Abstract: A microprocessor based self-cleaning oven temperature control system and method includes a plurality of preprogrammed look-up temperature tables stored in a read only memory (ROM) portion of the memory of the microprocessor. One of the tables is selected for use as a reference table; and the values therefrom are transferred to a random access memory (RAM) portion of the memory of the microprocessor. Upon each application of power to the oven, the microprocessor, during an initiation subroutine, determines from a digital input signal the type of oven that is present. The oven type input signal to the microprocessor may designate a nominal or factory calibrated oven or an oven that has been recalibrated during a field service call to operate at bake temperatures offset from nominal bake temperatures.

Abstract: An electronic dictionary for electronic translation of words or compound words in a source language to the corresponding words or compound words in a target language comprises an optical reader which optically reads the source language to be translated, and a translation unit which produces, on the basis of the data output from the optical reader, output of a target language corresponding to the source language.

Abstract: A comprehensive inventory and sales control system is particularly adapted for the segment of the furniture industry that involves special order items, such as sofas, love seats, upholstered chairs and the like. The system is adapted to provide instant communications between retail establishments and a manufacturer, and enables the order to be confirmed at the time of purchase. This includes a determination of the availability of the fabric and reserving the item style and fabric from the manufacturer's stock, thereby enabling the manufacturer to determine and the customer to know the anticipated delivery date for the item that has been purchased. The system also enables a point of sale establishment to maintain a set of fabric swatches or samples of the fabrics that are currently available, thereby minimizing the possibility that a customer would order an item and a fabric that is not currently available.

Abstract: A nuclear imaging tomographic scanner acquires data from a volume of interest and a tomographic reconstruction is used to produce a three-dimensional array of data elements. A three-dimensional image of an object within this volume of interest as viewed from a projection plane is created using this three-dimensional array of data. The resulting two-dimensional data is shaded by determining the distance between the projection plane and points on the surface of the object. The exact distance is determined using an interpolation method and more distant points are shaded darker. The shading is further accentuated by measuring the gradient of the object's surface and shading points on the surface with a higher gradient darker.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for investigating earth formations surrounding a borehole operates by selectively heating a region of the formations, and measuring the thermal response to obtain useful information concerning the characteristic length scales of the pores in the heated region. The thermal response is obtained indirectly by measuring the electrical conductivity response. The invention can be utilized to obtain, inter alia, indications of porosity, permeability, and the distribution of pore geometries. In accordance with an embodiment of the method of the invention, the following steps are performed: heating a region of the formations with a series of pulses of microwave electromagnetic energy; measuring the conductivity characteristic of the region which result from the heating pulses; and determining a property of the region of the formations from the measured conductivity characteristic.

Abstract: The incentive and feedback apparatus includes a plurality of business stations, each having an incentive module and a transaction mechanism for conducting different types of transactions involving different types of products. The incentive module stores a plurality of indices that encode a business type, a product type and a transaction type. An incentive coefficient is identified with each index. Incentive coefficients of greater than 1 (positive) indicate a combination of business, plus product, plus transaction type, which is favored by the economy, while a coefficient of less than 1 (negative) indicates a combination which is considered less favorable. A coefficient of 1 indicates a neutral combination which has been judged neither favorable nor unfavorable. Each transaction is conducted at its market price. For example, a product sold at its correct amount is transferred at this price.

Abstract: When a Japanese or Korean bunsetsu-phrase lattice, that is, a set of linguistic units called bunsetsu-phrases each element of which having various starting and ending positions, and numerical values representing the reliability of each bunsetsu-phrase are given, optimum sequences of bunsetsu-phrases as Japanese or Korean clauses or sentences are selected under a criterion of degree of acceptability of a clause or sentence with considerably small amount of computation; the syntactic structures and the degree of acceptability of the optimum sequences are calculated simultaneously; the gist of the invention residing in that processing proceeds from shorter sequences to longer sequences storing the results for shorter sequences and utilizing later the results in calculating for longer sequences thus systematically avoiding the repeated calculation of partially the same quantity.