Abstract: This game-piece launching toy, which is a toy used while playing games in which game-pieces such as marbles are launched, includes a toy body; a flipping member installed on the toy body; a pushing member configured to move a game-piece placed on the toy body toward a tip of the flipping member; and a restriction member installed on the toy body to be movable with respect to the toy body and operated by a user to restrict the flipping member. The game-piece loaded into the toy body is launched from the toy body using a restriction force acting on the flipping member.

Abstract: This game-piece launching toy, which is a toy used while playing games in which game-pieces such as marbles are launched, includes a toy body; a flipping member installed on the toy body; a pushing member configured to move a game-piece placed on the toy body toward a tip of the flipping member; and a restriction member installed on the toy body to be movable with respect to the toy body and operated by a user to restrict the flipping member. The game-piece loaded into the toy body is launched from the toy body using a restriction force acting on the flipping member.

Abstract: Terminal equipment for electronically making patent and utility patent applications. The terminal equipment converts various formats of text data generated by an external device into the internal format of the terminal equipment, retrieves the converted text data, merges the text data with a procedure, and transmits the procedure. The merging operation in which image data is merged with text data is simplified whereby the operator can make applications with a simple operation without special skill and knowledge when an application document is transmitted and received on line.

Abstract: A signal compensation circuit compensates for direct-current offset of an input signal by amplifying the input signal with an amplifier having a variable direct-current offset. A low-speed negative feedback loop charges and discharges a capacitor in an integrating circuit according to the direct-current component of the amplified signal. A high-speed negative feedback loop charges and discharges the same capacitor at a faster rate when the amplified signal goes outside an allowable amplitude range. The capacitor potential is used to control the direct-current offset of the amplifier. The allowable amplitude range is adjusted according to the amplitude of the amplified signal. High-speed compensation can thus be combined with a tolerance for runs of identical code levels in the input signal.

Abstract: A voltage/current converting circuit has a differential circuit. The differential circuit has a first input terminal coupled to receive an input voltage signal, a second input terminal coupled to receive a reference voltage signal and an output terminal for outputting an electrical current in response to a comparison of the input voltage signal and the reference voltage signal. The differential circuit includes first and second transistors. The first transistor has a control terminal connected to the first input terminal and has a first dimension. The second transistor has a control terminal connected to the second input terminal and has a second dimension that is different from the first dimension.

Abstract: A comparator is constructed to exclude an adverse effect of variation of a power source potential VDD or the like on a current output Iout. The comparator comprises a first voltage follower portion which receives an input potential Vin and outputs a potential (=Vin) following the input potential, a second voltage follower portion which receives a reference voltage Vref and outputs a potential (=Vref) following the input potential, and a current subtracting portion which outputs as a comparison result (Iout) a value achieved by subtracting the amount of current flowing due to the potential difference between the power source potential VDD of the comparator and the output potential (=Vref) of the second voltage follower portion from the amount of current flowing due to the potential difference between the power source potential VDD of the comparator and the output potential (=Vin) of the first voltage follower portion.

Abstract: A signal amplitude limiting circuit includes a differential circuit, a feed back circuit and a voltage supply circuit. The differential circuit has a positive input terminal, a negative input terminal, a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal. The feedback circuit is connected to the differential circuit. The feedback circuit compares voltages at the positive and negative output terminals with a reference voltage and outputs a comparison signal in response to the comparison. The voltage supply circuit is connected to the differential circuit and the feedback circuit. The voltage supply circuit provides a current to the differential circuit in response to the comparison signal.

Abstract: A current/voltage converting circuit has a differential circuit. The differential circuit has a first input terminal coupled to receive an input voltage signal, a second input terminal coupled to receive a reference voltage signal and an output terminal for outputting an electrical current in response to a comparison of the input voltage signal and the reference voltage signal. The differential circuit includes first and second transistors. The first transistor has a control terminal connected to the first input terminal and has a first dimension. The second transistor has a control terminal connected to the second input terminal and has a second dimension that is different from the first dimension.

Abstract: A signal amplitude limiting circuit includes a differential circuit, a feed back circuit and a voltage supply circuit. The differential circuit has a positive input terminal, a negative input terminal, a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal. The feedback circuit is connected to the first differential circuit. The feedback circuit compares voltages at the positive and negative output terminals with a reference voltage and outputs a comparison signal in response to the comparison. The voltage supply circuit is connected to the differential circuit and the feedback circuit. The first voltage supply circuit provides a current to the differential circuit in response to the comparison signal.

Abstract: A tuning circuit includes an oscillator that receives an oscillating input signal and a control signal, and generates an oscillating output signal. The control signal is obtained from a frequency control circuit that compares the phases of the oscillating output signal and a reference signal. The control signal controls the transconductance of a transconductance element in the oscillator, thereby controlling the oscillator output frequency. The oscillating input signal is obtained from an amplitude control circuit that detects an amplitude limit of the oscillator output. The oscillator output amplitude is responsive to the oscillating input signal. Frequency control and amplitude control in this tuning circuit are mutually independent, so their respective control loops remain stable under all frequency and amplitude combinations.

Abstract: A signal compensation circuit compensates for direct-current offset of an input signal by amplifying the input signal with an amplifier having a variable direct-current offset. A low-speed negative feedback loop charges and discharges a capacitor in an integrating circuit according to the direct-current component of the amplified signal. A high-speed negative feedback loop charges and discharges the same capacitor at a faster rate when the amplified signal goes outside an allowable amplitude range. The capacitor potential is used to control the direct-current offset of the amplifier. The allowable amplitude range is adjusted according to the amplitude of the amplified signal. High-speed compensation can thus be combined with a tolerance for runs of identical code levels in the input signal.

Abstract: A tuning circuit includes an oscillator that receives an oscillating input signal and a control signal, and generates an oscillating output signal. The control signal is obtained from a frequency control circuit that compares the phases of the oscillating output signal and a reference signal. The control signal controls the transconductance of a transconductance element in the oscillator, thereby controlling the oscillator output frequency. The oscillating input signal is obtained from an amplitude control circuit that detects an amplitude limit of the oscillator output. The oscillator output amplitude is responsive to the oscillating input signal. Frequency control and amplitude control in this tuning circuit are mutually independent, so their respective control loops remain stable under all frequency and amplitude combinations.

Abstract: Cooling operation is performed so as to keep a freezer at a selected temperature. Moreover, if the cooling operation enters a phase where the freezer temperature is higher than the selected temperature by a predetermined deviation or more, not only the deviation temperature but also an accumulated time obtained by accumulating the time periods during which the cooling operation is performed at the deviation temperature or higher are stored. In addition, when an instruction signal to indicate an accumulation is input, the stored accumulated time and deviation temperature are read out and indicated on a segment indicating section (7S).

Abstract: An information retrieval system of a client/server model for executing communication between a client unit for instructing information retrieval and a server unit for accepting the information retrieval instruction. The client unit includes an abnormality-in-communication detecting unit for detecting the occurrence of an abnormality in communication. A retrieval condition holding unit holds retrieval conditions relating to the information retrieval, that have been inputted up to the point of interruption of the information retrieval, when the server unit enters the state of an abnormal end due to an abnormality in communication and when the information retrieval is interrupted. A retrieval requesting unit reads out the retrieval conditions from the retrieval condition holding unit and sends them to the server unit at the time of restart of the interrupted information retrieval, when the retrieval conditions in the retrieval condition holding unit are judged as necessary.