Abstract: A self-temperature control type glow plug includes a rod heater held at a front end of a hollow metal holder and having one end extending outside the hollow metal holder. The rod heater includes a heating section made of a conductive ceramic material with a small positive temperature coefficient and a control section made of a conductive ceramic material with a positive temperature coefficient larger than that of the heating section. The heating section is formed integrally with the control section.

Abstract: A surgical instrument guide for use in conjunction with an ultrasound probe and the method of use is described. The guide comprises an ultrasound probe socket disposed in a housing so that it can pivot or be locked in place with respect to the housing. An instrument holder adapted to fit in the probe socket and hold a surgical instrument along its longitudinal axis is also provided. The housing has external threads on the bottom thereof to enable the device to be screwed into the skull.

Abstract: A hydraulic reaction force apparatus for a power steering system has a pump, a power cylinder, a control valve, a first variable orifice, a hydraulic reaction force chamber, and a spool valve. The spool valve has a supply port connected to the pump, a reaction port connected to the hydraulic reaction force chamber, a tank port connected to a tank and a second variable orifice controlled by a spool in the spool valve. The opening of the second variable orifice is changed by a displacement of the spool caused by the pressure difference between upstream and downstream pressures of the first variable orifice, thereby connecting the reaction port to the supply port and the tank port and controlling the magnitude of the hydraulic reaction force.

Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus comprises a steering shaft including a torsion bar to join an input shaft on the side of a steering wheel and an output shaft on the side of a steering road wheel so that they can be rotationally displaced relative to each other, and a non-contact type sensor using a Hall effect device provided in association with the input and output shafts to sense a relative rotational displacement based on a torsion of the torsion bar. The electric power steering apparatus further comprises an electric motor provided around a steering gear body within which the steering shaft is disposed and is driven by a signal from the non-contact type sensor to render a steering assistance to an output shafting leading to the steering road wheel.

Abstract: An electronic drum includes a relatively hard surface layer, a relatively hard base layer, a relatively hard coupling portion, and a detection element. The base layer is spaced apart from the surface layer by a predetermined distance. The coupling portion couples the surface layer to the base layer. The detection element is mounted on the base layer to detect striking of the surface layer. The surface layer and the coupling portion are nonfoamed layers. The base layer is a combination of a nonfoamed or foamed layer and a support plate. A foamed layer is inserted as an impact absorbing layer between the surface and base layers.

Abstract: An emission microscope providing time resolution and high sensitivity to the viewing of light emitted from semiconductor devices is described. The present invention comprises a microscope optic system coupled to an image intensifier. An integrated circuit is viewed with the microscope optics and is stimulated with current flow. As a result of different phenomena, (oxide current, avalanching, and forward biased p-n junctions) light is emitted from the circuit. The image intensifier magnifies the light signal produced by the microscope optics. The output of the intensifier is coupled to a solid-state (CID or CCD) camera. The CID camera outputs a TV signal which is coupled to an image processing computer. The image processing computer controls image enhancement as well as noise reduction. The image processing computer is coupled to an output such as a monitor, a recorder, a printer, or any other suitable display.

Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and methods which are most advantageously used in conjunction with a computer display system incorporating the use of a Z-buffer to provide three dimensional hidden surface elimination. A buffer memory is provided which is sufficiently large such that each display element (pixel) on the display is represented by a 16-bit Z value. The Z value corresponds to the Z axis depth of the object at the particular point corresponding to the pixel. The buffer comprises a plurality of dynamic random access memories (D-RAMs) having two operation modes: Normal and Read-Modify-Write (RMW). A counter/pointer register is provided which successively addresses values in the buffer representing successive pixels along scan lines of the display. A graphics processor is provided with coordinates defining a three dimensional image to be displayed and, for each point of the object, computes a current Z.sub.c value beginning at an initial coordinate address in memory.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an image area of a thin plate is provided having a housing having a vertical side plate at one side thereof, the vertical side plate having an opening; a door movable to close/open the opening; a holder for holding the thin plate in a location which covers the opening when the door is closed; a camera mounted inside the housing so as to oppose the vertical side plate; the florescent lamps mounted on the inner surfaces of upper and lower plates and side plates of the housing which are perpendicular to the vertical side plate so that illumination directions of the florescent lamps are directed toward the thin plate.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for monitoring the state of charge of a rechargeable battery are disclosed which use a reference value corresponding to a defined state of charge stored in a memory. During each battery charging and discharging cycle, the terminal voltage, the current and time are measured and are converted into energy delivered to the battery or by the battery depending on the direction of current flow. The actual state of charge is then calculated from the reference value stored.

Abstract: A device for positioning and proving movement to a semiconductor wafer. A pair of elongated members are attached to either side of a plate which is used during the processing of semiconductor wafers. The members are angled away from the center of the plate at the end which receives the wafer. Angled openings in the members are connected to a gas source which shoots a gas, such as air, from the openings to a assist in propelling the wafer and to prevent the wafer from contacting the member itself. The openings may also be used to introduce different atmospheres to the environment of the wafers during processing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for a system utilizing a microprocessor having a faster maximum operating frequency and a numeric data processor having a slower maximum operating frequency which runs the system at the lower clocking frequency only during those times when both the microprocessor and the numeric data processor are required to perform processing functions and runs the system at the higher clocking frequency when only the microprocessor is required. Therefore the method and apparatus of the invention provides greater operating efficiency for the microprocessor, while not sacrificing the interface capabilities of the numeric data processor. In the apparatus of the present invention, the clocking frequencies are generated by a clocking generator which is coupled to both the microprocessor and the numeric data processor. The generator responds to signals from a control source to provide either the faster or the slower clocking frequency.

Abstract: A finite state machine suitable for MOS fabrication is described. The finite state machine includes a programmed logic array (PLA). The PLA AND plane includes logical inputs and state signal inputs. The state signal inputs are decoded binomially. The state signals are used to activate the AND plane loads, thereby avoiding the necessity of using either a constantly active pull-up or precharge/selective discharge circuitry technique.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved fiber optic magnetometer having particular application for use in environments having large magnetic field ranges and gradients, such as space based applications. The magnetometer includes a laser which generates a coherent beam of light which is split by a beam splitter into first and second beams. The first beam is passed through a single mode fiber optic having a short metallic conductor attached to it. This fiber is referred to as the "sensor arm" of the magnetometer. The second beam is passed through another single mode fiber which is wrapped around a modulator that is coupled to a feedback circuit. This adjusts the magnetometer such that ambient system noise is filtered and the device is maintained at maximum sensitivity. The output of the two fibers is combined forming a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. A current I is passed through the conductor in the sensor arm.

Abstract: A housing structure of a keyboard instrument has: a musical instrument main body having a keyboard portion in which a plurality of keys are aligned in order; a cover having a hinge portion and a foldable portion along an alignment direction of the keys so as to open and cover an upper surface of the musical instrument main body; and a cover lock portion formed in the upper surface of the musical instrument main body for locking the cover when the cover is opened and folded at the foldable portion. The hinge portion consists of a flexible synthetic resin which may be formed integrally with the cover or separately from the cover.