Abstract: A process provides for searching through a written text in response to a spoken question comprising a plurality of words. The first step in the process is to transcribe the written text into a first sequence of phonetic units. Then, a spoken question is segmented into a second sequence of phonetic units. The search is conducted through the written text for an occurrence of the spoken question. The search comprises aligning the first and second sequences of phonetic units.

Abstract: In a temporary locking state, there is a little clearance C between an end wall of a contact hole provided at an insulator and an end surface of a contact. When a double locking member is pushed down from a temporary locking position to a regular locking position, an engaging portion of the double locking member pushes an inclined plane of a second stabilizer of the contact. Therefore, the contact moves to the forward direction. When the end surface of the contact is brought into contact with the end wall of the contact accommodating chamber, the contact stops. Then, the clearance C becomes naught. Since the contact of the connector cannot move to the insulator, contacts of the connector and a mating connector can stably comes into contact with each other.

Abstract: An apparatus that is capable of achieving self-stabilization while walking comprises two front legs and two rear legs with each leg having three joints including a hip joint, an upper leg joint, and a lower leg joint. Each joint is powered by a motor and is monitored by an encoder, totaling twelve of each for the entire apparatus. Stability is maintained by adding weight to the two front legs and by positioning a separate weight toward the front and middle of the apparatus, thereby moving the center of balance of the apparatus further within the stability envelope of the apparatus. As a result, the apparatus maintains its stability by itself without the need for additional CPU's. The apparatus also includes an animation motor that is capable of causing the apparatus to make non-ambulatory movement and a cartridge slot which allows the user to download new programming which facilitates new behavior being exhibited by the apparatus.

Abstract: In a hot-plug connector comprising a plurality of contacts used for a plurality of the uses, each of the contacts being provided with a peg portion for being mounted on a main surface of an electrical circuit board, a contact portion for removable connection to a mating contact of a mating connector, and a squeezed portion for being pushed into and hold by an insulator, the peg portions are equal in length to one another in a depth direction. The squeezed portions are equal in length to one another in the depth direction. The contact portions are different in length in the depth direction from one another so as to correspond to the uses. Therefore, the peg and the squeezed portions are located at the same location in the depth direction. The contact portions are protruded to the different location from each other in the depth direction.

Abstract: A system including modular components by which the system may be configured and reconfigured easily and quickly for the shelving or the storage of merchandise for the retail industry and other applications as needed and without the need for tools and conventional removable fastening means. The modular system includes a generally horizontal base and at least one vertical panel that can be easily and quickly releasably secured in one or other positions relative to the base. Preferred embodiments of the system include those having a base having securement apertures structured such that the vertical panel or panels may be releasably secured to the base without the need for conventional removable mechanical fasteners and tools and so that even an unskilled individual can quickly and easily arrange and rearrange the vertical panels relative to the base in a wide variety of possible useful configurations.

Abstract: The present invention provides an active control system for coupling the movements of a pair of independently operated manual input devices such as dual flight control sticks operated by a pilot and co-pilot flying an aircraft. Each input device is configured to receive manual input data in the form of angular displacement of the device about one or more rotational axes. The active control system provides desired tactile feedback to an operator who displaces one of the manual input devices in the form of a restorative centering force. If an external system such as an auto-pilot system is engaged, the restorative force may be in a direction necessary to reconcile manual displacement of the input device with a position commanded by the external system, rather than directed toward the center position. The system also acts to reflect manual displacement of each input device as a force applied to the other.

Abstract: In a connector for use in connecting a cable (11) such as a coaxial cable, a contact element (12) is held by an insulator (13) and is connected to the cable. A conductive shell (14) covers the insulator. The conductive shell has a holding portion (17) for clamping and holding the cable in cooperation with the insulator. It is preferable that the shell has a first shell component (15) arranged at a position corresponding to a contacting portion of the contact element and fixedly held by the insulator and a second shell component (16) having the holding portion and removably held by the insulator.

Abstract: In a connector having a principal surface (44a) to be faced to an object in a first direction (A1) and a guide portion (45) protruding from the principal surface in the first direction for guiding connection of the connector and the object, the guide portion has elasticity so as to be elastically bent in a second direction (A2) transverse to the first direction. It is preferable that the guide portion has a slit (51) to provide the elasticity.

Abstract: A jitter detecting circuit firstly compares a target signal with a reference clock signal to see whether or not a phase difference takes place between the target signal and the reference clock signal, and, thereafter, the phase difference in each clock cycle is compared with the phase difference in the previous clock cycle for producing a detecting signal representative of cycle-to-cycle jitter when the phase difference is varied.

Abstract: A simplified tri-layer process for forming a thin film transistor matrix for a liquid crystal display is disclosed. By forming a pixel electrode layer before a gate metal layer, a remaining portion of the gate metal layer surrounding the pixel electrode can function as a black matrix after properly patterning and etching the gate metal layer. The in-situ black matrix exempts from an additional step of providing a black matrix and solves the problem in alignment.

Abstract: In order to prevent damage to an electroconductive member during an assembly process or when using electronic equipment, a hinge connector is constituted primarily by a main unit connector assembly to be connected to a connector of a computer main unit, an LCD connector assembly to which an FPC from an LCD is connected, and an electroconductive member to be installed in these connector assemblies. The electroconductive member is comprised of connections provided at both ends and a flexible portion located between the connections. The flexible portion has a plurality of slits that extend in a direction for connecting the connections so that the flexible portion is contractible in the foregoing direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to dental hygiene devices carrying dental hygiene elements and to a method for assembling them. The dental hygiene devices have two intersecting cavities, with a dental hygiene element positioned in one cavity and a plug positioned in the other cavity. The plug engages a portion of the stem, thereby locking the dental hygiene element in place in the device.