Abstract: A multiphase solid-state contactor for controlling a principal circuit, comprising a plurality of thyristors connected in anti-parallel relation, and an electronic control circuit connected to the thyristors including a firing control circuit, an input circuit and a surge absorbing circuit. The input circuit may include a rectifier and voltage detector for compensating for variations in the operating voltage of the principal circuit. Each of the firing control circuit, the input circuit and the surge absorbing circuit may comprise separate printed circuit boards which may be mounted in stacked relation in a casing for ease of handling and repair. Auxiliary terminals are also provided for outputting an auxiliary output signal from the device.

Abstract: A system for fluidizing a plurality of fluid beds is shown. The system is characterized by an air supplying unit for providing all the fluid beds with pressurized air via pressurized-air supplying pipes. The supply of pressurized air to the fluid beds is controlled by manually or electrically actuated valves. The valves may be selectively opened or closed, or they may be automatically controlled to periodically open and close.

Abstract: A remote control apparatus in which a plurality of loads, assigned to a plurality of load stations, can be individually addressed via a single signal line without the use of complex multiplexing and demultiplexing circuitry. A pulse generator outputs bursts of pulses of a predetermined width onto a single signal line which interconnects all load stations. Each load in the system corresponds to a single respective one of the pulses of the burst. Each load station includes a switching device for selectively shortening selected ones of the pulses. Each load is activated in dependence upon the width of its corresponding pulse.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for driving a two-phase motor having two phase coils and a head of a disc recording unit which records information data and servo information on a rotatively driven disc in a manner designed to assure proper placement of the servo tracks and increase the speed of reading and writing information data. The head is driven to first radial locations on the disc by exciting phase coils in an unbalanced condition with two phase currents which have differing non-zero magnitudes, and servo information is written at these locations as the disc rotates.

Abstract: A system for detecting an off-track amount of a present head position with respect to a normal position of a desired track on a disc in a disc storage unit in which a closed loop control is employed to control the position of a magnetic head. A repetitive pattern is stored as reference information in each reference information region on the disc in such a way that it is deviated in the longitudinal direction of a track from the repetitive patterns stored in the adjacent regions. When the reference information in the two adjacent regions is read out by the head, a ramp signal whose gradient is varied in accordance with the position of a desired track is generated in synchronism with the readout of the reference information. The ramp signal is used as a threshold value and the numbers of the repetitive pattern signals obtained from the signals read out from the reference information in the two adjacent regions which are in excess of the threshold value is counted.

Abstract: Lead wires are extended from phase coils of a head control motor, so that their effective reactances may be varied, and reactance selection circuits are additionally provided to switch values of the reactances of the phase coils to a low value. A vector position is sequentially delivered to phase current generators by a processor for designating the vector position, so that a head is displaced to a desired position. Thereafter, the reactances of the phase coils are switched to a high value by the reactance selection circuits, and then the vector position corresponding to the normal one is applied to the phase current generators, so that the head is so controlled as to be positioned at its normal position on a track on a disc and is maintained at this position. During the time of displacement of the head across the tracks, it is ensured that the head control motor is driven at a high response speed.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising first and second transistors connected in series with one another to pass a primary current upon receipt of a control signal at the gate of the second transistor. The first transistor is coupled to receive a base current from a secondary power source. A third transistor is coupled to have a current path shunt that base current away from the first transistor upon conduction of the third transistor. A control electrode of the third transistor is coupled to receive the control signal also received at the gate of the second transistor. The polarity of the third transistor is selected to render the third transistor conductive when the second transistor is rendered non-conductive in response to the control signal and to render the third transistor non-conductive when the second transistor is rendered conductive by the control signal.

Abstract: A process input/output system for a sequence controller includes integrally an input portion having a data reading portion for reading an external input signal from an external unit, an input control portion for judging an input condition of the external input signal from the read signal, and a first data memory for storing an input condition determined by the input control portion an output portion having a second data memory for storing output data inputted from a bus of the sequence controller to an external unit, and an output control portion for outputting the stored data to the external unit and holding the stored output data; a preset portion for presetting the selection of whether the unit is to be used as an input unit or as an output unit, the selection of the number of input terminals and output terminals and input response time; and a bus controlling portion for controlling the bus to perform exchanges of data between the first and second data memories and the bus, respectively.

Abstract: Head position controlling system for a disc memory unit in which reference information recorded on a recording disc is read out by a head to control tracking of the head. In the case of recording data on the recording disc, a first repetitive pattern signal is recorded on the disc while maintaining a predetermined position relationship with respect to a pair of adjacent data tracks to form an N-th reference track on the disc and then a second repetitive pattern signal is recorded on the disc to form (N-1)-th and (N+1)-th reference tracks adjacent to the N-th reference track. The second repetitive pattern signal is shifted in position so as not to be adjacent to the first repetitive pattern signal.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising first and second transistors connected in series with one another to pass a primary current upon receipt of a control signal at the gate of the second transistor. The first transistor is coupled to receive a base current from a secondary power source. A third transistor is coupled to have a primary current path to shunt the base current away from the first transistor upon conduction of the third transistor. A capacitor is connected between the base of the third transistor and the base of the first transistor so that, at the moment the second transistor ceases conduction in response to the control signal, a voltage gradient is generated between the base of the first transistor and the base of the third transistor, causing the current from the secondary power source to charge the capacitor and thus render the third transistor conductive, thereby shunting the base current from the secondary power source away from the base of the first transistor.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing a thin-film photoelectric transducer. The transducer has a transparent substrate, an amorphous silicon layer and a metal layer; the apparatus has a processing laser for patterning each of the layers. In addition, a separate visible laser is used to detect defects in the layers and the processor laser is then used to correct the defects.

Abstract: In a laser CVD device, immediately before being emitted from a nozzle, raw gas in a reaction chamber reacts opto-chemically with a focused laser beam so that it is decomposed to form a radical flow. The radical flow flows against a substrate set in the reaction chamber so that active materials produced by the optochemical decomposition accumulate on the substrate to form a thin film thereon.

Abstract: A control system for a vending machine having a plurality of article storage bins mounted on a circulatory moving member includes discriminating devices associated respectively with the article storage bins for identifying the kinds of the articles stored respectively in the article storage bins and whether there are articles stored in the article storage bins, and a delivery control unit for controlling the delivery of a selected article based on information from the discriminating devices. Articles of many different kinds can be efficiently vended through a single article conveyor mechanism on a first-in first-out basis.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising first and second transistors connected in series with one another to provide a path for a primary current upon receipt of a control signal at the gate of the second transistor. The first transistor is coupled to receive a base current from a secondary power source. A third transistor is coupled to have a current path which shunts the base current of the first transistor upon conduction of the third transistor. A zener diode is connected between the base of the third transistor and the common junction of the first and second transistors and is arranged to provide base current to the third transistor thereby causing the third transistor to be conductive upon turn-OFF of the second transistor, and as a consequence quickly turning OFF the first transistor.

Abstract: An object identification method and apparatus determines within the boundary of an object to be identified points corresponding to abrupt changes in the profile of the object. Each segment of the boundary between adjacent points is identified with primitive element data and distance map data. These data associated with each segment are collated with similar type data associated with the boundaries of reference objects and the object is identified as the reference object having the highest coincidence of collation.

Abstract: A noise removal circuit for use in partial discharge measuring device of a high voltage apparatus. The circuit includes a first phase shift/reduction device responsive to an input signal for passing it directly while delaying it by a predetermined time and for reducing the delayed signal from the directly passed signal a second phase shift/reduction device for passing an output of the first phase shift/reduction device directly while delaying the output by the predetermined time and for reducing the delayed signal from the directly passes signal, and a phase shift/multiplying device for directly passing an output signal of the second phase shift/reduction device while delaying it by a time twice the predetermined time and multiplying the directly passed signal with the delayed signal.

Abstract: A boiling refrigerant-type cooling system for cooling an electric apparatus includes a refrigerant containing chamber in which the electric apparatus is disposed, a condensing chamber, and a vapor reservoir all in flow communication with each other. A cooling chamber open to the atmosphere adjoins the condensing chamber. A laminated partition separates the cooling chamber from the condensing chamber. The electric apparatus is electrically connected through a sealed opening in the refrigerant containing chamber.

Abstract: A programmable controller employing an address table to locate a plurality of execution programs for executing corresponding instructions, in which an address of an execution program is replaced in that table with the address of a corresponding execution/monitor program whenever the execution result of that execution program is to be monitored.

Abstract: An optical frequency filter for selectively blocking or transmitting an amplitude-modulated optical signal. In a first embodiment of the invention, an optical coupler adds two optical inputs. The output of the optical coupler is delayed and attenuated and then applied to the input of an optical splitter. One output port of the optical splitter is applied to one input port of the optical coupler, with the optical signal to be filtered applied to the other input port of the coupler. The filtered output signal is produced at the second output port of the splitter. In a second embodiment, the delay and attenuation are performed between the output of the splitter and the input of the coupler. In a third embodiment, the signal to be filtered is applied to the input port of an optical splitter. One of the output ports of the splitter is coupled through a delay to one input port of an optical combiner, while the other output port of the splitter is delayed and coupled to the other input port of the coupler.

Abstract: The invention involves (1) forming a transparent conductive film on an insulating transparent substrate, with the transparent conductive film defining a first electrode, (2) forming a non-crystalline semiconductor film on the transparent conductive film, (3) detecting any pinholes existing in the non-crystalline semiconductor film, (4) applying a laser beam in a reducing atmosphere through the detected pinholes to portions of the transparent conductive film located at portions of the pinholes, such that the portions of the transparent conductive film located at positions at which the pinholes are present are caused to have a high resistance by reduction, and (5) finally forming a metal film on the non-crystalline semiconductor film to define a second electrode.