Abstract: The invention concerns measurement apparatus for obtaining measurements relating to an attributes or attributes &thgr; of a succession of events in which an event generates a measurable physical reaction, the apparatus comprising generating device for generating a value D representing the physical reaction caused by an event, and inferential processing device for deriving the marginal distributions of a probability distribution for the attribute or attributes &thgr; of the events by carrying out a Bayesian inferential process utilizing the value D, the marginal values of a prior probability distribution and a stored set of values representing a range of probability distributions for the occurrence of each of the events being measured, the inferential process being an iterative process in which the marginals posterior to one event are generated by updating the marginals prior to that event.

Abstract: A portable card of suitable dimensions to fit into a wallet or purse which incorporates a micro-processor, connecting means for connecting the microprocessor with another device and a display means controlled by the microprocessor wherein the display means is capable of displaying text and/or images.

Abstract: The present case concerns the manufacture of hybrid electrooptical chips. A substrate is treated so that it can both provide locations for electrooptical components and be etched so as to generate grooves in which optical fibers can be mounted. During the etching of the grooves any electrooptical component already mounted on the substrate is protected from damage by the etchant by a protective coating. A feature is that optical fibers can be mounted with their cores above the surface of the wafer.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining positional information for an object transmits a probe signal towards the object. The probe signal as returned by the object is received at a plurality of spaced apart locations. The relative timing of the returned probe signals as received at the plurality of locations is detected, whereby positional information for the object can be determined. A number of realizations of the invention are disclosed.

Abstract: A radar system adapted to be installed on a vehicle (1) is operable to detect objects in different fields of view of the system. The system has transceiver means (2, 3; 44, 46) for transmitting a radar signal and receiving the signal after the latter has been reflected from an object to be detected. A reflected signal is sampled by sampling means (12; 66) during a succession of sampling periods each of which is delayed with respect to a corresponding portion of the transmitted signal. The gating of the reflected signal effectively generates range shells, each of which corresponds to the time taken for a transmitted signal to reach an object at the shell, and to be reflected back to the system and is hence related to the delay between the transmission of the signal and the corresponding sampling period. The range shells define the field of view of the system, which can be changed by altering said delay.

Abstract: A liquid feed bottle for an infant having a body made from a container portion bonded to a teat with an orifice. The body holds a liquid feed such as milk. A cap is bonded or sealed to the body and protects the teat. A cap portion is initially detachable from the body by pulling and removing a tear strip, the cap portion thus released being subsequently securable on the body by a press fit.

Abstract: In a data processing method and apparatus, an image signal representative of features in a space of two or more dimensions is progressively filtered at monotonically increasing filtering scales, the signal being input to the first filtering scale, and the input to the or each subsequent filtering scale is the output signal from the previous scale. Each input has a number of data samples each of which represents a respective region of the space, and at each filtering scale those samples are sorted into connected-sets, each of which contains a plurality of substantially equal value to data samples or a respective individual data sample not in other sets. The process then selects those connected-sets which contain data samples having values which are local maxima or local minima and which represent a composite region of a size related in a predetermined way to the current filtering scale.

Abstract: A method for particle size detection comprises passing particles in a fluid medium relative to a light source which generates a light field the optical axis of which is transverse to the direction of fluid movement relative to the said light source and having a plurality of non-interferometrically formed variations in intensity spaced along the direction of movement of the particles relative to the light field, detecting variations in light intensity caused by the particles as they pass through the variations in the light field, and measuring the size of a detected particle substantially independently of the optical characteristics of the particle by plotting the mean peak signal as a function of the normalised peak-to-trough variation in the output pulses generated by the passages of the particle through the light field.

Abstract: An image and pulse analysis system and method including a datasieve comprising a succession of ordinal filtering means receiving at least a selected part of a signal conglomerate and filtering the at least a selected part of the signal conglomerate to produce a bandpass filter output, the ordinal filtering means having window lengths increasing from N (less than M) up to M, whereby an input signal to each successive filtering means is formed from the output of the previous filtering means; selection means for selecting a predetermined subset of bandpass filter outputs from outputs of the succession of filtering means; and arithmetic means for adding together the signals of the subset to produce an output signal containing only wanted signals determined by the selection means; data storage means for storing data relating to a sought-for-feature or object which may exist in a field from which data is derived for presenting to the datasieve; comparison means for matching or comparing the stored data with the out

Abstract: A method of filtering a signal conglomerate using a datasieve having a plurality of filtering stages in cascade, at least one of the filtering stages comprising a recursive ordinal value filter. A typical arrangement comprises a sequence of recursive median filters of increasing scale (window size), providing low pass outputs from differing stages to enable a bandpass output to be formed by taking the difference between the low pass outputs.

Abstract: A fiber preform having a web and at least one flange has fibers disposed in the web such that each follows a zig-zag path and is interlocked with the fibers of the flange. A manufacturing method for the preform includes interlocking the web yarns with those of the flange and engaging the web yarns at a plurality of points spaced longitudinally of the prefrom and also spaced from the flange in the direction of the web to define the required web dimension.

Abstract: A multi-compartment container (12) is charged with a plurality of doses of powdered medicament so that the volume of each dose is less than that of the respective compartments in which it is contained. A respective protuberance (for example 92) is inserted into each respective compartment, which is then filled with medicament (91) and the protuberance is then removed. The container may take the form of an apertured plate, in which case the filling step can be achieved by placing the container (12) on a porous bed (22) and in communication with a reservoir (80) of particulate material, and then passing gas through the reservoir, the apertures in the container (12) and the bed (22).

Abstract: A method of detecting the displacement of a target in a given environment includes storing reference data having data representative of the environment; transmitting a transmit signal towards the target; sensing the return signals from the target and the environment; and detecting the displacement of the target by comparing the return signals and the stored reference data. A method of detecting the level of a sample in a container is also disclosed. Analogous apparatus features are also disclosed.

Abstract: Delivery apparatus for a flowable material such as toothpaste wherein a two part container is employed, thereby to form a dispenser of which one part is replaceable to renew the contents. A preferred embodiment is a sachet (450) progressively rolled up with a roll-up spring (Tensator) within a housing (418, 426) which is openable to enable the sachet to be replaced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting fluid level in a tank in the vicinity of a transmission line (1), the fluid level being such as to cause reflection of a signal transmitted along the transmission line. The method includes the steps of:a) transmitting a signal along the transmission line;b) monitoring the transmission line for any reflections of the signal;c) generating an analysis window of time (t.sub.1, t.sub.2, t.sub.3) if the magnitude of a given characteristic of the reflected signal is greater than a predetermined threshold value; andd) analyzing the reflected signal received during the period of an analysis window to provide the required information on the fluid level.

Abstract: A frequency synthesizer for generating a sinusoidal analogue signal comprises a digital signal generator for generating a substantially triangular digital signal. A digital to analogue converter (DAC) receives the digital signal. The DAC has a non-linear transfer function shaped to generate a sinusoidal analogue signal.

Abstract: An analogue to digital converter comprising a first analogue to digital conversion stage (14) for performing a relatively coarse conversion on a sample of an analogue input signal; a sample and hold stage (13) for holding the sample of the analogue signal fed to the first conversion stage while it is converted by the first conversion stage; a digital to analogue conversion stage (15) to which the digital output from the first conversion stage is fed; a difference circuit (16) for generating an analogue difference signal representing the difference between the signal held by the sample and hold stage (13) and the output from the digital to analogue conversion stage (15); a second analogue to digital conversion stage (17) for generating a digital output corresponding to the difference signal; and a combining unit (18) for combining the digital outputs of the first and second conversion stages to generate a digital output representing the sampled analogue input signal.

Abstract: An interferometer utilises a short coherence length light source in such a way that the visibility of fringes produced varies as a function of the measurand. In order to provide a signal which represents the value of the measurand, the visibility of the fringes is calculated.

Abstract: A system for determining the trajectory of a missile and the minimum miss distance with respect to a target aircraft, comprises two transmitters on the aircraft each cooperating with four receivers on the aircraft. Each transmitter radiates a succession of pulses each having a very short duration of the order of 2 nanoseconds and each having a shape approximating to a single sine wave. The transmitted pulses are reflected from the missile and received by the receivers each of which is accurately time gated so that the received signal is sampled at a predetermined time delay after the radiation of each transmit pulse. A time delay corresponds to a particular missile range, and by gating at different delays the sampled signals indicate when the missile enters or leaves a plurality of range envelopes surrounding the target. Processing of the sampled signals enables the missile trajectory and minimum miss distance to be computed.

Abstract: A digital-to-analogue converter includes a plurality of constant current sources and a calibration circuit for measuring the value or relative value of the current provided by one or more of the sources without interrupting operation of the digital-to-analogue converter. The calibration circuit carries out a routine whereby a number of measurements are obtained and averaged. Error signals in accordance with the averaged measurements are produced and used to correct for drift in the components of the current sources. Error correction may be achieved by adjusting the regulators themselves or by adding correction signals at other parts of the circuit.