Abstract: As solid-state image pickup devices are spread in the world, improvement of performance and reduction of the production cost thereof are required. It is difficult for the solid-state image pickup devices of a configuration of the prior art to meet the requirements. In a solid-state image pickup device to meet the requirements, a large number of photoelectric converters are disposed in a surface of a semiconductor substrate in of a matrix pattern having a plurality of row and a plurality of column, a vertical charge transfer channel is arranged for each column of the photoelectric converters, and a read-cum-transfer electrode is formed for each row of the photoelectric converters such that the read-cum-transfer electrode surrounds each photoelectric converter element of the associated row of the photoelectric converters in a plan view.

Abstract: The present invention provides an exterior structure for an electronic keyboard instrument which has excellence in an outward appearance and which can be produced easily without detracting acoustic characteristics. In the present invention, a recess groove 9 extending in a direction in which keyboards 3 are arranged is formed at an upper portion of a back panel 4 of the electronic keyboard instrument 1, a locking edge 8a formed at an upper edge of a speaker cover 8 is fitted into the recess groove 9, and a lower edge of the speaker cover 8 is fixed to a lower portion of the back panel 4 by a screw 11. A lower portion of the back panel 4 is provided with a positioning stopper 4d which abuts against a back surface of a keybed 12 of the electronic keyboard instrument 1, and a fixing piece 4e which abuts against a lower surface of the keybed 12. A thick plate 14 having rigidness is provided around the periphery of the speaker-mounting hole 6.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a coating thickness gauge with at least one measuring probe (14) which has at least one sensor (15, 15′) as well as a device for the zero adjustment and/or calibration. The coating thickness device (10) is equipped with means to automatically activate zero adjustment and/or calibration when an interaction especially a contact or a relative movement between a sensor (15, 15′) and a reference plate (11, 11′).

Abstract: There is provided a control device for an engine including an automatic stop and start function, wherein detected data taken prior to an engine stop or results of an operation carried out based on the detected data are retained in executing an engine automatic stop control. In particular, in a case where the technology is applied to an engine including a thermostat proper operation determination function, a thermostat proper operation determination process is constructed so as to continue to be executed in executing an engine automatic stop control.

Abstract: In a bar-code reading apparatus, an enclosure is provided with various mechanisms, includes a hand-holding portion and a reading portion having a reading window. Projections are provided at two sides of the enclosure, and a cable extends out from one of the projections. The projections engage with supporting-point cut-out portions of supporting portions in a stand, in a stationary condition. The reading window is therefore located lower than the hand-holding portion.

Abstract: A coordinate position detecting method uses a plurality of light emitting elements and a plurality of light receiving elements located on mutually opposite sides, all the elements being arranged at a predetermined interval in horizontal and vertical directions, with each pair of mutually opposed light emitting element and light receiving element forming a light beam path, such that the coordinate position of a light blocking object can be detected once the light beam path is blocked. The method comprises: storing N previous coordinate datas obtained when detecting a movement of the light blocking ojecte, using n (1≦n≦N) coordinate datas of the N previous coordinate datas to calculate a coordinate position of the light blocking object; and changing the number of the coordinate datas for use in calculating the coordinate position, in accordance with a speed of the movment of the light blocking object.

Abstract: A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine includes an intake manifold having branch pipes connected to one side of a cylinder head and curved to allow the intake manifold to extend to directly above a cylinder-head cover, and intake-side spark plugs and fuel injectors which are incorporated in the cylinder head. The spark plugs are disposed outside a valve train chamber on a side of the valve train chamber where curved portions of the branch pipes are disposed, and the fuel injectors and ignition coils provided above the spark plugs are disposed between the valve train chamber and the curved portions in a direction normal to axes of the cylinders as viewed from a direction in which cylinders are arranged. The ignition coils are disposed so as not to overlap the branch pipes as viewed from a direction in which the ignition coils are attached to the cylinder head.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device which permits access even during refresh operation and also is low in power consumption. An address input circuit receives an input address, and a readout circuit reads out data from at least part of a subblock group arranged in a column or row direction and specified by the address input via the address input circuit. A refresh circuit refreshes at least part of a subblock group arranged in a row or column direction and intersecting with the subblock group from which data is read out by the readout circuit. A data restoration circuit restores data of a subblock where refresh operation and readout operation take place concurrently, with reference to data from the other subblocks and a parity block.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a control circuit which repeatedly perform an automatic erasure operation with respect to an entirety of the memory cell array, the automatic erasure operation including a preparatory write operation prior to an erasure operation and a following erasure operation, and a counter which counts how many times the automatic erasure operation is performed with respect to the entirety of the memory cell array, wherein the control circuit stops the automatic erasure operation in response to an event that the counter counts a desired number.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a stator blade for an axial-flow compressor, in which the wave drag due to the generation of a shock wave in a transonic speed range can be suppressed to the minimum. For this purpose, the stator blade in the axial-flow compressor has an intrados producing a positive pressure, and an extrados producing a negative pressure. Both of the intrados and the extrados are located on one side of a chord line. A first bulge and a second bulge are formed on the intrados of the stator blade at a location on the side of a leading edge and on the side of a trailing edge, respectively. Thus, the generation of a shock wave on the extrados can be moderated to reduce the wave drag by positively producing the separation of a boundary layer on the intrados by the first bulge.

Abstract: A sintered body (10) made of valve action metal powders such as Ta powders, in which an anode lead (11) is embedded in one of wall faces is formed. A dielectric layer (oxide layer) (14) is formed around the metal powders. A manganese dioxide layer (15) is formed around the sintered body in which the dielectric layer is provided on the metal powders. A graphite layer is formed on the manganese dioxide layer. The graphite layer is made by an aqueous graphite layer (16) on the manganese dioxide layer side and a resin graphite layer (17) formed on the aqueous graphite layer. A metal layer (18) is formed on the graphite layer. In such a manner, a capacitor (1) element is formed. Preferably, the graphite layer is burned at a temperature ranging from 230 to 300° C. As a result, an increase in impedance caused by a thermal stress between cathode layers is prevented. Thus, a solid electrolytic capacitor having a small impedance between the anode and the cathode is obtained.

Abstract: A power supply system includes a photovoltaic generator, a load to which electric power is supplied from the photovoltaic generator, an electrical system for receiving a portion of the electric power generated by the photovoltaic generator and supplying electric power to the load, and a control unit for controlling the reception and the supply of the electrical power by the electrical system. To ensure that the photovoltaic generator generates electric power at an optimal operational point, the control unit is adapted to not operate when the maximum electric power Pmax generated by the photovoltaic generator and an electric power PL consumed in the load are equal to each other, and to be operated when Pmax>PL, thereby permitting the electrical system to receive a surplus electric power &Dgr;P1, and to be operated when Pmax<PL, thereby supplying a deficient electric power &Dgr;P2 from the electrical system to the load.

Abstract: There is provided a driving force control system for a front-and-rear wheel drive vehicle, which is capable maintaining an optimum slip condition of the drive wheels even on a low-friction road surface, ensuring a proper grip of rear wheels even on a low-friction road surface or a downhill slope, even when the driver operates the steering wheel while the vehicle is performing decelerating travel on such a road, and smoothly performing the assistance of an electric motor when the vehicle is accelerated without developing a torque step, thereby ensuring stable traveling and excellent acceleration and drivability. The front-and-rear wheel drive vehicle drives the front wheels by an engine, and rear wheels by an electric motor via an electromagnetic clutch. The target driving force for driving the vehicle is calculated based on at least a vehicle speed and an accelerator pedal opening. The present traveling condition of the vehicle is determined.

Abstract: In a hemming structure of metal plate material with an edge portion (7) of an outer panel (6) hemmed over an edge portion (2) of an inner panel (1), the edge portion (2) of the inner panel (1) has an inside rise portion (3) having a surface plane (3′) down-sloping towards an edge (4) thereof and the edge portion (7) of the outer panel (6) has an outside rise portion (8) telescopically fitted with the inside rise portion (3), a back plane (8′) of the outside rise portion (8) abutting on the surface plane (3′) of the inside rise portion (3).

Abstract: A system for controlling a vehicle power sliding door having a motor supplied voltage from a power source mounted on the vehicle for opening or closing the power sliding door and a motor drive circuit for driving the motor with relays for switching direction of rotation of the motor and a FET for regulating the voltage to be supplied to the motor to change a speed of the motor rotation. In the system, a motor-drive-circuit controller is provided for outputting a command value to the motor drive circuit, thereby enabling to control the direction of rotation of a power sliding door drive motor to effect opening and closing of the power sliding door with minimal total heat loss of semiconductor devices and that, by utilizing PWM control for varying motor rotational speed, lowers product cost by decreasing the size, weight and total number of components of the power sliding door unit. In addition, the faulty operation of the controller is also detected.

Abstract: A control method of transmitting power in a cellular system includes a step of measuring a signal to interference power ratio of a received signal at said receiving side, a step of detecting frame errors of the received signal at the receiving side, a step of counting the number of the detected frame errors n(k) (k and n(k) are positive integers and 1≦k≦K) for every M(k) (M(k) is a positive integer) frames, or for last N(k) (N(k) is a positive integer) frames just before the frame error is detected, a step of adjusting a value of a target SIR depending on one or set of the counted numbers of frame error n(1) to n(K), a step of comparing the measured SIR with the adjusted target SIR to provide a compared result, and a step of controlling at the transmitting side the transmitting power depending on the compared result.

Abstract: A plasma display panel has a pair of substrates, a pair of opposed row electrodes disposed adjacently to the display side substrate interposed by a discharge gap, and a dielectric layer covering the row electrodes. The dielectric layer is formed except in the discharge space, thereby forming a vacant space or groove in the discharge gap.

Abstract: A mode control circuit of a PLL circuit for switching the PLL circuit from a high-speed mode to a normal mode. The PLL circuit compares the phase of a reference signal and the phase of a comparison signal to generate a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal, and generates based on the first and second pulse signals a frequency signal that is locked at a desired frequency. The mode control circuit receives the first and second pulse signals from the PLL circuit, generates a mode switch signal representing the normal mode when a difference between a phase of the first pulse signal and a phase of the second pulse signal is within a predetermined range, and, after the mode is switched from the high-speed mode to the normal mode, generates the mode switch signal such that the normal mode is maintained.

Abstract: The current generating unit in the transmitter generates output currents in accordance with a plurality of logic values. The reference current generating unit in the receiver generates a plurality of reference currents. The current comparing units in the receiver respectively compares reference currents with output current from the transmitter and restores the logic values. That is, the current is varied in correspondence with the logic values that are transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver, wherein the logic values are restored in the receiver according to a difference in the current value. Forming a plurality of current comparing units in the receiver makes it possible to easily compare the values of the output current from the transmitter and a plurality of reference currents. Therefore, the number of multi-valued bits can be easily increased so as to construct a high bit-rate multi-valued input/output interface.

Abstract: A robot arm which allows the two hands to be brought together in front of the chest. In a robot arm comprising a shoulder joint attached to a body so as to be rotatable around a laterally extending axial line, an upper arm attached to the shoulder joint so as to be rotatable around an axial line perpendicular to the laterally extending axial line, a forearm attached to the upper arm via an elbow joint, and a hand attached to a free end of the forearm, the elbow joint is attached to the upper arm so as to be rotatable around a longitudinal axial line of the upper arm.