In a correlation system, such as may be used in an autolock follow arrangement, the correlation is effected on the basis of line integrals of data relating to pictures of substantially the same scene obtained at different times. The formation of line integrals allows a straightforward, linear processing technique to be used for the correlation.

An item of interest may be located in a scene image by scanning a reference image containing the item (extracted from a previous image of the scene for example) over the scene image and, for each position of the reference image, correlating corresponding pairs of pixels from the reference and scene images. Herein, to avoid inaccuracies due to bright spots say affecting a small portion of the scene image, for each position of the reference image, all the pixel pairs are correlated and an average …

A highly selective–greater than 100 to 1–etch for silicon, tantalum, tantalum silicide and tantalum nitride is achieved by using polyatomic halogen fluorides. The selectivity is achievable without employing plasmas or wet etching.

Interactive movie techniques disclosed include dialogue lines for computer users, gateways for entering alternate storylines, techniques for conveying information relating to a character’s thoughts and memories, techniques for conveying character information to the user by selection of character backgrounds, the use of icons to signal the presence of additional storyline information or user activities as an interactive movie character, and techniques to draw the user into the flow of the storyli…

In a cellular radio system including a plurality of cells (e.g. cell sectors or micro cells) (4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11) each normally using a respective channel for interference reduction purposes, a number of the cells are arranged in groups (6) and in the event of a cell associated with equipment moving within a group (6), all cells (4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11) of that group use a common channel whereby to facilitate handover between them.

A digital filter for a digitized graphic image which eliminates border aberrations in the transition from one color to another in the image, which eliminates isolated dots while retaining isolated background in the center of alphanumeric characters, provides uniform coloration of half tone areas, corrects error colors to a predetermined color and selectively provides mode filtering on the digitized signal. Prior to any filtering of digitized signals, sets of predetermined colors for half tone, s…

In a cellular radio system having a two layer cell structure comprised by macrocells (1) overlaying microcells (2), handover occurs only via the macrocell layer. Thus when the quality of a call handled by a microcell (2) deteriorates below predetermined criteria the call is handed up rapidly to the umbrella macrocell and is only handed back down to a microcell when the handset has been in that microcell for a predetermined time and the quality of the link thereto exceeds predefined criteria.

The use as a cuvette in spectrophotometric assays of a sample-collecting device is disclosed, the said device possessing a cavity or cavities each having a dimension small enough to enable sample liquid to be drawn into the cavity by capillary action, wherein a surface of the cavity is a surface of a transparent solid plate having a substantially rectangular cross section and forming a wall of the cavity, the opposite surface of the cavity being an additional structure having a substantially rec…

A method of establishing yield and moisture content maps involves the continuous recording of yield of moisture content of a harvested crop, as a harvesting machine traverses a field. The recorded yield or moisture content is associated with data from a positioning system, in order that a map of yield or moisture content across the field can be generated. The yield or moisture content is compared with a second measurement of yield or moisture content, and a correction factor is determined. The c…

The application describes various techniques for improving the accuracy and numerical stability of computer-implemented simulations which employ subgridding techniques. In particular, techniques are described in which information is transferred across a common interface between two neighboring fine-grids. Furthermore, techniques are also described in which, during the update of a grid in regions where there exists an embedded fine-grid, the field values at co-located edges at which fine-grid sol…