Abstract: A high speed multiplex-driven liquid crystal display device is capable of utilizing a bistable nematic liquid crystal medium while maintaining high contrast, fast switching capability and a wide viewing angle. The chiral nematic liquid crystal medium has a twisted structure wherein a first voltage waveform applied in a first time period brings on Frederick's transition followed by a selected second voltage waveform applied in a second time period capable of generating one of two selectable metastable states representing switchable bistable states.

Abstract: A data-dependent color display for vector data separates chrominance from a video signal as a pair of orthogonal chrominance components. The pair of chrominance components are used as addresses to access a vector memory. An intensity value at the location within the vector memory accessed by the chrominance pair of addresses is incremented by each such access. During a display cycle the intensity values from the vector memory are converted into color values as a function of their locations within the vector memory. The color values are displayed in a display area on a display screen to provide a colored vector display where the color at any point along the vector display is a function of the point's angular position with respect to a center of the display and distance from the center.

Abstract: An ergonomic housing for a computer mouse helpful in minimizing the occurrence and alleviating the symptoms of repetitive strain injuries is disclosed. The mouse housing includes a palm support area having a hump which is an asymmetrically skewed bulge about with a user's hand may pivot. The palm support area also includes a tapered tail for supporting the hand and wrist off the surface. The housing includes at least one button which is elevated and angled to minimize flexion of and accompanying stress on the tendons of the finger. A thumb support is also provided to allow the thumb to rest off the surface and to aid in lifting the mouse.

Abstract: The quality of an image is improved even if the duration of data voltage is short for application. A gate line driver 34 sequentially applies the gate voltage to a number of gate lines G1-Gm by predetermined duration. Data lines are grouped into four groups each consisting of n lines (d1A-dnA: group A, d1B-dnB: group B, d1C-dnC: group C, and d1D-dnD: group D). A data line driver 40 and a multiplexer 38 sequentially perform for the data line groups A-D in the above predetermined duration application of data voltage to each data line in a predetermined data line group. A precharge controller 44 and a voltage switching circuit 46 apply to each of the data line groups A-D, through a transistor 42, a precharge voltage (+V.sub.1 or -V.sub.1) with the same polarity with that of data voltage being applied next time during the time from previous application of the data voltage to next application of it.

Abstract: In order to display an image on a liquid crystal display at a constant image quality independently of a change of the length of the period for applying voltages with the same polarity to the liquid crystal, the length of one cycle of a horizontal synchronizing signal inputted to an LCD unit from an information processor is counted and the amplitude of data voltage and the center of the amplitude are corrected so that the amplitude of the data voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal increases and a correction value for the center of the amplitude increases as the length of the period for applying data voltages with the same polarity to the liquid crystal decreases in accordance with the length of one cycle of the horizontal synchronizing signal and whether to perform gate overlap scan.

Abstract: A vision-based controller provides translational and rotational control signals to a computer or other input driven device. The controller includes a tracked object, positioned in space and having at least a first reference point and a second reference point. The tracked object is capable of three dimensional rotational and translational movement. At least one imaging device, positioned at a distance from the tracked object, generates an image of the tracked object, at plural succeeding times. A processor unit receives the image, comprised of pixel values, from the imaging device; identifies pixels corresponding to a current center of the tracked object, the first reference point and the second reference point; determines a current dimension (i.e., size or radius) of the tracked object; calculates a translational and rotational displacement of the tracked object based on the above information; and generates control signals in accordance with the transitional and rotational displacement.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a plasma addressed display device which can adaptively control a voltage to be applied to each discharge channel, thereby suppressing an excess applied voltage. The plasma addressed display device includes a flat panel as a display. The flat panel has a laminated structure consisting of a plasma cell having a plurality of rows of discharge channels and a display cell having a plurality of columns of signal electrodes. A drive circuit sequentially supplies an applied voltage to a cathode in each discharge channel to generate a plasma discharge, thereby performing line-sequential scanning. A signal circuit supplies an image signal to each signal electrode in synchronism with the line-sequential scanning. A constant-current circuit operates so that a constant discharge current flows after the generation of the plasma discharge in each discharge channel. A detecting circuit samples a discharge voltage during flowing of the constant discharge current in each discharge channel.

Abstract: A selective call device (100) has a plurality of first alerts and a second alert and includes a decoder/controller (106) generating a plurality of icons associated with the plurality of first alerts and the second alert (116) and a switch for selecting an alert. The decoder/controller (106), in response to the switch (118), positions a second alert icon adjacent to a selected icon when the selected icon is not the second alert icon. A display (108) displays the second alert icon adjacent to the selected icon and the decoder/controller (106) regenerates the plurality of icons wherein the second alert icon is repositioned adjacent to a reselected alert icon.

Abstract: An image processor is composed of a game device body, an operation panel and a display. The game device body is composed of a data processor 11 and a memory 12. The data processor 11 realizes a hit determining circuit 111, an enemy control circuit 112, an enemy (object) set circuit 113, a cursor control circuit 114, an enemy retrieval circuit 115 and a camera control circuit 116 in accordance with corresponding programs used. When an object is displayed on the display, the cursor control circuit 114 displays a cursor in accordance with predetermined processing performed on the basis of data on the coordinates of the object. The camera control circuit 116 performs a zoom-in display process for the object when the object is displayed on the display.

Abstract: The invention is directed to simultaneously implement display by using the first and second liquid crystal display sections. While a voltage (1/2 V.sub.L) which is a half of a drive voltage V.sub.L supplied from the second drive power supply by the second liquid crystal driver is taken as a virtual ground, a voltage (1/4 V.sub.L) resulting from positively and negatively dividing by 4 the drive voltage V.sub.L is applied to each of electrodes of the second liquid crystal display section defined in the liquid crystal display panel. In a selected waveform, by applying a voltage which exceeds the saturation voltage of liquid crystals, to selected portions of the waveform, the liquid crystals are turned on. In a non-selected waveform, such a voltage is not applied. In the second liquid crystal display section, direct current component of the waveform of a signal supplied by the second liquid crystal driver is cut off by the direct current cutoff circuit. A bias voltage (1/2 V.sub.

Abstract: Improved curve plotting techniques are disclosed for drawing a substantially smooth curve in real time, from a plurality of sampled points, as the points are sampled, on a point-by-point basis. The curve is substantially smooth in that it has a continuously changing slope of G.sup.1 continuity, as opposed to a slope which changes in a discontinuous or stepwise manner. The curve plotting is performed by representing the x coordinates of the curve using a parametric equation x=?a.sub.x *(t.sup.2)!+?b.sub.x *t!+?c.sub.x !, and by representing the y coordinates of the curve using a second parametric equation y=?a.sub.y *(t.sup.2)!+?b.sub.y *t!+?c.sub.y !, wherein a.sub.x, a.sub.y, b.sub.x, b.sub.y, c.sub.x, and c.sub.y comprise six unknown quantities, and t is a "dummy" valuable. The derivatives of the parametric equations are employed to calculate and to plot the smooth curve.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a display controller connected to a host computer and driving a plurality of displays, the displays being refreshed independently for optimizing the viewing quality of each display. The invention further provides a power controller for reducing power consumption when the display memory is not being updated by the host computer.

Abstract: A signal processing system for a strain-gauge pointing device has a reduced parts count and permits the use of relatively inexpensive low-tolerance components. The system can process signals from two or three or more strain gauges, permitting additional inputs by users without a linear increase in the number of signal processing components. The system employs an RC network to develop an offset for the signal to be provided to an analog-to-digital converter. The system performs each measurement twice, once with a particular excitation polarity and again with the opposite excitation polarity, which permits correction for drift and temperature instability.

Abstract: A compact virtual image electronic display system including a beamsplitting magnification optic on which a source object is projected, the beamsplitting magnification optic having a refractive surface and a partially reflective surface for magnifying and reflecting the source object as a magnified virtual image, and a reflective element positioned for receiving and reflecting the magnified virtual image back to the beamsplitting magnification optic. The beamsplitting magnification optic receives the reflected magnified virtual image and magnifies and transmits it through the beamsplitting magnification optic as a compound magnified image of the magnified virtual image to an observer.

Abstract: A computer peripheral combines an electro-magnetic transceiver and a computer pointing device in the same housing, The pointing device cable provides the electrical connection between the electro-magnetic transceiver and the computer's data bus. The transceiver receives information in the form of electro-magnetic pulses from an appropriately-equipped remote device, converts the pulses to electrical signals, and relays the electrical signals to the computer. The transceiver receives electrical signals addressed to the device from the computer, converts the electrical signals to electro-magnetic pulses, and relays the pulses to the remote device.

Abstract: A character table unit stores as attribute data of each character of an image a character name, a horizontal direction character size, a vertical direction character size, a horizontal display coordinate value and, a vertical display coordinate. A counter outputs count values indicating a horizontal position and a vertical position in a display screen image. A first writing control unit reads from the character table unit the attribute data of an appropriate character based on the count values of the counter and the attribute data, produces basic size attribute data of basic size characters which constitute at least part of the character. The basic size character is determined to be currently displayed based on the count values. The basic size character attribute data is written in a hit buffer. A image data memory stores character image data.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes in its body at least a power supply unit, a disk type storage and a printed circuit board arranged in a predetermined order and further has a keyboard unit which can be sandwiched between the display unit and a keyboard unit supporting portion extending from the body by pivotally moving the display unit. A detector for detecting the detachment of the keyboard unit from the body may be provided to restrict the range of pivotal movement of the display unit in accordance with a detection signal of the detector. Further, the display unit may be provided with pilot light emitting portions, thereby making it possible to recognize a condition of the information processing apparatus.

Abstract: A pair of neighboring scan lines are selected either for a black write action of an arbitrary signal line in a blanking period and the other for another black write action of the signal line in the blanking period, permitting a relatively small voltage shift to be caused in associated pixel voltages.

Abstract: The keyboard portion of a computer has a small toggle switch structure positioned among its keys and reachable by a user while his hands are in the home row typing position. The switch structure is used to selectively switch the computer between typing and cursor control modes. When the computer is switched to its cursor control mode by depressing a stick-like activation portion of the switch structure, a small video camera mounted above the keyboard monitors an observation zone above the keyboard. A cursor control system in which the camera is incorporated detects the presence of the user's hand in a first predetermined configuration within the observation zone, tracks the hand's cursor control movement through the zone, and correspondingly moves the cursor on the computer's display screen. To carry out a cursor "pick" function in conjunction with the repositioned cursor, the user reshapes his hand to a second predetermined configuration.

Abstract: An apparatus front panel has a mechanical user interface in the form of a mechanically controllable regulation and setting elements on the face of the front panel. The front panel is manufactured at least in part from a transparent material in which electrical conductors and components are arranged in order to electrically connect the controllable regulation and setting elements from the face of the front panel with the electrical equipment present in the apparatus via a front panel connection. The front panel is constructed so that it can be attached at least in part to a substantially flat indicia-bearing element such as in front of a screen, in front of a display, or over a printed base or the like.