Abstract: A disposal processing apparatus comprises: a disposal processing section that disposes of a recording medium; an arrival detecting section that detects whether the recording medium has reached the disposal processing section; and a judging section that judges whether the recording medium has been disposed of by the disposal processing section based on a detection result of the arrival detecting section.

Abstract: A light detecting apparatus has a two-axis deflector such as a two-axis mirror capable of controlling the deflection of a light beam. The apparatus realizes a sure and speedy light beam search operation without increasing deflecting frequencies of the two-axis deflector. In the light detecting apparatus, a digital signal processor (3) generates two periodic signals having different frequencies to separately control deflective operations in two axial directions of the two-axis deflection mirror (1). A light beam from the two-axis deflection mirror (1) draws a locus on a two-dimensional position sensitive detector (2). Along the locus, the search operation is carried out to find an orientation of a light emitting element that emits a light beam toward the two-axis deflection mirror (1).

Abstract: A power control method for a magnetic disk unit is disclosed. The method includes identifying a type of a last instruction sent to a magnetic disk unit and, in response to identifying the type, setting a wait time that varies according to the type. In response to the wait time having elapsed after a completion of processing ordered by the last instruction, an idle instruction is sent to the magnetic disk unit for placing the magnetic disk unit in an idle state in which power consumption is reduced.

Abstract: In this navigation apparatus, when speech recognition of inputted speech is carried out, keywords included in the content of the recognized speech are searched from a dictionary DB, and then these words are displayed as keywords of a POI search. When a correction of a keyword is required by the user, because most errors occur in the first phonetic symbol of the misrecognized word, a search of words each having phonetic symbols in which the first phonetic symbol of the misrecognized word is changed from the phonetic symbols of the word to be corrected (i.e., a search of words having one different first phonetic symbol) is carried out to present candidates for correction. In this navigation apparatus, because the displayed candidates for correction are limited to words having a different first phonetic symbol which has a high possibility of being the cause of misrecognition, the user can correct the misrecognized keyword by a simple operation.

Abstract: A light detecting apparatus has a two-axis deflector such as a two-axis mirror capable of controlling the deflection of a light beam. The apparatus realizes a sure and speedy light beam search operation without increasing deflecting frequencies of the two-axis deflector. In the light detecting apparatus, a digital signal processor (3) generates two periodic signals having different frequencies to separately control deflective operations in two axial directions of the two-axis deflection mirror (1). A light beam from the two-axis deflection mirror (1) draws a locus on a two-dimensional position sensitive detector (2). Along the locus, the search operation is carried out to find an orientation of a light emitting element that emits a light beam toward the two-axis deflection mirror (1).

Abstract: A computer system measures bus signal distortion and then adjusts certain characteristics of the signal transmitted over the bus, or adjusts other characteristics of the bus or the load on the bus so that signal distortion is reduced. Distortion characteristics that may be measured include signal voltage overshoot and undershoot, and data setup and hold times. Characteristics of the signal and the system that may be adjusted include changing the slew rate of the signal, changing the data setup and hold times, and changing the load impedance on the bus.

Abstract: A method to reduce the power dissipation of a system by omitting an unnecessary CPU throttling operation in a power management apparatus that performs the CPU throttling operation. A power management apparatus 10 is constituted by an event detecting section 12 to detect an event in a system, an activity detecting section 14 to decide whether the system is in a busy state or in an idle state by checking whether or not there is activity in the system, and a clock control section 16 to execute CPU-clock control. The control section 16 does not perform an unnecessary CPU throttling operation, by stopping the CPU throttling operation when the system is in the idle state and performing the CPU throttling operation only when the system is in the busy state. With this, the power dissipation of the system can be considerably reduced.

Abstract: A jumper (60) is provided as a control input means for switching operation modes of a CardBus controller (42). Also, a bidirectional bypass path (40A, 66, 58A) is provided in parallel with the controller. When a passthrough mode signal (64) from the jumper exhibits an inactive state, the controller is enabled for operation and the bypass path is disabled for operation, thereby to cause the controller to be operated in its normal mode. On the other hand, when the passthrough mode signal exhibits an active state, the controller is disabled for operation and the bypass path is enabled for operation, thereby to cause predetermined signals on PCI bus signal lines (40A), or signals on CardBus signal lines (58A) corresponding with the predetermined signals to be output on the CardBus or PCI bus as they are via the bypass path. In order to inspect transactions on the PCI bus, a PCI bus analyzer or exerciser is connected to a PC card slot (44A), to which the bypass path is connected.

Abstract: A communication navigation system, wherein a navigation apparatus requests a recommended route guidance data to a information center and guides a user of the navigation apparatus to a destination by using the recommended route guidance data received from the information center. In this present invention, the navigation apparatus transmits version data of road data held in the navigation apparatus at the request to the information center. The information center prepares a guidance data of recommended route using latest road data held in the information center, and transmits the data to the navigation apparatus. When the information center transmits the guidance data, the information center selects the type of data of the road links along the recommended route, in the guidance data, by comparing the version data received from the navigation apparatus and the version data of each road link along the recommended route.

Abstract: This invention relates to an object recognition apparatus. This apparatus comprises an antenna which emits transmission beams toward a plurality of directions; a receiving circuit which receives reflected signals of the transmission beams from predetermined directions; a distance and direction calculation circuit which calculates distance and direction to objects reflecting the transmission beams based on the transmission beams and the reflected signals; an object pattern storage unit which stores range direction patterns of reflected signals obtained in advance with respect to predetermined objects; an object recognition circuit which compares range direction patterns of the reflected signals received by the receiving circuit with respect to the predetermined directions, with the range direction patterns stored in the object pattern storage unit, and which recognize that a pair of reflected signals from two neighboring directions are signals reflected by the same object.

Abstract: A computer system measures bus signal distortion and then adjusts certain characteristics of the signal transmitted over the bus, or adjusts other characteristics of the bus or the load on the bus so that signal distortion is reduced. Distortion characteristics that may be measured include signal voltage overshoot and undershoot, and data setup and hold times. Characteristics of the signal and the system that may be adjusted include changing the slew rate of the signal, changing the data setup and hold times, and changing the load impedance on the bus.

Abstract: A communication route guidance system provides exchange of data between an information center and each of a plurality of mobile units such as vehicles. The information center has the latest road data and searches it to prepare recommended route guidance data in response to a request from the mobile unit. The reccommended route guidance data is divided into a plurality of data segments, each usable as an independent guidance instruction in the mobile unit. The mobile unit has stored therein road data similar to the road data in the information center and determines if data communication with the information center is available. In a case where the mobile unit can not communicate with the information center, the mobile unit prepares route guidance based on the road data stored in the mobile unit. It thereby becomes possible to guide the user even in the case that the mobile unit can not communicate with the information center.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a navigation center and at least one moving body. The navigation center of the navigation system comprises memory means for storing navigation information; updating means for constantly updating the navigation information stored in the memory means; route searching means for setting a route from a current position of the moving body to a destination on the basis of the newest navigation information updated by the updating means; dividing means for dividing the searched route into at least two portions; extracting means for extracting navigation data concerning at least a head portion of the divided route from the memory means; transmitting means for transmitting to the moving body the extracted navigation data; and control means.

Abstract: A radar apparatus is provided that can correctly extract the necessary point for a determination related to the safe travel of one's automotive vehicle among objects such as automotive vehicles moving at an angle in front and constructed objects. The radar apparatus of the present invention provides antennas that transmit beams in a plurality of directions and receive the reflected waves from objects as received signals. The objects that generated these reflected waves are detected.

Abstract: There is provided a safe driving support system that is able to give accurate and appropriate advice to a driver based on the driving conditions at the time the vehicle is actually being driven. A driving conditions collection device receives operation data representing a driving operation and vehicle data representing the behavior of a vehicle and collects these data. A driving trend determination device performs an analysis and makes a determination based on this collected data and extracts any unsafe phenomena. A presentation device then reads, as contents that correspond to the unsafe phenomena in the driving conditions, advice information relating to driving from contents data that have been stored in advance. This advice information is then presented to the driver.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting connection of an external device, and for identifying the connected external device. The external device comprises: a first identification pin group consisting of one or more connector pins arranged in the longitudinal direction at one end of the connector; a second identification pin group consisting of more than one connector pins arranged in the longitudinal direction at the other end of the connector; and a control pin assigned for one pin on one end of the connector. In the external device, identification information is formed in accordance with a connection of the control pin and at least one pin among the second identification pin group, and a connection or disconnection of the control pin relative to each pin in the pin groups.

Abstract: In a communications navigation system, data is transmitted and received between a navigation base apparatus provided at a navigation base and each of a plurality of navigation apparatuses provided in moving bodies such as vehicles using communication. A determining section of the navigation base apparatus determines untraveled route portion by comparing user's information stored in a user information storage with information of a recommended route provided by a route search section. The navigation base apparatus extracts necessary route/guidance information for untraveled route portion determined by the determining section from route/guidance data stored in a database, and then transmits the extracted route/guidance data to the navigation apparatus identified by the identification information. The route/guidance information may be transmitted to the navigation apparatus in the form of segmented data.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a navigation center and a plurality of navigation apparatuses each of which has a data storage that stores various information. In this navigation system, data (coordinate data of each of traveling intersections) concerning a recommended route is transmitted from the navigation center to the navigation apparatus, and then route guidance is carried out in the navigation apparatus using the data received from the navigation center. In the case where the navigation apparatus has intersection data for an intersection specified by the data received from the navigation center, the navigation apparatus extracts the intersection data for the intersection from the data storage. Further, in the case where the navigation center does not have intersection data for an intersection specified by the data received from the navigation center, the navigation apparatus establishes the intersection as a newly-built intersection on the recommended route.

Abstract: Disclosed is a communicatory navigation system including an information center (150), at least one navigation unit (100) each mounted on a vehicle and communication means for allowing bi-directional data communication between the information center and the navigation unit. Data transmission from the navigation unit to the information center is made during a period of communication that begins when the navigation unit become communicable with the information center and ends when the bi-directional data communication therebetween is disconnected. The navigation unit is provided with a drive route history memory area (131) and an instrument operation history memory area (132), and data in these memory areas are transmitted to the information center, together with the vehicle current position data and the destination position data.

Abstract: A commucations navigation system in which data is transmitted and received between a navigation base apparatus provided at a navigation base and a vehicle navigation apparatus provided in a vehicle using communication. The vehicle navigation apparatus is adapted to transmit at least data concerning the current position of the vehicle and the destination thereof to the navigation base apparatus, and the navigation base apparatus stores navigation data in its data base and is adapted to determine a recommended route based on the transmitted data of the current position of the vehicle and the destination thereof and then extract data of the recommended route from the navigation data stored in the data base and transmit the extracted data to the navigation apparatus.