Logic device for simplifying pictorial data

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR MODIFYING THE SHAPE OF A PATTERN COMPRISING: AN ARRAY OF SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL MEMORY UNITS; EACH UNIT COMPRISING AN ELECTRICAL ELEMENT, WHICH IS CAPABLE OF BEING IN A PHYSICAL DETERMINABLE "ON" CONDITION AND AN "OFF" CONDITION, AND A CONTROL "ON" HAVING A "READY" AND "OFF" STATE, ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED THERETO; A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY; MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID ENERGY SOURCE TO A FIRST GROUP OF UNITS AND THEN TO A DIFFERENT SECOND GROUP OF UNITS OF SAID ARRAY; SAID ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS AND CONTROL CELLS BEING OF SUCH CONSTRUCTION AND BEING ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT WHEN A CONTROL CELL OF A UNIT IS IN ITS "READY" STATE, THE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED ELECTRICAL ELEMENT IN THE SAME UNIT WILL BE IN ITS "ON" CONDITION IF SAID UNIT IS IN THE GROUP CONNECTED TO SAID ELECTRICAL ENERGY SOURCE; SAID ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS AND CONTROL CELLS BEING OF SUCH NATUER AND SO PHSICALLY ASSOCIATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL ELEMENT WILL SO PHYSICALLY AFFECT ITS CONNECTED CONTROL CELL AS TO CAUSE IT TO REMAIN IN ITS "READY" STATE AS LONG AS SAID ELEMENT REMAINS "ON", SO AS TO MAINTAIN SAID ELEMENT IN ITS "ON" CONDITION AS LONG AS SAID ENERGY SOURCE IS CONNECTED THERETO; THE PHYSICAL ARRANGEMENT OF SAID UNITS IN SAID FIRST GROUP RELATIVE TO THE UNITS IN SAID SECOND GROUP BEING SUCH THAT A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS IN SAID FIRST GROUP WILL BE ADJACENT EACH UNIT IN SAID SECOND GROUP AND BE OF SUCH SPACING THEREFROM THAT WHEN MORE THAN ONE OF SAID ADJACENT PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS ARE IN THEIR "ON" CONDITION, THEY WILL AFFECT THE CONTROL CELL OF THE ADJACENT UNIT OF SAID SECOND GROUP TO THE SAME EXTENT AS WOULD ITS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED ELEMENT WHEN "ON;" WHEREBY THE UNITS OF SAID FIRST GROUP WILL MAINTAIN A PATTERN ORIGINALLY IMPRESSED THEREON BY CAUSING SELECTED CONTROL CELLS IN SAID FIRST GROUP TO REMAIN IN THEIR "READY" STATE AS LONG AS SAID ELECTRICAL ENERGY SOURCE IS CONNECTED TO THE UNITS IN SAID FIRST GROUP AND WILL CAUSE THOSE CONTROL CELLS IN SAID SECOND GROUP WHICH ARE ADJACENT A PLURALITY OF "ON" ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS IN SAID FIRST GROUP TO BE IN THEIR "READY" STATE; SO THAT A RAPID TRANSFERENCE OF SAID ELECTRICAL SOURCE TO THE UNITS IN SAID SECOND GROUP WILL CAUSE THE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS OF SAID "READY" STATE CONTROL CELLS IN SAID SECOND GROUP TO BE ACTUATED TO THEIR "ON" CONDITION, SO AS TO TRANSFER SAID PATTERN TO SAID SECOND GROUP AS A MODIFIED PATTERN.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR MODIFYING THE SHAPE OF A PATTERN COMPRISING: AN ARRAY OF SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL MEMORY UNITS; EACH UNIT COMPRISING AN ELECTRICAL ELEMENT, WHICH IS CAPABLE OF BEING IN A PHYSICAL DETERMINABLE "ON" CONDITION AND AN "OFF" CONDITION, AND A CONTROL "ON" HAVING A "READY" AND "OFF" STATE, ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED THERETO; A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY; MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID ENERGY SOURCE TO A FIRST GROUP OF UNITS AND THEN TO A DIFFERENT SECOND GROUP OF UNITS OF SAID ARRAY; SAID ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS AND CONTROL CELLS BEING OF SUCH CONSTRUCTION AND BEING ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT WHEN A CONTROL CELL OF A UNIT IS IN ITS "READY" STATE, THE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED ELECTRICAL ELEMENT IN THE SAME UNIT WILL BE IN ITS "ON" CONDITION IF SAID UNIT IS IN THE GROUP CONNECTED TO SAID ELECTRICAL ENERGY SOURCE; SAID ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS AND CONTROL CELLS BEING OF SUCH NATUER AND SO PHSICALLY ASSOCIATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL ELEMENT WILL SO PHYSICALLY AFFECT ITS CONNECTED CONTROL CELL AS TO CAUSE IT TO REMAIN IN ITS "READY" STATE AS LONG AS SAID ELEMENT REMAINS "ON", SO AS TO MAINTAIN SAID ELEMENT IN ITS "ON" CONDITION AS LONG AS SAID ENERGY SOURCE IS CONNECTED THERETO; THE PHYSICAL ARRANGEMENT OF SAID UNITS IN SAID FIRST GROUP RELATIVE TO THE UNITS IN SAID SECOND GROUP BEING SUCH THAT A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS IN SAID FIRST GROUP WILL BE ADJACENT EACH UNIT IN SAID SECOND GROUP AND BE OF SUCH SPACING THEREFROM THAT WHEN MORE THAN ONE OF SAID ADJACENT PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS ARE IN THEIR "ON" CONDITION, THEY WILL AFFECT THE CONTROL CELL OF THE ADJACENT UNIT OF SAID SECOND GROUP TO THE SAME EXTENT AS WOULD ITS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED ELEMENT WHEN "ON;" WHEREBY THE UNITS OF SAID FIRST GROUP WILL MAINTAIN A PATTERN ORIGINALLY IMPRESSED THEREON BY CAUSING SELECTED CONTROL CELLS IN SAID FIRST GROUP TO REMAIN IN THEIR "READY" STATE AS LONG AS SAID ELECTRICAL ENERGY SOURCE IS CONNECTED TO THE UNITS IN SAID FIRST GROUP AND WILL CAUSE THOSE CONTROL CELLS IN SAID SECOND GROUP WHICH ARE ADJACENT A PLURALITY OF "ON" ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS IN SAID FIRST GROUP TO BE IN THEIR "READY" STATE; SO THAT A RAPID TRANSFERENCE OF SAID ELECTRICAL SOURCE TO THE UNITS IN SAID SECOND GROUP WILL CAUSE THE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS OF SAID "READY" STATE CONTROL CELLS IN SAID SECOND GROUP TO BE ACTUATED TO THEIR "ON" CONDITION, SO AS TO TRANSFER SAID PATTERN TO SAID SECOND GROUP AS A MODIFIED PATTERN.