Abstract: An electronic whiteboard capable of being drawn by using marker pens of several colors and one penholder, and a penholder for use in such an electronic whiteboard are disclosed. In a penholder for mounting marker pens, an infrared light emitting unit emits infrared light containing color information of the marker pen, an ultrasonic wave emitting unit emits a the ultrasonic wave, and color information changeover means changes over color information depending on the color of marker pen. The electronic whiteboard main body receives the infrared light and ultrasonic wave emitted from the penholder, and issues information about a position of the penholder depending on the reception timing of the infrared light and ultrasonic wave.

Abstract: A system composed of a plurality of user devices, each storing unique secret information, a system device and a control unit. The control unit produces key capsule data by performing a digital signature conversion with message recovery on the unique secret information for each user device and distributes the unique secret information to the user devices. When device authentication and encrypted communication is performed, each user device transmits the key capsule data distributed by the control unit to the system device. The system device receives the data and recovers the unique secret information from the key capsule data by a digital signature verification conversion with message recovery, which uses the verification key distributed in advance by the control unit. Thus, the user device and the system device can share unique secret information and, using it as a key, perform device authentication and encrypted communication by performing encryption and decryption based on a secret key encryption algorithm.

Abstract: Equipment for a communication system has a semiconductor device formed by integrating a Schottky diode, a MOSFET, a capacitor, and an inductor in a SiC substrate. The SiC substrate has a first multilayer portion and a second multilayer portion provided upwardly in this order. The first multilayer portion is composed of &dgr;-doped layers each containing an n-type impurity (nitrogen) at a high concentration and undoped layers which are alternately stacked. The second multilayer portion is composed of &dgr;-doped layers each containing a p-type impurity (aluminum) at a high concentration and undoped layers which are alternately stacked. Carriers in the &dgr;-doped layers spread out extensively to the undoped layers. Because of a low impurity concentration in each of the undoped layers, scattering by impurity ions is reduced so that a low resistance and a high breakdown voltage are obtained.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using composite particles for its negative electrode. In the composite particles, nucleus particles including at least one element selected from tin, silicon, and zinc as their constituent element are entirely or partly covered with a solid solution or inter-metallic compound of said constituent element and at least one element selected from groups consisting of Group 2 elements, transition elements, and Group 12, Group 13, and Group 14 elements in the Periodic Table except for the constituent element of the nucleus particles and carbon. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the NMR signals of the lithium intercalated in the composite particles appear within the range of −10 to 40 ppm with respect to lithium chloride and at least one signal appears within the range of −10 to 4 ppm.

Abstract: A digital versatile disc (DVD) includes a read-only ROM area in which video is previously recorded, and a readable/writable RAM area. A lender DVD apparatus writes a playback/recording control program in the RAM area of the DVD to be rented. A user DVD apparatus reads the playback/recording control program from the RAM area of the rented DVD. Following the playback/recording control program, the user DVD apparatus receives digital broadcasting, extracts commercial messages therefrom, and writes the extracted commercial messages in the RAM area. Then, the user DVD apparatus reads the video from the ROM area and the commercial messages from the RAM area for playback. Then, the user DVD apparatus generates history data indicating how many times and which commercial message has been played-back, and writes the generated history data in the RAM area.

Abstract: In an active mode, a controller switches an operation mode from the active mode to a suspend mode when an acceptance preparation completion signal is not received from downstream or when a circuit board is discharged downstream, if a discharge preparation completion signal has not been received from upstream. The controller controls relay apparatuses and adjusts a flow of current to control units, in addition to controlling its own CPU clock frequency.

Abstract: The invention is directed to the provision of a two-input, four-output high frequency switch circuit that can prevent the occurrence of in-band ripples of insertion loss in an ON path. The high frequency switch circuit is constructed from six field effect transistors, and a signal is passed through a selected one of signal paths in the two-input, four-output high frequency signal switch having a total of six signal terminals, wherein four additional field effect transistors, each of which, when ON, provides a characteristic impedance matched to the characteristic impedance of an external circuit, are respectively connected between ground and the signal paths leading to the remaining four signal terminals to which the signal is not passed and which therefore become open ends.

Abstract: In the Viterbi decoder for decoding a trellis-coded modulated signal of this invention, a path memory is constructed of a general RAM, whereby the circuit size and power consumption are reduced. A trace-back section traces back path select signals stored in a trace-back memory by a predetermined length. Using the number of a node through which a most likely path passes obtained by the tracing back and in accordance with a trellis diagram, a subset number generator section outputs coding bits relating to transition to the node concerned and a subset number. A selector section selectively outputs a noncoding bit relating to the transition to the node based on the subset number.

Abstract: An IC card with a plate frame includes a plate frame having an aperture and a small-size IC card fitted in the aperture. The shapes and dimensions of the aperture and the small-size IC card are approximately the same. The small-size IC card is formed by shearing the plate frame by the use of a pressing mold. It is possible to take out an IC card without burrs on the outer circumference and it is easy to separate the small-size IC card from the plate frame.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for mounting a semiconductor element to a circuit board and a semiconductor device whereby connection reliability and connection strength in bonding of the semiconductor element and circuit board are enhanced and a connection resistance value is stabilized low. An insulating adhesive is applied to an opposite face of a circuit board. The circuit board is then connected with a semiconductor element by a conductive adhesive and the insulating adhesive which are interposed between an electrode on the circuit board and the projecting electrode and set in the same process. The circuit board and semiconductor element are connected by the insulating adhesive in addition to the conductive adhesive, so that connection reliability and connection strength are high and a connection resistance value is stabilized low.

Abstract: To provide a PDP display device and a drive method which use a set-up pulse having a portion that drops in voltage at a rate of 2V/&mgr;sec or more, whereby the occurrence of discharge errors in a sustain period can be suppressed even when wall charges are not sufficiently erased in an erase period and excess wall charges remain on some or all electrodes in a set-up period. To this end, the drop portion of the set-up pulse applied to a scan electrode group is set after a pulse applied to a sustain electrode reaches a voltage which does not cause a discharge between the sustain and scan electrodes. As a result, the occurrence of discharge errors in the sustain period is suppressed, without prolonging the set-up period.

Abstract: A stop lamp switch of the present invention includes; an operating shaft having one end face being outwardly projected from a switch case body, the end face abutting on a brake pedal of a vehicle; an actuator moving within the switch case body to separate a movable contact from a fixed contact; an engaging spring attached to the other end of the actuator so as to be engaged with a concave-convex locking portion provided on the operating shaft, and a spring regulating member for engaging both free ends of the engaging spring with engaging step portions provided to the spring regulating member in a freely engageable/disengageable manner while the engaging spring is being in a spread state.

Abstract: An electrodeless discharge lamp includes a translucent bulb enclosing a luminous material; a coil for generating an alternating magnetic field that causes discharge in the luminous material; a power source for supplying an alternating current to the coil, the coil including a core and a winding provided near the bulb; and further includes startability improving means for improving startability of the lamp by generating a portion in which the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil is intensified in the bulb.

Abstract: Set-up, write, sustain and erase pulses are variously applied to a plasma display panel using a staircase waveform in which the rising or falling portion is in at least two steps. These staircase waveforms can be realized by adding at least two pulses. Use of such waveforms for the set-up, write and erase pulses improves contrast, and use for the sustain pulses reduces screen flicker and improves luminous efficiency. This is of particular use in driving high definition plasma display panels to achieve high image quality and high luminance.

Abstract: A small-sized, inexpensive optical pickup apparatus can be assembled with high accuracy. The optical pickup apparatus has a various-purpose semiconductor laser, an integrated optical assembly for guiding outgoing light to an optical disk and for separating reflected light, a light receiver for receiving light and converting the received light into an electrical signal, and a coupling member for retaining a positional relationship among the various-purpose semiconductor laser, the integrated optical assembly, and the light receiver. By using a various-purpose semiconductor laser, the optical pickup apparatus can be made in a small size at low cost, and can be accurately assembled. The apparatus is also capable of accurately and efficiently detecting the optical power of the various-purpose semiconductor laser.

Abstract: A pair of electrodes (3) are provided in an arc tube (1) I/S is 20 (A/mm2) or less on a condition that an area of a cross section at a tip of the electrodes (3) is S (mm2) and an operating current between the electrodes (3) is I (A). According to this constitution, a long lamp life can be obtained without causing a rise in the lamp voltage and the blackening of the arc tube (1) by the evaporation of the electrodes while operation time becomes longer.