Abstract: A thin-film transistor comprises a gate electrode formed on a glass substrate, a gate insulating film formed essentially over an entire surface of the substrate to cover the gate electrode, a non-single-crystal silicon semiconductor film placed on the gate insulating film to cover the gate electrode; and a drain electrode and a source electrode spaced a specified distance apart on the semiconductor film and electrically connected to the semiconductor film so as to form the channel region of the transistor. The gate electrode is made of titanium-containing aluminum.

Abstract: A modulation effect adding apparatus in which when an input signal is written into a memory and read and output with a given delay time, the delay time is changed depending on an LFO waveform to thereby add a modulation effect to the input signal. The LFO waveform is obtained by passing through a low pass filter a waveform signal comprising multiple high harmonic components and changing in a positive- or negative-going direction at a particular period. By changing the characteristic of the low pass filter, various LFO waveforms are obtained. An offset value corresponding to the maximum peak value of the LFO waveform is added to the LFO waveform, and the resulting waveform is multiplied by an offset value having a predetermined magnification and inverting the waveform signal to thereby prevent a memory read address from disadvantageously exceeding a write address.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a thermal fixing apparatus having a heat generating member and heat-fixing an image on paper, a section for discriminating a using frequency of the image forming apparatus, and a section for controlling a fixing temperature having a first temperature control mode maintaining the temperature of the thermal fixing apparatus to be a first temperature at which the image can be fixed, a second temperature control mode maintaining the temperature of the thermal fixing apparatus to be a second temperature, which is lower than the first temperature by a predetermined temperature, and a third temperature control mode stopping current supply to a heat generating member of the thermal fixing apparatus.

Abstract: In an STN type liquid crystal display device, two retardation plates are located one on each side of an STN liquid crystal cell. A twist angle .phi..sub.0 of the liquid crystal cell is set to fall within the range of 200.degree. to.DELTA.n.multidot.d value of the liquid crystal is set to 240.degree., and the .DELTA.n.multidot.d value of the liquid crystal is set to fall within the range of 700 nm to 900 nm (measurement wavelength: 589 nm). With respect to the direction of aligning treatment of an incident-side substrate, the light-transmitting axis of a polarizer is inclined at an angle falling within the range of 140.degree. to 180.degree., the light-transmitting axis of an analyzer is inclined at an angle falling within the range of (270.degree.-.vertline..phi..sub.0 .vertline./2).+-.10.degree., the phase delay axis of the first retardation plate is inclined at an angle falling within the range of (180.degree.-.vertline..phi..sub.0 .vertline./2) to (180.degree.-.vertline..phi..sub.0 .vertline./2)+30.degree.

Abstract: An apparatus automatically generates an additional musical part which varies as a function of a given principal part of a music piece. In an embodiment, the apparatus adds a melodic part with a varying pitch line of an arpeggio each element of which is a selected chord tone having a pitch associated with a time-shifted pitch of the principal part. As a result, a "canon" or "Fugue" polyphonic music is obtained.

Abstract: In an MR coding operation for processing a facsimile image, relationships among changing pixels "a1", "a2", "b1" and "b2" are judged, and then after performing process operations of a horizontal mode and a vertical mode, confirmation is made whether or not the changing pixels "b1" and "b2" must be newly checked. When the changing pixels "b1" and "b2" are not required for a new detection, the changing pixels "b1" and "b2" which have been obtained during the preceding coding operation are employed in the subsequent coding operation. As a consequence, the operation to obtain the changing points in the pixels can be omitted and thus a highspeed coding process may be achieved.

Abstract: A footwear of the present invention is provided with tank chambers which are disposed to be in contact with an instep, sole and ankle of the user for applying pressure thereto to protect his foot from shocks. The tank chambers are filled with air and air pressure within the tank chambers can be adjusted. The footwear is further provided with a pressure sensor for measuring air pressure within the tank chambers to generate a pressure signal, and a pressure data displaying device for indicating pressure data on the basis of the pressure signal generated by the pressure sensor. Therefore, the user can make sure on the pressure data display device a pressure level at which the most suitable pressure for his foot is obtained. The user is also allowed to extremely easily adjust the air pressure at the above pressure level, watching an indication on the pressure data display device.

Abstract: A voltage generating circuit generates voltages of various voltage levels for driving a liquid crystal display device. A first voltage source generates first voltage for driving a liquid crystal device while there is provided a first switched capacitor circuit which inverts the first voltage in polarity to generate second voltage for driving a liquid crystal display device, and a second voltage source generates third voltage for driving the display device while there is provided a second switched capacitor circuit which inverts the third voltage in polarity to generate fourth voltage for driving the display device. Further, the first switched capacitor circuit is integrated together with a liquid-crystal driving circuit which selectively outputs the first and second liquid crystal driving voltage while the second switched capacitor circuit is integrated together with a liquid crystal driving circuit which selectively outputs the third and fourth liquid-crystal driving voltage.

Abstract: A TFT is formed on a transparent insulative substrate, and includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating film, a semiconductor film which has a channel portion, source and drain electrodes. An insulating film is formed on the TFT so as to cover at least the drain electrode and the gate insulating film. A transparent electrode is formed on at least part of insulating film except for a portion above the channel portion on the semiconductor film. The transparent electrode is electrically connected to the source electrode via a through hole which is formed on the insulating film at a position of the source electrode.

Abstract: An image reader and thermal recorder comprises a substrate, an image circuit section and a thermal display circuit section. The substrate is formed of either a monocrystalline silicon wafer or insulating material such as ceramics, glass or quartz having a polycrystalline silicon layer on the surface. The image circuit section comprises photoelectric conversion cells and transfer circuit elements for transferring signals charged in each of photoelectric cells, which are integrally formed in and on the substrate. The display circuit section comprises a shift register for registering display data sensed by photoelectric cells, latch circuit, resistive heating elements including polycrystalline silicon layer and display driving elements, which are also integrally formed in and on the substrate.

Abstract: An STN liquid crystal display device includes a polarizer and an analyzer which are arranged to sandwich an STN liquid crystal cell, and two biaxial retardation plates arranged between a substrate of the liquid crystal cell and the analyzer. The polarizer is arranged such that its light-transmitting axis is inclined at about 140.degree. with respect to an incident-side aligning treatment direction of the liquid crystal cell. The analyzer is arranged such that its light-transmitting axis is inclined at about 55.degree. with respect to the incident-side aligning treatment direction. The biaxial retardation plate on the liquid crystal cell side is arranged such that its phase delay axis is inclined at about 40.degree. with respect to the incident-side aligning treatment direction. The biaxial retardation plate on the analyzer side is arranged such that its phase delay axis is inclined at about 5.degree. with respect to the incident-side aligning treatment direction.

Abstract: An electronic camera includes an optical device having a diaphragm for focusing an optical image of subject, an image sensor for sensing the focused optical image and for converting the sensed image into electric signals, a luminous energy level detector for detecting a level of luminous energy based on the electric signals, an exposure condition determining device for determining exposure-time data and diaphragm control data based on the level of luminous energy, an exposure-time control device for a time that the optical image is exposed to the image sensor based on the exposure-time data, a diaphragm controller for controlling the diaphragm based on the diaphragm control data, and a processor for processing the electric signals produced by the image sensor at proper exposure conditions so as to produce a video signal.

Abstract: Root and type of a chord are discriminated at discriminators in accordance with the operation status on a fingerboard. The chord is designated according to a simplified fingering rule predetermined on the fingerboard so as to designate the chord.

Abstract: An analog electronic watch includes a dial provided with a window, an electro-optical display device arranged below the window, and a shutter plate, movably arranged between the dial and the electro-optical display device, for opening and closing the window. The shutter plate is moved at a preset time to expose the electro-optical display device through the window of the dial, so that an alarm information displayed on the electro-optical display device becomes visible from outside.

Abstract: In a financial calculator, a graphic representation function is provided, and financial values desired for an operator are calculated based upon various input financial data. Also, both the entered data and calculated values are displayed as a graphic representation. In the graphic representation, a display interval of a pattern is determined based upon the number of the display data, and a magnitude of the pattern is determined based on the magnitude of the data value.

Abstract: A projecting apparatus having a first projecting system for projecting an object to be projected to form an intermediate image, and a second projecting system for projecting the intermediate image formed by the first projecting system onto a screen. The first projecting system is adapted to distort the image of the object, and the second projecting system is adapted to correct the distorted image to project an enlarged image analogous to the object onto the screen.