Abstract: A liquid crystal cell useful in light valves is disclosed in which positive anisotropy liquid crystals are installed at an initial off-perpendicular alignment within the approximate range of 6.degree.-45.degree.. A light valve employing the cell is initially biased to a voltage approximately corresponding to a transmissivity peak; the selection of the exact bias voltage involves a trade-off between contrast and response speed. The cell surfaces are characterized by generally flat macrostructures and tilted surface microstructures, with an overcoat on the surfaces of a long chain alcohol with alkoxy groups derived therefrom bonded to the tilted surface microstructure. The alcohol molecules have the formula ROH, where R is a carbon chain having at least six carbon atoms therein.

Abstract: A liquid crystal cell (10) includes a chiral liquid crystal material (16) captured between a pair of electrode structures (12 and 14). The liquid crystal material is of a type that exhibits in consecutive order chiral semitic nematic, smectic A, and chiral phases at successively lower temperatures. In a preferred embodiment, the chiral phase is of the smectic C type. The electrode structures have director alignment layers (22 and 22') deposited on their inner surfaces. The directors (28 and 30) of the liquid crystal material in the nematic phase in contact the alignment layers align at relatively large tilt bias angles relative to the alignment layer. The tilt bias angles of the directors in contact with one of the electrode structures are defined in a rotational sense which is opposite that of the tilt bias angles of the directors in contact with the other electrode structure.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) cell comprising a twist nematic liquid crystal disposed between two electrode plates and polarizers and having a positive dielectric anisotropy. The optical path difference .DELTA.n.d is 0.2 to 0.7 .mu.m. The absolute value of the twist angle .phi. can be between 10.degree. and 80.degree., the angle .psi. between the polarizers can be between 80.degree. and 110.degree. and the angle .theta. between the surface orientation direction and the polarization direction on the screen on the light incidence side can be between -10.degree. and 60.degree., preferably so that the polarizers are symmetrical of the nematic directors.

Abstract: A monolithic integrated circuit device comprises first and second output terminals, a power switching circuit which is connected across the first and second output terminals and through which electric current is supplied to an external load from an external power source, a driving a circuit for generating a first drive signal to be supplied to the power switching circuit, and a third output terminal in electrical connection with the driving circuit for derivation of electric energy from the driving circuit as a second drive signal to be spplied to an external circuit via the third output terminal. The monolithic integrated circuit device is capable of not only controlling power supply to an external load but also driving an external circuit which may be another power switching cirtcuit cooperative with the power switching circuit in the present monolithic integrated circuit device for the purpose of controlled power supply to the external load or which may be other types of electronic circuits.

Abstract: A variable bandwidth filter comprises a transistor long-tailed pair. One of the transistors of the pair has a field effect transistor which is connected in the collector circuit of the transistor and which is used as a variable collector load resistor. The field effect transistor is shunted by a capacitor and the gate of the field effect transistor is fed with a control voltage via a feed-back control loop arrangement which serves to maintain constant the d.c. voltage across the field effect transistor whereby the effective bandwidth of a filter circuit defined between the base of the said one transistor is arranged to be controllable in dependence upon the current in the common tail of the pair as determined by a variable current source connected in the tail.

Abstract: A suitable choice of the liquid crystal parameters K.sub.3 /K.sub.1 and .DELTA.E/E.sub.1 makes it possible in electrooptical display elements to obtain both a minimum dependence on the angle of observation and, simultaneously, a steep electro-optical characteristic when operated in the first transmission minimum.

Abstract: A circuit arrangement for amplifying a periodic signal and for adjusting a reference level contained therein, in which a charging/discharging arrangement alternately supplies charging or discharging currents to a storage means, depending on whether the value of a periodic signal exceeds or is exceeded by a limit value, such that a mean value at least substantially corresponding to the reference level occurs at the storage means includes a compensator means which adjusts the charging and disharging currents by a compensation factor which is selected such that the ratio of the charging current to the discharging current is independent of fluctuations in current resulting from variations affecting the gain factors of amplifier components comprised in the amplifier means.

Abstract: A fitter comprising a first (R.sub.1) and a second (R.sub.2) resistor arranged in series between an input terminal (5) for receiving an input voltage (v.sub.i) and the input (2) of an amplifier. The amplifier (1) comprises a transistor (T.sub.1) whose base is coupled to the input (2), whose emitter is coupled to a first output (3) and via a current source (I.sub.1) to ground, and whose collector is coupled to a second output (4) and via a third resistor (R.sub.3) to the positive power-supply terminal. A first capacitor (C.sub.1) is arranged between the junction point (6) between the first resistor (R.sub.1) and the second resistor (R.sub.2) and the first output and a second capacitor (C.sub.2) is arranged between the input (2) and ground. A signal having a second-order low-pass characteristic is taken from the first output and a signal having a second-order high-pass characteristic is taken from the second output.

Abstract: A liquid crystal birefringent MTF filter is permanently positioned between lens and array of an image input scanner to reduce image modulation at frequencies where moire occurs, with a source of electric potential and a control switch for selectively applying the potential and switching the filter to or from a filtering state. In a variation of the first embodiment, a two-stage MTF filter is used. In a second embodiment, a tunable liquid crystal scattering MTF filter is combined with a full width sensor array.

Abstract: A color liquid crystal display device is composed of first and second liquid crystal display cells aligned over each other, in which each cell includes a pair of color polarizers having respective polarization axes which are oriented at right angles to each other. The color polarizers of each cell contain at least one color which is the complement of the color contained in the other color polarizer. In this way, display contrast and brightness can be enhanced by allowing a higher ratio of picture elements to be utilized for monochromatic displays.

Abstract: A power-on reset circuit for supplying a reset pulse when a supply voltage rises above a preset threshold includes a reference voltage generator connected between the supply voltage and ground for supplying a reference signal having a constant preset value when the supply voltage is greater than the preset threshold. A supply follower provides an input signal which follows the supply voltage with a preset reduction factor. A bistable comparator having a first input driven by the reference signal and a second input driven by the input signal switches from a first state to a second state when the input signal exceeds the reference signal.

Abstract: An imaging system for maintaining the intensity of an output image constant, where the output image corresponds to a viewed scene. A focusing device forms an input image of the viewed scene on a variable grating modulation device. The viewed scene is then read from the focusing device and a scene intensity distribution pattern formed of two histograms is formed. One of these histograms is processed to produce an output image which has a constant range of intensity levels as adjusted using one of the intensity level of the one histogram.

Abstract: This disclosure concerns digital correction of oscillator drift by providing phase alignment between two clock signals running at nearly the same frequency. Phase alignment is provided by fashioning a delay for one of the clock signals through selection of various lengths of a variable delay path formed from a series of logic circuits. Respective reference signals are derived from the two clocks to be phase-aligned, and the phases of the references are compared in a digital phase comparator. The product of phase comparison controls a digital delay selector to generate a sequence of delay signals corresponding to a sequence of detected phase differences. The delay signal sequence controls the variable digital delay. The variable digital delay outputs a corrected clock signal whose phase is aligned with the phase of the other clock signals. The corrected clock signal is used to produce one reference signal, the other reference signal being derived directly from the other clock signal.

Abstract: For a plurality of logic units which are organized into scan-path groups, a scan-path self-testing circuit is provided which comprises a clock source and a plurality of gates for supplying the clock pulse to the logic units when selectively enabled. To give flexibility to group organization of the logic units, the gates are provided in a one-to-one relationship with the logic units. Bit positions of a register are associated respectively with the gates. A scan path controller selects one of the scan-path groups and writes a logic 1 into the register bit positions which are associated with the logic units of the selected scan-path group.

Abstract: A digital sequencing apparatus produces a series of contiguous enable gates or strobe signals. The apparatus includes an even number, and at least two alternating stages of cross-coupling NOR gates alternating with cross-coupled NAND gates where one of the cross-coupled NOR gates in each stage has a merged AND gate at one input and one of the NAND gates in each stage has a cross-coupled OR gate at one input. This apparatus produces contiguous enable gates in response to complementary clock inputs to each of the stages upon the input of a start signal to the first two stages of the apparatus.

Abstract: A pulsating noise removal device detects a pulsating noise, controls a gate circuit for selectively permitting an audio signal to pass through in response to the detection, and removes pulsating noises from the audio signal. The device particularly includes filter circuits for extracting pulsating noises and signal components from the audio signal, respectively, and includes automatic gain control circuits responsive to respective output signals of the filter circuits to respectively control the gain of an amplifier circuit for detecting pulsating noises.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display of the chiral smectic type is caused to have grey scales, by applying a voltage of an intermediate level to the liquid crystal. Within each picture element of the display, there are a number of domains of the liquid crystal layer, some being transparent while the other being opaque rendering grey tone to the picture element.

Abstract: Light emitted from a single light source is split into beams of bidirectional parallel light which are orthogonal to each other. Beams of the parallel light in each direction are reflected by a reflection optical system in such a direction that they become orthogonal to each other. A dichroic mirror is disposed at a point of intersection thereof and liquid crystal panels are provided between each individual reflection optical system and the dichroic mirror resulting in a low cost device which can be structurally miniaturized and which requires less process steps in fabrication.

Abstract: A double integration type filter circuit, consisting of a pair of integrators connected in series with each other, has a changeover switch for commutating the filter characteristics to a filter configuration which emphasizes portions proper to the characteristics of the filter circuit to facilitate filter adjustment to reduce filter adjustment time and to realize improved accuracy while providing for automatic adjustment of the filter characteristics.

Abstract: The optical printing apparatus comprises a fluorescent lamp light source and a means for concentrating light from the light source onto a liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel includes a plurality of light valves disposed in rows. A driver is disposed on the outside of the shield plate for selectively opening and closing the light valves. Rows of self-focusing fiber lenses receive light from the light valves and direct the light onto a photosensitive drum for use in printing.