Abstract: A non-volatile storage module as utilized in a controller for directing a plurality of control registers of a host machine. The controller includes a central processor that is communicatively coupled through a system bus having control data, and address lines to the module and host machine. The non-volatile storage module includes a data memory operative to interface with the system bus for storing data, and for input-output of the data therefrom through the system bus upon command of the central processor. In addition, the module further includes a power storage unit coupled to the data memory for distributing a plurality of power signals from the host machine through a plurality of critical and non-critical power lines to the data memory for providing a power source that may be utilized therein for a power down condition and for sensing a power down condition on the critical power line from the power storage unit for the switching thereof to the data memory.

Abstract: A microprogrammable computer system including a central processing unit having a main memory storing data and a microprogrammed control memory consisting of a plurality of read-only memory chips containing microprograms, provides for various variable field addressing, multi-way branching, push-down stack and byte string operations that share common instructions and hardware. Using the system, a contiguous set of bits may be accessed or stored in the main memory without regard to memory word boundaries, the number of bits in the set, or the location of the bits in a memory word. The variable field addressing features are based upon the use of two types of instruction words, viz., field addressing instructions and field descriptors, which extract the appropriate bits from main memory and process them according to the instructions specified.

Abstract: A MOS control circuit for controlling an output signal, said control circuit being coupled to first and second sources of potential. The magnitude or peak-to-peak amplitude of the first source of potential is greater than the magnitude developed by the second source of potential. The control circuit output signal has a waveshape magnitude of desired dimension somewhere between the magnitude of the second source of potential and the magnitude of the first source of potential. In order to accomplish this, a first inverter receives and inverts an input signal and produces an output potential at a node. A clamping circuit reduces the potential at the node by a desired amount. A source follower is driven by the potential at the node and also receives the input signal. The output of the source follower is the control output signal.

Abstract: An amplifying device operative to sense changes in the speed of an encoded card as it is being read so as to be able to adjust the reading rate to compensateably follow said changes. The amplifying device is also able to differentially peak sense pulses read thereby disallowing noise transients.

Abstract: Interface circuitry for effectuating the control of a printing unit that employs a cursor moving in a scanning raster to effect permanent recordation on a laminar print media, such as paper. The interface circuitry includes a buffer storage unit for receiving high speed digitized signals designating characters to be printed. Corresponding video signals are accessed within the interface circuitry and are provided to the printer. The circuit elements and timing devices define a two dimensional matrix of area locations of uniform geometry. Video signals controlling the print characteristics in a row of area locations are accessed out of memory in the interface circuitry and are serially relayed to the cursor to produce a pattern of light and dark areas in a row within the field within which the character is to be printed. Provision of video signals in this manner is repeated until the video signals have been provided for all character positions through which that row passes.

Abstract: An intensity modulated laser beam is directed to a rotating scanner having a plurality of facets which scans the beam across the surface of a movable mirror in a first scan direction. The mirror is movable in a manner whereby the beam is deflected in a second scan direction. The light reflected from the movable mirror is directed through a focusing lens onto a movable cylinder lens located adjacent the platen which is movable in a direction corresponding to the second scan direction, thereby providing two-dimensional scanning of a document. In one embodiment, the movable mirror and the movable cylinder lens are driven by a single motor and are coupled together in the manner whereby the movement thereof is mechanically interlocked thereby providing perfect tracking of the scanned laser beam within the clear aperture of the cylinder lens. In a second embodiment, the movable mirror and the movable cylinder lens may be independently driven and interlocked electronically.

Abstract: A digital rate compensator for accommodating a wide dynamic range of data speeds derived from a encoded card reader thereby allowing downstream logic to compensatably follow said derived data. The digital rate compensator additionally includes a start message check for conclusive determinations of beginning of card reads.

Abstract: A highly parallel microprocessor using a logic gating structure and a microinstruction organization which permits direct access by each of the microprocessor components to a tri-bus system. Operation is defined by a single phase clock, during which all portions of a microinstruction are executed. The system further permits overlap operation for microprocessor instructions, thereby allowing for the fetching of a next instruction while executing a current instruction. The use of general purpose, non-dedicated registers is contemplated, thereby to avoid the need for multi-phase clocking.

Abstract: A signal conditioning system for improving the analog signal-to-noise ratio. The system first filters (to reduce the extrinsic noise outside the bandpass), then squares (to reduce the intrinsic noise inside the bandpass), finally transforms the improved analog signal into a digital-like signal (using a threshold circuit) to interface with associated control logic in an ink jet droplet apparatus.

Abstract: A circuit for storing data in a random access memory containing one defective bit per word. A separate read-only memory device or programmable logic array is provided to produce an interrupt bit whenever a memory location containing a defective bit is addressed, where a defective bit is defined as one that is stuck at 1 or stuck at 0. If an interrupt bit is generated the data word is read out from memory and compared to the original. If an equality exists, nothing further is required. If there is an inequality the data word is complemented and stored, and a flag bit is set. When data is read from memory, if the flag bit is set, the data word is complemented again before being used.

Abstract: A circuit for concurrently producing regulated high-voltage a.c. current and automatically varying d.c. current on one output line, where all adjustment and regulation is accomplished in low-voltage circuits, power supply being particularly useful as the power source for copier and duplicator corotrons. The basic wave shape is a rectangular wave which is amplified and regulated for application as the a.c. input to a corotron. The corotron itself is used as the rectifier for the d.c. bias current, and while the nominal d.c. bias is fixed by adjusting the duty cycle of the rectangular wave to a fixed value, the actual d.c. bias current will vary in accordance with atmospheric conditions and paper thickness, which is desirable for the proper operation of copier and duplicator corotrons. The adjusted duty cycle of the rectangular wave determines the nominal d.c. bias current.

Abstract: A transcriber system for the automatic translation of stenographic notes from phonetic outlines produced on a shorthand machine to text displayed or printed out. The basic components of this system are the recording station comprising a shorthand machine, and a tape recorder; and the transcriber station comprising a computer, a disk file, a keyboard-display for editing the original translation into its final form, and an automatic typewriter. The editing process is facilitated by a word cursor which identifies the particular word on display which may be manipulated by the System Editor. However, this cursor also is correlated to the original shorthand machine outlines. Thus, the translation of a term peculiar to the job being processed, or to an individual shorthand machine operator, may be remembered so that subsequent correct translations of these particular outlines will proceed automatically.

Abstract: A power supply circuit for generating true sine wave signals by regulating the average value of the signal, whereby the RMS value of the signal is regulated accordingly. By monitoring the circuit through the load, represented by a monitored voltage value, a feedback network is coupled to a variable resistor in conjunction with other circuitry to maintain a constant voltage ratio to the power transformer assuring a properly shaped wave at a larger or smaller variation.

Abstract: A circuit for concurrently producing regulated high voltage a.c. current and bias d.c. current on one output line, where all regulation is accomplished in low voltge circuits, power supply being particularly useful as the power source for copier and duplicator corotrons. The basic wave shape is a rectangular wave which is amplified and regulated for application as the a.c. input to a corotron. The corotron itself is used as the rectifier for the d.c. bias current, with this current being variable in either the positive or negative direction by varying the symmetry of the a.c. rectangular wave. Since the part of the wave which has the shorter duration must have the higher amplitude, and current in the corotron increases with voltage, a feedback loop which controls the rectangular wave duty cycle will regulate the d.c. bias current as well.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating display enabling signals representative of unprocessed and processed data streams obtained from a character recognition system for improved identification of minimal quality read signals. The apparatus is operative to generate the display enabling signals concurrently or separately through time as to the unprocessed and processed data streams. The apparatus has the additional capability of being able to operate in a real time state or a delay time state where indefinite display is required.

Abstract: A system for accurately controlling the position of documents as they are throughputted along a straight line path for purposes of MICR writing and reading thereon. Accurate control of document position along a linear path is obtained by minimizing speed variations of a throughputted document, by maintaining a throughputted document in good registration, and by holding closely proximate the throughputted document to the read or write head.

Abstract: Improved apparatus for wiring through a wall of a sealed enclosure is disclosed. A printed circuit board is mounted on and extends through a slot in the wall, said board etched so that a plurality of conducting lines are provided from inside to outside the enclosure. Standard printed circuit board connectors are mounted on and soldered to the board providing convenient means for the attachment of cables to the board. Finally, the slot space between the printed circuit board and the wall is sealed with a rubber grommet to complete the sealing of the enclosure.

Abstract: An improved system for determining the optimal phase time to charge a liquid stream emitted from a jet as it evolves in form from a continuum to a separatuum of droplets wherein the optimal time for achieving the desired level of charge on a given droplet may be had by applying the charge immediately prior to break-off of droplets. A particular use of the system is in an ink jet droplet apparatus having a controlled liquid stream of ink that is separated into droplets by a sonic transducer and then charged by a pair of charging plates in a dynamically controlled manner at an optimal phase time as correctably tested by the system for subsequent static deflection of the charged droplets to a desired portion of a document to form printed characters.

Abstract: In a character recognition system, an improved adaptive information signal discriminator for detecting an information signal when it varies over a wide range and/or when the background noise varies over a wide range. The discriminator is able to adaptively follow the widely varying background noise level by averaging the response time of the discriminator. The discrimination of a widely varying information signal is had by summing a portion of the information signal with the supra background averaged level. The discrimination may be repeated to develop the required sensitivities as required to accurately process the data.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard is provided with a centrally operable elongated spacer bar that affords a smooth response to depression anywhere along its linear spans, a bail preloadably anchored at various points along the keyboard base being pivotally coupled to the extremities of the spacer bar to effectuate an even load distribution and minimal central drag upon each spacer bar depression, the preloadable anchoring of the bail at the various points along the keyboard base permitting convenient assembly of the spacer bar on the keyboard without the use of tools.