Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method comprising illuminating a microstructured prism, or linear array of prisms of a prism sheet with an incident beam. The method further comprises making measurements of the refracted image of the beam on a measuring device to measure the distance disposed on an opposing side of the prism sheet from the side that the light beam is incident upon. Measurement of two angles of the refracted images of the beam on the ruled scale, measured twice, illuminating the sample at different angles are used in an equation to simultaneously provide the apex angle, the skew angle and the refractive index of the prism sheet.

Abstract: A real-time method of determining paste solids includes: correlating the refractive index of a paste with solute concentration in a solvent using a plurality of paste solids concentrations, typically including at least two paste solids concentrations greater than about 5 percent; submersing a fiber optic refractometer sensor into a sample and allowing it to equilibrate for a period of from about 30 seconds to about 20 minutes prior to measuring refractive index of the sample; measuring the refractive index of the paste sample with the fiber optic refractometer sensor; and determining the concentration of solute in the sample using the correlation.

Abstract: A multi-spectral detection and analysis system detects and classifies a targeted sample. The system may include a light source that causes the targeted sample to luminesce. A light dispersion element disperses the luminescence to a photodetector in a photodetector array. Each photodetector in the array transmits a signal indicating a portion of the spectrum to a multi-channel collection system. The multi-channel collection system processes the signal into a digital signal and forms the digital signal into a spectral signature. A processor analyzes the spectral signature and compares the spectral signature to known spectral signatures to identify the targeted sample.

Abstract: When an optical fiber (1, 1?) is heated by an electrical discharge generated between electrodes (3) thermal light emission from the core and cladding of fiber forms a hot image which can be observed by an optical imaging system (9, 15, 17). Since the concentration of dopants in the core is significantly higher than in the cladding, the light emitted from the core gives a peak structure in the light intensity profile of a hot image. The peak width of the core image increases significantly when dopants diffuse out of the core such as in heating the fiber. The increase of peak width is found to be highly correlated to the expansion of the mode field diameter (MFD) of fiber. This correlation can be experimentally determined at well-defined fusion conditions for any given type of fiber and thereby used to give a measure of the MFD by observing the peak width in hot images. Measures of MFD can be used for improving the quality of estimation of losses in splices of optical fibers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for determining the position and direction of channel inlets and channel outlets in wastewater systems that, in the horizontal plane, lead into and out of sewer manholes. To this end, a device was created that is provided in the form of a tachymeter attachment which uses a system of mirrors to enable the horizontal aiming beam of the tachymeter to be redirected to a variable depth in order to form a horizontal aiming beam that is parallel to the first. A profiled tube (11) that is attached via a frame (10) to assigned to the tachymeter (1) and reflectors are provided inside said profiled tube (11).

Abstract: A method of inspecting a plurality of wafers in an optical inspection tool. The method includes the steps of generating a reference wafer and polishing the reference wafer in a chemical mechanical polishing process following a metal deposition process such that the reference wafer is representative of a fully polished wafer. The optical inspection tool scans the reference wafer and a gray level map is generated. A number of further wafers are metalized, polished, scanned and gray level maps generated. The method includes the step of comparing a gray level map of the scanned reference wafer to a number of gray level maps of the scanned wafers. A determination (314) is then made as to whether the wafer exhibits an acceptable polishing quality based on the comparison.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for the determination of layer thickness ranges of layers of a specimen, in which the reflection spectrum of the specimen is measured in a specified wavelength range and then smoothed, the number of extremes in the smoothed reflection spectrum is determined, and the determination of the layer thickness ranges is accomplished by comparison with the number of extremes in the modeled reflection spectra, such that for each layer the thickness in that layer is varied in steps having a predetermined increment, and a reflection spectrum is modeled. In a method of this kind, the wavelength range and the increments are specified in self-consistent fashion using a sensitivity criterion.

Abstract: A refracting power measuring apparatus according to the present invention comprises an optical system 1 for projecting a measuring light P toward a lens TL wet with liquid 12, a light receiving sensor 7 for receiving and outputting the measuring light P which passes through the lens TL, an arithmetic circuit 13 for calculating optical characteristic values based on a receiving signal, a residual quantity arithmetic circuit 14 for outputting a residual quantity signal based on characteristic value data of the arithmetic circuit 13, a delay circuit 19 for delaying the residual quantity signal, a comparing circuit 18 which compares a residual quantity signal delayed by the delaying circuit 19 and the following residual quantity signal and judges whether a difference therebetween is less than an allowed value.

Abstract: A method and a device for quick neutralization of a created electrostatic field formed by a multitude of basically charged particles includes a medication powder (180) deposited onto a defined target area (160) of a substrate member (140) in the course of a dose forming process. A charge generator emits charges, which are directed towards the target area of the substrate member such that the electric field created by the accumulated charges from the deposited particles is neutralized by the added charges. Various elements may be used to generate neutralizing charges, but an ion source (195) is most efficient in achieving neutralization of the dose charge and the substrate. The source may be applied so that the dose (180) and the target area (160) are exposed to the emitted charges during the entire or part of the dose forming process.

Abstract: A facsimile machine is to be made for portable applications with the added features of being light weight, slender and compact in design. A single drive roller which is fixed is used in moving media for the scanning and printing functions without the reversal of the roller to accomplish these tasks individually at separate times or simultaneously. The slender profile of the present device with the base narrower than the height makes it very unstable in its upright operating mode. Arms pivoted at each end rotate and lock into an opened position thus providing a stable position for the device in which it is no longer vertically upright, but supported at an angle by the arms where print media can enter without difficulty and scanned documents can also be fed without obstruction by the print media roll. The arms lock into a closed position in which they follow the contours of the main body as an extension of the device without any noticeable protrusions.

Abstract: A power circuit for a device having a secondary battery receives commercial electric power supplied externally and supplies electric power to a target in the device and to the secondary battery. The power circuit includes a measuring circuit and a current control circuit. The measuring circuit measures power consumption of the target circuit in the device. The current control circuit controls a charging current to the secondary battery so that the power consumption and the charging current have a negative correlation based on a measurement result of the measuring circuit.

Abstract: A charging technique (200) charges a battery pack (102) by taking into account the additional internal circuit impedance of the battery pack. An optimum pack voltage value for the battery pack is calculated (208) based on the rated internal cell voltage as well as the charge current and the internal battery pack circuitry impedance. The battery pack can now be charged such that the internal battery cell voltage is maintained at the rated voltage throughout the charging process. The optimum pack voltage is also updated (220) to account for variations in the battery pack circuitry impedance over temperature (216, 218) as well as variations in charge current (222, 224) during the charging process.

Abstract: A cell evaluating method for evaluating characteristics of a secondary cell which can be repeatedly charged and which includes a step of detecting a cell voltage after a predetermined first charge operation for the cell is started, a step of, if the detected cell voltage is smaller than a reference voltage, proceeding to a second charge operation different from the predetermined first charge operation, and a step of evaluating a state of the cell. Moreover, the cell evaluating method includes a step of carrying out a first cell voltage detection after a first predetermined period of time has passed since a halt of the charge or discharge of a cell, a step of carrying out a second cell voltage detection after a second predetermined period of time has passed, and a step of evaluating, if the difference between the results of the first and second detections is not smaller than a predetermined value, that an internal short circuit occurs in the cell.

Abstract: Digital machine readable full color specifications of full color source images are embedded in the printed hardcopy versions of those images; typically through the use of a self-clocking glyph code to minimize the visual impact of the embedded data. This color specification then can be recovered from a hardcopy version of the original source image, even if the hardcopy is monochromatic. Thus, a digital highlight color copier can use this color specification to index into a plurality of different full-color to highlight-color transformse to select the transform or transorms that are most appropriate for rendering a highlight color copy of the source image.

Abstract: In the preferred embodiment, an interlock switch is located on a first of two access doors of a printer. The second access door has an upwardly extending protuberance near its end. The switch is actuated for enabling the system by closing the second access door followed by closing the first access door. The protuberance on the second access door pushes upwardly on an arm of the switch as the first access door is closed, thus actuating the switch. This not only provides a reliable safety mechanism by insuring that the doors are properly closed, but eliminates the cost of a separate safety interlock switch for each access door.

Abstract: A process for reproducing an original color image on a printing device includes separating each pixel of the original image into a plurality of color components to obtain an image density value for each color component at each pixel. A number of printing elements are selected for each color component, the number of printing elements being more than one for at least one of the color components. The printing density values for each color component having more than one printing element are separated into at least two pixel groups, the first pixel group containing printing density values less than or equal to an assigned maximum printing density value achievable with a single printing element for that color component, and the second pixel group containing printing density values greater than said assigned maximum printing density value for that color component.