Abstract: A light control system for a television camera comprises an artificial light control system which is cooperative with an iris control system. This artificial light control system adjusts the power to lamps illuminating the camera viewing area to provide only sufficient artificial illumination necessary to provide a sufficient video signal when the camera iris is substantially open.

Abstract: The invention relates to a telephone subscriber electronic feeding bridge which includes a transformer with three windings, between the line of the sub set and the connection network of the telephone unit automatic exchange or autoswitch of which it forms a part. A capacitor is interposed on one of the two wires of the line, connected furthermore to feed resistors. The third winding of the transformer, associated with the winding of the line of the set, is looped on a negative impedance. This arrangement allows impedance matching both in direct current and in alternating current.

Abstract: A photographic optical apparatus including a beam splitter for splitting the optical path of an objective lens, a video pickup device arranged in one of the split optical paths, an optical low pass filter and a color separation filter arranged between the beam splitter and the video pickup device, a prism for changing the direction of the optical path arranged on the other split optical path, an eyepiece arranged on the optical path of the light coming through the prism, a pre-assumed image plane lying between the beam splitter and the prism and an image correcting plate of equal optical thickness to the sum of the lengths of the optical paths of the optical low pass filter and the color separation filter. The plate is arranged between the pre-assumed image plane and the beam splitter. The image correcting plate also serves to split off part of the light and then to guide it to a sensor for light metering.

Abstract: A life safety system for monitoring a building has a plurality of detectors for detecting alarm conditions located throughout the building, a plurality of speakers located throughout the building, a source of pre-stored voice messages which can be broadcast over the speakers, and a telephone network. The improvement is a voice synthesizer for providing the source of pre-stored voice messages and a constant volume telephone system. The constant volume telephone system has a telephone line and a plurality of telephones which can be connected to the telephone line, and a power supply having an adjustable output voltage which provides the voltage for the telephone line. A sensing and adjusting circuit senses the number of telephones off-hook and causes the power supply to be adjusted in response to the number of telephones off-hook.

Abstract: The top surface (1a) of the TV camera has a tower block (5, 6) secured thereto including, for example, a "camera ON" or "red light" indicator.

Abstract: The invention relates to a read and clear readout circuit and a method of operation of an IR sensing array. The invention eliminates "readout circuit lag" which reduces transient response for an individual sensor, and reduces angular resolution of an array. "Readout circuit lag" also emphasizes longer duration IR background causing unwanted saturation and restriction of the dynamic range. Readout circuit lag arises from the capacitance of the sensor elements and the capacitance of the readout circuit at a node to which the sensor elements are periodically coupled for readout, the IR induced charge being partitioned between these capacitances, with that attributable to the sensor capacitance not being injected, causing readout circuit lag. Elimination of such lag is achieved by following each readout step, with a clear or clear and skim step that removes charge to the clear level or to the skim level, precluding the lag earlier described.

Abstract: A capacitor coupled circuit includes a power supply switch for switching power supply on; a coupling capacitor provided in a signal line; and a control circuit arranged to cause the capacitor to be charged or to be discharged in a short period of time according to the operation of the power supply switch. The arrangement enables the capacitor coupled circuit to obtain a stabilized constant output voltage in a short period of time after the power supply is switched on.

Abstract: The switching matrix comprises two data bus each one with n channels for conveying video signals, one address bus, control conductors and an array of N switching points; each of said switching points has two output switches, two input switches, one circuit receiving address signals to select on each data bus a channel corresponding to the received address, one circuit receiving control signals designed to validate either the pair formed by the first output switch and the second input switch, or the pair formed by the second output switch and the first input switch, to validate the setting up of a connection between the video transmitting means of the associated subscriber terminal and the selected channel.

Abstract: The picture signal to be displayed on the viewfinder is corrected so as to be adaptive to the spatial frequency performance of visual system at close viewing distance of about three times of the viewing screen height. As a result, the luminance or the coloring of edge portions of the viewed picture is clearly emphasized and hence accurate and rapid focusing of pickup lens provided in any kind of TV camera is facilitated without conventional trial and error.

Abstract: The moving coil loudspeaker drive-unit comprises a voice coil (4) wound on a former (3) and having fixed thereto a diaphragm (6) and a rear suspension spider (5). The drive unit of the invention comprises a component part build-ring (7) incorporated with the voice coil former (3) and adapted to interconnect the rear suspension spider (5) with the coil former (3) and to accurately locate it with respect to the voice coil (4). The build-ring (7) is also adapted to connect the diaphragm (6) to the coil former (3) together with the dust dome (8). The build-ring (7) also includes projections (9) to accommodate the electrical voice coil termination arrangements (10).

Abstract: A bedside control module is provided for healthcare stations and the like, of the type generally having a bed, and at least two control functions, such as bed adjustments, nurse call, telephone, television, radio, lights, and other such accessories. The control module includes a dual-sided control panel that is supported by an arm at a position adjacent to the bed for access by the user. Both sides of the control panel include manually-operable controllers for operating the various control functions. The control panel is rotatably mounted on the support arm for manual rotation about a normally, generally vertical axis that is oriented to selectively and sequentially present the opposite sides of the control panel to the user to regulate the various control functions.

Abstract: A hearing aid has a housing insertable into the auditory canal, wherein the housing contains at least a microphone, an amplifier, an earpiece and a power source. In instruments of this kind it has turned out to be desirable to have, in addition to the usual volume control, an additional control for varying the way the incoming sound signals are influenced by the amplifier (i.e. its characteristic) to adapt to individual hearing impairments. For this purpose the hearing aid provides in the housing space for the battery a pitch control in such a manner that its actuating member can be operated at least when the power source is removed from the instrument. This makes it possible to reduce the space requirement for the pitch control so that even hearing aids insertable into the auditory canal can contain such an additional control.

Abstract: In a hearing aid of the type having an electrical amplifier, wherein the improvement provides an audio signal processing circuit incorporated into the amplifier and including integral computing circuitry for controlling the operation thereof; the processing circuit providing circuitry for receiving an audio frequency electrical signal, circuitry for separating the audio frequency signal into a plurality of frequency bandwidths, circuitry for separately amplifying any audio frequency signal present in each of the bandwidths, circuitry for summing the amplified audio frequency signals from each of the bandwidths to produce a reconstituted signal, and circuitry for controlling amplification including circuitry for sampling any audio frequency signal present in each of the bandwidths and circuitry for determining, in response to the audio frequency signals sampled from all of the bandwidths the amplification level for each bandwidth for the separate amplification.

Abstract: A transmit amplifier which also stabilizes the line direct voltage of the audio transmission circuit of a telephone set with respect to a reference voltage, the amplifier gain being adjustable to a high value by means of a resistor which does not affect the further properties of the audio transmission circuit. Variation of the line direct voltage by the offset current of the microphone pre-amplifier preceding the transmit amplifier, and by temperature fluctuations of the reference voltage, is greatly reduced by increasing the reference voltage and adding a temperature-dependent current source to a voltage divider which is comprised in the amplifier.

Abstract: The driver circuit for a two-dimensional, CCD image sensor provides a pulse elimination period before the start of each field shift. During this elimination period, the operation of transmission registers is stopped so that the amplitude of a signal component used for even field shifting substantially matches the amplitude of another signal component used for odd field shifting, such that, as a result, the output signal of the image sensor is free of flickering.

Abstract: The horizontal transfer register of a CCD image sensor has a final stage electrode which is independent of other electrodes of the horizontal transfer register. To eliminate flickering in a video picture, the operation of the horizontal transfer register is stopped for a given period of time during which field shifting is effected. The final stage electrode is driven by continuous pulses even when the operation of the horizontal transfer register is stopped during field shifting, thereby eliminating black level variations from an image sensor output.

Abstract: A circuit (16) is designed to prevent unauthorized access to a remote device such as a computer (10) over a communications system such as a telephone network (12). A remote computer terminal (13) is connected to the telephone network (12) through a conventional modem (14). At the remote location of computer (10), circuit (16) is connected between computer (10) and another modem (15). Circuit (16) is also connected to the telephone network (12) to receive a signal therefrom which connects modem (15) through circuit (16) to computer (10) to temporarily access the same. The connection, however, is disconnected after a predetermined time period unless circuit (16) receives a second signal from the telephone network (12) before the expiration of that predetermined time period.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a layer of photosensitive amorphous silicon on one surface of which is a large area common electrode and on the opposite surface of which are an array of spaced discrete electrodes and an isolation electrode which intends in the spaces between the discrete electrodes but is spaced therefrom. In operation, the common electrode is maintained at a first d-c potential, the isolation electrode is maintained at a different second d-c potential and the discrete electrodes are switched in turn to the second potential and the current flowing therethrough is used.

Abstract: Image sensor wherein there are provided a charge storage type photoelectric conversion section and a drive circuit including an integrated circuit on a substrate, and with these being connected by conductive strips, characterized in that capacitance adjustment conductive strips extend from the drive circuit section, and are arranged so as to pass underneath or close to the photoelectric conversion section and reduce variations in stray capacitances in the conductive strips.

Abstract: Diagonally disposed line-selection artifacts appear in the video signal from a CCD imager using a line-transfer register, owing to differential delay in a side-loaded CCD shift register used for transferring charge packets from the image sensing array to the charge sensing output stage. The extent of these line-selection artifacts is shortened in the direction of line scan by spatial multiplexing, so they occur entirely within line retrace intervals. The line-selection artifacts are then suppressed by normal line retrace blanking.