Abstract: A PALC panel is filled with LC material by creating a partial vacuum in the LC space and a peripheral receiving space inward of an attachment bead which secures the lower substrate assembly to the upper substrate assembly and introducing sufficient LC material into the receiving space to fill the LC space. The receiving space is then sealed. The volume of the receiving space is substantially greater than the volume of the LC space.

Abstract: A thermal isolation plate for a probe card comprises a stiff, generally annular plate made of a metal having good thermal conductivity. One surface of the plate has a low emissivity and the opposite surface has a low absorptivity. Preferably the surface of low absorptivity is a highly polished surface.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes an image transfer drum and a print head for ejecting drops of ink toward the image transfer drum as the drum rotates relative to the print head undergo. A control mechanism controls operation of the print head relative to rotation of the drum in response to a dot clock signal. The control mechanism includes a position encoder which generates an encoder signal at a frequency dependent on rotation of the image transfer drum and a digital phase locked loop circuit which receives the encoder signal and generates the dot clock signal at a frequency equal to the frequency of the encoder signal multiplied by a rational number.

Abstract: A support structure for a chain vise has portions for engaging a support surface and includes a mechanism for tilting the chain vise relative to the support surface.

Abstract: A service vessel that is designed for navigating both in the open sea and in ice conditions is provided with a demountable propeller nozzle. For an ice-free navigation period the propeller nozzle is mounted around the propulsion propeller of the vessel, whereas for a navigation period in ice conditions the propeller nozzle is removed. The power absorption of the propulsion propeller is maintained constant during nozzle and nozzle-free operation.

Abstract: A channel subassembly for a PALC display panel comprises a channel member having spaced, substantially parallel, linear channels in its upper surface and a cover sheet (6) attached to the channel member. Islands of transparent conductive material are disposed in a row on a surface of the cover sheet over each channel. The islands in each row are spaced apart along the channel over which they are disposed and are bounded in directions perpendicular to the length of the channel such that they do not extend laterally substantially beyond the channel.

Abstract: An anode in a channel of a PALC display panel has an upper surface of a material that is electrically conductive and is non-oxidizing.

Abstract: A channel member for a PALC panel is fabricated from a substrate of hard transparent material by forming a layer of conductive material over an upper surface of the substrate, forming a layer of insulating material over the layer of conductive material, removing the layer of insulating material in accordance with a predetermined spatial pattern so as to expose predetermined portions of the layer of conductive material, and removing exposed portions of the layer of conductive material by erosion until parts of the upper surface of the substrate are exposed.

Abstract: A channel member for a PALC panel has a channel in its surface and a wire in the channel as an electrode of the PALC panel.

Abstract: A display device for displaying an image represented by an incoming raster scan video signal comprises a PALC display panel having a rectangular array of addressable panel elements. A frame buffer stores a frame of video and a comparator compares the incoming video signal with the frame stored in the frame buffer on a line-by-line basis. In the event that a line of the incoming video signal is different from the corresponding line of the stored frame, the line of the incoming video signal is supplied to the display panel and is used to update the corresponding line of the frame buffer. Otherwise, the line of the incoming video signal is not supplied to the display panel.

Abstract: This invention is a resistive layer (112, 122) for electrodes (30, 62) comprising at least one partially conductive compound and describes processes for coating the electrodes by way of cataphoretic deposition and/or screen printing of particles of at least one partially conductive compound. A second class of particles, known as a "frit," is also deposited or screen printed. In the subsequent one hour firing, these particles melt and thereby bond the partially conductive compound particles to the electrodes. This invention is also plasma addressing structures (110, 120) in which particles of at least one partially conductive compound are deposited on the electrodes of the display by cataphoretic deposition and/or screen printing. The resulting electrode structures limit and uniformly distribute discharge currents (102) in the operation of ionizable gaseous medium (90) devices, such as plasma addressed liquid crystal displays.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a channel structure for a PALC display panel comprises providing a channel member having channels formed in its upper surface and two electrodes in each channel, masking one electrode in each channel while leaving the other electrode unmasked, depositing material on the unmasked electrode in each channel, and removing the mask from masked electrode in each channel.

Abstract: A PALC display panel has a cathode including a conductive core, a protective coating of a material that is electrically conductive and is non-reactive with hydrogen, and an outer coating of refractory material, and an anode having a surface of a material that is electrically conductive and is non-reactive with hydrogen.

Abstract: A channel subassembly for a PALC display panel comprises a channel member defining an array of interconnected channels, a cover sheet extending over the channels and sealed to the channel member, whereby the channel member and the cover sheet define a sealed volume, a mixture of an ionizable gas and hydrogen in the sealed volume, and a quantity of an alloy composed of about 33 wt % Zr, about 33 wt % Fe and about 33 wt % V in communication with the sealed volume.

Abstract: A channel substrate assembly for a plasma addressed liquid crystal display device is made from a channel substrate formed with channels in a first main surface thereof, by attaching a cover sheet to the channel substrate with a first main surface of the cover sheet in confronting relationship with the first main surface of the channel substrate. The cover sheet is then thinned from its second main surface.

Abstract: In a plasma addressed liquid crystal display panel, a separating layer having a lower dielectric constant than the material of the upper substrate is interposed between the data drive electrodes and the upper substrate.

Abstract: In a plasma addressed liquid crystal display panel comprising a channel substrate, a cover sheet, a layer of twisted nematic liquid crystal material, an upper substrate, and an array of electrodes on the lower surface of the upper substrate, ##EQU1## where V.sub.x is the voltage that will turn a simple TN liquid crystal cell from the off state to X% transmissive in a normally black mode, d.sub.TD is the thickness of the cover sheet, d.sub.LC is the thickness of the liquid crystal layer, .epsilon..sub.TD is the dielectric constant of the cover sheet, .epsilon..sub..perp. is the perpendicular dielectric constant of the liquid crystal material, and .epsilon..sub..parallel. is the parallel dielectric constant of the liquid crystal material, and d.sub.LC .DELTA.n.sub.LC is in the range from about 0.4 to 0.5, where .DELTA.n.sub.LC is the difference in refractive indices for the liquid crystal material.

Abstract: A composite electrode in a channel substrate for a PALC display panel comprises a core that includes a metal and a surface layer of a resistive anodic oxide of the core metal.

Abstract: To provide an improved non-additive mixer, a first mixer mixes first and second video signals according to a mixer control signal derived in a new way. The first and second video signals are applied, respectively, to first and second chrominance (blocking) filters. The resulting first and second luminance signals are applied, respectively, to first and second summing circuits, where offsets may be applied to either or both of them. The difference is then taken between the first offset luminance signal and the second offset luminance signal to produce a difference luminance signal. The difference luminance signal is then multiplied by a gain control signal to produce the mixer control signal. The mixer control signal can also be used to control a second mixer, thereby providing a channel for keying information that is non-additively mixed according to the luminance content of the video signal that the key information is associated with.

Abstract: The central difference along a selected axis through a point (u, v) of a rectangularly-sampled luminance field and at an arbitrary angle .alpha. is computed by interpolation. The octant in which the selected axis lies is identified, and first and second pixels through which the lines that limit the identified octant .Iadd.extend .Iaddend.are identified. The first and second pixels are adjacent each other in the luminance field array and lie on a common ordinate or a common abscissa. .[.The difference between the luminance values of the first and second pixels is calculated..]. Third and fourth pixels, which are symmetrically disposed with respect to the first and second pixels respectively about the point (u, v), are identified.[., and the.]..Iadd.. The .Iaddend.difference in luminance values of the .Iadd.first and .Iaddend.third .[.and fourth.]. pixels is calculated.Iadd., and the difference in luminance values of the second and fourth pixels is calculated.Iaddend..