Abstract: The smoke detector of the present invention is designed to warn hearing impaired persons of fire or smoke. A small, attractive, and inexpensive wall or ceiling mounted unit houses a dual chamber ionization detector, piezoelectric alarm horn, and a high intensity xenon strobe unit producing approximately 130 candela. In one embodiment, it is powered only from standard 120 volt AC power, although an internal battery standby version and low voltage D.C. version are alternative embodiments. The unit is furnished with a surface mount housing. It can easily be moved from room to room as required and it is intended to be easily hung on the wall about a foot from the ceiling.

Abstract: A vehicle braking indicator system that provides a continuous lighting of the vehicle stop light under normal braking conditions but causes the stop light to be intermittently lighted at a relatively high frequency when the anti-lock braking system of the vehicle is activated.

Abstract: A signal-carrying member responsive to the presence of a solvent and suitable for use in a security cable or a liquid leakage detector, comprises a conductive ink 20, consisting of a particulate conductive material and a non-conductive carrier medium, printed on to a non-conductive strip 17 and conductors 16 such that when the printed material is contacted by a solvent to which the carrier medium is sensitive, conductive material will be released from the printed material and can be used to vary a signal passed through the signal-carrying member.

Abstract: A monitoring or control system includes a plurality of senders or sensors which are coupled to a central control unit by separate cables. The control unit includes a microprocessor which executes an intermittent fault detection algorithm while an operator manually flexes each cable in turn. When a cable with a fault is manipulated the algorithm responds by energizing a horn.

Abstract: A method of inputting an image of an original by inputting images of a plurality of divisions into which the original is divided, by the use of an image input device. By dividing the original and inputting the divisions separately, an image input device having relatively few pixels may be used. An image of a division of the original input by the image input device is displayed in an image scrolling area of a screen of a monitor and an image of part of another division adjacent to the division is displayed in an image fixing area of the screen adjacent to one side of the image scrolling area. The image displayed in the image scrolling area is scrolled so as to avoid discontinuity between the images displayed in both image areas by shifting one of the original and the image input device relative to the other. The data of the image displayed in the image scrolling area is stored in an image memory. The entire image of the original thus may be stored, and may be printed subsequently on photograhic paper.

Abstract: A brake wear warning system includes detectors embedded in brake pads such that when a predetermined level of wear is reached, an alarm is activated alerting the vehicle driver that the brake pads are in need of replacement.

Abstract: An alarm system which signals to the driver a first alarm whenever he opens a vehicle door and the selector lever of an automatic transmission is not in its full park position. The system signals to the driver and also to persons external to the vehicle a second different alarm whenever, in addition, the driver leaves his seat and the selector lever is not in its full park position or the parking pawl fails to properly engage the parking gear even though the selector lever is in its proper park position. A manual switch may be operated to selectively disconnect the alarms, with an automatic operator being provided to close this switch should it accidently be left in its open condition.

Abstract: An audio alarm outputting device for an outboard engine includes a plurality of sensors for detecting abnormalities, such as in the cooling water flow, and a speech outputting circuit for receiving output signals from the plurality of sensors and outputting abnormal conditions of the signals in a vocalized form. A variable voice level setting circuit cooperable with the speech outputting circuit automatically increases in steps the output level of the speech outputting circuit as the engine speed increases.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for measuring grain loss in a harvesting machine in substantially absolute terms. This apparatus comprises one or more first detectors operable to detect one or more operating condition parameters and to produce a first electrical output signal representative thereof, a plurality of second detectors operable to detect grain separation at a plurality of locations within the machine and to produce second electrical output signals representative thereof, processor means to which the first and second output signals are applied and operable to derive therefrom a substantially absolute indication of grain loss at a given instant, and display means for displaying the grain loss indication.

Abstract: A novel electro-mechanical switch device is disclosed which is suitable for use in a factory production line to detect and control the flow of workpieces or articles of manufacture along the line. The switch device includes a pair of switches (101, 102) operative in response to the workpieces passing thereby along the production line, a switch circuit (13) electrically connected to the switches (101, 102), and a moisture detector (15). The pair of switches are so designed that the operation of one switch is delayed with respect to the other. The switch circuit (13) functions in response to the operation of the switches and the moisture detector (15) to provide a warning signal when one of the switches fails to operate within a predetermined delay time with respect to the other switch, as well as when the moisture detector senses a presence of moisture.

Abstract: An apparatus for displaying a travel path of a running body, such as a vehicle in which a constantly changing location of the running body is successively computed and the current location of said running body is displayed successively, in accordance with the data thus computed, on a display screen having a map previously displayed thereon, which comprises means for dividing patterns of roads on said map and the path of travel of the running body into line segments to effect pattern recognition according to the polygonal approximation and means for producing a display of the travel path in accordance with the line segments of the road to which the matching of the pattern recognition has been attained.

Abstract: A fluid level monitor for monitoring the fluid level in a tank comprises a first pair of transducers arranged in a vertically upper horizontal plane and a second pair of transducers arranged in a vertically lower horizontal plane. Pulse generators send electrical pulses to the transmitter transducers which transmit stress waves into the wall of the tank. The stress waves propagating peripherally are detected by the receiver transducers and processors analyze the amplitude of the detected stress waves to determine if the fluid is present or absent at the upper and lower horizontal planes. The pulse generators are arranged to send pulses out of phase so that stress waves propagating axially can be detected to determine alterations of the fluid level between the upper and lower horizontal planes. The processors may be arranged to operate alarms or to operate valves to control the fluid level in the tank.

Abstract: A system for compressing images is disclosed. The system utilizes a transformation which is equivalent to expanding the image using a system of wavelets having finite support.

Abstract: A personal locator transmitter adapted to be worn on the wrist and having the size and appearance of a conventional wrist-watch. This transmitter is provided with a programmable memory, a transmitter controlled by the memory, an antenna for reliably radiating signals from the transmitter regardless of orientation of the wrist of a user and including both a manually operable alarm activated by pressing a button, and an automatic alarm actuated by an attempt to remove the unit from the wrist of the wearer. The unit is controlled by a control memory comprised of an EEPROM encoded with unique identification codes and other information as required in the specific application.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for determining the actual lateral deviation from the centerline of a runway of an aircraft located outside the normal region covered by a glideslope beam is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of scaling a geometrically developed estimated lateral deviation value (Y.sub.estimate) with a compensation factor (K) and passing the result through a complementary filter. The complementary filter produces an estimated lateral deviation rate value (Y.sub.estimate) that is divided into the actual lateral deviation rate value (Y.sub.actual) produced by the inertial navigation system of the aircraft. The result of the division is the compensation factor (K) that is used to scale the geometrically developed estimated lateral deviation value. Preferably, the compensation factor is filtered by a first order lag filter prior to being used to scale the geometrically developed estimated lateral deviation value.

Abstract: A gas flow alternator cyclically connects a microphone to a dynamic flow ssure and then a reference static flow pressure. The microphone converts the pressures to a resultant alternating differential signal providing a first input to a phase-locked amplifier. A second amplifier input is derived from an optical pickup mounted within the housing. A readout connected in the circuit with the amplifier indicates the dynamic flow pressure.

Abstract: It is a warning device for a given liquid level in any dripping bottle; the device is furnished with a photo-electronic sensor, which can, through a detecting hole, sense the liquid level of a dripping bottle, and then sends a signal to a control circuit to drive a buzzer to generate a sound signal, whereby the nurse or the like is to be reminded that the liquid will be used up soon.

Abstract: A kit for providing solar power to a battery powered paging device. The kit includes a pair of mounting posts which are affixed to the pager and a module having strips of solar cells which is demountably attached to the mounting posts. The pair of strips of solar cells are attached in series to connecting terminal strips by biasing contact springs.

Abstract: A sensor assembly for a proximity warning device for protection of a curbside parked vehicle, particularly from potential impact damage from another vehicle parking in an immediately adjacent curbside space, is pivotally mounted in a housing adapted to be mounted on a bumper of a vehicle and includes a relatively heavy body having a lighter elongated feeler element affixed to it and projecting upwardly substantially above the housing. The pivotal mounting permits the sensor assembly to oscillate toward and away from the vehicle. The location of the pivotal axis is so selected that, when the housing is affixed to a bumper of a parked vehicle and the sensor assembly is influenced only by gravity, the sensor assembly assumes a neutral orientation in which the feeler element is substantially vertical regardless of whether the surface on which the vehicle is parked is horizontal or inclined in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle.

Abstract: A fiber optic transducer system to measure the pressure within a vibrating tube is disclosed. Light pulses produced by a laser diode are transmitted through an optical fiber to a photo diode which converts same into current pulses which are, in turn, converted into magnetic pulses by an electromagnet. A permanent magnet attached to the vibrating tube is caused to vibrate in response to the magnetic pulses applied thereto. A mirror attached to the vibrating tube intercepts continuous light transmitted by a second optical fiber and reflects same to a detector which measures displacement of the mirror via intensity modulation or phase differences between the transmitted light and the reflected light.