Abstract: A PLL circuit of which pull-in time is reduced. The PLL circuit comprises a voltage controlled oscillator; a frequency divider which divides the frequency of the output signal from the voltage controlled oscillator; a phase detector which compares the phase of a standard signal and the frequency-divided signal and outputs an advanced phase signal and a delayed phase signal; a charge pump which charges and discharges a capacitor in a low pass filter, depending upon the advanced/delayed phase signals; a voltage supplier which supplies the control terminal of the voltage controlled oscillator with a voltage which corresponds to the desired voltage decided by the different output frequencies of the voltage controlled oscillator, when the output of the low pass filter is not virtually connected with the control terminal of the voltage controlled oscillator.

Abstract: To operate faster, a memory system includes a central processing unit (CPU) for executing a first instruction, and for outputting first, second and third signals, a memory device for storing first data and the first instruction, a first buffer for storing second data, a controller for writing the second data into the memory device when the controller receives the first signal, for reading the first data from the memory device after writing the second data into the memory device when the controller receives the second signal, and for reading the first instruction from the memory device and sending the first instruction to the CPU before writing the second data into the memory device when the controller receives the third signal.

Abstract: A dispenser for selectively extending and retracting a substantially stick-shaped object, including a substantially cylindrical body, a sleeve member received in the cylindrical body and having a closed end, the cylindrical body and the sleeve member being rotatable relative to each other, an axially movable member inserted in the sleeve member, the movable member including a substantially rod-like body having first and second ends, and a receiver member mounted on the first end of the rod-like body, the rod-like body having a first threaded portion formed around a periphery thereof, the rod-like body extending through the closed end of the sleeve member to project into the cylindrical body, and a thread member fixed in the cylindrical body, the thread member having a second threaded portion, the second threaded portion of the thread member being engaged with the first threaded portion of the movable member, so that when one of the cylindrical body and the sleeve member is rotated relative to the other of the

Abstract: A palladium-base catalyst can selectively hydrogenate highly unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds contained in small amounts in an olefin compound prepared by steam cracking or the like of naphtha without causing hydrogenation of the olefin as a side reaction and the precipitation of a carbonaceous material. The catalyst comprises palladium and alumina, and the exposed face of each palladium crystallite is mainly accounted for by (100) and (110) faces. Further, in the desorption of absorbed hydrogen by heating, desorption peaks are observed in the temperature ranges of 40 to 90.degree. C. and of 120 to 170.degree. C. and the ratio of hydrogen desorption amount of the former to the latter is (4:6) to (3:7).

Abstract: A compact read-only memory (ROM) system with low current consumption and having a plurality of data lines and a word line, includes a first ROM cell having a gate connected to the word line and a source-drain path connected between a first data line and a second data line, a second ROM cell having a gate connected to the word line and a source-drain path connected between the second data line and a third data line, a third ROM cell having a gate connected to the word line and a source-drain path connected between the third data line and a fourth data line, and a sense amplifier for amplifying data from one of the ROM cells. The first data line is connected to a voltage source and the second data line is connected to the sense amplifier when data from the first ROM cell is read, and the third and fourth data lines are charged to a predetermined voltage.

Abstract: In a bandgap reference voltage generating circuit having first, second and third unitary circuits connected in parallel between a power supply voltage and a ground, there is added a fourth unitary circuit including an n-channel FET turned on in response to a bias voltage applied to a gate of the n-channel FET. The second unitary circuit is connected to the fourth unitary circuit through a capacitor having one end connected to a drain of the n-channel FET. When the bias voltage is applied to turn on the n-channel FET of the fourth unitary circuit, since the potential of the one end of the capacitor is dropped, a gate potential of n-channel FETs included in the first and second unitary circuits and operating in a weak inversion condition quickly becomes definite, so that a reference voltage can be generated quickly.

Abstract: There is provided a magnetic tape drive capable of attaining a stable read-out output value of information even if a tracking displacement occurs. The magnetic tape drive of the present invention is a magnetic tape drive for 36-track comprising a magnetic tape 1a having a width of 1/2 inch and having information written therein by an 18-track magnetic tape drive, a plurality of magnetic heads 2, 3 for performing a reading of information of each of the tracks in the magnetic tape 1a and a control section 9 for controlling a writing or reading operation for information from the magnetic heads 2, 3, wherein as the magnetic heads, each of the forward reading head 2 and the reverse reading head 3 is installed in correspondence with each of the tracks of the magnetic tape 1a.

Abstract: A pipelined computer comprises a plurality of stages. An instruction subsequent to an operation mode changing instruction is held in a predetermined stage according to a type of the operation mode changing instruction. For example, if the instruction is the one subsequent to an ICP (Instruction mode Change to Privilege) instruction, it is held in an instruction decode stage where a privilege exception is detected. If the instruction is the one subsequent to an ACS (Addressing mode Change to Secure) instruction, it is held in an address adding stage where an address computation is performed. Moreover, if the instruction is the one subsequent to an ACD (Addressing mode Change to Direct) instruction, they are held in an address translation stage where an address translation is performed. These holdings are released after the operation mode changing instruction is completed.

Abstract: The electrostatic ink-jet recording head according to the present invention comprises: recording electrodes which eject ink towards the recording paper; an opposing electrode for generating a prescribed electric field between the recording electrodes and the opposing electrode; and ink discharge end sections formed in the vicinity of the recording electrodes. The ink discharge end sections are formed closer to the opposing electrode than the end portions of the recording electrodes.In this case, the equipotential lines in the region of the ink discharge end sections when a recording voltage is applied are virtually perpendicular to the direction in which the ink is discharged. This is because, the recording electrodes are positioned slightly behind the ink discharge end sections in the ink discharge member. In this case, an electrostatic force acts on the toner particles near the ink discharge end sections in the direction of the ink discharge end sections.

Abstract: In a CDMA cellular network where base stations share a common frequency and a first base station has a second frequency in addition to the common frequency, a mobile station receives a pilot signal from the first base station over the second frequency when it has established a connection to it, and transmits a first handoff request when the field strength of the pilot signal drops below a predefined threshold. In response, the first base station returns a change-frequencies command to the mobile station to cause it to switch to the common frequency and receive pilot signals from more than one base station over the common frequency. The mobile station transmits a second handoff request message containing a list of field strengths of the pilot signals. In response, the first base station makes a search through the list of field strengths and returns a handoff command to the mobile station and a connection setup command to a control station if a second base station appropriate for handoff is found.

Abstract: An input/output (I/O) buffer has a block-end detector which detects that an access has reached the last word in a block of the I/O buffer. If the block-end detector detects the last word of the block, then the block is invalidated. The I/O buffer also has a direct-memory-access-end detector which detects that an access has reached the last word in a direct-memory-access (DMA) transfer. If the DMA-end detector detects the last word of the DMA transfer, then the block is invalidated. The I/O buffer may also have a configuration memory which stores configuration information concerning whether a DMA controller accesses the input/output buffer instead of a storage. If the configuration information indicates that the DMA controller does not access the input/output buffer, then data from the storage are bypassed to the DMA controller.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device manufacturing method, a gate insulating film (2), a first gate electrode forming material film (4), a first film (10) and a second film (11) are formed on a semiconductor substrate (1), then a channel region (3) is formed by doping the substrate (1) with impurities through an opening portion formed in the second film (11) which is formed at inner edge of an opening of the first film (10), then a second gate electrode forming material film (9) formed thereon is left within the opening portion of the second film (11) through etching back thereof, then a groove is formed by removing the second film (11) with the remaining film (9) and the first film (10) used as an etching mask, then a low-concentration impurity diffusion layer (12) and an impurity layer (13) of the opposite conduction type to that of the layer (12) are formed in the substrate (1), then a portion of the film (4) exposed at the bottom of the groove is removed, then a side wall (14) of insulating material is formed in the

Abstract: A management system for a vehicle having a commodity storage region and traveling along a path having a plurality of geographically-distributed commodity replenishing stations, includes a sensor for measuring a level of the commodity in the storage region and providing commodity level data. A global positioning system (GPS) determines a location of the vehicle along the path. A controller stores a record of current geographical locations of the commodity replenishing stations and current commodity prices thereat, and calculates commodity replenishing schedules of the vehicle at the replenishing stations based on an output from each of the GPS and the sensor, and a commodity price at at least some of the replenishing stations.

Abstract: The printer driver receives print data from an application software program. When the received print data is font data, the printer driver transmits the font data as it is to the printer. When the print data is other than font data, but is vector data, for example, the printer driver converts the received data into bitmap data of the host-based-type format. The printer driver then transfers the converted print data to the printer. In the printer, when the received print data is bitmap data, information on the bitmap data is registered in a packet structure, and is then set in a development buffer. When the received print data is font data, on the other hand, the font data is registered In the packet structure. The font data is then developed into bitmap data, and then set over the already-set bitmap data in the development buffer. Thus, composite bitmap data is created and printed out.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device, which has metal wirings on interlayer insulating films having a step on a border portion between a memory cell array region and a peripheral circuit region, and which can prevent a short-circuit between adjacent metal wirings to allow a cell area thereof to be reduced, is provided. No metal wiring is provided on a first interlayer insulating film formed on the border portion and having a large step. Connecting wirings are provided on a second interlayer insulating film formed on the border portion and having a small step to connect metal wirings of a first metal wiring layer.

Abstract: A helical antenna comprising a cylindrical dielectric member 1, four spiral conductors 2a to 2d which are wound around the outer wall of the cylindrical dielectric member 1, four spiral conductors 3a to 3d which are attached to the inner wall of the cylindrical dielectric member 1, and power supply circuits 4, 5 for supplying high-frequency power to the spiral conductors 2a to 2d and the spiral conductors 3a to 3d respectively. That is, the spiral conductors serving as radiation elements are disposed at the outside and inside of the cylindrical dielectric member, and the outer and inner conductors are operated as independent helical antennas. These spiral conductors are connected to the power supply circuits for supplying the high-frequency power having desired amplitude and phase.

Abstract: A semiconductor multivalued read only memory device stores multivalued data in a memory cell array and multivalued reference data in reference cell arrays, and stepwise changes word lines and reference word lines to different active levels for reading out the multivalued data and the corresponding multivalued reference data at different timings so as to determine the value of each multivalued datum by comparing it to the multivalued reference data without undesirable influence of deviated threshold and unintentionally deviated active level.

Abstract: The invention provides a portable apparatus which eliminates noise generated by vibrations of an EL device without adhering a vibration preventing sheet to the apparatus. Microprocessor 3 of the portable apparatus displays characters and a graphic form on display unit 1, and in order to illuminate display unit 1, microprocessor 3 controls EL device driver 5 to generate an AC voltage and causes EL device 4 to emit light. EL device 4 vibrates itself with a frequency equal to the frequency of a driving voltage and generates noise. An output voltage signal having a voltage and a phase converted by reverse phase generator 6 is applied to receiver 7. Consequently, sound of a phase reverse to that of the generated noise is generated from receiver 7. The sound of the phase reverse to that of the noise generated from EL device 4 is combined in a space in front of the receiver with the noise generated from EL device, thereby cancelling the noise generated from EL device 4.