Abstract: An anodizing method, wherein an aluminum based-system alloy film formed on an insulation substrate is soaked in an electrolytic solution of an ammonium borate water solution, and a voltage is applied between a to-be-anodized film of the aluminum system alloy film functioning as an anode and a cathode soaked in the same electrolytic solution, thereby forming a metal oxide film from the surface of the to-be-anodized film. A resistivity of the electrolytic solution is measured, and ammonia water is added to the electrolytic solution so that the measured resistivity does not exceed 120 .OMEGA.cm.

Abstract: An automatic playing apparatus is provided which is capable of executing an automatic performance using a complex combination of audio data and sequence data. In the apparatus, a buffer is provided between the hard disk and audio input/output devices and MIDI input/output device, and serves to temporality record and/or reproduce data to or from the hard disk. Event data of the hard disk are selectively read out to the buffer under control of the CPU, and the event data are further transferred to the audio input/output devices and the MIDI input/output device, for executing automatic performance based on audio data and MIDI data.

Abstract: A plurality of groups of tone parameters different in kind required for the generation of a musical sound is stored. The tone parameters of the same kind among those tone parameters are modulated with the same sway signal generated at the same time at a desired time or at fixed intervals of time when a key concerned is depressed. The modulated parameters are either restored in the original storage region or directly delivered to a sound source. The resulting musical sound has an acoustically natural comfortable tone quality. Even if musical sounds are generated simultaneously, no sways in the respective tones of the musical sound are canceled.

Abstract: A recording medium records performance data of a predetermined program piece. The recording medium is played back as a background performance, and auto-playing data is sequentially stored in synchronism with the playback operation of the recording medium program number data of the recording medium and present playback time data at the beginning of the storage operation are fetched from the recording medium, and are stored in a memory. For this reason, when the stored data is automatically played, the corresponding program piece of the recording medium can be automatically selected, and an auto-play can be synchronously started at the same timing as in a storage mode.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a first substrate having a plurality of first electrodes formed thereon, a second substrate having at east one second electrode opposed to at least one of the plurality of first electrodes, an aligning film covering at least one of combinations, one combination of which being consisted of the surfaces of the first electrodes and at least one portion of a surface of the first substrate and the other combination of which being consisted of the surface of the second electrode and at least one portion of a surface of the second substrate, a sealing member for bonding the first and second substrates with a predetermined gap therebetween so that surfaces of the first and second substrates on which the first and second electrodes are formed respectively are opposed to each other, and a liquid crystal material sealed in a space area encircled by the first and second substrates disposed in an opposing fashion and the sealing member.

Abstract: In a stopwatch of this invention, when a lap switch is operated after time measurement is started, a lap time from the immediately preceding lap switch operation to the current lap switch operation is stored and compared with a measurement time after the current lap switch operation. Since an alarm tone is generated if the measurement time after the current lap switch operation coincides with the stored lap time, the immediately preceding lap time can be used as a target time of the time measurement. The stopwatch can be conveniently used when a running speed is increased or decreased in each lap in a track race or the like.

Abstract: Data input through a key switch is displayed on a liquid crystal display and is stored in an EEPROM. The data stored in the EEPROM is immediately read out to check whether the read data coincide with the input data. If the data stored in the EEPROM and read out therefrom does not coincide with the input data, the input data is stored again. If the input data cannot be stored in the EEPROM after storage operation is performed a predetermined number of times, a CPU determines, on the basis of a signal from a battery voltage detecting circuit, whether a voltage applied from a power supply circuit to the EEPROM exceeds a predetermined voltage. On the basis of this determination result, the CPU causes the liquid crystal display to display a cause for the disabled storage operation with respect to the EEPROM.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier which is rotated in a predetermined direction, a brush charger which charges a surface of the carrier, an exposure unit which forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the carrier in accordance with image information supplied thereto, a developer which develops the electrostatic latent image with a toner, and a transfer unit which transfers a toner image from the surface of the carrier onto a transfer medium supplied thereto. The image carrier includes a conductive main body, an undercoat having a predetermined electric resistance higher than that of the main body, and a photosensitive layer, which is formed on the undercoat, and on which an electrostatic latent image is formed by the exposure unit after charging is performed by the charger. The charger includes a main body constituted by bristles consisting of conductive fibers having electric resistance within the range from about 10.sup.6 to about 10.sup.9 .OMEGA.

Abstract: In a method for extending a wafer-supporting sheet of a wafer-supporting table for dicing, the wafer-supporting sheet can be extended by using a single tool, and a total height of a wafer-supporting device can be reduced while the sheet is extended. In this wafer-supporting sheet extending method, a substantially C-shaped extension spring is arranged on a lower surface of the wafer-supporting sheet, on which a wafer divided into chips is placed, so that the sheet is extended. Thus, since the wafer-supporting sheet can be extended by a single tool (the C-shaped extension spring) and the extension spring can be made thin, the total height of the wafer-supporting device can be reduced while the sheet is extended.

Abstract: A display apparatus having a calculation function, comprises a measurement unit for measuring a distance; an input unit for inputting either time information or velocity information; a calculation unit for calculating either time information or velocity information based on a measurement result of the measurement unit and either the time information or velocity information inputted by the input unit; and a display unit. A calculation result obtained from the calculation unit is displayed on the display unit.

Abstract: An electronic rubbed-string instrument of a type which generates musical tones in response to rubbing operation of operation member across an instrument body or string in a similar way to a violin and a viola. When a part of instrument body is rubbed with an operating member, characteristics (e.g., tone color characteristics, pitch characteristics) of a musical tone to be generated are controlled in response to a speed of the operating member. Further, the characteristics of the musical tone are controlled in response to pressure applied to a part of the instrument body with the operating member. Furthermore, the characteristics of the musical tone are controlled in response to a direction in which the bow is moved across the strings.

Abstract: Method of forming a thin film consisting of a silicon-based material includes a first step of setting a substrate subjected to formation of a thin insulating film consisting of the silicon-based material in a chamber having high-frequency electrodes for receiving a high-frequency power while the substrate is kept heated at a predetermined temperature, a second step of supplying a process gas to the chamber, a third step of applying a high-frequency power to the high-frequency electrodes to generate a plasma, a fourth step of depositing an insulator consisting of the silicon-based material on the substrate to a predetermined thickness while gas supply in the second step and supply of the high-frequency power in the third step are kept maintained, and a fifth step of cooling the substrate on which the insulating film is formed and unloading the substrate from the chamber. In the fourth step, the substrate is kept heated within the temperature range of 230.degree. C. to 270.degree. C.

Abstract: A musical-tone signal controlling apparatus includes a processor which executes a musical-tone controlling process on an input musical-tone signal supplied to the processor, the processor including a delay unit which executes a delay process on the input musical-tone signal; a first discriminator which determines whether or not the input musical-tone signal to be supplied to the processor has become null; a second discriminator which determines whether or not the output musical-tone signal processed by the processor has become null; and a reset circuit which automatically resets the delay unit when the second discriminator determines that the musical-tone signal processed by the processor has become null after the first discriminator determines that the input musical-tone signal to be supplied to the processor has become null.