Abstract: To provide a distortion-compensating apparatus capable of stably determining update values when distortion-compensating data to be stored in an amplitude(gain)-compensation-data memory is updated corresponding to ambient temperatures in a distortion-compensating apparatus of an RF-power amplifying means. When updating adverse distortion data for an RF-power amplifying means 12 in a portable telephone or the like corresponding to ambient temperatures, envelope detection signals at input and output sides of the power amplifying means 12, the distortion-compensating apparatus digitizes the individual envelope signals, performs arithmetic operations to obtain the amount of a deviation from a linear gain by using arithmetic-operation means 20 and 21, and thereby updates adverse distortion data to be stored in amplitude-compensation-data memory 7, 7a, 7b.

Abstract: Detection of fraud and circulation of money can be managed while no special apparatus is required, electronic cash can be securely utilized, and personal information and information on individual's purchase are not unnecessarily known. An account management unit 45 stores an amount of money utilized by a user based on information for identifying the user and previously deposited funds. A clearing unit 55 instructs a payment institution to make a settlement. The user management unit 35 manages the information for identifying the user, and an account number of the user in the payment institution encrypted with a public key of a settlement processing apparatus. A communication unit 37 instructs an account management apparatus to change the balance of the previously deposited funds of the user stored therein based on the information for identifying the user, and instructs the settlement apparatus to execute a settlement based on the account number in the payment institution.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus and method and a program storage medium by which a recording medium of an apparatus connected to a network to which the information processing apparatus is connected can be utilized effectively wherein if reservation of recording of a predetermined program is performed for a video recorder, then a data amount necessary to record the reserved program is calculated. Then, those of apparatus connected to a network which include a recording medium which can record the calculated data amount are searched for. In response to a result of the search, a distribution of data amounts to be recorded into the recording media of those apparatus is determined. Then, areas are secured in the recordable areas of the recording media so that the determined data amount may be recorded.

Abstract: An optical disc having a power calibration area for calibrating the power of a data recording laser beam. The power calibration area is provided at an inner peripheral part of the disc and has test areas and count areas. The test areas are provided to accomplish trial writing of data, and the count areas are provided to record data representing the use condition of the test areas. Data is recorded on the optical disc, while calibrating the data recording laser beam. The number of the test areas is increased in accordance with an increase in the recording density of the optical disc. The optical disc may be a double-density CD. In this case, the disc has 800 to 1200 test areas. The test areas have the smallest possible size, and the count areas are provided in the smallest possible number. Therefore, the disc can have sufficiently large data regions. Thus, the power of the data recording laser beam can be therefore adjusted many times.

Abstract: A reception signal of a horizontally polarized wave and a reception signal of a vertically polarized wave from one satellite are amplified by a first pair of low noise amplifiers, and a reception signal of a horizontally polarized wave and a reception signal of a vertically polarized wave from another satellite are amplified by a second pair of low noise amplifiers. One of the low noise amplifiers is selected in accordance with the polarized wave and the satellite, and the signal from the selected low noise amplifier is supplied to a further low noise amplifier through a coupling circuit. The coupling circuit includes extending portions extended in strip conductor shapes from the first pair of low noise amplifiers and an extending element extended in a strip conductor shape from an input of the next stage low noise amplifier. The extending portions and the extended element are arranged so as to closely face each other.

Abstract: To avoid adverse effects on sound quality when the level of an audio signal is raised, a speaker driving circuit having an ultralow range emphasizing circuit for emphasizing an ultralow range, a high-pass filter, and a switching circuit for removing the high-pass filter from an audio signal path when an audio signal to be supplied to a speaker is below a medium level and for inserting the high-pass filter in the audio signal path when the audio signal to be supplied to the speaker is above the medium level is provided.

Abstract: This invention relates to a reproduction method and also to a reproduction apparatus adapted to transmit a first digital signal for main data of a piece of music and additional data accompanying the main data and including the number of the piece of music and the elapsed time on the track and a second digital signal for main data of the piece of music and accompanying absolute time data on a common digital interface.

Abstract: A tape drive uses a single-reel type tape cassette, and includes a pull-back guide shaft for pulling back a tape-shaped recording medium at a predetermined position and a pair of moveable guide pins, whereby the tape-shaped recording medium is positioned between the paired guide pins is wound around the drum. A tension device applies a predetermined tension when the tape-shaped recording medium has been drawn out and a tape path has been formed. A non-winding fast feed mode is set in which the tape-shaped recording medium is fed at high speed under a predetermined tension wherein the tape-shaped recording medium is not wound around the drum. The tension device has a tension regulator lever having two guide shafts for both winding feed mode and non-winding feed mode.

Abstract: A composite carbon fiber material is formed of one or more layers of carbon fiber material in which the carbon fibers are aligned all in the same direction and a mat of nonwoven, woven, or off-axis unidirectional carbon fibers are laminated together. Layers may be used individually or as a hybrid. The layers can be preimpregnated or impregnated during processing using thermoplastic or thermosetting resins. A layer of thermoplastic resin is applied either over the surface or within the composite structure, and the resin permeates the material so as to provide a more stable mechanical structure once the resin is processed. The material combines good mechanical strength with improved electrical current carrying properties when compared with the aligned carbon fiber layer alone. The layering sequence, layer type, and resin type can be specified to tailor electrical properties, mechanical properties, durability, and wear resistance.

Abstract: A program timer-recording apparatus and a program timer-recording method times-activated record a desired program by operating less general-purpose keys. A recording apparatus includes a tuner unit (1), a tuner control unit (4), a VTR unit (13), a VTR control unit (5), a timer control unit (6), a key (2), a remote controller (3), a monitor (14) and a fluorescent display tube (15).

Abstract: A synthesizer receiver includes a variable bandpass filter having a variable width passband to which an intermediate frequency signal is supplied; a first detection circuit for detecting a level of an adjacent broadcast wave signal to enable supplying the detected output to the bandpass filter as a passband width control signal; a second detection circuit for detecting the received electric field intensity having a frequency counter for counting the frequency of the output signal of the variable bandpass filter; and a control circuit that checks the output detected by the second detection circuit during execution of a seek operation, controls the passband width of the variable bandpass filter to be switched to the wide band if the detected output of the second detection circuit indicates that the received electric field intensity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, determines whether the detected output is tuned in to the broadcast wave signal based on the count value of the frequency counter,

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting device for lighting a discharge lamp includes an ignitor for applying a starting voltage to the discharge lamp at the time of starting and thus lighting the discharge lamp; a voltage detection circuit for detecting a voltage of the discharge lamp; and a current control circuit section for controlling a current supplied to the discharge lamp on the basis of the detection by the voltage detection circuit, wherein the current control circuit section, after ignition, starts controlling the current supplied to the discharge lamp on the basis of the detection result by the voltage detection circuit and continuously increases the current supplied to the discharge lamp at a predetermined rate. Thus, a discharge lamp lighting device which is inexpensive and highly reliable and enables a longer lifetime of the discharge lamp is provided.

Abstract: A guide plate is provided along the respective outer periphery of rotary and fixed drums on the upstream side relative to an inlet portion where a magnetic tape starts making contact with a magnetic head on the rotary drum, an airflow attendant on the rotation of the rotary drum is stripped by a wedge-shaped edge on the guide plate and is released to the outer periphery side by a guide surface of the guide plate, and the airflow flowing in the axial direction into the space between the tape and the rotary drum is restrained by an extended portion of the guide plate. In a rotary head drum device for a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus, formation of an excess air film near an inlet portion of the tape is restrained, and stable recording and reproducing can be achieved without raising the tape tension, thereby enhancing the life of the tape.

Abstract: In an information processing apparatus for transmitting information to and/or receiving the same from another information processing apparatus via radio communication, the information transmitted from a transmitting node is received by a receiving node, and a bit error rate of the information is counted by an error correction decoder. A host processor recognizes the communication quality on the basis of the bit error rate thus counted. The host processor controls the transmission output level of a transmitting amplifier or controls the modulation mode of a modulator in accordance with the recognized communication quality, whereby the communication quality in such radio communication can be exactly grasped to consequently realize satisfactory communication with a stable quality.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and method, and a display apparatus capable of preventing field tearing caused by memory overrun even when performing a read operation and a write operation of input/output images with respect to a single image memory, wherein a system microcomputer (MC) is used for generating and supplying output delay data for delaying an image output timing based on the write speed to the image memory, the read speed from the image memory, and the read area so that the timing of access to the read end address address and the timing for performing a write operation to the same address match and of a scan converter for receiving the output delay data supplied by the system MC and delaying the image output timing so that the timing of access to the read end address and the timing for performing a write operation to the same address match.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus wherein a remote control signal received via a filter is decoded and, upon deciding that the control signal is a power cutoff instruction, a controlling microcomputer outputs a filter control signal for actuating the filter to place the apparatus in a reception standby mode while the microcomputer itself is also set in its low power state, hence preventing a malfunction that some noise derived from external light of a fluorescent lamp or the like is recognized erroneously as a remote control signal and that the apparatus is shifted in error from the low power state to its wake-up mode. Consequently, the power consumption can be reduced in the standby mode. The remote control signal consists of a fixed-width pulse and a succeeding control code, and upon detection of the fixed-width pulse, the controlling microcomputer is released from the low power state to wake up and then halts the operation of the filter.

Abstract: An address generator for generating addresses in a prescribed order in the case of writing/reading data to/from a predetermined storage unit includes a first address data generator for generating a plurality of first address data which have predetermined address intervals, a second address data generator for generating a plurality of second address data representing sequentially shifted positions of the first address data one row by one row within address intervals, and an adder for generating addresses that have predetermined intervals by adding the second address data to the first address data.

Abstract: A field player 2 transmits to a field generator 1 an image of an ultra magic key (UMK) sticker 7 on which an image pattern instructing transmission of predetermined data to the field player 2 is printed. The field generator 1 transmits information corresponding to the image pattern of the UMK sticker 7 to the field player 2. The field player 2 reproduces information such as an image or a sound transmitted from the field generator 1.

Abstract: In a complex resonance type switching power supply circuit including: a series resonant circuit formed by a leakage inductance component having a primary-side winding of an isolation converter transformer driven by switching devices formed by half-bridge coupling and a primary-side series resonant capacitor connected in series with the primary-side winding; and a partial voltage resonance circuit connected in parallel with one of the switching devices mentioned above, for effecting partial voltage resonance in time with the turning off of the switching devices, an auxiliary switching device of a series circuit is provided connected in parallel with the primary-side series resonant capacitor, formed by the auxiliary switching device and a capacitor, and is operated only during a period when the switching device connected in parallel with a primary-side partial resonance capacitor is on.

Abstract: When an image is displayed on a display screen having a larger display area than a displayed image, a size of the displayed image is minutely changed cyclically in order to avoid boundary lines to be recognized when a full size image is displayed on the display screen of the display device. Direction of the size change of the displayed image is in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction. In this case additional non-image signal is added to top, bottom, left and/or right of the displayed image.