Abstract: A hearing aid employs a permanent built-in rechargeable storage cell or battery, and a solar cell or other photo cell which powers the electronics of the hearing aid and recharges the storage cell. Favorably, a thin film amorphous silicon cell is employed, and is affixed onto an outward-facing surface of the aid. The photocell is connected in parallel with the storage cell and is of sufficient power capacity to power the amplifier and recharge the storage cell under average ambient light conditions. The storage cell is favorably of sufficient capacity to power the amplifier for at least several hours under darkness conditions.

Abstract: A ribbon loudspeaker is provided by a first set of three rows of parallel spaced apart magnets disposed on a first plate, a second set of three rows of parallel spaced apart magnets disposed on a second plate, a diaphragm having a U-shaped electric current conductor disposed on one face thereof and means for clamping the diaphragm in a spaced apart and aligned relationship with both said sets of rows of magnets. The conductor is comprised of thin layers of metal of different compositions, preferably formed on the diaphragm by a vapor deposition process to provide a low mass. The base layer is of a metal that will bond with the diaphragm, while the middle layer serves as the main conductor and the surface layer prevents oxidation.

Abstract: A loudspeaker driver has a plastic basket having front and rear portions. The front portion is formed with six radial ribs extending between a central motor cup support and an annular rim. A cup-shaped front pole piece is molded into the pole support and formed with an axial groove for accommodating an axial lead extending from the front end of a voice coil that moves axially in a gap between the circumferential wall of the front pole plate and a circular rear pole plate and circular disk neodymium disk magnet sandwiched between the rear pole plate and the closed end of the front pole plate. Flat tinsel leads are crimped to ends of the voice coil and brought out through slits in the cone to terminals in opposite sides of the rear portion of the basket. The circumferential edge of the cone is clamped between the front and rear portions of the basket and ultrasonically bonded to an annular surface on the rear of the front portion.

Abstract: A field transfer imager is erased after every field transfer, prior to a new field of pixels-descriptive charge packet being accumulated in the successive charge transfer stages of the charge transfer channels of the image register. The image register is operated to supply a field of "null" charge packets for each field of pixel-descriptive charge packets it supplies. The "null" charge packets and pixel-descriptive charge packets are temporarily stored in respective field storage registers, and converted a line at a time to serial format for sensing. The resulting "null" samples and pixel-descriptive samples are differentially combined to provide pixel-descriptive samples with suppressed dark current ramp components and, assuming field-rate shuttering of the imager is not used, with suppressed transfer smear components.

Abstract: An audio arrangement includes a thin speaker/transducer positioned within a portable housing wherein the speaker cavity is dimensioned to move the resonant frequency of the speaker/housing combination up to approximately the free-air cutoff frequency of the speaker/tranducer. The resulting response then falls off at about 6 db/octave below that point. An amplifier having gain increasing at 6 db/octave is placed in the signal input path for creating an essentially flat frequency response in the normally desired audio range.

Abstract: A frame transfer CCD area image sensor is disclosed having a plurality of spaced transfer channels having resolution cells defined by electrodes. Each resolution cell samples an image scene pixel. Channel stops separate the channels and are arranged to stagger adjacent resolution cells in the channels to improve horizontal resolution.

Abstract: A telephone paystation coin refund and collect circuit for operating a coin relay with power obtained from a two-wire business telephone line. The circuit employed utilizes charge storage capacitors and MOS-FET transistors for current pulsing of the relay coil with current flow in either direction as determined by a signal from an associated microprocessor controller.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor has an electrically floating carrier detecting electrode formed on a substrate, into which the signal carriers are transmitted, a sense amplifier circuit detecting the variation in a voltage of the electrode at the time of transferring the carriers, and a resetting electrode for resetting the potential of the electrode to a predetermined potential at every read-out period of the picture element section. A circuit arrangement for removing noise is provided with two switches which alternately become conductive in response to control pulse signals. The first switch becomes conductive during a first period within one picture element period. During the first period the CCD output signal contains an effective image signal component. The second switch becomes conductive during a second period during which the CCD output signal contains a reset noise component, thereby forcibly fixing the level of the reset noise signal to a DC reference potential so that reset noise can be removed.

Abstract: An electronic camera in which images are electrically recorded on a magnetic disk that can be removed from a receptacle that can be opened. The receptacle is prevented from opening when a picture is being taken and recorded, thus prevention incomplete recording. Such prevention can be accomplished by coupling the receptacle release to a lens cover or to a power switch powering the recording.

Abstract: A modem for interfacing digital data communications between a data processing terminal and a telephone link contains, in the modem front panel, a control switch configuration for effecting automatic dialling of a previously stored telephone number, thereby enabling the automatic placement of a call for either an asynchronous or synchronous terminal which cannot perform modem command language. As an additional feature the modem of the present invention provides the capability of allowing an asynchronous terminal, using the command language of the modem via a first asynchronous interface, to place a call for either a synchronous terminal or an asynchronous terminal which cannot support the modem command language and, as a result, is connected to a second interface. The first interface is coupled to a modem control processor through which communication commands for the operation of the modem are effected.

Abstract: A camera tube device for use in, for example, a television camera comprises a cathode emitting electrons, and a first grid and a second grid having respective apertures for converging the electrons emitted from the cathode into a fine electron beam. The aperture of the second grid is sufficiently smaller than that of the first grid and plays an important role for the formation of the electron beam. The electron beam scans a target carrying a charge pattern corresponding to the luminous intensity of an object. Voltages applied to the first and second grids are controlled so as to provide the electron beam quantity corresponding to the luminous intensity of the object forming the charge pattern of the target.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the remote pickup and reproduction of image of static or dynamic objects in which dark regions of a target provide outputs below a threshold value which are normalized or averaged through a divider during intervals of line scan interruption brought about by the detection of a below threshold level. The system, therefore, allows integration during the interval and by averaging and integrating values permits discernment of features which might otherwise be obscured by a leveling effect in dark regions.

Abstract: The present invention is a conversational freeze-frame video phone which transmits a source image over a standard telephone line in conjunction with audio voice signals. A camera is used to capture an image to be transmitted and the image is mapped onto an image field of 2,000 to 5,000 pixels. The image field is displayed on a display area of approximately one square inch on a display screen. Digitized data representing the pixels is asynchronously transmitted on a modulated signal in a single burst of less than three seconds duration. Corresponding remote images are asynchronously received, demodulated, and displayed. The transmission of the audio signal is interrupted upon the detection of a video image being transmitted.

Abstract: A still video camera produces a movie image for previewing in an electronic viewfinder according to a specific image repetition rate and a still image for recording on a magnetic disk. In the movie mode, video signals are clocked from a solid-state, interline transfer image sensor by application of driving signals from a movie timing generator. The still mode interrupts the movie timing with a special driving signal from a still timing generator. By initiating the still exposure in synchronism with the high frequency movie driving signals that operate the image sensor . . . and not with regard to the vertical drive interval determining the image repetition rate . . . a "pseudo"-asynchronous relationship can be obtained with the movie mode and the still exposure can begin without noticeable delay. After the still exposure is completed, control of the image sensor is returned to the movie timing generator in synchronism with the image repetition rate.

Abstract: A speakerphone control circuit is disclosed. The control circuit includes a first electronic switch coupled between the speakerphone microphone and a hybrid circuit coupled to the telephone line and a second electronic switch coupled between the speakerphone loudspeaker and the hybrid circuit coupled to the telephone line. A first sensing circuit for sensing the microphone signal and a second sensing circuit for sensing the received loudspeaker signal are provided. The outputs of the first and second sensing circuits are multiplexed and digitized and fed to a microprocessor controller. In response to the levels of the multiplexed signal, the microprocessor determines the state of the speakerphone from among four possible states, including a first talk state, low gain talk state, first listen state and low gain listen state.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel camera apparatus which can be discretely split into two parts; a lens barrel unit and a lens-barrel-support unit which allows the lens barrel unit to freely turn its direction. A built-in angular rate detector detects a swinging movement of the lens barrel unit, whereas a position detector detects a position relationship between the lens barrel unit and the support unit. An operator unit storing programs controls a drive operation of an actuator that generates a specific amount of torque between the lens barrel unit and the support unit to reduce an output from a system controller unit so that swinging symptom of video picture caused by the swinging movement of the video camera can be eliminated.

Abstract: A directional microphone arrangement has a number of discrete microphones each having an electrical output and elements for deriving first and second electrical signals which are 180.degree. out of phase with respect to each other from the outputs of the microphones. A third signal is also derived through differentiation from one of the microphone outputs which is 90.degree. out of phase with respect to one of the first or second signals. All of the first, second and third signals are added in a summing unit, the output of the summing unit forming the output for the arrangement.

Abstract: The present invention is an improved subscriber line interface circuit which allows fast detection of an off-hook signal in the presence of a ringing signal during an answer mode while also permitting fast detection of dialing pulses during a calling mode. A programmable filter is used in the supervision circuit of the SLIC to allow the cutoff frequency of the filter to be varied so that the 20 Hz ringing signal will be attenuated during a ringing sequence and dialing pulse rates up to 20 Hz will be passed by the filter during the calling mode. A clamping amplifier is used to clamp the received signal to a maximum of 1.5 times the loop threshold current. This eliminates the large variations in the rise and fall times of the pulse dialing signal due to variations in the loop current caused by varying impedances of the telephone line. The filter is programmed by using an analog switch to bypass certain filter elements.

Abstract: A substantially rectangular modular jack connecting block suitable for use in the connection or mounting of terminal equipment using modular plugs, i.e., wall phones and the like, and including separable interior portions and add-on portions which transform the modular jack connecting block to other types of connecting devices suitable for a variety of other connecting applications is presented.

Abstract: A multiple telephone jack slide assembly includes a jack support member for supporting a multitude of telephone jacks upon an electronic wire connecting system. The jack support member has a longitudinal channel formed by a slotted opening for slidingly receiving telephone jacks, the side walls of the telephone jacks engaging edge portions of the slotted opening. One or more retaining members are secured to the jack support member to inhibit further sliding movement of the telephone jacks after the same are inserted in the channel through an opening communicating therewith.