Abstract: A one-time electrically-activated switch is composed of a cured polymeric binder which contains a powdered conductive material in an amount sufficient to establish particle-to-particle contact throughout the binder and in which the material powder particles have a non-conductive oxide surface sufficient to resist the flow of electricity below a given threshold. When a sufficiently high voltage is applied to the switch, the break-down voltage of the oxide layer is exceeded and avalanche current is permitted to flow. As a result, the oxide layer on the conductive particles breaks down along the break-down path and forms an irreversible low-impedance connection.

Abstract: An electrical resistor family based on oxides of tungsten and/or molybdenum is prepared by combining a polymeric binder with such oxides in an appropriate amount to realize the desired bulk properties. The resistance of the composite can be varied by varying the metal content of the oxides and/or by appropriate combination of the various oxides. Inert fillers are not required and the bulk properties are more stable.

Abstract: Circuits for providing a variable-amplitude D.C. analog control signal to a load, responsive to the time duration of a periodic, variable-pulse-width input signal, while providing isolation between the input signal circuit and the load circuit. Embodiments utilizing either a fly-back transformer or an optoelectronics isolator, are disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling distributed electrical loads including a microprocessor based central controller coupled via a twisted pair bidirectional data line to a plurality of microcomputer based transceiver decoders. Each transceiver decoder is coupled to a plurality of relays, each relay associated with a particular load to be controlled. Override switches and sensors, coupled to transceiver decoders provide override requests and information related to ambient conditions at the site of a load. A user defined data base includes sub-sets of relays called sectors, patterns of relay states, remote switches, a time dependent schedule and condition responses. A communication protocall and arbitration scheme provide for interactive communication between the central controller and each transceiver decoder with interfacing with the operation of any other transceiver decoder. Enhanced data storage capacity is achieved through dynamic allocation of memory space for pattern data.

Abstract: An electrical conductor interconnect is disclosed which permits hard-to-contact substrates, such as the glass substrate in liquid crystal display cells, to be connected to electrical apparatus by conventional soldering techniques. The interconnect conductor involves the use of a polymer loaded with both a conducting powder and a non-noble metal powder whose top surface is coated with a contiguous layer of an adherent solderable metal by an augmentation replacement reaction.

Abstract: A circuit, for controlling the output level of a load circuit connected thereto, has a single input for receiving a control signal to provide both a selectable level on/off output signal at a first output connected to an on/off terminal of the load circuit, and a pair of essentially equal control currents drawn in shunt from a pair of output terminals connected to load output-level-setting input terminals. The shunt control currents are provided by a current-mirror circuit having a pair of substantially identical current sinks, each responsive to an input signal applied thereto in parallel from the single control circuit input.

Abstract: An abrasion-resistant screen-printed potentiometer includes top and bottom resistive layers screen-printed on a substrate. The resistivity of the top layer is substantially greater than the resistivity of the bottom layer. A slide arm is in pressure contact with the top layer and is slidably movable thereacross.

Abstract: A method for interfacing two remote electronic units uses four lines and a handshaking routine including the steps of: causing the first unit to simultaneously transmit a strobe signal on one of the four lines and a signal representing one bit of the information to be communicated on a second of the four lines, sending the two signals continuously until acknowledged by the second unit; causing the second unit, when it receives these signals, simultaneously to transmit a strobe signal on a third line and a data signal, which may or may not be the same as that on the second line, on the fourth line, the third and fourth signals being transmitted continuously until their receipt is acknowledged; terminating transmission of the first and second signals when the first unit receives the third and fourth signals; and terminating the transmission of the third and fourth signals when the second unit determines that the first and second signals are no longer being transmitted.

Abstract: Meat or poultry is cooked automatically in a thermal oven to a desired degree of doneness by a chosen time. The temperature of the meat or poultry is monitored, and linear extrapolations are made therefrom. These extrapolations are compared to the course the cooking should follow, and the oven temperature is automatically varied to correct deviations from the ideal course.

Abstract: A cavity, such as an oven cavity, is heated by at least one monolithic integrated heat source, each fabricated by depositing a layer of resistive material on a substrate of non-conducting, or insulating, material. A pair of spaced-apart conductive elements contact opposite ends of the resistance sheet to enable a flow of current through the sheet thereby producing substantially uniform heating over the entire area covered by the resistive sheet.

Abstract: A switching circuit for selectively coupling a load to an A.C. power source is disclosed. The switching circuit includes a diode-commutated master relay contact and a pilot relay contact coupled in series therewith. The master and pilot relay contacts are coupled between a load and the power source in such a manner that power is applied to the load whenever both the master and pilot relay contacts are closed. A timing and control circuit performs a switching operation to open the master relay contact during a first half-cycle of the A.C. waveform of the power source during which the commutating diode is forward-biased. The pilot relay contact changes state during the next half-cycle of the A.C. waveform and the master relay contact is reclosed during the following half-cycle of the A.C. waveform.

Abstract: A power supply for controlling the duty-cycle of a microwave oven magnetron and the like power-energizing load, includes a parallel combination of a non-linear resistance element, such as a varistor and the like, and a gateable semiconductor switching device, such as a triac and the like, in series with a power supply voltage-doubler diode, connected in parallel across the magnetron. The flow of current through the magnetron is substantially reduced or prevented when the semiconductor switching device is gated to an "off" condition and is substantially enabled to a normal current flow value when the semiconductor switching device is gated to an "on" condition, typically by high frequency squarewaves provided at the gate electrode.

Abstract: Improved touch pad and display tube circuitry including a touch pad circuit, a tube circuit, and a scan voltage pulse drive circuit for generating scan voltage pulses applied to the touch pad and display tube circuits. The touch pad circuit receives scanning voltage pulses having very fast rise-times, to reduce the effects of contaminants which may be present on the surface of the touch pad panel. The display tubes of the display tube circuit each include an anode, a plurality of display cathodes and a control cathode. The current flowing through the control cathode is proportional to the current in the associated display cathodes. The control cathode current is utilized by the drive circuit to adjust to a desired value the value of the magnitude of the scan voltage pulses applied to the anodes of the display tubes. The drive circuit utilizes a substantial portion of common circuitry to generate both the touch pad and display tube scan voltage pulses.

Abstract: A capacitive touch entry structure utilizes an array of at least one capacitive touch sensor fabricated upon a double-sided printed circuit board adhesively mounted upon a surface of a transparent insulative substrate. The substrate has sufficient thickness to safely insulate user personnel, contacting the substrate surface furthest from an electrode of the capacitive touch sensor, from electrical potentials present adjacent to the panel surface upon which the capacitive touch sensor is fastened. Touch sensor circuitry and interconnections may be advantageously fabricated directly upon the pair of conductive planes, sandwiching an insulative layer therebetween, to form the printed circuit portion of the structure. A conductive guard may also be disposed adjacent to the substrate to shield at least the lead portions of the touch sensors from capacitive effects.

Abstract: A circuit for controlling power consumption of a load, by controlling the flow of current thereto, utilizes at least one parallel combination of non-linear resistance elements, such as a varistor and the like, and a gateable semiconductor switching device, such as a triac and the like, to substantially reduce or prevent current flow when the semiconductor switching device is gated to an "off" condition and to enable normal current flow to a load when the semiconductor switching device is gated to an "on" condition. Embodiments of the power circuits for control of magnetron power, in a microwave oven, are illustrated.

Abstract: A universal power supplying module for controlling the application of power to a plurality of loads is disclosed. The universal power module receives a Pulse-Width Modulated (PWM) data signal which includes a plurality of PWM pulses. Each of the PWM pulses is associated with a respective one of the loads and has a width which is indicative of whether or not power is to be applied to its associated load. The universal power module stores binary information in accordance with the pulse width of the PWM pulses and controls the application of power to the loads as a function of the stored information.

Abstract: A charge transfer analog-to-digital converter is provided with means to establish the potential across a large storage well at a comparator threshold voltage at the initiation of a cycle. Charge transfer circuitry is also provided for transferring, into the large potential well, charge packets of size dependent only upon the value of a charge packet capacitance and a scaling voltage. Parasitic capacitance effects are essentially eliminated.

Abstract: A gas discharge display circuit for driving a plurality of gas discharge tubes in a time-multiplexed manner is disclosed. Each of the tubes include an anode, a plurality of display cathodes and a control cathode. A tube selection circuit generates a plurality of tube drive pulses which are sequentially applied to the anodes of each of the gas discharge tubes. A display cathode selection circuit, including a plurality of low-breakdown-voltage saturated switches, is coupled in parallel to each display tube and determines which display elements of each display tube are to be lighted in response to the application of the tube drive pulse. After a given display tube has been fired, a current control regulation circuit adjusts the anode voltage to the particular level required to induce a predetermined current in the lighted display cathodes.

Abstract: A programmable energy load controller system, allowing each of a multiplicity of energy loads to be established in a selected one of an unenergized condition and a plurality of energized conditions, utilizes a central microcomputer facility in communication with a selected one of a plurality of remotely located load control processors, each configured with a unique address and capable of selectively energizing a plurality of energy loads coupled thereto under control of the central facility. The central facility includes at least one user input device, allowing a plurality of maps of load conditions, established in accordance with a user-selectable criteria, such as time-of-day and day-of-week requirements, to be loaded into a data storage associated with the central computer.

Abstract: A multiprocessor microcomputer system having two or more substantially independent processors each of which has its own bus-type interconnection structure, and a shared memory accessible by any of the processors without interferring with the proper operation of the other processors. Controlled access to the memory by connecting the memory to the processor requesting access when only one such request is present and to the last processor to have received access when more than one request is received simultaneously allows autosynchronous operation, automatic selection of priority and high speed of operation.