Abstract: The invention is a spacer method and apparatus for a high-voltage emissive vacuum flat panel display device. The display device has front and rear panels held in place by a supporting frame around the periphery of the panels. The back panel has an array of electron sources that accelerate electrons towards the front panel to bombard and excite a light-emissive material deposited thereon, thereby modulating the screen and displaying desired information patterns. A spacer according to the present invention can be described generally as having a body and N arms extending radially from the body, wherein N is at least three. The body and the N arms physically contact the front and back panels of the display to thereby separate the front panel from the back panel. The arms need not have the same length of extension from the body. Furthermore, the arms may or may not taper as they extend from the body.

Abstract: An integrated laser-based light source that generates an output light beam having a controlled intensity. The light source comprises a package, a laser, a light sensor, and a beam splitter. The beam splitter is mounted in the package, together with the laser and the light sensor. The laser has one and only one light-emitting face from which it radiates a light beam as a radiated light beam. The light sensor generates an electrical signal representing the intensity of light energy falling on it. The beam splitter divides the radiated light beam into a fraction and a remainder, the remainder being the output light beam. The beam splitter operates by diffraction, scattering, or transmission to direct the fraction of the radiated light beam towards the light sensor.

Abstract: An integrated laser-based light source that generates an output light beam having a controlled intensity. The light source comprises a package in which are mounted a laser, a light sensor and a coupler. The laser has one and only one light-emitting face from which a light beam is radiated as a radiated light beam. The light sensor generates an electrical signal representing the intensity of light energy falling it. The coupler couples a fraction of the radiated light beam to the light sensor, and provides the remainder of the radiated light beam as the output light beam. Since the light coupled to the light sensor by the coupler is a fraction of the radiated light beam, the electrical signal generated by the light sensor also represents the intensities of the radiated light beam and of the output light beam.

Abstract: An integrated laser-based light source that generates an output light beam having a controlled intensity. The light source comprises a package in which are mounted a laser, a light sensor and a coupler. The laser has one and only one light-emitting face from which a light beam is radiated as a radiated light beam. The light sensor generates an electrical signal representing the intensity of light energy falling it. The coupler couples a fraction of the radiated light beam to the light sensor, and provides the remainder of the radiated light beam as the output light beam. Since the light coupled to the light sensor by the coupler is a fraction of the radiated light beam, the electrical signal generated by the light sensor also represents the intensities of the radiated light beam and of the output light beam.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining the distance a sheet of paper, or other reflective or transmissive substrate material with a suitable, approximately planar surface, has moved in a given direction. The substrate is illuminated by reflection or transmission of light at non-normal incidence, and a linear array of N uniformly spaced light sensors is provide to receive and sense light issuing from the illuminated substrate. This produces a first or reference array of light signal strengths s.sub.1 (k) (k=1,2, . . . , N). The substrate is then moved in the given direction, and a second array of signal strengths s.sub.2 (k) (k=1, 2, . . . , N) is produced. A cross-correlation function C(K), formed from consecutive portions of the first and second light signal strength arrays, is then examined to determine the distance the substrate has moved in the given direction. A maximum in the cross-correlation function C(K) at K=K.sub.

Abstract: A structure is provided which receives light from a single source, separates the light into components, modulates the components with image information, and recombines the resultant image beams in order to form a multi-colored image. A small optical path length is provided for each of the separated beams, and small physical size is realized, without the use of crossed beamsplitters, with their attendant cost and performance limitations.

Abstract: An interferometer in which an input beam is divided into two beams, the first of which is incident on a movable first reflecting surface before being recombined in an output beam with the second of the beams. The path for each beam is selected to be as similar as possible to the path for the other beam so that small rotations or translations of elements used to direct the beams affect both beams equally and so that changes in the ambient conditions affect both beams equally. The two beams are directed by reflecting elements, each of which reflects both beams an equal number of times so that small rotations of the elements affect both beams equally. The second beam is incident on a second reflecting surface near the first surface so that the deadpath between the first and second surfaces is as small as possible without interfering with the motion of the first surface.

Abstract: A stylus contains a switch which makes contact in response to slight radial motion of the stylus tip relative to the stylus housing. Means for emitting radiation operates in response to switch closure, thereby emitting a beam of radiation out the tip. The stylus includes an internal power source, such as one or more batteries, for operation of the means for emitting radiation. When such internal power source is capable of being recharged, the stylus may include means for external connection to the recharging supply. In another embodiment, the stylus is capable of emitting more than one type of radiation which are distinguishable, such as by wavelength, modulation type, or other convenient means. In this manner, the stylus can be controlled by the user to emit different signals, which may be interpreted by a receiving device, for example, as different colors, or as a write signal versus an erase signal. In one embodiment, such an erase signal is emitted from the opposite end of the stylus as the write signal.

Abstract: An interferometer in which an input beam is divided into two beams, the first of which is incident on a movable first reflecting surface before being recombined in an output beam with the second of the beams. The path for each beam is selected to be as similar as possible to the path for the other beam so that small rotations or translations of elements used to direct the beams affect both equally and so that changes in the ambient conditions affect both beams equally. The two beams are directed by reflecting elements, each of which reflects both beams an equal number of times so that small rotations of the elements affect both beams equally. The second beam is incident on a second reflecting surface near the first surface so that the deadpath between the first and second surfaces is as small as possible without interfering with the motion of the first surface.