Abstract:
A compound forming a tilted smectic liquid crystal phase has the general formula R1-O-CH2-CH2-O-{Z}-R2 in which: R1 is an aliphatic radical containing carbon and hydrogen atoms and optionally one or more oxygen atoms each linked to separate carbon atoms and having a total number of carbon or of carbon and oxygen atoms not less than 1 and not more than 15; R2 is an aliphatic radical containing carbon and hydrogen atoms and optionally one or more oxygen atoms each linked to separate carbon atoms and having a total number of carbon or of carbon and oxygen atoms not less than 4 and not more than 18; and {Z} is an aromatic or alicyclic core of a type suitable for a liquid crystal.
Abstract:
A thermal imager testing device includes a quantity of a smectic liquid crystal material (9) together with a laser (25) arranged to heat selected portions of the quantity (9) such that the material in the selected portions changes from a homeotropic texture in which it is transparent to incident infrared radiation to a focal conic texture in which it scatters incident infrared radiation. An infrared source (27) is arranged to direct infrared radiation onto the quantity (9) so as to read the pattern of selected portions across the quantity.
Abstract:
A coupler for use in wavelength division multiplex having a pair of monomode optical fibers (10, 11) with adjacent portions fused together (12) and a biconical taper in the fused portion. The fused portion (12) has a near-circular cross-section such that it has substantially zero birefringence.
Abstract:
A fibre optic device which can be used as an attenuator or a sensor. The fiber has a biconical taper which can be immersed in a medium having a higher refractive index so that light transmission through the fibre can be used as a sensor in measuring temperature, refractive index. When used as a tuneable attenuator electrodes are mounted in contact with the medium so that it can be heated to vary transmissivity through the fibre.
Abstract:
A semiconductor device incorporating two superlattices (1, 3) in the GaAs/AlGaAs system separated by a relatively thick layer (5) of GaAlAs. The device displays negative differential conductance.
Abstract:
A self-excited induction motor variable speed drive using a known self-excitation method in which a capacitor is connected in parallel with the motor. Power is supplied by a supply convertor, a D.C. link and a motor convertor, the latter running at the motor frequency. The motor convertor includes a current bypass switching circuit comprising a capacitor bank connected to the motor terminals and to a neutral point between a pair of thyristors connected across the D.C. link.
Abstract:
An automated vehicle (2) includes a navigation system (Fig. 2) which carries out a dead reckoning calculation of the vehicle's position based on inputs from sensors on the motion of a steering wheel (6) in the preceding time interval, DELTAt. Parameters of the system including the heading angle, the spatial position x, y, the angular drift in the steering angle alpha, a crabbing angle beta and a variation ldm in steering wheel radius are updated by the addition of the product of a Kalman gain calculated by computer (70) and an error signal produced each time an observation is made by laser bearing finding equipment on the vehicle (2).
Abstract:
A vehicle control and guidance system in which a desired route for the vehicle is stored in the vehicle in the form of co-ordinates in a ground reference frame. The "vectors" between these junction points are divided by successive reference points into incremental vectors, the reference points being generated ahead of the vehicle at regular intervals. A dead reckoning system predicts the position of the vehicle at the end of each interval and this estimate is corrected, using a Kalman filter, by an independant fixed-target detection system using a scanning laser. The error between the estimated vehicle position and the local incremental vector provides a steering angle correction for the vehicle and the vehicle speed is dependent upon the lag of the vehicle behind the generation of reference points.
Abstract:
Apparatus is provided for use with a commodity consumption meter (2), of a type having a sealed housing (3, 4, 6) and including a rotating component (14) whose rate of rotation depends upon the rate of consumption of the commodity, the rotating component being visible through a wall of the sealed housing. The apparatus comprises: a casing (38) which substantially completely covers the wall of the meter (2) and includes a transparent region (62) through which the rotating component (14) can be viewed and an optical assembly (64) for monitoring rotation of the rotating component. Preferably the optical assembly (64) comprises a light source (66) which is amplitude modulated at a selected frequency and is arranged to direct light (70) through the housing onto the rotating component (14) and a light detector (68) to detect reflected light (74) from the rotating component (14), the apparatus further including a synchronous detector circuit (82) connected to the detector (68) and operated at the selected frequency and processing means (96) arranged to count the number of revolutions of the component (14) using the output signal from the synchronous detector circuit (82).
Abstract:
A multiple nozzle continuous ink jet printer has a common nozzle block (10) with an array of nozzles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) having respective charge electrodes (12) operated by respective drop charging circuits (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51). A pilot nozzle (34) is provided in operative proximity to the nozzles (1 to 7) to monitor and detect changes in phase due to changes in ink parameters such as temperature, viscosity and pressure. A phase selection means (42) is arranged to alter the clock phase (33) applied to the pilot nozzle drop charging circuit (44) responsive to a sensor means (38, 40) thereby maintaining optimal charging by the pilot charge electrode (36). During system initialisation the correct break-off phase relationship is established for each charge electrode (12). During printing the phase selection logic (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31) for the printing array (1 to 7) is altered based on the alteration of the clock phase to the pilot nozzle (34).