Abstract: A voltage regulator, which generates and outputs a given voltage based on a preset reference voltage, includes: a detection circuit part detecting the output voltage and generating and outputting a voltage based on the detected voltage; first and second operational amplifiers each comparing the output voltage of said detection circuit part and the preset reference voltage and outputting a voltage representing a comparison result, the first operational amplifier being controlled based on control signals supplied externally and consuming a larger amount of electric current than the second operational amplifier; and an output circuit part comprising an output transistor outputting an electric current based on the output voltages of the first and second operational amplifiers.

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in a digital communication system where multiple media data sources are time multiplexed into a packetized data stream, each packet having an assigned priority and the packetized data stream transmitted in substantially the order of assigned priority. At both the transmit side, and the receive side, audio packets are given priority processing over video packets, which in turn have priority over text/graphics data packets. Continuous real time audio playback is maintained at the receiver by delaying the playback of received audio in a first in/first out (FIFO) buffer providing a delay at least equal to the predicted average packet delay for the communication system. Optionally, the average system delay is continuously monitored, and the audio playback delay time is adjusted accordingly. Audio playback is slowed or accelerated in order to shrink or grow the difference in time between the sender and receiver.

Abstract: A threshold value is set in advance for each of a number of conclusions. Possibility values of conclusions obtained from an approximate reasoning apparatus are compared with the corresponding threshold values, and a conclusion whose possibility value is equal to or greater than its threshold value is outputted (displayed). When information indicative of an error is entered with regard to a conclusion whose possibility value is equal to or greater than the corresponding threshold value but which actually does not hold true, or a conclusion whose possibility value is less than the corresponding threshold value but which actually does hold true, the threshold value concerning the conclusion that has produced the error is revised dynamically. The weights of conclusions are set. By multiplying the possibility value of a conclusion from an approximate reasoning apparatus by the weight set for this conclusion, a score is calculated for every conclusion.