Abstract: A video display device has a scanning standard which is instantaneously adaptively dependent on the presence of movement in the picture. With a 625/50/2:1 input signal, in the absence of motion the standard used is 625/100/2:1. In the presence of motion the standard can remain 625/50/2:1. The video input is applied to aline store (108) and through an attenuator (102) to field stores (104). An appropriate one of the store outputs is selected by a switch (12) in dependence on a movement signal (116). In a preferred alternative, in the presence of motion the standard is altered to 625/50/1:1.

Abstract: A method and system for forming a composite mixture of at least two materials, at least one of which is a metal or metal alloy. The materials in a molten state are supplied via inlet channels to a mixing region so as to indirectly impinge on each other and then to flow through an outlet channel to a cooling system, such as a casting or mold device or a device for providing rapid solidification thereof. The ratio of the cross-sectional area of the outlet channel to the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the inlet channels is arranged to be less than 32 and the ratio of the distance from the input side of the outlet channel to the input of the cooling system to the diameter of the outlet channel is arranged to be greater than 5.

Abstract: A correlation surface is derived by phase correlating two pictures selectively displaced in the X and Y directions. The illustrative surface shows a large peak at zero displacement, corresponding to a stationary background, and a fairly large peak corresponding to a moving object, the X, Y position of the peak indicating the magnitude (pixels per field period) and direction of the motion vector. A set of motion vectors is thus determined and testing is then carried out, on a pixel by pixel basis or pixel block by pixel block basis, to determine which of the motion vectors gives the best match in deriving the second picture from the first. The motion vector thus assigned may be used in temporal interpolation of the pictures.

Abstract: A conventional video recorder comprises electromechanical components, electronic circuits and a control unit with which there are associated both front panel controls and a user remote control unit with a sensor to which signals can be sent from a hand-held remote control unit. In addition to these conventional features an off-air remote controller is provided. This is capable of decoding control signals associated with the television signal and includes an encoder which generates outputs which simulate those from the conventional user remote control unit.

Abstract: An HDTV video signal with 1249 lines per picture is transmitted over a transmission channel designed for 625 lines per picture by transmitting alternate samples of two lines of the 1249 line signal on a single line of the 625 line signal. An HDTV receiver can interpolate to give a 1249 line picture but a 625 line receiver will still receive a signal that is adequately compatible to give a display.

Abstract: The X-ray laser exploits the violent collapse of a bubble (11) in liquid (9) to produce an intense concentration of energy, as a piston (1) is compressed violently into a cylinder (2). X-rays from this source are used to produce a population inversion within the bubble wall. This can then give rise to X-ray laser emission approximately parallel to the bubble wall, through a window (12).

Abstract: At the transmitter a coder includes a motion vector generator providing vectors (MV) describing the movement of individual blocks of pixels. The video signal is 4:1 compressed in bandwidth by pre-filters and a sub-sampling unit to produce a signal (SSH) from which a high-definition image can be re-constructed in the coder and in the decoder. The sampling lattice is shifted in accordance with the motion vectors (MV) which are digitally transmitted along with the compressed bandwidth analogue signal, to enable the samples to be correctly located in the reconstructed image. Poorly correlated moving areas are handled by pure spatial filtering (pre-filter and sub-sampling unit) with reconstruction by spatial interpolation. The two reconstructed signals (RVH and RVL) at the coder are compared in a mode selector with the input video and a switch is set to transmit whichever of the compressed signals (SSH, SSL) gives the best match.

Abstract: A digital computer can write a block of data to a RAM, or read a block therefrom, via a serial/parallel converter which is word serial, bit parallel on the computer side and bit serial on the RAM side. The RAM is addressed by a free-running address counter clocked by clock pulses WCK. A fault masking circuit enables faulty cells in the RAM to be masked out. Data specific to the RAM causes the clock pulses WCK to be selectively gated for providing bit rate clock pulses GCK to the converter. These pulses are divided down to produce pulses BCK at word rate. The invention is particularly useful in a wafer scale integrated circuit comprising a large number of RAMs served by a single fault masking circuit with tabulated data defining the memory cells to be masked out on a memory by memory basis.

Abstract: Spatial light modulators which use a substrate having a buried channel charge-coupled device (CCD) formed therein, wherein the amount of charge in the charge storage wells associated with the electrodes of the CCD is controlled by an electrically or optically addressed data signal. The level of charge in such charge storage wells controls the electric field beneath the electrodes so that the intensity of electromagnetic energy (e.g., light) directed through The CCD is spatially modulated by the charge levels in the charge storage wells in accordance with the Franz-Keldysh electroabsorption effect.

Abstract: A cathode ray tube video display device is adapted to display wide aspect ratio signals by reducing the vertical scanning amplitude of the scanning raster. The scan is collapsed in the vertical direction without reducing the number of lines used to display the active picture, leaving unscanned bands at the top and bottom of the display. The device can change between a normal raster scanning mode and such a collapsed wide screen mode automatically in response to an indicator in the received video signal.

Abstract: A structure for transmitting electromagnetic energy within a selected frequency range and preventing such transmission outside such range in which an insulative member has a metallized surface which includes an array of non-metallized regions each having the shape of a Jerusalem cross, the vertical and horizontal cross arms thereof having metallized regions along their length to form non-metallized gaps with the edges thereof.

Abstract: A technique for producing a cold environment wherein warm fluid, e.g. at room temperature, from a compressor, is introduced under pressure into an input channel which is directly coupled to a displacement volume, the fluid being precooled in the input channel to a temperature lower than that of the input fluid. Fluid in the inner channel at or near the displacement volume is periodically pressurized to a high pressure. The displacement volume is then expanded so that the high pressure fluid flowing into the expanded volume is decreased from such high pressure to a substantially lower pressure, the temperature thereof being reduced to a substantially lower temperature for producing the cold environment. The low pressure, low temperature fluid flows into an output channel, preferably via a suitable valve and surge volume, for flow in the output channel at a substantially constant pressure.

Abstract: A primary slotted array antenna operates at 10 GHz. In front of the primary antenna there is disposed a secondary antenna which operates at 1 GHz and is substantially transparent at 10 GHz. The secondary antenna is formed by an array of patch radiators and a transmission line feed network. The radiators and feed network are all formed by a conductive grid sandwiched between dielectric layers and designed to achieve the transparency at 10 GHz. At 1 GHz the grid appears as a continuous conductor forming one conductor of a microstrip transmission line. The other conductor (ground plane) is formed by the conductive front surface of the primary antenna. The grid/dielectric sandwich is suitably spaced from the ground plane by low dielectric pads. Other embodiments use slotline or coplanar stripline techniques. The ground plane may be an integral part of the secondary antenna, also constructed to be transparent at primary frequency.

Abstract: A capacitance sensing system for sensing the rotary position of a rotating shaft, particularly one having limited rotary motion. The system uses at least four capacitances comprising fixed capacitance plate members, one of which is preferably made of four arcuate segments enclosing the shaft and the other of which is a ring member enclosing the shaft and displaced therefrom along the shaft. A dielectric member is attached to the shaft between the fixed plate members. The capacitance value of the four capacitances change as the shaft rotates in such a manner that the capacitance changes produce an output voltage which represents the rotary position of the shaft, which output voltage is insensitive to radial motions of the shaft.

Abstract: A video signal is coded for transmission in a restricted bandwidth by sub-dividing a frame of picture information into a set of constituent blocks, measuring the amount of picture activity in each block, sampling the information in each block at a rate related to the amount of picture activity in that block, and adding to the coded block a supplementary signal indicating the sampling rate used for the block. Thus a decision is made on a block-by-block basis as to whether the block is transmitted with full accuracy or whether it can be adequately reconstructed from the previous frames.

Abstract: A structure for providing electromagnetic wave energy primarily in the near infra-red region of the spectrum and having an electroluminescent lamp element which includes a red fluorescent dye material for emitting energy in both the visible and the near infra-red regions of the spectrum, and at least one layer of optical filter material having selected color filter characteristics for transmitting electromagnetic wave energy therefrom in a manner such that the amount of energy transmitted in the near infra-red region is substantially increased and the amount of energy transmitted in the visible region is substantially decreased.

Abstract: A method for determining the properties of a medium by activating temperature changing means to change the temperature of the medium from a first unperturbed temperature to a second different temperature during a first time period and permitting the temperature to relax to a final unperturbed temperature during a second time period. In a particular embodiment, for example, the intrinsic thermal conductivity and diffusivity of the medium are calculated during a selected portion of the first time period assuming an arbitrary value for the perfusion, and the perfusion of the medium is calculated during a selected portion of the second time period using the calculated intrinsic thermal conductivity and diffusivity. The calculated perfusion is then used to recalculate the intrinsic thermal conductivity and diffusivity during the selected portion of the first time period and the perfusion is then recalculated using such recalculated intrinsic thermal conductivity and diffusivity.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to signal processing techniques for removing or reducing the effects of instabilities in pulsed signal sources, as in phase echo systems using a pulsed signal transmitter source, and, more particularly, to a technique for compensating for the varying amplitude, frequency and/or phase characteristics of the signal source pulses during operation.

Abstract: A diffraction grating responds to incoming radiation incident thereon within a given range of incidence angles and re-directs such incident radiation from the structure in a selected direction within relatively limited confines. A liquid crystal material is positioned in contact with the diffracting surface of said at least one diffraction structure, the liquid crystal material, when inactivated, having a refractive index substantially the same as that of the diffraction structure. Activation means place the liquid crystal material in an activated state so that the refractive index thereof is substantially different from that of the diffraction structure whereby incoming radiation within a given range of incidence angles is transmitted through the structure and exits in the selected direction.

Abstract: An electro-optical device for providing spatial modulation of an incoming electromagnetic wave signal, and preferably a two-dimensional incoming signal applied orthogonally to an input plane of the device, which device includes an array of modulation regions for providing such modulation of portions of the incoming signal. An array of first reflective mirrors are positioned so as to direct the incoming electromagnetic wave signal portions through the interaction layer regions of the modulation regions in a direction substantially parallel thereto and an array of second reflective mirrors directs the modulated electromagnetic wave signal portions outwardly from the device to provide a two-dimensional spatially modulated output electromagnetic wave signal.