Manual of U.S. Patent Classification
as of June 30, 2000

Class
377
ELECTRICAL PULSE COUNTERS, PULSE DIVIDERS, OR SHIFT REGISTERS: CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS

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Subclass definitions may be accessed by clicking on the subclass number, below.

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Subclass		Title
ClassTitle		===> ELECTRICAL PULSE COUNTERS, PULSE DIVIDERS, OR SHIFT REGISTERS: CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS
1		APPLICATIONS
2		. Control
3		. Counting on an object, areas having alternating physical properties (e.g., counting lines on grid, teeth on gear, windings on coil)
4		. Betting on the outcome of an event; Totalizers
5		. Game or sport
6		. Counting animate or inanimate entities
7		. . Coins
8		. . Flat articles (e.g., sheet, bill, ticket)
9		. . Vehicles
10		. . Field of view contains plural entities or entities scanned plural times (e.g., microscopic particles)
11		. . . Including particle size determination variations
12		. . . Counting by detecting electrical impedance variations
13		. Registering counts for different categories (e.g., accounting)
14		. . Where the different categories represent monetary amounts (e.g., wages, charges)
15		. Counting based on number of times machine or apparatus operates
16		. Determining machine or apparatus operating time or monitoring machine, apparatus or operation
17		. Position determining
18		. . Of flat flexible strip (e.g., tape)
19		. Measuring or testing
20		. . Time combined with measurement of another parameter
21		. . Fluid flow
22		. . Weight
23		. . Acceleration
24		. . Dimension
24.1		. . . Distance and Powered Vehicle (e.g., odometer)
24.2		. . . Distance and Human Activity (e.g., pedometer, nonpowered golf carts)
25		. . Temperature
26		. Including memory
27		SYSTEMS
28		. Identifying or correcting improper counter operation (e.g., error checking, monitoring; preventing or correcting improper counter operation)
29		. . Testing or calibrating the counter
30		. . Preventing an inaccurate count as a result of an external condition
31		. . . Automatic preset
32		. . . Power failure
33		. Using particular code or particular counting sequence
34		. . Minimum change code (e.g., Gray code)
35		. . Excess three code
36		. . Biquinary code
37		. Sequential readout of plural counters or sequential sampling of inputs to a counter
38		. Plug in counter
39		. Comparing counts
40		. Nonsignificant zero elimination
41		. Complementing a count
42		. Converting input or output signal from or to an analogue signal
43		. Having phase shift
44		. Counter controlled counter
45		. Including reversible counter
46		. Including ring counter
47		. Pulse multiplication or division
48		. . Multiplication or division by a fraction
49		. Counter includes circuit for performing an arithmetic function
50		. Compensation for excess or shortage of pulses
51		. Including structure for detecting or indicating overflow condition
52		. With programmable counter (i.e., with variable base)
53		. With photoelectric sensor
54		. Using shift register
55		. Particular input circuit
56		. Particular output circuit
57		CHARGE TRANSFER DEVICE (E.G., ANALOGUE SHIFT REGISTER, CCD, BUCKET BRIGADE DEVICE)
58		. Compensating for or preventing signal charge deterioration
59		. With feedback
60		. Particular input or output means
61		. Direction and/or path flow control (e.g., by clocking or biasing, by charge splitting)
62		. . In charge-coupled device
63		. Charge-coupled device
64		SHIFT REGISTER
65		. Using electromechanical relays
66		. Asynchronous
67		. Multirank (i.e., rows of storage units form a shift register)
68		. Compensating for or preventing signal deterioration
69		. Shift direction control
70		. Particular input circuit
71		. . Pulse shaping
72		. . With feedback
73		. . Including logic circuit
74		. . . Field-effect transistor
75		. Particular output circuit
76		. . Sequential output (e.g., tapped delay line)
77		. Particular transfer means
78		. . Phase clocking or synchronizing
79		. . . Field-effect transistor
80		. . Parallel clocking
81		. . Logic circuit
82		ELECTROMECHANICAL COUNTER
83		. Counting or dividing chains using relays
84		. Programmable (i.e., with variable base)
85		. Reversible
86		. Particular input means
87		. Particular output means
88		. With resetting
89		. Rotary magnet
90		. Stepping switch
91		. Clutch or escapement
92		. Pawl and rachet
93		WITH SUPERCONDUCTIVE ELEMENT
94		COUNTING OR DIVIDING IN INCREMENTAL STEPS (I.E., STAIRCASE COUNTER)
95		. Charge storage (e.g., capacitor without polarization hysteresis)
96		. . Using auxiliary pulse generator triggered by incoming pulses
97		. Hysteresis storage (e.g., counters using saturable magnetic core elements)
98		. DEVICES HAVING MORE THAN TWO STABLE STATES
99		. Beam type tube (e.g., magnetron, cathode-ray tube)
100		. Multi-cathode gas discharge tubes
101		USING BISTABLE MAGNETIC CORES OR FERROELECTRIC CAPACITORS
102		USING BISTABLE ELECTRO-OPTICAL DEVICES
103		COUNTING OR DIVIDING CHAINS USING GAS-FILLED TUBES
104		PHASED CLOCKING
105		. Field-effect transistor
106		PARTICULAR PARALLEL GATING OR CLOCK SIGNAL
107		STARTING, STOPPING, PRESETTING OR RESETTING THE COUNTER
108		. Counter chains with a radix or base other than the number two raised to an integral power
109		. . Decade
110		. . Programmable (e.g., with mechanical or electromechanical switch means for selecting the count
111		PARTICULAR INPUT CIRCUITS FOR COUNTER
112		INDICATING MEANS
113		. Using glow discharge lamps
114		PARTICULAR OUTPUT CIRCUITS FOR COUNTER
115		PARTICULAR TRANSFER MEANS (E.G., MASTER-SLAVE)
116		. Including logic circuit
117		. . Field-effect device (e.g., JFET, IGFET, MNOS)
118		PULSE COUNTING OR DIVIDING CHAINS
119		. Using bistable regenerative trigger circuits
120		. . Using only semiconductors having at least three electrodes
121		. . . Field-effect device (e.g., JFET, IGFET, MNOS)
122		. . . Ring counter
123		. . . Reversible counter
124		. . Ring counter
125		. . Reversible counter
126		. Ring or reversible counter
127		. Using bistable semiconductors having at least three electrodes or analogous complementary transistor circuits (e.g., avalanche transistor, SCR's)
128		. Using bistable semiconductors having only two electrodes (e.g., tunnel diode, multilayer diode)
129		PULSES CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATED IN A CLOSED LOOP
130		MISCELLANEOUS

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Last Modified: 6 October 2000