Abstract: A portable laser communication transceiver for transmitting and receiving information imposed on laser beams. A communication signal is imposed on a laser beam having a divergence of between 1 degree and 4 degrees. The beam is directed by an operator, sighting through a telescopic viewing device, at a distant transceiver which collects light in the laser beam with a. In preferred embodiments, the transceivers are handheld and each comprises a microphone and earphones allowing operators to talk with each other. Digital information can also be transmitted from personal computers and other electronic information equipment at the location of each operator. In a preferred embodiment useful for military and surveying applications, a GPS, a compass and a laser ranging system is provided. This enables the operator to sight through a binocular to a target and determine its position in longitude, latitude and elevation.

Abstract: An image processing system converts screen structured halftone images to continuous tone images. Value data is sequentially generated for successive pixels of a halftone image. An averaging filter is provided for sequentially filtering each pixel in the halftone image in the horizontal image direction in accordance with a first predetermined filter to generate an intermediately filtered image. A pattern matching filter then sequentially filters each pixel in the intermediately filtered image in the vertical direction to generate a hybrid filtered image. The hybrid filter arrangement is then iteratively operated for three additional sets of orthogonal directions, i.e. the vertical and horizontal directions, a first diagonal direction and a second diagonal direction, and the second and first diagonal directions. The best hybrid image is generated as an output continuous tone image for storage and/or processing to a halftone copy or print.

Abstract: An optical frequency division multiplexing network includes first optical communication paths connected to terminals, respectively, a second optical communication path connected to the outside and a node composed of a selection unit for selecting signals having optical frequencies to be sent to the plurality of terminals, respectively, from signals transmitted through the second optical communication path in optical frequency division multiplexing, a conversion unit for converting the selected signals into signals having a single optical frequency and an output unit for producing the converted signals to the terminals through the first optical communication paths, respectively.

Abstract: An optical communication system is implemented using a Sagnac switch to generate a new data signal from a received deteriorated data signal using a clock signal which operates in frequency synchronism but not in phase synchronism with the received data signal. In another embodiment, an optical communication system is implemented by stretching out the loop of the Sagnac switch so that the system transmitter includes the control signal coupler of the Sagnac switch, the receiver includes the combining coupler of the Sagnac switch and the loop becomes the optical communication path connecting the transmitter and receiver.

Abstract: This is a method and associated apparatus for operating a control signal repeater system to receive infrared (IR) control signals at a first location and cause duplicate control signals to be input at a second location to an IR-controlled device containing an IR detector with connecting wires without creating a duplicate IR signal at the location of the controlled device. This is accomplished by directing voltage-inducing energy into the wires of the IR detector in the controlled device so that the signals are induced directly into the wiring to be amplified and used without the need for first generating an IR beam into the IR detector.

Abstract: An optical transmission system includes a current and standby optical transmission lines for transmitting digital information signals in parallel. An information string phase difference detector detects the phase difference between the received digital information strings from the respective optical transmission lines. The optical transmission system also includes an optical receiver arranged in the receiving side for receiving the transmitted light signals. A controller changes the wavelengths of the light signals that are received by the optical receiver, based upon the detected phase difference which is detected by the phase difference detector.

Abstract: Currently, with optical time division multiplexing, a switching node is operated at the peak transmission rate. For example, if the data transmission rate is 10 Gbps, the line cards in the switching circuit are also required to operate at this rate despite the fact that the switching node does not actually need to access the data at this rate. Thus, the electronics, which includes the line cards at the switching node, is expensive and less reliable than a low-speed design. In this invention the requirement of operating the switching node electronics at the high speed link bit rate is eliminated by encoding the packet header field at a lower rate than the information in the data field. As a result, the line cards need only operate at the lower header rate. This is possible because the switching node does not need to process the data portion of the packet, but only the header information.

Abstract: A holding unit for a measuring device having a base carrying an inductive charging input, and a side wall formed with openings for infrared data transmission, includes a two-step cover surface including an upper cover surface and a lower cover surface, the lower cover surface being formed with a recess having a contour corresponding to the contour of the measuring device for receiving the measuring device therein, a side wall of the holding unit partly defining the recess formed in the lower cover surface and being formed with openings for infrared data transmission coinciding with the openings for infrared data transmission formed in the side wall of the measuring device when the measuring device is received in the recess, an output for an inductive power supply disposed in a base of the recess formed in the lower cover surface, the output coinciding with the inductive charging input carried by the measuring device when the measuring device is received in the recess, the upper cover surface being formed with

Abstract: The invention described a pocket size antenna VSWR indicator having a self-contained low level wideband RF signal source which is applied to an antenna under test through a four arm RF resistive bridge circuit. The bridge circuit has been designed to be very accurate and reliable and provides a novelly positioned reference against which the reflection co-efficient of the transmission system is compared to reliably indicate the VSWR of the system. The bridge circuit provides a flat response over the desired wideband frequency range and over the range of antenna impedances which may be encountered. The RF null or bridge balance is detected in a radio receiver or transceiver tuned to the desired operating frequency, from which an indication of antenna VSWR may be provided. The antenna VSWR may be indicated in a variety of way, such as by means of a numbered or colored dial, a plurality of LEDs or an audio tone shift against an internal reference.