Patents Examined by Malcolm A. Morrison
  • Patent number: 4125869
    Abstract: The interconnect logic circuit for supplying input data to a register and recirculating data in the register includes a programmable logic array (PLA) and a recirculation control circuit connected between an output of the PLA and an input of the register and between an output and an input of the register. The recirculation control circuit includes a first transfer gate for sensing and storing information corresponding to the presence or absence of a command to supply input data, and a second transfer gate connected between an output and an input of the register and responsive to the stored information. The recirculation control circuit also includes a circuit for preventing the input data from being inputted to the PLA during a first time period, such that only a command to load that input data is sensed at an output of the PLA during that first time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1975
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1978
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Manfred Gutmann
  • Patent number: 4125894
    Abstract: The disclosure describes an improved automated engine diagnosing device employing a digital data processor computer and a cathode ray tube display monitor which displays engine parameter (i.e., condition) values in alphabetic, numeric, and graphical form. Some data is accumulated from the engine by means of direct digital measurements, whereas other data is obtained from the engine by an analog-to-digital converter. The data is then processed by the computer and displayed on the cathode ray tube display monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1978
    Assignee: Sun Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Aloysius T. Cashel, Frank Perna, Gerald C. Trussell, Alfred C. D'Souza, Richard A. Karlin, James R. Caruth, Gary L. Van Ermen, Robert W. Arnston, Gary F. Comiskey, Frederick R. Borgens, Keith A. Kreft, Arthur Damm, Dennis C. Sienaski, Robert C. Shepardson, Yam C. Leung, Thomas M. Jankowski
  • Patent number: 4124896
    Abstract: Apparatus provides a signal corresponding to a miscibility temperature for a solvent-oil mixture in a solvent refining unit. The apparatus includes a circuit receiving signals related to flow rates of solvent and charge oil for the solvent refining unit. The circuit provides a signal corresponding to the solvent dosage. A network provides the miscibility temperature signal in accordance with the solvent dosage signal from the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1976
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1978
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A. Woodle
  • Patent number: 4122523
    Abstract: A centralized traffic control system for complex railroad areas analyzes the intended path of travel of various trains to determine the existence of any conflicts. When one or more conflicts are detected, the system analyzes various options to resolve the conflict with a minimum disruption to the system based on predetermined constraints. The analysis proceeds on the basis of a heuristic search for conflict resolution. A successful resolution of the conflict is then implemented without requiring operator intervention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1978
    Assignee: General Signal Corporation
    Inventors: Charles W. Morse, John P. Walker, Chan-Yong Chew
  • Patent number: 4120033
    Abstract: There is disclosed apparatus and method for determining pumping head requirements for an operating pumping system by subtracting a desired delivery head or pressure from an actual head. The difference represents overpressure, and this overpressure is subtracted from a measured pump total dynamic head to establish the pumping head requirement of the system. The pumping head requirement data is recorded together with other data indicating a measured fluid flow rate. The data so recorded is in a form for plotting a system head curve. Once the system head curve is available it is possible to modify the supply system so as to avoid pumping at a pressure in excess of that which may be required for any given flow rate condition. Such avoidance of overpressure pumping produces an energy saving in the operation of the pumping system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1978
    Assignee: Corporate Equipment Company
    Inventors: Anthony Bruce Corso, James Burton Rishel
  • Patent number: 4118772
    Abstract: A digital controller system for controlling the flow of a plurality of processes, each of the processes being provided with a process detector and an actuator, the digital controller system comprising: a digital bus for transmitting digital signals from one location to another; an analog bus for transmitting analog signals from one location to another; a plurality of direct digital loop stations, each of said direct digital loop station adapted to be connected to a process detector and an actuator of a process for receiving analog signals characterizing the state of the process from the process detector and transmitting the analog signals onto the analog bus and for receiving digital signals controlling the flow of the process from the digital bus and transmitting corresponding analog signals to the operating apparatus; and a central processor unit for transmitting the digital signals controlling the flow of the process to the digital bus, and for receiving the analog signals characterizing the state of the p
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1978
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keisuke Takada
  • Patent number: 4118779
    Abstract: A technique for accurate determination is provided which allows, at any point of navigation of a tanker and regardless of variation in the velocity of the tanker, the determination of the oil content in deballasting water and tank cleaning water that has been discharged during the navigation of a range extending from said point of navigation to another point with a given distance backward of said point. The technique comprises the determination of an instantaneous rate of discharge of oil content based on the concentration of oil and the quantity of water discharged within a given period of time, thereby obtaining the quantity of oil discharged within a given distance up to the present time as well as an incremental quantity of oil discharged in the period of time that the tanker was traveling a predetermined distance, and use of the thus obtained signals of discharged quantity for recording or control of discharge of deballasting water and tank cleaning water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1978
    Assignee: Horiba, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Tanei, Toshiaki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 4118782
    Abstract: A digital apparatus for determining the velocity of sound at a selected position in a liquid media is provided with a means for representing the conductivity, temperature and depth of the position in the form of digital numbers, and provides a digital calculating means receiving each of the digital numbers for calculating the velocity of sound as a function of conductivity, temperature, and depth. The sound velocity may be calculated at a succession of positions to provide sound velocity versus depth profile of the liquid media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1978
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Royce H. Allen, Jerry L. Sutton, Dan M. Griffin, Hal W. Frye, Joseph G. Colborn
  • Patent number: 4118780
    Abstract: A technique for monitoring the frequency difference between pulse output signals derived from a pair of flowmeters interposed respectively in the inlet and outlet lines of a flow conduit supplying cooling water to the tuyere of a blast furnace, the frequency difference being indicative of water leakage. The furnace has a plurality of such tuyeres, each conduit of which is monitored. The pulse output signals from the flowmeters at each monitoring point are fed to a common processing unit in which there are stored the constants representing the instrumental error between each pair of flowmeters as well as their mean conversion constants. In the processing unit, computations are carried out on the basis of the pulse output signals derived from each pair of flowmeters, the instrument error constant thereof and their mean conversion constants, in order accurately to determine the flow rate difference therebetween at each monitoring point independently of the instrumental error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1978
    Assignee: Hokushin Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toru Hirano
  • Patent number: 4117539
    Abstract: The apparatus includes a scanning system for scanning a projected image of an axially symmetric component's profile in a plurality of lines of scan, each line of scan being transverse to the axis of symmetry of the components profile and having a predetermined spatial relationship with respect to a neighboring line of scan. The scanning system may include a linear or two dimensional array of image detectors and the system produces electrical signals representative of the extent of the image of the component's profile along each line of scan for processing by a computer which uses these signals to calculate at least one of the parameters of length, breadth and curvature of the axis of at least a portion of the component and determines whether the parameter lies within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1976
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1978
    Assignee: The Secretary of State for Industry in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
    Inventors: Donald Atkinson Bell, Bernard John Chorley, John Ronald Parks, Robert Lewis Wanek
  • Patent number: 4112492
    Abstract: In a fuel economy measuring circuit a first train of pulses having a rate which is a function of the velocity of the vehicle or of the fuel consumption rate is fed into one input terminal of an up-down counter for causing the counter to count up or down as the case may be. A second train of pulses having a pulse rate which is a function of the fuel consumption of the vehicle per unit time or velocity of the vehicle is fed into one input of a rate multiplier for multiplication with the output of the up-down counter to derive a product output train of pulses having a pulse rate which is a function of the product of the output signal of the counter and the other input. The output pulse train of the rate multiplier is fed to the other input terminal of the up-down counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1978
    Inventor: Gary J. Summers
  • Patent number: 4112491
    Abstract: A medical electronic diagnostic device particularly suitable for determining and displaying segmental pulsatile flow of a patient. Means are provided for stabilization of a calibrated segmental volume time curve relative to a baseline, so as to eliminate the effect of patient movement during testing, as well as miscellaneous electrical noise. The disclosed device is capable, in addition to displaying a pulse volume curve, of measuring and recording the pulsatile component of the total blood flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1978
    Assignee: Life Sciences, Inc.
    Inventor: Al Bugay
  • Patent number: 4110829
    Abstract: A meter for determining stiffness or torque gradient including, in one embodiment, a deflectable coupling connected between an output shaft and a power input shaft, sensing means for developing two separate series of signals representative of the displacement of the input and output shafts respectively, a comparator for determining from the two series of signals a function of the stiffness or torque gradient and, in another embodiment, including a single shaft having an input end and an output end, transducer means associated with the shaft for developing a signal representative of the torque being applied through the shaft, sensing means for developing a signal representative of the displacement of the shaft, and comparator means for determining from the two signals a function of the stiffness or torque gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1978
    Assignee: Standard Pressed Steel Co.
    Inventor: John T. Boys
  • Patent number: 4110831
    Abstract: Method and means are described for the tracking of digit significance upon operands arithmetically combined in a series of binary operations such as addition, subtraction, or shifting in a decimal computer. The digits are decimally encoded in a format having enough excess capacity such that nonsignificant digits are unique. As part of the arithmetic combining of the operand, pairs of digits of like order but possibly mismatched as to significance and by observing a predetermined rounding rule may also cause a carry value to be propagated to a digit position of higher order. In subtraction by complement addition, an additional carry is propagated to a higher order position conditioned upon there being either a local overflow, a nonsignificant subtrahend, or a nonsignificant minuend and a subtrahend less than an amount specified by a rounding rule. Between the two operands, this results in the rounding of the more precise operand to the least significant digit position of the less precise operand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1978
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Glen G. Langdon, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4107775
    Abstract: An apparatus and method suitable for automatic machine interrogation of individuals for identifying or analyzing persons such as those seeking admittance to secure areas or seeking an extension of credit. Physical vibration wave energy is applied by a signal generator and transducer to the person's body at a selected point such as the finger tips. The frequency and/or the time function of force and/or motion parameters at the driving point of the body are then detected and stored. Comparison of a previously known function with a subsequently measured function to determine whether they are within preselected tolerances permits a machine decision whether the functions represent the same person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1978
    Assignee: Novar Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: James H. Ott
  • Patent number: 4106096
    Abstract: A dual-frequency technique for electronically measuring high-order derivatives by frequency mixing is described. The technique utilizes an ac modulation at two distinct but synchronous frequencies to produce a derivative signal at a useful difference frequency, which is unique to the order of the derivative being measured. By appropriate selection of the frequencies, significant advantages are obtained compared to the conventional method in which derivatives are measured at harmonics of a single frequency. The technique is illustrated with a practical measurement of the second derivative of the electrical characteristic of a silicon rectifier diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1978
    Assignee: Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated
    Inventor: Thomas L. Paoli
  • Patent number: 4106095
    Abstract: The specification discloses a system for displaying a cumulative indication of the estimated cost of electrical usage in a dwelling wherein electricity is applied through an electrical supply main. A coil is inductively coupled to the supply main for generating a signal representative of the magnitude of current passing through the supply main into the dwelling. The signal is rectified and amplified and is applied to an analog-to-digital converter which periodically samples the signal to generate digital signals. Input switches are operable by the consumer in order to provide a rate indication representative of the cost of the electricity flowing through the supply main. A calculator circuit is responsive to the digital signals from the analog-to-digital converter and is responsive to the rate indication from the input switches in order to periodically calculate an estimated cost of electricity passing through the supply main at the time of sampling during a preceding period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1978
    Assignee: Electronic Data Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Grover A. Yarbrough
  • Patent number: 4104728
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus principally comprising a display unit, a mechanical contact type keyboard unit and several LSI (large-scale integrated circuit) elements including a computation circuit, a logical control circuit, a storage circuit, a program memory circuit, etc., these units and elements all being incorporated on a single flexible plate of electrical insulating material, such as a film of polyethylene-terephthalate or a polyamide. The metal depositing technology or the etching technology is applied to form a wiring pattern on the flexible plate. The LSI elements are directly mounted on the single flexible plate by utilizing the wireless bonding method, such as for example, a flip chip bond or a beam lead bond, before these elements are packed and sealed. The substratum may be secured in the inside of the apparatus in a serpentine fashion in order to make the best use of the inside space of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1978
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Kasubuchi
  • Patent number: 4104725
    Abstract: A waveform measuring and analyzing instrument includes a pair of plug-in receptacles adapted to receive signal acquisition and/or processing plug-in units. Each of the receptacles is wired to a waveform data memory and to a programmed processor. The program memory for the processor includes addresses assigned to the plug-in units for addressing a memory in the plug-in units which include plug-in type and status data and may include a plug-in resident programmed memory array in which a data calculation program is stored. The processor is connected to execute the software program in the plug-in unit. The plug-in resident calculating capability significantly expands the power and capability of the instrument to analyze and process particular waveform signals. The software programmed plug-in units may be formed with a pre-programmed, read-only memory or may employ a read-write memory with means for interfacing to a still larger external storage or memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1978
    Assignee: Norland Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick A. Rose, Russell H. Nord, Roger E. Lidicker
  • Patent number: 4103332
    Abstract: The specification discloses a mile post location system which can be adjusted in accordance with a particular vehicle having a citizens band radio. The system includes circuitry for generating a distance signal in response to rotation of a wheel of the vehicle. Switches are accessible to the vehicle operator for generating a predetermined reference signal dependent upon the diameter of a tire of the vehicle and being representative of a predetermined distance traveled by the vehicle. The system further includes electronic circuitry for comparing the distance signal with the reference signal and for generating an output signal representing the predetermined distance traveled by the vehicle when the distance signal equals the reference signal. A mileage setting device is accessible to the vehicle operator and includes numerical digit keys operable for generating input signals representative of an initial mile post designation to a calculator circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1978
    Assignee: David Floyd
    Inventors: Robert D. Floyd, Lee V. Gorman, David L. Thummel