G
SECTION G — PHYSICS
 G

Note(s)

  1. In this section, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:
    • "variable" (as a noun) means a feature or property (e.g., a dimension, a physical condition such as temperature, a quality such as density or colour) which, in respect of a particular entity (e.g., an object, a quantity of a substance, a beam of light) and at a particular instant, is capable of being measured; the variable may change, so that its numerical expression may assume different values at different times, in different conditions or in individual cases, but may be constant in respect of a particular entity in certain conditions or for practical purposes (e.g., the length of a bar may be regarded as constant for many purposes).
  2. Attention is drawn to the definitions of terms or expressions used, appearing in the notes of several of the classes in this section, in particular those of "measuring" in class G01 and "control" and "regulation" in class G05.
  3. Classification in this section may present more difficulty than in other sections, because the distinction between different fields of use rests to a considerable extent on differences in the intention of the user rather than on any constructional differences or differences in the manner of use, and because the subjects dealt with are often in effect systems or combinations, which have features or parts in common, rather than "things", which are readily distinguishable as a whole. For example, information (e.g., a set of figures) may be displayed for the purpose of education or advertising (G09), for enabling the result of a measurement to be known (G01), for signalling the information to a distant point or for giving information which has been signalled from a distant point (G08). The words used to describe the purpose depend on features that may be irrelevant to the form of the apparatus concerned, for example, such features as the desired effect on the person who sees the display, or whether the display is controlled from a remote point. Again, a device which responds to some change in a condition, e.g., in the pressure of a fluid, may be used, without modification of the device itself, to give information about the pressure (G01L) or about some other condition linked to the pressure (another subclass of class G01, e.g., G01K for temperature), to make a record of the pressure or of its occurrence (G07C), to give an alarm (G08B), or to control another apparatus (G05).

    The classification scheme is intended to enable things of a similar nature (as indicated above) to be classified together. It is therefore particularly necessary for the real nature of any technical subject to be decided before it can be properly classified.

  
INSTRUMENTS
 G01
MEASURING (counting G06M); TESTING
 G01

Note(s)

  1. This class covers, in addition to "true" measuring instruments, other indicating or recording devices of analogous construction, and also signalling or control devices insofar as they are concerned with measurement (as defined in Note 2 below) and are not specially adapted to the particular purpose of signalling or control.
  2. In this class, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:
    • "measuring" is used to cover considerably more than its primary or basic meaning. In this primary sense, it means finding a numerical expression of the value of a variable in relation to a unit or datum or to another variable of the same nature, e.g. expressing a length in terms of another length as in measuring a length with a scale; the value may be obtained directly (as just suggested) or by measuring some other variable of which the value can be related to the value of the required variable, as in measuring a change in temperature by measuring a resultant change in the length of a column of mercury. However, since the same device or instrument may, instead of giving an immediate indication, be used to produce a record or to initiate a signal to produce an indication or control effect, or may be used in combination with other devices or instruments to give a conjoint result from measurement of two or more variables of the same or different kinds, it is necessary to interpret "measuring" as including also any operation that would make it possible to obtain such a numerical expression by the additional use of some way of converting a value into figures. Thus the expression in figures may be actually made by a digital presentation or by reading a scale, or an indication of it may be given without the use of figures, e.g. by some perceptible feature (variable) of the entity (e.g. object, substance, beam of light) of which the variable being measured is a property or condition or by an analogue of such a feature (e.g. the corresponding position of a member without any scale, a corresponding voltage generated in some way). In many cases there is no such value indication but only an indication of difference or equality in relation to a standard or datum (of which the value may or may not be known in figures); the standard or datum may be the value of another variable of the same nature but of a different entity (e.g. a standard measure) or of the same entity at a different time.

      In its simplest form, measurement may give merely an indication of presence or absence of a certain condition or quality, e.g. movement (in any direction or in a particular direction), or whether a variable exceeds a predetermined value.

  3. Attention is drawn to the Notes following the titles of class B81 and subclass B81B relating to "micro-structural devices" and "micro-structural systems" and the Notes following the title of subclass B82B relating to "nano-structures". [7]
  4. Attention is drawn to the Notes following the title of section G, especially as regards the definition of the term "variable".
  5. In many measuring arrangements, a first variable to be measured is transformed into a second, or further, variables. The second, or further, variables may be (a) a condition related to the first variable and produced in a member, or (b) a displacement of a member. Further transformation may be needed.  [6]

    When classifying such an arrangement, (i) the transformation step, or each transformation step, that is of interest is classified, or (ii) if interest lies only in the system as a whole, the first variable is classified in the appropriate place.  [6]

    This is particularly important where two or more conversions take place, for instance where a first variable, for example pressure, is transformed into a second variable, for example an optical property of a sensing body, and that second variable is expressed by means of a third variable, for example an electric effect. In such a case, the following classification places should be considered: the place for the transformation of the first variable, that for sensing the condition caused by that variable, subclass G01D for expression of the measurement, and finally the place for the overall system, if any.  [6]

  6. The measurement of change in the value of a physical property is classified in the same subclass as the measurement of that physical property, e.g. measurement of expansion of length is classified in subclass G01B.
 G01S
RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES (detecting masses or objects by methods not involving reflection or reradiation of radio, acoustic or other waves G01V)
 G01S

Note(s)

  1. In this subclass, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:  [6]
    • "transponder" means an arrangement which reacts to an incoming interrogating or detecting wave by emitting a specific answering or identifying wave.  [6]
  2. Attention is drawn to the Notes following the title of class G01 and to Note (1) following the title of subclass G09B.
 G01S
Subclass index
BEACON SYSTEMS; DIRECTION-FINDERS; POSITION FIXING 1/00; 3/00; 5/00
RADAR OR ANALOGOUS SYSTEMS
Details 7/00
Using radio waves, using other waves where the wavelength or the kind of wave is irrelevant or unspecified 13/00
Using acoustic waves 15/00
Using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves 17/00
SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY NOT USING REFLECTION OR RERADIATION 11/00
P:60 G01S 1/00
Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith (position-fixing by co-ordinating a plurality of determinations of direction or position lines G01S 5/00)  [2]
P:70 G01S 3/00
Direction-finders for determining the direction from which infrasonic, sonic, ultrasonic, or electromagnetic waves, or particle emission, not having a directional significance, are being received (position-fixing by co-ordinating a plurality of determinations of direction or position lines G01S 5/00; for geophysical measurement G01C; telescope mountings G02B)
 G01S 3/02
·  using radio waves
 G01S 3/14
·  ·  Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction
 G01S 3/78
·  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
P:50 G01S 5/00
Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position-line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations  [2]
 G01S 5/02
·  using radio waves
 G01S 5/04
·  ·  Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
 G01S 5/06
·  ·  Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements (G01S 5/12 takes precedence)  [3]
 G01S 5/08
·  ·  Position of single direction-finder fixed by determining direction of a plurality of spaced sources of known location
 G01S 5/10
·  ·  Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements (G01S 5/12 takes precedence)  [3]
 G01S 5/12
·  ·  by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical, radial (radar indicators providing co-ordinated display of direction and distance G01S 7/04)
 G01S 5/14
·  ·  Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
P:30 G01S 7/00
Details of systems according to groups G01S 13/00, G01S 15/00, G01S 17/00
 G01S 7/02
·  of systems according to group G01S 13/00
 G01S 7/03
·  ·  Details of HF subsystems specially adapted therefor, e.g. common to transmitter and receiver (TR boxes H01J 17/64; waveguides or resonators or other devices of the waveguide type H01P; aerials H01Q; basic electronic circuitry, e.g. generation of oscillations, modulation, demodulation, amplification, pulse technique H03; impedance networks, resonators H03H)  [5]
 G01S 7/04
·  ·  Display arrangements
 G01S 7/28
·  ·  Details of pulse systems
 G01S 7/285
·  ·  ·  Receivers  [5]
 G01S 7/292
·  ·  ·  ·  Extracting wanted echo-signals (Doppler systems G01S 13/00)  [5]
 G01S 7/295
·  ·  ·  ·  Means for transforming co-ordinates or for evaluating data, e.g. using computers  [5]
 G01S 7/36
·  ·  Means for anti-jamming
 G01S 7/38
·  ·  Jamming means, e.g. producing false echoes  [2]
 G01S 7/40
·  ·  Means for monitoring or calibrating
 G01S 7/48
·  of systems according to group G01S 17/00
 G01S 7/481
·  ·  Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements  [6]
 G01S 7/52
·  of systems according to group G01S 15/00
 G01S 7/521
·  ·  Constructional features (constructional features of transducers B06B; mounting transducers G10K 11/00)  [6]
 G01S 7/523
·  ·  Details of pulse systems  [6]
 G01S 7/534
·  ·  Details of non-pulse systems  [6]
 G01S 7/537
·  ·  Counter measures or counter-counter-measures, e.g. jamming, anti-jamming  [6]
 G01S 7/539
·  ·  using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section  [6]
 G01S 7/54
·  ·  with receivers spaced apart
 G01S 7/56
·  ·  Display arrangements
 G01S 7/64
·  ·  Luminous indications (G01S 7/56 takes precedence)  [5]
P:40 G01S 11/00
Systems for determining distance or velocity not using reflection or reradiation (direction-finders G01S 3/00; position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations G01S 5/00)  [2]
 G01S 13/00 - 
G01S 17/00

Note(s)

  1. Groups G01S 13/00-G01S 17/00 cover:
    • systems for detecting the presence of an object, e.g. by reflection or reradiation from the object itself, or from a transponder associated with the object, for determining the distance or relative velocity of an object, for providing a co-ordinated display of the distance and direction of an object or for obtaining an image thereof; [3]
    • systems arranged for mounting on a moving craft or vehicle and using the reflection of waves from an extended surface external to the craft, e.g. the surface of the earth, to determine the velocity and direction of motion of the craft relative to the surface. [3]
  2. Groups G01S 13/00-G01S 17/00 do not cover:
P:20 G01S 13/00
Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified (using acoustic waves G01S 15/00; using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves G01S 17/00)  [3]
P:0 G01S 15/00
Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems  [3]
P:10 G01S 17/00
Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems (photogrammetry or videogrammetry G01C 11/00)  [3]