Abstract: An optical scanning lens and an optical scanning and imaging system for use in an optical scanning apparatus for scanning a surface of an optical recording medium, such as a photosensitive material, for writing data thereupon, is constructed to produce a minimum beam spot diameter, in a sub-scanning direction, within a desired range, while also reducing variation in a scanning line pitch and reducing variation in beam spot diameter according to an image height for every point along a scanning surface by determining and compensating for a non-uniform distribution of refractive indices in an optical scanning lens used in the optical scanning imaging system, before designing and manufacturing the optical scanning lens.

Abstract: For use with RF circuitry in which a DC bias circuit provides bias voltage is provided to impedance-matched circuitry, a structure is provided, in which a dielectric member, having a high dielectric constant, is selectively placed adjacent to a bias feed line coupled between the DC bias circuit and the remainder of the circuitry, to maintain high RF impedance while reducing impedance at lower frequencies. The invention has particular applicability to RF amplifiers, to be used for amplifying modulated carriers, such as video signals made up of an RF carrier and a lower-frequency modulation. Where the carrier has a predetermined wavelength, the physical length of the bias feed line and the dielectric constant of the dielectric member are chosen such that an effective length of the bias feed line is a quarter of the wavelength of the carrier.

Abstract: A panty girdle comprises an upper panty portion and lower thigh covering portions. An elastic belt is wholly or partially sewn to the inner circumferential surface of the panty portion of the panty girdle and extends downwards towards the middle of front panels of the panty girdle. When one wears the panty girdle, one's Iliums are tightened by connecting the ends of the belt to achieve pelvis correction.

Abstract: A first power train (T1) for driving a pair of front drive wheels (Wf1, Wf2) comprises a transmission (4) connected to an engine (2) and a front drive train (41f) connected to the drive wheels, the front drive train including a final reduction gear (43), and a second power train (T2) for driving a pair of rear drive wheels (Wr1, Wr2) comprises a rear transfer train (11) branched from the first power train, between the transmission and the front drive train, and a rear drive train (41r) connected to the rear drive wheels.

Abstract: The amount of silicon feed material supplied to a silicon melt furnace in a silicon crystal web growing installation is controlled by providing a melt level reference signal, generating a melt level signal representative of the level of the molten silicon in the silicon melt furnace, and providing a feed rate control signal representative of the difference between the melt level signal and the melt level reference signal. The feed rate control signal is used in a open loop mode to advise an operator of the amount of adjustment needed to correct the melt level; and is used in a closed loop mode to control the feed rate of the silicon feed material to the furnace. The laser beam reflected off the melt surface is passed through a narrow bandpass filter to remove noise due to thermal radiation from the furnace. The melt level signals generated by a position detector are averaged and digitally filtered to eliminate erroneous data caused by mechanical vibrations and other noise sources.

Abstract: A method for tuning a demand model in manner that is stable with respect to fluctuations in the sales history used for the tuning is provided. A market model is selected, which predicts how a subset of the parameters in the demand model depends upon information external to the sales history; this model may itself have a number of parameters. An effective figure-of-merit function is defined, consisting of a standard figure-of-merit function based upon the demand model and the sales history, plus a function that attains a minimum value when the parameters of the demand model are closest to the predictions of the market model. This effective figure-of-merit function is minimized with respect to the demand model and market model parameters. The resulting demand model parameters conform to the portions of the sales history data that show a strong trend, and conform to the external market information when the corresponding portions of the sales history data show noise.

Abstract: A music apparatus is constructed for reproducing multimedia events including musical events and visual events arranged in synchronization to the musical events. In the music apparatus, a storage device provides a data structure composed of music information which determines a sequence of the musical events, image progression information which determines a sequence of the visual events in synchronization to the sequence of the musical events, and event information which represents the visual events involved in the image progression information. A tone generator processes the music information to generate musical tones in correspondence to the sequence of the musical events. An image synthesizer operates in synchronization to the tone generator for sequentially processing the event information according to the image progression information to synthesize images in correspondence to the sequence of the visual events.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that allows a Web page designer to specify tooltips for his Web page. Tooltips are text areas that display automatically when the user places the cursor over predetermined text on a display device. The invention also enables Web browser software to display the tooltips specified by the designer. The HTML format extension allows a Web page designer to specify the text over which the user must place the cursor to activate tooltips. The HTML extension also allows the designer to specify the tooltip text that will be displayed when the cursor reaches the specified text. Using the present invention, the designer only needs to specify tooltips for any given information once per page, even though the displayed information may appear multiple times on the Web page.

Abstract: An automatic music composing apparatus comprises a musical template data base storing a plurality of musical templates each including a first set of data constituting a musical melody sample defined by a pattern of musical tone pitch progression in a pattern of rhythm to be performed for a musical piece and a second set of data indicative of musical features of said musical melody sample. The melody sample is constructed and partitioned in such a hierarchical structure that a musical piece is comprised of sentences, each sentence is comprised of phrases, each phrase is comprised of measures, and each measure includes a plurality of notes having respective pitches and durations to constitute a melody segment having a rhythm pattern. The apparatus comprises an input device for inputting composition conditions to define musical features for a musical piece to be composed in terms of the number of sentences, phrases and measures, and similarity symbols of each sentence.

Abstract: A tappet is used in an internal combustion engine. A cam-slidably-contacting member is placed on a top wall of a tappet body via diffusing material that includes a mixture of one or more elements of Zn, Mg, Sn, Cu and Pb. The cam-slidably-contacting member and the tappet body are pressed with the diffusing material held therebetween, so that the diffusing material is diffused into the tappet body and the cam-slidably-contacting member until the layer of the diffusing material does not substantially remain, and a tappet of high strength is formed.

Abstract: The invention provides a simple, light-weight inspection device by arranging a mechanical path switching mechanism.

Abstract: A drive unit structure for a keyboard assembly is provided, which comprises a driven member having a flat sliding surface and pivotable about a fulcrum thereof, and an actuator disposed for sliding contact with the flat sliding surface of the driven member to pivotally drive the driven member. The fulcrum of the driven member lies in a plane including the flat sliding surface of the driven member. As a result, the operations of the actuator and driven member can be stable, to thereby enhance the accuracy of transmission of the operation of the actuator to the driven member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring commands to a graphics processor is provided. The method and apparatus are intended for use in a host computer system having a memory that is addressable by a host processor and a graphics processor. One or more queues of packet descriptors are maintained in the memory of the host computer system. Each packet descriptor includes a pointer to a region of memory known as a packet buffer. Each packet descriptor also includes a ready variable. To pass commands to the graphics processor, a graphics process selects a packet buffer. The packet buffer must have a ready variable that is set to the value false. After selection of the appropriate packet descriptor, the graphics process writes the desired commands into the packet descriptor associated with the selected packet descriptor. The graphics process then sets the ready variable included in the selected packet descriptor to true. The graphics processor traverses the queues of packet descriptors.

Abstract: A brand-new player piano is designed to have a compatibility with the conventional player piano and the electronic musical instrument based on the MIDI standard while providing a capability of playing a highly skilled music performance such as the performance technique of half stroke. The player piano creates a new version of performance information which uses a key-depression event frame in addition to a string-striking event frame and a key-release event frame. Herein, the string-striking event frame contains extensional information for a string-striking velocity, while the key-release event frame contains extensional information for a key-release velocity. The extensional information is not specifically defined by the MIDI standard and is neglected by the conventional player piano.

Abstract: A surface acoustic wave device includes a piezoelectric substrate, and comb-shaped electrodes each having a bus bar and a plurality of electrode fingers disposed on the piezoelectric substrate. At least one of the fingers and the bus bar are connected to each other via at least two different connecting portions at two different locations.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument is constructed on a mother board for editing a parameter of an extension board necessary for generating a music tone while monitoring the parameter according to display information. In the instrument, a display device is provided for displaying a current value of the parameter to be edited. An input device is operable for inputting an operational variable effective to change the current value of the parameter. A first control circuit contained in a CPU of the mother board is operative when receiving the display information for controlling the display device to display the current value of the parameter, and is operative when the operational variable is inputted from the input device for transmitting the operational variable to the extension board.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes an optical scanning lens composed of a single lens which is arranged and adapted to correct for placement errors of optical elements. The shapes of both surfaces of the optical scanning lens are non-arc in a deflective surface and at least one surface thereof has a special toric surface. The scanning lens is meniscus having a concave shape in a sub-scanning direction and is biconvex in a main scanning direction.

Abstract: A method and device for the clean, non-traumatic removal of a diseased or otherwise eroded, cut, damaged, or dystrophied epithelium layer from the cornea of an eye, for the enhanced regeneration thereof or as the first step in a PRK procedure. The device includes a source for high speed, water-jet with sufficient speed and pressure to cleanly remove the epithelium layer from the Bowman's layer but at a speed which does not affect the harder, underlying Bowman's layer. The device further includes a preferably flat, impinging surface adapted to be directly placed on the epithelium with a laterally extending portion. The flat surface lightly applanates the cornea. The waterjet is adapted to impinge on the flat surface whereby the surface causes the waterjet to laterally radiate and continuously "brush" off the epithelium until the Bowman's layer is reached. Continued waterjet impingement, for a limited period thereafter, does not affect the Bowman's layer and merely harmlessly irrigates the eye.

Abstract: A support structure is provided for supporting a sound board of an upright piano. A peripheral portion of the sound board is securely fixed to a sound board bearing shim, which is securely fixed to a back frame. The back frame is constructed by a plurality of posts, beams and a bottom sill. A pin block is attached to an upper portion of the main body of the upright piano above the sound board bearing shim. A support member is provided between the pin block and back frame and is made of the material having a high rigidity. An extending portion extends downwardly from a lower end of the support member. A front surface of the extending portion is attached to an upper portion of the sound board bearing shim. Herein, a thinned portion is formed by cutting a back portion of the extending portion. The extending portion is formed as an integral part of the support member but is different from the support member in thickness. So, the extending portion separates from the back frame.