Abstract: A backlight device for a transmissive liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of light sources, including a cold cathode fluorescent lamp and an LED, a liquid crystal panel, and a light guide plate. The light guide plate causes light entering into it through one surface thereof to emerge out of another surface thereof toward the liquid crystal panel. A controller for the backlight device selects at least one of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp and LED, depending on brightness required for the liquid crystal display device and determines, in accordance with the required brightness, the brightness of the selected light source to operate the light source accordingly.

Abstract: The device includes a device body that includes a display means that allows selection from among a plurality of display directions for display of images, information and the like; an operational instruction means capable of accepting input of instructions including selection instructions for selecting display direction of images, information and the like on the display means; and a battery unit that supplies power to the device body. The device body is provided with a plurality of attachment positions, such that at least one of the operational instruction means and the battery unit can be attached in a position that is compatible with the display direction of images, information and the like on the display means.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus comprises a display device and a touch panel disposed in front of the display device. The apparatus further comprises: a unit for switching between a touch panel mode of operation and a pointing device mode of operation in accordance with a predetermined condition; a unit for performing processing in response to a touch position pointed to by a user on the touch panel in the touch panel mode of operation; a unit for displaying a symbol indicative of a pointing position on the display device in the pointing device mode of operation, and for moving the symbol at a predetermined reduction scale factor on the display device in accordance with the distance, direction and velocity of the relative movement of the touch position pointed to by the user on the touch panel; and a unit for displaying an image in the neighborhood of the symbol in a magnified form in a predetermined region on the touch panel in the pointing device mode of operation.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus, powered by a fuel cell, having a detector that monitors the oxygen density in the air provided to the fuel cell. The electronic apparatus has a plurality of power consumption modes one of which is selected based on the oxygen density to ensure steady operation. The electronic apparatus further includes an oxygen density regulator that controls the amount of the air provided to the fuel cell.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a component to which a pressure is applied or which provides vibration, a heat absorbing member, a heat dissipating member, an elastomer bag which receives a pressure or the vibration from the component, a first check valve connected to a port of the elastomer bag, a second check valve connected to another port of the elastomer bag, and a coolant which flows passing through the heat absorbing member, the first check valve, the elastomer bag, the second check valve, and said heat dissipating member.

Abstract: A communication control system equipped with an efficient and economical rescue architecture is provided. A rescue bus is connected to units in a multiple formation and is used for rescue from a fault. A line switch connects a signal in a channel on a line and a signal processing part that processes the signal in normal operation, and disconnects the signal from the signal processing part when a fault has occurred. A rescue bus connecting switch connects the line and the rescue bus when the fault has occurred. A rescue switch connects the rescue bus and a backup signal processing part that processes the signal instead of a faulty unit. A communication units includes a switch part made up of the above switches and the signal processing part. A rescue unit includes a switch part made up of the above switches and the backup signal processing part, and performs a complete rescue or a provisional rescue. A monitor control device monitors fault occurrence and controls the switch part.

Abstract: An internetworking device and method which interconnects distant networks through an intermediary transport network, employing a bandwidth allocating mechanism to enable efficient and transparent LAN-to-LAN communication. A network interface unit provides communication interface functions to link with each network to be connected. Data traffic between the networks is observed by a traffic monitor and reported to a bandwidth allocation controller. A bandwidth resource database stores information on the usage of bandwidth resources. When a certain node in one network attempts to send data packets toward the other network, the bandwidth allocation controller dynamically allocates sufficient bandwidth resources to the requested connection, based on the reported data traffic and the information stored in the bandwidth resource database. With the allocated bandwidth, packets are transported to the destination under the control of a communication controller.

Abstract: An internetworking device and method which interconnects distant networks through an intermediary transport network, employing a bandwidth allocating mechanism to enable efficient and transparent LAN-to-LAN communication. A network interface unit provides communication interface functions to link with each network to be connected. Data traffic between the networks is observed by a traffic monitor and reported to a bandwidth allocation controller. A bandwidth resource database stores information on the usage of bandwidth resources. When a certain node in one network attempts to send data packets toward the other network, the bandwidth allocation controller dynamically allocates sufficient bandwidth resources to the requested connection, based on the reported data traffic and the information stored in the bandwidth resource database. With the allocated bandwidth, packets are transported to the destination under the control of a communication controller.

Abstract: Electronic device in which sound means are provided unitarily with a display panel to serve in miniaturization, and meanwhile in which appropriate acoustic-image orientating in correspondence with swiveling of the display panel is enabled. The electronic device is equipped with panel-status-detection, image-display unit, and sound-control units. The panel-status-detection unit detects whether situational status of the display panel is long-side across or long-side upright. The image-display unit is equipped to have a long-side across display function operating to display images upright with respect to the display panel set long-side across, and a long-side upright display function operating to display images upright with respect to the display panel set long-side upright. Therein, the image-display unit implements either the long-side across display function or the long-side upright display function, based on detection results from the panel-status-detection unit.

Abstract: A backlight device for a transmissive liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of light sources, including a cold cathode fluorescent lamp and an LED, a liquid crystal panel, and a light guide plate. The light guide plate causes light entering into it through one surface thereof to emerge out of another surface thereof toward the liquid crystal panel. A controller for the backlight device selects at least one of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp and LED, depending on brightness required for the liquid crystal display device and determines, in accordance with the required brightness, the brightness of the selected light source to operate the light source accordingly.

Abstract: A DSL communication method is used for interconnecting a user and a center by using a 2-wire telephone line and a DSL communications technology so that the user and the center perform an intercommunication. The DSL communication method comprises the step of monitoring a signal-to-noise ratio of an accepted DSL, the step of judging whether or not the signal-to-noise ratio is within a predetermined range, and the step of interrupting the intercommunication once and thereafter reconnecting the user and the center, when the signal-to-noise ratio is judged not to be within the predetermined range for a duration longer than a reference time.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus, powered by a fuel cell, having a detector that monitors the oxygen density in the air provided to the fuel cell. The electronic apparatus has a plurality of power consumption modes one of which is selected based on the oxygen density to ensure steady operation. The electronic apparatus further includes an oxygen density regulator that controls the amount of the air provided to the fuel cell.

Abstract: A communication control system equipped with an efficient and economical rescue architecture is provided. A rescue bus is connected to units in a multiple formation and is used for rescue from a fault. A line switch connects a signal in a channel on a line and a signal processing part that processes the signal in normal operation, and disconnects the signal from the signal processing part when a fault has occurred. A rescue bus connecting switch connects the line and the rescue bus when the fault has occurred. A rescue switch connects the rescue bus and a backup signal processing part that processes the signal instead of a faulty unit. A communication units includes a switch part made up of the above switches and the signal processing part. A rescue unit includes a switch part made up of the above switches and the backup signal processing part, and performs a complete rescue or a provisional rescue. A monitor control device monitors fault occurrence and controls the switch part.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inter-LAN communication method and communication device to implement a LAN interface to accommodate the traffic of LAN data which constantly changes and to support an increase of traffic in the future. The present invention is an inter-LAN communication device which performs inter-communication connecting the segments of LANs, comprising LAN interface accommodation means for accommodating the communication interface of the LAN, traffic monitoring means for monitoring the traffic of the LAN data, communication control means for controlling communication so as to inter-connect the LAN segment of the local station (local node) and the LAN segment of a station other than the local station (another node), path control means for switching a communication path according to the instruction from the traffic monitoring means, and packet switch control means for switching a packeted LAN data.

Abstract: A keyboard includes a plurality of keys, wherein each key has an elongated shape elongated in a first direction and selectively establishes two different electrical contacts as a result of being pressed appropriately. The plurality of keys are aligned along a second direction different from the first direction. A length in the first direction of each key is longer than a width in the second direction of the key and shorter than twice the width and carries two different key letters present on a front surface thereof at respective ends of the key. Each key establishes one electric contact if a first end of the key is pressed and establishes another electric contact if a second end of the key is pressed. The front surface of each key is parallelogram-shaped and the plurality of keys are arranged so that the key letters present on the keys are arranged in a standard arrangement.

Abstract: A keyboard including a housing unit for slidably supporting a key top; and a support panel unit carrying a switch to be operated by the key top. The housing unit can move between a first position apart from the support panel unit and a second position close to the the support panel unit, and the first position is such that the key top vertically shifting from but confronting the switch, when pressed, can operate the switch, and the second position is such that the key top being horizontally deviated from the switch, even if pressed, cannot operate the switch. The housing panel may support the elastic member for supporting the key top upon a main surface thereof, a first horizontal end of the elastic member may be fixed to the housing panel, and a second horizontal end opposite the first end of the elastic member may be movable in the horizontal direction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a clock frequency synchronizer which receives a count value of system clock on an encoder side which is transmitted from the encoder as a reference count value, and generates system clock on a decoder side which is synchronous in frequency with the system clock on the encoder side on the basis of the reference count value. A counting means for counting the system clocks on the decoder side is provided, and the deviation of the frequency of the system clock on the decoder side from that of the system clock on the encoder side is obtained by using an increment .DELTA.C of the count value of the counting means during reference count value arrival interval .DELTA.T and the increment .DELTA.P of the reference count value. The frequency of the system clock on the decoder side is so controlled that the frequency deviation becomes zero.

Abstract: A keyboard of a notebook type computer that is small in size yet has a smooth key-in operation. The keyboard includes a plurality of keys including English letter key, with each of the keys having keytops arranged in transverse lines and vertical rows in a matrix manner, with a small gap between every two adjacent keytops. An arrangement of the keytops of the English letter keys is such that a pitch in a transverse direction is larger than that in a vertical direction, and a size of an upper surface of the keytop of the English letter key is such that a length in the transverse direction is larger than a length in the vertical direction.

Abstract: To provide a portable type information apparatus having a suspend/resume key capable of minimizing a risk of unintentional erroneous key operations, for example, when the apparatus is transported, which is excellent in visibility and operability. The apparatus includes a lower housing 5 having a keyboard 3 and an upper housing 9 coupled to the lower housing 5 to be folded onto the upper surface of the lower housing 5, wherein a suspend/resume key 21 is provided substantially at a central position of the innermost zone of the upper surface of the lower housing relative to the keyboard, so that an unintentional operation of the suspend/resume key 21 is minimized.

Abstract: A chair having keyboard halves arranged in the armrests. The keys in the keyboard halves can be operated by left and right hands, respectively. The keyboard provided in the chair can be used as a supplemental keyboard in a keyboard system comprising a main keyboard for inputting data to an information processing apparatus. The main keyboard has full keys and the supplemental keyboard has keys identical to at least a part of the keys of the main keyboard for inputting data to the information processing apparatus parallel to the main keyboard. An operator can alternatively use the main and the supplemental keyboard depending on body position.