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).
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 Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01 and "control" and "regulation" in class Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G05.
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 (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G09), for enabling the result of a measurement to be known (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01), for signalling the information to a distant point or for giving information which has been signalled from a distant point (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...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 (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01L) or about some other condition linked to the pressure (another subclass of class Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01, e.g., Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01K for temperature), to make a record of the pressure or of its occurrence (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G07C), to give an alarm (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G08B), or to control another apparatus (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...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.
simulators regarded as teaching or training devices, which is the case if they give perceptible sensations having a likeness to the sensations a student would experience in reality in response to actions taken by him;
models of buildings, installations, or the like.
This subclass does not cover:
simulators which demonstrate, by means involving computing, the function of apparatus or of a system, which are covered by class Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G06, if no provision exists elsewhere;
components of simulators, if identical with real devices or machines, which are covered by the relevant subclasses for these devices or machines (and not by class Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G09).
In this subclass, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:
"sign" designates a mark or indication serving to make something recognisable, the information presented being non-varying, even if it is flashing; by way of example it covers, therefore, advertising hoardings, or luminous, or light reflecting, safety arrangements. [3]
This subclass covers indicator consoles, i.e. arrangements or circuits for processing control signals to achieve the display, e.g. for the calling up, reception, storage, regeneration, coding, decoding, addressing of control signals. [3]
Contrary to subclass Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...H04N, in which are classified display devices capable of representing continuous brightness value scales, this subclass is limited to devices using only a discrete number of brightness values, e.g. visible/non-visible. [3]
The visual effect may be produced by a luminescent screen scanned by an electron beam, directly by controlled light sources, by projection of light, from controlled light sources onto characters, symbols, or elements thereof drawn on a support, or by electric, magnetic, or acoustic control of the parameters of light rays from an independent source. [3]