Abstract: A driving device for driving a recording apparatus for selective recording of audio/video sequences, which is to actuate the recording apparatus at a precise instant of a beginning or of an ending of the audio/video sequence to be recorded. The driving device reduces picture datum from at least one reference picture belonging to the sequence to be recorded and a memory stores the reduced reference picture datum. A comparator compares the stored reduced reference datum with reduced picture data picked up from the set of picture sequences. A controller controls the recording apparatus to be activated to begin recording at the time the comparator detects a recognition of a picture similar to the stored reduced reference datum in the set of picture sequences.

Abstract: Device for creating optical delays in which several secondary optical paths are provided and placed in series and in shunt with a main optical path. Access to the secondary optical paths is obtained via switches that are placed along the main optical path. The length of the delay circuits are in a geometric progression whose common ratio has the value of two. Depending upon the switching states of the switches it is therefore possible to obtain a series of equal distant delays with a relatively small number of switches.

Abstract: A device for reading sensors in fiber optics which includes an integrated optics interferometer wherein the interference signal is slaved to a set-point value by means of a negative feedback signal. The measurement for reading the sensors is provided from the negative-feedback generated signal. In one of the disclosed embodiments generated delays of a value greater than an optical wavelength are measured by coupling the interferometer to a counting-up/counting-down system for interference fringe jumps.

Abstract: A signal processing device used for processing images including an optical correlator combined with a neuonal processor.

Abstract: The invention relates to the reading of optical disks in which the recording is performed in volume in separate layers. Reading a bit recorded within the layers gives a signal with a background noise from all the adjacent bits illuminated by the read beam. In order to eliminate this background noise, the read beam is modulated in position about the bit to be read, either horizontally or vertically with respect to a recording level. The background noise remains unchanged but the signal from the bit being read becomes a periodic signal.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to the recognition of sequences of multidimensional images and, notably, of image signals. The disclosed device includes, for each of said sequences to be recognized, a first circuit for the correlation of vectors representing the signal with a masking vector determined from the vectors representing the sequence to be recognized, producing a series of values corresponding to the degree of similarity of the two correlated vectors, a second circuit for the correlation of a sequence of the series of values with a reference sequence determined from the vectors forming said sequence to be recognized, producing values that correspond to the degree of similarity of the two correlated sequences, and a circuit for deciding on the validity of the recognition, by comparison of the values corresponding to the degree of similarity of the two correlated sequences with a threshold value.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns neural networks designed specially for the classification of objects represented by vectors X. If the vectors X include several parameters and if the objects have to be classified in a large number N of classes, the end result is a very large number of interconnections which become difficult to set up physically, are slow in their operation and require lengthy learning phases. The disclosed neural classification system has the particular feature of being constituted on the basis of P neural networks each individually carrying out the classification of objects in only two classes or, at any rate, in a small number of classes only. These networks give probabilities P.sub.i,j of membership in a class C.sub.i among two classes C.sub.i and C.sub.j. The outputs of these networks are connected to a signal processing module which, through simple functions (implementing linear combinations of the outputs and non-linear standardization functions) establishes, on N outputs, results P.sub.

Abstract: A reading device of interferometric or polarimetric sensors including a main fiber on which a number of couplers equal to the number of sensors are placed, each coupler connected to a secondary compensation fiber, followed by a polarizer and a detector, thus constituting n elementary polarimeters.

Abstract: A reading device operates by the placing in interference of a reference signal, in the form of a fundamental wave train, with delayed wave trains constituting the useful signal. The device comprises an interferometer, a first branch (32) of which is traversed by at least said fundamental wave train (14), the first branch (32) being equipped, with means (37, 67, 87) for the generation of quantified delays of said fundamental wave train (14) with means (39) for the generation of a continuously variable delay of said fundamental wave train (14) over a range about each quantified delay value.