Abstract: In order to provide a camera capable of warning a user thereof that the camera is rendered inoperable because a predetermined battery is not set in a camera body or the battery is not put in the camera properly, in the camera according to the present invention, an electric circuit having a power source and a battery in detachable manner in a camera body is built in, a light-shield portion as means for optically shielding an optical path in a finder optical system for observing a subject image is driven to darken a view when the battery is removed or when the battery can not be used as a power source even if the battery is set, thereby warning the user that a trouble is generated in the power source.

Abstract: A tilt detecting device for use in various electronic apparatuses such as a watch, electronic notebook or the like. The tilt detecting device includes a projection in a part of a ball containing portion formed in an interior of an insulation case. In the insulation case, two conductive pins are disposed thereon in parallel with each other with a predetermined space, which have a large diameter portion, a small diameter portion and a step between them. In the ball containing portion, a conductive ball is contained therein, which is movable along in a longitudinal direction of the two conductive pins in the ball containing portion when the insulation case is inclined. Only when the insulation case is inclined, the conductive ball is at a position on the large diameter portions to be electrically in contact with the two conductive pins to output a corresponding detection signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a user-friendly camera having a silver-salt picture-taking function and an electronic-image pickup function. The camera includes a silver-salt picture-taking unit and an electronic-image pickup unit. The electronic-image pickup unit picks up an electronic image, which is almost equivalent to a subject image exposed to a silver-salt film, in synchronization with the exposure to the silver-salt film in the silver-salt picture-taking unit. Prior to the exposure, a control circuit causes a battery check circuit to check a power supply battery and causes a determination circuit to determine a result of the battery check while referring to a determination-level storage circuit, thereby properly controlling the silver-salt picture-taking unit and the electronic-image pickup unit so as to prevent the electronic-image pickup unit from performing its pickup operation in the subsequent picture-taking operations.

Abstract: A basic method is provided for determining the installed torque in a screw joint which is being tightened by a series of repeated torque impulses, wherein the rotational movement of the screw joint is detected during each impulse, the point in which the screw joint ceases to rotate is detected. And the actually applied torque is indicated at the very instant the screw joint ceases to rotate. In a tightening process control application of the above described basic method, the per impulse increasing value of the installed torque is compared to a predetermined target value in a way known per se, and the tightening process is interrupted as the target value is reached. In a tightening process quality check application of the above described basic method, the accomplished angular displacements of the joint at repeated impulses are indicated and added, and high and low limit values for the final installed torque and the total angle of rotation are provided and compared to the actually obtained values.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser module 1 comprising a semiconductor laser device 2 having an emitting surface 2a from which excited light is emitted and a reflecting surface 2b opposite to the emitting surface, and an optical feedback medium 3 for feeding most of optical power emitted from the emitting surface 2a of the semiconductor laser device 2 back to the semiconductor laser device 2 by coupling means 4 and emitting part of the optical power. The semiconductor laser device 2 has a low reflectance multilayer coating 2c formed on the emitting surface 2a and having a reflectance of 10−4 to 10%. The low reflectance multilayer coating 2c has a reflection spectrum in the form of a curve having a maximum value at the central wavelength of reflection and minimum values on both sides of the central wavelength of reflection.

Abstract: A display device includes a liquid crystal capable of displaying a central region, a first peripheral region at the periphery of the central region, and a second peripheral region at the periphery of the central region and differing from the first peripheral region. A first electrode is connected to a region including the central region and first peripheral region of the liquid crystal. A second electrode is connected to a region including the central region and second peripheral region of the liquid crystal. The display regions of the liquid crystal are controlled by supplying driving signals to the first electrode and second electrode.

Abstract: A tape cassette is set in a cassette accommodating section of a tape printer. A magnetically affixable printing tape is fed out from a holding reel along with an ink ribbon having a non-magnetic ink layer formed thereon across a cut in the tape cassette and conveyed through between a thermal head and a platen roller while being pressed by those elements. The printing tape comprises a printing layer and a magnetic layer pasted to the printing layer. The magnetic layer is magnetized such that S and N poles are alternately arranged longitudinally of the tape to thereby prevent turns of the tape roll from shifting widthwise. The magnetic layer has a coated fluorine layer formed thereon or has wrinkles formed thereon to thereby prevent blocking from occurring on a printing face of the tape due to its winding. Thus, the printing tape is conveyed in a correct attitude to enable a high quality image to be printed thereon.

Abstract: A photographing lens of a camera comprises a non-circular lens and a light blocking mask. The non-circular lens receives an optical image from an object and forms an image on a photographing medium. The light blocking mask is fixed in front of the non-circular lens, and blocks noise light generated in relation to the non-circular lens.

Abstract: An exposure start determining section executes exposure start determination for reducing a shake level, on the basis of the output of a shake detecting/computing section, and a reduction in shaking is waited for. An exposure start determination controlling section determines the wait time, i.e. a time lag, and a state reporting section reports information corresponding to the stages of the time lag.

Abstract: There is disclosed a lens holder capable of firmly holding the objective lens of an optical pickup to the holder without contamination of the effective range of the objective lens due to adhesive. An optical pickup using this lens holder is also disclosed. The lens holder 10 has a seat portion 3 for locking the objective lens 1 of the optical pickup. The seat portion 3 has a top-end surface 3a that is inclined and sinks outward.

Abstract: A musical performance training apparatus communicates with a musical instrument having light emitting elements for respective operation elements (e.g., musical keys). The apparatus sequentially reads, in advance, respective note data of a musical performance training part before their respective play timings (note-on timings), sequentially reads respective note data of automatic performance parts at their respective play timings and sends them to the instrument so that the light emitting elements are so controlled by the note data of the training part as to notify a trainee of key(s) to be played next, allowing the trainee to operate keys or play the training part in time agreement with the automatic performance. When reading note data of chord notes with a time difference or error from one another, the apparatus corrects the chord notes so as to have the same play time and sends the corrected results to the instrument.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a writing device for writing an image on the basis of image data thereof; a controller for controlling a writing position in a primary scanning direction by the writing device; a conveying device for conveying a recording material; and a position detecting sensor for detecting an edge of the recording material, which is conveyed by the conveying device in the primary scanning direction as an absolute position. The controller determines the writing position in the primary scanning direction by the writing device on the basis of a position of the edge of the recording material in the primary scanning direction detected by the position detecting sensor, and controls the writing position of the writing device in the primary scanning direction.

Abstract: A substrate with a check-land, comprises a substrate which is fixed to a housing holding an optical element, and includes a check-land. A portion of the substrate, which includes the check-land, is formed to have a flexibility in relation to the other portion which does not include the check-land. Further, a check-land connecting device used for electrical connection to the check-land of the substrate with a check-land, includes a probe which is used to press a check-land of the substrate with a check-land, and a base member which is used to abut a region of a back surface of the substrate with a check-land, the region corresponding to the check-land. The probe and the base member are connected to approach and separate from each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus,-in which an ink sheet is superimposed onto an image receiving sheet and subjected to imagewise exposure to light to allow an image in the ink sheet to transfer to the image receiving sheet to form an image is disclosed, comprising a drum, an exposure device, a detecting device for detecting quality information of the ink sheet and/or image receiving sheet, a memory device for memorizing an exposure condition corresponding the quality information, and a control device for controlling the exposure device and/or the drum.

Abstract: In a large-capacity FD comprising a disk-shaped recording medium on which a plurality of tracks are arranged with concentric circles, each track is divided into a predetermined number of sectors having a length equal to one another. Each sector consists of a serve field and a data field. The servo field in each sector includes a sector number field in which a sector number and alternation contents of the magnetic disk medium are written and a track number field in which a track number is written. The sectors on each track may be assigned with serial sector numbers in a circumferential direction in order with skipping over any defective sector. The plurality of tracks may be separated in a radial direction into a plurality of zones each including at least one alternate track.

Abstract: A method and a circuit for operating a direct current metal halide arc lamp. The lamp is activated by a periodic signal UL(t), and the duration Taus between the beginning of the fall from a maximum value and the subsequent rise in signal amplitude ranges from 1 to 50 &mgr;s. A pulsator is arranged between the ballast and the starter in addition to a direct current metal halide arc lamp which is filled by additional constituents, namely thallium, at a concentration of 0.6 to 3.0 &mgr;mol/ml in addition to an ignition gas, mercury, and lithium at a concentration of 0.2 to 0.5 &mgr;mol/ml.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has: an image memory for storing image data; an image recording device having an image recording position for recording an image onto a recording material at the image recording position; a conveying device for conveying the recording material to the image recording position; and an image correction device for correcting an angle of the image data in accordance with inclination of the recording material conveyed to the image recording position. An image is recorded on the recording material by the image recording device on the basis of the image data corrected by the image correction device.

Abstract: In a secondary battery protection circuit for protecting a secondary battery (300), on discharging, a discharge switch off arrangement (211, 212, 213, 214) turns a discharge control switch (FET1) off when a battery voltage (Vcc) is lower than a predetermined overdischarge detection threshold voltage. A discharge switch on arrangement (216, 217, 218, 219) immediately turns the discharge control switch on when a charger (500) for a load (400) is connected between external connection terminals (101, 102). On charging, a charge switch off arrangement (221, 222, 223, 224) turns a charge control switch (FET2) off when the battery voltage is higher than a predetermined overcharge detection threshold voltage. A charge switch on arrangement (226A, 227B, 228A, 229) immediately turns the charge control switch on when the load for the charger is connected between the external connection terminals.