Abstract: A scanning optical device includes a light source that emits a light beam; a deflector for deflecting and scanning the light beam from the light source; a scanning lens for converging the deflected light beam onto an image surface; and a mechanism for adjusting the relative position of at least one lens element of the scanning lens with respect to other lens elements of the scanning lens in an auxiliary scanning direction. Preferably, the adjustable lens element of the scanning lens be provided with an anamorphic surface having relatively larger power in the auxiliary scanning direction than in the main scanning direction. Alternatively, the above-mentioned at least one lens element may have the largest absolute value of refractive power of the lenses in the scanning lens. Further alternatively, the above-mentioned at least one lens element may be provided with a surface having the smallest absolute value of radius of curvature of all surfaces in the scanning lens.

Abstract: An alternator for a vehicle, including a rotating yoke composed of a pair of hook-shaped magnetic poles arranged in facing relation to each other and being concentrically attached to a shaft, a magnetic-field winding for generating a magnetizing force in the hook-shaped magnetic poles, stator magnetic poles arranged in the periphery of the rotating yoke, magnets for decreasing leakage magnetic flux arranged between the hook portions of the hook-shaped magnetic poles, and protection covers arranged in the positions of the outer surface of the magnets fixed to the side surfaces of the hook portions between the hook portions such that the outer surface does not become higher than the outer periphery of the hook portion.

Abstract: In sound recognition apparatus of the present invention, user's utterance or a sound provided by an output section using previously stored sound waveforms is simultaneously inputted through a basic microphone of known frequency characteristics and an input microphone of unknown frequency characteristics. An analysis section respectively analyzes the frequency of the input speech through the basic microphone and the input microphone. A frequency characteristics calculation section calculates first difference data between the frequencies of the input speech of the basic microphone and the input microphone, and calculates frequency characteristics of the input microphone according to the first difference data and the frequency characteristics of the basic microphone.

Abstract: A position sensor is provided for a transmission deflector which has a wedge-shaped transmission prism that is rotatably supported by a yoke member through a prism holder and an elastic member, and rotates in the forward and reverse directions via electromagnetic operation. A coated reflection layer is provided on a surface of the wedge-shaped transmission prism other than the transmission portion thereof through which the light can pass. A light emitter for emitting collimated light onto the reflection layer and an incident position detector for receiving the light reflected by the reflection layer and detecting the incident position of the light thereon are provided on the yoke member or a member integral therewith.

Abstract: A magneto-optical disk drive incorporates: a structure to mount a front panel to a frame using a cartridge loading system, using a set of linearly movable control cam plates, to draw a cartridge into a cartridge holder and then to move the cartridge holder to an operating position; a timing control system for the cartridge loading system, which includes a unitary encoder cam gear including a drive gear portion to move the cam plates to lift and lower the cartridge holder, a cam groove portion to draw a cartridge into the cartridge holder, and timing encoders portions to interrupt photo sensors; a shutter mechanism to fully close a cartridge slot with a shutter, both when the drive holds a cartridge and when empty; a magnetic head vertical positioning system to position a magnetic head base against fixed reference surfaces below and a set of resilient members above; a magnetic head horizontal positioning system to first fix the magnetic head base to rotate horizontally about a point, and then to resiliently ho

Abstract: A magneto-optical disk drive incorporates: a structure to mount a front panel to a frame using a cartridge loading system, using a set of linearly movable control cam plates, to draw a cartridge into a cartridge holder and then to move the cartridge holder to an operating position; a timing control system for the cartridge loading system, which includes a unitary encoder cam gear including a drive gear portion to move the cam plates to lift and lower the cartridge holder, a cam groove portion to draw a cartridge into the cartridge holder, and timing encoders portions to interrupt photo sensors; a shutter mechanism to fully close a cartridge slot with a shutter, both when the drive holds a cartridge and when empty; a magnetic head vertical positioning system to position a magnetic head base against fixed reference surfaces below and a set of resilient members above; a magnetic head horizontal positioning system to first fix the magnetic head base to rotate horizontally about a point, and then to resiliently ho

Abstract: A magneto-optical disc apparatus, including a holder which holds a magneto-optical disc cartridge and which is movable between a loaded position, in which the holder is close to an optical head, and an unloaded position, in which the holder is apart from the optical head. The magneto-optical disc apparatus further includes a magnetic head which is movable between an initial position, in which the magnetic head is apart form the optical head, and an effective position, in which the magnetic head is close to the magneto-optical disc and can apply a magnetic field to the magneto-optical disc to record and/or play-back data. The magneto-optical disc apparatus features a mechanism for guiding the holder between the loaded position and the unloaded position. The apparatus further features a mechanism for guiding the magnetic head between the effective position and the initial position, and through an intermediate step position between the effective and initial positions.

Abstract: A magneto-optical disk drive incorporates: a structure to mount a front panel to a frame using a cartridge loading system, using a set of linearly movable control cam plates, to draw a cartridge into a cartridge holder and then to move the cartridge holder to an operating position; a timing control system for the cartridge loading system, which includes a unitary encoder cam gear including a drive gear portion to move the cam plates to lift and lower the cartridge holder, a cam groove portion to draw a cartridge into the cartridge holder, and timing encoders portions to interrupt photo sensors; a shutter mechanism to fully close a cartridge slot with a shutter, both when the drive holds a cartridge and when empty; a magnetic head vertical positioning system to position a magnetic head base against fixed reference surfaces below and a set of resilient members above; a magnetic head horizontal positioning system to first fix the magnetic head base to rotate horizontally about a point, and then to resiliently ho

Abstract: An optical deflection device is used to deflect a light beam, such as a laser beam, and comprises a base member, a movable member having an optical deflection element, and a set of leaf-spring assemblies provided at respective sides of the movable member. Each of the leaf-spring assemblies is interposed between the base member and a corresponding side of the movable member such that the movable member is resiliently and movably supported by the leaf-spring assemblies with respect to the base member. Each of the leaf-spring assemblies is formed from at least three leaf-spring elements arranged at uniformly angular intervals around an elastic-main-axis of the movable member.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for synchronizing movements of a magnetic head and an optical head of a magneto-optical disk drive. A magnetic head carriage moves a magnetic head between a standby position and a head application position. An optical head carriage supports an optical head to read at least identification tracks of a magneto-optical disk. A synchronizing device synchronizes linear positions of the magnetic head carriage and the optical head carriage, such that the magnetic head carriage is proximate an outermost position of the magnetic head carriage and the optical head carriage is proximate an outermost position of the optical head carriage when the synchronizing device synchronizes the linear positions of the magnetic head carriage and the optical head carriage.

Abstract: A light transmission device includes a semiconductor laser for emitting a laser flux, an optical fiber for transmitting the laser flux emitted from the semiconductor laser, and a device that prevents the laser flux, reflected at an incident end surface of the optical fiber, from returning to the semiconductor laser. In particular, the preventing device may be a slanted incident end surface of the optical fiber, such that the reflected laser flux at the incident end surface is directed away from the semiconductor laser. The preventing device may also be an optical isolator that is disposed between the semiconductor laser and the incident end surface of the optical fiber.

Abstract: A light intensity controlling device has a beam splitter which splits light fluxes emitted from a plurality of independently controlled semiconductor lasers, guided by optical fibers, into monitor light fluxes and main light fluxes. A gain adjusting circuit corrects the changes of output of light receiving elements depending on the polarization states of the light fluxes incident into the beam splitter. The changes result from the polarization characteristics of the optical fibers and/or the beam splitter. Alternatively, a filter is provided at one of the light receiving elements to compensate for the changes, thus providing a corrected output signal. Laser control circuits control the light emitting intensity of each semiconductor laser based on corrected output signals. The light receiving elements are set at an angle to the incoming light as so to avoid directing reflected light back toward an imaging system or the lasers.

Abstract: A scanning optical device that includes a laser source that emits a laser beam; a deflector for deflecting a laser beam to form a scanning beam spot on an image surface; a beam splitter, between the laser source and the deflector, and a sensor positioned in a predetermined position relative to the beam splitter. In particular, the beam splitter includes a reflective area in which the laser beam from the laser source is reflected and a transmitting area that is distinct from the reflective area through which the laser beam is transmitted. One of the reflected laser beam or transmitted laser beam is a main beam to be deflected by the deflector and the other is a monitor beam to be detected by the sensor.

Abstract: A multi-beam scanning optical device. The multi-beam scanning optical device has a plurality of light emitting elements, a deflector that deflects a plurality of light fluxes emitted form the light emitting elements, and a scanning lens system that converges the light fluxes deflected by the deflector to form a plurality of light spots on a surface to be scanned. The light emitting elements are selected to satisfy a condition:.vertline..DELTA..lambda..vertline.<7.6.times.10.sup.3 /(.alpha..times.D),where .DELTA..lambda. is a wavelength error (unit:nm) of each of the plurality of light emitting elements from a reference wavelength, D is a resolution of the scanning optical device (unit:dots per inch (dpi)), and .alpha. is a ratio of a lateral chromatic aberration (unit:.lambda.m) per change in wavelength of 1 nm at an edge of a scanning range, where the scanning range defines an area in which an image is formed.

Abstract: A scanning optical device that includes a light source for emitting a light flux; a polygon mirror including a plurality of reflecting surfaces for deflecting the light flux to form a scanning beam spot on an image surface; a polygon mirror cover that covers the polygon mirror; and an optical sensor. The polygon mirror is provided with a mark on the top surface thereof that is eccentric from a rotation axis of the polygon mirror. Also, the polygon mirror cover includes a cylindrical rib formed on an inner surface of the top wall projecting toward the polygon mirror in a space between the top wall and the polygon mirror. The optical sensor is provided for detecting the mark and projects toward the polygon mirror from the inner surface of the top wall, through the cylindrical rib, such that the optical sensor forms a part of the cylindrical rib.

Abstract: A multi-beam scanning optical device uses optical fibers to transmit the laser fluxes from the semiconductor lasers. The optical fibers are arranged such that point light sources formed at respective exit ends of the optical fibers are linearly aligned. The exit light fluxes from the optical fibers are deflected by a polygon mirror and converged on an image surface to form a line of beam spots, which forms plurality of scanning lines per scan.In order to adjust the angle of the line of beam spots, the exit end portions of the optical fibers is fixed to a fiber alignment block such that the exit end surfaces of said optical fiber are linearly aligned on an alignment line. Further, the fiber alignment block is fixed to a cylindrical member which is rotatably supported by a supporting member. Accordingly, the angle of the line of beam spots can be easily adjusted by rotating the cylindrical member.

Abstract: A scanning optical device includes a light source, a polygon mirror having a plurality of reflecting surfaces for deflecting a light flux emitted from the light source to form a scanning beam spot on an image surface, an identifying device that identifies which reflecting surface is currently scanning the light flux, a memory that stores data corresponding to shape errors of the reflecting surfaces, a correcting member that corrects a position of the beam spot, and a controller that controls the correcting member in accordance with an output of the identifying device and with data read from the memory. The correcting member is controlled to compensate for deviations of the beam spot due to tilt errors of the reflecting surfaces and may also be controlled to compensate for deviations of the beam spot due to an unevenness of the movement of the image surface.

Abstract: Low- and high-dimensional feature parameters are obtained by analyzing a speech pattern to be recognized. A word spotting section extracts a plurality of approximate word feature vector candidates representing word features from the low-dimensional feature parameter without fixing word boundaries. Start and end points are detected for each of the word feature vector candidates. Detail word feature vector candidates are extracted from the high-dimensional feature parameter in accordance with the detected start and end points. A recognition dictionary stores reference patterns with which the detail word feature vector candidates are matched. A pattern matching section calculates similarity values between each of the detail word feature vector candidates and the reference patterns stored in the recognition dictionary. A recognition result selects reference patterns stored in the recognition dictionary when its similarity value is greater than a prescribed threshold value.

Abstract: A magneto-optical disk drive incorporates: a structure to mount a front panel to a frame using a cartridge loading system, using a set of linearly movable control cam plates, to draw a cartridge into a cartridge holder and then to move the cartridge holder to an operating position; a timing control system for the cartridge loading system, which includes a unitary encoder cam gear including a drive gear portion to move the cam plates to lift and lower the cartridge holder, a cam groove portion to draw a cartridge into the cartridge holder, and timing encoders portions to interrupt photo sensors; a shutter mechanism to fully close a cartridge slot with a shutter, both when the drive holds a cartridge and when empty; a magnetic head vertical positioning system to position a magnet head base against fixed reference surfaces below and a set of resilient members above; a magnetic head horizontal positioning system to first fix the magnetic head base to rotate horizontally about a point, and then to resiliently hold

Abstract: A language processing application system capable of operating a plurality of language processing functions on different computer systems while improving a performance level of each language processing function. In the system, mutually different language processing functions are provided by a plurality of language processing servers, and status data obtained in a course of a language processing by each language processing server is managed at a status data management unit, where the status data indicates at least a part of features of input data processed by each language processing server. Each language processing server acquires the status data obtained in a course of a language processing by another language processing server from the status data management unit and adjusts its language processing according to the status data acquired from the status data management unit.