Abstract: A deposit and withdrawal apparatus that includes a deposit port through which a coin is deposited, a withdrawal port through which the coin is withdrawn, and a first unit that is capable of storing the coin includes a second unit, a judgement unit, and a distribution unit. The second unit is different from the first unit and is capable of storing the coin. The judgement unit judges the coin deposited from the deposit port. The distribution unit distributes the deposited coin to the first unit or the second unit on the basis of a judgement result obtained by the judgement unit. The distribution unit is able to distribute the coin deposited into the first unit or the second unit.

Abstract: Ion exchange equipment which can deal with counter-flow regeneration or split-flow regeneration while simplifying a water collector. The ion exchange equipment comprises a first water collection pipe (14) communicating with a first channel (10) formed in a lid member (7) at a resin containing section (2), and second water collection pipe (20) communicating with a second channel (11) formed in the lid member (7), wherein an inner diameter of the second water collection pipe (20) is set larger than an outer diameter of the first water collection pipe (14). The water collection pipes (14, 20) have axes set coaxially with the axis of the resin containing section (2) and form a double pipe, and a third channel (12) communicating with the resin containing section (2) is formed in the lid member (7).

Abstract: An apparatus for heating a baby formula pot 10 includes a case 11, and a heating plate 12 disposed in the case 11 on which a baby formula pot 30 is mounted. When the baby formula pot 30 is mounted on the heating plate 12 and is heated by the heating plate 12, the water contained in the baby formula pot 30 is boiled to become hot water. An water amount is calculated by a control mechanism 35 based on a temperature rising ratio of the water. An optimum cooling period is calculated by the control mechanism 35 based on the calculated water amount. A cooling fan 13 is rotated by the control mechanism 35 in compliance with the optimum cooling period, so that the baby formula pot 30 is cooled by air taken-in through air intake ports 18.

Abstract: An apparatus for heating a baby formula pot 10 includes a case 11, and a heating plate 12 disposed in the case 11 on which a baby formula pot 30 is mounted. When the baby formula pot 30 is mounted on the heating plate 12 and is heated by the heating plate 12, the water contained in the baby formula pot 30 is boiled to become hot water. An water amount is calculated by a control mechanism 35 based on a temperature rising ratio of the water. An optimum cooling period is calculated by the control mechanism 35 based on the calculated water amount. A cooling fan 13 is rotated by the control mechanism 35 in compliance with the optimum cooling period, so that the baby formula pot 30 is cooled by air taken-in through air intake ports 18.

Abstract: A rocking seat control apparatus for a moveable seat supported and having a magnetic member attached thereto is provided that is capable of maintaining the seat being rocked constant in rocking amplitude. The apparatus includes a solenoid for bi-directionally attracting the magnetic member to cause the seat to move in a positive and a negative direction alternately and thereby to be rocked; an amplitude measuring means for measuring an amplitude of the seat being rocked and a rocking motion of the seat; an amplitude damping factor measuring means responsive to displacements in the positive and negative directions of the seat being rocked for measuring an extent of damping factor of the amplitude caused while the seat is being rocked; and a solenoid energizing means for energizing the solenoid means during a time period in which the seat is being rock traveling a distance that is a product of the measured rocking swing and the measured extent of damping factor of amplitude.

Abstract: A rocking seat control apparatus for a moveable seat supported and having a magnetic member attached thereto is provided that is capable of maintaining the seat being rocked constant in rocking amplitude. The apparatus includes a solenoid for bi-directionally attracting the magnetic member to cause the seat to move in a positive and a negative direction alternately and thereby to be rocked; an amplitude measuring means for measuring an amplitude of the seat being rocked and a rocking motion of the seat; an amplitude damping factor measuring means responsive to displacements in the positive and negative directions of the seat being rocked for measuring an extent of damping factor of the amplitude caused while the seat is being rocked; and a solenoid energizing means for energizing the solenoid means during a time period in which the seat is being rock traveling a distance that is a product of the measured rocking swing and the measured extent of damping factor of amplitude.

Abstract: In a method of extracting feature quantities of a character, a pair of region dividing lines which intersect a character image are obtained by using generated projections of direction codes. Then, a reference position for extracting feature quantities of the character is decided by finding positions at which the region dividing lines intersect the character image. Thereafter, the feature quantities of the character having the reference position are extracted by subjecting the codes of the divided segments to a predetermined operation for obtaining information regarding a shape of each of the divided segments.

Abstract: A method of segmenting characters of a document image comprises the steps of dividing the document image into a plurality of divided regions and setting a check width with respect to each of the divided regions, where each check width is greater than or equal to a width of a corresponding one of the divided regions so that the check widths of two mutually adjacent divided regions partially overlap each other, reading image data amounting to one line of the document image, obtaining from the image data horizontal projections of each line data within each of the check widths, where each horizontal projection is a number of black picture elements in a corresponding data line within a check width and each data line is made up of a plurality of picture elements arranged horizontally, segmenting a line based on the horizontal projections, obtaining from the image data vertical projections, where each vertical projection is a number of black picture elements in a vertical direction, determining a character segmentat

Abstract: A code sequence matching method adapted to pattern recognition of characters compares one code selected from an unknown code sequence which is extracted from an input pattern with one code selected from a reference code sequence. The reference code sequence comprises one or more special codes for controlling an order of comparison between the codes of the unknown and reference code sequences. Then, selecting of the codes from the unknown and reference code sequences is carried out in accordance with the special codes.

Abstract: A code sequence matching method adapted to pattern recognition of characters compares one code selected from an unknown code sequence which is extracted from an input pattern with one code selected from a reference code sequence. The reference code sequence comprises one or more special codes for controlling an order of comparison between the codes of the unknown and reference code sequence. Then, selecting of the codes from the unknown and reference code sequences is carried out in accordance with the special codes.

Abstract: An input, unknown character is optionally read to form a binary character image, and a plurality of directionality codes are assigned to pixels defining the contour of the character image selectively to define a code-assigned character image, which is then subdivided into a plurality of sub-regions in the form of mesh such that each sub-region includes a substantially equal number of assigned codes. Then, a histogram of the codes is defined for each of the sub-regions to form a collection of histograms for the input character. The input character is compared with each of registered, known characters, each having a collection of similar histograms, and the one having a greatest similarity is selected to identify the input character. The similarity is determined by calculating a distance between the histograms of the input character and the histograms of the each of the registered characters.

Abstract: A character recognition system includes a scanner for scanning a character to be processed to produce a character data, which is processed in a predetermined manner to extract a character feature, preferably contour information of the character. Preferably, a plurality of predetermined directionality codes each associated with a unique pixel arrangement pattern are prepared and they are assigned to the contour depending on the local pixel arrangement condition. The contour information defined by such directionality codes is further processed to define a histogram or feature vector of the directionality codes which is compared with a first group of reference characters without inclination and a second group of reference characters with inclination. When a predetermined condition is met, then the mode of operation is switched such that an unknown character is compared with only one of the first and second groups of reference characters.