Abstract: A voice warning system for an automotive vehicle wherein an automatic vehicle speed control device is incorporated, whereby various items of information such as listed below are conveyed to the vehicle driver in voice form at a suitable volume level without confusion with one another and reliably because of a priority order within the items. The items of information to be conveyed to the driver are in the priority order (1) an actual vehicle speed when an accelerate or decelerate switch is turned on and a driver desired speed set when the accelerate or decelerate switch is turned off (2) a vehicle speed warning when the actual speed exceeds preset speed limit and (3) a trip distance the automotive vehicle has traveled.

Abstract: A video compensation subcircuit which solves a problem encountered with many inexpensive video monitors having very high frequency video input signals, namely that horizontal lines on the monitor's screen appear much brighter than the vertical lines. The subcircuit solves the problem by attenuating the video signal whenever the signal is developing a horizontal line, thus balancing the intensity of horizontal and vertical lines as they appear on the screen. The hardware of the subcircuit includes a "D" type flip-flop which delays the incoming video signal for one clock pulse so that the delayed signal and the video signal can be compared to see if a horizontal line is being developed on the monitor's screen. If a horizontal line is being developed a subtraction signal is produced which subtracts from a pulsed version of the video signal to produce a compensated video output signal.

Abstract: An electric lighting installation in which is provided at least one central control panel for each light point group, an auxiliary switch which is connected in a parallel circuit with the corresponding local switch, and for each light point or light point group, a corresponding indicator, such as an indicator lamp.The lighting installation can be combined with an efficient alarm system.

Abstract: An apparatus for locating a person covered by snow or the like comprising a portable housing adapted for being carried by a person and including a radio transmitter and a device for optically indicating the orientation of the housing with respect to the vertical. The latter device comprises a chamber containing a fluid and balls or similar objects floating in the fluid. An illumination system can be provided to illuminate the floating balls and thereby establish for the viewer the position of the horizontal and thereby the orientation of the housing with respect to the vertical.

Abstract: A device for signalling the pressure in a tire fitted to a wheel of a vehicle, which device comprises a surveying member constituted by a cylinder in which there slides in sealing relationship a piston with a magnetic core in antagonism to a spring, to form a chamber in communication with the tire, the said surveying member being mounted axially on the rotating bearing of the wheel to find itself axially aligned with a sensor member fixed to a fixed part of the vehicle, the said sensor member comprising a couple of magnetic switches normally open and supported in mutual angular position and between which there is arranged a secondary magnet keeping the said switches closed, the magnetic core having a direction of magnetization opposed to the direction of magnetization of the secondary magnet, the proximity of these magnets causing the opening of the magnetic switches, an electric circuit being piloted by the opening of the switches to emit a signal.

Abstract: Tire pressure monitors are incorporated in vehicles having penumatic tires (14) to continuously or periodically measure the air pressure within the tires and to alert the driver should the pressure in one of the tires fall below a predetermined value. A self-contained battery powered rf transmitter unit (10) is affixed within the drop center (22) of each wheel (12) and includes a pressure sensing switch (84). The battery is contained within a housing (20) mounted to the external surface of the wheel adjacent a fill valve (30) through which electrical wires (50) are routed to the transmitter (11). The transmitter emits a pulse every 33 seconds when the air pressure within the tire is above a prescribed value. A receiver (13), located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, receives the signal(s) from the transmitters and counts the number of signals received over a given time period established by an internal pulse generator.

Abstract: Pressure actuated monitoring means for a vehicle having wheels carrying tubeless tires, includes pressure sensors mountable on each wheel. Each sensor has a housing receiving direct pressure of air from the interior of a tire. A flexible member in the housing moves in response to air pressure in the tire when the pressure falls below a critical predetermined magnitude. A switch on the housing has contacts which open and close in response to movements of the flexible member. The sensor is adjustable to respond to pressure of any predetermined magnitude. The monitoring means includes axles connected to the driving wheels. The axles carry slip rings continuously wiped by wiper arms carried by stationary axle housings. Alarm lamps are connected in circuit with the wiper arms. The monitoring means may also include spindles carrying freely rotatable wheels. Fixed spaced contact rings on the spindles are wiped by continuously rotating wiper arms carried by the wheels on the spindles.

Abstract: Security equipment comprises a plurality of normally-open or normally-closed switch contacts connected in a loop circuit to a central control circuit. Each pair of switch contacts has a respective resistor connected in parallel therewith and the control circuit is operable to detect changes in resistance due, for example, to an intruder operating one of the switches.

Abstract: A voice warning system for an automotive vehicle wherein a repeat switch is provided so that voice warning information is indicated to the driver repeatedly whenever the repeat switch is depressed. Accordingly, even if the driver fails to notice the information, it is possible to hear the information again. The system thus improved comprises a repeat switch, a memory, and a gate circuit, in addition to a voice warning system for an automotive vehicle.

Abstract: An electrically-energized horn is provided which is particularly suited for use in fire alarm and burglar alarm systems, and which includes a built-in solid state electronic drive circuit including a timer network for de-energizing the horn a predetermined time after it has been activated.

Abstract: An electronic alarm circuit for operating an audible alarm, such as a bell, has a trigger circuit arranged to continuously activate the alarm if a sensor is activated. The circuit also includes a capacitor arranged to be discharged if a normally closed test switch is opened. Closure of the test switch recharges the capacitor and renders the trigger circuit conductive. The alarm is thus activated but only for a restricted period dependent upon the time constant of the capacitor. Accordingly, it is possible to distinguish between a real alarm and the sound of the alarm when the circuit is tested.

Abstract: An electronic display indicator system for automotive vehicles wherein a single visual display unit is utilized to display the outputs of a plurality of sensing devices. The indicator system is manually activated to display the outputs of the sensor devices in sequence. Any given sensor device output is automatically displayed when the output thereof exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: An improved system for driving a gas discharge display which prevents streamers of ionized gas from forming between adjacent character positions. Each of a plurality of character positions has an anode driver to which anode drive signals are sequentially applied. All odd character positions share a first cathode decoder/driver and all even character positions share a second cathode decoder/driver. Cathode drive signals are simultaneously applied to the first and second decoder/driver circuits. A first logic device, responsive to all odd position anode drive signals, outputs a blanking signal which is applied to the blanking input of the even character cathode decoder/driver to bias all even character cathodes into a non-conducting state whenever an anode drive signal is applied to an odd character anode.

Abstract: Apparatus for monitoring the manner in which a vehicle is driven. The apparatus includes a number of switches which are arranged to detect excessive accelerative forces in chosen horizontal directions and in the vertical direction. Each switch includes a capsule with mercury sealed inside the capsule and is so arranged that contacts at the lower end of the capsule are normally bridged by the mercury but are open circuited when the mercury is subjected to a predetermined accelerative force and so is moved upwardly in the capsule. Detectors sense the open circuiting of a switch and after an optional delay period cause an alarm to be sounded and advance a counter.

Abstract: A transmitter is preprogrammed to transmit a digital binary bit time sequence code of a selected number of bits each occupying approximately 12 milliseconds of time. A receiver decodes the transmitted bit code within a fifth of a second to cause actuation of the switch, all within a one second lockout to prevent receipt of an additional code by an intruder or unauthorized user.

Abstract: An alarm and antitheft system for an automotive vehicle having a master relay, which defines a running condition and an alarm condition which is assumed when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the off position, and a cut-out relay, the master relay including an element selectively lockable to maintain the relay in one or the other of these conditions or unlockable for manual actuation of the master relay into the running condition and including contacts which, in the alarm condition, electrically bypass the horn switch of the vehicle to warn of attempted unauthorized operation, open the ignition circuit of the vehicle, and connect the lighting circuit of the vehicle to a device to signal that the lights are on, and the cut-out relay being energized from the horn in the alarm condition to open the starting circuit of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular anti-theft device has a clamping member for clamping the tire of a vehicle under pressure to prevent rotation of the wheel of the vehicle on which the tire is mounted. An actuating device mounted on the vehicle and coupled to the clamping member selectively moves the clamping member onto the tire to clamp the tire and away from the tire to release the tire. A control mounted in the vehicle and coupled to the actuating device includes the ignition switch of the ignition system of the vehicle. The control controls the operation of the actuating device to clamp the tire when the ignition is turned OFF and releases the tire when the operator of the vehicle provides a predetermined code indication.

Abstract: An anti-theft alarm circuit and compatible warning plugs; the warning plugs are designed to look to be an integral part of the stereo component or appliance to which they are attached. When the warning plugs are disconnected, however, the alarm system is activated.

Abstract: The system includes a number of spaced apart key stations which a watchman is to visit on a tour of an area. A portable unit is provided with two AND circuits. Upon starting a tour, one of the AND circuits sets a number of timers, a first one of the timers starts running providing a signal to a prealarm sound-producing device on the portable unit unless the first timer has been reset by the completion of the second AND circuit by having inserted all of the keys and turning them. At the same time, the first timer starts a second timer running. The second timer provides a delay which allows the watchman a few more minutes to complete his tour. If he fails, a third timer feeds a fault signal to a counter in the portable unit and also triggers a further audible alarm device on the portable unit and at the same time resets all the timers in the portable unit. A coder is provided in the portable unit which provided an output, via a plug and jack arrangement, to a decoder which resets a timer at a base station.

Abstract: A brake wear indicator system includes a brake pad having a support plate, a layer of friction material secured thereto and an electrical contact assembly which extends through the support plate to project into the layer of friction material and which comprises two terminal portions electrically insulated from each other and a connecting portion which electrically connects the terminal portions and is located wholly within the layer of friction material. The connecting portion is arranged to be exposed and abraded after prolonged abrasion of the friction material by contact with a braking surface whereby electrical contact between the terminal portions is broken.