Abstract: An induction motor is operated at a high electrical efficiency level by employing a line current peak detector in conjunction with an electronic phase angle controller and a microprocessor system controller. If the line current peaks remain substantially constant the phase angle controller increases a phase gap in the applied line voltage to a width incrementally greater than a full-load value, at which point the line current peak value increases substantially. The increase in line current peak value is sensed by the line current peak detector and a signal is transmitted to the microprocessor system controller which in turn automatically adjusts the control input to the phase angle controller in order to incrementally decrease the existing phase gap in the output of the phase angle controller. Varying mechanical loads are therefore automatically accommodated while keeping the motor running efficiently.

Abstract: A data processing system having execution units for executing instruction sequences determines at least two conditionals in accordance with the instructions and sets respective flags according to the determined conditionals. These flags are stored and later retrieved sequentially and the execution unit executes selected instructions of the instruction sequence according to the sequentially retrieved mask flags. These masked flags may be stored sequentially in a stack for sequential retrieval at a later time.

Abstract: A portable, self-contained and compact load bank of wire wound resistors utilizes wire wound resistors which are air cooled by a fan mounted in a venturi wherein the load resistors may dissipate power at up to six times their power rating. Current flow through the resistors is controlled by a transistor bank and portions of the resistors may be shorted out through taps connected to SCR's, with both the SCR's and the transistors being controlled by a microprocessor. The load bank is fully automatic, and because of highly effective air cooling, minimization of air flow resistance and use of edge wound resistors, the load bank is highly portable due both to its compact size enabling travel through normal passageways and its reduced weight. Both the microcontroller circuitry and the resistive load dissipation circuitry are contained within the same unit and are electrically isolated from each other by optical isolators.

Abstract: The inventive method for indicating the level of buffer fullness of a data receiving device may be applied to editing processes and to general synchronization problems including problems involving clocks running at different speeds. The method of the present invention includes embedding into a transmitted bit stream a signal representing the fullness of the buffer of the receiving device, as calculated by the transmitting device. Thus, the bit stream received by the receiving device periodically includes a signal that indicates how full the transmitter model predicts the receiving buffer is. The receiving device applies a model decoder algorithm to the received bit stream and determines how full the buffer should be at different points for comparison with the periodic indicators.

Abstract: A single-instruction multiple-data video signal processor employs a dual-ported local memory architecture in each local memory including a dedicated port for transfers between the local memory and a global memory. A block transfer controller, in combination with the dedicated port, permit each access to the global memory by a datapath processor to be overlapped with its instruction processing, thus usually avoiding stalling of the video signal processor.

Abstract: A device for dequantizing signals is provided in which two hardware operations are generated. The first hardware operation generates a signal representative of a binary function s(a,b) wherein the input signal b is shifted, incremented and decremented to provide signals 2b+1, 2b and 2b-1. A selector selects the first of these signals when a is positive, the second when a is zero, and the third when a is negative. The second signal generated is representative of a unary function t(c). In this function signal c is incremented and decremented to provide signals c-1, c and c+1. A selector selects the first of these signals when c is positive, the second when c is zero, and the third when c is negative. The selected signal in the unary operation is applied to a further selector which also receives signal c as an input. One of the two signals applied to the further selector is selected according to whether signal c is odd or even.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing visual data includes a first video random access memory (VRAM) for storing a first bit plane of visual data in a first format. A graphics controller is coupled to the first VRAM by a data bus and a storage bus. The apparatus is capable of receiving at least a second VRAM for storing at least a second bit plane of visual data in at least a second format different from the first format. The received VRAMs are coupled to the graphics controller by data and storage busses. The visual data stored on the VRAMs are merged into a pixel stream which is then converted to analog form by a digital to analog converter. Data transfer addresses are generated for each of the VRAMs simultaneously, sequentially or in overlapping timed relationship.

Abstract: A request arbitration device is provided for prioritizing requests in a data processing system. A series of requests may arrive at the arbitration device at differing arrival times. The requests are accumulated to form a set of requests which is applied to a priority decode without any information on their relative arrival times. The priority device applies a fixed predetermined priority scheme to these requests. Simultaneously with the prioritizing of the first set of requests by the priority decode, a second set of requests may arrive at different arrival times. The requests of this second set of requests are likewise accumulated by the arbitration logic of a present invention. When arbitration of the first set of requests is complete, the second set of requests is then applied to the priority decode, again without any information with respect to their relative arrival times. The second set of requests is prioritized according to the same fixed predetermined priority scheme as the first set.

Abstract: A method is provided for performing motion estimation in a system having a test image and a plurality of candidate images. A candidate image is selected and the difference between the test image and the selected candidate image is determined. The motion of an image is estimated according to this differencing and a determination is made of the duration of the motion estimation process in the system of the present invention. The candidate image selection, the differencing and the motion estimation are then repeated according to the duration determination. The duration determination may be a determination of a time duration or a determination of a number of machine cycles. The system is adapted to iteratively decrease a measurement of the error between the test image and selected candidate images as these actions are repeated. When the error stops decreasing and begins increasing the assumption is made in the system of the present invention that a best match has been determined.

Abstract: Optical waveguide devices have improved barrier properties after having been coated with silicon dioxide doped with certain metals.

Abstract: An elongated object in need of tapering at an end thereof is secured by holder means which comprises a ball bearing that rotates the elongated object and the holder means together by means of contact with a rotating grooved ring disposed upon a rotating polishing surface, wherein the rotating ring and the holder means are restrained from translational motion by a guiding means.

Abstract: This invention relates to various compositions, comprising a 2-acetylprid thiosemicarbazone and a diol, which are useful in the treatment of viral infections.

Abstract: This invention relates to the use of various 2-acetylpyridine thiosemicarbazones which are substituted on the 4-nitrogen atom in the treatment of viral infections. Also disclosed are several synthetic procedures used to prepare the thiosemicarbazones.

Abstract: A well conduit caliper tool which simultaneously measures the remaining wall thickness of a well conduit in situ and the minimum inside diameter of such conduit. A caliper feeler arm element which extends out the furthermost distance from the caliper tool activates a sensing element that produces the indication of remaining conduit wall thickness. Another caliper feeler arm element which extends out the least distance from the caliper tool activates another sensing element that produces the indication of the minimum inside diameter. At the earth's surface these indications are recorded on a continuous strip chart or log as the variation of such respective diameters through the interval of conduit measured by the caliper tool. Mechanical linkage wear compensation and linear mechanical movement through the linkage between the feeler arm elements and the sensing elements are provided.

Abstract: A tool for testing earth formations in bore-holes provides a failsafe function for retracting the sealing pad of the formation isolation device, in the form of elements operable in response to failure of down-hole power supply for the tool to effect release of hydraulic setting pressure on the seal pad. The tool further provides a formation mini-sample chamber of variable volume with elements permitting aboveground monitoring and control of same independently of any other tool function. The mini-sample chamber control device also controls the operation of a formation fluid sample flow line valve. The tool is divided into upper and lower pivotable sections to alleviate the problem of becoming differentially stuck. A unique pivot structure incorporating sample chamber seal valve assembly, is provided. A unique sand screen device is provided to permit the tool to function when working with unconsolidated formations.

Abstract: A novel array of vertically and horizontally spaced hydrophones is shown which is capable of high ratio of desired signal to noise because of good directional sensitivity when used with any seismic source. Alternatively, a novel directionally sensitive array of vertically and horizontally spaced seismic sources is disclosed for use in seismic surveying with any spread of hydrophones or geophones, again attaining a high ratio of desired signal to noise. A reception pattern (in the first case) and a radiation pattern (in the second place) is produced which essentially eliminates reception or radiation at all frequencies except for waves within a predetermined angle with respect to the array. The sensitivity is essentially constant within such angle for all frequencies and essentially zero outside it.

Abstract: Downhole variations in wireline cable tension are substantially reduced for offshore exploration by means of an auxiliary cable tensioning system preferably installed at the ocean floor wellhead. Part of the lifting force applied to a wireline cable is provided by the wireline stabilization tool at the wellhead so that fluctuations in wireline tension above the wellhead caused by ocean disturbances on the floating platform will be effectively filtered out and isolated from the main cable downhole from the wellhead. This downhole isolation is achieved with a moving wireline as well as with a stationary cable.

Abstract: In the course of completing a production well in a heavy oil or tar sand reservoir arranged for frontal displacement, thermal drive from at least one injection well, the well is divided into separate, non-communicating lower and upper zones. The lower is connected with the reservoir by perforations; the upper by a large gravel packed zone and preferably a sand screen.The completion process involves starting a local combustion drive adjacent to the bottom of the well by injecting compressed air through the perforations while preventing upward migration of the combustion zone in the vicinity of the well by injection of water or dilute aqueous soap solution through the screen and gravel packed zone. After a suitable time, generally of the order of a month or less, air injection is stopped. Production is started through the screen (no workover or killing operation needed).

Abstract: We have found it possible to investigate subsurface formations in the expectation of locating promising gas fields by a unique refraction seismic technique. Basically one carries out a two-way seismic refraction profile for a fixed spread of geophones and explosions (or equivalent impulse sources) beyond the critical reflection range for shallow refractors, but still rather close to the spread. Then without moving the spread, reproducible records are also made for a two-way seismic refraction profile with the explosions or equivalent sources spaced as far away as convenient, so the refraction paths to the detector groups in the spread is up-going to the detectors for the maximum thickness of beds intervening between the refractor and the group of geophones.

Abstract: A gravity gradiometer using at least one mass dipole mounted in a laser force-measurement system to detect the torque on the mass dipole generated by gravity gradient. The mass dipole is mounted on one end of a photoelastic modulator element positioned in the laser beam to differentially modulate circular polarization modes in response to application of a torque. In a preferred form, two mass dipoles are mounted on opposite ends of the modulator element which is rigidly supported at its center to improve noise rejection.