Abstract: Sixty four regions are established on an image-sensed picture from a video camera, wherein evaluating values r.sub.ij, b.sub.ij and y.sub.ij are obtained by averaging color difference signals R-Y, B-Y and a luminance signal Y obtained from a video signal, respectively, over one field period for each region. When producing a gain control signal for each color difference signal, fuzzy inference is made on the basis of these evaluating values and a weighting amount for each color evaluating value for each region is determined. As a result of the weighting, the contribution degree of each color difference signal in a region, not including a light source color temperature axis on a color plane, is reduced to achieve good white balance adjustment.

Abstract: Vertical deflection circuitry for substantially eliminating rolling and bouncing in a video monitor, where, for example, the video monitor successively displays images produced by each of one of a plurality of non-synchronized video cameras and an incoming vertical synchronization (synch) signal to the monitor is merely a composite of the individual vertical synch signals generated by each of these cameras. Specifically, the vertical deflection circuitry generates the appropriate vertical sweep signal for a current one of these cameras from this composite synch signal so as to properly locate the corresponding video image generated by this camera on a display screen of the monitor.

Abstract: A covering and protector for a rain gutter prevents the gutter from becoming clogged with leaves or other debris. The covering protector is designed so that leaves (for example) and other debris which may clog the gutter can neither enter the gutter nor clog the protector, the openings in the protector which permit rain to pass into the gutter being vertically disposed. A unitary sheet includes an extended flat portion which does not contain any apertures therein which functions as a closed top portion for covering the open top of the existing gutter and which also serves to interfit under and between existing roofing materials (such as roof shingles) to provide for secure fastening to the roof as well as to provide an uninterrupted smooth path for rainwater to travel off the roof. The top portion is connected to an apertured portion containing a number of apertures each with a flap for directing rain into the surface of the gutter.

Abstract: A reproduction mode identification circuit (1) is responsive to a horizontal synchronizing signal and a color rotary pulse for identifying whether the reproduction state of a double azimuth 4 head system VTR is the search reproduction or not of the SP mode. The reproduction mode identification circuit (1) provides a mode identification signal in response to whether a half period of the color rotary pulse is greater or not than a predetermined value smaller than the vertical synchronizing period.

Abstract: Apparatus either for a specimen that is to be held in a jaw assembly of, for example, a dynamic thermal-mechanical testing system or for the jaw assembly itself wherein the specimen or jaw assembly, respectively, exhibits both self-resistive and self-inductive heating whenever a sufficiently large alternating (AC) electrical current is passed serially therethrough. In one embodiment, the specimen (200, 300) is fabricated from a material which undergoes self-resistive heating and in which suitable levels of eddy currents can be induced by and also includes an appropriately shaped heating section (205, 206; 305, 306) situated near each of two opposing ends thereof. In another embodiment, a metallic conductor (403, 403'; 503) is fabricated from a material which undergoes self-resistive heating, in which suitable levels of induced eddy currents can occur and which contains appropriately shaped and sized heating sections (406, 407; 406', 407'; 512, 512').

Abstract: A technique for in a thermo-dynamic material testing system for optically measuring changes in specimen size that occur during material testing. Specifically, a pair of jaws, one movable and one fixed, engage opposite ends of the test specimen and are controllably moved with respect to each other in order to impart a desired tensile or compressive force to the specimen. A fixed light source emits a planar light beam, typically collimated laser radiation, that is directed at the specimen by two mirrors mounted to the jaws and on one side of the specimen. One of these mirrors is secured to and moves with the moving jaw and directs the light beam toward the specimen along a transverse path; the other mirror is mounted to the fixed jaw. A fixed light receiver receives the light beam after it has passed over the specimen and has been reflected by a similar pair of mirrors mounted to the jaws but on the other side of the specimen.

Abstract: Apparatus for a dynamic thermal-mechanical material testing system that not only self-resistively heats and deforms a specimen, both under controlled conditions, but also substantially reduces adverse affects in specimen performance, such as magnetically induced motion and non-uniform specimen heating, that would otherwise result from magnetic fields which impinge upon the specimen and are caused by high heating currents flowing in the apparatus. This reduction is achieved by spatially locating high current carrying conductors used in the apparatus such that these conductors collectively generate substantially balanced, i.e. substantially equal, and opposite magnetic fields that effectively cancel each other out in a volumetric region in the apparatus which contains the specimen and particularly its work zone.

Abstract: An automatic bowling pin setting apparatus for setting pins in a given pattern upon a pin deck at the end of a bowling lane, said apparatus comprising a set up frame adapted to be moved up and down above the pin deck by means of racks and pinions meshing therewith, said racks being mounted on columns mounted laterally and in which frame pin bins are bearing-mounted according to said pattern for tilting movement between a horizontal pin pick-up position and a vertical pin put-down position, said apparatus further comprising an assembly of substantially horizontal conveyors for distributing the pins to the pin bins and an elevator for supplying the distribution conveyors with pins knocked down and removed from the pin deck by a sweep barrier, wherein the driving gears of the set up frame (10) and the sweep barrier (6) are separated and the set up frame motor (15) drives the pinions (13), the set up frame (10) being supported in its upward movement by air ram cylinders (17) and the sweep barrier (6) being so con

Abstract: A wearable-type glucose sensor for continuously or intermittently determining the glucose content comprises a short hollow fiber (2) to be positioned in the subcutaneous tissue. This hollow fiber is connected via tubes (3,4) with component parts (5 . . . 12) located outside the body, such as a measuring unit (11). When a perfusion fluid containing the enzyme glucose oxidase is passed through the hollow fiber, a subcutaneous dialysis will take place in which some glucose dissolves in the perfusion fluid through the wall of the hollow fiber. This glucose is completely oxidized by the oxygen dissolved in the perfusion fluid in the presence of the glucose oxidase. By means of the measuring unit the resultant amount of H.sub.2 O.sub.2 or, preferably, the employed amount of O.sub.2 is determined, both of which are a measure of the subcutaneous glucose concentration.

Abstract: A digital modulator includes a signal source for a digital baseband signal and a signal source for carrier phase information. The digital baseband signal is converted into amplitude information of an I phase, a Q phase, an I' phase and a Q' phase by a mapping circuit. The carrier phase information is converted into four phase information with phases shifted by shift registers to be out of phase by .pi./4 from each other. The digital modulator includes four ROM, each ROM outputting a multiplication result of the corresponding amplitude information and carrier signal based on the corresponding one of the four amplitude information as a higher order address and the corresponding one of the four phase information as a lower order address. These outputs are added to each other in a digital manner and then converted into an analog signal which is supplied as a modulated signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for tapping a fluid through a wall, comprising a vacuum source (24), a tapping head (1) provided at the front thereof with a circumferential seal (3) bounding a contact area, perforating means (4) to be brought into a position extending through the contact area, and at least one conduit (11, 111, and 211) communicating with the contact area for discharging air from the contact area enclosed by the seal (3) and for discharging fluid released. The invention provides an apparatus for easily and reliably tapping fluid that may be under excess pressure through a wall. In the contact area a reduced pressure can be generated by the vacuum source, resulting in that the tapping head is held against the wall and moreover no fluid can release into the atmosphere.

Abstract: A valve provided with sound-reducing means, which sound-reducing means comprise a porous member.

Abstract: A Bit Error Rate (BER) test arrangement, composed of two autonomous BER test systems, effects the full-duplex testing of a pair of co-located modems terminating a simulated transmission link by utilizing a single processor to control each independent BER test system and a buffer storage device, preferably a dual-port random access memory and a multiple access memory serving each of the test systems, to post information communicated between the controller processor and each of the test systems. This arrangement minimizes duplication of circuitry by assigning basically identical processing operations of the individual test systems to the single processor.

Abstract: A blinking set of displayed collinear elements alternating in color allows simple, rapid, and accurate determination of color misregistration or misconvergence in color television video displays and color television cameras. Operators can readily detect misconvergence due to a shift in a trend line of the collinear elements which is made quite noticeable by repeatedly switching between two patterns, thereby introducing an apparent blinking motion of the misaligned elements in displayed areas that are misconverged. The blinking motion can also be detected by automatic means, thereby eliminating the need for an operator.

Abstract: This machine consists of an impeller formed by a right prism with a minimum weight/volume ratio and which has an irregular hexagonal section, three sides of which are bigger than the other three, and with said hexagon's vertexes belonging to a single circumference. The second body of said machine is formed by an open cylindrical chamber, concentric to the impeller, with an angle of approximately 83 degrees.Its basic characteristic is its high performance in obtaining energy produced by minimum height waterfalls.

Abstract: A disposable liquid testing device using essentially a cup-shaped container, wherein the container is provided with an outer cup to be sealingly placed and axially fixed on the bottom part of the container. The outer cup can be put in at least two coplanar end positions relative to the container. The bottom of the container is provided with at least one liquid passage and at least one reagent is applied on the side of the bottom facing the outer cup. The bottom of the outer cup has at least one reservoir which is in register with the liquid passage in one end position of the outer cup and in register with the reagent in the other end position.

Abstract: In a digital VTR, supplied digital video information is separated into 0th to second stage data by an information separating circuit (300) employing a hierarchical coding method. The 0th stage data are subjected to processes such as error correction as main information capable of roughly forming video signals by themselves. The first and second stage data are subjected to error correction and the like as subinformation forming details of the image. The main information and the subinformation are recorded on a magnetic tape such that the main information is recorded at the central portion of each recording track and the subinformation is recorded on both outer side portions of the recording track. During high speed reproduction, at least the main information is reproduced from the magnetic tape and rough video information is formed based on the reproduced main information.

Abstract: A dedicated electronic flash unit for automatically varying flash spread based on camera-to-subject distance. Specifically, in one embodiment, a light source includes a flash tube mounted adjacent a reflector. An actuator comprises an electric stepper motor for controlling the movement of a pair of opposed diffusion plates. The actuator includes a pair of armatures that are energized, in response, to the output of the camera's rangefinding system. When a photograph is to be taken, the diffusion plates are pivoted by the actuator to one of three different positions. In one position, the neutral position, the diffusion plates are positioned on opposite sides of the reflector. In a second position, the actuator pivots the diffusion plates such that one of the plates covers the light output of the reflector to create wide-angle illumination of the subject.

Abstract: Apparatus, and various accompanying methods, for use in a photographic camera for selecting a lens aperture setting and/or flash output configuration for a full flash exposure. Specifically, the lens aperture setting and/or flash output configuration are selected based upon a difference existing between a first parameter, i.e. a guide number, that indicates the amount of output power that the flash is capable of producing and a second parameter, i.e. a depth number, that indicates the amount of flash illumination required to photograph a scene with a pre-defined depth-of-illumination about a subject situated therein. The flash output configuration can be a spread flash with a selected one of a number of different spread angles, a bounce flash or, if the flash unit is an energy saving type, a reduction in (throttling back) the flash output power.

Abstract: A MUSE encoder converts a HDTV signal into a MUSE signal and supplies the converted MUSE signal to a digital recording circuit 52 of a digital VTR. The supplied MUSE signal includes audio data and additional information, each being a ternary signal. A state of a ternary signal at one sampling point is discriminated by a ternary discrimination circuit 102, with the result thereof being indicated as a two-bit digital signal by a two-bit indicating circuit 103. Accordingly, the number of bits required for the audio data at one sampling point can be compressed from eight bits to two bits. In addition, by converting two successive discriminated results by the ternary discrimination circuit 102 into a binary signal by means of a ternary/binary converting circuit 104, the number of bits required at two sampling points can be reduced from 16 bits to three bits. As a result, a recording bit rate for the MUSE signal, to be digitally recorded on the magnetic tape, can be reduced.