Idr, Inc.

Raytheon Company

He Holdings, Inc.

Other

American District Telegraph Company

Electro-nucleonics, Inc.

Richard Saylor

Charles H Newcomer

Alan K Galedrige

Robert H Nagel

Lorne D O'Connor

Alfred A Dalimonte

Stephen H Buckser

A signal processing in the element (SPRITE) thermal imaging system (20) is provided which has an electronic zoom. The system has an optics and scanning assembly (24) that scans energy from a scene (26) onto an array of SPRITE detectors (28) which generate a plurality of analog signals (30) that are proportional to the flux of infrared light received by each of the SPRITE detectors (28). The optics and scanning assembly (24) scans at a rate which is based on an optics and scanning assembly timing scheme and a digital scan converter (32) processes the analog signals (30) and generates a resultant digital output (34) for image production of the scene. The digital scan converter (32) processes the analog signals based upon a digital scan converter timing scheme. A timing and control unit (40) is used for controlling synchronization and alters the timing schemes to increase resolution and sensitivity.

Sprite thermal imaging system with electronic zoom

A drive circuit (18) is provided that utilizes a power supply (30) to generate an output voltage that effects a precise displacement in a physical device. The drive circuit (18) includes storage circuitry (26) having a capacitive load (54) for storing the output voltage, a supply switch (34) connected the to the storage circuitry (26), the power supply (30), and control circuitry (22) that controls the supply switch (34) in response to an input signal. The control circuitry (22) controls the supply switch (34) in response to the input signal such that a supply voltage (31) from the power supply (30) is intermittently applied to the capacitive load (54) of the storage circuit (26) for generation of the output voltage that is used to effect a precise displacement in a physical device.

Piezoelectric drive circuit

A video buffer of a focal plane array (FPA) electrical interface module is presented for providing output capacitance cancellation. The buffer has a capacitance cancellation stage (50) for receiving an analog signal produced by a FPA. The cancellation stage (50) includes an amplifier having a gain greater than unity for amplifying the analog signal and positive feedback capacitor for reducing power requirements and providing an increased pixel rate for the system. A dc restoration stage (52) is included for setting the analog signal to a dc level that is required by an external system and a line driving stage (54) for driving a video cable from the buffer to the external components of the system.

Focal plane array capacitance cancellation

A signal processing in the element (SPRITE) thermal imaging system (20) is provided which has automatic gain control, level control, and delining. An array of SPRITE detectors (22) generate a plurality of analog signals which are proportional to the flux of infrared light received by each of the detectors (22). A digital scan converter (137) processes the analog signals and generates a resultant digital output (188) which contains digital image data for image production. A first plurality of sample-servo control loops (278, 280, 282, 284) provides automatic gain control using the digital output (188) and a second plurality of sample-servo control loops (286, 288, 290, 292) provides automatic level control using the digital output (188). A deliner is provided for normalizing differences which result from variations between detectors (22). The deliner normalizes the differences by utilizing one pair of the first and second sample-servo control loops as a reference pair (236) to provide gain and level references to the other pairs of the first (278, 280, 282) and second (286, 288, 290) sample-servo control loops.

Sprite thermal imaging system

Stud clip for electrical wiring

A substantially U-shaped stud engaging clip formed from a resilient plastic or metal material and dimensioned for frictional engagement with a standard 2'.times.4' or 2'.times.6' framing stud. A wire engaging clip body is formed on a side wall of the stud engaging clip and includes a plurality of resilient clips which may be selectively dimensioned to secure flat ROMEX type cables, round cables, or individual wires. Preferably, each wire engaging clip body includes a variety of differently dimensioned individual clip elements to allow convenient securement of various different conventional forms of wiring. The stud engaging clip may be stapled to the conventional 2'.times.4' or 2'.times.6' stud by a conventional manual or rechargeable staple gun to enhance securement. After the wiring is installed utilizing a plurality of the stud engaging clips, drywall is conventionally nailed to the studs, over the clips. According to a second embodiment of the invention, the stud engaging clip may include a resilient clip member dimensioned for cooperation with a plurality of separate wiring system attachments. The wiring system attachments include a variety of different wire engaging clip members for use with various different conventional wire forms and a variety of different electrical boxes. According to other embodiments of the invention, the stud engaging member may rely solely upon staples or nails for securement to the stud, thus omitting the resilient stud engaging clip.

Stud engaging electrical wiring clip

Clip for securing electrical wiring

A clinical analyzer that is microprocessor controlled is disclosed. A shuttle carries a plurality of cuvettes containing liquids to be spectrophotometrically analyzed by a single beam spectrophotometer. The shuttle moves the cuvettes past the spectrophotometer in a plurality of cycles to complete a given test. At the beginning of a test, spectrophotometer lamp energization is controlled to achieve a predetermined spectrophotometer output for a reference filter. The remaining filters are then positioned one-by-one, and amplifier gain is adjusted to achieve optimum spectrophotometer output for each filter. The gain associated with each filter is stored by the microprocessor, and thereafter during the test, when each filter is used, the stored gain associated with that microprocessor is utilized in the amplifier circuitry. Additionally, at the beginning of each cycle of shuttle movement, an air calibration reading is taken, to be used by the microprocessor in determining absorbance. This air-only reading, in combination with a reference reading taken with a water-filled cuvette at any convenient time, serves to provide for accurate calibration of the system, overcoming problems of drift.

Clinical analyzer

A system for transmitting data from a transmitter to a receiver via an alternating current power line connecting the transmitter and receiver. The transmitter suppresses half cycles of the power signal, the suppressed half cycles being of alternating polarity. The data to be transmitted is represented by the time interval or number of power signal cycles between the suppressed half cycles.

Power line signalling system

An apparatus for compensating for signal distortions in an input digital signal, such as a pseudo video scan line having a television video scan line format and capable of comprising a complete self-contained packet of digital information sufficient to provide an entire video displayable row of video data characters, said signal comprising a plurality of ones and zeroes defining the digital information therein, the pseudo video scan line having associated peak-to-peak signal levels respectively defining the ones and zeroes wherein the signal distortion in the signal comprise the respective peak-to-peak signal levels associated with at least some of the plurality of ones and zeroes differing from the respective peak-to-peak signal levels associated with others of this plurality, the peak-to-peak signal levels resulting from zero-to-one and one-to-zero transitions in the signal, provides a compensated output digital signal from the distorted input digital signal having the same information content wherein the plurality of ones and the plurality of zeroes comprising the compensated output digital signal all have the same respective peak-to-peak signal levels varying about a common base level. The compensating apparatus comprises means for tracking both the zero-to-one and the one-to-zero transitions in the input digital signal operatively associated with means responsive to both the zero-to-one and one-to-zero transitions for providing the compensated output digital signal in which all ones and all zeroes are of the same respective levels.

Digital video signal processor with distortion correction

An interface for enabling continuous high speed row grabbing video display with real time hard copy print out thereof interfaces a hard copy printer with a real time frame grabbing video display terminal for enabling substantially instantaneous provision of a continuous direct video display of a selectable predetermined video frame of information on a video display from continuously receivable information remotely provided over a transmission media while substantially simultaneously providing real time hard copy printing of this selectable information on the printer. The continuously receivable information comprises a plurality of pseudo video scan lines, each of which has a television video scan line format and is capable of comprising a complete self-contained packet of digital information sufficient to provide an entire displayable row of video data characters, the displayable row comprising a plurality of television video scan lines, each of the characters comprising a plurality of bits for each of the television video scan lines. The interface comprises buffer storage for locally storing hard copy printable information obtained in real time from the row grabbing terminal video displayable row local storage which buffer storage is controllably loaded with one bit position of each of the characters for each of the television video scan lines locally stored in the row grabbing terminal local storage at the rate at which the characters are loaded into the row grabbing terminal local storage with a different bit position being selected for a different one of each of the television video scan lines comprising the row, the bits comprising the printable characters thus being selectable from the continuously receivable information at the character reception rate. A local microprocessor may be utilized to control the function of the row grabbing terminal and the printer interface.

Interface for enabling continuous high speed row grabbing video display

A phase locked loop apparatus for providing a continuous output digital clock signal having first and second states which is continuously phase locked to a reference digital data signal, which digital data signal comprises at least one data transition, utilizes every data transition to continuously correct the clock phase. For pseudo video scan lines, such as utilized for row grabbing, when such scan lines contain a start bit, the phase locked loop makes a single correction each empty or non-data line utilizing the start bit to insure that phase lock exists at the beginning of the first non-empty or digital data containing scan line. The phase locked loop contains a voltage controlled oscillator operating in conjunction with a flip-flop functioning as a phase detector, with the state of the flip-flop being dependent on the phase condition between the digital data signal and the digital clock signal.

Phase locked loop for providing continuous clock phase correction

An improved real time frame grabbing system for substantially instantaneously providing a continuous video display of a selectable predetermined video frame of information on a video display means from continuously transmittable video information comprises a plurality of means for transmitting the video information as a plurality of pseudo video scan lines with means being provided for selectively combining and interleaving corresponding identical out of phase digital information content containing pseudo video scan line portions of the plurality of transmission means corresponding pseudo video scan lines to provide an in phase composite combined interleaved pseudo video scan line to the video display means. This composite combined interleaved pseudo video scan line has a television video scan line format and is capable of comprising a complete self-contained composite packet of digital information equivalent in content to the content of either of the interleaved pseudo video scan lines and sufficient to provide an entire displayable row of video data characters to the video display means. The combined interleaved composite pseudo video scan line has an associated transmission time equivalent to that of a television video scan line. The interleaved information containing portions of the corresponding pseudo video scan lines of the plurality of pseudo video scan lines comprise different television video scan lines of the plurality of television video scan lines which comprise the composite pseudo video scan line displayable row. The system further includes television signal distribution means which comprise means for compensating for television transmission distortions in the provided composite combined interleaved pseudo video scan lines provided to the video display means by introducing controllable distortions in the provided composite combined interleaved pseudo video scan line signal prior to the distribution thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Monsey, NY, United States of America

Richard Saylor