Abstract: A controller for an electrical switching device such as a motor starting contactor including separable contacts, an operating mechanism for operating the separable contacts and a control mechanism responsive to a plurality of control sources for controlling the operating mechanism, includes a plurality of light emitting diode indicators each of which corresponds to one of the control sources; a membrane pushbutton; and a selection circuit, responsive to the pushbutton for selecting one of the control sources, including a circuit for detecting actuation of the pushbutton; a circuit responding to the actuation for sequentially indicating representations of at least some of the control sources on the corresponding ones of the indicators; and a circuit for detecting de-actuation of the pushbutton to select one of the control sources the representation of which is indicated on the corresponding one of the indicators at the time of the de-actuation.

Abstract: The invention concerns pen-based computers, wherein a pen, or stylus, is positioned on a display of the computer, and produces a signal which allows the computer to detect the position of the stylus. The stylus produces a second signal, which is used as a carrier for telemetry, to transmit data from the stylus to the computer.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling the illumination of a vehicular lamp and for monitoring the state of a switch electrically connected thereto. A feedback signal corresponding to a state of the switch is generated by a feedback circuit. A control signal is generated by a controller based on the feedback signal. A lamp drive signal is generated by a lamp driver based on the control signal for illuminating the lamp. A single multiplexed connector provides the lamp drive signal to the lamp during a drive operating mode and the feedback signal from the switch to the controller during a feedback operating mode.

Abstract: A You Talk Two Phone is provided that is a true two handset telephone device. With conventional telephones, when more than one telephone is bridged to a phone line the amplitude of the incoming and outgoing signals drop as telephones are added. The You Talk Two Phone contains two handsets and circutry that automatically adjusts internal amplifier gain to compensate for the extra handset even when not in use. The invention has audible and visible indicators of incoming calls as well as lamps that indicate when either or both handsets are in use. A jack is provided that allows a conventional phone to plugged in, or an additional You Talk Two Phone.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting operational anomalies in a pressurized fluid circuit having a main pump, a fluid filter and a booster pump connected in series. The apparatus has an indicating detector to provide an indication of a system malfunction and a switching device connected to the indicating detector, as well as to various points in the pressurized fluid circuit, to enable the indicating detector to detect a malfunction in either the booster pump or the filter. The switching device has pressurized fluid inlets connected to a point upstream of the booster pump, a point between the booster pump and the filter inlet and to a point between the filter outlet and the inlet of the main, high pressure pump.

Abstract: The rotational speed difference between rotational speeds of front and rear road wheels of a motor vehicle is weighted by a first ratio, and the difference between the rotational speed difference between rotational speeds of front left and right road wheels and an average signal of reference steering angle or between the rotational speed difference between rotational speeds of rear left and right road wheels and the average signal of reference steering angle is weighted by a second ratio. A sum signal representative of the sum of the rotational speed difference weighted by the first ratio and the difference weighted by the second ratio is used to determine a pneumatic tire pressure reduction highly accurately even when running conditions of the motor vehicle change such as when the motor vehicle makes a turn.

Abstract: A data entry terminal for one-handed use, the terminal having a limited number of keys, all of which may be reached by a single hand of the user from a home position that does not require the keyboard operator to reposition their hand when moving from one key to another. The keyboard preferably includes a heel rest on which the heel of the hand may be pivotably positioned for comfortable, reliable positioning while operating the keyboard, requiring a minimum amount of eye contact with the keyboard, permitting the keyboard operator to maintain eye contact with the source of data being entered into the computer or other data gathering device. The terminal is preferably bent in two places, with a row of keys on each of the two resulting generally upwardly angled surfaces and three rows of keys on the flat intermediate surface connecting the two angled surfaces.

Abstract: An engineering unit converter system for converting an analog measurement into an engineering value. An analog measurement of a physical quantity is transformed into a digital value. The digital value is then split into a high order digit and a lower order digit. The high order digit is used as an address to a memory device for fetching a line segment coefficient and a line segment offset coefficient. The lower order digit is multiplied with the line segment coefficient in a multiplier resulting in a product. The product is added to the line segment coefficient offset resulting in a sum whose value is an engineering unit. One embodiment is directed to converting temperature measurements into engineering units via thermocouples. This embodiment includes: thermocouple devices, resistance thermal devices or positive temperature coefficient thermistors, adders, multipliers, and memory devices (readable and writable memory devices).

Abstract: A put-in-park alarm which is energized whenever an automatic shift vehicle is stopped but the shift lever is not in park. The put-in-park alarm is energized when the driver moves his door handle in a door opening direction. Not only is the alarm energized but the door cannot be opened until the shift lever is moved to park whereupon the signal is deenergized, but the door is unlocked upon a second movement of the handle in a door opening direction. The invention includes a broken/maladjusted alarm which is different from the put-in-park alarm but produces substantially similar results.

Abstract: There is provided a car display device (100) mainly comprising a control unit (20), clips (30R, 30L), and a plug (40) for power source. An on-off signal which has a predetermined period to flash turn signal lamps (L.sub.L, L.sub.R) is input through either of the clips (30R, 30L) and its duration is begun to time. Then, a reference time for judgment is set to be longer than one period and shorter than two periods of the on-off signal. If the duration of the on-off signal is shorter than that of the reference times, the car display device 100 is actuated and the turn signal lamps (L.sub.L and L.sub.R) are being flashed for a predetermined time, simultaneously. Thus, the car display device (100) of the present invention has a simple construction and enables to send appreciation signals to a driver in a succeeding car with certainty.

Abstract: An alarm collection apparatus for use in an exchange system has a plurality of local offices, a central maintenance office, a toll switch, and an alarm link. The local offices include an enhanced local office and a conventional local office, the enhanced local office having enhanced features with respect to the number of alarm collection points, a display function thereof, and a man-machine alarms interface. An alarm collection shelf collects alarm information from the conventional local office in the same manner as from the enhanced local office, by converting the data format used for the conventional office to one which corresponds to the data format used for the enhanced office. The alarm collection shelf also collects alarms from a radio base office.

Abstract: A method of measuring the distance between vehicles comprising the steps of; emitting light (14) from a first vehicle to define first and second light positions spaced apart a predetermined light distance (L), passing the emitted light through a lens (20) mounted on a second vehicle and having a focal length (f) to present an image (I) of the predetermined light distance (L) at the focal length (f) from the lens, sensing (22) the image (I) at the focal length, producing a signal representing the length of the image (I), storing a scale (28) on the second vehicle which is proportional to the predetermined light distance (L), comparing (26) the length of the image (I) with the scale to produce a signal representing the distance (D) between the vehicles. The method and apparatus is characterized by establishing the predetermined light distance (L) as a constant and fixed length from vehicle to vehicle by using the standard license plate or license plate holder on the first vehicle.

Abstract: A control circuit for a speakerphone circuit which utilizes an event driven circuit to determine the appropriate gain for the receive and transmit channels is provided. Detectors monitor the relative magnitudes of the signal in the transmit and receive channels. Separate signal-to-noise detectors determine whether signals present in the two channels are voice signals. The event driven circuit receives these inputs, and dependent on the present state (i.e., transmit, receive, or idle) transitions to a new state in accordance with predefined criteria incorporated into the event driven circuit. In particular, the present invention allows a transition in a single step from a receive to a transmit state, without passing through an idle state. Transition or dummy states allow implementation with simple logic and provide hysteresis.

Abstract: A telephone line sharing apparatus is disclosed for enabling a plurality of telecommunications devices of any type to share a plurality of single subscriber telephone lines. Incoming telephone calls on each of the telephone lines are automatically connected, without answering the telephone calls, to one or more of the telecommunications devices. These connections are made in accordance with a predetermined mapping scheme. An off-hook condition detected on any of the telecommunications devices results in a connection to a telephone line, if available, for making an outgoing telephone call.

Abstract: An answering machine has a single tape for recording phone messages wherein messages are recorded on at least two tracks. The answering machine optionally includes a voice synthesis system for generating announcement messages and a microphone for recording announcement messages and monitoring audio events either over a phone line or via a recording. Recordings on each track are executed in the same direction. In one embodiment of the invention, a first track accepts messages received without requiring that a code be transmitted. Messages are recorded on a second track in a mailbox mode of operation only when a predetermined mailbox code is received. A second embodiment includes inputs for two phone lines. The first tape track is dedicated to a first phone while the second track is dedicated to the second phone line. A third embodiment further includes the capability to record on third and fourth tracks which function as mailbox tracks for respective ones of the first and second tracks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recording, categorizing, organizing, managing and retrieving speech information obtains a speech stream; stores the speech stream in at least a temporary storage; provides a visual representation of portions of the speech stream to the user; categorizes portions of a speech stream, with or without the aid of the visual representation, by user command and/or by automatic recognition of speech qualities; stores, in at least a temporary storage, structure which represents a categorized portions of the speech stream; and selectively retrieves one or more of the categorized portions of the Speech stream.

Abstract: A telephone exchange operating on a volume controller provided with functions for inputting digitized speech data and volume control data, and converting a volume of the inputted speech data. A talker's sound inputted from a first channel has the volume converted and is outputted to a second channel for outputting a listener's sound. A volume of the speech data is converted according to a volume control data and exchanged. An augmenter for a sound level is calculated according to a reference signal sent from a first circuit to a second circuit.

Abstract: A switching system (10) is modified to provide, in addition to conventional connections (110+111) between ports (100, 103), eavesdropping connections that couple only one-half of a conventional bidirectional connection between a pair of ports to a third port (102). If the pair of ports serves an adjunct processor such as a voice-mail system (11) and a user voice terminal (13), a voice- or speech-recognition unit (12) serving the adjunct processor may be connected to the third terminal to receive thereat only the transmissions (112) of the user voice terminal without the unwanted transmissions of the adjunct processor.

Abstract: A radio or telephone handset configured with the usual transmitter and receiver ends and connecting handle is designed to have physical characteristics well adapted in its acoustic characteristics to complement noise cancellation circuitry. The receiver speaker is mounted in the receiver cap, and the cap is built with a domed, apertured earpiece extending from the exterior surface of said receiver cap. The dome fits into a user's outer ear, thereby to aid in positioning said handset on a user's ear. Openings radially placed on said receiver cap exterior surface and surrounding said earpiece, define an acoustic grill through which signal from said receiver speaker is passed substantially directly to said user's ear canal. Noise absorbing material is placed at strategic locations within the handset interior.

Abstract: The arrangement is formed by the presence in each node of the network of a cellular automaton comprising cells (0 to 8) interconnected by lines, so that the entirety of the cells and of the lines represents the nodes and the links respectively of the network while each cell comprises calculating means for calculating the cost of a path, works asynchronously, and communicates with each of its nearest neighbouring cells and only with them. When the arrangement is simulated in a sequential machine, this machine is programmed to choose the order in which the cells are activated on the basis of the minimum number of links to be passed through to connect two nodes, which nodes are determined by having the cellular automaton turn when the states of the links are mutually equal.