Abstract: A modular power system for use with a digital computer is disclosed. The following major components of the power system are mounted in a convenient removable module, with at least one module for each required power output level: a pass transistor, a power transformer, a rectifier/filter, and a feedback circuit which controls the pulse width of the pass transistor. The modules contain air channels surrounding the pass transistor, for introducing cooling air via an air duct (manifold), so that the pass transistor is efficiently cooled. The need for potentiometers is abrogated by using a precision voltage reference in the feedback circuit to derive output voltages. The modules can also be used in a battery backed-up power system, in which a power system controller monitors and controls the inputs and outputs of the modules and other major components in the system in the case of line power failure.

Abstract: A document processing system including a control structure having separated supervisory and document functions. The document functions, including a document buffer and document access control means are the sole means for accessing documents and the document function routines are selected from predetermined library of such routines. The system includes a flexible, expandable document structure incorporating information item blocks and indexing blocks related through pointers and means for applying visual and informational attributes to document text.

Abstract: Speech signal data compression is improved by a first compression using Time Domain Harmonic Scaling (TDHS), wherein two periods of voiced data are averaged together, followed by a second compression using Continuously Variable Slope Delta Modulation (CVSD). Pitch period detection and sampling-rate conversion are also features of the invention.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for data compression in a digital imaging process is disclosed. More specifically a method is disclosed whereby a more efficient reduction of memory space is obtained when a dithered image is of the so called "grey scale" type. The binary bits representing the pixels of the dithered image are differentiated to obtain groups of ones or zeros, so that these groups may be represented by a code, thereby saving memory space. One embodiment uses the Exclusive OR function in the differentiation process.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for compressing binary numbers to be stored in a memory. A first number to be stored is first determined to be in one of several bit size ranges, and depending on the bit size range a fixed value number is subtracted from the first number. A second number resulting from the subtraction process has two binary bits are prefixed thereto and the combination is stored in memory. The two binary bit prefix identifies the particular bit size range and thereby the fixed value number originally subtracted from the first number. On reading out the second number with two bit prefix, the fixed value number identified by the two bit prefix is added back to the second number to get the first number. The combination of the second number plus two bit prefix has fewer total bits than the first number thus achieving compression of the first number.

Abstract: A combined grounding and strain relief clamp for shielded, jacketed flat cables includes an elongated housing having a truncated wedge-shaped cavity with large and narrow apertures for passing a flat electrical cable therethrough. The clamp further includes a pair of metallic wedge plates for insertion into the large aperture of the cavity with a cable passing therebetween. The wedge members are positioned above and below the cable, between the shield and jacket, the housing is fitted over the wedge plates, and the clamp is mounted on a grounding, extending the cable shield through the grounding panel. Forces between the wedge plates and the sloped cavity walls simultaneously ground the cable shield the mounting panel, while providing high degree of clamping force to jacket.

Abstract: A power switching means for connecting a power source to a digital data processing system. The switching means includes a power switch for connecting the power source to the system and two control switches. A first control switch determines whether system power is to be turned on or off and is responsive to a turn-on selection signal to provide an initial turn-on signal to the power switch if a power turn-on is to be performed. The second control switch is responsive to a power turn-on/turn-off initialization signal to initiate and control the turn-on and turn-off operations. The second control switch is responsive to the initialization signals at power turn-on to enable the first control switch to be responsive to a power-on selection signal to provide the initial turn-on signal to the power switch.

Abstract: A dictation and editing system includes microphone and keyboard inputs to a programmed computer system. The author may control the selection and entry of microphone and keyboard inputs for storage and display. Keyboard entries are displayed as alpha-numeric or other characters, while recorded speech is displayed simply as a sequence of box-like characters called voice token marks. Each token mark indicates 1 second of speech, and one line of marks represents 60 seconds of speech.

Abstract: A data signal is encoded as frequency modulation by selecting carrier sources of different phases in response to data signals and filtering the resultant wave to produce an output deviating from the carrier frequency for one signal time in response to a single shift of phase. A phasing switch stores a record of the last sent phase and a record of the parity value of the number of zeros sent. The selected phase is as last sent for a 0, advanced for a 1 when the zero parity is of one value, and retarded when the zero parity is of another value.

Abstract: Variable length data (e.g., for hospital patients) is embedded in a B-tree type index structure of a relational data base. A logically related inverted B-tree index is used to access the original index. Access time, and storage space for the inverted lists, are decreased by data compression techniques and by encoding certain inverted list parameters in sparse array bit maps.

Abstract: In a communication facility a masterstation initially directs a single inquiry signal to the aggregate of the operating stations and receives a response from this aggregate indicating by its structure which of the several individual stations currently needs service from the communication facility. Messages are thereafter exchanged between the masterstation and those stations only which need service to inform the masterstation as to the details of the needed service. The many message exchanges between the master station and individual stations needing nothing is eliminated.

Abstract: A management communication terminal is formed by integrating an electronic, raster scanning camera with a personal computer. The terminal has a keyboard, a Winchester disk drive, a telecommunication controller, a cathode ray tube monitor, and a thermographic, raster image printer. Two such terminals define an office information system for the exchange of information produced at the keyboards and by the cameras. In each terminal, the coded data generated at the keyboard and the raster image data generated by the camera are temporarily stored in separate data buffers and from there are routed to the monitor, the printer and disk storage. The monitor and printer are able to display and print respectively, images created from the keyboard data, the camera data or a combination of the two. The camera data is compressed prior to storage and is reduced in resolution prior to application to the monitor.

Abstract: Automatic telephone answering equipment is disclosed which is associated with a telephone set connected to a switching system along with other telephone sets, and the answering equipment functions with central message recording equipment which is also connected to the switching system. Unanswered incoming calls originating from within or without the switching system are answered by the automatic answering equipment which then transfers the call to either another of the telephone sets or to the message recording equipment, as selected by the user of the answering equipment. When the call is transferred to the central message recording equipment the identity of the telephone set to which the call was directed is forwarded to the recording equipment. Only upon the calling party recording a message in the central message recording equipment, the recording equipment uses the called telephone set identity to call the originally called telephone set.

Abstract: A video scanning arrangement for scanning and digitizing documents, and having a scanner actuable to scan a document on a tablet beneath the scanner. The scanner is attached to a horizontal arm member which is in turn attached to and movable up and down a vertical support member which in turn is attached to the tablet. Two light arms are pivotally attached to the horizontal arm member and each light arm has a light source attached to its nonpivoting end. Each light arm is normally folded against the horizontal arm member for storage when the video scanning arrangement is not in use, and the light arms are extended to move the light sources away from the arm member when the video scanning arrangement is to be used. The light sources are energized to illuminate a document on the tablet when the scanner is actuated to scan a document.

Abstract: A reflective screen with a gradient of reflectivity is moved by a control handle outside a cabinet to display different parts of the screen through a window to a LED and a phototransistor. The changing of the light reflected by the screen from the LED to the phototransistor is used to control an electrical parameter, providing a low cost control device.

Abstract: A non-blocking exchange switch for communicating information samples between points, including a time slot interchange, a voice conferencing system and a network interchange. The time slot interchange includes an interchange memory having a single storage location associated with each point connected from the switch. A point address memory provides point addresses corresponding to points and associated interchange storage locations. A connection memory provides corresponding connection addresses corresponding to interchange storage locations associated with points with which a point is communicating. The voice conferencing system includes a conference memory means providing conference addresses corresponding to points in a conference connection, and a sample memory means for storing individual samples from corresponding points. A conference processor means provides corresponding conference samples to conference communicating points, each conference sample comprising a summation of individual samples.

Abstract: A reversible typing ribbon cartridge has two pairs of pinch roll pairs for moving the ribbon in the direct and inverted positions respectively. When the cartridge is off the typing machine both pinch pairs are engaged with the ribbon, but as the cartridge is installed, a rod penetrates into the cartridge and disengages the pinch pair in the following position while drives engage the ribbon spool and the pinch pair in the leading position.

Abstract: An improved technique is presented for organizing digitized information for storage in a relational type tree memory structure where the digitized information is broken up into blocks of a fixed byte size which are then stored throughout the memory. A header is utilized which identifies a text or image and details of how the image was digitized and compressed, to be used in reconstructing the image properly. We also utilize an index in which is the image or text identity but also in which is an index identifying the locations throughout memory at which the blocks containing the text or image information is stored. Each block has a header identifying what text or image information is stored in the block and having the address of any another block containing realsted information for the same text or image to thereby create a chaining between the blocks by which they may all be quickly located once a first block is located using the index.