Abstract: A contrast control circuit for processing a video signal comprises a digital video-signal processing circuit which detects a mean value of a digital luminance signal of the digital video signal and subtracts the detected mean value from the digital luminance signal in order to obtain a difference signal, and a limiter circuit which receives and limits the difference signal to a range defined by predetermined upper and lower limits.

Abstract: In a radio paging receiver equipped with an auto-dialing function, there are provided a message data receiver; a message data memory; a message data readout unit; a message data display unit; and a selecting unit for selecting a telephone number portion contained in the message data. Then, the data selected by the selecting unit is converted into a corresponding dialing tone signal, whereby a desired display tone is automatically generated and input to a telephone handset.

Abstract: In a picture information processing apparatus, when a picture signal is recorded on a magnetic disk apparatus, or the like, a message for this picture signal is input by a key entry unit, and the entered message data are recorded during the vertical flyback period of the picture signal. While the picture signal is read out from the magnetic disk apparatus, the message data which have been recorded during the vertical flyback period of the picture signal are extracted and then stored. Then, the extracted message data is arbitrarily synthesized with the readout picture signal. Thus, the message data is displayed together with the picture signal on the display screen.

Abstract: A liquid crystal projector of the type, wherein the light emitted from a light source is split into a red beam, a green beam, and a blue beam, and these beams are applied to red-image, green-image, and blue-image display LCD panels, the red-image beam, the green-image beam, and the blue-image beam emerging from these LCD panels are combined and projected by a projection lens, thereby to form a full-color image. The projector has an optical system which guides the beams such that these beam have optical paths of the same length which extend from the light source or the LCD panels to the projection lens.

Abstract: In a radio paging communication system, an exclusive input device such as a personal computer capable of inputting alpha-numeric code data and a normal key telephone are included for inputting message data to an alpha-numeric paging receiver. The alpha-numeric paging receiver includes a circuit for detecting a specific code in the message data. In order to input message data from the key telephone set, the specific code is input prior to input of the message data. The paging receiver displays data following the specific code as numeric code data.

Abstract: When picking of a string is performed, the vibration of the string is detected accurately and quickly. When a fret operation position is changed during generation of a musical tone caused by the string picking, the pitch of the musical tone is changed to the one corresponding to the new fret operation position without generating a new musical tone. When the same string is stroked successively, the succeeding musical tone is generated while keeping the reverberation of the previous musical tone. The musical tone once generated will be stopped from being generated upon elapse of a predetermined time from the beginning of the tone generation, irrespective of the type of its timbre. When a fret operation state is changed to an open-string operation state after the string picking, the generation of the musical tone being generated stops at that timing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a double-sided wiring substrate wherein wiring patterns having a low resistivity are formed on both surfaces of a substrate. A fine pin hole is formed in a thin insulating film having excellent durability by a pin or laser beams. A thin metal film is formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating film and the inner wall of the fine pin hole by vacuum deposition. A thick metal film is formed on the entire thin metal film by electroplating. Thereafter, portions of the thin and the thick metal films formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating film are etched while leaving a portion of them on the inner wall of the fine pin hole. Conductive patterns each having a layered structure of the thin and the thick metal films are thus formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate. The "roll-to-roll system" that is, every step of manufacturing is performed by unrolling and feeding the insulating film rolled up around the roll, can also be applied.

Abstract: A paging system comprises a base station and a number of pagers. The base station transmits calling-number data and message data in the form of radio signals. The message data contains selection-code data. Each pager indicates that the pager is being called, in accordance with the message data, when the calling-number data is identical to the calling-number data already stored in the pager. The pager comprises a calling-number data momory, a selection-code memory, a comparator, and an alarm device. When the calling-number data transmitted from the base station is identical to the calling-number data stored in the calling-number data memory, the comparator compares the selection-code contained in the message data, with the selection-code stored in the selection-code memory. When the comparator determines that the selection-code transmitted from the base station is identical to the selection-code stored in the selection-code memory, the alarm device is activated to indicate that the pager is being called.

Abstract: A liquid-crystal display includes common electrodes and segment electrodes and responds to signals applied to the common electrodes and the segment electrodes, to display an image. A display controller responds to a received signal to generate a gradation indicating signal indicating a gradation of each of the pixels of the display. A common driver simultaneously selects k adjacent common electrodes for scan, compensates the gradation indicating signal, and supplies the compensated signal to the segment electrodes in order to decrease the difference between the gradation of each pixel indicated by the gradation indicating signal and an actually displayed gradation which results from the simultaneous selection of the common electrodes.

Abstract: A melody analyzer is provided which analyzes a given melody with respect to individual melody notes therein. In an embodiment, chord data in the form of a specific root and type, and tonality data in the form of a specific key note and mode are supplied to the melody analyzer. A chord note generator produces from the supplied chord a pitch class set of chord notes thereof while an available note generator develops from the supplied tonality and chord a pitch class set of available notes. A separator classifies each melody note into a harmonic tone and a nonharmonic tone in accordance with the chord note pitch class set. Another separator labels each melody note with either an available note or an unavailable note in accordance with the available note pitch class set. A motion evaluator evaluates motions in the supplied melody.

Abstract: In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus of a rotary head type, a magnetic head having two gaps of different azimuth angles is installed on the rotary drum and a switching signal, the polarity of which is inverted every rotation of the rotary drum is generated. The duty of the switching signal is adjusted so as to correspond to a time-difference between the two gaps of the above head. The timings of the recording operation and the reproducing operation to be performed by the magnetic head are controlled on the basis of the above adjusted switching signal.

Abstract: The position of a connecting portion between waveforms can be arbitrarily set when a plurality of waveform data is obtained by changing pitch widths of stored external sound waveform data, when a read rate of the waveform data is increased or decreased and the readout waveform data is synthesized, or when the waveform is changed from one waveform to another waveform. In addition, a plurality of loop reproduction cycles can be arbitrarily set when the waveform data is to be read out. In loop reproduction, two items of waveform data having different phases between the preset start and end addresses can be repeatedly read out and synthesized, and their mixing ratios can be changed as a function of time, thereby performing loop reproduction so as not to abruptly change amplitude values of the waveforms.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument having a function of selecting a musical tone parameter just before, or after during a musical performance is provided. The instrument has a first manually operable element such as a tremolo arm deflectably mounted on the main body of the instrument and positioned adjacent to stretched strings, and a second manually operable element (e.g., push button) attached to the first operational element. In one embodiment, the first element serves as a controller for varying a first musical parameter (e.g., pitch modulation) while the second element functions as another controller for varying a second, different musical parameter (e.g., tone color). In another embodiment, the second element serves as a variable function assignor for the first element. Depending on the function assigning of the first element, the second element provides a variable parameter controller (e.g., tremolo, vibrato).