Abstract: An electrical and thermal energy supply system for buildings is disclosed wherein electricity is generated by an engine driving a generator either inside or in close proximity to the building. Heat generated by the engine is recovered and supplied to the building. The electrical generating system is activated on demand for electricity from within the building. Optionally, the output of the generator may be used to electrically heat water or air, or both, to supplement the heat recovered from the operation of the engine. Additionally, a battery-inverter, chargeable by the generator, may be included to reduce the duty cycle of the engine. A wind powered generator may be further added to charge the battery and conserve fuel, especially in warmer time periods.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for moving a device, such as a robot arm, through complex movements. The complex movement is divided into a principal movement between two defined end points A, B. Superposed on the principal movement is a closed loop series of subordinate movements (at least two subordinate movements) which loop is executed, at least once, during the principal movement. Data defining the end points of both principal and subordinate movements is stored in a storage device. Both principal and subordinate movements are divided into a number of equal incremental principal and subordinate movements. The sum of the principal and subordinate incremental movements is a composite incremental movement. Signals related to each composite incremental movement are provided to a drive means for moving the device.

Abstract: A speed control system of traction motors for electric vehicles comprises a traction motor for causing an electric vehicle to run, a D.C. supply source for supplying voltage to the traction motor, a chopper for chopping the voltage fed from the D.C. supply source to the motor, and a chopper control circuit for controlling the operation of the chopper. The chopper control circuit comprises a circuit for producing a saw-tooth wave signal, a comparator which compares an accelerator signal, whose level is varied with the speed control operation by means of an accelerator pedal of the electric vehicle, with a saw-tooth wave signal from the saw-tooth wave signal generator circuit to produce a rectangular wave signal having a width proportional to the accelerator signal, and a circuit for producing pulse signals at the rise of the rectangular wave signal and at the fall thereof, respectively.

Abstract: An elevator control system for controlling a plurality of elevator cars servicing a plurality of floors of a building by allotting a hall call originated from one of the floors to a suitable one of the elevator cars so that the hall call can be serviced by the selected elevator car. In the elevator control system, a scan signal generator is provided to generate a scan signal which is used to sequentially scan the floors in successive scan slots for detecting hall calls and elevator car service positions and converting the detected information into pulse signals. The elevator control system comprises counters for counting up the service loads of the individual elevator cars in the successive scan slots after the detection of the elevator car service positions, so that, when a hall call is detected in one of the scan slots, an elevator car providing a minimum service load at the specific scan slot can be selected, and the detected hall call can be allotted to the selected elevator car.

Abstract: A polyphonic electronic musical instrument in which the complex signal delivered by the instrument is made up of successive samples.Each sample in the complex signal is the sum of the samples of the different harmonics of the various notes played, at the corresponding amplitudes. A device for scanning the keys and pedals comprises two or three counters which operate in association with one another to detect the number (i) of each played note out of the 12 or 13 notes in an octave, and also detect the number of the corresponding octave (n) and successively calculate the various samples of the harmonics of the note (i, n). The set of operations is performed in a sufficiently short time to produce notes of 6- 10 kHz.

Abstract: A motor speed control system detects a rotation speed of a motor, compares a detected output signal with a reference voltage or a reference frequency to produce an error signal, produces a saw-tooth wave signal of an appropriate repetition frequency, compares the error signal with the saw-tooth wave signal to produce a switching signal, and drives a motor by the switching signal to control the speed of the motor. The system includes a first driver circuit for driving the motor by the output signal of a first comparator circuit which produces the error signal, and a second driver circuit for driving the motor by the output signal of a second comparator circuit which produces the switching signal. The motor is normally driven by the second driver circuit for speed control and is driven by the first driver circuit when the motor is started or overloaded or when the second driver circuit is defective.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece having a main oscillator circuit including a first quartz crystal vibrator as a time standard and also having a secondary oscillator circuit including a further quartz crystal vibrator as a time standard for reducing the affect of temperature on the accuracy of the timepiece by utilizing the different temperature characteristics of the respective time standards is provided. The main oscillator circuit produces a high frequency time standard signal having a first frequency rate that is determined, at least in part, by the temperature characteristic of the first time standard, which characteristic includes an inflection peak at a specific temperature. The second oscillator circuit produces a second high frequency time standard signal having a second predetermined frequency, determined, at least in part, by the temperature characteristic of the second time standard being distinct from that of the first time standard.

Abstract: A reflector of an optical system has its position controlled by piezoelecc devices operating at three points of the reflector disposed at the apices of an equilateral triangle. These are driven by summing amplifiers each of which has an input to which a signal for producing displacement of the reflector without change of tilt is provided and one or more inputs connected to the output of a matrix circuit responsive to signals for producing tilt of the reflector about two mutually perpendicular axes both perpendicular to the direction of displacement produced by the previously mentioned inputs.

Abstract: A buzzer mechanism for an alarm clock or the like comprises a vibrator member rockably supported on a base plate for angular movement between an inactive position and an active position in which a vibration arm of the vibrator faces a buzzer yoke associated with the alternating driving coil of the clock so as to be vibrated. A coil spring presses the vibrator member against the base plate and also biases it toward active position. A projection on the vibrator member engages the hour wheel so that when the hour wheel is moved axially upon a projection on the hour wheel coming into registry with a hole in an unlocking drum, the vibrator member is permitted to rock to active position. An alarm stop lever is operable manually to return the vibrator member to inactive position.

Abstract: Emitters and rotary hydraulic displacement pumps are associated with one or a number of propeller-type transducers and connected to receivers each having a rotary hydraulic displacement motor coupled to an alternator. The emitters are connected to the receivers by means of a hydraulic circuit for an auxiliary fluid which is admitted into at least one shunt-connected energy dissipator and the flow of which is regulated as a function of the random energy variations of the natural fluid. The energy-conversion system is primarily applicable to hydroelectric power plants of the stream or river type, to wind-driven power plants and to ship propulsion.

Abstract: A closed loop control system achieves high speed operation commensurate with low resolution A/D converters which, at the same time, is capable of accepting and using higher resolution control signals. A control loop includes a differencing device for providing an error signal produced as a difference between a reference value and an output value related to the controlled parameter, D/A converter and integrator, producing an output value for device control. The feedback loop includes an A/D converter. The reference value and reference value input to the differencing device as well as the D/A converter accept digital signals of resolution greater than those produced by the A/D converter.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece adapted to perform time correction in response to a train of time correction pulses transmitted from another electronic timepiece. The electronic timepiece comprises a detecting means to detect the train of time correction pulses; a writing-in signal generator circuit to generate writing-in signals in synchronism with a synchronizing signal contained in the train of time correction pulses, and a writing-in gate circuit means to perform writing-in of the train of time correction pulses into a timekeeping circuit of the timepiece as new current time data in response to the writing-in signals.

Abstract: A programmable voice characteristic memory system for programming any number of different specifications in an electronic digital organ. Digital information which defines voice characteristics in an electronic digital organ is stored in a read-write specification memory. Voice characteristic information may be selectively written into the specification memory from an external data inputting device such as a punched card reader or from an external non-volatile read-write memory such as a magnetic tape. Information stored in the specification memory may be transferred to and recorded on the external non-volatile read-write memory for permanent storage and future use. Voice characteristic information stored in the specification memory may also be accessed by the digital organ to generate musical tones in conventional fashion.

Abstract: Apparatus including auxiliary hall call registration means and selection means which cooperate with an elevator control system operating a plurality of cars in a predetermined manner in response to primary hall calls and car calls registered for a plurality of landings to select a car signified as closest to a landing for which an auxiliary hall call is registered and to cause the control system to operate the selected car in a manner in which it travels to and stops at the landing for which the auxiliary hall call is registered.

Abstract: A control device for turbines with speed and load control, in which the load control includes an integrator with or without an output value limiter. The speed control and the load control are functionally independent of each other over the entire working range. The speed control likewise includes an integrator, and the outputs of the two controls are conveyed to a MIN-member as input signals while the smaller input becomes the output signal of the MIN-member and takes over the positioning of the turbine inlet valve.

Abstract: Improved apparatus for use in an electronic musical instrument having a keyboard including a group of keys corresponding to the notes of a musical scale. Electronic circuitry is used to generate simultaneously with respect to each of the keys first and second electrical tone signals. The circuitry causes the waveshapes of the tone signals to deviate with respect to each other. In addition, the repetition rates of the tone signals are detuned and frequency modulated with respect to each other so that the sound of a string chorus is simulated.The disclosure also describes circuitry useful in an electronic musical instrument having a keyboard including twelve keys corresponding to the twelve notes of a chromatic musical scale. The circuitry generates simultaneously a first series of twelve tone signals corresponding to a first tempered scale and a second series of twelve tone signals corresponding to a second tempered scale different from the first tempered scale.

Abstract: In a wind-driven generator system, the generator load curve is matched to the wind-driven rotor characteristic by an electronic field current control which is responsive to the rotor speed. A tachometer circuit produces pulses the repetition rate of which is proportional to rotor speed. The pulses are counted in a predetermined time interval, and a stepwise control of field current is effected in accordance with the count. Switching from the first step, in which field current is zero, to the second step, in which field current is relatively high, takes place at a count which is spaced by intermediate counts from the count at which switching takes place from the second step to the first step.

Abstract: An electronic battery-powered watch including an oscillator followed by a chain of frequency divider stages, said chain being composed of two parts with an interface circuit between said two parts, said interface circuit multiplying by a predetermined amount the voltage of the battery and the amplitude of the pulses issued from the last stage of the first part of the division chain in order to feed and control the second part of the chain and the decoding and display circuits of the watch.

Abstract: Gate-turn-off silicon controlled rectifiers (GTO's) are selectively rendered conductive to control the direction of rotation of a bi-directional motor. To this end a digital logic network is responsive to either one or both of a pair of remotely located switches being operated to either a first or a second condition, for controlling a transistorized gate signal generating network to apply an operating voltage to the gate electrode of the appropriate one(s) of the GTO's. The gate signal generating network includes circuitry for grounding the gates of the GTO's, turning them off if on and thereby inhibiting operation of the motor, whenever either of two operating conditions obtains.

Abstract: An over-the-road electric storage battery powered vehicle is disclosed in which a motor starting control initiates operation of the vehicle in a manner which simulates initiating operation of an engine driven vehicle. The motor starting control is provided with interlocks which prevent operation of the vehicle when any one of several potentially unsafe conditions is detected.An on-board transformerless traction battery charger is also provided which is constructed and arranged to: enable the traction batteries to be charged to 100% of their capacity quickly but at controlled rates which are not detrimental to the batteries; automatically accommodate the charger to conventional A.C. single or split phase grounded household power supplies; and, detect interruption of the power supply ground connection and prevent application of power to the traction batteries.