Abstract: A method of electronically moving portions of several different images on a CRT screen includes the steps of: storing a first image in one section of an image memory, and storing a second image in a different section of the image memory; storing control bits in a control memory which define high and low priority viewports on the screen and correlate portions of the first and second images to the high and low priority viewports respectively; displaying, in response to the stored control bits, the entire portion of the image in the high priority viewport and only the non-overlapping portion of the image in the low priority viewport by transferring the image portions from the image memory to the screen with no frame buffer therebetween; modifying at least some of the stored control bits to change the priorities of the high and low priority viewports to low and high respectively; and repeating the displaying step, in response to the modified control bits, to display the entire portion of the image in the new high

Abstract: An optical storage system is disclosed having improved focus detecting and controlling apparatus which is responsive to a reading laser beam reflected from an optical medium so as to provide a focus error signal having a high gain in the immediate vicinity of the in-focus position along with a wide capture range. Focus detection is achieved based on determining the difference between the diameters of the beams applied to a pair of photosensitive elements located so that the diameters of the beams applied thereto are indicative of the quality of focusing of the reading beam on the optical medium.

Abstract: Disclosed is a radiant energy optoelectronic position monitor system which detects the angular position of a "galvonometer mirror" (beam scanner) used in an optical disk memory arrangement.

Abstract: A rotary actuator assembly, for use as part of a servomechanism for positioning one or more data recording or data recovering heads over selectable data storage tracks at selectable radii on one or more rotary data storage discs, comprises a head support arm pivoted to rotate with a shaft held betwen two bearings in a yoke, where one of the bearings is a composite bearing allowing both axial and rotational movement of the shaft and the other bearing allows only rotational movement of the shaft, the two bearings co-operating to fix the position of the shaft while allowing its free rotation and allowing axial movement of the shaft whenever axial force exceeds a predetermined limit, thereby preventing undue bearing play or bearing binding attendant upon prior art designs.

Abstract: A bid control circuit is incorporated into a device on a time-shared data bus to control the sequence by which that device bids for the use of the bus. In one preferred embodiment, the bid control circuit includes a means for determining if a bid from that device to use the bus is the highest priority bid being made, a means for storing all bids other than its own bid upon the determination that its bid has the highest priority and that other devices were bidding for the bus and lost, and a means for inhibiting its own future bids until those devices having their bids stored have obtained the use of the bus subsequent to the storing operation.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system for handling detected error signals, providing the circuit elements for processing fault reports and implementing automatic fault isolation. More specifically, the system develops a fault report for each component based upon error signals derived therefrom. Changes in the fault report are detected and selector circuits are actuated to automatically isolate the fault to the particular component or components, or to reset the system in response to previous fault correction. The present system is advantageous in that it is independent of the equipment technology and applies to all design levels, from the unit itself to the individual components of which it is comprised.

Abstract: A system for following a track on a moving data storage member having stored thereon a track following code. The code includes, on one side of the track centerline, a first area of magnetic flux of one polarity followed by a second area of magnetic flux of opposite polarity, and on the other side of the track centerline, a third area of magnetic flux of the opposite polarity followed by a fourth area of magnetic flux of the one polarity, the second and fourth areas commencing at substantially the same positions on the storage member. A transducer, positioned adjacent to the moving data storage member, senses the changes in magnetic flux as the code passes by and provides at its output one or more timing signals in response to the first and third areas passing and a residual signal in response to the second and third areas passing by.

Abstract: A multilayer printed circuit board for TTL logic components provides an approximate 100 ohm characteristic impedance between external microstrip signal lines and internal ground and voltage planes. The addition of two internal microstrip signal plane lines permits a much greater interconnectability capability and also saves a large percentage of spatial area for component mounting while still maintaining the 100 ohm impedance characteristic.

Abstract: A flexible coupling is disclosed for joining together shaft sections to form one continuous shaft which may be rotatably driven by a drive means provided at one end of the continuous shaft.

Abstract: A microcontroller for controlling a digital device which controller is formed of a plurality of control stores each of which is provided with a register counter to address different locations within corresponding control store. Each control store is accessed each clock cycle and an instruction register is provided to receive one of the fetched microinstructions from the selected control store. In this manner, a microinstruction is presented to the instruction register each clock cycle even though the previous microinstruction was a conditional branch, a jump to subroutine or a return to subroutine instruction. In order to accommodate jump to subroutine and corresponding return from subroutine instructions, the respective address of the return subroutine is stored in a push-down stack for presentation to a selected one of the above-referred-to register counters in an order the reverse of the order in which those addresses were placed on the top of the stack.

Abstract: In a tape transport mechanism, a payout reel is supported on a shaft whereabout is wound a helical spring inertia brake fixed at a first end and free at a second end, wound such that rotation of the payout reel in response the drawing therefrom of ribbon tends to cause the helical spring inertia brake to be wound more tightly onto the shaft. A portion of the ribbon passes onto a tension arm. A projection on the tension arm engages the second free end and unwinds the helical spring inertia brake to allow rotation of the shaft opposed by a predetermined amount of torque to maintain tension in the moving ribbon. When the moving ribbon ceases to be drawn from the payout reel, the tension arm moves back for the projection to allow the helical spring inertia brake once more to grip the shaft and bring the payout reel rapidly to a halt.

Abstract: A system for electronically displaying multiple images on a CRT screen such that some of the images are more prominent than others comprises: a control memory for storing control signals which partition the screen into an array of blocks, define multiple prioritized viewports by indicating which blocks are included in each viewport, and correlate respective image pixels to each viewport; a circuit for determining, from the control signals, the identity of the highest priority viewport to include a particular block; a plurality of color map memories each of which contains a plurality of color signals; a correlator for addressing a particular color map memory of said plurality based on the identity of the highest priority viewport; and a circuit for transferring respective color signals from the addressed color map memory to the screen based on the image pixels in the block of the highest priority viewport.

Abstract: A system for providing edge connection to printed circuit boards and the like avoids prior art problems of insertion force and contact wear by employing a connector comprising two mutually-pivotable arms having protrusions at their distal ends which are separable in response to the insertion therebetween of a board to separate spring contact sections wherebetween the board can be passed without friction, the protrusions falling into a void in the board at the end of the insertion process to allow the spring contacts to impinge upon contact pads on the board, and the system operating in the reverse manner for the removal of a board.

Abstract: A method of transmitting isochronous and nonisochronous data through a computer network in which a plurality of stations have respective input and output ports that are serially coupled together to form a loop includes the steps of: transmitting data characters of a nonisochronous frame from a first station in the loop; passing the data characters from the first station through a second station in the loop but with a pair of control characters inserted between any two data characters indicating the beginning and end of an isochronous frame within the nonisochronous frame; passing the data characters and control characters from the second station through a third station on the loop but with another internally generated isochronous data character inserted between the control characters; temporarily stopping the transmitting step in the first station in response to the receipt of at least one of the control characters to pass the isochronous frame through the first station; and proceeding in the first station wi

Abstract: Disclosed is a pulse width decoder which receives a double frequency modulated (DFM) waveform and recovers therefrom the contained NRZ-L data and clock information. Basically, the decoder looks for long and short pulses in the DFM waveform. A long pulse is decoded as a "0", while a pair of short, opposite polarity pulses are decoded as a "1". In addition, in order to allow for pulse shortening in the DFM waveform, a short pulse followed by a long pulse is interpreted as a "1". The clock signal is primarily derived from two delayed versions of the DFM waveform to create one clock edge every bit time.

Abstract: A composition for a dielectric ink used in a screening process including a lead-free glass frit binder, silica, and a vehicle. The dielectric composition is particularly suited for use in gas plasma display panels.

Abstract: Disclosed is a linear strip mask for controlling image plane light level distribution in line scan optical imaging systems. The mask is fabricated photographically on a strip of emulsion coated mylar. The photographic image which is recorded on the mylar strip is a pattern of alternating black and clear sections, the pattern of black sections chosen to modify the non-uniform light pattern output by the system's illumination source to obtain uniform image plane illumination. Also disclosed is a line scan optical imaging system utilizing strip masks to compensate for the non-uniform light output along the length of two fluorescent tubes which illuminate the document scan line and the cos.sup.4 drop-off of the imaging system's lens. Light reflected off the document scan line is transmitted via a four bounce folded mirror system and is received by the lens system.

Abstract: Apparatus for raising and lowering a terminal comprising a support plate having a top surface to which a terminal is secured and a bottom surface to which are secured two cross bars mounted on a threaded shaft which moves the cross bars toward and away from each other. Four pivotable legs are positioned with respect to the cross bars so that movement of the bars in one direction pivots the legs to raise the support plate and its terminal, and movement of the bars in the opposite direction pivots the legs to lower the support plate and its terminal.

Abstract: A self-scaling differential signal decoder which accepts first and second input signals and provides an output representative of the difference therebetween which output is scaled as if the sum of the input signals were equal to a predetermined value, avoids the problems associated with slow AGC control circuits and with operational sequence control systems commonly used in such devices and is operable at up to video speeds by exploiting the properties of a transistor differential long-tail-pair amplifier where the ratio between its output currents is proportional to the antilogarithm of the difference between its input voltages, the sum of the output currents is equal to the controlled value of the constant current source and the input to the long-tail pair is provided by a differential logarithmic amplifier, the decoder being employed in a tribit servo-track reader.

Abstract: A microcontroller for controlling a digital device which controller is formed of a plurality of control stores each of which is provided with a register counter to address different locations within corresponding control store. Each control store is accessed each clock cycle and an instruction register is provided to receive one of the fetched microinstructions from the selected control store. In this summer, a microinstruction is presented to the instruction register each clock cycle even though the previous microinstruction was a conditional branch, a jump to subroutine or a return to subroutine instruction. In order to accommodate jump to subroutine and corresponding return from subroutine instructions, the respective address of the return subroutine is stored in a push-down stack for presentation to a selected one of the above-referred-to register counters in an order the reverse of the order in which those addresses were placed on the top of the stack.