Abstract: In a postal meter adapted to be connected to a source of supply of power for energization, and having structures for printing postage values and a selected data, for displaying a plurality of segments, and for entering data, and having a computer electrically connected to each of the aforesaid structures and programmed for processing data for controlling the operation thereof, and wherein the postal meter includes structure for selecting one of a plurality of dates; there is provided an improvement for reminding an operator of the postal meter to check the selected date. The improvement includes the computer being programmed for causing the display to start displaying at least one unique segment in response to energization of the postal meter, the data entering structure including a depressable key for entering data into the computer, and the computer being programmed for causing the display to stop displaying the at least one segment in response to the depression of the key.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for detecting the condition of a crack generated in a rotor of a rotary machine during an operation thereof to check whether the crack is developing or not. The number of revolutions of the rotor and oscillations of journal end portions of the rotor born by the bearings are continually detected. The detection of the crack condition is made on the basis of the detected signal corresponding to the waveform of each half of at least one cycle of the detected rotor oscillation. Disclosed also is an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Abstract: In order that print data edited by a host computer may be printed out by means of a printer having a shorter printing width than the length of the character line thereof, the edited print data is converted into a print pattern in an arrangement which is rotated by 90 degrees. This conversion is conducted by determining the coordinate positions of dots when the edited data is converted into a print pattern without being rotated, by rotating the coordinate positions by 90 degrees to determine the addresses of the rotated coordinate positions, and by writing these positions in the addresses of a page memory for writing the print pattern for one page. The print pattern is read in the order of the addresses out of the page memory and is fed to a printer.

Abstract: An emulator for non-fixed instruction set VLSI devices having a microprogrammable emulator controller which can be used with a variety of VLSI devices and provide in-circuit emulation for general VLSI technology with capabilities comparable to the in-channel emulation capabilities previously available for fixed instruction set MOS microprocessors. This includes a device specific emulator head which is controlled by the emulator controller to emulate a VLSI device in a target machine. The VLSI device to be emulated is removed from the target machine and a device plug of the emulator head is inserted into the target machine. The VLSI device is placed in a socket in the emulator head. The emulator controller monitors instructions sent from the target machine to the VLSI device and provides instructions to the VLSI device.

Abstract: Variations, due to aging, of resonant frequency characteristics of electromechanical resonators are compensated by an oscillator including the resonantor. An indication of the amount of time that the oscillator is operating addresses a table of values indicative of the manner in which the oscillator changes frequency as the resonator ages. From the table of values a signal having a value indicative of a correction factor for the resonator aging is derived. The frequency of the oscillator is controlled in response to the value of the correction factor. The table of values is stored in a re-programmable memory. The values stored in the memory are corrected by comparing the oscillator frequency with a standard frequency.

Abstract: This is a method for control, fault detection, fault isolation, and state-of-health monitoring of batteries and battery arrays. The method consists of measuring all of the battery, cell, or cell group voltages, using statistics to determine a means voltage and a standard deviation voltage, then comparing all of the measured voltages to the mean voltage. If the measured voltage deviates from the mean voltage by an arbitrary amount (number of standard deviations) corrective action can be implemented or an alarm signal given. The measurements need to be made rapidly enough to eliminate battery or cell voltage changes due to state of charge or temperature changes and, in most cases, require a computerized data collection/reduction system. Absolute high and/or low voltage limits can be included to prevent catastrophic events. The concept can be expanded to include similar temperature, pressure and/or battery current measurements in an array.

Abstract: A method and a circuit for producing an independent scrollable display region (sometimes referred to as a "window") on the face of a cathode-ray tube (CRT) in a bit-mapped data display system is disclosed. Circuitry is provided to detect the presence of the window along a vertical axis and to detect the presence of the window along a horizontal axis. When both a vertical and a horizontal presence are detected simultaneously, a window is deemed to be present. When the window is deemed to be present a memory address selection circuit selects memory addresses from one memory address circuit and when the window is deemed to be not present, the memory address selection circuit selects memory addresses from another memory address circuit.

Abstract: An interface for adapting an Apple.TM. II series computer, having only a video output suitable for driving an NTSC-type monitor to drive an RGB-type monitor. In the preferred embodiment, the interface subdivides the computer's double-density high resolution (HIRES) video mode output having 560 transitions/monitor scan line into any of four (4) video modes for display on the RGB monitor. The interface can be provided on a card incorporated into the computer or as a unit separate and distinct from the computer and connected therewith via a cable.

Abstract: A multiprocessor system for forming a color picture from object elements defined in a hierarchic data structure. The object elements are Bezier polygons each of the sides of which forms a Bezier curve. There is provided an array of parallel connected point processors which perform three functions. First of all, from the highest level of the data structure they determine the relevance of each object element to a point in question until either irrelevance is detected or one or more elementary object elements remain. Furthermore, for each point and each relevant elementary object element a binary inside/outside determination is made. Finally, the color is implemented by a priority determination of the elementary object elements determined to be "inside". The inside/outside decision is made in that during successive steps the relevant polygon sides are divided and in that the contribution to the inside/outside determination by the parallelogram diagonalized by the current side portion is decided.

Abstract: There is described a system for monitoring the operation of output transducers of a central control and monitoring unit for machines usable in production and/or product packaging lines. The main characteristic of this system lies in the fact that it includes a detector for detecting the passage of current in the transducer without relying on a voltage drop detection system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for analyzing an unknown sample to produce information corresponding to individual components of the sample. The information may then be used to identify and quantify the components. The method of the present invention contemplates subjecting the sample to a plurality of separation processes to produce a corresponding plurality of distinct spatial distributions of the sample. The separation processes could include two or more chromatographic processes in which the stationary phases have different separating characteristics. For each distribution, a set of properties (sample set) is determined at a plurality of positions along that distribution. In one embodiment, the set of properties comprises the absorbance of electromagnetic radiation at a plurality of wavelengths. The sample sets for each process are analyzed to determine one or more basic sets capable of representing all the sample sets for that process.

Abstract: A metal body is inspected for defects by relatively longitudinally displacing it and a plurality of pairs of coils connected in respective bridge circuits that are excited with alternating current. The coils are also excited with alternating current so that eddy-current variations caused by defects in the body become impedance variations of the coils which in turn become imbalance signals in the respective bridges. The imbalance signals are demodulated to form respective imbalance voltages which are periodically sampled and the levels of the sampled demodulated voltages are stored. The sampled demodulated voltages of each bridge are averaged to produce respective base lines which are compared with the respective stored levels of each sampled voltage for generation of respective error signals corresponding to the differences. These error signals are compared with a first relatively low threshold corresponding to the smallest defect to be detected and with a second relatively high threshold.

Abstract: The circular array of 200 equally angularly spaced marks about the surface of the rotating calibration disk of a watt-hour meter is optically sensed to provide a series of meter pulses indicative of the rate at which power is being consumed. Each meter pulse corresponds to 1/200 of the amount of the watts rating of the watt-hour meter as represented by one revolution of its disk. These small wattage meter pulses are converted into high frequency pulses and applied onto the household a.c. supply lines. A portable display unit plugged into any outlet of the a.c. supply lines is tuned to receive the high frequency pulses and feed them as digital meter pulses to a single chip microprocessor.

Abstract: A current measuring apparatus utilizes a known fundamental frequency, e.g., 60 Hz, for measuring current and includes a sensing and measurement pulse generation circuit including a current transformer for developing a low power signal directly related to the line current in a powerline, and a diode bridge with a first Zener diode for sensing when the developed current related signal exceeds a first predetermined positive threshold value and a second Zener diode for sensing when the developed current related signal falls below a second predetermined negative threshold value. Across the bridge is an LED for generating a first measurement signal having a duration related to the time when the developed signal exceeds the positive threshold value and second measurement signal during the time when the current related signal falls below the negative threshold value.

Abstract: An electrically-powered zone condition control apparatus includes a first multiplexing means adapted for receiving analog status signals emanating from a plurality of passive signaling devices such as temperature or humidity sensors or potentiometers and transmitting these status signals in multiplex fashion to an analog-to-digital converter. The converter changes these analog status signals to digital data signals and directs them to a microcomputer. A second multiplexing means receives binary input signals which may indicate, for example, that an electrical contact is open or closed and also transmits these signals in multiplex fashion to the microcomputer. The microcomputer is adapted to perform algorithmic decisional functions relative to the signals received therein and is adaptable to periodically, selectively transmit digital output signals to one or more of a plurality of digitally-addressable load devices coupled to it by a two-wire communication bus.

Abstract: Data relating to the distances between each of all the feature points of the article to be checked and the other feature points thereof is stored in a memory in advance. The image of the article is picked up by a camera, and the resulting image data is stored in another memory. With use of a computer, data relating to the distances of at least two of the feature points of the article from other feature points thereof is obtained from the image data. The two feature points are identified by checking the data relating to the distances of the two feature points from other feature points with reference to the stored data relating to the distances between each feature point and the other feature points. The orientation of the article is determined based on the direction through the two identified feature points.

Abstract: A system for identification and quantification of electrochemically active compounds in a flow stream involves stepping the electrode potential in a detector rapidly through the range of interest with a square wave superimposed on a staircase signal and recording the current response as functions of step number and sweep number, i.e., as functions of voltage and time. From the recorded data, a three-dimensional graph (potential, time and current) is structured and from which identification and quantification of the electrochemically active compounds is effected with minimum expenditure of time. The system includes a potentiostat controlled by a computer with, however, independent logic control contained in the potentiostat. Provision is also made to compensate automatically for variations in resistance between the cell electrodes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for predicting pore-dependent physical properties of a microporous solid from measurements of the geometric statistical characteristics of the solid. In a preferred embodiment, the method involves a microscopic determination of the number of geometric features of the pore surface as seen by microscopy performed at several levels of magnification. The fractal dimensionality of the pore space and the range of length scales over which the geometric features of the solid obey a self-similar size distribution are determined. From the measured data, such properties as the porosity, electrical conductivity, and permeability are determined. The method may be performed to determine pore-dependent physical properties of various microporous solids, including reservoir rock, heterogeneous catalyst materials, and electrochemical electrodes.

Abstract: A new method and apparatus for controlling the conversion of AC electrical energy into DC electrical energy. A microprocessor control system is operatively connected to an AC source and to a motor/regenerative switching bridge network. A control signal is operatively coupled to the microprocessor to selectively adjust the DC output voltage. The microprocessor monitors the control voltage, calculates the timing of gating signals and generates gating pulses to the bridge networks. The microprocessor also senses the phase rotation and the line frequency of the AC source and factors those parameters into account when determining gate pulse output pattern and timing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for the determination of an analyte in an aqueous liquid while eliminating the biasing effect of unknown interferents which are preformed or formed in situ during the determination. The method comprises physically contacting a sample of the liquid with an interactive composition for the analyte; measuring the spectrophotometric responses generated by such contact at a primary wavelength .lambda..sub.1 and one or more secondary wavelengths .lambda..sub.2, .lambda..sub.3, . . . .lambda..sub.n ; and determining analyte concentration or activity using the equation:C=a.sub.0 +a.sub.1 [A.sub.1 +.alpha..sub.1 A.sub.2 +. . . +.alpha..sub.n-1 A.sub.n ]wherein C is analyte concentration or activity, A.sub.1, A.sub.2, . . . A.sub.n are the spectrophotometric responses observed at .lambda..sub.1, .lambda..sub.2, . . . .lambda..sub.n, respectively; and a.sub.0, a.sub.1, and .alpha..sub.1, .alpha..sub.2, . . . .alpha..sub.