Abstract: A coin separator and rejector apparatus that will electronically release and return jammed coins, tokens, slugs and the like is disclosed. A coin separator and rejector body is described having one or more downwardly inclined coin races formed therein. The rejector body has an upstream portion and a downstream portion. The coin races further comprise a first wall and a second wall wherein at least a portion of one of the race walls is pivotally connected with the rejector body. A first sensor is located in the upstream portion of the rejector body and a second sensor located in said downstream portion of said rejector body. An actuator is in mechanical connection with the pivotal portion of the race wall. A processor is in electrical communication with the sensors and with said actuator. A coin in an upstream portion of a coin separator and rejector is detected by the first sensor and sends a signal to the processor.

Abstract: A coin separator and rejector apparatus that will electronically release and return jammed coins, tokens, slugs and the like is disclosed. A coin separator and rejector body is described having one or more downwardly inclined coin races formed therein. The rejector body has an upstream portion and a downstream portion. The coin races further comprise a first wall and a second wall wherein at least a portion of one of the race walls is pivotally connected with the rejector body. A first sensor is located in the upstream portion of the rejector body and a second sensor located in said downstream portion of said rejector body. An actuator is in mechanical connection with the pivotal portion of the race wall. A processor is in electrical communication with the sensors and with said actuator. A coin in an upstream portion of a coin separator and rejector is detected by the first sensor and sends a signal to the processor.

Abstract: A coin separator and rejector apparatus that will electronically release and return jammed coins, tokens, slugs and the like is disclosed. A coin separator and rejector body is described having one or more downwardly inclined coin races formed therein. The rejector body has an upstream portion and a downstream portion. The coin races further comprise a first wall and a second wall wherein at least a portion of one of the race walls is pivotally connected with the rejector body. A first sensor is located in the upstream portion of the rejector body and a second sensor located in said downstream portion of said rejector body. An actuator is in mechanical connection with the pivotal portion of the race wall. A processor is in electrical communication with the sensors and with said actuator. A coin in an upstream portion of a coin separator and rejector is detected by the first sensor and sends a signal to the processor.

Abstract: A voltage protective circuit for an electronic device comprises a metal oxide varistor for eliminating spikes above a first level, and a Zener diode and a transistor connected in series through a resistor with the metal oxide varistor for eliminating spikes above a second level. The voltage protective circuit can be utilized in a separate, plug-in voltage protector for a vending machine with a multi-drop bus.

Abstract: A Doppler radar transceiver in a traffic monitoring system includes a pyramidal horn antenna having a rectangular aperture and a dielectric lens mounted at the rectangular aperture. Preferably the pyramidal horn antenna is corrugated and the rectangular aperture has a breadth at least twice its width in order to provide a fan-shaped radar beam most effective for detecting moving vehicles in a stream of traffic. To reduce standing waves in the horn antenna that would otherwise cause nulls that would intermittently interfere with detection of a Doppler signal, the dielectric lens has impedance matching means for matching impedance of the dielectric lens to impedance of free space to reduce standing waves in said horn antenna. Suitable impedance matching means include a quarter-wave transformer or a tapered transformer structure at the interfaces between the dielectric body of the lens and the free-space region inside the horn and outside of the horn.

Abstract: An apparatus of the invention includes a device for triggering a camera to photograph a vehicle within a traffic intersection, where the triggering of the camera is dependent on the speed of the vehicle before entering the intersection and may also be dependent on presence information. The device includes a sensor system (or “sensor array”) to transmit signals corresponding to a moving vehicle and a control system for processing the signals and triggering the camera. The signals preferably include “position signals” from which a transit time can be calculated, and “presence signals,” from which presence information can be obtained, particularly the location of the rear of the vehicle or the location of the rear wheels of the vehicle. A trigger time for taking a picture of the vehicle may be calculated from the transit time.

Abstract: A device for controlling a traffic light, where the controlling of the traffic light is dependent upon receipt and recognition of vibrations. The device includes a vibration receiver for detecting vibrations transmitted through the ground, a processor for converting one or more of the vibrations into a control signal and a controller to trigger a traffic light in response to the control signal. The device may also include a vibration generator, e.g., at least one channel or groove in a traffic-bearing surface. The vibration generator preferably facilitates the production of a pattern of vibrations when the tire of a vehicle passes over the vibration generator. Further, the device may include a vibration receiver, capable of detecting a pattern of vibrations and producing a pattern of signals corresponding to said pattern of vibrations.

Abstract: An apparatus of the invention includes a device for triggering a camera to photograph a vehicle within a traffic intersection, where the triggering of the camera is dependent on the speed of the vehicle before entering the intersection and may also be dependent on presence information. The device includes a sensor system (or "sensor array") to transmit signals corresponding to a moving vehicle and a control system for processing the signals and triggering the camera. The signals preferably include "position signals" from which a transit time can be calculated, and "presence signals," from which presence information can be obtained, particularly the location of the rear of the vehicle or the location of the rear wheels of the vehicle. A trigger time for taking a picture of the vehicle may be calculated from the transit time.

Abstract: A traffic monitoring system has a common housing for a Doppler radar transceiver, a video camera, and a digital computer for processing the Doppler signal. The system also includes a video cassette recorder, a high-speed photographic camera, and a laptop computer for downloading control settings and a program from a diskette or memory card to the digital computer. The digital computer performs an initial self-test by injecting a calibration signal in lieu of a Doppler signal into an electronic interface between the radar transceiver and the digital computer. The radar transceiver generates a Doppler signal having two channels, and the phase between the channels indicates whether a vehicle is approaching or receding from the radar transceiver. The two channels are recorded on the left and right audio channels of the video cassette.

Abstract: A device for controlling a traffic light, where the controlling of the traffic light is dependent upon receipt and recognition of vibrations. The device includes a vibration receiver for detecting vibrations transmitted through the ground, a processor for converting one or more of the vibrations into a control signal and a controller to trigger a traffic light in response to the control signal. The device may also include a vibration generator, e.g., at least one channel or groove in a traffic-bearing surface. The vibration generator preferably facilitates the production of a pattern of vibrations when the tire of a vehicle passes over the vibration generator. Further, the device may include a vibration receiver, capable of detecting a pattern of vibrations and producing a pattern of signals corresponding to said pattern of vibrations.

Abstract: Frequency domain processing is used to determine rapidly whether false signals are present, and to improve the accuracy of speed measurements by rejecting speed measurements that could be inaccurate due to the presence of false signals. A Doppler signal responsive to speed of a moving vehicle is generated by a Doppler radar transceiver. A digital computer transforms the Doppler signal into a frequency domain signal such as an energy spectrum, and the speed of the moving vehicle is computed from the weighted arithmetic mean of the energy spectrum. The mean value, however, is rejected as an indication of speed if the variance of the energy spectrum from the mean exceeds a threshold, or if a differential of the spectrum with respect to frequency exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for superimposing field strength gradients on the image produced by an NMR imager by using a preparation step of tipping the spins of the volume elements with a 90.degree. wait 90.degree. RF pulse sequence for each data collection pass and performing the image encoding and data collection required to obtain the desired data set and transforming the data set into a planar image. A method is also disclosed for superimposing gradients on such an image indicative of the accuracy of the tipping process of an NMR imager.

Abstract: A method of tuning an NMR spectrometer is disclosed that includes the step of locating a specimen in a stationary magnetic field, generating a 90.degree. alternating magnetic field excitation pulse at the Larmor frequency of the selected nuclei of the specimen followed by one or more 180.degree. alternating magnetic field refocusing pulses of preselected duration at fixed time intervals having the same phase relationships using a free-running oscillator that is turned off between pulses, measuring the primary echo train of a selected nuclear magnetic resonance signal, changing the strength of the stationary magnetic field to change the Larmor frequency of the selected nuclei, repeating the pulsing step and the measuring step until the maximum primary echo is obtained, and while holding the stationary field at that strength, measuring the desired nuclear magnetic resonance characteristic using the spin-echo method and the free-running oscillator to supply the pulses.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for measuring the NMR spin-spin relaxation time (T.sub.2) of nuclei using spin-echos comprising the steps of locating the nuclei in a static magnetic field, applying an RF pulse to the nuclei at the Larmor frequency of the nuclei of sufficient duration to rotate the net magnetic moment of the nuclei 90.degree., waiting a time period tau that is at least the time required for the free induction decay signal to go to zero, applying an RF pulse at the same Larmor frequency to the nuclei of sufficient duration to rotate the net magnetic moment of the nuclei 180.degree., recording the primary echo induced, waiting a time period equal to at least 3 tau, to cause the stimulated echos produced by the inhomogeneities in the RF magnetic field to fall into separate time zones from each other and the primary echo, applying an RF pulse at the same Larmor frequency to the nuclei of sufficient duration to rotate the net magnetic moment of the nuclei another 180.degree.