Abstract: A device for measuring an interval between two plate-like objects includes a light source for projecting a light toward the objects, a detector for detecting a position of incidence, upon a predetermined surface, of the light projected by the light source and deflected by the two objects, and a calculating portion for measuring the interval of the two objects on the basis of the detection by the detector.

Abstract: An apparatus is proposed for making absolute, two-dimensional measurements of the position of an object (10) with reference to a measuring arrangement (11), with the surface of the object (10) being configured as a hologram. The information contained in the hologram is red out by means of a measuring wave (13) that is directed onto the hologram (18), is diffracted there and interferes with a reference wave (14). The interfered-with waves (13, 14) are picked up by an optical sensor arrangement (20) including at least two sensors (21, 22). In a signal processing arrangement (23), the absolute position is determined either from the radiation intensities picked up by the sensors (21, 22) or from the phase relationship between the signals emitted by the sensors (21, 22), in each case by a comparison with a value stored in a memory.

Abstract: A bar code reader includes a line sensor having a scanning range large enough to scan two or more bar codes. A portion of the scanning range having a size corresponding to a single bar code is determined as a reading range. A reading range comparator 35 determines when a bar code is positioned within the reading range, so that no other bar code within the scanning range will be read. The reader also has error detection to determine whether counted numbers of bars fall within a permissible range for a given bar code symbology.

Abstract: A hybrid card comprises a substrate carrying an IC chip. An IC terminal is electrically connected to the IC chip and is arranged on a first surface of the substrate. A contact region is defined around the IC terminal and is occupied when a contact terminal of a recording/reproducing apparatus electrically contacts the IC terminal. An optical recording region has a plurality of tracks extending parallel to each other on the first surface. The contact region and the optical recording region are spaced apart in a direction parallel to the tracks.

Abstract: An integrated card programming device for programming an integrated circuit card. The integrated circuit card programming device has a base, a card input platform, and a transport. The transport is operably connected to the base and rotatably mounted about a rotational axis. The transport includes a transport arm radially disposed about the rotational axis. A card picker carriage is mounted on the transport arm. The card picker carriage has two picker arms. One or more personalization stations for programming an integrated circuit card are radially disposed about the transport. The personalization stations can program the cards to the French or ISO standards and are rotatable 180.degree..

Abstract: A portable hand-held data terminal of modular structure includes a base module with a keyboard and a display screen. A data and communications module may be selected from a number of different data and communications modules, each having different types of data communications transceivers, or including in addition data collection devices, such as shelf label readers or bar code readers. The base module includes a microprocessor-controlled data communications and control interface having a predetermined protocol. To adapt the various types of data and communications modules for selection of any one thereof to become attached to the base module and function therewith, each of the data and communications modules includes a microprocessor operable to function as an emulator to interact with the microprocessor of the base module and communicate with the microprocessor of the base module in accordance with the protocol of the data communications and control interface of the base module.

Abstract: An inner lead bonding inspecting method comprises the steps of: irradiating an illumination light onto the planar surface of a bonding portion between an electrode bump provided on a semiconductor pellet and an inner lead, measuring the quantity of reflected light from the surface, and judging whether the bonding state of the inner lead bonding is good or bad on the basis of the measured result. According to another aspect, an inner lead bonding inspecting apparatus comprises any irradiation device for irradiating a light onto a planar surface of a bonding portion between an electrode bump provided on a semiconductor pellet and an inner lead; a light quantity measurement device for measuring the quantity of reflected light from the inner lead surface, and a judging device for comparing the measured quantity of reflected light with a reference light quantity, to judge the quality of the bonding state.

Abstract: A method of entering a hand-marked response into a system by altering a predetermined modified bar code symbol in a manner so that the bar code is rendered readable. In this manner, bar code reading devices can be utilized to detect the hand-marked response. In an alternative embodiment, one of several potential responses may be marked and rendered non-decodable. A bar code reading device determines which of the several responses has been hand-marked by ascertaining which is non-decodable. Marking the response sheets may be aided by using an opaque template sheet or using a pressure sensitive overlay sheet.

Abstract: An optical receiver circuit for receiving optical signals is described incorporating a photodetector, two coupling capacitors for coupling each side of the photodetector to respective inputs of a transimpedance amplifier, two current mirror circuits for detecting current on each side of the coupling capacitor and injecting equivalent current to the other side of the other capacitor which is at the input of the transimpedance amplifier, two low pass filters, two current sources and a transimpedance amplifier having two inputs. An optical receiver for receiving optical signals is described incorporating a photodetector having one side coupled to a reference voltage, a current source, a coupling capacitor, a transimpedance amplifier, and a circuit for injecting AC current to the input of the amplifier from the voltage developed across the photodetector.

Abstract: A remote seismic sensing system is provided which operates as a bipolarized, differential mode, LDI (laser differential interferometry) system to detect electrical signals produced at a remote location. In preferred embodiments, the system is used in seismic surveying to detect array signals. An amplified array signal (the electrical signal is coupled to an array retroreflector apparatus (target). The array signal is obtained from an array of seismic detectors, e.g., geophones or hydrophones. The amplified array signal increases the velocity of a Doppler shifting optical component on the target. The target converts a defused sensing beam into two polarized return sensing signals, both of the return sensing signals having been Doppler shifted by the target to contain frequency components that represent motions, e.g., ground motions and wind motions, that are common to both signals and to contain a difference signal which represents the array signal.

Abstract: A computer-controlled funds processing and remittance processing system, for use by individual, business and other bank customers. The system eliminates the problems associated with batch processing of remittances and remittance advices in lockbox systems. Each participating bank receives, from each participating customer, identifying information regarding bills that are to be paid for that customer with the automated system. After initially collecting all necessary data regarding a participating customer's bills, the bank produces a paper form, which is manually completed by the customer, on a periodic basis. The customer manually inserts the amount to be paid for each bill being processed by the system, opposite pre-printed indicia indicating the identity of the payee. The resulting customer payment instruction document is delivered to the bank, and is optically scanned, to read the specific amounts to be paid for the respective bills.

Abstract: A device usable with a first object and a second object at least one of which is provided with a diffraction grating, for detecting the position of the second object relative to the first object, is disclosed. The device includes a light source for projecting a position detecting beam upon the first object; a beam detecting portion for receiving the position detecting beam after it is directed from the first object and being incident on the second object, the beam detecting portion receiving the position detecting beam to detect the position of the second object relative to the first object; wherein at least one diffraction grating is disposed in the path of the position detecting beam to be received by the beam detecting portion, which diffraction grating is effective to diffract the position detecting beam at least twice and wherein the beam detecting portion is disposed at a site effective not to receive unwanted diffraction light produced from the or at least one diffraction grating.

Abstract: An optical card of write-once type including a rectangular card-like substrate on which a number of tracks (62) are formed in parallel with each other. In each track, one or more data record sectors (65) are provided and at the same time, one or more alternative information record sectors (66) are provided. When data could not be recorded correctly in a desired data sector in a desired track, the same data is recorded again in an alternative data sector. Then, in an alternative information record sector in the desired track, there in recorded alternative information representing an address of the alternative data sector. The alternative information record sector can be made much smaller than the alternative data sector, so that user area can be utilized efficiently as compared with a known optical card in which one or more alternative data sectors are previously provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for precise control of a galvanometer patterning system is provided in which a patterning beam (12) is deflected off of a galvanometer mirror (14) toward a work piece (10). The position of the galvanometer mirror (14) is determined by generating a measurement beam (20), transmitting it through a cylinder lens (26) and deflecting it off of the galvanometer mirror (14). The deflected measurement beam (20) is filtered through grating filter (28) having two side-by-side gratings. Light passing through the side-by-side gratings filter (28) is focused on a detector (36) through an anamorphic condenser (32 and 34).

Abstract: In the grading of shell eggs passing in a stream through a candling bed, images of the eggs are compared with image data characteristic of eggs of known grade so as to assign a grade to each egg in the stream. Positional information representative of the movement of the eggs is combined with the assigned grade to control a mechanical egg routing device. Images of multiple egg streams may be multiplexed and processed together. The images may be Fourier transformed before comparison.

Abstract: A dual pivot mechanism for a disc drive having a base plate and an actuator arm driven by a pinion for moving a transducer head across a disc to read and write to the disc. One end of the pivot arm is pivotally connected to the actuator arm opposite the pinion, another end of the pivot arm has a fixed pivot connection to the base plate, the pivotal connection to the actuator arm being fixed axially. A constant preload mechanism is provided for biasing the pivot arm so that the actuator arm is in constant contact with the pinion.

Abstract: Apparatus with an element for detecting and focusing the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the flame of a burner, and with an element formed by a light-conductive bundle of fiber optics for transmitting and separating the radiation of different wavelengths, which are received and analyzed by separate sensors.

Abstract: The described device is part of a product theft prevention system and is used for deactivating resonance labels. It is intended for use in combination with a hand-held optoelectronic bar code reader (1), so as to permit the deactivation at the checkout of shops and stores of electronic resonance labels provided with a bar code and attached to products in a single operation and simultaneously with the determination of the bar-coded data. The deactivator has antennas (8, 9), which are located in a casing (11) fixable externally to the front end of the hand-held bar code reader (1) and which are constructed as ferrite antennas. As a result of the housing of the antennas (8, 9) and preferably all the high frequency-carrying parts (14, 15) of the deactivator in a separate casing (11), the deactivator can be used in combination with any random hand-held bar code reader, without any changes having to be made to the latter.

Abstract: An automated receiving station is provided for inventorying stock items. The receiving station comprises a plurality of independently driven conveyor sections arranged sequentially for moving items along a predetermined path from a deposit end to a removal end while reading bar coded labels on the items and weighing the items. Further, identification labels are affixed to those items not otherwise having labels. More specifically, the independently driven conveyor sections include a receiving conveyor section for sequentially receiving items thereon, a scanner conveyor section along which items thereon may be scanned for identifying indicia, a weighting conveyor section for weighting any of the terms positioned thereon and a labeler conveyor section for affixing identifying indicia onto any one of the items.

Abstract: A wedge-type interferometer is disclosed that is supported three-dimensionally by a cast inner shell, which contains a readily removable optical cartridge supporting the fixed and movable wedge-shape prisms of the interferometer. The fixed prism is supported from one side of a centerpiece of the cartridge while the movable prism is supported from the other side of the centerpiece for linear, scanning movement. The cartridge may be mechanically and optically aligned prior to insertion into the inner shell, and is easily removed if additional adjustments are required. A first corner cube mirror is supported by a plate secured to one wall of the inner shell and is aligned by micropositioner adjustment in the X-axis. A second corner cube mirror is supported by a plate secured to another wall of the inner shell and is aligned by micropositioner adjustment in the Y-axis. After alignment, the micrometers are removed, and the inner shell may be mounted in an outer, hermetically-sealed casting.