Abstract: A system for sorting randomly oriented objects of various sizes based upon the size of the object includes a transport for conveying a series of objects from an input location to one of a plurality of output locations. An image system is disposed along the transport for capturing the image of each object to be sorted. An image processor detects the minimum and maximum linear dimension of each object based upon the captured image. The image processor further determines the shape of each object based upon the captured image. The minimum or maximum linear dimension is selected based upon the shape of the object. The object is categorized by size based upon the selected minimum or maximum dimension. Structure is provided for selectively routing the object based upon the categorized object size to one of the plurality of output locations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an activation circuit for a battery-operated security alarm detection system where current drain and, therefore, battery life is of concern. It employs a non-current drawing piezo element which only sees part of the frequency band of interest to briefly activate or wake up a current-drawing electret microphone which has a bandwidth broad enough to sees the entire audio band of interest.

Abstract: A stationary optical antenna forming a part of a full duplex optical communication system, includes optical emitter and receptor devices having peak power axes, and a mounting arrangement for positioning the devices at an elevated location within a room with their axes directed downwardly at a given angle to a horizontal plane, based upon the height of the devices above the floor, thereby enabling remote portable transceivers to be able to communicate therewith within the same room. Baffles help prevent interference between the emitters and receptors, and a compensation circuit is employed to enable the optical communication to take place, even in bright light conditions.

Abstract: It is herein recognized that it is desirable that a television receiver provide preprogrammed labels for many widely-used television networks. The user has only to select the proper channel and then select a corresponding preprogrammed label from a list in order to associate the channel and label. In one embodiment the preprogrammed label is a graphically-formed logo or service mark of the television network.

Abstract: The body structure of a pocket computer includes a fastener mainly an elastic fastening element of a multi-layered construction accommodated in an insertion space located at a front edge of the main body housing. A simplified telephone input jack is constructed in the side wall of the pocket computer main body. The association of the main body and the cover body of the pocket computer is accomplished by a pivotal shaft, which is characterized in that it is provided with a delay swivel device permitting the communication cables linking the main body with the cover body to be less vulnerable to bending caused by the actions of opening and closing the cover body and that it includes indicator lights serving to show the operating status of electronic functions of the computer. The keyboard includes entry keys which are securely coupled with the housing plate of the keyboard by slide keys and slide key mounts.

Abstract: A magazine loaded disk player comprising a disk playback unit consisting of a rotation mechanism for rotating a disk and a pickup positioned to face the disk, a storage area for a disk magazine defined in a location overlapping with the disk playback unit, a movement mechanism for moving the disk magazine into and out of the storage area, and a taking-out/setting mechanism for taking out the disk from the disk magazine and setting it in the disk playback unit while the disk magazine is moved out of the storage area. With the disk player, the magazine containing disks inserted therein can be directly loaded into the player, and a desired disk can be drawn out of the magazine, while permitting both the magazine and the disk playback unit to be accommodated in a small space.

Abstract: The film-type electrical power resistor includes a flat chip of aluminum oxide, having a resistive film screen-printed onto one of its sides. Leads are bonded to that side and electrically connected to the film, the leads being such that the chip may be cantilevered by the leads in a mold cavity before introduction of synthetic resin into the cavity, and with the lower chip surface spaced above the bottom cavity wall. A molded body is molded in the cavity to fully encapsulate the chip, film, and inner ends of the leads, there being no mold cup around the molded body. The molded body is formed of high thermal-conductivity thermosetting synthetic resin. Provided through the body is a bolthole for clamping of the resistor to an external chassis or heatsink. The space between the bottom surface of the chip and the flat bottom surface of the molded body is a heat-sinking volume formed of the high thermal-conductivity resin; and the bottom surface of such volume of resin is the bottom surface of the resistor.

Abstract: A device for testing multi-wire harnesses, printed wiring board assemblies and card cages for wiring faults. The device comprises power and logic circuits in a housing, a fault indicator panel, a resistance balance circuit and a low voltage wiring test array. The wire harness is connected with both ends of the wires to sets of terminals on the wiring test array. In testing a wire harness, the operator grasps two probes which are attached to the resistance balance circuit and wipes them on the terminals of the test array. For test of printed wiring board assemblies or card cages, only one probe is required to contact the terminals on the test array. This action causes the resistance balance circuit to combine with the wiring test array segment and a wiring harness wire to form a voltage divider circuit which outputs voltage signals related to the wiring status. The device logic processes these signals and causes any fault indication to illuminate on the indicator panel.

Abstract: An optical apparatus for sensing the motion of an object. A light source transmits light through a first and second optical fiber. The first and second optical fiber are positioned on opposite sides of a modulator or code disk to face each other along an optical path. The modulator has alternating reflective regions and transmissive regions which modulate the light propagating along the optical path as the modulator moves across the optical path. The modulated light is received by the first and second and optical fibers and transported to a predetermined location for evaluation.

Abstract: A method of storing a callers telephone number transmitted from a caller in a during-absence automatic telephone answering state in a memory, and a vehicle telephone system. This method comprises a step of providing in the system a first memory having storage areas for storing telephone numbers and names of callers as data therein, and a second memory for storing therein as data telephone numbers transmitted from callers in a during-absence automatic telephone answering state; a step of checking whether the telephone number transmitted from one of the callers in the automatic telephone answering state coincides with one of the telephone numbers registered in the first memory; a step of reading one of the names stored in the first memory in response to the telephone number coincident with one telephone number referred to above if it is determined to be positive in the second step; and a step of storing the telephone number transmitted from the one caller and the name thus read in the second memory.

Abstract: The present invention provides a potentiometer having an improved seal for preventing intrusion of corrosive elements into the potentiometer or the socket in which the potentiometer is disposed, wherein the improved potentiometer comprises a housing having top and bottom members and a substantially annular sealing element sandwiched between the top and bottom housing members, the inner aperture of the sealing element sealingly engaging the rotor of the potentiometer, and, in one embodiment of the present invention, the outer edge of the annular sealing element sealing engaging the socket in which the potentiometer is disposed.

Abstract: In a picture in picture (PIP) section of a color television receiver, color burst pulses for extracting the color burst of a video signal corresponding to the main picture are generated in response to horizontal synchronization pulses derived by the deflection section of the television receiver. The color burst is used to derive a color subcarrier signal for remodulating baseband color components corresponding to the small picture insert. The deflection related horizontal synchronization pulses are coupled to the PIP section in order to properly position the small picture in relation to the main picture despite horizontal centering adjustments. In order to properly position the color burst pulses, a burst gate pulse delay control signal is generated in response to the relationship between the positions of the deflection related horizontal synchronization pulses and the horizontal synchronization pulses of the video signal corresponding to the main picture.

Abstract: An improved telephone jack comprises an insertion entrance having two corresponding sockets arranged along the upper inner wall thereof and two corresponding brackets constructed at locations in opposite directions of the sockets. Each of the two brackets is composed of a check seat located at the upper end portion thereof. The insertion entrance further comprises two retaining portions located at the lower front end thereof to keep the telephone plug in a fixed position. The telephone jack further comprises a cable terminal body, which encloses therein a plurality of cables and comprises two check wings located at the front end thereof. When check wings are received fittingly in the sockets of the insertion entrance, the rear end portion of the cable terminal body is also accommodated properly on the check seats of the brackets so as to position securely the cable terminal body in place.

Abstract: Liquid metal gallium-filled balloon catheter is connected to a source of heating power. An improved method of hyperthermia and ablation is made possible by ease of insertion and conformity to complex intracavitary geometry by liquid metal. Closeness of gallium melting point to body temperature makes insertion of solid gallium possible and subsequent melting after insertion. Method of balloon ablation of endometrium is described.

Abstract: A video display control system, comprises a video display having a first format display ratio. A picture height circuit determines an active video picture height from an input video signal having a second format display ratio. A detector circuit identifies letterbox formats responsive to the active video picture height in the video signal and determines a format display ratio of the letterbox picture. A zoom control circuit is operable in a first mode of operation for enlarging the picture in size to fill the display substantially entirely, notwithstanding consequent cropping of the picture, and operable in a second mode of operation for enlarging the picture in size to substantially fill the display vertically, notwithstanding consequent unused portions of the display. A vertical pan control circuit automatically centers the picture in both modes of operation.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a hand-held portable transmitter is provided which is capable of communicating with a variety of different message receiving hosts. The transmitter is provided with a technique for generating waveforms to communicate with foreign message receivers over a communication channel by using a lookup table and software implementation in combination with a telephone interface circuit. Also provided is a versatile encoding protocol in which a message is optionally converted to a four-bit, five-bit, or six-bit sequence, or to a sequence of variable-length bit-strings, the converted message is queued and regrouped as four-bit nibbles, and the nibbles are communicated by DTMF tones.

Abstract: A cardiac ablation apparatus including a solenoidal antenna, monitoring electrodes, and a coupling network at a distal end of a catheter transmission line, and another coupling network at the proximal end of the catheter transmission line to connect the catheter to the source of radiofrequency (RF) power and to an intracardiac electrogram monitor. Solenoidal antenna design includes single and multiple windings with varying geometrical features. Plated plastic tri-axial design of a transmission line offers unitary fabrication. A catheter with variable impedance electrode and gap coatings has features useful for both ablation and for hyperthermia applications.

Abstract: A combining circuit for Class-E RF power amplifiers includes a transformer for each power amplifier to be combined, the respective secondaries of the transformers being connected in series to the RF load of the system. Each of the transformers further has a tertiary winding, with one end connected to a first common circuit node, and the other end being connected to a second common circuit node via an inductance. A switchable reactive network is connected to the second common circuit node, and in the event that one of the power amplifiers is removed from the circuit, such as due to failure thereof, the primary terminating impedance of the transformer connected thereto will become a high impedance, and by appropriate switching of the reactive network, in combination with the remaining circuit components, the matching impedance necessary to maintain optimum operation of the remaining power amplifiers is achieved, with a benign VSWR being presented to the remaining power amplifiers.

Abstract: A vehicle security system includes a portable transmitter remote control unit for transmitting an arming signal or a disarming signal, a receiver unit mounted on the vehicle for receiving the arming or disarming signal from the transmitter unit, a detector for detecting the gear shift lever park position, an arming-signal reception monitor unit capable of receiving the arming signal from the transmitter unit only if the gear shift lever is in "park", and only if the vehicle door has just been opened and then closed and a security control unit activated to arm the system in response to the arming signal transmitted from the transmitter unit only when the arming-signal reception monitor unit can receive the arming signal. Since the transmission lever cannot be in the "park" position while the vehicle is in motion, the system cannot be armed by the accidental operation of the transmitter unit while the vehicle is in motion.

Abstract: A TV system includes a selectively enabled blanking network for introducing blanking into the autopix feedback loop during vertical blanking periods. The TV system includes a contrast control section responsive to color signals whose output is coupled to a brightness control section. Outputs of the brightness control section are combined via a combining means to produce a "combined signal" representative of the luminance component of the image to be displayed. The "combined signal", which is not "blanked" during the vertical blanking (retrace) period, is coupled via a feedback loop which includes a peak detector and a comparator to the input of the contrast control section for controlling its response to the color signals. The selectively enabled blanking network is coupled to the input of the peak detector in the feedback loop for limiting the propagation of the "combined signal" via the feedback loop during vertical blanking intervals.