Abstract: Hay bale measuring apparatus utilizes two measuring wheels for measuring the string used by the baler, and indicating the amount of string to a control and display unit. The baler operator sets the desired hay bale size and monitors the baler operation on the display. The control and display unit generates a signal which indicates to the baler when it is time to tie off a bale of hay. The measuring wheel includes a plurality of teeth and is used with an optical beam generator and optical beam detector. String is wrapped once around the wheel and turns the wheel as it is pulled by the baler. As the wheel turns, the teeth interrupt the beam from the beam generator, forming a series of bursts of light. The beam detector generates a burst of current coincident with each burst of light, and sends it to the control and display unit.

Abstract: A hand-held scanning device is disclosed in which the scanning device housing window is located such that it does not come into contact with the object being scanned while a scan is being performed. This location of the window eliminates window damage caused by contact with the object being scanned. This location also results in the window being located out of the focus area of the scanning device optical system. Accordingly, any defects occurring in the window will be out of focus and, thus, less detrimental to acquired image quality. A light source lens may be integrally formed in the same assembly as the window and this assembly may provide support for the light source.

Abstract: A method of accomplishing rotational alignment of laser arrays relative to an external optical axis is described. The method uses the laser polarization, which is oriented relative to the axis of the array, as the means of determining the laser array rotational orientation. The method can be rapidly executed in a manual or automatic procedure, has accuracy of better than 0.1 degree, and can be used to orient a laser array at any chosen angle with reflect to an external optical axis.

Abstract: A boosting circuit comprises a power supply terminal, an output terminal a one-way element and a one-way element for charging. The one-way element comprises a plurality of stages connected in series across the power supply terminal and the output terminal in a forward direction going from the power supply terminal to the output terminal, with clock pulses being applied between each of the one-way element stages. The one-way element for charging is connected in parallel with the one-way element in the forward direction. It is therefore possible to provide a boosting circuit with an improved boosting voltage rise characteristic without having to change the size of the circuit elements.

Abstract: An improved photodetector integrator circuit is provided having a photodetector, such as a photodiode, which produces photocurrent responsive to incident illumination. The photodetector is coupled to an integrator stage which converts the photocurrent into voltage and integrates the voltage over an integration period to provide an output signal. A window comparator in the circuit receives the output signal from the integrator stage and compares the output signal to a first threshold and a second threshold to provide, as a measurement signal, a pulse having a width which corresponds to the time interval over which the output signal increases from the first threshold to the second threshold. In the window comparator, the second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

Abstract: A monochromatic scanning system includes an illumination system, a document staging system, an optical lens system, a photosensing system to convert light to electrical signals and a color drop-out filter. The illumination system illuminates an original image to be scanned in the document staging system and the optical lens system directs light reflected from the original image to be scanned onto the photosensing system. The color drop-out filter is located in an optical path between the original image to be scanned and the photosensing system such that the color drop-out filter allows a predetermined range of wavelengths to pass therethrough and a range of wavelengths associated with infrared radiation to pass therethrough. this enables the monochromatic scanning system to have drop-out capability by merely substituting the color drop-out filter without further modifications to the scanning system.

Abstract: Angular position finding system for an observation instrument, possibly fitted with a sighting change mirror and which includes one or two reflecting mirrors and one or two alignment sensors. Light patterns are produced both on the instrument and on the alignment sensor and are reflected by the mirror to the alignment sensor where their positions are detected. The orientation of the mirror, and indirectly the orientation of the instrument, can be deducted. Furthermore, if the alignment sensor is equipped with a device for determining an absolute orientation reference, the orientation of the instrument with respect to this reference may also be known.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a microscopic electromagnetic radiation transmitter or detector and a so-called near-field probe (1) whose body takes the form of a polyhedron point and consists of a material which is at least partially permeable to electromagnetic radiation in the spectral region used. The polyhedron point is delimited by an imaginary base surface beyond which the substantial part of the body is continued to form a total probe body, which is not defined in greater detail. The polyhedron point has "n " side faces and edges leading to an acute point (2) are formed between adjacent side faces. According to the invention, at least two side faces of the body of the polyhedron probe (1) are coated with thin, electrically conductive layers which absorb some of the electromagnetic radiation in the spectral region used, preferably consist of materials such as aluminum, gold or silver and are less than 0.2 .mu.m thick.

Abstract: A plate scanning device for measuring diffused or reflected light is provided. The plate scanning device includes a longitudinally extending silicon sensor strip and at least one light source extending substantially parallel to the sensor strip. Adjustably mounted light funnels form an aperture therebetween for receiving light reflected from a printing plate. The aperture has a width and length which is slightly smaller than a width and length of the sensor strip.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for sensing a full level condition for a large basket. A signal generator produces an oscillating signal which is applied to energy emitters that are capable of transmitting electrical energy along defined paths and across the width of the large basket. The transmitted electrical energy is received by a plurality of receivers which output an electrical signal which is representative of the signal applied to the energy emitters when material which is being loaded into said basket does not interfere with the energy being transmitted along the defined paths. A logic circuit analyzes the signals output from the receivers and produces a status signal indicating whether material which is being loaded into the large basket has interfered with the energy being transmitted along the defined paths.

Abstract: A system is provided for tracking a free-space optical communications beam. The incoming beam is split by a beam splitter. One portion of the incoming beam is focused onto a high-speed photodetector. Another portion of the incoming beam is passed through a target pattern optical element. A resulting target pattern is formed on a two-dimensional active pixel sensor array. The alignment of the system can be adjusted based on the position of the target pattern on the sensor array.

Abstract: A pulse generator is provided with a photoconductor in which first to third transmission lines composed of conductive film are formed on a semi-insulating substrate and the transmission lines are separated by first and second narrow gaps, and provides short pulses from short electrical pulses generated on these transmission lines in accordance with short optical pulses irradiated upon each narrow gap. Semiconductor lasers effect the irradiation of short optical pulses upon the first and second narrow gaps. A delay is conferred upon short optical pulses irradiated upon one of the first and second narrow gaps such that pulse height of short electrical pulses generated on the first to third transmission lines is maximized.

Abstract: An improved parallel optical logic operator provides a path for light to pass through substrates in which a light source and an optical logic device are arranged. An optical logic device operates by transmission of light forwarded to a predetermined direction. This increases integration efficiency of the system by eliminating optical parts for changing the light path. A unit chip includes a laser array for generating a predetermined light in accordance with an electrical signal for a logic process, a laser array substrate on which via holes are formed for passing light, a microlens array for converting the light beam emitted from each laser device of the laser array into a parallel light beam for passing through the via hole, and an optical logic circuit array formed with a combination of an S-SEED which performs a logic function by transmission of the light signal through an optical window in S-SEED.

Abstract: A positioning, alignment, and image quality system comprising a detector having a photosensitive surface covered with an opaque layer having predetermined openings therein, a matched reticle having predetermined apertures therein is used to project the image of the apertures onto the openings. A plurality of different detectors are thereby formed on a single monolithic substrate for providing positioning, alignment, and image quality information. Different sub-detectors provide general positioning information, fine alignment or position information, and image quality information, such as optimum focus and astigmatism. In one embodiment, a pair of rectangular openings having a predetermined distance therebetween is used. An illumination pattern is projected between the rectangular openings filling a portion of the rectangular openings thereby providing a signal.

Abstract: In a coin sensing station, coins pass edgewise along a passageway through a transparent block and interrupt three optical sensing beams that transverse the passageway at spaced locations. The beams are produced by light emitting diodes which direct light into the block where it is directed by reflection from inclined surfaces integrally molded into the block. By use of a beam splitting means, it is possible to direct the first and second sensing beams from a single source beam, across the passageway at different, spaced apart locations.

Abstract: A device determining the orientation of a first solid body with respect to a second or reference solid body. Each body is filled with sets consisting of an optical source and a detector of optical radiation, so as to define at least two straight lines having a direction u and v joining two pairs of sources (S.sub.mi, S.sub.fj), the sources (S.sub.mi) relating to the first solid body and the sources (S.sub.fj) relating to the reference solid body. The device includes means to compute the parameters of orientation of the first solid body with respect to the reference solid body from the coordinates of the vectors u and v. Applications: Determining the orientation of a helmet of the pilot of an aircraft or helicopter with respect to a cockpit.

Abstract: A device for detecting polarization of light comprising a first photodetector tuned to absorb TE polarization, a second photodetector tuned to absorb TM polarization, and a circuit for comparing an output from the first and second photodetector for generating a polarization output. The first photodetector comprises a first reflector, an absorption layer on top of the first reflector, and a second reflector on top of the absorption layer. The second photodetector comprises a third reflector on top of an absorption layer, and a fourth reflector disposed under absorption layer.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for sensing the presence of a document on the transparent surface of an optical scanner involve moving a scanner optics carriage to a predetermined position beneath the transparent surface, reading a line of data, and if any of the data is on the "white" side of the gray-scale relative to a threshold, determining that a document is present in the scanner. Optionally, before determining whether a document is present, the apparatus and method may perform an initial threshold comparison to check for the presence of a dark background to ensure that an old document has been removed before the new document is read. The results of the document presence determination are used to generate a signal which is sent through a scanner interface to the host computer for use in automatically initiating a complete scan of a new document.

Abstract: An optical sensor grating in a fiber-optic experiences a measurable parameter, such as strain, pressure and/or temperature. A passive nonuniform optical grating receives a light signal reflected by the optical sensor grating and spread out by a lens. A photodiode array behind the passive nonuniform optical grating senses a light intensity distribution of the reflected light signal. A microprocessor employs a simple peak detection algorithm to detect a maximum or minimum intensity of the reflected light signal at the photodiode array, and correlates the location of the maximum or minimum intensity to the measurable parameter experienced by the optical sensor grating.

Abstract: A photogrammetric process for the three-dimensional monitoring of moving objects can utilize at least two cameras and a triangulation system for detecting the position and orientation of the object. The object is additionally illuminated, e.g. by a flash lamp or a triggered laser to eliminate the influence of ambient light.