Abstract: The present invention is directed to a circuit arrangement for adjustment of the triggering point of the keys in an inductive keyboard. The keyboard consists essentially of a printed circuit board designed in a matrix-like manner, comprising coils superimposed upon each other, into which a ferrite pin plunges when a key is actuated. By the cooperation of a pulse generator with a current switch which can be influenced through control lines, said cooperation being controllable by a microcomputer, a current pulse is coupled from one coil to another coil and is recognized as a readout signal by a controllable readout amplifier and is conducted further to a central unit. The adjustment of the triggering point of the keys is accomplished by varying the steepness of the driving current pulse, for example, by means of a blocking time duration in the charging of a capacitor determined only once, which durations are stored in a table of values, or it is derived from the fundamental interlinked signals of the keys.

Abstract: An improved system for generating a signal representative of the level of a material having a dielectric constant within a vessel is disclosed. The system features use of a first probe for generating a signal indicative of the dielectric constant of the material which is divided into a signal varying with the level of the material whereby a compensated level signal irrespective of the actual dielectric constant is measured. In a preferred embodiment, a single integrator is used to perform the division operation whereby inaccuracies due to component variation including long-term drift are eliminated. The instrument is disclosed as functioning in a two-wire instrument system having low power requirements, permitting use of conventional signal limits.

Abstract: A solid state touch or control button assembly (10), with no moving button parts and operated by capacitive sensing by monitoring the phase shift of a signal applied to the face of the button, including in a first embodiment (FIGS. 2A & 2B) a auto balancing button and in a second embodiment (FIGS. 3A & 3B) a constant pressure button. If skin or other material comes into contact with the touch surface, the capacitance is changed and sensed, causing the electrical or electronic function controlled by the touch button to be activated (or deactivated, depending on the design, or otherwise altered). LEDs then are activated, providing visual feedback to the button pusher through a light ring (2A) surrounding the button surface (1).

Abstract: A capacitive card module is composed of a plurality of capacitive switch elements arranged on a carrier layer. In order to reduce parasitic coupling capacitances, the carrier layer is provided with a first shielding surface fashioned as an interconnect grid and connected to a voltage potential, and second shielding surfaces are located in the grid regions of the first shielding surface. The first shielding surface is composed of a conductor material that is electrically more conductive than that of the second shielding surfaces.

Abstract: An apparatus for remotely monitoring the position of a rotatable member, relative to a substrate spaced apart from the rotatable member, as the rotatable member is rotated about an axis of rotation by an axle, including an array of spaced-apart, outer electrodes delimiting a center portion, a center electrode in the center portion and first and second transistors in contact with the center electrode; each outer electrode is in contact with a transistor used to selectively connect an outer electrode to ground; the first transistor, when turned on, supplies current to the center electrode to form a charge to a capacitor formed by the center electrode, rotatable member, and predetermined outer electrode, and the second transistor, when turned on, supplies current proportional to the formed charge to a current-to-voltage converter; a clock is connected to and controls the first and second transistors, turning them on and off so that when one is off and the other is on, in a repetitive cycle; the average voltage o

Abstract: A learning remote control device includes: a receiving section for receiving and demodulating a remote control signal from a remote control device; a memory for storing data obtained by the receiving section through demodulation; control keys each corresponding to a prescribed storage region of the memory; a transmitting section for reproducing the remote control signal on the basis of the data read from the memory and for transmitting the reproduced remote control signal; a switch for shifting the operation mode of the learning remote control device to reception mode or transmission mode; and a control section for writing the data from the receiving section into the storage region corresponding to one of the control keys in case that the operation mode is shifted to the reception mode by the switch, and for reading the data from the storage region corresponding to an operated one of the control keys to send out to the transmitting section in case that the operation mode is shifted to the transmission mode by

Abstract: A process for simultaneously checking the authenticity of information media and the authenticity of the information itself which involves scanning a portion of the information written on the media. The results of the scan are transformed into an electrical signal. The signal is analyzed by an appropriate algorithm that registers variations between the information as actually written and a theoretically perfect writing of the same information. The results of this analysis can be stored in the memory of the scanning apparatus or directly onto the media. Then each time the media is handled, the same section of information is rescanned, identically analyzed, and compared to the stored results of the initial scan.

Abstract: The invention provides a communication method and system for use in a network for digital data exchange/transfer through a circuit switched network. According to the method and system, a call is given the attribute of an intermittent transfer mode, and a device for identifying attributes is provided on network controls in connection paths so that the network control establishes a path only in response to a data transfer request from identified call and releases the path when the call is held on standby for data transfer.

Abstract: A shift prompter/driver information display for a highway truck is disclosed. The display is operable to cruising, prompting, and shifting modes of operation. In the cruising mode of operation the driver of the vehicle can select, via a set of keypad switches, information about the vehicle's operation that he desires to see presented on a multi-digit decimal readout of the display. Information concerning fuel economy, engine speed, vehicle speed, travel time, travel distance and engine hours can be selected. In the prompting mode of operation the display indicates that operation of the transmission to a different gear is appropriate. The shifting mode commences when the driver initiates a shift to a different gear. In the shifting mode the target gear to which the transmission should be shifted is presented on the display.

Abstract: An environmental control system for the handicapped provides a user interface which is totally integrated and programmable. An audible nested control option selection structure organizes logically related tasks and subtasks together so the user can access the tasks and subtasks in a natural fashion--providing an easy to learn user interface that is user friendly, minimizes frustration in accomplishing desired tasks, and also minimizes the time required to perform even complex control operations. Enhanced user interface features, including time encoding of control switch functions and synthesized speech prompting, further increases ease of operation and functionality. Interaction between different control channels allows the user to perform different tasks simultaneously. Enhanced telephone line manipulation is provided, including off-line assembly of telephone numbers for dialing which can be stored and easily accessed by the user through the unified audible sub-menu structure.

Abstract: An improved electrostatic angle resolver is disclosed which eliminates capacitive coupling surfaces from rotor and stator device components of the invention, thus reducing over all space necessary for the resolver. Additionally, the concept disclosed also eliminates the need for rotor guarding techniques to prevent signal loss due to stray and parasitic capacitances. Essentially, current required to maintain capacitor plates at a particular voltage is monitored, and the variations in the current are transformed into voltages, and supplied to an amplifier which, in turn, provides isolation between the sensor, and associated angular decoding circuitry.

Abstract: A measuring transducer comprises at least one pair of coded revolving metric indicators (2, 2', 2"), each consisting of a metric drum (11, 11', 11", 11"') and at least one coded revolving element. The revolving coded metric indicators (2, 2', 2") are rotatable about the same shaft (9) and the coded revolving elements are each positioned out of phase ahead at an appropriate angle with respect to the preceding revolving coded element. An electronic processing (18) prevents the sending of a signal to a display device when the signal read from the coded revolving elements has a value lower than that of any signal previously sent.

Abstract: An electricity meter transponder package includes an electricity meter and a cover for containing the meter. The cover is secured to the meter by a predetermined rotation of the cover with respect to the meter. A first electrical connector-half is fixedly mounted with respect to the meter, that connector-half having terminals electrically connected to the meter. A second electrical connector-half having terminals mateable with the terminals of the first connector-half is fixedly mounted with respect to the cover in a position such that the predetermined rotation of the cover with respect to the meter causes the terminals of the first and second connector-halves to mate to complete electrical connection between their respective terminals. At least one electrical circuit is carried by the cover, which circuit is electrically connected to at least some terminals of the second connector-half.

Abstract: An electrostatic angle resolver has a stator for producing a patterned electrostatic field, a rotor having sensivitity to the electrostatic field, a capacitive coupling providing a signal interconnection between the rotor and the stator, and an active shield supplied with a voltage signal substantially identical to that signal present on the stator thereby diminishing degradation in the strength of the signal coupled between the rotor and the stator.

Abstract: In a system for the electrical transmission of an angular position, in particular from a measurement instrument to an indicating instrument, in which a transmitter and a receiver each have a rotor and a stator which has multiple pairs of poles, an alternating voltage is fed to a winding of the rotor of the transmitter, and voltages induced in the windings of the stator of the transmitter are transmitted to the windings of the stator of the receiver. The winding of the rotor of the receiver is connected to a phase-sensitive rectifier to which the alternating voltage which is also transmitted can furthermore be fed. The output of the phase-sensitive rectifier is connected to a controller for a motor which is provided for driving the rotor of the receiver and the indicating instrument.

Abstract: An electromagnetic communication interface including two units each of which contains a coil and associated circuit means. One of the units also includes a core positioned within the coil of that unit and having a free end which may be inserted into the coil of the other unit. When this is done, a magnetic flux link is provided between the two coils and the two circuit means may communicate with one another. The first unit may be mounted on a vehicle body and the second unit on a sliding door of the vehicle. It may be arranged for the magnetic flux link to be formed when the door is closed. A "door-open" signal, generated, for example, by a passenger pressing a push button on the door, may be transmitted via the magnetic flux link to a door opening mechanism mounted on the vehicle body.

Abstract: A system for the transmission of data in a measuring instrument includes a measuring device is being introduced in a medium in order to measure specific properties thereof and with which these measuring data are being transmitted. The system includes autonomous and active measuring device; a freely movable electrically conductive element with which the measuring device is connected; a signal receiving unit where through or along which, the electrically conductive element, without making physical or galvanic contact, can move freely; a signal processing unit which is electrically connected with the signal receiving unit and a direct or indirect electric connection between the electrically conductive and freely movable element and the medium to be tested.

Abstract: Conventionally, high-speed cameras are used to record the ejection of a store from an aircraft. The subsequent processing and analysis of the high-speed films are usually quite costly. The present invention system substantially reduces the cost of such processing and analysis by implementing a plurality of electro-optic sensors to detect sequentially individually energized LEDs mounted onto the to be ejected store. To sequentially activate the LEDs, receiver decoder electronics, located on the store, are used--provided signals are sent thereto by a radio control transmitter located in the aircraft. By formatting the data received by the electro-optic sensors, the different positional characteristics, such as the pitch rate, the velocity, the yaw rate and the roll rate, can be calculated in real time, either on board of the aircraft or at a remote location, the raw data having been transmitted thereto by means of a telemetry system, also located within the aircraft.

Abstract: A housing includes a liquid crystal display, a keypad and a three ring notebook a plurality of pages therein. Each page includes a plurality of descriptors. A touch sensitive linear potentiometer is affixed to the housing adjacent a page bay into which the book pages can be received one at a time. Data concerning an observed characteristic of a geological core sample is entered into a computer memory by selecting a page and thereafter depressing the strip adjacent the descriptor of interest.

Abstract: A resolver driver circuit uses sine and cosine values stored in a read only memory to generate sine and cosine waveforms by sequentially reading the stored values and passing them through a clocked data latch to a digital-to-analog converter. The output of the digital-to-analog converter is filtered to remove quantization error. Phase error produced by the filtering and other sources is detected by timing the zero crossings of the sine and cosine waveforms and comparing them to a master synchronization signal. Phase error is corrected by controlling the timing of the latch which passes data to the digital-to-analog converter.