Abstract: A consumable flash tube for encapsulating igniter material in the propellant beds of propelling charges or rocket motors. The flash tube is constructed of a combustible, plastic material such as cellulose nitrate plastic or ethyl cellulose plastic. The combustible material is furnished with a filler of electrical charge dissipating material which renders the flash tube conductive. The conductive flash tube functions as an environmental housing and additionally as a grounded electrical conductor or Faraday shield so as to bleed off any inadvertent electrical charge presented to the flash tube and thus limit the charge transferred to the igniter material. Formation of the flash tube is by continuous extrusion of a mixture of the plastic material and electrical charge dissipating material into the shape of a hollow tube. After curing of the extruded tube, one end of the tube is flared to allow joining of the tube to a primer after the igniter material is positioned in the flash tube.

Abstract: Voltage level translators are presented, inter alia, for operating an operational amplifier integrated circuit designed for operation with a single ended power supply, to operate with a split level power supply having a center tapped ground. A first polarity power supply terminal of a operational amplifier integrated circuit is coupled to a first polarity of the of the split level power supply, and a second polarity power supply terminal of the operational amplifier integrated circuit is coupled to a second polarity of the power supply, with a positive signal input terminal of the operational amplifier being coupled to a center tapped ground of the split level power supply.

Abstract: A device and a method are disclosed for obtaining a corrected servo control signal in a servo control loop take in account a dynamic behavior of the servo control signal to calculate a new threshold for this signal. If the servo control signal for any reason goes beyond the extremum then it is corrected by replacing it with the value of the threshold. Depending on the difference between the servo control signal and the threshold the new threshold may be greater or smaller than the previous threshold value. The threshold may be a maximum or a minimum thus limiting the servo control in its maximum or in its minimum value.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for reading from or writing to recording media in disc form which has an unbalance compensation means. The object of the invention is to propose a device of this type which has the smallest possible unbalance even when exchangeable recording media are used. This object is achieved according to the invention by virtue of the fact that the unbalance compensation means is a centrifugal force generation means which generates a centrifugal force which is variable during operation. According to another aspect of the present invention, provision is made for the unbalance compensation means to be a positioning means for positioning the recording medium. The field of application of the invention includes, inter alia, devices for reading from and/or writing to optical recording media such as CD, CD-ROM, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM and the like.

Abstract: A device for reading from or writing to optical recording media comprising a scanning beam generation means, a focusing means and a photodetector comprising at least two detector zones and serving to receive zeroth- and first-order diffraction beams from the recording medium. The object of the invention is to obtain a reduction in interfering influences in a signal derived from signals of the photodetector, a signal such as, for example, a focus error signal or a track error signal. This object is achieved by virtue of the fact that a beam splitting means is provided, which splits a light spot falling onto the photodetector into two separate partial spots. The device is, for example, a CD or DVD player, but in particular a recording and reproduction device for so-called DVD-RAMs or similar optical recording media.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for reading from and/or writing to optical recording media having a scanner for scanning the recording medium, a coarse drive for moving the scanner relative to the recording medium and a measuring device for determining the travel of the scanner. The object of the present invention is to propose an apparatus of this type in which it is possible to determine the position of the scanner as exactly as possible, the intention being for this to be ensured even in the event of a high movement speed or acceleration. This is achieved according to the invention by virtue of the fact that the measuring device has an optical interference generating means and an optical interference detection means. The invention is particularly advantageous for apparatuses which require rapid access to extremely diverse locations on the recording medium, as is the case with apparatuses appertaining to optical data storage, for example CD-ROM or DVD-ROM apparatuses.

Abstract: For the purpose of spatial reproduction of an audio signal, the latter must be projected onto the positions of the existing loudspeakers. It is desirable in this case not to have to be fixed on a specific loudspeaker configuration for transmitting the audio signal. However, a problem here is that a multiplicity of possible combinations exists. In the method according to the invention, the sound sources (3) are interpreted as acoustic objects for the purpose of projecting them onto an arbitrary loudspeaker configuration (2). Here, an acoustic object consists in that in addition to the audio signal a sound source is assigned an item of spatial information which specifies a virtual, spatial position of the sound source. In order to reproduce an acoustic object, the spatial information of the sound source and the actual position of a loudspeaker are used to calculate the virtual distance from the sound source via the loudspeaker to the hearer (1).

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for emitting and/or receiving electromagnetic waves comprising a lens bringing a plurality of directions defined by the radiation space of the lens into correspondence with a plurality of focusing points defining a focusing surface of the lens, the lens comprising a shaped volume of dielectric material. According to the invention, the dielectric material comprises a granular agglomerate defined by a homogeneous or quasi-homogeneous distribution of granules of the same type and of small size with respect to the wavelength (&lgr;R, &lgr;T) of the electromagnetic waves to be received and/or emitted by the said device, the said granules being held under pressure in the said volume by holding means shaped according to the said volume. The invention also relates to a communications terminal comprising a device according to the invention.

Abstract: An apparatus for minimizing sound vibrations in a television cabinet is disclosed. Specifically, the apparatus reduces the amount of vibrations generated by a loudspeaker that are transmitted into a television cabinet while maximizing sound energy transmitted from the cabinet. The apparatus includes an enclosure pod for accommodating at least one loudspeaker that is mounted in the television cabinet using vibration reducing devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for reading from and/or writing to an optical recording medium, which has a data track having a first area, which is provided for markings arranged centerd with respect to the center of the data track, and at least one further area, which is provided for markings arranged laterally offset with regard to the center of the data track. Corresponding devices have detection means, track error detector, signal shaping means, and correction signal generation means. The object of the present invention is to propose a device of the generic type in which an accurate correction signal for the track error signal can be obtained without a high outlay, and also a method for generating a corresponding correction signal. This object is achieved according to the invention by the fact that the signal shaping means has an averaging unit, whose output is connected to an input of the correction signal generation means.

Abstract: A shielded modular tuner is horizontally mounted onto a chassis printed circuit board and is provided, through an aperture in the shield, with lead connections from the edge of the tuner printed circuit board to the chassis printed circuit board, for power supply, control signals, outputting a processed signal, etc. The RF signal is coupled to the tuner via a conductive pin/lead extending from an RF signal conducting path on the chassis printed circuit board, passing through a second aperture in the shield, directly to the point on the tuner printed circuit board where the signal is to be inputted for tuner processing. In this way, the RF signal is injected directly into the tuner precisely where it is needed without being led along a longer and possibly meandering path from the edge of the tuner printed circuit board, and without a shielded coaxial cable and accompanying connectors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for reading and/or writing data markings of an optical recording medium having data markings arranged along a track and header markings arranged laterally offset with respect to the center of this track. The apparatus has a signal conditioner, a header identification unit and a switch unit driven by the latter. The object of the invention is to enable data and header markings to be read out with the lowest possible error rate. For this purpose, the apparatus according to the invention has a threshold value forming unit and a storage unit with at least two storage locations, in which case, by means of the switching unit, the input of the storage unit can be connected to the output of the threshold value forming unit and the output of the said storage unit can be connected to a threshold value input of the signal conditioner. The apparatus according to the invention is suitable for reading from or writing to optical recording media such as a DVD-RAM, for example.

Abstract: Recording or reproducing unit for a plate-shaped information medium including an improved autobalancer for compensating an unbalance. The autobalancer for compensating an unbalance is arranged in the hold-down for a plate-shaped information medium at a diameter greater than an inside scanning diameter, required for scanning, of the information medium and is formed by at least one disc in a circularly running groove forming the means for compensating an unbalance.

Abstract: A method for controlling a phase relation between a head drum and a tape feed system, of a type wherein digital picture data is subdivided into blocks having an assigned pointer value each and wherein the pointer values define which part of the picture the block of picture data represents includes the steps of: incrementing or decrementing a location in a measured value with a corresponding pointer value with corresponding data block in a reproduced data stream, monitoring the content of the locations in the measured value store after a certain amount of reproducing time by means of determining the distance between pointer value regions which have been reproduced more often than the regions in-between, thereby taking into account the difference in reproducing frequency between the more often reproduced regions and the more seldom reproduced regions according to the measured value store entries, and determining a phase correction value for the control of the phase relation between the head drum and the tape fe

Abstract: An optical scanning device having an improved response characteristic, for use in an apparatus for optically reading or writing information in one or more tracks on a recording medium. The object of the invention is to provide an optical scanning device which, without any electronic compensation means, very largely avoids resonance peaks and has an improved response characteristic. According to the invention, this object is achieved by a retaining plate which supports the objective lens of the scanning device via bearing elements and has at least one cutout, which separates the mounting points, in the surface which holds the bearing elements for the objective lens holder. The field of application of the invention is optical scanning devices having an improved response characteristic for use in equipment for reading or writing information on an optical recording medium, such as a CD, DVD, a CD or DVD which can be written to, or else a magneto-optical recording medium, for example.

Abstract: An integrated circuit heat dissipator is comprised of a unitary piece of metallic material for dissipating thermal energy generated by semiconductor devices encapsulated in a DIP integrated circuit package. The heat dissipator is adapted to accept heat conducting pins of the integrated circuit. Soldering secures the heat dissipator and the integrated circuit heat conducting pins to each other and to the printed circuit board. A bulk mass of heat conducting solder is retained at the connection of the heat dissipator and the heat conducting pins for enhancing the heat sinking of the pins by the heat dissipator.

Abstract: A method and device in which only a single symbol is required for synchronization, and which permits the detection of appreciable deviations from the normal receiver oscillator frequency or of a deviation of the transmitter frequency from the given frequency pattern, and the correction of the oscillator frequency. The invention further includes an evaluation method for the signal which contains a multiplicity of modulated carriers. In a decoder, additional sequences are evaluated after demodulation and differential reconversion by means of a correlation.

Abstract: A VCXO having reduced PWM effects includes an inverter (U1) having a DC feedback path (Rf) for biasing the inverter to a linear operating range and having an AC feedback path (40) for causing oscillations to occur and for varying the frequency of said oscillations in accordance with a frequency control bias voltage, Vbias. The AC feedback path includes a tank circuit (28) comprising a crystal (X1) having a first plate (22) coupled to an output (2) of the inverter via a source resistance (Rx), coupled to a source of reference potential via a varactor diode (D1) and coupled to a source (R1,T2) of the bias voltage (Vbias). The crystal (X1) has a second plate (24) coupled to an input of the inverter and coupled to the source of reference potential via a capacitor (C2) of fixed value. The source resistance is of a relatively high value selected to substantially attenuate the bias voltage whereby both the input and the output terminals of the inverter are effectively isolated from the bias voltage source.