages between the controllers over the wireless communications channel, the messages being used by the controllers to control transmission of the EAS excitation signals.
9. A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising configuring an antenna to receive the messages over the wireless communications channel separate from the signals from the excited EAS tags.
10. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein the antenna comprises a single loop antenna.
11. A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising wirelessly transmitting the messages from one of the controllers to at least one of the other controllers during a communication phase separate from the first window, the first window representing a tag activation transmit phase.
12. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the transmitting further comprises at least one of phase, amplitude and frequency modulating the messages, the EAS excitation signals being unmodulated.
13. A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising configuring the communications channel to have near field sensitivity.
14. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the transmitting occurs during a communication phase for communicating the messages between the controllers separate from at least one of a transmit phase, a noise average phase and a detection processing phase.
15. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising connecting each of the controllers to a different one of the detectors.
16. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the detectors are configured as pedestal units.
17. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising receiving the signals from the excited EAS tags at a tag detection receiver and receiving the messages at a separate communications receiver.
18. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein a first controller has an associated first detector, the first controller transmitting a message requesting that the detectors, that are adjacent to the first detector, inhibit the EAS excitation signals during a next transmit phase.
19. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the messages include a zone detect message utilized by at least one of the controllers to determine which of the detectors receives a stronger signal from the excited EAS tag.
20. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising receiving signals at the detectors during a noise detection phase in which no EAS excitation signals are transmitted; and utilizing the signals received during the noise detection phase to obtain a noise level.
21. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the transmitting includes transmitting a communications message from a first controller while the first controller simultaneously monitors a low sensitivity receive channel for communications messages from at least one of the other controllers.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A compound of Formula Ic:
wherein
the dashed line is absent;
R1, R2 and R3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C1-6 alkyl;
R4 is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl and C1-6 alkyl-OH;
R5 is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl and -NR6R7;
R6 and R7 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C1-6 alkyl, or are combined with the nitrogen to which they are attached to form a heterocycloalkyl having from 5 to 7 ring members;
and salts thereof.
2. The compound of claim 1, wherein
R1 is H; and
R2, R3, R4 and R5 are each C1-6 alkyl.
3. The compound of claim 1, wherein the compound is:
4. The compound of claim 1, wherein the salt forms comprise a counterion selected from the group consisting of pamoate, chloride, bromide, succinate, maleate and acetate.
5. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.
6. The composition of claim 5, wherein the composition is suitable for topical, injectible or oral administration.

1. A apparatus for testing a network, comprising:
first and second memory banks configured to alternate between being active and inactive in a complementary manner;
a traffic receiver configured to:
receive traffic comprising a plurality of packets from the network,
accumulate traffic statistics,
store accumulated traffic statistics in the active memory bank of the first and second memory banks, and
copy contents of the first memory bank, when inactive, to a third memory bank, and copy contents of the second memory bank, when inactive, to a fourth memory bank; and

a port processor configured to aggregate at least selected traffic statistics stored in the third memory bank and the fourth memory bank.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the first and second memory banks switch between being active and inactive in a complementary manner at the start of each of a series of sequential time intervals.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein durations of the sequential time intervals are equal and predetermined.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the first and second memory banks switch between being active and inactive in a complementary manner in response to an operator request.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the traffic receiver includes a statistics engine configured to accumulate test statistics by
extracting a packet group identifier from each received packet,
retrieving test data associated with the packet group identifier from the active memory bank of the first and second memory banks,
updating the retrieved test data inconsideration of the received packet, and
storing the updated test data in the active memory bank.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein
the first and second memory banks and the statistics engine are contained in a common circuit device.
7. A method for testing a network, comprising:
receiving traffic comprising a plurality of packets from the network,
accumulate traffic statistics representative of the received traffic,
storing accumulated traffic statistics in an active memory bank of a first memory bank and a second memory bank, the first and second memory banks alternating between being active and inactive in a complementary manner;
copying contents of the first memory bank, when inactive, to a third memory bank, and copying contents of the second memory bank, when inactive, to a fourth memory bank; and
aggregating at least selected traffic statistics stored in the third memory bank and the fourth memory bank.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein
the first and second memory banks switch between being active and inactive in a complementary manner at the start of each of a series of sequential time intervals.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein durations of the sequential time intervals are equal and predetermined.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein
the first and second memory banks switch between being active and inactive in a complementary manner in response to an operator request.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein accumulating traffic statistics further comprises:
extracting a packet group identifier from each received packet,
retrieving test data associated with the packet group identifier from the active memory bank of the first and second memory banks,
updating the retrieved test data inconsideration of the received packet, and
storing the updated test data in the active memory bank.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein
accumulating traffic statistics and aggregating traffic statistics are performed simultaneously.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A detection and alarm system comprising:
(a) at least one sensor configured to produce a first signal when a critical state is detected; and
(b) a monitoring unit positioned at a remote location from the at least one sensor, the monitoring unit including a receiver for receiving the first signal from the sensor, and means for producing an alarm when the receiver receives the first signal.
2. The detection and alarm system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor is selected from a group consisting of a water sensor, a smoke alarm, a fire alarm, a carbon monoxide detector, a radon detector, a sensor for detecting the breaking of glass, a motion detector, a radiation detector, a vibration sensor, a seismic sensor, and a thermometer.
3. The detection and alarm system of claim 2 wherein the critical state is defined as:
(a) the presence of water when the sensor is a water sensor;
(b) the presence of smoke when the sensor is a smoke alarm;
(c) the presence of fire when the sensor is a fire alarm;
(d) the presence of a threshold level of carbon monoxide when the sensor is a carbon monoxide detector;
(e) the presence of a threshold level of radon when the sensor is a radon detector;
(f) glass being shattered when the sensor is for detecting the breaking of glass;
(g) the presence of motion when the sensor is a motion detector;
(h) the presence of a threshold level of radiation when the sensor is a radiation detector;
(i) the presence of a threshold level of vibration when the sensor is a vibration sensor;
(j) the presence of a threshold level of seismic activity when the sensor is a seismometer; and
(k) the presence of a threshold temperature level when the sensor is a thermometer.
4. The detection and alarm system of claim 1 including at least one shutoff valve having a valve and a receiver, the valve being plumbed with a supply line, and the receiver provided for receiving the first signal from the sensor, wherein the valve is closed when the receiver receives the first signal.
5. The detection and alarm system of claim 2 including at least one shutoff valve having a valve and a receiver, the valve being plumbed with a supply line, and the receiver provided for receiving the first signal from the sensor, wherein the valve is closed when the receiver receives the first signal.
6. A detection and alarm system comprising:
(a) at least one sensor configured to produce a first signal when a critical state is detected;
(b) a monitoring unit including a receiver and a transmitter, the receiver configured to receive the first signal from the sensor, and the transmitter configured to transmit a second signal when the receiver has received the first signal; and
(c) at least one notification device configured to receive the second signal from the transmitter and produce an alarm to notify a user of the critical state.
7. The detection and alarm system of claim 6 wherein the at least one sensor is selected from a group consisting of a water sensor, a smoke alarm, a fire alarm, a carbon monoxide detector, a radon detector, a sensor for detecting the breaking of glass, a motion detector, a radiation detector, a vibration sensor, a seismic sensor, and a thermometer.
8. The detection and alarm system of claim 6 wherein the critical state is defined as:
(a) the presence of water when the sensor is a water sensor;
(b) the presence of smoke when the sensor is a smoke alarm;
(c) the presence of fire when the sensor is a fire alarm;
(d) the presence of a threshold level of carbon monoxide when the sensor is a carbon monoxide detector;
(e) the presence of a threshold level of radon when the sensor is a radon detector;
(f) glass being shattered when the sensor is for detecting the breaking of glass;
(g) the presence of motion when the sensor is a motion detector;
(h) the presence of a threshold level of radiation when the sensor is a radiation detector;
(i) the presence of a threshold level of vibration when the sensor is a vibration sensor;
(j) the presence of a threshold level of seismic activity when the sensor is a seismometer; and
(k) the presence of a threshold temperature level when the sensor is a thermometer.
9. The detection and alarm system of claim 6 including at least one shutoff valve having a valve and a receiver, the valve being plumbed with a supply line, and the receiver provided for receiving the first signal from the sensor, wherein the valve is closed when the receiver receives the first signal.
10. The detection and alarm system of claim 7 including at least one shutoff valve having a valve and a receiver, the valve being plumbed with a supply line, and the receiver provided for receiving the first signal from the sensor, wherein the valve is closed when the receiver receives the first signal.
11. The detection and alarm system of claim 6 wherein the at least one notification device is selected from a group consisting of a television, a mobile phone, a landline telephone, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a computing tablet, an e-book reader, and a portable music device.
12. The detection and alarm system of claim 7 wherein the at least one notification device is selected from a group consisting of a television, a mobile phone, a landline telephone, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a computing tablet, an e-book reader, and a portable music device.
13. The detection and alarm system of claim 9 wherein the at least one notification device is selected from a group consisting of a television, a mobile phone, a landline telephone, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a computing tablet, an e-book reader, and a portable music device.
14. The detection and alarm system of claim 10 wherein the at least one notification device is selected from a group consisting of a television, a mobile phone, a landline telephone, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a computing tablet, an e-book reader, and a portable music device.
15. The detection and alarm system of claim 6 wherein the notification device comprises a mobile phone and the monitoring device includes a modem for transmitting the second signal to the mobile phone.
16. The detection and alarm system of claim 6 wherein the notification device comprises a mobile phone operating an Internet-accessible software application, and the monitoring device is connected to the Internet, and whereby the second signal is transmitted from the monitoring device to the mobile phone via the Internet.
17. The detection and alarm system of claim 7 wherein the notification device comprises a mobile phone operating an Internet-accessible software application, and the monitoring device is connected to the Internet, and whereby the second signal is transmitted from the monitoring device to the mobile phone via the Internet.
18. The detection and alarm system of claim 9 wherein the notification device comprises a mobile phone operating an Internet-accessible software application, and the monitoring device is connected to the Internet, and whereby the second signal is transmitted from the monitoring device to the mobile phone via the Internet.