Abstract: A transparent touch panel mounted on the screen of a display CRT of an automatic transaction device used for banking business detects push down of one of keys displayed on the screen. Among a number of keys displaying an operation manual and numbers, those which are to be pushed down by an operator are displayed with an emphasis so that the operator can recognize them easily.

Abstract: Meters having a plurality of rotating dials are read automatically by using radiant energy to sense the angular positions of the dials. A single radiant energy detector is time-shared among the several dials to reduce the cost of the meter reading apparatus. The meter can transmit meter readings and other information to remote locations. It can also receive, store, and act upon information received from remote locations. The meter can measure short-term demand, and can produce output signals for indicating and/or controlling demand.

Abstract: A device for remote metering, comprising a meter (4) for measuring a consumption, a transmission circuit for transmitting information relating to quantities consumed, and consisting essentially of a modulating circuit (5,6) and of a bifilar line (3), and a counter circuit for counting sets of information. The modulating circuit comprises a capacitive network (6) and at least one switch (5) which is actuated by the meter and which is capable of modifying the capacity of the capacitive network. The device further comprises a circuit (7,14) suitable for evaluating the value of the capacity of the transmission circuit, and thus for distinguishing two states of the modulating circuit and one state of a fault in the line. Such a device is, in particular, usable for the remote metering of a consumption of gas or of electricity.

Abstract: A single/multiple transducer for measuring physical quantities and variables includes a multiplexer unit for selecting the sensors of physical quantities and electric variables by the decoding of an address, thereby permitting a single power supply, a single counter and a single clock generator to be used in order to enable a plurality of sensors placed in a plurality of locations and to transmit the measurements thereof, each of said sensors detecting its own physical quantity or electric variable.

Abstract: A general purpose keyboard for a central processing unit with microprocessor 9, characterized in that it includes at least one set 300 of variable allocation keys, a removable booklet 2 comprising at least two pages 20, 21 specifying allocation of the keys, photoelectric receiver R0, R1 for detecting the position of the pages 20, 21 of the booklet 2 and a keyboard processing unit 40 for supplying, in response to the detection of the position of the pages 20, 21 of the booklet 2 and to the activation of a key 32 of the keyboard belonging to the central processing unit or set 300, a different ASCII code according to the position of the pages of the booklet 2.

Abstract: The remote control device is equipped with at least one movable panel arranged rotatably to cover an operation panel having a plural number of operation keys arranged thereon, so composed as to permit manipulating the operation keys from an upper side of the movable panel and having function markings imprinted thereon, and is composed in such a manner that, when the operation panel is covered with the movable panel, a remote control transmitter is switched to the function mode displayed on the movable panel and transmits, upon operating the same keys, signals different from those sent out while the operation panel is not covered with the movable panel. The movable panel is made of a flexible material or equipped with windows formed at the positions corresponding to the operation keys, and locked when it is set at the position covering the operation panel.

Abstract: A housing is constructed to define individual areas for depression to identify individual indicia such as numbers or the letters of the alphabet. A hard, electrically insulating material is attached to the housing to transmit strains produced in the housing by the depression of the individual areas on the housing. A plurality of thin sheets of an electrically insulating material are provided, each being attached to the insulating material at positions corresponding to the individual areas in the housing. A plurality of thin sheets of an electrically conductive material are also provided, each attached to an associated one of the thin sheets of insulating material. A plurality of ceramic crystals are also included, each attached to an individual one of the electrically conductive sheets. The electrically conductive sheets may be attached to the housing, which is preferably made from an electrically conductive material. This causes one surface of each ceramic crystal to be common to the adjacent area.

Abstract: An instrumentation system in which air core gauges are adapted for use with a microprocessor that provides data for the gauges in digital form via an address/data bus. One of the principal features of the invention is that minimum circuitry interfaces the microprocessor with the air core gauges. Each gauge is assigned to a particular output device on the microprocessor memory map. The microprocessor addresses a particular gauge via the address bus at the same time that data for the gauge is present on the data bus. Each gauge comprises a sample and hold circuit and an air core driver circuit which operate the gauge's air core meter. The sample and hold circuits share a common digital-to-analog (D/A) converter which is interposed between the digital data bus and the sample and hold circuits.

Abstract: The present invention includes a keyboard encoder which encodes a key selected by an operator. The encoder is isolated from a bi-directional bus by an isolation circuit. When a key has been selected a key code is made available for reading by a separate CPU. The separate CPU enables transfer of the key code from the encoder to the bi-directional bus and then reads the key code. The separate CPU acknowledges receipt of the key code and provides feedback to keyboard operator by sending a bank and light selection code to the keyboard over the bi-directional interface bus, after the isolation circuit has been reactivated and after a function, to be performed by the separate CPU and specified by the key code, has been started. The isolation circuit prevents the key code and the bank and light selection code from becoming intermixed on the bi-directional bus. The bank select code is used to select a bank of light code decoders which activate a light corresponding to the light code.

Abstract: This multi channel temperature controller includes several temperature sensors, an electronic multiplexer which receives output signals from these temperature sensors and which sequentially supplies these signals to its output according to the switching action of a selection signal, and an amplifier which receives the output of the electronic multiplexer. Thereby, noise such as due to thermal electro motive force generated in the contacts of prior art sets of reed relays for switching over such temperature sensor output signals can be eliminated. Further, optionally, there may be provided several input circuits, one interposed between each of these temperature sensors and the electronic multiplexer, and each including a capacitor which has electrostatic capacitance substantially greater than the electrostatic capacitance existing between its input circuit and the corresponding temperature sensor. Thereby, common mode voltage noises are eliminated or minimized.

Abstract: In a key input device, the depression of any one of the keys of a keyboard applies a voltage to an analog-digital conversion input terminal and to one of a plurality of ordinary input terminals so that in accordance with the resulting analog-digital input terminal voltage and ordinary input terminal voltage, a microcomputer discriminates the depressed key.

Abstract: A pressure transducer includes a multiplexer unit for the selection of pressure sensors by decoding a sensor address, thereby permitting a single power supply, a single counter and a single clock generator to be used, in order to enable and transmit the measurements of a plurality of pressure sensors connected to a plurality of gas-filled cables.

Abstract: When the disclosed frequency-hopping communication system is initially enabled, it detects another system operating within range by listening for a predefined radio frequency of a fixed duration. When that particular frequency is detected, the system knows that a master system is operating within range and is utilizing a first predetermined group of communication frequencies and, consequently, selects a second, third, etc. predetermined group of communication frequencies. If the particular radio frequency is not detected, the system becomes the master system, selects the first predetermined group of communication frequencies for intra-system communication and begins transmitting the predefined radio frequency to indicate its master status.

Abstract: There is disclosed a telephone subset which incorporates a high resolution electrophoretic display on the surface of a subset housing. The telephone subset includes a microprocessor which operates under the control of a mode selector. In this manner the display is employed to generate various keyboard formats and operates in conjunction with a position sensitive overlay to enable a subscriber to place telephone calls in a conventional manner when the keyboard display is implemented on the electrophoretic display. The telephone subset in conjunction with various subset buttons which control the mode selector is capable of operating in different modes. Due to the high resolution and large capacity of the display one can now present pages of stored telephone numbers which essentially enables a user to select any number by the use of a movable cursor and by pressing another subset button can immediately dial that number.

Abstract: A keyboard connectable to scanning means and constituted by an optical block comprising: a top face, a bottom face, and at least one edge interconnecting said faces; a plurality of light injection inlets (2) and a plurality of detection outlets (3) disposed so as to define optimum paths passing through said block between said top and bottom faces and establishing a logical matrix having intersections each of which associates one of said inlets and with one of said outlets; and reflectors (5) disposed at said intersections in order to couple the associated inlet/outlet paris; the keyboard being characterized in that said reflectors are fixed, in that said reflectors and the said optical paths going from the light injection inlets and arriving at said detection outlets are all at the same level; in that at least some of said optical paths cross one another physically at said level, and in that key-operatable shutters (4) are provided in order to allow, to limit, or to prevent at will the coupling established by

Abstract: A transformer device for the detection of vehicle attitude, comprising a signal sensor, which is arranged inside the cylinder of the shock absorber coaxially with the piston thereof. The sensor cooperates with an amplifier for amplifying the detected signals. The sensor includes a differential transformer comprising a primary AC-fed coil and two secondary coils each having one of their ends electrically connected to the other. The remaining end of each secondary coil is electrically connected to the amplifier to which the output sensor signal is applied to be amplified, before being applied to the output of the device. The signal is a function of the voltage induced voltage in the secondary coils of the differential transformer which is determined by the piston position with respect to the primary coil and secondary coil and thereby the relative positioning of the piston inside the shock absorber cylinder.

Abstract: A digital transmitter with an analog sensor uses an integrating analog-to-digital (A/D) converter to digitize the analog signal from the sensor. The A/D converter produces a digital output which is a continuous, non-rezeroed integrated average of the analog signal, so that the integrated average of the digital output over time does not contain inherent quantization errors. A microcomputer system digitally filters the signal from the A/D converter, and then uses the digitally filtered signal to produce the transmitter output signal. By varying the response time of the digital filter, the response time and resolution of the transmitter can be varied.

Abstract: During the transmission of measurement values of a sensor from a transmitter circuit to a receiver circuit, for example via an optical fibre, use has been made of a device which must be activated by the receiver circuit before a measurement value can be transmitted. This is done in order to achieve potential freedom. The novel device for transmitting the sensor measurement values aims to operate faster and independently of the receiver circuit. The sensor (1) is activated by control pulses generated by a pulse generator circuit (3) and applies to the pulse generator circuit, during the occurrence of a control pulse, a measurement pulse which is dependent on the measurement value circuit. The repetition frequency and/or the width of the control pulse then depends on the amplitude value of the measurement pulses.

Abstract: In a position detector for detecting the position of an object to be detected by making a detecting needle contact with the object to be detected and for transmitting a detecting signal by radio wave, the detecting needle itself functions as a transmission antenna for transmitting the detecting signal to a receiving side apparatus located at a predetermined position. The specification of this application discloses, in addition to the above arrangement, the construction of a detecting head having both external and internal contacts, the fact for modulating the detecting signal by a double scale signal and then transmitting the same and the construction of auxiliary springs used to improve the accuracy with which the detecting needle is returned to its static position. The position detector of this invention is particularly suitable for detecting the position of a work set on a machining tool.

Abstract: A system for synchronizing pulse signals transmitted between two stations using only two conductor lines includes a synchronization circuit. The circuit includes two modulators and two EXCLUSIVE-OR gates for controlling when data pulses are transmitted and when synchronization pulses are transmitted.