Abstract: An optical fiber tap or coupler in which optical energy is extracted from or coupled into an optical fiber via a bent section of the fiber and in which compression means is provided for applying a compression force along the fiber including along at least the radially outermost portion of the bent section to reduce the likelihood of fracture.

Abstract: A cable for supplying power to electrical equipment is adapted to also provide security for the equipment by being formed to have a first state when it is connected to the equipment and a second state when it is disconnected from the equipment, whereby detection of the states of the cable permit detection of removal of the equipment which can then be communicated through repair AC power lines to a central station.

Abstract: An interconnecting apparatus for a subscriber premises which allows the DC battery providing sealing current to the tip and ring telephone lines serving the premises to be used as a backup battery for a subscriber terminal and which allows the supply serving the subscriber terminal to be used to charge the central office battery and provide sealing current when the latter battery is low.

Abstract: A practice for producing a halftone reproduction wherein a predetermined screen function is used to process the gray levels of the scanned original and wherein the halftone reproduction is made capable of exhibiting gray levels over the entire gray tone range of 0 (black) to 255 (white) by selecting the screen frequency in the screen direction so as to result in a screen frequency in the print direction which is other than a sub-multiple of the print frequency.

Abstract: Reproduction of an original containing screened artwork is accomplished by selecting the scanning frequency to have a predetermined relationship to the screen frequency of the artwork and by utilizing adaptive thresholding methodology to convert the scanned digital signals to processed binary signals which are such as to result in the average gray levels over corresponding arrays of binary signals and digital signals being approximately equal.

Abstract: A handset for use with a key pad wherein the body of the handset is provided with one or more apertures which are adapted to permit access to one or more keys of the key pad when the handset is brought to a position proximate to the key pad.

Abstract: A method and system for reproducing halftone originals utilizing threshold gray level values of the scanned pixels of the halftone original to determine adjacent pairs of pixels bordering the edges of the halftone dots. Edge errors for the adjacent pairs of pixels are determined using the scanned gray level values and a threshold value. A processing window defines sub-arrays of pixels whose thresholded gray level values are processed based on the edge errors. For each sub-array, the edge errors of the adjacent pairs of pixels are summed. The thresholded values of the adjacent pairs of pixels are then selectively changed in the order of pixel pairs of descending edge error until the number of values changed equals the closest integer to the summed edge error.

Abstract: A keyboard is adapted for entry of graphical information into a computer by providing the keyboard with an extended, two dimensional member situated in overlapping relationship with at least one of the keys of the keyboard and which is adapted to generate for storage and display by the computer a signal designating a position on the member.

Abstract: Copper leads having an average grain size from 0.035 to 0.055 mm are thermocompression bonded to a metallized portion of a ceramic substrate. Surprisingly, such large grain size substantially decreases the "ceramic pullout" of the bonded leads.