Abstract: A remote control unit for controlling a plurality of automatic devices for opening and closing a plurality of garage doors, parking garage gates, private residence fences, and the like is located on the ceiling of a vehicle at the sun visor. The remote control unit has switches for activating each of the plurality of automatic opening and closing devices. The remote control unit may be accommodated in a recess formed in the vehicle ceiling or in a recess formed in the visor connected to the vehicle ceiling when the visor is in its non-use position. Alternatively, the remote control unit may be shaped so as to correspond to a shape of a portion of the visor and be attached to the vehicle ceiling so that the remote control unit surrounds a periphery of the visor portion. In addition, the remote control unit may be formed integrally with or adapted to receive a visor support bracket which is attached to the vehicle ceiling. The remote control unit may be powered by the vehicle electric system or by a battery.

Abstract: A process for recovering, at the reception end, data transmitted over a transmission path for digital data streams. A code-word generator for generating a binary code word producing a Dirac pulse is provided. The binary code word is cyclically shifted to create further binary code words. The binary code word and further binary code words are inverted to create still further binary code words. The data is coded, on the transmission end of the transmission path, with the binary code word, with the further binary code words, and with the still further binary code words. On the reception end of the transmission path, the data is recovered by cross-correlating the data and by utilizing the position of the main maximum of the cross-correlation functions.

Abstract: An input device including a case defining an opening, a bearing member pivotally mounted in the case about an axis and disposed adjacent to the opening, a roller rotatably disposed on the bearing member and having a portion exposed through the opening, an encoder disposed adjacent the axis of the bearing member and coupled to the roller by a belt, and a push button switch disposed to contact a portion of the bearing member away from the axis, such that manual rotation of the roller causes the belt to rotate the encoder, thereby producing a first output signal, and pressing the roller causes activation of the push button switch by pivoting the bearing member, thereby producing a second signal. A water receiving member is disposed in the case between the bearing member and roller. The water receiving member has a main chamber into which is disposed the roller, and a subchamber connected to the main chamber by a cut-out passage.

Abstract: An IC card for outputting attribute information includes ROMs, a connector interfacing with an external unit, transmitting/receiving circuitry for exchanging control signals, address signals, and data, data output buffer for the ROMs mode control circuit for controlling the active or inactive state of each of the storage and data output buffer, and attribute information setting circuit containing the attribute information of the IC card. This card structure results in a reduced number of components, a simplified circuit configuration, and improved reliability.

Abstract: A DTMF signal generating circuit for producing output of a selection signal having a frequency corresponding to a signal entered from push buttons. A high frequency oscillation signal output from an oscillatory circuit are delivered to both a first frequency dividing circuit for dividing high frequency signals by a first dividing ratio and a second frequency dividing circuit for dividing high frequency signals by a second dividing ratio, thereby producing two kinds of divided signals each of which has its own predetermined frequency. A fractional frequency division is then accomplished by switching from an output of a first frequency dividing circuit to an output of a second frequency dividing circuit at a predetermined timing. The signals output form the switch are then counted by a ROM address counter, producing an output of an address value signal.

Abstract: A digital architecture for a pulse generator includes a triggerable voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) with two alternative sources of frequency control voltage, an internal DAC or a phase frequency comparison with an external timebase. In a top octave of operation, the output of the triggerable VCO is used to produce output pulses whose edge locations are then adjusted by small digital increments or "slivers" and very small analog increments or "verniers". In lower octaves of operation, the contents of a pattern RAM serve to frequency divide the triggerable VCO output frequency by powers of two. The RAM contents are converted to a serial bit stream that imposes the coarse pulse width and period as an integral number of top octave periods, or quanta. The edge locations are then adjusted with slivers and verniers, as in the top octave. Automatic calibration facilities are included.

Abstract: A pulse transfer system is provided by which a pulse signal output from a manual pulse generator unit is transferred to a numerical control apparatus through a wireless channel. Pulses are generated in accordance with the rotation of a knob of the manual pulse generator and are counted from a reference time by a counter. A numerical value of the counter is modulated by a modulation circuit, amplified by a power amplifier circuit, and transferred as a coded signal from an antenna to a numerical control apparatus at each predetermined time. The numerical control apparatus receives the coded signal through the wireless channel and recognizes the pulses from the manual pulse generator. The coded signal transferred from the manual pulse generator unit through the wireless channel is a signal as an absolute position using time as a reference, and thus even if an error occurs during the transfer, the correct number of pulses can be recognized.

Abstract: A digital architecture for a pulse generator includes a triggerable voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) with two alternative sources of frequency control voltage, an internal DAC or a phase frequency comparison with an external timebase. In a top octave of operation, the output of the triggerable VCO is used to produce output pulses whose edge locations are then adjusted by small digital increments or "slivers" and very small analog increments or "verniers". In lower octaves of operation, the contents of a pattern RAM serve to frequency divide the triggerable VCO output frequency by powers of two. The RAM contents are converted to a serial bit stream that imposes the coarse pulse width and period as an integral number of top octave periods, or quanta. The edge locations are then adjusted with slivers and verniers, as in the top octave. Automatic calibration facilities are included.

Abstract: A skew code generator for digitally quantizing the width of a pulse. A series connected string of identical voltage controllable delay elements is supplied with the pulse, which is sensed as it passes through each of the delay elements. Output signals are developed in response to the leading edge of the pulse and are latched in response to the trailing edge of the pulse. An encoder generates a binary output from the latched output signals, which is indicative of the width of the pulse.

Abstract: A method and associated computer program operate to optimize signals being exchanged between a host unit and an addressable-buffer peripheral device. The program optimizes an outgoing signal from the host unit by (1) creating an updated-state map representing the state of the peripheral device buffer expected to exist after processing by the peripheral device of the outgoing signal, (2) performing an exclusive-or (XOR) operation using the updated-state map and a present-state map representing the existing state of the buffer, and (3) constructing and transmitting a substitute outgoing signal which represents changes to the buffer, and in which all premodified field flags are turned off. Position-dependent characters, such as attribute bytes, are translated into nondata characters prior to incorporation into a map, and are retranslated into their original form for use in the substitute signal.

Abstract: A pen-type computer input device is used to move a cursor on the display of a computer system or enter data such as of figures, letters, numerals, or the like into a computer system. The pen-type computer input device includes a shank, a ball rotatably supported on the tip end of the shank, the ball having a plurality of identifiable regions on an outer peripheral surface thereof, and a circuit including a sensor unit for detecting the identifiable regions in response to rotation of the ball, and for detecting the directions in which the ball rotates and the distances by which the ball moves two perpendicular directions in a plane, and producing an output signal representative of the directions and distances. Since the sensor unit can detect the distance by which the pen-type computer input device moves without any mechanical motion transmitting mechanism incorporated in the shank, the pen-type computer input device may be small in size and can be handled with ease.

Abstract: A method for operating an apparatus for facilitating communications between an analog device and a digital device, which apparatus includes a plurality of signal processing circuits and a control circuit for controlling the signal processing circuits. Each of the signal processing circuits includes signal attenuators and signal burst discrimination circuitry. The apparatus is operable in a plurality of stable states, preferably in an idle stable state, a transmit stable state, and a receive stable state. The apparatus also is operable in a plurality of transitional states, including up-transition states and down-transition states.

Abstract: Transmitting and receiving apparatus for transmitting data which includes a purged extended Golay (22,7) code encoder at the transmitter for encoding digital data into constant weight unbalanced codewords representative of the digital data. The constant weight unbalanced codewords contain error correction bits and are preferably transmitted as balanced codewords. When the receiver decodes the original digital data, improved tracking and acquisition of the transmitted data is achieved.

Abstract: A character input device for a computer comprised of a plurality of switches or threshold zones adapted to be activated by a disk movable with the tip of a pen in preset serial patterns.

Abstract: A method and a computer program for performing the method are disclosed for optimizing signals being exchanged between a host unit and an addressable-buffer peripheral device. The program optimizes an outgoing signal from the host unit by (1) creating an updated-state map representing the state of the peripheral device buffer expected to exist after processing by the peripheral device of the outgoing signal, (2) performing an exclusive-or (XOR) operation using the updated-state map and a present-state map representing the existing state of the buffer, and (3) constructing and transmitting a substitute outgoing signal which represents only changes to the buffer, and in which all premodified field flags are turned off. Position-dependent characters, such as attribute bytes are translated into nondata characters prior to incorporation into a map, and are retranslated into their original form for use in the substitute signal.