Abstract: A vehicle navigation apparatus that does not output an inappropriate or irrelevant guidance picture display or spoken guidance even when the vehicle enters an area off the roads (e.g. a parking lot, campus, factory, or facility grounds, or park) stored in the apparatus' road map data base, and which provides a correct guidance picture display and a correct spoken guidance for navigation to a destination. When the apparatus detects entry of the vehicle into such an area off the roads stored in the map data base, a guidance picture is changed to a map picture, and the apparatus stops correcting the vehicle position by map matching. When the apparatus detects an exit of the vehicle from such an area, the apparatus restarts correcting the vehicle position by map matching and a map picture is changed to a guidance picture.

Abstract: A power supply circuit for supplying a semiconductor memory device with power to perform refreshing. The power supply circuit is connected to an external power supply. The power supply circuit includes a first power supply circuit, which generates a step down voltage by decreasing a first voltage on the external power supply in a normal operation mode, a second power supply circuit, which supplies the internal circuit with a second voltage on the external power supply in a self-refresh mode, and a detection circuit, which detects entry to the self-refresh mode and a voltage level of the external power supply and generates a detection signal based on the detection. During the self-refresh mode, the first power supply circuit receives the second voltage from the external power supply, and the first and second power supply circuits supply the internal circuit with the second voltage based on the detection signal.

Abstract: A fluid bearing includes a foil assembly that supports a journal inside a stationary retaining member includes a cylindrical top foil that is positioned radially inward, a cylindrical mid-foil that is positioned outside the top foil and corrugated bump foils positioned outside the mid-foil. In order to suppress a small amplitude vibration of the journal in the low rotational rate region, the bump foils, are separated into six in the circumferential direction. In order to suppress the synchronous vibration instability phenomenon, the top foil and the mid-foil are wound in opposite directions from each other. In order to suppress the whirl instability phenomenon, the sum of the frictional damping forces generated by the lower bump foils is set to be larger than the sum of the frictional damping forces generated by the upper bump foils.

Abstract: A method of determining a purge fuel mass flow rate from a fuel vapor control system to an internal combustion engine having a compressor for delivering purge gas from the fuel vapor control system to the engine. The temperature rise of the purge gas passing through the compressor is determined. Then, a specific heat ratio of the purge gas is determined as the function of the temperature rise. The purge fuel mass flow rate is determined as a function of specific heat ratio of the purge gas.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device formed in a self-light-emitting apparatus having a substrate and a plurality of self-light-emitting elements formed on the substrate, the semiconductor device being used to drive one of the self-light-emitting elements. The semiconductor device includes an active layer of semiconductor material, in which a source region and a drain region are formed, a source electrode having a multi-layered structure including an upper side layer of titanium nitride and a lower side layer of a high melting point metal having low resistance, the source electrode electrically being coupled to the source region, a drain electrode having a multi-layered structure including an upper side layer of titan nitride and a lower side layer of a high melting point metal having low resistance, the source electrode electrically being coupled to said drain region, an insulation layer formed on the active layer, and a gate electrode formed on the insulation layer.

Abstract: Provided are first to fourth switch circuits of the same configuration as each other, each connected to complementary bus lines DB and *DB to be precharged to the same potential. In the-first switch circuit, switches 11 and 15 are connected between an input data signal line SI1 and the DB and between an input data signal line *SI1 and the *DB, respectively, and dummy switches 31 and 32 are connected between the SI1 and the *DB and between the *SI1 and the DB, respectively. Switches 11 to 18 are selectively on/off controlled by outputs of a decoder 20, whereas dummy switches 31 to 38 are normally off.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of heteroaryl-phenylalanines of formula (II) in which R is a hydrogen atom, a straight or branched C1-C4 alkyl groups or a benzyl group; R1 is an optionally substituted 5 or 6 membered aromatic heterocyclic group with one or two heteroatoms selected among nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur; comprising a cross-coupling reaction among heteroaryl-zinc halide and phenylalanine derivatives is described. Compounds of formula (II) are intermediates useful for the preparation of compounds endowed with pharmacological activity.

Abstract: A dose counter for a metered dose inhaler comprises actuator means (341), drive means (350) for driving a rotary gear (360) in step-wise fashion in response to displacement of said actuator means (341), said rotary gear (360) comprising a wheel having a plurality of ratchet teeth (not shown) around its periphery. Means (364) are provided to prevent reverse rotation of the rotary gear (360). A flexible tape (368) is provided with a visible array of incrementing integers on its surface indicating the number of medicament doses remaining in the inhaler. The tape (368) indexes by a single integer in response to each step of the step-wise rotary motion of the rotary gear (360). A control surface (371) regulates the position of engagement and disengagement between the drive means (350) and the rotary gear (360). In an alternative embodiment (FIG. 6), the control surface (371) is omitted and the means for preventing reverse rotation comprise a stepless restraint (664).

Abstract: A lever apparatus for operating a member comprises: a supporting member; a gear rotatably supported by the supporting member around a rotation shaft and connected to the member; a lever coaxially rotatable with the rotation shaft in a normal direction and in a reverse direction from a neutral position thereof within a predetermined angle; a return spring for returning the lever to the neutral position; a latch rotatably supported by the lever around a latch shaft and transmitting a rotation of the lever to the gear and providing a torque to the gear in the normal direction or in the reverse direction according to the direction of the lever; and an engaging shaft disposed between the latch and the supporting member. The engaging shaft engages the latch with the supporting member when the lever is rotated in the predetermined angle.

Abstract: An oil temperature is estimated without using an oil temperature sensor to determine engine oil degradation, so that the number of parts may be reduced. To detect the engine oil degradation, an estimated engine oil temperature is worked out. When a process for working out the estimated engine oil is initiated (S21), it is determined whether a thermostat is in an OPEN state or in an CLOSED state (S22). Next, an initial oil temperature is worked out (S23), and then a target oil temperature is worked out (S24). Lastly, an estimated oil temperature is worked out (S25), and the process is completed (S26). When the estimated oil temperature is worked out in step S25, alternative process steps may be selected according to the OPEN/CLOSED state of the thermostat.

Abstract: An offset cancel circuit for an operational amplifier comprises a capacitive element for storing a voltage to be amplified by an operational amplifier section and containing an offset, and for feedback-controlling a voltage value of the operational amplifier section based on the stored voltage, and switching elements for switching operation between the storage of the voltage in the capacitive element and the feedback control based on the value of the voltage stored in the capacitive element. The capacitive element and the switching elements can be used to cancel accurately an offset in the operational amplifier section without increasing the gate areas of transistors in the operational amplifier section.

Abstract: The present invention is characterized by providing epitaxial growth of a semiconductor layer on the surface of a wafer not provided with mirror finishing and having irregularity, introducing impurities having different conductivity type in the epitaxially grown semiconductor layer to form at least a pn junction, and further providing rapid thermal anneal by rapid heating-up and rapid cooling-down in any step in the manufacturing process. By so processing, there can be obtained a semiconductor device having high speed switching characteristics in stable manner without causing problems in manufacturing process such as diffusion of heavy metal or irradiation of corpuscular ray.

Abstract: An unknown polymer is pyrolyzed by a pyrolizer and a produced mixture of pyrolytic products is separated into the pyrolytic products by a separating column. The separated pyrolytic products are detected by a mass spectrometer to generate a chromatogram. Ion intensities contained in all total ion intensities making up peaks in the chromatogram are added, for each ion of the same mass, to plot a combined mass spectrum of the unknown polymer. Combined mass spectra of a plurality of known polymers are generated in the same manner as with the combined mass spectrum of the unknown polymer, and stored as a library. The library is searched for the combined mass spectrum of one of the known polymers which agrees with a high probability percentage with the combined mass spectrum of the unknown polymer.

Abstract: A disk player has a structure capable of mounting on a turntable a disc-shaped recording medium contained within a cartridge. Such disc player comprises a cartridge transporting system capable of transporting the cartridge in a direction generally parallel to a sliding direction of a shutter of the cartridge; and a pivotable chassis on which the turntable is mounted, said chassis being pivotable by a chassis driving system so as to enable said disc-shaped recording medium to be mounted on the turntable, with its pivoting axis being generally parallel to a transporting direction for transporting the cartridge.

Abstract: A nucleic acid, which can be used to express a polypeptide with interleukin-16 activity in a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell, wherein the said nucleic acid codes for a polypeptide with the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:2 and/or a SEQ ID NO:2 N-terminally elongated by Ala-Ser or a form thereof which is shortened at its C-terminus by up to 8 amino acids, is suitable for producing an active IL-16 polypeptide.

Abstract: A perspective image characteristic value is extracted from a 2D input image signal for each of plural parallax calculation regions defined in a one-field screen on a field-by-field basis. Parallax information per predetermined unit area of the one-field screen is generated by using the perspective image characteristic value extracted per parallax calculation region. A first image signal and a second image signal are generated from a signal of the 2D input image signal which resides in each predetermined unit area, the first and second image signals having a horizontal phase difference therebetween based on the parallax information on the predetermined unit area.

Abstract: A gravity-feed unit that dispenses cool drinks form a carboy includes a breakable inner seal. The carboy is supported by its neck, which is centered on a striker. The striker includes a discharge passage for the carboy that communicates with a coiled pipe to cause the beverage to flow through a secondary exchanger. A heat transferring agent is previously cooled in a primary exchanger and brought to the secondary exchanger by a pump. Actuation is controlled by a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the heat transfer agent in the secondary exchanger. The primary exchanger includes a heat source that causes the heat transfer agent to pass continuously inside a closed circuit mutually connecting the primary and secondary exchangers regardless of whether the pump is operating.

Abstract: A shift control system is arranged such that a shift lever 201 is movable to a “P” position, an “R” position, an “N” position, a “D5” position and a “D4” position along a first shift guide path 211, it is movable also from the “D4” position to a “3/M” position along a connection shift guide path 212, and it is movable also along a second shift guide path 213, from the “3/M” position into a direction different from that of the connection shift guide path 212. When the shift lever is shifted to the “D5” position, the transmission is set into an automatic shift control with forward drive speed ratios up to the FIFTH speed ratio. When the shift lever is shifted to the “D4” position, the transmission is set into an automatic shift control with forward drive speed ratios up to the FOURTH speed ratio.