Abstract: A programmable microfiche duplicator and sorter apparatus is provided, including control means which operate in accordance with input data received from a teletype or other remote input peripheral, or from a code carried by the master film. The input data is stored in memory and defines the number of copies to be made, the sorter mode and the sorter start position for collation operations.

Abstract: A secure property device utilizing radiant energy reflectors applied to a magnetic data member is provided in which the diffusivity of reflections from the reflectors is enhanced by means of a polymeric diffuser which is chemically and optically compatible with the reflectors and with the magnetic data member to which it is applied.

Abstract: A lithographic ink and moisture control system is provided for maintaining copy quality over a wide range of operating and environmental conditions without special operator assistance. The control system, among other things, momentarily increases the moisture feed rate each time ink is added to the system to maintain a substantially constant ink/moisture balance at the master, particularly under high coverage conditions.

Abstract: A cap assembly is provided for use with a container for storing and supplying aqueous ammonia to a diazo type copying machine. The cap assembly comprises a closure member mounted on the container and a key device associated with free ends of an ammonia feed tube and a drain tube connecting the container to a developer system of the copying machine. The closure member includes a feed outlet to permit ammonia flow from the container to the feed tube and a drain outlet to permit ammonia flow from the drain tube to the container. The closure member also includes a seal adapted for selective actuation by the key device between a first position for closing the feed and the drain outlets to prevent ammonia flow and a second position for opening the outlets to permit ammonia flow.

Abstract: A moisture control feed system of the bare-back type in which there is in nip-contact with a moisture transfer roll and the moisture transfer roll is driven solely by the shear resistance offered by the intervening layers at the nip of the ink and the moisture. The system includes an ink reservoir that simulates an oleophilic image in the form of a narrow strip extending transverse the direction of rotation of the master cylinder and is located outside the master retention area to supply ink to the oleophilic moisture form roll. The simulated image maintains the proper ink layer thickness on the oleophilic moisture form roll and the ink quality to assure proper rotational speed control of the transfer roll.

Abstract: An apparatus is described for detecting minutiae in a two-dimensional binary image. In a preferred embodiment a two-dimensional binary data bit stream of an image is enhanced in an enhancement circuit by pore-fill and line-thin operations. The enhanced binary data bit stream is then applied in parallel to first and second detectors which detect minutiae and extract the X, Y and .theta. coordinates of each minutiae detected in the enhanced binary data bit stream.

Abstract: A system for detecting one or more keywords in continuous speech is disclosed wherein a speech processor extracts a plurality of analog speech parameters from the input continuous speech, an STV (Spectral Time Vector) generator circuit selectively converts the plurality of analog speech parameters into digitized spectral parameters, an asynchronous correlation circuit continuously correlates sequences of the digitized spectral parameters with stored reference mask templates representative of subelements (dyads or triads) of one or more desired keywords in order to produce continuous correlation data, and a decision function circuit is responsive to the correlation data for developing an occurrence decision output for each desired keyword that is detected.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an electrostatically supported ball type gyroscope pickoff system for determining the attitude (i.e., angular orientation) of the ball spin axis relative to the gyroscope case for any arbitrary attitude. The gyroscope case is provided with a set of electrostatic electrodes arrayed in three-dimensional space. A levitating electric field is maintained between the ball and the electrodes. The ball is so constructed as to be unbalanced about its spin axis. Under such conditions, as the ball spins, it orbits, and its surface alternately advances towards and recedes from any given electrode at the spin frequency, producing a field modulation signal. The phase pattern of the modulation signals at the several electrodes is a unique function of the attitude of the spin axis relative to the electrodes. Means are provided for processing the modulation signals so as to determine the attitude of the ball.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for generating a non-oscillating torque wherein a magnetic induction torquer having a first coil for clockwise torque and a second coil for counter-clockwise torque is utilized. The coils are selectively driven from a constant current source by way of an assembly of switches and associated precision dummy load impedances. A control circuit is driven by a torque command signal and a clock signal to selectively apply a plurality of control signals to the assembly of switches to cause current pulses to be directed to the appropriate coil or coils of the torquer in order to produce the commanded torque with no oscillating component in the resultant torque.

Abstract: Noise such as hum (whose components are self-correlated over a long time-interval) is estimated (separated) from Signal such as speech (whose components are self-correlated only over a short time-interval) by using a time-domain transversal filter, whose tap-weight coefficients may be fixed (Wiener filter) or variable (Adaptive filter). A combiner combines the estimated noise and original input signal to develop an output speech signal free of noise. The output speech may by further applied to a spectrum shaper to restore a natural shape.

Abstract: A speech analyzer and synthesizer features a digital adaptive linear predictor, using a recursive (rather than transversal) filter in a negative feedback loop which develops both feedforward and feedback filter coefficients. An input circuit is responsive to an input speech signal and to a first synthesized speech signal for developing an error signal. An output circuit is responsive to the error signal and to first state signals for developing multiplexed speech data signals. The multiplexed speech data signals are fed back, demultiplexed and applied to a first recursive filter to control the development of the first synthesized speech signal and the first state signals by the first recursive filter. The multiplexed speech data signals from the output circuit are also transmitted to a receiver which demultiplexes and applies the demultiplexed received speech data signals to a second recursive filter to control the development of a second synthesized speech signal by the second recursive filter.

Abstract: An adaptive recursive filter is disclosed which, in a preferred embodiment, comprises first and second adaptive transversal filters selectively coupled together to minimize the mean square error of the output data of the recursive filter based upon observations of input data to the recursive filter. Each transversal filter includes a tapped delay line with a variable weight on each tap. The output data of the recursive filter is developed by combining the outputs of the first and second transversal filters. The input data is applied to the first transversal filter, while the output data is applied to the second transversal filter. The output data is also combined with a reference signal to provide an error signal. A function of that error signal is utilized to update the weights of all of the taps in both transversal filters in order to cause the weights to automatically adapt themselves to minimize the mean square error of the output data of the recursive filter.

Abstract: A system for enhancing a binary data bit stream derived from a two-dimensional pattern image wherein, in a preferred embodiment, each data bit in the bit stream and a preselected group of bits associated therewith are sequentially stored in a first location and in associated preselected locations, respectively, of a storage circuit of a first enhancement stage. The bits associated with each data bit are utilized as an address to cause a read only memory to develop a decision bit as a function of the address. A gating circuit develops an output bit in response to each data bit and its associated decision bit. The sequence of output bits forms an enhanced data bit stream which appears at the output of the first enhancement stage for further application to one or more additional cascaded enhancement stages.

Abstract: An improved electrostatic gyro system wherein, for each of the axes of suspension of a rotor, pickoff electronics are responsive to electrode pickoff signals for developing combined mass unbalance modulation (MUM) and servo signals from which a MUM signal reconstruction circuit demodulates and reconstructs only the MUM signal. The reconstructed MUM signal is then subtracted in servo suspension electronics from the combined MUM and servo signals to substantially develop only the servo signal containing only rotor displacement information. This servo signal is then fed to a servo network which does not require a notch filter. The output of the servo network is then developed into force signals to enable an associated pair of plate charge amplifiers to electrostatically suspend the rotor properly between an associated pair of electrodes.

Abstract: An elastomeric post array mounting structure for mounting any suitable dimensionally critical or precision instrument so as to minimize the transmission of detrimental external stresses to dimensionally critical parts of the instrument where, in a preferred embodiment, an array of elastomeric posts are attached at first ends to a surface of a rigid support section and at second ends to a mateable surface of the instrument being mounted.