H
SECTION H — ELECTRICITY
 H

Note(s)

These Notes cover the basic principles and general instructions for use of section H.

  1. Section H covers:
    1. basic electric elements, which cover all electric units and the general mechanical structure of apparatus and circuits, including the assembly of various basic elements into what are called printed circuits and also cover to a certain extent the manufacture of these elements (when not covered elsewhere);
    2. generation of electricity, which covers the generation, conversion and distribution of electricity together with the controlling of the corresponding gear;
    3. applied electricity, which covers:
      1. general utilisation techniques, viz. those of electric heating and electric lighting circuits;
      2. some special utilisation techniques, either electric or electronic in the strict sense, which are not covered by other sections of the Classification, including:
        1. electric light sources, including lasers;
        2. electric X-ray technique;
        3. electric plasma technique and the generation and acceleration of electrically charged particles or neutrons;
    4. basic electronic circuits and their control;
    5. radio or electric communication technique;
    6. the use of a specified material for the manufacture of the article or element described. In this connection, paragraphs 88 to 90 of the Guide should be referred to.
  2. In this section, the following general rules apply:
    1. Subject to the exceptions stated in I(c), above, any electric aspect or part peculiar to a particular operation, process, apparatus, object or article, classified in one of the sections of the Classification other than section H, is always classified in the subclass for that operation, process, apparatus, object or article. Where common characteristics concerning technical subjects of similar nature have been brought out at class level, the electric aspect or part is classified, in conjunction with the operation, process, apparatus, object or article, in a subclass which covers entirely the general electrical applications for the technical subject in question;
    2. The electrical applications referred to under (a), above, either general or particular, include:
      1. the therapeutic processes and apparatus, in class A61;
      2. the electric processes and apparatus used in various laboratory or industrial operations, in classes B01 and B03 and in subclass B23K;
      3. the electricity supply, electric propulsion and electric lighting of vehicles in general and of particular vehicles, in the subsection "Transporting" of section B;
      4. the electric ignition systems of internal-combustion engines, in subclass F02P, and of combustion apparatus in general, in subclass F23Q;
      5. the whole electrical part of section G, i.e. measuring devices including apparatus for measuring electric variables, checking, signalling and calculating. Electricity in that section is generally dealt with as a means and not as an end in itself;
    3. All electrical applications, both general and particular, presuppose that the "basic electricity" aspect appears in section H (see I(a) above) as regards the electric "basic elements" which they comprise. This rule is also valid for applied electricity, referred to in I(c), above, which appears in section H itself.
  3. In this section, the following special cases occur:
    1. Among the general applications covered by sections other than section H, it is worth noting that electric heating in general is covered by subclasses F24D or F24H or class F27, and that electric lighting in general is partly covered by class F21, since in section H (see I(c), above) there are places in H05B which cover the same technical subjects;
    2. In the two cases referred to under (a), above, the subclasses of section F, which deal with the respective subjects, essentially cover in the first place the whole mechanical aspect of the apparatus or devices, whereas the electrical aspect, as such, is covered by subclass H05B;
    3. In the case of lighting, this mechanical aspect should be taken to cover the material arrangement of the various electric elements, i.e., their geometrical or physical position in relation to one another; this aspect is covered by subclass F21V, the elements themselves and the primary circuits remaining in section H. The same applies to electric light sources, when combined with light sources of a different kind. These are covered by subclass H05B, whereas the physical arrangement which their combination constitutes is covered by the various subclasses of class F21;
    4. As regards heating, not only the electric elements and circuitry designs, as such, are covered by subclass H05B, but also the electric aspects of their arrangement, where these concern cases of general application; electric furnaces being considered as such. The physical disposition of the electric elements in furnaces is covered by section F. If a comparison is made with electric welding circuits, which are covered by subclass B23K in connection with welding, it can be seen that electric heating is not covered by the general rule stated in II, above.

 H03
BASIC ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
 H03B
GENERATION OF OSCILLATIONS, DIRECTLY OR BY FREQUENCY-CHANGING, BY CIRCUITS EMPLOYING ACTIVE ELEMENTS WHICH OPERATE IN A NON-SWITCHING MANNER; GENERATION OF NOISE BY SUCH CIRCUITS (measuring, testing G01R; generators adapted for electrophonic musical instruments G10H; speech synthesis G10L 13/00; masers, lasers H01S; dynamo-electric machines H02K; power inverter circuits H02M; by using pulse techniques H03K; automatic control of generators H03L; starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; generation of oscillations in plasma H05H)
 H03B
Subclass index
GENERATION WITHOUT FREQUENCY-CHANGING
By means of amplification and feedback; negative resistance 5/00; 7/00
By means of transit-time tubes; electron-beam tubes 9/00; 13/00
By shock-exciting; Hall effect; radiation source and detectors 11/00; 15/00; 17/00
GENERATION WITH FREQUENCY- CHANGING
By multiplication or division of a signal 19/00
By combining unmodulated signals 21/00
PARTICULARITIES OF GENERATED OSCILLATIONS
Swept-over frequency range; multi-frequency; multiphase; noise 23/00; 25/00; 27/00; 29/00
OTHER METHODS OF GENERATION 28/00
DETAILS 1/00

 H03C
MODULATION (measuring, testing G01R; masers, lasers H01S; modulators specially adapted for use in dc amplifiers H03F 3/38; modulating pulses H03K 7/00; so-called modulators capable only of switching between predetermined states of amplitude, frequency or phase H03K 17/00, H04L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M; synchronous modulators specially adapted for colour television H04N 9/65)
 H03C

Note(s)

  1. This subclass covers only modulation, keying, or interruption of sinusoidal oscillations or electromagnetic waves, the modulating signal having any desired waveform.
  2. In this subclass, circuits usable both as modulator and demodulator are classified in the group dealing with the type of modulator involved.

 H03D
DEMODULATION OR TRANSFERENCE OF MODULATION FROM ONE CARRIER TO ANOTHER (masers, lasers H01S; circuits capable of acting both as modulator and demodulator H03C; details applicable to both modulators and frequency-changers H03C; demodulating pulses H03K 9/00; transforming types of pulse modulation H03K 11/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M; repeater stations H04B 7/14; demodulators adapted for digitally modulated-carrier systems H04L 27/00; synchronous demodulators adapted for colour television H04N 9/66)
 H03D

Note(s)

This subclass covers only:

  • demodulation or transference of signals modulated on a sinusoidal carrier or on electromagnetic waves;
  • comparing phase or frequency of two mutually-independent oscillations.

 H03D
Subclass index
DEMODULATION
Amplitude; angle; combined; super-regenerative 1/00; 3/00; 5/00, 9/00; 11/00
TRANSFERENCE 7/00, 9/00
COMPARING PHASE OR FREQUENCY 13/00
SUBJECT MATTER NOT PROVIDED FOR IN OTHER GROUPS OF THIS SUBCLASS 99/00

 H03F
AMPLIFIERS (measuring, testing G01R; optical parametric amplifiers G02F; circuit arrangements with secondary emission tubes H01J 43/00; masers, lasers H01S; control of amplification H03G; coupling arrangements independent of the nature of the amplifier, voltage dividers H03H; amplifiers capable only of dealing with pulses H03K; repeater circuits in transmission lines H04B 3/36, H04B 3/54; application of speech amplifiers in telephonic communication H04M 1/60, H04M 3/40)
 H03F

Note(s)

This subclass covers:

  • linear amplification, there being linear relationship between the amplitudes of input and output, and the output having substantially the same waveform as the input;
  • dielectric amplifiers, magnetic amplifiers, and parametric amplifiers when used as oscillators or frequency-changers;
  • constructions of active elements of dielectric amplifiers and parametric amplifiers if no provision exists elsewhere.

 H03F
Subclass index
AMPLIFIERS USING TUBES OR SEMICONDUCTORS; DETAILS 3/00, 5/00; 1/00
PARAMETRIC AMPLIFIERS 7/00
MAGNETIC; DIELECTRIC AMPLIFIERS 9/00; 11/00
AMPLIFIERS USING SPECIAL ELEMENTS
Mechanical or acoustic; using Hall effect; electroluminescent; superconductive 13/00; 15/00; 17/00; 19/00
OTHER AMPLIFIERS 21/00

 H03G
CONTROL OF AMPLIFICATION (impedance networks, e.g. attenuators, H03H; control of transmission in lines H04B 3/04)
 H03G

Note(s)

  1. This subclass covers:
    • control of gain of amplifiers or frequency-changers;
    • control of frequency range of amplifiers;
    • limiting amplitude or rate of change of amplitude.
  2. Attention is drawn to the Note following the title of subclass H03F.  [3]
 H03G
Subclass index
GAIN CONTROL 3/00
TONE CONTROL 5/00
COMPRESSORS OR EXPANDERS; LIMITERS 7/00; 11/00
COMBINATION OF TWO OR MORE TYPES OF CONTROL 9/00
DETAILS 1/00
SUBJECT MATTER NOT PROVIDED FOR IN OTHER GROUPS OF THIS SUBCLASS 99/00

 H03H
IMPEDANCE NETWORKS, e.g. RESONANT CIRCUITS; RESONATORS (measuring, testing G01R; arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K 15/08; impedance networks or resonators consisting of distributed impedances, e.g. of the waveguide type, H01P; control of amplification, e.g. bandwidth control of amplifiers, H03G; tuning resonant circuits, e.g. tuning coupled resonant circuits, H03J; networks for modifying the frequency characteristics of communication systems H04B)
 H03H

Note(s)

  1. This subclass covers:
    • networks comprising lumped impedance elements;
    • networks comprising distributed impedance elements together with lumped impedance elements;
    • networks comprising electromechanical or electro-acoustic elements;
    • networks simulating reactances and comprising discharge tubes or semiconductor devices;
    • constructions of electromechanical resonators.
  2. In this subclass, the following expression is used with the meaning indicated:
    • "passive elements" means resistors, capacitors, inductors, mutual inductors, or diodes.  [3]
  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". [7]
  4. In this subclass, main groups with a higher number take precedence.  [3]
 H03H
Subclass index
NETWORKS
Adaptive 21/00
Using digital techniques 17/00
Transversal filters 15/00
Using passive elements only:
one port; multi-port 5/00; 7/00
Using electromechanical or electro-acoustical elements 9/00
Using active elements 11/00
Using time varying elements 19/00
Using other elements or techniques 2/00
DETAILS 1/00
MANUFACTURE 3/00

 H03J
TUNING RESONANT CIRCUITS; SELECTING RESONANT CIRCUITS (indicating arrangements for measuring G01D; measuring, testing G01R; remote-control in general G05, G08; automatic control or stabilisation of generators H03L)
 H03J

Note(s)

This subclass covers also the control of tuning, including the combined control of tuning and other functions, e.g. combinations of tuning control and volume control, combinations of control of local oscillator and of supplementary resonant circuits.  [3]

 H03J
Subclass index
TUNING
Continuous 3/00
Discontinuous 5/00
Automatic frequency control 7/00
Remote control 9/00
AUTOMATIC FREQUENCY SCANNING 7/00
DETAILS 1/00

 H03K
PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; mechanical counters having an electrical input G06M; information storage devices in general G11; sample-and-hold arrangements in electric analogue stores G11C 27/00; construction of switches involving contact making and breaking for generation of pulses, e.g. by using a moving magnet, H01H; static conversion of electric power H02M; generation of oscillations by circuits employing active elements which operate in a non-switching manner H03B; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C, H04L; discriminator circuits involving pulse counting H03D; automatic control of generators H03L; starting, synchronisation, or stabilisation of generators where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)  [4]
 H03K

Note(s)

  1. This subclass covers:
    • methods, circuits, devices, or apparatus using active elements operating in a discontinuous or switching manner for generating, counting, amplifying, shaping, modulating, demodulating, or otherwise manipulating signals;
    • electronic switching not involving contact-making and braking;
    • logic circuits handling electric pulses.
  2. In this subclass, the following expression is used with the meaning indicated:
    • "active element" exercises control over the conversion of input energy into an oscillation or a discontinuous flow of energy.
  3. In this subclass, where the claims of a patent document are not limited to a specific circuit element, the document is classified at least according to the elements used in the described embodiment.  [6]
 H03K
Subclass index
GENERATING PULSES
Circuits; with finite slope or stepped portions 3/00; 4/00
PRODUCING PULSES FROM SINEWAVES 12/00
MANIPULATING PULSES OTHER THAN WHEN COUNTING
Modulating; demodulating; transfer 7/00; 9/00; 11/00
Other 5/00, 6/00
PULSE COUNTERS, FREQUENCY DIVIDERS
With counting chains; with integration; with a closed loop; with multistable elements 23/00; 25/00; 27/00; 29/00
Details 21/00
SPECIAL APPLICATIONS
Electronic switching; logic circuits 17/00; 19/00

 H03L
AUTOMATIC CONTROL, STARTING, SYNCHRONISATION, OR STABILISATION OF GENERATORS OF ELECTRONIC OSCILLATIONS OR PULSES (of dynamo-electric generators H02P)  [3]
 H03L

Note(s)

  1. This subclass covers:
    • automatic control circuits for generators of electronic oscillations or pulses;  [3]
    • starting, synchronisation, or stabilisation circuits for generators where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified.  [3]
  2. This subclass does not cover stabilisation or starting circuits specially adapted to only one specific type of generator, which are covered by subclasses H03B, H03K.  [3]
  3. In this subclass, the following expression is used with the meaning indicated:
    • "automatic control" covers only closed loop systems.  [3]

 H03M
CODING, DECODING OR CODE CONVERSION, IN GENERAL (using fluidic means F15C 4/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F 7/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. G01D, G01R, G06F, G06T, G09G, G10L, G11B, G11C, H04B, H04L, H04M, H04N; ciphering or deciphering for cryptography or other purposes involving the need for secrecy G09C)  [4]
 H03M
Subclass index
CODING AND DECODING
in general 1/00
to or from differential modulation 3/00
in connection with keyboards 11/00
CONVERSION
of the form of individual digits 5/00
of the sequence of digits 7/00
parallel/series or vice versa 9/00
ERROR DETECTION OR ERROR CORRECTION 13/00
SUBJECT MATTER NOT PROVIDED FOR IN OTHER GROUPS OF THIS SUBCLASS 99/00