Abstract: A pointing stick for controlling cursor movement on a display screen of a computer system that is mountable to a surface of a printed circuit board. The pointing stick has a base member and a shaft having mounted in the base member. Several sensors are mounted around the shaft for sensing the amount of strain in the shaft that is created in response to an applied force on the shaft. The sensors generate an electrical signal in response to the applied force. A pair of spaced electrical leads are located on opposing sides of the base member and extend partially through the base member. Each of the electrical leads has several inner terminal ends that are electrically connected to the sensors. Several outer terminal ends extend outwardly of the base member and are shaped for mounting on the surface of a circuit board. An electronic component is attached to the shaft or the leads and is electrically connected to the inner terminal ends.

Abstract: A plasma-addressed liquid crystal display device capable of high-speed drive and improved viewing characteristic is composed of a liquid crystal cell structure and plasma cell structure stacked with each other. The liquid crystal cell structure is formed by sandwiching a liquid crystal having a spontaneous polarization between a first transparent substrate having therein transparent electrode stripes and an alignment film covering the electrode stripes, and a dielectric sheet having thereon an alignment film. The plasma cell structure is formed of a second transparent substrate having thereon cathode stripes and anode stripes disposed alternately with a spacing therebetween, stacked via stripe-shaped partitions disposed along the anode stripes onto the dielectric sheet so as to form plasma channels between the partitions filled with an ionizable gas sealed up therein.

Abstract: A display device, an electronic apparatus, and a drive method are provided achieving an improved display characteristic, most suitable for a charge-discharge drive method and arranged to perform grayshade display by pulse width modulation. In a charging mode, a first selecting voltage VS1 is supplied to a scanning line. In a discharging mode, a precharge voltage−VPRE opposite in polarity to VS1 is applied to the scanning line, and a second selecting voltage VS2 opposite in polarity to the precharge voltage−VPRE is thereafter supplied to the scanning line. Also, a pulse-width-modulated data voltage is supplied to a data line. As the pulse width of one of first and second write pulses 44 and 46 setting the same gray scale value is increased, the pulse width of the other is reduced and the rate of reduction of the pulse width of the other becomes lower. The DC component of the data voltage in one horizontal scanning period is made approximately zero independent of the gray scale.

Abstract: When gradation data of a present frame is corrected in combination with gradation data of a preceding frame for each display pixel, the level of correction is controlled according to a predetermined dispersion pattern corresponding to a matrix of pixels on a plasma display panel. The display pixels where the gradation level varies in the same way are not corrected uniformly, but some are excessively corrected and some are uncorrected such that they are mixed in a two-dimensional pattern. Moving images displayed on the plasma display panel with gradations expressed according to the subfield process for pixels are prevented from suffering false moving image contours.

Abstract: A stabilizing circuit for stabilizing a horizontal transistor of a video display device. The stabilizing circuit includes a transient state detector for detecting a transient state of a phase locked loop circuit in a horizontal drive circuit due to a change in an operation mode of a video card in a computer system. A micro-computer outputs vertical and horizontal synchronous signals with frequencies before the change in the operation mode of the video card when the transient state detector detects the transient state of the phase locked loop circuit. The transient state detector detects the transient state of the phase locked loop circuit according to a direct current level variation based on a phase difference between a horizontal synchronous signal from the micro-computer and a horizontal drive signal from the phase locked loop circuit.

Abstract: An automatic scrolling method for showing a document which is larger than a screen of an information device and device therefor. The method includes the steps of (a) displaying a portion of the document located at the beginning of the document, (b) displaying another portion of the document shifted from a previously displayed portion by a predetermined horizontal displacement every predetermined period until the right end of the document is displayed, (c) displaying another portion of the document shifted by a predetermined vertical displacement and including a left end of the document when the right end of the document is displayed, and (d) repeating the steps (b) and (c) until all of the contents of the document are displayed. Preferably, the information device is a hand-held portable information terminal.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving a display panel comprises a receiving circuit of a TV broadcasting wave. The writing and reading operations of the pixel data to/from the memory are performed synchronously with the self-advancing clock signal, thereby preventing a disturbance of a display image upon channel switching. The display driving apparatus according to another aspect of the invention has two frame memories to alternately store pixel data and a memory control apparatus to control the writing and reading operations to/from the frame memories which makes a scanning line interpolation processing apparatus constructed by a memory, an arithmetic operating circuit, and the like unnecessary. Furthermore, the driving apparatus can be altered to allocate storage in a memory for pixels which are to be displayed in one picture plane. This storage allocation allows a motion image and the still image to be simultaneously displayed.

Abstract: An image display device of the present invention includes: a memory for storing a display level of each pixel in a display screen; and a control section for comparing a display level of a pixel stored in the memory with a display level of the pixel for a next display, and for updating or not updating the display level of the pixel stored in the memory based on a comparison result.

Abstract: A collapsible keyboard assembly having, in one embodiment, a plurality of keys each of the plurality of keys having a top portion and a portion of the plurality of keys displaced adjacent one another to form at least one row. A plurality of keys are coupled to a support element which is capable of being extended to a first footprint and is capable of being contracted to a second footprint. Each of the keys includes a key top which is coupled to a key base. Each key top is designed to be pressed by a user. For each key, the key top and key base rotate on a pivot point which couples the key base to the support element. Each key base rotates as the support element is extended and contracted. One embodiment also includes a plurality of scissors linkages, each linkage having a pair of diagonally opposed leg portions coupled to one another, with a portion of the plurality of scissors linkages pivotally coupled to at least one of the keys of the row.

Abstract: An integrated, surface-mount pointing device for controlling the movement of an object on a display screen, comprises a base member; a shaft mounted in the base member; a sensor mounted on the shaft for sensing the amount of strain in the shaft in response to an applied force on the shaft; and a pair of spaced electrical leads extending at least partially through the base member. Each electrical lead has an inner terminal end electrically connected to the sensor and an outer terminal end extending outwardly of the base member. The outer terminal ends of the pair of leads are shaped for mounting on the surface of a circuit board. The circuit board may contain electrical traces and electronic circuitry for processing signals from the sensor. More than one sensor with additional electrical leads may be provided.

Abstract: Apparatus and process are provided wherein an object can be manipulated between multiple discontinuous screens which form a single continuous virtual display. Each screen is touch or input sensitive to a pointing implement or device, and a physical discontinuity separates each of the screens from the others, this continuity being non-touch sensitive. First, a pointing implement contacts the source touch-screen to select the object, storing parameters in the computers buffer. The pointing implement is moved to the target touch-screen where the pointing implement contacts where the first object is to be dragged to; then the object is released from the buffer so that the first object is pasted to the target touch-screen. Preferably, when the object is touched at the source screen, a timer starts, and if the target screen is touched before timeout, the object appears at the target.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fuel dispenser which is located in a fueling environment that includes a convenience store or a quick serve restaurant. The fueling dispenser includes a display providing menu options and input devices for a user to select various goods and services available at the location. The display includes a first display having user selectable options and input devices positioned on the fueling dispenser. The display further includes a second display having user selectable options within a handicapped accessible range to provide access for disabled users. Upon receipt of a signal indicating a handicapped user, the second display is provided to allow access for handicapped users to insure they can adequately input their selections.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device of the active matrix-type having two-dimensionally arranged pixels along rows and columns is driven frame by frame. In each frame operation, a scanning selection period (TG) for each selected row is divided into a first period (t1) and a second period (t2). In t1 of a current frame (TF2), a reset pulse is applied to a pixel concerned, and the reset pulse is set to have an absolute value of voltage identical to and a polarity opposite to those of a writing pulse voltage applied to the pixel in the previous frame (TF1). Then, in t2 of the current frame (TF2), the pixel is supplied with a writing pulse depending on a prescribed display state of the pixel for the current frame. As a result, the reset period is shortened to favor a high-speed display and a higher resolution display.

Abstract: A bus compression apparatus for compressing data is provided to suppress an EMI signal and to simplify a data bus structure. In the apparatus, the voltage levels of the digital output signals are summed in accordance with the resistance values of the data compression circuit to produce a compressed analog signal. The compressed analog signal is transmitted through a bus lines to a data decompressor which reproduces the digital data in response to the voltage levels of the compressed analog signal.

Abstract: A method for determining a position of a joystick in data communication with a processor and having an initial state that includes steps of varying the initial state in response to a signal from the processor; returning the joystick to the initial state after a duration of time, with the duration of time being dependent upon the position amongst a plurality of positions. A plurality of poll operations of the joystick are executed to sense the returning step. Each of the polling operations results in a data signal being transferred from the joystick indicating the state of the same, with consecutive poll operations being separated by a predetermined segment of time, defining a first interval and consecutive data signals operations being separated by a time period, defining a second interval. The second interval is increased to be greater than the first interval, the duration of time is measured by determining a number of data signals received by the processor between the varying step and the returning step.

Abstract: A matrix type liquid-crystal display unit includes: a plurality of pixel portions which are arranged in the form of a matrix; a plurality of signal lines through which a display signal is supplied to the pixel portions; a plurality of scanning lines through which a scanning signal is supplied to the pixel portions; a signal-line drive circuit for driving the signal lines; a scanning-line drive circuit for driving the scanning-lines; a plurality of first thin-film transistors that form the signal-line drive circuit; a plurality of second thin-film transistors that form the scanning-line drive circuit; and a threshold value control circuit being connected to the signal-line drive circuit and the scanning-line drive circuit, for commonly controlling threshold values of the first and second thin-film transistors.

Abstract: A user interface with guide lights for a communications device, such as a mobile telephone, is provided to assist a user in the correct and efficient operation of the device having a display, and a keypad which contains a numerical 10-key and other control keys. The user interface includes a means for identifying the appropriate keys on the keypad which correspond to the step or steps required to activate a desired operation to be performed within the device. In the preferred embodiment, identification of the appropriate keys is achieved using a light source which is mounted beneath each translucent key so that when the light source is illuminated, the key associated with that light source will be identified to the user. The intensity of the light sources is variable and may be controlled to provide sufficient contrast to read all keys in low ambient light while highlighting the keys to be pressed for operation of the desired function.

Abstract: A method and circuit generates a sampling clock signal that digitizes an analog video signal. The sampling clock signal is generated by a clock divider coupled to the horizontal synchronization signal of the analog video signal. A divisor calculator calculates a divisor for the clock divider to control the frequency of the sampling clock signal. Specifically, the divisor calculator selects an initial divisor for the clock divider. Then the divisor calculator calculates a new divisor based on the target pixel value provided by a mode detector and the measured pixel value from a counter. Some embodiments of the present invention fine tune the frequency by testing other possible divisors with a plurality of different phases. In addition, some embodiments of the present invention calibrate the phase of the sampling clock signal to generate a phase shifted sampling clock signal.

Abstract: A novel means and apparatus for a new kind of photography and videography is described. In particular, a wearable camera with a viewfinder suitable for long-term use is introduced. The system, in effect, absorbs and quantifies rays of light and processes this quantigraphic information on a small wearable computer system, then the processed information is re-constituted into light rays emerging to reconstruct the virtual image of objects at nearly the same position in space, or at a coordinate transformed position, as viewed by the wearer of the apparatus. The wearer of the apparatus becomes, after adaptation, an entity that seeks, without conscious thought or effort, an optimal point of vantage and camera orientation. Because of the wearer's ability to constantly see the world through the apparatus, which may also function as an image enhancement device, the apparatus behaves as a true extension of the wearer's mind and body, giving rise to a new genre of documentary video.

Abstract: LC display device based on “plane switching”, in which the switching speed is increased by overdriving the pixels upon a change of the voltage across these pixels while taking, for example, the hydrodynamical properties of the LC material into account. The correction means may also correct for changes of ambient or liquid temperature.