Abstract: The object of the present invention is to use the same FIFO line memory for both enlargement and reduction during variable-magnification processing in the scan direction, allowing reduction in circuit board area, reduction in power consumption, and reduction in cost, and to provide an image processing apparatus that allows variable-magnification processing to be carried out such that the speed of a scanning unit that captures image data during variable-magnification processing in the cross-scan direction is constant. During processing to enlarge an image in the scan direction, image data travels from CCD circuit board, passing through gate b of selector, is written to and read from FIFO memory, and from gate b of selector is written to memory provided at variable magnification unit. At variable magnification unit, image data is read from memory a plurality of times in correspondence to enlargement ratio, changing the magnification of the image data.

Abstract: An HDD controller executes high-speed burst data transfer, at which the HDD controller has a master mode for the HDD controller to work as a bus master of a PCI bus, and a slave mode for the HDD controller to work as a slave unit to the PCI bus. When a PCI device connected to a memory for data exchange is slower than the HDD controller in slave access, the HDD controller operates in the slave mode in data control while the PCI device A becomes the bus master. On the other hand, when the PCI device is a PCI device B which is faster than or as fast as the HDD controller in slave access, the HDD controller operates in the master mode in data control.

Abstract: A connecting structure is for a printed wiring board to be electrically connected to a FPC. The FPC includes a substrate and electro-conductive portions. The printed wiring board includes an insertion opening provided on an edge surface thereof, and line connecting terminals formed on an inner wall face of the insertion opening. A dual in-line contact member including first contact members is fixed to the top end portion of the FPC. Each first contact member includes a main body, and a first arm and a second arm extending from the main body generally in parallel to each other. Furthermore, the first arm and the second arm are bent at bent portions so as to form curves protruding away from each other. With the present embodiment, at least one of the first arm and the second arm press the corresponding line connecting terminal provided within the insertion opening at the bent portion thereof by inserting the FPC to the insertion opening of the printed wiring board.

Abstract: An FPC connector comprises: a housing in which is formed a concave portion into which an FPC with a pair of engaging convex portions arranged on two flanks of a terminal portion of the FPC, is inserted; a cover-housing for covering, with opening and closing enabled, the concave portion of the housing, the housing having a pair of protrusions that protrude from a bottom face of the concave portion and are latched by the pair of engaging convex portions; and a pair of metal reinforcing plates, adjoining two flanks of the pair of protrusions, the metal reinforcing plates having convex portions that are latched by the protrusions and the engaging convex portions.

Abstract: An FPC connector comprises: a housing in which is formed a concave portion into which an FPC with a pair of engaging convex portions arranged on two flanks of a terminal portion of the FPC, is inserted; a cover-housing for covering, with opening and closing enabled, the concave portion of the housing, the housing having a pair of protrusions that protrude from a bottom face of the concave portion and are latched by the pair of engaging convex portions; and a pair of metal reinforcing plates, adjoining two flanks of the pair of protrusions, the metal reinforcing plates having convex portions that are latched by the protrusions and the engaging convex portions.

Abstract: A double-sided flexible printed circuit comprises: an electrically insulating base; a first copper layer having a first conductive pattern; a second copper layer having a second conductive pattern, the second conductive pattern disposed offset from the first conductive pattern; and electrically insulating coverlays. A first area opposing a first contact point of first contacts that press upon the first conductive patterns, is reinforced by copper foil extending from the second conductive patterns, and a second area opposing a second contact point of second contacts that press upon the second conductive patterns, is reinforced by copper foil extending from the first conductive patterns.

Abstract: A printer control processing device manages a result of the image capturing of the symbol pattern indicating information based on which a print process is controlled. The printer control processing device includes: a recording/retrieving section for obtaining reference pattern data and pattern printing data from an information storage section; a matching level determining section for determining a matching level between reference pattern data and the result of the image capturing by an image capturing device of a symbol pattern printed based on the pattern printing data; and a pattern modifying section modifying the pattern printing data corresponding to a captured symbol pattern if the matching level determining section determines that the matching level is less than a predetermined threshold. Therefore, pattern printing data can be provided which results in a reliably identifiable symbol pattern in the result the image capturing by the image capturing device.

Abstract: The image processing apparatus (data processing apparatus) stores data in a storing unit (storing means), inputs and outputs the data to and from the storing unit via a storage control unit (input-output means) and processes the data outputted from the storing unit with a control unit (processing means). The storage control unit inputs and outputs image data to and from the storing unit by the DMA method through a path via a DMA control unit and inputs and outputs other data such as a control instruction to and from the storing unit by the PIO method through a path via a PIO control unit. Image data to be inputted and outputted to and from the storing unit by the DMA method is encrypted in an input operation and decrypted in an output operation by an encryption/decryption unit provided on the input-output path for DMA method.

Abstract: A mold used to form a rubber or resin article comprises a shaping surface for shaping a surface of an object to be molded, and a vent structure for releasing air between the shaping surface and the surface, wherein the vent structure includes EDM vents each having a gap of not more than 0.1 mm at the shaping surface.

Abstract: A mold comprises a spherical cavity, a support pin capable of being moved forward and backward with respect to the cavity, and a vent pin (8). The vent pin (8) includes two slits (S), an annular groove (20) and a vertical groove (22). An upper end (24) of the slit (S) is opened toward the cavity. A lower end (26) of the slit (S) is opened toward the annular groove (20). The annular groove (20) is coupled to the vertical groove (22). The lower end of the vertical groove (22) is opened toward air. A width (W) of the slit (S) is preferably equal to or greater than 1 ?m, is more preferably equal to or greater than 3 ?m, and is particularly preferably equal to or greater than 5 ?m. A depth (D) of the slit (S) is preferably equal to or greater than 10% of a diameter (?), is more preferably equal to or greater than 15% of the diameter (?), and is particularly preferably equal to or greater than 20% of the diameter (?). It is preferable that the same slit (3) should be formed on the support pin.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a scanner, which reads a plurality of images and inputs them as multivalue digital image data; a matching data producing section which, based on the inputted multivalue image data, produces matching data for joining the respective inputted images; a post-processing section, which binarizes the image data of each image inputted by the scanner; a joining section, which synthesizes the respective inputted images into a single image by joining the binary data produced by the post-processing section, which corresponds to the image data of the respective inputted images, on the basis of the matching data produced by the matching data producing section; and a printer for outputting the image joined by the joining section. Thus an image processing device can be provided which is capable of joining any type of image, whether from written characters, halftone dot, or photographic originals, and of performing this joining processing at high speed.

Abstract: A technique for permitting a consumer to compare premium estimates form a plurality of insurance providers based on inputting conditions which affect the premium calculation a single time to a network such as the Internet. A consumer or user initiates a session by connecting his computer to an insurance comparison website provided by a service underwriter. The user inputs various conditions which might affect the premium for a desired insurance product. The user inputs trial-calculation condition data to a predetermined input button or field of the trial-calculation condition input screen and sends the condition data to the service underwriter. The service underwriter converts the condition data into a form suitable for a standard interface and sends the formatted data to computers of one or more participating and user selected insurance companies or underwriters. A premium calculation engine at the computer for each insurance company calculates an estimated premium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a non-contact type power supply unit intended for use in electronic equipment, aiming at the realization of a small size and low cost and successful achievement in an enhanced capability of electric power transmission. In order to achieve the foregoing objectives, the non-contact type power supply unit comprises a primary coil(11) that is fed with pulsated currents, a secondary coil(13) mounted opposite to the primary coil(11) in an enclosure that is different from an enclosure wherein the primary coil(11) is mounted, whereby electric power is transferred from the primary coil(11) to the secondary coil(13) and wherein a ferrite core(12) is disposed so as to extend from the primary coil(11) towards the secondary coil(13), thus achieving efficient electric power transmission from the primary coil(11) to secondary coil(13).

Abstract: A drying oven for curing paint applied to a vehicle comprising a housing, radiant heat panel located on the side walls of the housing, a conveyor for carrying a vehicle through the housing and a convection heater unit positioned at a height below the conveyor such that heat from the convection heater is directed onto the under floor of the vehicle passing through the housing on the conveyor. In a first embodiment, the convection heater unit includes a feed pipe positioned below the conveyor and a plurality of nozzles extending from the feed pipe for directing hot air onto the under floor of the vehicle. In a second embodiment, a plurality of heat ducts are located below and to the side of the conveyor, each heat duct having an opening directed at the under floor of the vehicle on the conveyor for directing hot air onto the under floor of the vehicle.

Abstract: In a DMA controller in accordance with the present invention, in the case of memory-to-memory data transfer using the DMA process (transfer for changing addresses inside the memory), one channel for carrying out the data transfer is provided. In the case of data transfer between the I/O device and a memory using the DMA process, two channels for carrying out the data transfer are, on the other hand, provided by using a circuit that constitutes said one channel. Thus, it is possible to provide multiple channels in the DMA controller by using a compact, inexpensive circuit construction.

Abstract: In an image processing method, an image is read by an image processing apparatus such as a digital copying machine and the read image is divided into blocks composed of a plurality of picture elements. Thereafter, interpolation is performed on a target picture element so that the image is scaled. Then, in the above image processing method, region segmentation data, which represent possibilities of characters, photographs and mesh dots of the target picture element of the image, are detected in a region segmentation section of the image processing apparatus, and the interpolated picture element data of the target picture element are computed by a variable scaling section according to an equation in which density of a plurality of adjacent picture elements in the vicinity of the target picture element are inputted. At this time, a weights of the density of each adjacent picture element in the equation is adjusted based upon the result detected by the region segmentation means.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus inputs an image signal obtained by scanning a document in which a character region, a photographic region and a dot region are mixed and stores image data in a local block composed of a target picture element and plural picture elements surrounding the target picture element. The image processing apparatus computes first and second feature parameters P.sub.0 and P.sub.1 representing the features of each region based on the image data in the local block, and inputs the resulting first and second feature parameters P.sub.0 and P.sub.1 to an identification circuit adopting a neural network. The identification circuit outputs the region identification information O.sub.0 and O.sub.1 of the target picture element, and the filter processing circuit performs a spatial filtering process according to the region identification information O.sub.0 and O.sub.1.

Abstract: A gradation control method in a color thermal transfer printer is adapted to express one pixel by a dot matrix with two rows and two coles, control a density value of one dot with a time for energizing a heating element of a thermal head, and carry out mask patterning for plotting only one of four dots when the gradation of each color for one pixel is not more than a prescribed value while plotting only two of the four dots when the gradation is in excess of the prescribed value. At this time, employed is a mask pattern of necessarily plotting cyan and magenta on dots which are different from each other. A picture quality improving method in a staggered printing system is adapted to plot a noted dot when at least one of such conditions that density data of the noted dot is in excess of a prescribed density value and that density data of any of four dots most approximate to the noted dot is not more than a prescribed low density value is satisfied, even if the noted dot corresponds to that to be masked.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a detecting section for detecting a density value as a threshold value for suppressing an effect from a background from image data composed of plural picture element data obtained by digitizing each picture element of the image and a density converting section for outputting the image data after converting density values of the picture element data whose density values are below the threshold value into a predetermined value indicating white when the density value of the picture element data is below the threshold value. The detecting section computes a degree of separation indicating a ratio of a between-class dispersion to a within-class dispersion of two classes divided by the threshold value by sequentially varying the density value. Then, the density value corresponding to a gravitational center of a differential histogram showing the respective differences in degree of separation from a density Tm which maximizes the degree of separation to a highest density Te.

Abstract: Any specific color (e.g., flesh-color, sky-blue and so on) is determined for its area on an original color image and corrected by the use of a matrix color correcting factor to assure a high level of reproduction of that color. Any specific color, for example flesh color, is previously extracted by pre-scanning (S1, S2). An area of the color is determined by counting its pixels included therein (S3). The determined area S of the specific color is compared with a given value C (S4). When S<C, a usual color correction is made (S6). When S>C, another kind of color correction is made (S9, S10). An area of each color is extracted (S9) and a suitable correction factor is selected (S10). All colors are separately corrected by using respectively selected correction factors, that assures a high-quality reproduction of the color image to be printed.