Abstract: A billiard self-teaching apparatus is comprised of a prison shaped pool cue guide vertically mounted on a folding rectangular shaped base support structure which is comprised of three hinged panels, whereby it can be folded into a transportable position. The pool cue guide has a plurality of pool cue guide slots therein for receiving and directing the arm of a pool cue stick. The position of each guide slot teach a person where to target the aim of a pool cue stick while preparing to execute a forward thrust and a follow-through stroke. A plurality of guide lines are placed upon the base support structure such that they are aligned with a guide slot in the pool cue guide so a person can align his pool cue parallel with a guide line before thrusting the pool cue forward and into a guide slot.

Abstract: Disclosed are three forms of an angioplastic instrument employing a ferrite material inductively-heated from outside a patient's body to soften plaque occluding a lumen of a vas of the patient. In a first form, the angioplastic instrument is comprised solely of a thin guide wire having a ferrite-coated tip at its distal end. Each of the other two forms of the angioplastic instrument heats the liquid filling the balloon of an angioplastic balloon catheter with the inductively-heated ferrite material. By utilizing ferrite materials having different Curie temperatures, the amount of heating can be adjusted for a particular treatment protocol. Also, by limiting the value of the Curie temperature of the ferrite material to a safe value, the tissue underlying the vas is inherently protected from undue injury due to overheating.

Abstract: By deriving the image formed by light specularly-reflected from substantially all of the convex (mirror-like) spherical surface of a bearing ball under test that is being illuminated with diffuse light, any defect in the bearing ball under test reveals itself as a light-contrast pattern in the otherwise substantially uniform diffuse background of the image.

Abstract: A microwave carrier signal is transmitted into certain tissue (such as the thorax) of a patient from an outer one of three linearly-arranged independent elements of an antenna assembly. Back-scatter portions of the carrier signal are received by both the middle and the other outer ones of the elements of the antenna assembly. The back-scatter portion received by the middle element is phase-modulated by a modulation frequency and retransmitted into the tissue of the patient, and the other outer element also receives a back-scatter portion of this retransmitted phase-modulated signal. The total signal received by this other outer element is beat against the original microwave signal in a mixer and the output of the mixer is applied as an input to a bandpass filter, which passes only the phase-modulated signal. The envelope of the bandpass filter output is indicative of motion (e.g., breathing rate) of the patient.

Abstract: The amount of hardware required to implement a Burt Pyramid or an FSD (filter-subtract-decimate) pyramid analyzer (or synthesizer) stage of a sampled temporal signal representing an n-dimensional information component or (such as a video signal) is substantially reduced by employing a time-synchronized multiplexed analyzer stage to derive (or a time-synchronized multiplexed synthesizer stage that is responsive to) a single serial stream of samples of a predetermined plural number of sub-spectra that are arranged in a predetermined temporal order format with respect to one another in accordance with each of a given set of time synchronized, repetitively generated, serially applied control signals.

Abstract: Multiresolution processing apparatus (which may be programmed as pyramid processing apparatus) comprised of a filter logic unit comprised of one or a plurality of identical interconnected programmable modules; a set of programmable multiplexers (MUX), a plurality of programmable random access-memories (RAM), and a timing and control means including an instruction memory for programming the flow of information data through and the operation of the filter logic unit, the set of MUX and the plurality of RAM. This permits a single stage to sequentially operate as each separate stage of an FSD or Burt Pyramid analyzer or of a pyramid synthesizer.

Abstract: A foveated electronic camera employing a spatial-frequency spectrum analyzer and data-reduction means utilizing movable spatial windows for converting a high-resolution, wide field-of-view image into a group of subspectrum band images ranging in resolution and field of view from a lowest-resolution image of the entire field of view to a highest-resolution image of a selectably positionable smallest spatial subregion of the entire field of view. Such a camera is useful in a surveillance camera system and in a robotic system, by way of examples.

Abstract: Pipe-line architecture is employed for analyzing in delayed real time the frequency spectrum of an information component (having one or more dimensions) of a given temporal signal having a highest frequency of interest of no greater than f.sub.0, and/or for synthesizing in delayed real time such a temporal signal from the analyzed frequency spectrum thereof. Such pipe-line architecture is particularly suitable for image-processing the two-dimensional spatial frequencies of television images defined by a temporal video signal.

Abstract: By analyzing the spatial-frequency spectrum of a high-resolution image into a low-pass remnant subspectrum band having a nominal high-frequency cutoff below that of one or more other spatial frequency bands, and separately transmitting each band, starting with the remnant band, over a narrow-band communication channel from a transmitter to an image display at a remote receiver, useful information as to the image contents is available more quickly to the viewer of the display than by past methods of transmitting high-resolution image information over a narrow-band communication channel for display.

Abstract: A two-dimensional knife edge mask comprised of an array of spaced periodic rectangular opaque regions (e.g., a chrome grating pattern layer deposited on one surface of a slide) separated by transparent different given spacing stripes between adjacent rectangular regions in each of the two orthogonal dimensions thereof, is linearly moved at a fixed velocity across an incident light spot, the direction of movement being oblique to the orthogonal dimensions of the rectangular regions and the distance of movement being sufficient to traverse at least one entire spacing strips in each of the two orthogonal dimensions. A photocell (which may be secured to the other side of the slide) senses the occulted light.

Abstract: A technique for transmitting compressed quantized image-data from a transmitter to a receiver over a limited bandwidth communication channel employs temporal differential pulse code modulation incorporating pyramid image processing spectrum analyzers and synthesizers. This technique permits the selective elimination by data-compression of only those portions of the original image information which contribute least to the perception of image quality by a viewer of a synthesized display image at the receiver.

Abstract: An improved-focus 2-D image is derived from an assemblage of M separately focused 2-D images of the same 3-D scene by (1) employing the Burt Pyramid image analyzing technique to separately analyze each of the M separately focused images into N similar sets of pixel samples, (2) selecting, on a pixel-by-pixel basis from each group of M corresponding sets of the assemblage, the best focused pixel, to derive a single analyzed image of N sets of improved-focus pixels, and (3) employing the Burt Pyramid image synthesizing technique to synthesize the improved-focus 2-D image from the single analyzed image of N sets.

Abstract: A random-pattern of microscopic lines that inherently forms in a dielectric coating layer of a 3-layer diffractive subtractive filter authenticating device incorporated in a secure document permits identification of a genuine individual document by comparing read-out line-position information derived by microscopic inspection with read-out digital codes of line-information obtained earlier at the time of fabrication of the document. The technique can also be used with an artificially generated random pattern of lines in the case of other types of authenticating devices that do not inherently form such a pattern.

Abstract: The use of slabs having end faces cut at substantially the critical angle in three different embodiments of a slab laser provides benefits not possessed by conventional cylindrical active lasing mediums or by slab active lasing mediums having end faces cut at Brewster's angle.

Abstract: Reduction of storage capacity required by one dimensional digital filter/decimator and/or expander/interpolation filter for spatially filtering that given dimension of a scanned two-dimensional image, represented by a temporal video signal, which is orthogonal to raster scan lines. Such filter devices are particularly suitable for use in Burt Pyramid image processing systems.

Abstract: Encoding apparatus, situated at the transmitter and employing digital processing, transforms an NTSC format color television signal to a serial time-multiplexed IYQY format which (1) preserves the blanking level of the NTSC signal, and (2) time compresses the color information in a manner which permits low-distortion restoration of the NTSC format color signal by decoding apparatus, situated at the receiver and employing digital processing. The transformed format is particularly suitable for communication over a DBS (direct-broadcast satellite).

Abstract: Focus error due to drift from a specified value of the pointing angle of a focus laser light beam with respect to the reflective surface of an optical disc is self-compensated by employing two light beams derived from the same focus laser that have a substantially constant angular displacement therebetween. Any change due to drift in the specified value of the pointing angle of one light beam is accompanied by a substantially equal and opposite change due to drift in the specified value of the pointing angle of the other light beam.

Abstract: The color of a pixel produced on the face of a CRT is determined by the n bits of a hue/saturation digital input signal which is applied to a decoder to select one of 2.sup.n output lines of the decoder. Each output line is connected through a red, green and blue resistor triplet and through red, green and blue amplifier channels to respective red, green and blue signal inputs of the CRT. The values of the red, green and blue resistors in a selected resistor triplet determine the color of the pixel. The bits of a brightness signal are used to equally control the gain in the red, green and blue channels.

Abstract: A reflective-diffractive coating layer, situated at the interface between a substrate layer and an overcoat layer of the device, is divided into a set of small, slightly separated regions. This allows a direct bond of the overcoat layer to the substrate layer within the separation areas, which direct bond provides a more secure bond than that provided by a bond of the coating layer to the substrate and overcoat layers.

Abstract: In an interconnect .[.PABX.]., .Iadd.telephone equipment .Iaddend.which does not have an answer signal returned thereto, decision logic makes use of returned audible busy and ring-back signals to determine if a connection extended through a telephone utility network to a called station is completed.