Abstract: A multi-point cell type weighing machine has a plural number of scale cells set on a floor to support a table and to output weight signals indicative of weights measured thereby of a target object placed on the table. One or more floor vibration detecting cells are set on the same floor and output floor vibration detection signals indicative of the vibrations of the floor. The weight signals are corrected on the basis of vibration components of the floor vibration detection signals. A standard weight is placed at a larger plural number of places on the table than there are scale cells and output sensitivity ratios among the scale cells are calculated from outputted values from the scale cells, and the weight signals are further corrected on the basis of the output sensitivity ratios. These weight signals are added together and the weight of the target object is obtained from the added signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming thin films such as protective layers on both surfaces of a substrate of a magnetic memory device has an evacuable reaction chamber sandwiched between two electron cyclotron resonance plasma generators disposed on mutually opposite sides. Each plasma generator includes a wave guide for introducing microwave energy and a magnetic coil for providing a magnetic field for generating a plasma and causing the generated plasma to move to the substrate set inside the reaction chamber with a negative bias voltage applied thereto.

Abstract: After a plurality of electronic devices such as thermistor elements are produced, each having electrodes formed on the surface of a ceramic body, they are separated into groups according to their measured resistance values. Those with resistance values smaller than a specified allowable range are repaired, having their electrodes abraded such that their resistance values are increased and brought into the specified allowable range.

Abstract: A keyboard comprising a plurality of Alpha-Numeric keys, a plurality of Direction keys and a Backspace key, a Delete key or a Enter key is provided. The plurality of Direction keys includes .fwdarw.,.rarw.,.uparw.,.dwnarw. keys to form an area of Direction keys. The Backspace key, a Delete key or a Enter key is disposed adjacent to the area of Direction keys for allowing a user's fingers to move between Direction keys and Backspace key, a Delete key or a Enter key without moving the palm.

Abstract: In an apparatus for removing material from an article, such as an exposed surface of an intermediate integrated circuit structure, by planarizing, polishing, etching or the like, a sensor is mechanically coupled to a moving carrier of the article for directing through the article to its first side an electromagnetic radiation beam having a wavelength band to which the structure is substantially transparent. The beam is detected after interacting with the article, such as being reflected from its exposed surface, and resulting information of the state of the processing of the exposed surface is transmitted from the moving carrier to a stationary receiver by radiation without the use of any physical transmission media such as wires or optical fibers. Multiple sensors mounted on the moving article carrier provide information of the uniformity of the processing across the exposed article surface.

Abstract: A very small computer memory card is densely packed with a large number of flash EEPROM integrated circuit chips. A computer memory system provides for the ability to removably connect one or more of such cards with a common controller circuit that interfaces between the memory cards and a standard computer system bus. Alternately, each card can be provided with the necessary controller circuitry and thus is connectable directly to the computer system bus. An electronic system is described for a memory system and its controller within a single memory card. In a preferred physical arrangement, the cards utilize a main circuit board with a plurality of sub-boards attached thereto on both sides, each sub-board carrying several integrated circuit chips.

Abstract: The present invention provides assays to measure the regulation of the narcotic analgesic addictive state. Practice of the invention permits classification of test compounds for their effects on an activated opioid .mu. receptor state. When opioid .mu. receptor cells are treated with a test composition under investigation, then in one embodiment the propensity of the test composition to elicit a spontaneous cAMP overshoot and an inverse agonist induced cAMP overshoot is determined and serves as a surrogate measure of addiction liability. The inverse agonist induced cAMP overshoot signifies the presence of what is designated as the constitutively active state for the opioid .mu. receptors. The use of these assays has led to the identification of compounds that have the desired effects on the constitutive activation of the opioid .mu. receptors.

Abstract: A reconfigurable infinite impulse response low-pass filter is described in which the frequency response can be changed by changing a single parameter while the filter gain of the filter remains constant, preferably, unity. The parameter value is used to calculate the coefficients for the infinite impulse response filter. By choosing the parameter values carefully, the infinite impulse response filter can be implemented using shift registers rather than multipliers to reduce the hardware complexity of the infinite impulse response filter.

Abstract: A D/A converter has one single input transistor used in common with a plurality of output transistors to together form current mirrors, and a decoder serves to sequentially select the current mirrors in response to a digital input, causing to generate a corresponding analog output from currents from selected ones of the current mirrors. The commonly used input transistor is centrally located with respect to the current mirrors such that the difference between the maximum and minimum distances, or that between the maximum and minimum parasitic resistances, between the input transistor used in common and the output transistors is reduced and the conversion characteristic can be improved.

Abstract: A functional peptide is encoded by SEQ ID NO:1. This peptide is capable of inducing dorsal and neural tissue development in vertebrates. The peptide is a member of the TGF-.beta. superfamily, and can be prepared in therapeutic applications to treat congenital conditions or degenerative disorders of the nervous system and in compositions useful for inducing growth of bone.

Abstract: An abrasive sheet for precisely abrading a workpiece surface includes an adhesive and an abrading layer made by drying a slurry which is a mixture of abrasive particles and a binder. The abrading layer is preferably of thickness less than about 1.5 times the average size of the abrading particles and has one surface attached to a plastic base sheet through a layer of the adhesive. At least some of the abrading particles in the abrading layer have their end parts at the other surface of the abrading layer which, together with these end parts of the abrading particles, forms a smooth flat abrading surface without irregularly distributed protrusions and indentations.

Abstract: An antenna includes a cylindrically shaped dielectric resonator placed on a longitudinally extended axis of an elongated dielectric strip disposed on a planar conductor and another planar conductor having an opening covers the dielectric strip with the opening on the dielectric resonator. There may be another dielectric strip placed perpendicularly to the first dielectric strip such that the dielectric resonator is where the lines longitudinally extended from the axes of both dielectric strips will cross.

Abstract: An NTC thermistor element has a pair of outer electrodes formed on opposite outer end surfaces of a thermistor body made of an NTC thermistor material. A plurality of inner electrodes are formed inside this thermistor body in layers, each connected to either of this pair of outer electrodes. At least one of these layers contains a longer inner electrode and a shorter inner electrode disposed mutually opposite to each other, separated by a gap, and connected to different ones of this pair of outer electrodes. At least a portion of this longer electrode in this layer overlaps, in the perpendicular direction to the layers, another of the inner electrodes connected to the different outer electrode from the one to which this longer electrode is connected, with a thermistor layer in between.

Abstract: In order to tune the frequencies of radiation sources, a frequency locker is provided having equally spaced periodic frequencies with a spectral range substantially equal to the frequency spacing of a plurality of radiation sources with equally spaced apart frequencies. The periodic frequencies of the locker are slightly offset from those of the radiation sources. Radiation from each of the sources is passed through the locker and the radiation passed by the locker is detected and used to adjust the frequencies of the sources in order to tune the sources. The frequency locker includes an etalon with dimensions accurate to 0.5 microns or better. The dimension of the etalon may be controlled by controlling the thickness of spacers for maintaining vacuum or air gaps where the dimensions may be altered by thin film deposition and etching techniques. The optical path length of the etalon may also be changed by altering the angle of incidence of an incoming beam with the reflective surfaces of the etalon.

Abstract: By forming a digital video processor and digital television controller on the same integrated circuit, a number of advantages in improved picture quality can be obtained. The length of the communication connections between these two elements can be reduced, thus reducing television picture distortion caused by electromagnetic interference. Additionally, the elements can be controlled by a single dot clock generator with a single phase locked loop circuit. Also, register banks can be used for intercommunication between the television controller and the video processor rather than the communication between two different ICs over a bus.

Abstract: The present invention provides a high efficiency external counterpulsation apparatus having accurate and reliable timing of inflation and deflation and reduced temperature of the pressurized gas, such that the gas flow temperature of the balloons is near to room temperature. The external counterpulsation apparatus also has a new gas distribution device and devices for monitoring the blood pressure and oxygen levels in the blood of a patient for improving safety. The present invention further provides a method for controlling the external counterpulsation apparatus.

Abstract: A system of Flash EEprom memory chips with controlling circuits serves as non-volatile memory such as that provided by magnetic disk drives. Improvements include selective multiple sector erase, in which any combinations of Flash sectors may be erased together. Selective sectors among the selected combination may also be de-selected during the erase operation. Another improvement is the ability to remap and replace defective cells with substitute cells. The remapping is performed automatically as soon as a defective cell is detected. When the number of defects in a Flash sector becomes large, the whole sector is remapped. Yet another improvement is the use of a write cache to reduce the number of writes to the Flash EEprom memory, thereby minimizing the stress to the device from undergoing too many write/erase cycling.

Abstract: In a theatrical rigging system, a number of motors can be placed on platforms which can move upon rails to be connected to different theatrical rigging elements. The motors can be randomly attached to operate different overhead hanging devices.

Abstract: A retaining ring for use with a shaft is provided. The retaining ring is in shape of a thin plate and includes a plurality of pedal-like portions with any two adjacent pedal-like portion being connected to each other by a deformable connection portion. The plurality of pedal-like portions defines a channel at the center of the retaining ring for passage of the shaft. As the shaft enters the channel, the connection portion deforms in response.

Abstract: A dual latch character pacing circuit on a semiconductor chip controls data transfer between a pair of microprocessor which have significantly different data transfer rates. A first and second latch are connected in a parallel data path between the two microprocessor. The timing circuit includes a flip-flop which clocks the data between the latches. A one-shot timer is re-started on each transfer of data thereby insuring that the rate of transfer is substantially constant over a character period.