Abstract: Apparatus for a monitoring and signalling system such as a home health care system includes a plurality of sensors operative to monitor the occurrence of activities performed by an individual in his or her residence and to produce binary coded signals indicative of the occurrence of the monitored activities. Each signal comprises six successive identical messages within a one-second interval, with each message including a binary word identifying the monitoring and signalling system, the particular sensor originating the signal, and the nature of the monitored activity. Each message further includes a preamble and a pair of interwords on opposite sides of the binary word.The apparatus in accordance with the invention includes a microprocessor which operates to repetitively sample each signal originating with a sensor to determine the binary content of the signal and to extract a binary word from a message while rejecting preambles, interwords and "glitches" (noise) present in the signal.

Abstract: A primary electrochemical cell including a hold-down unit for securing and preventing movement of a physically large battery stack of the cell. The battery stack is disposed within a rectangular metal housing of the cell, together with an electrolytic solution, and comprises a large number of rectangular anodes and cathode structures arranged in the battery stack in alternation.The hold-down unit is disposed in the cell in abutment with the top of the battery stack and an inner surface of a cover assembly secured to the housing. The hold-down unit includes a pair of opposed end sections in abutment with the interior surfaces of one pair of walls of the housing and lying orthogonally to the planes of the components of the battery stack, and a pair of opposed connecting sections in abutment with the interior surfaces of the other pair of walls of the housing and interconnecting the pair of end sections.

Abstract: Apparatus for monitoring usage of a telephone connected across tip and ring terminals of a telephone system. The apparatus includes status circuitry operative under microprocessor control to repetitively sample the voltage across the tip and ring terminals and to examine the sampled voltages to determine whether the telephone is in an on/hook condition or an off/hook condition. When the telephone is in an off/hook condition an output of a first value is produced by the status circuitry, and when the telephone is in an on/hook condition an output of a second value is produced by the status circuitry. The microprocessor examines the outputs to detect the occurrence of transitions in the outputs between the first and second values representing transitions between on/hook and off/hook conditions of the telephone. For each detected transition, an activity timer within the microprocessor is set to a count corresponding to a predetermined activity-monitoring time period and decremented at a predetermined rate.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in a signalling system for communicating with a centralized communication center over a telephone network. The signalling system includes apparatus operative under prescribed circumstances to produce an alarm condition for initiating an alarm communication by which alarm data can be communicated to the centralized communication center over the telephone network, and apparatus operative at a prescribed time of day to produce a self-check condition for initiating a self-check communication by which prescribed data can be communicated to the centralized communications center over the telephone network. The apparatus in accordance with the invention includes a programmable read only memory which stores telephone number data representing first and second telephone numbers, and a microprocessor which utilizes this data in attempting communication with the centralized communications center.

Abstract: Apparatus for a monitoring and signalling system such as a home health care system. The system includes a remote control unit in the residence of an individual and interconnected with a centralized communications center by a telephone network. A plurality of sensors located within the residence of the individual operate to monitor the occurrence of particular activities performed by the individual and to produce signals in response to monitoring the occurrence of the activities. A microprocessor in the remote control unit receives and processes signals produced by the sensors and accumulates sensor activity data representing a running tally of the number of times each sensor has monitored its associated activities. On a daily basis, the sensor activity data is transmitted to the centralized communications center. A disc storage unit at the communications center stores sensor presence data therein specifying the presence of each of the sensors within the system.

Abstract: A smoking pipe having improved smoking characteristics. The smoking pipe includes a bowl having top and bottom openings and a breather hole near the top opening and in communication with a pipe stem. A cover assembly is attached to the bowl adjacent to the top opening and covers the top opening when the pipe is to be smoked. A retainer having a screen cooperates with the bottom opening for retaining smoking tobacco within the bowl while permitting access to the tobacco for the ignition thereof. The retainer may also be removed from its position relative to the bottom opening for the removal of ashes.Tobacco is inserted into the bowl via either opening, but preferably via the top opening and to a level just below the breather hole. With the cover assembly covering the top opening, the tobacco is ignited via the screen of the retainer, causing combustion of the tobacco in a bottom-to-top fashion.

Abstract: An address data converter for converting binary row address information and binary column address information corresponding to data character display locations of a CRT display device having a row/column display field to binary absolute address information. The address A of a given character display location in a typical display field including a plurality of rows each having 80 character display locations can be represented byA=C.sub.A +80R.sub.A,where C.sub.A is the column address of the display location and R.sub.A is the row address. Since the number 80 in the above expression cannot be represented by an integral power of two, it is ordinarily necessary to provide more than 80, for example, 128, character storage locations in memory for each display row of the CRT display device. In accordance with the present invention it has been recognized that the above expression can also be represented byA=C.sub.A +16R.sub.A +64R.sub.A,in which the number 16 and 64 can be represented by integral powers of two.

Abstract: A pulse generator circuit triggerable by a pulse of nuclear radiation. The pulse generator circuit includes a pair of transistors arranged, together with other electrical components, in the topology of a standard monostable multivibrator circuit. The circuit differs most significantly from a standard monostable multivibrator circuit in that the circuit is adapted to be triggered by a pulse of nuclear radiation rather than electrically and the transistors have substantially different sensitivities to radiation, due to different physical and electrical characteristics and parameters.One of the transistors is employed principally as a radiation detector and is in a normally non-conducting state and the other transistor is normally in a conducting state.

Abstract: A detector circuit for detecting the loss or reduction of dc power to a dc load and for detecting a low battery voltage condition of a standby battery employed to power the load upon loss or reduction of dc power supplied to the load. The dc voltages for use by the dc load and for charging the battery are derived from a dc power supply circuit with which the detector circuit of the present invention is used.The detector circuit of the invention includes a first voltage monitoring circuit operative to examine a dc voltage at a predetermined point in the dc power supply circuit and when the value of this dc voltage is less than a predetermined value indicating a loss of power to the dc load to cause a transfer circuit to couple the battery and the dc voltage thereacross to the dc load. Following this coupling operation, the transfer circuit receives the dc voltage coupled from the battery to the load and maintains the battery coupled to the load.

Abstract: A small, portable lightweight, water-resistant, manually-operated signalling device. The signalling device includes a signalling assembly fully enclosed within a pair of hermetically sealed housings. The signalling assembly includes a signalling circuit and a pressure sensitive switch adapted, when depressed, to actuate the signalling circuit. One of the housings includes a recessed, flat, semi-rigid deflective wall having an indentation formed therein and in physical contact with the pressure sensitive switch. The indentation is capable of being manually depressed and, when depressed, to transmit the pressure applied to the indentation to the switch, thereby operating the signalling circuit. The indentation and the switch are arranged with respect to each other so that depression of the switch and actuation of the signalling circuit can only occur in response to pressure being applied to the indentation.

Abstract: A data transmission circuit for use in a telephone system. The telephone system includes a telephone line connected with tip and ring terminals and a subscriber telephone coupled across the tip and ring terminals. The on/hook condition of the telephone is determined by a telephone status monitor circuit which periodically examines the voltage across the tip and ring terminals and produces an output signal when the telephone is in an on/hook condition. Following this output signal, and when data is to be transmitted between a first terminal of the data transmission circuit and the tip and ring terminals, a continuous dc loop is established between the tip and ring terminals and, after a dialtone period, the loop is made and broken in accordance with dialing pulses representing a telephone number of the location to be called.

Abstract: A dc power supply circuit for supplying simultaneously dc voltages to a dc load and to a standby battery employed to power the load upon a loss of dc power to the load. The load is adapted to draw varying amounts of current.The dc power supply circuit in accordance with the invention includes a capacitor which is arranged to retain a dc voltage derived from an ac voltage. A fixed voltage regulator circuit coupled to the capacitor operates to supply a fixed dc voltage to the load and to maintain this voltage as the current drawn by the load varies. An adjustable voltage regulator circuit coupled to the capacitor operates to supply a varying dc voltage to the battery as the current drawn by the load varies.

Abstract: A telephone status monitor circuit for determining the on/hook and off/hook conditions of a telephone connected across standard tip and ring terminals of a telephone system. The telephone status monitor circuit includes a charging circuit, in the form of a series combination of a capacitor and a resistor, which is adapted to be alternately and periodically switched in and out of circuit with the tip and ring terminals. When the charging circuit is in circuit with the tip and ring terminals, the capacitor is charged to the value of the voltage across the tip and ring terminals. When the charging circuit is out of circuit with the tip and ring terminals, the charging circuit is coupled to additional circuitry which examines the value of the voltage across the capacitor. If the value of the voltage across the capacitor corresponds to an on/hook condition, a first output signal is produced by the additional circuitry.

Abstract: Digital noise detection circuit for detecting the presence of noise in digital diphase data and for producing an alarm signal in response to the detection of such noise. The digital diphase data is applied to circuitry from which a clock signal is extracted and processed to derive a first input signal at a first input of an alarm NAND logic gate. The clock signal is also employed by a digital phase lock loop circuit to produce a second signal at a second input of the alarm NAND logic gate which, in the absence of noise corrupting or otherwise affecting the diphase data, is out of phase with the signal at the first input of the alarm NAND logic gate. As a result, no alarm signal is produced by the alarm NAND logic gate.

Abstract: A signal strength meter circuit for an FM radio receiver employing automatic gain control. The signal strength meter circuit includes circuitry for establishing a range of voltages on an AGC line of the receiver corresponding to a range of signals received by the receiver and for providing deflection of a needle of a signal strength meter over the entire range. At such time as AGC circuitry in the receiver draws current from the meter circuit, the meter continues to display this current by the deflection of the needle of the meter.

Abstract: A microwave diplexer apparatus for handling simultaneously two independent polarized transmitted signals at one frequency and two independent polarized received signals at a lower frequency. In the transmit mode of operation, a pair of input signals are applied to a first orthogonal mode transducer wherein the electric fields of the signals are established at right angles to each other. The orthogonal, linearly-polarizer signals are then transformed by a pin/ridge-loaded circular polarizer device to oppositely-rotating circularly-polarized signals and coupled via an antenna port of a second orthogonal mode transducer to an antenna for transmission to a desired target.

Abstract: A noise-immune master timing generator operable to produce timing signals synchronized with external reference signals and to maintain phase synchronization even in a noise environment. First and second gate signals of different time duration are derived from a counter chain of the master timing generator and examined with respect to the time of occurrence of an external reference signal.If the reference signal is within the first gate signal, as occurs during normal, noise-free conditions, there is no adjustment of the counting chain to resynchronize the counting chain to the reference signal.

Abstract: A microwave diplexer apparatus for handling simultaneously two independent polarized transmitted signals at one frequency and two independent polarized received signals at a lower frequency. In the transmit mode of operation of the diplexer apparatus, a pair of input signals to be transmitted to a target are applied to a first orthogonal mode transducer wherein the electric fields of the signals are established at right angles to each other. The orthogonal linearly-polarized signals are then transformed by a pin/ridge-loaded circular polarizer device to oppositely-rotating circularly-polarized signals and coupled via an antenna port of a second orthogonal mode transducer to an antenna for transmission to the desired target.