Abstract: A system for measuring the relative movement of one object with respect to another, such as the movement of a slide with respect to a scale of a measuring instrument utilizes the capacitative effect of a series of electrodes associated with a slide and another series of electrodes associated with the cooperating scale, the changes in capacity caused by relative movement between the two members being analyzed by an electronic circuit.

Abstract: A signal transmission system has a plurality of sensors, a plurality of modulation circuits connected to the sensors, a single demodulation circuit and a single power supply line for connecting the modulation circuits to the demodulation circuit. Each of the sensors has a resistor-capacitor type oscillation circuit of which the capacity varies with the variation of a physical quantity to be measured and outputs an oscillation output of the oscillation circuit as a sensor signal. Each of the modulation circuit has a one-shot circuit having a predetermined set time different from another one-shot circuit of another modulation circuit for sustaining the sensor signal for the predetermined set time. Each of the modulation circuits further has a transistor for switching and a zener diode of a zener voltage different from that of another zener diode of another modulation circuit.

Abstract: A device for detecting a trailer coupled onto a tractor vehicle which, incorporates the rear or brake or license plate illuminating lights of the trailer and by corresponding combination of the signals applied at a logic element, an output signal for triggering the indication "trailer coupled" is achieved.

Abstract: An active vibration isolation system employing an electro-rheological fluid comprises a damper having a servovalve fluidically coupling a load supporting actuator to an accumulator. The servovalve includes an orificed plate arrangement, across which a voltage potential is impressed in accordance with a command signal derived from response sensors. The viscosity of an electro-rheological fluid contained within the servovalve reacts to the voltage potential so as to regulate the fluid flow. In this manner the damping coefficient is modulated to as to approximate a "sky-hook" damper.

Abstract: A digital stroke generator reads and writes discrete stroke segments in a display memory. The generator comprises principally a line address register, a column address register, a command addresser, a counter and it may also include a data register. The command addresser which commands the incrementation and decrementation of the address registers comprises an octant register, a direction register in which the vector direction is memorized according to the ROTHMAN code and a transcoding matrix. The counter counts down the image points making up the vector to be drawn and blocks the processor when the count down is finished.

Abstract: A keyless access control and security system especially adapted for use with an automobile and including a piezoelectric permutation touchpad unit which can be affixed, without requiring bodywork, to the outside of the vehicle's door in the key cylinder aperture. The touchpad is illuminated when touched and is therefore usable in the dark. The person seeking access must enter the correct access code combination on the touchpad to open the door and/or the trunk. The touchpad is connected to a remotely located logic circuit which controls access. The circuit provides for a signal of low intensity, indicating that a correction in the code entered into the touchpad should be made and, after a time delay, an alarm of high intensity, if no correction is made. Upon activation of the alarm, the head lights are flashed, the horn is sounded, or both.

Abstract: A system for applying grey scale codes to a display device having a plurality of columns of pixels, has a segmented shift register, with one shift register segment for each pixel column. Data stored in the shift register segments are transferred to counters through multiplex circuitry. The counters control transfer gates by which voltages are applied to the pixel columns.

Abstract: An improved system and technique is disclosed which enables an aircraft control system to bring an aircraft to hover with no direct measurement of ground speed. The system includes a device for numerically calculating a value for ground speed based on a differentiation of aircraft position as measured from conventional ground reference navigational aids. The computed value of ground speed is compared with values representing heading and true air speed to generate a computed value of wind. The computed value of wind is then resolved into vector components of headwind and crosswind and the headwind component and air speed are summed to provide a signal used to control aircraft speed until zero ground speed is achieved.

Abstract: A head-up display for use in an automotive or other vehicle having limited space. The optical path from display symbol generator to a collimating lens is folded to fit in a relatively compact housing. Also shown is the use of the automobile windshield as a combiner glass for the display. Corrective lenses, and in particular crossed linear fresnel lenses, are used to correct for the astigmatism introduced by the geometry of the windshield. This provides a combination of optical powers for the display lens and the windshield which has the resultant effect of projecting an image from the image source to the driver's eye. The source is a high light output array of light-emitting diodes. A microprocessor based controller for detecting the status of inputs from the automobile is shown. Data is periodically loaded into a random access memory dedicated to controlling the display.

Abstract: A touch-sensitive device for computer data entry from the presentation on a scanned, thin-film, electroluminescent display. A transparent conductive film is suspended over the display face. Touching that film at a predetermined point in the display capacitively couples scanning voltages (which are time-base synchronous and related to the touched point) to an amplifier and then to a utilization device (computer, for example).

Abstract: A tablet device provides a coordinate count. A link is provided for each of the coordinates, the link including a pulse signal generator for generating first and second pulse signals which have a variable phase difference and which supply an interface for a "mouse". Controlled by the second pulse signal, an up-down pulse counter counts up and down in response to the first pulse signals. By comparing the pulse count with the coordinate count, a comparator produces a result signal which is indicative of whether the pulse count is or is not less than the coordinate count. The result signal is used in adjusting the variable phase difference to make the pulse count converge on the coordinate count. The pulse signal generator may have a pulse sequence generator for generating first and second pulse sequences which are produced as the respective pulse signals and which are not produced when the result signal indicates that the pulse count is or is not equal to the coordinate count, respectively.

Abstract: An X-Y input device comprises a position sensor, a switch for use in signal processing of the position sensor, and a switch lever actuatable by pressing by the finger the outwardly-projecting key portion to operate the switch to become closed and opened, and a case consisting of a bottom plate and a cap mounted thereon and adapted to hold the switch and switch lever. The input device further comprises posts on the bottom plate, each post supporting the associated switch lever at an intermediate site between the key portion at one end of the switch lever and the abutment portion for abutting against the undersurface of the top wall of the cap at the other end, so that the switch lever can be resiliently flexed by pressing the key portion. These features of the invention enables reaction of the key portion to finger's pressure to remain constant and makes installation of the switch lever simpler.

Abstract: An anti-skid brake control system controls braking pressure through one or more skid cycles in which braking pressure is increased and decreased cyclically so as to prevent the vehicle wheels from locking. The system derives a braking pressure decreasing criterion on the basis of variations in wheel speed over the preceding skid cycle. In order to derive the pressure decreasing criterion, an initial wheel speed value is latched and stored when the system first becomes active. At the same time, measurement of elapsed time starts. Subsequently, the wheel speed at the beginning of each skid cycle is latched and compared to the initial wheel speed. On the basis of the difference between the latched values, and the elapsed time, a wheel deceleration rate is derived. The pressure decreasing criterion is then derived on the basis of the wheel speed latched at the beginning of the current skid cycle and the wheel speed deceleration rate and elapsed time since the beginning of the current skid cycle.

Abstract: An anti-lock brake device for use with wheel brakes connected to wheels of a vehicle is disclosed having a hydraulic pressure control circuit for controlling the application of hydraulic brake pressure to the wheel brake and a control element for detecting whether the wheels are likely to lock from rotational velocity characteristics of the wheels and operating said hydraulic pressure control circuit to reduce said hydraulic brake pressure applied to said wheel brakes when said wheels are likely to lock. The control element further includes a decision circuit for outputting a signal on the assumption that one condition for reducing the hydraulic brake pressure has been satisfied when the wheel velocity is lower than a reference wheel velocity, and a delay circuit for outputting an operating signal for nullifying the signal output from the decision circuit until a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the signal is received from the decision circuit.

Abstract: A keyboard control system is comprised of a key matrix circuit and a keyboard controller. The key matrix circuit includes scanning lines and return lines, these lines being connected to keys on a keyboard, a decoder for transferring a scanning signal to each scanning line, and a receiver for receiving a return signal as a scanning signal returned through a return line and by the depressed key. The keyboard controller generates a key matrix code corresponding to the depressed key on the basis of an address of a scanning line to which the scanning signal is output and an address of a return line through which the return signal is input. The keyboard controller stores the generated key matrix code into a keyboard buffer memory. When the depressed key is a special key for display, the keyboard controller generates a key matrix code in response to the key depression and displays predetermined data on a screen.

Abstract: An easy-to-use technique for specifying measurements of a document to be printed uses a pointing method, such as a cursor which is moved around a display screen by means of a pointing device having a select button. The pointing cursor is moved to each desired location in a predetermined sequence, and the select button is pressed. The values of the measurements so selected are calculated based on the relative position of the pointing cursor at the time the select button is pressed.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus such as a compact computer, a compact information processor, and a compact word processor comprises a pivotal cover carrying a display. The pivotal cover is closed on a keyboard of the electronic apparatus. The display is secured on a surface of the pivotal cover facing a surface of the keyboard during the closing. The pivotal cover is opened to uprise the display with an inclination angle to operate the display. The inclination angle of the pivotal cover can be controlled with a help of gears and dampers provided in two legs of the pivotal cover.

Abstract: An electronic assembly is provided associated with a capacitive keyboard for identifying the depressed keys of this keyboard, which keys are disposed at the intersection points of a checkerboard pattern formed of m lines and n columns, comprising means for successively applying to the inputs of the m lines trains of n successive identical pulses, means for successively collecting at the outputs of the n columns the signals created by these pulses and means for detecting and identifying, among the signals collected, the echoes which exceed a predetermined threshold and which correspond to depressed keys, which means comprise a comparator for comparing the amplitude of said signals with that of a reference voltage. At all times, the comparison reference is related to the average in time of the mean of the amplitudes of the signals received at least two of the column outputs.

Abstract: A measurement circuit is operative with an electric measurement transmitter, particularly an NTC-resistor (1), and an indicating instrument (3) which has a display which is dependent on a transmitter voltage of the measurement transmitter. The circuit is developed for the suppressing of variations in the display within a middle measurement range. For this purpose, the measurement circuit has a clamping circuit (10-19). The clamping circuit permits the indicating instrument to be acted on within a lower measurement range (up to 80.degree. C.), up to a first limit transmitter voltage by a voltage, which is varied as a function of the transmitter voltage. In a middle measurement range (80.degree. C. to 105.degree. C.) between the first limit transmitter voltage and a second limit transmitter voltage, the clamping circuit feeds the indicating instrument (3) with a constant voltage, which is equal to the voltage present on the indicating instrument at the first limit transmitter voltage.

Abstract: A housing, preferably electrically conductive, defines individual areas for depression to identify individual indicia, e.g., number, alphabetical letters. A hard, electrically insulating material attached to the housing transmits strains produced by the depression of the individual areas on the housing. A plurality of thin electrically insulating sheets are attached to the hard insulating material at the individual areas in the housing. A plurality of thin electrically conductive sheets attached to the thin insulating sheets. The insulating sheets and the conductive sheets may constitute printed circuit segments. A plurality of ceramic crystals are attached to individual ones of the conductive sheets. The electrically conductive sheets are preferably coupled electrically to the housing. This causes one surface of each crystal to be common to the adjacent area.