Abstract: A disc file, for the storage of retrievable, informational data, on rotating media, where the media is subject to attrition from the mechanical interaction with its surface of an adjacently disposed, radially mobile transducer, the attrition limiting the operational life expectancy of the media by its ultimate effect of destroying, in whole or in part, the data storage properties of its surface, is provided with an apparatus which, by enforcing the unceasing transport of the transducer across the surface of the media, whenever it is not required, by the disc file, that the transducer be adjacently disposed to any specific radius, on the media, disperses the effects of attrition across the entire surface of the media, so eliminating the early destruction of the media resultant from localization of the attrition, thereby extending the working life expectancy of the media.

Abstract: An improved processing apparatus for adjustable stroke rotary indexing is provided. The apparatus comprises a rotatable input shaft, an intermediate shaft drivably and mechanically coupled to the input shaft, an output shaft coupled to the input shaft by a one-way clutch, and means for selectively adjusting the angular stroke of the output shaft. The mechanical coupling between the input and intermediate shafts comprises a planar four-link mechanism configured to operate in crank-rocker fashion such that continuous rotary input motion will produce angular rocking motion in the intermediate shaft. The limit positions of the oscillating shaft are a function of the length of the crank in the planar four-link crank-rocker coupling. The crank comprises a first crank member mounted on the input shaft and a second crank member rotatably mounted with respect to and lockably engagable with the first member.

Abstract: A laser optical system including a reading beam for reading optical data recorded in one or more tracks of a rotating disk optical recording medium. The disk includes a plurality of preformatted headers spaced along the track wherein each header includes first and second track following optical holes which are elongated in the direction of the track and disposed on opposite sides of the track center line in a staggered relationship along the track. Traversal of these track following holes by the reading beam produces a reflected beam which varies in a manner dependent upon the accuracy of positioning of the beam relative to the track center line. Up-down integration circuitry responsive to this reflected beam is used to produce a track following signal which is applied to a radial position control motor for maintaining the beam precisely on the track center line.

Abstract: A sidelobe-canceller system for cancelling jamming interference signals f a radar signal includes serially cascaded cancellation channels utilizing preprocessing cancellers and main-channel cancellers. The last serially cascaded cancellation channel includes terminal preprocessing cancellers and terminal main-channel cancellers. The preprocessing is improved by the use of AGC circuits connected one each between the terminal preprocessing cancellers and terminal main-channel cancellers to stabilize the gain of the terminal main-channel cancellers, thus improving the cancellation ratio and transient response of the system.

Abstract: A display panel comprises a gas-filled envelope made up of a base plate and a face plate sealed together hermetically. The base plate is provided with a plurality of parallel, longitudinal slots, and an anode wire is disposed in each of the slots in the base plate. An array of identical metal strip electrodes are provided on the base plate at an angle to the anode wires to define operative gas cells therewith. The first strip electrode is operated as a keep-alive anode with respect to two auxiliary electrodes seated in slots in the base plate, the second strip electrode is operated as a reset cathode, and the other strip electrodes are operated as the scan/display cathodes for the panel.

Abstract: A high density optical data storage system employing a laser beam for reading data in a track on a rotating optical disk containing a large number of closely spaced concentric tracks. The system provides for track following as well as long and short seek track moving operations. Track following and short seeking operations share the use of a galvanometer-controlled mirror in the path of the beam, while long seek operations are performed using a positioning motor which is also used during track following to reduce the deflection required to be provided by the galvanometer mirror. The short seek operation uses a specially shaped doublet waveform comprised of opposite polarity pulses chosen based on the number of tracks to be moved and the mechanical characteristics of the system.

Abstract: In the course of manufacturing a wafer-scale integrated circuit, the metalization for interconnection both within each cell and between cells is achieved by the etching of a single metal layer, photoresist being deposited on the layer and exposed using a step-and-repeat mask for those areas within each cell and using a whole-wafer reticle mask for the areas of interconnection between the cells.

Abstract: The invention is a universal reset circuit for digital circuitry which monitors both clock pulses and DC voltage and provides a reset command when detecting a low DC voltage or missing clock pulse. The device uses two comparators and an RC circuit to form a pulse timing circuit which monitors clock pulses. Low DC voltage is monitored by a bridge circuit and a reference voltage. A third comparator receives signals from both the pulse timing circuit at the bridge circuit and produces a reset command. The reset command could re-initialize a microprocessor chip or the input controller of a main computer system.

Abstract: A high density optical storage system employing a laser beam for reading data in a track on a rotating optical disk containing a large number of concentric tracks. Track following is provided using a galvanometer-controlled mirror in the path of the beam which is angularly deflected during track following in response to detected track deviations, whereby the beam is controlled to accurately follow the track. Provision is also made for detecting the angular position of the mirror. A linear motor responsive to the detected angular position moves the mirror in a direction which reduces the deflection required to be provided by the mirror in order to maintain the beam accurately following the track. The mirror is also controlled in response to the rate of change of the linear motor velocity for providing greater system stability.

Abstract: Address generating apparatus which uses narrow data paths for generating a wide logical address and which also provides for programs to access very large shared data structures outside their normally available addressing range. Selective indexed addressing is employed for providing both index data and variable dimension override data. During address generation, selected index data is used in conjunction with a displacement provided by an instruction for determining an offset. Dimension override data accompanying the selected index data is used to selectively access an address locating entry in a table of entries corresponding to the applicable program. The resulting accessed address locating entry is in turn used to determine the particular portion of memory against which the offset is to be applied.

Abstract: A high density optical storage system employing a laser beam for reading data in a track on a rotating optical disk containing a large number of closely spaced concentric tracks. When a long seek operation is to be provided, track following is suspended and a linear motor drives a galvanometer-controlled mirror to a new position corresponding to a new track called for by the long seek operation. Arrival at the new position is determined by detecting when both the velocity of the linear motor and the difference between current and desired positions are below predetermined maximum values indicating that a stable condition has been reached, after which track following operation is resumed. The linear motor also operates during track following in response to the detected angular position of the mirror so as to cause movement of the mirror in a direction which reduces the mirror deflection required to maintain the beam accurately following the track.

Abstract: A digital data processor operates at a microinstruction level in a multiprocessing and multiprogramming environment. The processor includes multi-phase subroutine control apparatus which provides for multiple levels of subroutine entry for a plurality of concurrently executing tasks, while also permitting the tasks to share the same subroutines. Tasks and subroutine control operations are staged to employ common hardware in a manner which provides the effect of a plurality of separate processors operating concurrently on different tasks in a multi-phased manner.

Abstract: A pipelined data processing system is provided having a branch prediction mechanism which monitors instruction flow and provides a record in a prediction memory indicating whether or not a branch instruction branched when it was last executed. When a branch instruction is encountered, the corresponding prediction indication is accessed from the prediction memory using a hash-coded version of the instruction address. This accessed prediction indication is used to permit immediate sequencing to the predicted next instruction (which is already in the pipeline) if the prediction is correct. If the prediction is incorrect, sequencing to the predicted next instruction is prevented. Instead, the correct next microinstruction is accessed and executed and the corresponding prediction indication in the prediction memory is corrected.

Abstract: An apparatus for preformatting each track of an optical disk with spaced header patterns using a plurality of overlapping, individually modulated writing laser beams arranged in a line perpendicular to the track. All of the writing laser beams are derived from a single multi-line laser so as to provide high positioning stability, and adjacent beams are chosen to have different wavelengths in order to prevent the deleterious effects of coherent interference between the overlapping beams. A specific header pattern is provided on a single pass by turning on different ones of the writing beams during specific time periods as each header recording area is traversed. A laser read-after-write beam is additionally provided to permit immediate verification of the recorded header pattern.

Abstract: A method for preformatting each track of an optical disk with spaced header patterns using a plurality of overlapping, individually modulated writing laser beams arranged in a line perpendicular to the track. All of the writing laser beams are derived from a single multi-line laser so as to provide high positioning stability, and adjacent beams are chosen to have different wavelengths in order to prevent the deleterious effects of coherent interference between the overlapping beams. A specific header pattern is provided on a single pass by turning on different ones of the writing beams during specific time periods as each header recording area is traversed. A laser read-after-write beam is additionally provided to permit immediate verification of the recorded header pattern.

Abstract: The disclosure is of a method and system for scanning all of the cells of a dynamic memory at selected increasing time intervals. The apparatus includes first and second counters coupled to a comparator, the output of which triggers the operation of the scanning apparatus.When the system is turned on, the count in both counters is the same, and a signal appears at the output of the comparator to trigger the scanner. If no error appears in the memory, the first counter is incremented by a selected first count, and then the second counter is incremented from zero until its count equals that in the first counter, and, again, an output from the comparator triggers the scanner. Again, if no error appears in the memory, the first counter is incremented by a second greater count, which represents a larger time interval, and the second counter is incremented from zero until its count equals that entered in the first counter, and the comparator again energizes the scanner.

Abstract: A disc mounting and centering device, for use in a disc file employing removable, flexible rotary discs comprises guides 52 for locating a disc 40 such that a central and circular locating hole 48 in the disc 40 is approximately parallel planar and coaxial with a circular recess 12 of substantially the same diameter as the hole 48, set in the flat top of a rotating cylindrical spindle 10, a frusto conical expandable shell 20 for insertion through the hole 48 into the recess 12 having a largest, unexpanded diameter less than that of the hole 48, a lip 22 at the largest diameter end of the shell 20, of greater diameter than the hole for engaging the disc 40 with the spindle 10 as the shell 20 enters the recess, and a frusto conical expander 30 for insertion into the shell 20 firstly to expand the shell 20 until it is constrained by the recess 12 and secondly, by applying axial force in excess of that required to expand the shell 20 for pressing the lip 22 against the spindle 10, with said excess force to clamp

Abstract: A color-copier resistant document is disclosed which includes a repeated invalidating phrase printed on a document, together with a background tone. In addition to having an overlay camouflage tone printed over the entire surface of the document, each of the invalidating images is formed of irregular, smooth-shaped letters which further advance their hiding characteristics. Overall sizes are suggested for the use of the invalidating word VOID, and stroke sizes for each of the letters are also disclosed.

Abstract: A laser optical system including a reading beam for reading optical data recorded in one or more tracks of a rotating disk optical recording medium. The disk includes a plurality of preformatted headers spaced along the track wherein each header includes a plurality of spaced focusing optical holes having dimensions chosen based on the diameter of the focused laser beam spot. Traversal of these optical holes by the reading beam produces a reflected beam which varies in a manner dependent upon the quality of focusing of the beam. Peak detection circuitry responsive to this reflected beam is used to produce a high gain focusing signal which is combined with a low gain, high capture range focusing signal provided by a geometric focus detector to derive a precise, offset-free focusing control signal which is applied to a focusing motor to main precise focusing of the beam on the disk.

Abstract: An apparatus in a microprogrammed digital data processing system is disclosed for reducing the time to select, from a plurality of available system condition signals in the system, one system condition signal to be tested during the performance of a microinstruction. The operation code portion of a new macroinstruction word is used to address a memory to output an associated one of a plurality of stored preselected signal patterns. In response to the outputted signal pattern, a first selection circuit preselects a set of system condition signals from the plurality of available system condition signals. A second selection circuit is responsive to a control signal provided by each microinstruction of the instruction for selecting a particular one of the set of system condition signals to be tested.