Abstract: In many applications involving the coding and processing of speech signals the relevant applicable codebook is one which may be termed a sparse codebook. That is, the majority of elements in the codebook are zero valued. The searching of such a sparse codebook is accelerated in accord with the present invention by generating auxiliary information defining the sparse nature of the codebok and using this information to assist and speed up searches of the codebook.In a particular method of searching the calculation of the distance between a target vector and a stored codebook vector is enhanced by use of a distortion metric derived from energy terms and correlation terms of the codebook entries. Calculation of these energy and correlation terms is speeded up by exploiting the sparseness of the codebook entries. The non-zero elements (NZE) of the space codebook are each identified and are defined by their offset from a reference point.

Abstract: An automatic fluid sampling and monitoring apparatus provided as a unitary structure, and capable of collecting fluid samples at selected intervals, monitoring the level of a condition of the fluid at selected intervals, and collecting and storing sampling and fluid condition data for later retrieval. Sampling operations may be controlled on the basis of time and/or levels of a fluid condition being monitored. Where the apparatus also incorporates an internal flow measuring assembly, or is connected with an external flow meter, sampling operations may also be controlled on the basis of flow rate. The apparatus includes a self-contained microprocessor for automatically controlling sampling operations, calculating fluid condition levels on the basis of signals from a sensor, and storing data relating to sample collection and the fluid condition.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for independently attaining, monitoring, and dispensing a fluid mix or a plurality of fluid mixes of a desired temperature, flow rate, and volume, the fluid mixes each comprising two separate mixable fluids usually at different temperatures as they enter the system. The system comprises one microprocessor configuration connected with any number of fluid mixing apparatuses including their drive means, sensors, and an appropriate number of user command and system status feedback means. In one embodiment, as disclosed herein, a plurality of system users can independently and even simultaneously instruct, using a variety of means, a single microprocessor configuration to provide their desired fluid mixes. The microprocessor configuration compares the instructions with the system status data provided by the sensors and its own calculations.

Abstract: Characteristics of a coupled system, which consists of a plurality of unit structures coupled together, are analyzed accurately and quickly by providing, between calculating means for calculating transfer function matrices concerning unit structures and coupling means for coupling together transfer function matrices according to the definitions of coupling, co-ordinate conversion means for converting transfer function matrices into those in the overall system.

Abstract: A method for determining the thermal history of an object is disclosed. The object carries at least two thermal calibration materials having different activation energies. The method comprises: first, exposing an object to a thermal treatment; second, detecting the change in each of the calibration materials caused by the thermal treatment; and third, determining the thermal history of the thermal treatment from the detected changes.Also disclosed are thermal history recording devices comprising one or more metal insulator semiconductor (MIS) capacitors. The insulating layer is non-uniformly doped with mobile charged carriers. Two or more MIS capacitors, each having different activation energies, may be mounted in a common support structure to provide a thermal memory cell. The thermal cells may be used in conjunction with an apparatus for determining the thermal history of the cells as also dislcosed herein.

Abstract: A communication system for transmitting and receiving data serially, in which informations representing the operative positions of transmitters and receivers in two stations are passed through a single communication line, thus realizing a half-duplex communication.

Abstract: An improved system for providing ensemble time from an ensemble of oscillators is provided. In the system, a more complete ensemble definition permits a more accurate ensemble time to be calculated. The system takes into account at least weighted time and weighted frequency aspects or weighted time and weighted frequency aging aspects of each oscillator in the ensemble. Preferably, the system takes into account all of the weighted time aspects, weighted frequency aspect, and weighted frequency aging aspects for each oscillator in the ensemble. The weights with respect to each clock can be chosen to be either zero or any positive value such that the sum of the weights for each aspect sum to one. The system can be implemented using a Kalman approach.

Abstract: An electrical process transforms an object electrical signal into a compact time-varying graphical representation whereby study of the time-varying spectral properties of said signal may be efficiently pursued.

Abstract: An audio subband encoded signal decoder which, when an error occurs in an audio subband encoded signal of a plurality of pieces of data, conceals the error in accordance with the contents of the data involving the error and the occurrence of the error in consideration of the degree of influence on a possible reproduced sound quality to thereby improve the sound quality.

Abstract: A system and method for real-time computer control of multi-wheel sorbent mass and energy transfer systems by optimization of calculated mass transfer ratios and measures of system effectiveness which are not subject to long system time constants.

Abstract: The coordinate measuring system comprises a device (D) and host computer (19). The device (D) is formed of a base (1) rigidly attached to the article to be measured, an arm (2) rotatable relative to the base (1) only about axis (A), arm (3) rotatable relative to arm (2) only about axis (B), and arm (4) slidably relative to arm (3) along axis (C). The axes (A, B and C) are parallel. At the pivots (5) and (6) and sleeve (7) there are high precision bearings and rotary encoders. The approximate (3D) coordinates corresponding to the position of the measurement probe (10) can be calculated from the encoder derived measurements and are corrected by the computer for inaccuracies due to axes misalignment, flex of components etc. Correction terms are programmed after the assembly of the device (D).

Abstract: Method and apparatus for adapting the volumetric flow rate measurement system taught by Yelderman in U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,974 to clinical environments by reducing the effects of physiological noise. Signal processing techniques are used to characterize the background noise power spectrum of the system under test so that the effect of noise aberrations on the measured data may be eliminated and so that the predominant periodicities of the background noise spectra may be avoided. The invention further cross-correlates the input data of the system with the corresponding ouput data of the system to determine weighting values for each input frequency so that data collected at noisy frequencies is discounted. Low frequency noise or drift is also removed from the output signal by fitting the average of the output data to a quadratic function which is then subtracted from the original output signal, point by point.

Abstract: A method of analyzing crack growth in an object takes into account interaction between indications of discontinuities that can become cracks and also effects of creep on crack growth to provide a more accurate analysis of crack growth. The remaining life of an object is determined by calculating a critical crack size from worst case conditions and defining loading blocks representing cycles of temperature and stress changes. The rate of growth in the size of indications estimated from non-destructive evaluation is accumulated based upon the defined loading blocks until one of the indications reaches the critical crack size. The allowable stress which can be placed upon the object can be calculated from the same estimates of indication size and assuming different stress levels until a desired lifetime of the object is attained when one of the indications reaches the critical crack size.

Abstract: The invention contemplates a technique to correct for measurement error which is attributable to gravitational sag of a probe head (6) mounted to a multiple-axis articulating head (2). To this end, a variable (b) is determined which describes the stiffness of the articulating head (2) and/or of a probe extension (5) mounted thereto, said variable being characteristic for the probe configuration in question and being entered into the memory of the computer of the coordinate-measuring machine. The sag B (.alpha., .beta.) which has differing values that depend on actual angular positions (.alpha., .beta.) is then calculated from these angular positions for each of the angular positions, and the calculated sag value is appropriately taken into account in computer-reporting of coordinate-measurement values made by the machine.Calibration of the articulating head in each of the various different angular positions is therefore unnecessary.

Abstract: A linear predictive codeword excited speech synthesizer performs a voiced/unvoiced decision to determine the type of excitation to be supplied to a synthesis filter. The synthesizer selects the excitation for voiced speech from a codebook, using an analysis-by-synthesis technique in which the transfer function of a linear predictive coefficient synthesis filter closely resembles the gross spectral shape of the input speech signal. By pitch-periodic repetition of the selected codebook vector, a high quality synthetic speech output is generated.

Abstract: In the line-by-line recording of films (15') for producing offset printing forms or in the line-by-line exposure of offset printing plates from recording data, i.e. density values of a line, the setting values for the individual zone screws are directly calculated from the density values and are stored or, respectively, directly forwarded to the printing machine (80). Before the forwarding of the setting values to the printing machine (80), density values are advantageously converted into the setting values with masks that, with reference to printing areas, printing surface in the pages (50) and with reference to the register system of the printing machine (80) as well as with reference to the characteristic data of a page (50), contain the allocation of the setting values of the zone screws calculated from the density values of the page (50).

Abstract: There is described a method of barcoding data needed to determine a calibration curve for a test element in an analyzer. The process follows the steps of:a) ascertaining by statistical analysis the ranges of values for R that are possible for three given concentration values C.sub.1, C.sub.2 and C.sub.3, for a given assay, and assigning a high value H and a low value L for these ranges;b) calculating for a given lot of the given assay, a calibration curve that correlates the analyzer response to the concentration,c) determining the analyzer response R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 from said calibration curve, that corresponds to the C.sub.1, C.sub.2 and C.sub.3 values;d) calculating the bar code value B.sub.i for R.sub.i of each of these R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 from the equation:B.sub.i =(10.sup.n -1)(R.sub.i -L.sub.i)/(H.sub.i -L.sub.i) (2)where R.sub.i is R.sub.1, R.sub.2 or R.sub.3, and L.sub.i and H.sub.i are the corresponding L and H values for that R.sub.i ;e) rounding B.sub.

Abstract: Testing apparatus for assembled printed circuit boards to assure that all the component values are correct and that all the components have been correctly inserted into the board. The testing apparatus performs its testing function without the need for physical guarding, and it operates on node oriented complex-Valued Admittance measurements. The testing apparatus includes a computer which translates the measurements into component data by solving only linear equations.

Abstract: A system for the effective recording and recovery of gemstones uses site machines for recording the optical response of gemstones with these optical responses being forwarded to a central database for classifying in a manner to allow effective searching of the database. The site machine progressively scans the optical response of the gemstone and provides an accurate record of the optical response of the gemstone. Gemstones reported to the central database as being stolen have their records duplicated in a separate database which can be searched remotely by police and other enforcement agencies for a possible match with the optical response of gemstones they have recovered.

Abstract: A data storing apparatus for storing and categorizing data from an analytical instrument, which has a file name creator for obtaining a time signal at the beginning of analysis and for writing the time signal in the file name portion of a data file in a memory as a temporarily assigned file name. The data storing apparatus also has a file name changer for obtaining a new name input thereto, and substituting the new name for the time signal in the file name portion of the data file.