Abstract: A touch sensitive electronic musical or sound generating instrument is disclosed. The invention utilizes digital techniques to sense how hard any one of a plurality of push buttons on a keyboard is depressed or actuated. The instrument generates a desired or particular sound (such as a musical note) at a desired parameter such as volume, corresponding to how hard a specific button was depressed.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for testing the frequency response of a cable television system by transmitting a test signal of varying frequency over the system. The test signal is transmitted during the blanking intervals between successive frames or lines of the television pictures and at a level comparable to the level of the video signals which carry the information for the pictures.

Abstract: Techniques for determining different parameters associated with an individual's blood pressure in a non-invasive manner are disclosed herein. These techniques include (1) generating a blood pressure waveform corresponding to the individual's actual waveform, whereby the mean pressure of the individual can be readily calculated, (2) generating a transformation curve unique to the patient from his diastolic and systolic pressures and his cuff pulses, (3) successively monitoring certain parameters of the patient's blood pressure including his systolic and diastolic pressures over closely spaced intervals of time without having to subject the patient to cuff pressures much greater than his diastolic pressure, other than initially or not at all utilizing what is referred to as a stat mode, and (4) measuring a patient's diastolic and systolic blood pressures at any given instance without ever having to subject the patient to cuff pressures much greater than his diastolic pressure.

Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus comprising a nematic curvilinearly aligned phases liquid crystal material located between two electrodes wherein a control element is incorporated into the electrodes. The electrodes may also form a circuit means integral therewith for selectively applying an electric field across the liquid crystal material.

Abstract: Techniques for determining different parameters associated with an individual's blood pressure in a non-invasive manner are disclosed herein. These techniques include (1) generating a blood pressure waveform corresponding to the individual's actual waveform, whereby the mean pressure of the individual can be readily calculated, (2) generating a transformation curve unique to the patient from his diastolic and systolic pressures and his cuff pulses (3) successively monitoring certain parameters of the patient's blood pressure including his systolic and diastolic pressures over closely spaced intervals of time without having to subject the patient to cuff pressures much greater than his diastolic pressure, other than initially or not at all utilizing what is referred to as a stat mode, and (4) measuring a patient's diastolic and systolic blood pressures at any given instance without ever having to subject the patient to cuff pressures much greater than his diastolic pressure.

Abstract: A batting practice device employs a rotatable arm to which a practice ball is mounted. The arm is adapted to be set at an inclination relative to ground level to improve batting skill. Simple height adjustment and braking are provided.

Abstract: A safe-arm system for an explosive munition is provided which is in the form of a charge transfer circuit, including a low-voltage capacitor bank which over a relatively long period of time is charged by an associated air turbine. After being charged up, this charge is transferred to a transinductance by a transinductance to convert the low voltage to a high voltage. By the use of a multiplicity of transfer steps, which occur over a very short period of time, the size and weight of the transinductance can be small.

Abstract: A character recognition system is disclosed utilizing a dead-band correlator for providing recognition of printed typestyles having horizontal and vertical stroke width variations without impairing the resolution required for character feature analysis. The system provides fewer character-to-mask registration errors, simultaneous computation of correlation scores of registration positions of masks with respect to the unknown character to compensate for additional registration errors, improved reject and substitution rates by utilizing unique threshold and separation requirements for masks, lower error rates by using small and large noise filtering and combining dual level acceptance criteria used in conjunction with re-try methods, stroke width normalization to aid in recognition of characters with badly degraded stroke widths, and selection of specific mask sets during multiple typestyle recognition processing than has previously been possible.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for producing lactic acid by continuous fermentation utilizing particular methods of media pretreatment, cell-recycle fermentation, fermentation broth acidification, and lactic acid separation.

Abstract: A dust free container is disclosed herein for storing an optical membrane assembly such as a pellicle after the assembly is manufactured but before the latter is placed into use. The optical membrane assembly is one which includes a circumferential frame having a front side and a back side and an optical membrane mounted to and extending across the entire extent of the frame. The container, which is preferably black in color along substantially its entire extent, includes a base member defining an upwardly facing circumferential shoulder. This shoulder supports the front side of the circumferential frame forming part of the overall membrane assembly along its entire extent such that the front face of the optical membrane is maintained in spatial relationship with the rest of the base member.

Abstract: Techniques for determining different parameters associated with an individual's blood pressure in a non-invasive manner are disclosed herein. These techniques include (1) generating a blood pressure waveform corresponding to the individual's actual waveform, whereby the mean pressure of the individual can be readily calculated, (2) generating a transformation curve unique to the patient from his diastolic and systolic pressures and his cuff pulses, (3) successively monitoring certain parameters of the patient's blood pressure including his systolic and diastolic pressures over closely spaced intervals of time without having to subject the patient to cuff pressures much greater than his diastolic pressure, other than initially or not at all utilizing what is referred to as a stat mode, and (4) measuring a patient's diastolic and systolic blood pressures at any given instance without ever having to subject the patient to cuff pressures much greater than his diastolic pressure.

Abstract: System and method for preventing multiple vends in which a customer gets more than one product for the price of one. The invention is applicable to vending machines having separate vend motors for delivering different products, with product selection switches for selectively energizing the vend motors. When one of the vend motors is energized, energization of a second vend motor is inhibited for a predetermined period of time to prevent vending of a second product.

Abstract: A method is provided for treatment of drug dependent subjects comprising the step of orally administering to such subjects during the period of drug withdrawal an herbal composition comprising Radix angelica sinensis, Herba pogostemi, Cyperus rotundus and Squama manitis pendactilae.

Abstract: A gate generator useful for validating readout signals incorporates three channels, including differentiators and threshold comparators, and a logic circuit coupled to the output circuits of the channels for passing valid readout signals. The output signals of the comparators and of detected zero crossings derived from a differentiated signal are fed to the logic circuit for processing.

Abstract: A combinational weighing system with a plurality of weighing devices employs at least three central processing units such as microprocessors. One keeps monitoring the weight information from the weighing devices and analyzes stability of weight data. Another one controls the charging and discharging of the weighing devices. The third performs combinational computation to select a combination. The system has increased flexibility regarding operation and adjustments, and allows efficient methods of zero-point and span adjustment of weighing devices. Its compact unitized input-output unit allows the user to operate the system interactively.

Abstract: An inkjet printing system has a drop generator with a nozzle fed by a pressurized ink source to cause a continuous stream of ink to break into synchronized droplets. A pair of electrodes positioned on either side of the path followed by the droplets are controlled in a time multiplex mode to charge the droplets, and then to deflect the charged droplets.The electronics of this invention provide electronic synchronization and compensation whereby synchronization is achieved between the drop generator stimulation source and the charge/deflect circuit so that during each cycle, a small period of time is allocated for charging and the remaining larger period of time for deflection; and the compensation system provides for the fact that each charged droplet is to be exposed to an equal accumulated deflection energy during its movement between the plates.

Abstract: According to the recording technology of this invention, the recording sheet on a recording paper has two layers: a resistive layer and a thermally fusible solid ink layer. A plurality of needle electrodes are in contact with the recording sheet and a means is provided to cause electric currents to flow between selected pairs of mutually adjacent electrodes such that the ink layer is thermally fused for recording.

Abstract: There is described a picture quality control system for use with a multi-beam cathode ray tube raster scan display device. The display device generates an image comprising a multiplicity of parallel, nonoverlaping bands of pixels, each band of pixels comprising a set of parallel lines of pixels.The control system includes a linearity correction circuit and a dynamic detwist correction circuit. The linearity correction circuit adjusts the distance between neighboring bands of pixels. The dynamic detwist correction circuit adjusts the relative positions of the electron beams generated by the cathode ray tube.The control system further includes a dynamic astigmatism correction circuit and a dynamic focus correction circuit for correcting astigmatism and focus imperfections in the image generated by said cathode ray tube. A dynamic size correction circuit adjusts the size of the pixels generated by the electron beams.The display is organized as an array of tiles.