Abstract: An acoustic enclosure for a single sound transducer has sound pressure apertures near the end where the transducer is located, and sound apertures in a wall at the other end. The sound apertures enable the low, mid-range, and high frequency sounds to exit the enclosure along different paths. The sound aperture end can be flat or contoured with one or two outwardly extending members having straight or tapered end walls in which the mid-range and high frequency sound apertures are formed. One or two inwardly extending members can also be provided in the interior of the enclosure. The sound pressure apertures can be fixed or adjustable.

Abstract: A buoyant water chlorinator unit has a housing with an upper surface and an apertured chamber for receiving a chlorination agent. Three separate measurement systems are carried by the housing: a water temperature system, a pH level system, and an oxidation reduction system. The housing has apertures in the upper surface which receive removable sensor electrode receptacles capable of removably receiving the sensor electrodes for storage and containing a buffer solution used for calibration and sensor electrode preservation purposes. Outwardly extending suspension elements formed in the upper region of the housing enable sensor electrodes to be suspended from the housing with their lower ends immersed in water.

Abstract: A buoyant water conditioner has a pH measurement system with a pH sensor, a pH measurement circuit, a display for displaying measured pH values, and a processor. After immersing the sensor in water of known pH value, the processor performs a calibration routine in response to the operation of a calibration switch. If the calibration succeeds, the sensor is immersed in water of unknown pH value, and the processor performs a pH measurement routine when a start switch is operated. Both routines include a delay period during which no pH values are displayed. If the calibration is not successful, the calibration routine is repeated until it succeeds. The calibration and start switches are mounted on an upper surface of the water conditioner housing. The system is powered by a solar cell battery or a chemical battery.

Abstract: An acoustic enclosure for a single sound transducer has sound pressure apertures near the end where the transducer is located, and sound apertures in a wall at the other end. The sound apertures enable the low, mid-range, and high frequency sounds to exit the enclosure along different paths. The sound aperture end can be flat or contoured with one or two outwardly extending members having straight or tapered end walls in which the mid-range and high frequency sound apertures are formed. One or two inwardly extending members can also be provided in the interior of the enclosure. The sound pressure apertures can be fixed or adjustable.

Abstract: An object circuit for use in an r.f. identification system for locating a specific object by generating identification signals of a specific frequency assigned to a given object, said object circuit including a receiving antenna, a crystal coupled to said receiving antenna, said crystal having a resonant frequency equal to the frequency assigned to the associated object, and circuitry coupled to said crystal for responding to a signal of said assigned frequency received by said object circuit.

Abstract: A data token with extended operational lifetime incorporates operational circuitry requiring D.C. power, a battery for supplying D.C. power to the circuitry, a power switch coupled between the battery and the circuitry, and a frequency selector for sensing remotely generated signals and for operating the switch when such signals are received so that D.C. power is applied to operate the circuitry only when the remotely generated signals are sensed in order to confine energy drain from the battery to only those periods when circuit operation is needed and extend the useful lifetime and range of the data token. The frequency selector is a crystal having a specific resonant frequency which only responds to remotely generated signals of the matching frequency. The switch is an FET switch. An integrator circuit is coupled between the frequency selector and the FET switch to smooth the D.C. voltage developed by the crystal.

Abstract: A buoyant water conditioner has a housing with an upper surface and an apertured chamber for receiving a chlorination agent. Three separate measurement systems are carried by the housing: a water temperature system, a pH level system, and an oxidation reduction system. Each system has a sensor for measuring the respective water parameter, a display for displaying the measured value, range indicators for indicating whether or not the measured parameter lies within a predetermined range, and a processor for converting the sensor signals to display driving signals and range indicator activation signals. Each system is powered by a solar cell battery or a chemical battery.

Abstract: An inventory control system for keeping track of inventory objects stored in a storage location. Each inventory object has an object circuit with a receiving antenna, a crystal with a specific resonant frequency, a rectifier for deriving D.C. power from R.F. signals of the same frequency received by the antenna, a unique identifier stored in non-volatile memory, a decoder for decoding identifier information contained in the received R.F signals, a transmitter and antenna for generating acknowledgment signals when an R.F signal of the same frequency as the crystal contains a matching identifier, and a microprocessor for controlling the active elements of the object circuit. A system generator generates search signals having a frequency component which specifies the class of objects under search and one or more identifier components which identify the objects being sought.

Abstract: A traffic signal head uses a plurality of LED light sources mounted in one or more containment volumes in a housing. One version uses identical three-color LED light sources distributed through the containment volume: each source having a red light generating element, a yellow light generating element, and a green light generating element. A second version uses identical two-color LED light sources distributed through the containment volume, each source having a red LED light generating element and a green LED light generating element. For the second version, activation circuitry enables individual activation of the red LED elements to produce red signals, individual activation of the green LED elements to produce green signals, and concurrent activation of both types of LED elements to produce yellow signals. Both versions can be electrically configured to display any of the three colors, as well as special symbols-such as directional arrows.

Abstract: An inventory control system for keeping track of inventory objects stored in a storage location. Each inventory object has an object circuit with a receiving antenna, a crystal with a specific resonant frequency, a rectifier for deriving D.C. power from R.F. signals of the same frequency received by the antenna, a unique identifier stored in non-volatile memory, a decoder for decoding identifier information contained in the received R.F signals, a transmitter and antenna for generating acknowledgment signals when an R.F signal of the same frequency as the crystal contains a matching identifier, and a microprocessor for controlling the active elements of the object circuit. A system generator generates search signals having a frequency component which specifies the class of objects under search and one or more identifier components which identify the objects being sought.

Abstract: A smart card for use in conjunction with a security portal, such as a transit turnstile, a residential access gate, or a parking facility, for performing authentication checks for authorized passage. A print sensor is positioned on each major surface of the card in positions conforming to the natural placement of the thumb and a finger. The print sensors generate print pattern signals which are checked against authentic versions stored in non-volatile memory in the card, using a processor located within the card. The result of the authentication check is communicated to the associated external security portal by an r.f. circuit, which also receives r.f. energy from the external device to provide D.C. power for the circuits internal to the card. The card can be used on-the-fly without the need to stop at the check point, thereby facilitating traffic flow through the check point.

Abstract: An organizer management system for facilitating the location of an item stored in one of several drawers in one or more drawer organizer cabinets. Each drawer has an LED mounted on a front panel and a circuit having a crystal with a specific resonant frequency. The resonant frequency of the crystal in a given drawer is different from all other crystals in the system. All drawer circuits are coupled in parallel to a computer-controlled r.f. signal generator. To locate a particular item, the user enters a description of the item into a system computer, which contains a list of items in the system and the corresponding frequency for each item. The computer then operates the r.f. generator to generate an r.f. signal of the correct frequency for the specified item. The LED on only the drawer containing that item is activated, so that the user can visually locate the correct drawer.

Abstract: A buoyant water conditioner has a housing with an upper surface and an apertured chamber for receiving a chlorination agent. Three separate measurement systems are carried by the housing: a water temperature system, a pH level system, and a chlorine concentration system. Each system has a sensor for measuring the respective water parameter, a display for displaying the measured value, and a processor for converting the sensor signals to display driving signals. Each system is powered by a solar cell battery or a chemical battery.

Abstract: A collective objects management system for objects such as documents contained in file folders in drawers of file cabinets. Each file folder has an electrical circuit with a visible indicator mounted on the file folder. Each folder circuit has a crystal which is responsive to an R.F. signal of a specific frequency, the frequency being different for each folder circuit. An associated computer operates an R.F. signal generator to produce an R.F. signal at the frequency of the particular folder circuit of the file folder selected for retrieval. To aid the user, each file drawer has a visible indicator mounted on the front panel, the panel indicator being illuminated when the sought folder is contained in that drawer. The R.F. signal generator can be operated in a sweep mode for checking the integrity of the file. The invention can be applied to a wide variety of collective objects management systems, such as supermarkets, automobile parts distributors, and various manufacturing operations.

Abstract: A thin film transformer with improved magnetic properties has a bottom pole member supported over a substrate, a top pole member and an intermediate multi-turn thin film coil. The top and bottom pole members form a closed magnetic path, and the coil surrounds one of the legs of the magnetic path. The top pole member, the bottom pole member or both are formed as a plurality of individual laterally spaced pole elements each forming a closed magnetic path with the other pole member. The lateral spacing of the pole elements substantially reduces eddy current build-up in the magnetic path.The bottom pole member in the region of the leg encircled by the coil has a plurality of spaced support members and the top pole element is formed over the support members to provide additional magnetic material at the join site.

Abstract: A miniature signal booster element is inserted into the conductive path along a pair of wires leading between the slider end of a flexure member in a disk drive and the mounting end of the flexure. The signal booster element comprises an integrated circuit amplifier or a ferrite core transformer. The ferrite core transformer may comprise two separate coils: one coupled to the transducer and the other coupled to the output side of the wire pair; or a single coil with an intermediate tap connection. The signal booster element is single coil with an intermediate tap connection. The signal booster element is encapsulated within an electrically insulative sheath to provide electrical insulation and mechanical isolation of the signal booster element from the flexure member.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic core array has a large number of individual thin film core memory elements arranged on a substrate with X, Y, Z and SENSE conductor leads reeving through the core elements between contact pads arranged about the periphery of the array. Each thin film magnetic memory element includes a bottom pole, a top pole forming a closed magnetic path with the top pole, the structure surrounding the leads passing through the core, and insulation material for electrically insulating the leads from each other and from the pole pieces. The SENSE lead from the array is coupled to a miniature thin film transformer which amplifies the signals read from the individual core elements. The transformer has a bottom pole, a top pole forming a closed magnetic path with the bottom pole, including a central leg extending between the top and bottom poles, and a pair of electrically conductive coils mutually spaced in the region between the top and bottom poles.

Abstract: A thin film transducer/transformer assembly includes a thin film magnetic transducer assembly formed at a first location on a support surface of a substrate and a thin film transformer assembly formed at a second location of the support surface of the substrate. The transducer assembly and the transformer assembly are each provided with electrically conductive coils which are mutually coupled by electrically conductive paths extending therebetween.The transducer assembly includes a bottom pole member, a top pole member and an electrically conductive coil partially located between the top and bottom pole members. The pole members are mutually coupled at the back gap regions thereof and have pole ends which are mutually spaced and insulated.