Abstract: A nonvolatile memory has plural memory blocks, each having a plurality of sub memory blocks, and is capable of programming to a first sub memory block within a first memory block and a second sub memory block within a second memory block in parallel. The first sub memory block has a management area for storing a management information including linking information between the first sub memory block corresponding sub memory blocks of other memory blocks. A control circuit controls reading the linking information from the first sub memory block in accordance with address information, and programming to the first sub memory block in accordance with the address information and corresponding sub memory blocks by the linking information.

Abstract: A memory card is provided with a transfer control circuit, a write control circuit and a judging circuit. The transfer control circuit outputs a transfer flag signal during the data transfer. The write control circuit outputs an internal busy signal during the data write operation. The judging circuit outputs a transfer interruption signal when a card selection signal of the host is negated during the input of the transfer flat signal and also outputs a suspension signal when the card selection signal is negated during the input of the internal busy signal. A CPU invalidates the data being transfer to interrupt the transfer process upon reception of the transfer interruption signal and completes, upon reception of the suspension signal, the process being executed and stays in the waiting condition.

Abstract: An image display method for displaying, after imaging, a plurality of image data each relating to attribute data, includes: disposing a reference image object for indication of each of the plurality of image data at a position based on any one of the corresponding attribute data in a virtual horizontal plane in a virtual three-dimensional (3D) space; selecting one or more of the image data from the plurality of image data; disposing a viewing image object for indication of the selected image data at a position of any of the corresponding reference image objects moved in a direction of a normal or a substantially normal to the virtual horizontal plane; setting a field of view in the virtual 3D space; and imaging the virtual 3D space in the field of view set in the setting the field of view.

Abstract: A threading device for a sewing machine includes a needle bar provided with a guide member having a stopper portion, a threading shaft having a threading member, operation means having a guide groove formed in a spiral shape with respect to a rotating axis of the threading shaft, and a pin, which is fixed to the threading shaft, having both ends protruded outward in a radial direction with respect to the threading shaft. One end of the pin penetrates the geode groove while the other end of the pin engages with the stopper portion. The threading device further includes erroneous rotation preventing means which prevents the threading shaft from rotating in when the threading shaft moves downward, and permits the threading shaft to rotate when the second end of the pin engages with the stopper portion.

Abstract: The printer can improve the workability of storing and ejecting printing sheets in or from a storage tray. The printer includes a storage tray comprising a sheet storage case for storing a stack of a plurality of printing sheets with at least one of the sides of the storage case being opened and a cover for covering the sheet storage case, wherein the cover comprises a cover body and an moveable member supported by the cover body for freely opening and closing the opening of the sheet storage case. When the entire storage tray is disposed in the slot of the chassis, a pick-up block ejects one printing sheet at a time, and when a part of the storage tray is pulled out of the slot of the chassis, the moveable member can be opened or closed and the printing sheet can be stored in or discharged from the sheet storage case.

Abstract: A memory card is provided with a transfer control circuit, a write control circuit and a judging circuit. The transfer control circuit outputs a transfer flag signal during the data transfer. The write control circuit outputs an internal busy signal during the data write operation. The judging circuit outputs a transfer interruption signal when a card selection signal of the host is negated during the input of the transfer flat signal and also outputs a suspension signal when the card selection signal is negated during the input of the internal busy signal. A CPU invalidates the data being transfer to interrupt the transfer process upon reception of the transfer interruption signal and completes, upon reception of the suspension signal, the process being executed and stays in the waiting condition.

Abstract: When a non-volatile memory write error occurs in a card storage device containing a non-volatile memory and an error correction circuit, write data is read from the non-volatile memory and a check is made if the error can be corrected by the error correction circuit. If the error can be corrected, the write operation is ended. If the error correction circuit cannot correct the error, substitute processing is performed to write data into some other area.

Abstract: A multifunction IC card (MFC) has compatibility with a multimedia card, an SD card, etc. in that connector terminals (#1 through #13) are disposed on a card substrate (1) in two rows in a zigzag fashion, and realizes multifunction facilities in that a memory card unit (3) and an SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card unit (4) are respectively exclusively connected and mounted to predetermined terminals of the connector terminals (#1 through #13). The memory card unit (3) and the SIM card unit (4) are respectively separately provided with areas for storing secrete codes for security. Thus, one IC card is capable of implementing multifunction facilities different in security level.

Abstract: A multifunction IC card (MFC) has compatibility with a multimedia card, an SD card, etc. in that connector terminals (#1 through #13) are disposed on a card substrate (1) in two rows in a zigzag fashion, and realizes multifunction facilities in that a memory card unit (3) and an SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card unit (4) are respectively exclusively connected and mounted to predetermined terminals of the connector terminals (#1 through #13). The memory card unit (3) and the SIM card unit (4) are respectively separately provided with areas for storing secrete codes for security. Thus, one IC card is capable of implementing multifunction facilities different in security level.

Abstract: A printer includes a transporting block, a printing block, a positioning block, and an intermediate picking-up device. The positioning block is disposed between the transporting block and the printing block, and positions printing sheets transported by the transporting block at a predetermined location one at a time, so that they are positioned one at a time at a printing location of the printing block where printing is performed on the printing sheets. The intermediate picking-up means picks up the printing sheets positioned at the predetermined location in the positioning block one at a time in order to transport the printing sheets to the printing block.

Abstract: For statically driving a liquid-crystal optical-modulation device, an alternating electric field produced by a drive signal is applied to a liquid crystal included therein. In a first period in which the alternating electric field has a first polarity, the drive signal is pulse-width modulated based on a first ON-voltage and a first OFF-voltage. In a second period in which the alternating electric field has a second polarity, the drive signal is pulse-width modulated based on a second ON-voltage and a second OFF-voltage.

Abstract: When a non-volatile memory write error occurs in a card storage device containing a non-volatile memory and an error correction circuit, write data is read from the non-volatile memory and a check is made if the error can be corrected by the error correction circuit. If the error can be corrected, the write operation is ended. If the error correction circuit cannot correct the error, substitute processing is performed to write data into some other area.

Abstract: A multifunction IC card (MFC) has compatibility with a multimedia card, an SD card, etc. in that connector terminals (#1 through #13) are disposed on a card substrate (1) in two rows in a zigzag fashion, and realizes multifunction facilities in that a memory card unit (3) and an SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card unit (4) are respectively connected and mounted to predetermined terminals of the connector terminals (#1 through #13). The memory card unit (3) and the SIM card unit (4) are respectively separately provided with areas for storing secret codes for security. Thus, one IC card is capable of implementing multifunction facilities different in security level. Owing to the adoption of a plural-column layout corresponding to a form typified by the zigzag fashion in an array of the connector terminals, a relatively simple structure can be adopted in a card slot.

Abstract: A lower thread supplying apparatus for a sewing machine has a bobbin accommodating portion 11 for detachably accommodating a lower thread bobbin 12 from an opening part 101c, a tension applying portion 13 for hitching a lower thread, a lower thread cutting knife 14 provided at the end portion of a lower thread passing route with a predetermined length, a cover 15 for covering the opening part 101c, a cover plate 20 for covering around the lower thread bobbin 12, a bending portion 16, a first guide portion 30 for introducing the lower thread to the bending portion and a second guide portion 40 for introducing the lower thread to the lower thread cutting knife. The bobbin accommodating portion, the tension applying portion, the bending portion and the lower thread cutting knife are provided at an inner area of the opening part 101c.

Abstract: An IC card has a card substrate having semiconductor integrated circuit chips mounted thereon and a plurality of connector terminals formed thereon. The connector terminals are exposed from a casing. The connector terminals are laid out in plural sequences in staggered form between sequences adjacent to one another forward and backward as viewed in an IC card inserting direction. Owing to the adoption of the staggered layout, a structure or configuration wherein the amounts of protrusions of socket terminals of a card socket are changed and the socket terminals are laid out in tandem, can be adopted with relative ease. If a connector terminal arrangement of a downward or low-order IC card is adopted as a specific connector terminal sequence as it is, whereas a function dedicated for an upward or high-order IC card is assigned to another staggered connector terminal arrangement, then backward compatibility can also be implemented with ease.

Abstract: An IC card has a card substrate having semiconductor integrated circuit chips mounted thereon and a plurality of connector terminals formed thereon. The connector terminals are exposed from a casing. The connector terminals are laid out in plural sequences in staggered form between sequences adjacent to one another forward and backward as viewed in an IC card inserting direction. Owing to the adoption of the staggered layout, a structure or configuration wherein the amounts of protrusions of socket terminals of a card socket are changed and the socket terminals are laid out in tandem, can be adopted with relative ease. If a connector terminal arrangement of a downward or low-order IC card is adopted as a specific connector terminal sequence as it is, whereas a function dedicated for an upward or high-order IC card is assigned to another staggered connector terminal arrangement, then backward compatibility can also be implemented with ease.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory has an erase table in which a free-space information flag is associated with each physical address of a memory area and an address translation table in which a physical address of a memory area is associated with each logical address. The free-space information flag indicates whether a corresponding memory area is permitted to be erased. A control circuit determines a memory area to which rewrite data is to be written by referring to the free-space information flag, reflects the physical address and the logical address of the memory area to which the data is written into the address translation table, and updates the free-space information flag. The memory area to which rewrite data is to be written is determined by referring to the free-space information flag, and rewriting is not performed in the same memory area.

Abstract: Disclosed is a memory card which ensures high-speed data writing operations. The memory card is formed of an erasable and programmable nonvolatile memory and a control circuit. A memory array of the nonvolatile memory has an erasing table including a first flag designating whether a memory area is a vacant area or not in every erasing unit. The control circuit exercises, when the number of memory areas in which the erasable data is written becomes a constant value, pre-erasing control to previously erase the erasable data over the memory area depending on the first flag indicating a vacant area. Since the erasing process is previously executed to the vacant memory area, necessity for insertion of the erasing process just before the writing process using the vacant memory area can be reduced and thereby writing data to the memory card can be highly speeded.

Abstract: An IC card has a card substrate having semiconductor integrated circuit chips mounted thereon and a plurality of connector terminals formed thereon. The connector terminals are exposed from a casing. The connector terminals are laid out in plural sequences in staggered form between sequences adjacent to one another forward and backward as viewed in an IC card inserting direction. Owing to the adoption of the staggered layout, a structure or configuration wherein the amounts of protrusions of socket terminals of a card socket are changed and the socket terminals are laid out in tandem, can be adopted with relative ease. If a connector terminal arrangement of a downward or low-order IC card is adopted as a specific connector terminal sequence as it is, whereas a function dedicated for an upward or high-order IC card is assigned to another staggered connector terminal arrangement, then backward compatibility can also be implemented with ease.

Abstract: An IC card has a card substrate having semiconductor integrated circuit chips mounted thereon and a plurality of connector terminals formed thereon. The connector terminals are exposed from a casing. The connector terminals are laid out in plural sequences in staggered form between sequences adjacent to one another forward and backward as viewed in an IC card inserting direction. Owing to the adoption of the staggered layout, a structure or configuration wherein the amounts of protrusions of socket terminals of a card socket are changed and the socket terminals are laid out in tandem, can be adopted with relative ease. If a connector terminal arrangement of a downward or low-order IC card is adopted as a specific connector terminal sequence as it is, whereas a function dedicated for an upward or high-order IC card is assigned to another staggered connector terminal arrangement, then backward compatibility can also be implemented with ease.