Abstract: A microprocessor-controlled, hand-held, digital ultrasonic thickness gage having automatic zero calibration, scroll velocity adjustment and an electronic locking feature to prevent inadvertent calibration or velocity data variations. This invention is used with a dual-element transducer and, in that regard, employs a microprocessor program which automatically corrects for the well-known, inherent thickness gaging inaccuracies (nonlinearities) always caused by the use of the otherwise advantageous (high sensitivity) dual element transducer.

Abstract: A grain damage analyzer illuminates a grain sample with longwave, ultraviolet radiation, causing the exposed starch of the damaged portions to fluoresce and a video camera views the illuminated grain. The video signal from the camera is digitized into an array of pixels. The number of percentage of pixels which have an intensity exceeding a predetermined threshold represents the extent of damage to the sample.

Abstract: A device for converting display parameters adapted for use with a personal computer having a display defined by a first set of parameters to a display having a second set of parameters. The converter includes a latch for storing data received from the microcomputer data bus that is indicative of the parameter to be controlled and a read only memory coupled to the latch and also coupled to the data bus. The read only memory will select a new value corresponding to the parameter to be converted from data received from the latch and the parameter data received from the data bus.

Abstract: In a system for generating a vector representation of a waveform on a cathode ray tube screen, the minimum and maximum magnitudes of an analog waveform acquired during each of successive measurement periods are stored in a random access memory, with the minimum and maximum signal values for each measurement period being stored in arbitrary order. The minimum and maximum signal values within each measurement period are then time sequenced by selectively comparing the minimum and maximum values obtained during each such measurement period with the values obtained during preceding and/or succeeding periods. Also according to these selected maximum and minimum comparisons, the maximums obtained during selected measurement periods are decremented by a selected amount while minimums obtained during selected periods are incremented by a selected amount.

Abstract: A method of localizing a moving body, by which the magnitude of parameters, which can give rise to bias errors, is estimated inversely from the difference between two locations of the moving body estimated by two different localization methods. Various quantities (position of sensors, propagation velocity of radiation, etc.), on the basis of which localization operations are carried out, can be corrected by using the magnitude thus estimated. The emission time of the radiation from the moving body can be estimated by the hyperbolic surface localization method and the spherical surface localization method can utilize the emission time thus estimated to localize the moving body. Further, localization errors caused by both localization methods can be estimated, so that it is possible to determine which localization method should be used to localize the moving body.

Abstract: A system is provided for locating and displaying a most recently written record in an electronic postage meter to sequentially store accounting data associated with the transactions of the electronic postage meter. The meter includes a first non-volatile memory (NVM) and a second non-volatile memory (NVM). The system includes apparatus for locating an accurate piece count within the second NVM, for utilizing the accurate piece count within the second NVM to locate a written transaction in the first NVM, and means for providing an external message generated by a keyboard or the like. Accordingly, the written transaction represents the most recently written record in the postage meter. The system also includes a means for determining whether the record is accurate. Accordingly, check values are provided as part of the record in the first NVM. If the check value and a value corresponding to the written transaction agree, the record within the first NVM will be displayed to a user.

Abstract: A digital temperature indicating system which enables a relatively inexpensive thermistor sensor to be used to obtain highly accurate temperature measurements over a number of relatively narrow temperature ranges, and to obtain acceptable temperature accuracy over an extended temperature range. The thermistor controls a bridge. The bridge produces an analog signal when the thermistor causes the bridge to become unbalanced from a null point as the thermistor senses different temperatures. The analog signal from the bridge is converted into digital signals which address memory locations in a programmable read-only memory (PROM) for both scaling and linearizing purposes. The resulting output signals from the PROM are used to control a display unit which displays the temperature readings.

Abstract: A system for automatically sampling, monitoring and analyzing power plant steam cycle water supplied from various points in a power plant steam cycle system as a plurality of influent fluid sample streams. Plural continuous monitor modules each include continuous on-line monitors and provide continuous on-line monitoring of a corresponding influent fluid sample stream, and an ion chromatograph unit provides semi-continuous monitoring of a selected one of the influent fluid sample streams.

Abstract: A method for distributing wire load among the layers of a multilayer interconnection package such that in each region of the package, the wire load is balanced among all layers and such that specified subsets of two-pin connections may be constrained to lie within the same layer.

Abstract: According to a dot interpolation control system for dot-interpolating a character pattern in a predetermined dot matrix form along at least the main scanning direction or the subscanning direction, there is provided a pair of registers for designating initial addresses of interpolated dots along the main scanning direction, another pair of registers for designating a dot pitch along the main scanning direction, and still another pair of registers for designating a dot pitch along the subscanning direction. Data pairs of x and y components, which selectively include trigonometric function data representing a designated rotation or inclination angle, are set in the corresponding registers. Dot interpolation of a character pattern is performed by main scanning and subscanning in accordance with the contents of the respective registers, thereby obtaining a rotated or inclined character on the basis of the designated angle.

Abstract: An automatic centering method for a video camera having a plurality of pick-up tubes and a deflection control circuit for each of the plurality of pick-up tubes is disclosed, which includes the steps of comparing outputs of two pick-up tubes of the plurality of pick-up tubes to thereby generate an error signal, processing the error signal to thereby generate a control signal, supplying the control signal to the deflection control circuit for one of the two pick-up tubes, storing the control signal in a memory, changing the control signal supplied to the deflection control circuit by a predetermined amount, repeating the above-described first to third steps, comparing the control signal generated in the sixth step and the control signal in the memory with each other to thereby generate an error flag signal when the above two control signals do not coincide with each other and indicating the error flag signal.

Abstract: A system for measuring distance traveled by a vehicle periodically updates the accumulated measurements, displays the updated measurements and electronically stores corresponding accumulations of updated distance data in a non-volatile memory device. The system employs a method of reading through the sequentially ordered storage locations of the non-volatile memory to determine the most recently stored correct data value as a value to be both displayed and used as a base value for subsequent measured distance accumulation.

Abstract: An electronic postage meter having an improved memory selection circuit is disclosed. A custom memory map decoder circuit with resolution down to a single byte location is used to provide selection enabling signals to insure the selection of an appropriate device only when the addresses appropriate to that device are communicated. In accordance with the invention, at least two nonvolatile memories are provided. Writing to either of these nonvolatile memories is inhibited unless one and only one memory is selected. The circuit also prevents the selection of either of the nonvolatile memories in the event that the write strobe signal to the memories is held active.

Abstract: A passenger vehicle is provided for movement along a track having an input speed command including ONE and ZERO information components to control the vehicle speed. A first control apparatus including at least a first microprocessor is responsive to the ONE and ZERO information components for providing first and second speed error signals. A second control apparatus including at least a second microprocessor is responsive to the ONE and ZERO information components for providing third and fourth speed error signals the first control apparatus compares the first, second, third and fourth speed error signals for controlling the vehicle and the second control apparatus compares the first, second, third and fourth speed error signals for controlling the vehicle.

Abstract: An electronic postage meter includes a microcomputer with an external timer for providing a periodic interrupt. At each interrupt, a monitor routine examines the sensors and switches for changes in status and a monitor word is formed in correspondence with the detected status. A queue of meter tasks is scheduled in accordance with the meter status, any changes in status, or after a selected time has passed.

Abstract: An aerosol generating system for maintaining a constant concentration of aerosol in a chamber is disclosed. The system includes an aerosol generator in a closed chamber. A small fan in the chamber distributes the aerosol within the chamber. A particle analyzer connected to the chamber draws aerosol samples and analyses samples to monitor at least one characteristic property of the aerosol. Typically, these are particulate concentration and particulate size. The system includes a control responsive to signals from the analyzer representing changes in the monitored characteristic property to control operation of the aerosol generator. The control is such as to maintain the characteristic property substantially constant. The system may also be equipped with humidity and temperature control elements for maintaining these factors constant within the chamber.

Abstract: A method for generating a graphical figure in a textual markup language used for document composition. A special tag in the mark-up language calls a procedure. The procedure consists of drawing a series of contiguous rectangular boxes, of very small extent in at least one dimension, so as to appear as continuous lines representing the figure. Text can be associated with the tag and included within the figure. The size of the figure then depends on the extent of the text.

Abstract: A self-monitor system for a microprocessor performs self-checking during cold-start of the microprocessor. Self-checking is performed by applying a dummy load to a specific output port, and detecting the signal level at a checking port connected to the specific output port so that the output level at the check port coincides with the dummy load applied to the specific output port within a predetermined allowable time lag. An alarm is produced and a fail-safe operation is carried out if the signal level at the check port coincident with the dummy load is not detected within a given period of time after the allowable time lag.

Abstract: Tactile sensing apparatus for detecting a tactile sense with an object to-be-handled, comprising a plurality of pressure sensing devices, a processor which processes outputs of the pressure sensing devices, and a touch device which contacts with the respective pressure sensing devices in common, whereby information items on a pressure sense, a viscosity sense and a slip sense are simultaneously detected with the outputs of the pressure sensing devices which vary depending upon a direction and a magnitude of a force acting on the touch device.

Abstract: A modular function generator for generating a plurality of analog waveforms for use in an NMR imaging system. The function generator includes a plurality of waveform synthesizer modules which are interconnected by a main bus to a central controller CPU. Each synthesizer is adapted to produce one analog waveform for the NMR imaging system. A synthesizer module includes a memory and an address sequencer which produces a sequence of addresses which control the retrieval of data from the memory. Each data world of the memory contains several fields. An instruction field and a general data field control the address sequencer so that the sequence of addresses is, in turn, controlled by the memory data. Other fields from the memory define analog and digital outputs produced by the synthesizer module. The fields are generated by program control means which are organized to have data segments which define a set of elementary analog waveform segments and subroutines which are controlled by a main program.