Abstract: An electrochemical cell is disclosed having an internal circuit which is interrupted by a switch that is responsive to both excessive cell temperature and pressure. The switch preferably comprises a bimetallic strip mounted in the space between the cell cover and case and is electrically connected between one of the cell electrodes and its associated terminal. The bimetal undergoes temperature-induced distortion to open-circuit the cell and is additionally responsive to the movement of a pressure diaphragm, which forms a part of the cell case wall, to open-circuit the cell in the event of excessive pressure. The cell is automatically reactivated when the excessive condition has dissipated.

Abstract: A holographic digital data processing system is described in which the data is stored holographically in a recording medium with the data insertable and retrievable in a sequential manner. A modulated data beam and a similarly modulated reference beam are passed through various deflectors to intersect at the recording medium to form the local holographic pattern. The location in the recording of the intersection is controlled by a page deflector which deflects both beams through the same angle and the angle of intersection is controlled by a data deflector which deflects only the data beam. Therefore, each data bit is recorded with a distinct angular relationship between the interfering data and reference beams. During reconstruction, the reference beam is occluded and the data beam is passed through both the data deflector and the page deflector to intersect the recording medium at the unique address of a single bit of digital data which is desired to be read out.

Abstract: A logic level converter converts an input signal having first and second voltage levels to an output signal having first and third voltage levels in which the voltage excursion of the output signal is greater than that of the input signal. The converter comprises first and second cross-coupled inverters in which the second inverter provides the output signal and is biased with respect to the first and third voltage levels and in which the first inverter is biased with respect to the third voltage level and the digital input signal. A voltage divider is associated with the first inverter to insure sufficient voltage swing for proper switching of the inverters. The inverters have dissimilar gains to insure that when the inverters are biased at equal voltages, the inverters always assume a predetermined state. The converter is implemented with PMOS field effect transistors and includes capacitors for increasing switching speed.

Abstract: One embodiment of the disclosed apparatus converges a beam of light to a point of focus and scans that point of focus through an arc at a predetermined radius. The beam of light is then imaged to another point of focus by a unitary power optical system. The second point of focus, therefore, also scans through an identical arc which is displaced by a selected distance along the optical axis from the first point of focus. A master mask for exposing a photoresist on a semiconductor wafer is located at the first point of focus and the semiconductor wafer whose layer of photoresist is to be exposed is located at the second point of focus. However, the mask and wafer are mounted in a different fixture which is radially translatable relative to the scanning beam of light so that a sequence of scans of the beam of light across the mask and wafer serves to illuminate all areas of the mask and to thereby image the information on the mask onto the photoresist layer on the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: An improved optical fiber coupler for use with eccentrically mounted optical fibers is disclosed in which a V-groove coupler block is utilized for receiving and locating the mating pair of connectors. The connectors are circularly cylindrical and each lies in an end of a V-groove recess. The V-groove at one end of the coupler block is offset relative to the V-groove at the other end by the incorporation of a thin shim on one of the faces of the V-groove. The thickness of the shim determines the amount of offset.

Abstract: The signal path between the input and output of a baseband video switch has a control point to which a signal representative of a switch control signal and a switchable constant current source are coupled. A pair of diodes and a switchable, high impedance buffer are disposed in series between the input terminal and the control point. A diode and a switchable driver are connected in series between the control point and the output terminal. A biasing arrangement responsive to the control signal biases the control point, and the current source. When the control signal is of one level, the diode junctions disposed in the path of the video signal are reverse-biased and the current source is off. When the control signal is of the other level, the diode junctions are forward-biased and the constant current source is on. A resistor load coupled between the input terminal and the control point provides a load for the signal when the switch is off.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for forming an optical fiber connector are described. The optical fiber connector is formed by locating a main body for the connector so that a predetermined relationship is established between an axis and at least two external surfaces of the main body. The optical fiber is then positioned in a precise position with respect to the axis; hence, it is also precisely located relative to the two external surfaces. Finally, the optical fiber is secured firmly to the main body. The optical fiber connector so formed is capable of being mated to another similarly mounted optical fiber connector by use of the two external surfaces to provide a highly efficient optical coupling junction.

Abstract: An optical switch is described which has particular utility in communication systems utilizing light as a modulated carrier. The switch is susceptible to construction as an integrated optical device and may be formed with a planar substrate and an optically transparent film on a surface of that substrate which has an index of refraction higher than that of the substrate. This construction forms a planar optical waveguide. A plurality of parallel optical fiber waveguides are coupled into one side of the planar optical waveguide by conventional techniques and a like plurality of parallel output optical fiber waveguides are coupled out at an opposite side. An integrated beam deflection element is formed adjacent to each separate one of the pluralities of input and output optical fiber waveguides and is associated with the optical fiber waveguide. The beam deflection elements are each capable of deflecting light rays incident on the element through a plurality of discrete deflection angles.

Abstract: A optical logic device is described in which binary logic functions are accomplished by use of a laser, such as a dye laser, whose output has a polarization direction which is determinable by the direction of polarization of an input excitation laser pumping pulse. An optical component, such as a birefringent element, establishes a pair of bistable polarization directions representative of the binary logic levels. Bistable polarization operation is achieved by requiring a greater intensity of an input laser pumping signal to establish one polarization direction when compared with the input intensity required to establish the other polarization direction. A Brewster plate may be employed to establish the bistable operation of the laser medium.

Abstract: A portable holographic information retrieval system is described in which individual holograms each of which contains the alphanumeric information from an individual page of a book, are reconstructed on a rear-illuminated viewing screen. The individual holograms are contained on a permanent transparency as a matrix, the holograms of successive pages of a book being arranged in a sequential manner. The entire matrix of individual page holograms is contained on a transparency which is approximately equal in size to a standard 35 millimeter photographic slide. The reconstruction apparatus has the rear-illuminated viewing screen collapsibly mounted to a system housing. The housing includes a small source of a collimated beam of light for illuminating a selected "page" in the transparency.