Abstract: Disclosed is encoded data representing knots on an outline defined relative to a coordinate plane involving selecting sets of coordinates on said outline, to represent said knots, establishing a successive order of said knots, encoding said knots in a data order indicative of said knot order, and encoding by encoding a complete information set of data providing a control code indicative of either (i) the coordinate locations of said knots or (ii) a knot's direction relative to others of said knots or (iii) a predetermined shape of said outline between a pair of said knots or (iv) data indicative of the shape of said outline at a knot or (v) encoding a complete information set providing the coordinate distances between adjacent knots.

Abstract: Disclosed is encoded data representing knots on an outline defined relative to a coordinate plane and decoded for use in a display process to produce images of said outlines represented by said encoded data involving selecting sets of coordinates on said outline, to represent said knots, establishing a successive order of said knots, encoding said knots in a data order indicative of said knot order, by encoding a complete information set of data providing a control code indicative of either (i) the coordinate locations of said knots or (ii) a knot's direction relative to others of said knots or (iii) a predetermined shape of said outline between a pair of said knots or (iv) data indicative of the shape of said outline at a knot, or (v) providing data indicative of the coordinate distances between adjacent knots decoding said complete information sets in a decoding order related to said data order, responsive to said complete information set being indicative of the coordinate distances between adjacent knots,

Abstract: Previous methods for determining internal stress in polycrystalline solids by X-ray diffraction techniques have required that the distance between the X-ray irradiated surface of the sample under investigation and the X-ray detection surface for the diffracted X-rays be known. According to the practice of this invention, stress measurement can be made without determining the sample to detector distance as a separate step. Two or more sets of detection surfaces, i.e., X-ray detector channels, are arranged around the incident X-ray beam, usually on opposite sides of the cone of diffracted X-rays from one another. The invention employs a calibration procedure which provides a set of calibration parameters, which, when used with X-ray stress equations, yields accurate internal stress measurement without the prior art requirement of determining the sample to detector distance.

Abstract: A test apparatus for testing such electrical circuit elements as components of printed circuit boards or integrated circuit chips includes a number of substantially indentical pin modules or units, one for each pin under test. The several modules are separately programmed by a CPU to provide a suitable state at the pin under test, i.e., excitation signal, read signal or impedance. Power to the unit under test is provided by the pin module.

Abstract: A digital hysteresis circuit which generates a stable signal for driving a digital readout indicator from an analog signal indicative of the position of a mechanical driving device having noise signal components leading to erratic indications superposed thereon.A reference signal generated by an up-down counter is compared with the digitized input signal in a memory store. Only when the difference in the compared digital values exceeds a predetermined digital hysteresis value in the memory store corresponding to the allowable noise signals is a command signal generated to increment or decrement the counter so as to reduce the difference in digital value. The reference signal is applied to drive the digital readout indicator, thereby precluding unstable indications due to noise, jitter, and system threshold uncertainty.

Abstract: A predetermined number of preceding data items, which are obtained through measurement of change in pressure or pressure difference with respect to respective objects inspected and decided to be acceptable, are grouped according to types of the objects and stored in different storage regions. Each time new data is stored, the oldest data in the corresponding storage region is erased. An average of data stored in a designated storage region is computed and each object is decided if it is acceptable or not on the basis of the difference between the newly measured data of the object and the computed average of the data in the designated storage region corresponding to the object.

Abstract: A method and system is shown for encoding data representing knots on an outline defined relative to a coordinate plane and for generating a series of signals representing nodes on the locus of a curve partially defined by said set of knots, involving, selecting sets of coordinates on said outline, to represent said knots, establishing a successive order of said knots, encoding said knots in a data order indicative of said knot order, and encoding a complete information set of data providing a code indicative of a predetermined shape of said outline between a pair of said knots or a complete information set providing the coordinate distances between adjacent knots.

Abstract: A display system is disclosed which is constructed and operates so that over an essentially unlimited range of variations of successive numerical values to be displayed the display of the values is performed with the highest possible resolution and also with the possibility of an exact reading of instantaneous values. This is principally achieved by splitting the respective present or current numerical value of the sequence of numerical values to be displayed into a more or less steady, digitally displayed base value and into an analog displayed difference value which reflects the dynamics. The determination of the base value is performed predictively by taking into account the dynamics of the successive numerical values having already occurred. The digital and analog display system disclosed is especially adapted to early recognize and observe drifts, trends and fluctuations in the succession of numerical values together with an exact reading of dynamic instantaneous values.

Abstract: In apparatus for measuring the propagation time of ultrasonic waves by counting the number of clock pulses occurring within the period of time from the transmission of an ultrasonic pulse to the receiving of the pulse, a receiving circuit receives a transmitted pulse and a received pulse and provides an output which continues from transmission until reception of the pulse. A time-difference detection circuit detects pulses occurring during a time interval t.sub.1 starting at the leading edge of the transmission pulse and ending at the leading edge of the first clock pulse thereafter and a time interval t.sub.2 starting at the leading edge of the received pulse and ending at the leading edge of the first clock pulse thereafter. The duration of the time interval t between transmission and reception is determined in accordance with the equationt=[A+1/m(B-C)].times.

Abstract: Character images are recreated and displayed on an incrementing plotter, such as a cathode ray tube (92), with a smoothly continuous outline and not as a discontinuous assembly of stripes or dots. A master curve, e.g. a spiral, is stored electronically in a memory (16) as a sequence of vector step instructions. The sequential outline is achieved by selecting appropriate curve sections from the memory to match the desired outline and re-orientating these curve sections so that successive sections join perfectly. The image can be displayed as designed, or one can add, subtract or modify elements of the character instantaneously. The system is especially suited for typesetting. For this, the system provides for infiling of the outline; for smoothing the curve; for thickening vertical and/or horizontal elements of a character; for vertically compressing zones of a character; and for tracing a secondary outline just inside the main outline.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for deriving a measuring signal proportional to the temperature rise of a temperature-time characteristic curve in a heating system having a cooker with cooking material on a heating plate, in which the temperature of the cooker is measured by means of a temperature sensor.

Abstract: By using a low-frequency component of attitude data of an uncorrected image resulting from scanning the ground by means of a sensor mounted on a satellite, low-frequency distortion correction coefficients are calculated. By using a high-frequency component of attitude data, a change rate is calculated. From said low-frequency distortion correction coefficients and said change rate, distortion correction coefficients covering a high frequency are calculated. By applying bidirectional resampling to the uncorrected image by using said distortion correction coefficients covering a high frequency, a corrected image is obtained.

Abstract: Matrix arrays, in particular infra-red arrays, suffer from non-uniformity in output from the individual elements in the array. This is due to each element in the array having for example, its own characteristic responsivity and leakage current, and is seen in the array output as a pattern of offset values. These offset values must be removed from the output of the array if useful digital information is to be obtained. One known method of doing this is to show the array a black body at a known uniform temperature and use the output from the array to cancel the offset values. However, the dynamic range of the system is directly related to the range of offset values obtained and also to the size of the digitizer. Large-size digitizers have relatively slow sampling rates and in order to have a higher sampling rate, a small-size digitizer must be used. The signal processing system described herein corrects for offset values and is able to provide a high sampling rate by using a small-size digitizer.

Abstract: There is an attitude control method and system for a satellite. This system comprises a star catalogue of the universe, a star sensor and means for calculating features on the surface of the star sensor from a signal detected by the star sensor. The calculated features are compared with a table of which the star catalogue was reconstituted so as to easily search the features, thereby determining the attitude of the satellite.

Abstract: The effective range of an analog linear-log converter is extended above the number of output decades over which this converter is reasonably linear to cover several additional decades of log conversion. This is made possible by adding a variable gain amplifier having several decades of switchable gain to the input of the converter. Switching between decades to utilize the added decades of output is controlled by a microcomputer which monitors the output level. This switching restores the signal level of each of the added decades to the same level as that of an earlier decade thus maintaining the same slope accuracy and noise levels of the earlier decades throughout the whole conversion range. The microcomputer also provides slope corrections from a lookup table for each of the different output decades as well as also applying to the output corrections for offsets due to the circuit components. Ambient temperature compensation is also provided following the linear-log converter for increased precision.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining the depth of precipitation accumulating on the surface of a pathway, such as an airport runway or the like, includes a sensor having electrical transducer means for emitting and sensing ultrasonic energy and having a body of material adapted to be embedded in the pathway with the top surface of the body being substantially flush therewith and exposed to the precipitation, the transducer means being physically coupled to the body. A circuit causes the transducer means to emit pulses of ultrasonic energy, which are reflected as first and second reflections from the top surface of the body and from the upper surface of an accumulation of precipitation on the top surface of the body and are respectively returned to the transducer which, in response to the reflected pulses, produces corresponding first and second electrical signals.

Abstract: A temperature measuring apparatus utilizing the temperature dependence of the characteristics of fluorescence and afterglow emitted from a fluorescent substance by exciting the substance. The fluorescence and afterglow emitted by the excited fluorescent substance are detected and converted to electric signals. The fluorescence signal and afterglow signal are integrated for a predetermined period of time to obtain an integral amount of light. The temperature is determined by comparing the integral amount of light with the temperature characteristics of an integral amount of light preset for the fluorescent substance.

Abstract: A system for generating electrical signals which are intended to control a flow limiting device, in particular in a fuel control apparatus, has duplicate signal generating circuits which are responsive to operation of the fuel control apparatus and which generate nominally indentical output signals when an operating condition of the fuel control apparatus exceeds predetermined limits. Output signals from the duplicate circuits are supplied to the limiting device by way of respective control circuits each of which is enabled by the presence of a corresponding output signal from the other of the signal generating circuits. A device is provided for detecting a malfunction of one of the signal generating circuits and for permanently enabling the control circuit.

Abstract: The method and system of this invention is capable of obtaining image data which underwent a layout process such as coordinate rotation and shifting processes, a trimming process and so forth at first by scanning a specific number of scanning lines of each original picture in accordance with layout data, then by storing the image data from the scanning to a memory in accordance with another layout data.

Abstract: The method for automatic guidance of a machine of the crawler type for laying drainage piping or any similar earthmoving machine consists in preliminary recording, in digital form and on a moving magnetic recording medium, of all the planimetric and altimetric data relating to the operations to be performed with reference to datum points and to reference plane. There are then placed on the ground of the drainage site fixed beacons for marking the location of the selected datum points as well as a rotating laser beam emitter for defining the desired reference plane. The crawler machine to be guided is equipped with a microprocessor control-module for reading the indications recorded on the magnetic recording medium and controlling two guidance devices, one device being employed for planimetric guidance of the crawler machine and the other device being employed for altimetric guidance of the drain-laying or digging tool of the machine.