Abstract: A disc-shaped recording medium for storing compressed audio data which have been recorded thereon by an optical recording apparatus. The inner diameter of a data recording region of the disc-shaped recording medium is in the range from 28 mm to 50 mm. The outer diameter of the data recording region is in the range from 58 mm to 62 mm for an inner diameter of 28 mm, and is in the range from 71 mm to 73 mm for an inner diameter of 50 mm. The disc-shaped recording medium may be used with a small-sized portable disc recording and reproducing apparatus, and can record compressed audio data for playback with a playback time substantially as long as that of a standard compact disc having 12 cm diameter.

Abstract: There is provided a disc recording apparatus for recording digital data by an optical unit in such a manner that time compressed digital data are arranged into a plurality of clusters at an interval of a predetermined number of sectors, a cluster-linking sector having a length longer than an interleaving length is provided at each linking part of each cluster, and the digital data are subsequently interleaved and recorded on a disc-shaped recording medium so that interleaving at the time of data recording on the cluster-by-cluster basis is within the range of the cluster-linking sector.

Abstract: The quadrupole shear wave logging device of this invention includes a logging sonde, means for generating a quadrupole shear wave in the earth formation surrounding a borehole containing fluid, and means for detecting in the fluid the refraction of the quadrupole shear wave. In the preferred embodiment, the generating means comprises four similar sectors of a hollow piezoelectric cylinder. The four cylinders are polarized radially. The four sectors are so connected to the sonde that they are in the form of a split cylinder coaxial with the sonde axis. Electrical pulses of similar waveforms are applied across the inner and outer cylindrical surfaces of each sector to vibrate the four sectors. The electrical pulses are of such polarities that, during their initial motions of vibration, two oppositely situated sectors are caused to move outward and the remaining two oppositely situated sectors to move inward substantially simultaneously.

Abstract: A method for ensuring accurate reception of digitally encoded messages that are transmitted over a broadcast network to a plurality of receivers. Each message is divided into packets and the set of packets comprising each message is cyclically retransmitted for a selected number of transmission cycles. Typically, from two to five transmission cycles are sufficient to ensure accurate reception of each message. Each packet includes all or part of a digitally encoded message, a header, and a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code (or other error code). Each header identifies the message to which the packet belongs and the position of the packet within the message. Each receiver in the network stores an address in an internal memory, and is capable of comparing a transmitted address (in the header of one or more of the packets in each message) with its stored address and accepting only those packets having an appropriate address.

Abstract: A computer-controlled LED display system including an N.times.M rectangular array of light units. Each light unit includes one or more LED's that are driven so as to emit a train of light pulses separated by intervals of substantially zero light intensity. The temperature of the LED cathodes will decrease during each interval of zero emitted light intensity, so that the average temperature of each LED over its operating period will be less thaN it would be with zero intensity intervals of shorter duration. In a preferred embodiment, the drive circuit has a nonzero, finite RC constant and a capacitor connected in series with the LED's, so as to produce sufficiently long duration, substantially zero intensity intervals between the emitted light pulses. Each LED driving circuit includes a switch (preferably of the opto-coupler or triac type) for switching the circuit between "on" and "off" modes. Each switch is controlled by serial digital signals supplied via an interface unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for pitting olives and then slicing the pitted olives. In a preferred embodiment, each olive is carried in a cup positioned between a coring knife and a pitting knife in a manner so that the longitudinal axes of the cup and the knives coincide. As the cup and knives rotate around a drive shaft along parallel circular paths, a system of cams extends and retracts the knives relative to the cup, in order to pit the olive. After the pitting operation, the cup (containing a pitted olive) continues to rotate along its circular path past a set of slicing knives. The slicing knives are oriented substantially parallel to the plane of the cup's circular path, so that the slicing knives act as wedges to sever the olive cleanly into slices as the cup translates past the slicing knives. In the inventive method and apparatus, both the pitting and slicing operations are performed on each olive while the olive is held in a known orientation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accumulating a load having a desired weight, and then transferring the load to a reversible conveyor. The reversible conveyor extends between a pair of unloading stations, and is capable of delivering the load to either one of the unloading stations, depending upon the direction in which it is driven. In one class of preferred embodiments, the inventive apparatus is portable, and is capable of weighing out selected amounts of any of a variety of products (for example, frozen fish or other foods). In one such embodiment, the invention includes a single gated bin which feeds a single weighing hopper, and a vibrating conveyor mounted on a vibration-absorbing frame assembly for feeding the gated bin. The weighing hopper (which does not vibrate) feeds as reversible conveyor, and the reversible conveyor in turn feeds two unloading stations.

Abstract: A method and system for growing tree mushrooms indoors, from within self contained vessels. An enclosed cylindrical container houses a colony of mushroom mycelium and rehydrated nutritive substrate. Said container is surrounded by cloth/fabric with water absorbent properties. When holes are made through the fabric and container the mycelium colony is stimulated to produce mushrooms. The apparatus is then partially submerged in a shallow reservoir of water. Moisture absorbed from the fabric then supplies the mushrooms with required moisture for development. The method consists of filling the container with a substrate (such as whole grain), adding an appropriate volume of water through a hole in the container, and covering the hole with an adhesive membrane, then sterilizing the container and contents. After cooling, appropriate fungus is inoculated to the substrate and is incubated at a required temperature for an appropriate time period.

Abstract: An acoustic borehole well logging method and apparatus for measuring azimuthal anisotropy of a formation traversed by a borehole using at least one multipole transducer. In a preferred embodiment, a dipole wave transmitter and at least one detector sensitive to dipole waves are employed. In an alternative preferred embodiment, a monopole transmitter and at least one multipole detector are employed. In the inventive method, two acoustic wave arrivals are detected, each associated with a different azimuthal orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of the borehole (i.e. each is transmitted by a multipole transmitter oriented at such angle, or is detected by a multipole detector oriented at such angle, or both). The inventive apparatus preferably includes at least one transducer unit including two or more multipole transmitters (or two or more multipole detectors) oriented at different azimuthal angles relative to the tool's longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for aligning articles as the articles are translated in cups along a substantially circular path. In one embodiment, each cup is formed in the outer surface of a rotating cylindrical drum, and one or more slots, each oriented parallel to the substantially circular path, extend through each cup's bottom surface. A stationary, notch alignment strip is positioned in at least one of the slots. As the cups translate past the notched strip, the strip bumps the articles in the cups to urge them into a uniform alignment. In a preferred embodiment, the slots are spaced and dimensioned to receive parallel slicing knives. In an important application of the invention, the cups are dimensioned to carry pitted olives, and the slots are spaced and dimensioned to receive a set of parallel olive slicing knives.

Abstract: A motor control method and apparatus employing a speed control loop and a phase control loop, each of which receives a clock signal (F.sub.-- TACH) indicative of the motor's measured phase and rotational frequency, and a synchronizing clock signal (F.sub.-- SYNC) indicative of the desired motor operating speed control loop generates two analog voltage signals, V.sub.-- TACH and V.sub.-- SYNC, from frequency signals F.sub.-- TACH and F.sub.-- SYNC, and generates an error voltage signal proportional to the difference between these two voltage signals. Each frequency signal is first converted into a binary number signal proportional to the associated motor period (inverse frequency). Each such binary number signal is then converted to an analog voltage signal having magnitude proportional to the motor frequency. Each analog voltage signal is thus produced by a two-step process employing the successive reciprocal (division) elements.

Abstract: A method for restoring to filtered seismic data at least some of the ramdom background noise associated with the data in its form prior to filtering. The method includes the steps of filtering seismic data in a two-dimensional filter; generating a noise signal representing the random background noise associated with the data; filtering the noise signal in an inverse filter corresponding to the two-dimensional filter; and adding the inverse-filtered first signal to the filtered seismic data. In one embodiment, the noise signal is generated by filtering a copy of the data in a least-mean-squares adaptive filter to remove substantially all coherent energy therefrom. In another embodiment, the noise signal is an independently generated white noise signal having beginning and end times matching those of the seismic data. This white noise signal is the bandpass filtered to cause its frequency content to match that of the seismic data.

Abstract: A seismic exploration method and system employing a streamer that houses at least one pair of orthogonally mounted hydrophones. The streamer may be operated downhole in a well, or may be towed in a body of water by a marine vessel. In the downhole embodiment, the invention permits detection of seismic signals of interest with suppression of noise due to tube waves and (dipole and monopole) modal waves propagating in and along the well, and without the need for locking the seismic detectors to the wall of the well. In the marine embodiment, the invention permits selective detection of waves incident from any incidence direction of interest (including the horizontal and vertical directions). In all embodiments, the incidence angle of the detected seismic wave is determined. The amplitude of the detected wave may also be determined from the incidence angle and the amplitude components detected at each hydrophone.

Abstract: A marine cable system including one or more elongated cable sections whose buoyancy may be independently controlled. Each section is associated with a pump and a variable volume, elongated bladder. In one embodiment, one reservoir containing buoyant fluid is included, and fluid from the reservoir is pumped between adjacent sections to inflate or deflate the associated bladders. In another embodiment, a rigid reservoir containing compressed gas is included in each section. The associated pump releases gas from the reservoir to inflate the bladder, or pumps gas from the bladder into the reservoir when desired. The pumps are operated in response to control signals from a remote control unit, such as one aboard a vessel towing the cable. One or more depth sensors may be attached in or near each section. Depth information from the sensors may be supplied to the control unit for use in generating the pump control signals. The buoyant fluid is entirely contained within the cable.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for digitally deriving arrays from seismic data. Indentical parallel processing elements connected between common input/output buses are each preselected to derive different pluralities of arrays. Array specifications defining the arrays are downloaded into the processing elements. A scan sample set of spatially distributed seismic receivers is periodically generated and placed on the input bus. Each processing element, in response to array specifications, captures and stores all receiver output signals in the scan required to derive its respective arrays, derives its assigned arrays, and delivers resultant array samples to the output bus. Double input and output buffering in the processing elements is provided whereby receiver capture, array derivation, and outputing processes occur simultaneously in each processing element.

Abstract: Apparatus for simultaneously rotating and reciprocating well pipe mechanically utilizing the rotary table on the drilling rig includes a rotating pipe clamp assembly having an irregular cross-sectional mid-member and clamp members for releasably gripping the well pipe connected to the ends of the mid-member for rotation therewith; a square block for fitting the rotary table square and having a selected groove configuration; and a torque transmitting means fitting into the groove and having openings there-through having the same irregular cross-section as said mid-member cross-section. Means connects the torque transmitting means and the block for limiting torque applied to the well pipe via the clamp assembly and the torque transmitting means.

Abstract: A method of filtering and combining seismic data, such as data from two or more seismic sources having different spectral characteristics. A plurality of seismic signals are transmitted into a subterranean earth formation and a resulting data trace for each seismic signal is recorded. A correlating signal is generated for each data trace, such that the sum of the correlations of each correlating signal with its associated trace is an approximately minimum phase signal whose frequency amplitude spectrum is the sum of the frequency amplitude spectra of the seismic signals. In a preferred embodiment, the correlating signals are generated by obtaining reference signals representing the seismic signals prior to propagation through the earth formation, concatenating these reference signals and inserting a zero-amplitude signal between each reference signal, and then performing least-squares deconvolution on the concatenated signal.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of a subterranean plane reflector relative to a known location on the earth surface from unprocessed seismic data received at a number of colinear acoustic receiver locations. A traveltime curve associated with the reflector is identified from the seismic data. From two points on the traveltime curve, a signal indicative of the reflector's dip angle is generated. Using the dip angle signal, signals indicative of the position of each imaged point of the reflector are generated. The inventive method assumes knowledge of the average velocity of seismic waves in the subterranean formation above the reflector, and that such formation region can adequately be considered to have constant velocity equal to such average velocity. The method may be applied to process raw data generated during a vertical seismic profiling operation.

Abstract: An acoustic well logging method employing a tool having at least two acoustic transmitters and at least two acoustic receivers. In a preferred embodiment, one receiver is positioned midway between the two transmitters, and the other receiver is spaced from the first receiver along the longitudinal axis of the tool between the transmitters. Two signals, each representing an acoustic wave that has propagated from a transmitter through a portion of the formation surrounding the borehole to a receiver, are recorded when the tool is in each of two positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the well. In each of the tool positions, one recorded signal is associated with the midpoint receiver and the other with another receiver. From the four recorded signals, a new signal is generated. This derived signal has Fourier amplitude spectrum indicative of the formation parameters, but is independent of components associated with the transmitters and receivers.

Abstract: A method for preparing a display of seismic data obtained from multiple-point coverage of a subterranean earth formation using an array of seismic sources and acoustic receivers. A set of seismic traces is obtained in such a manner that each trace is associated with a source-receiver pair separated by a particular offset distance, and all the traces are associated with a common subsurface reflection point. Each of the traces is filtered through a bank of band-pass filters to produce a set of filtered traces, each having a different frequency content, for each offset value. The filtered traces associated with a particular offset value are displayed in order of progressively changing frequency content, and the filtered traces associated with a particular frequency band are displayed in order of progressively changing offset value.