Abstract: A method of and apparatus for purifying an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine comprising an NOx purifying catalyst arranged in an exhaust gas passage, wherein the NOx purifying catalyst is made of a composite material containing at least one kind of element selected from alkaline metals and alkaline earth metals, at least one kind of element selected from rare earth metals, at least one kind of element selected from platinoid metals, and titanium (Ti), the NOx purifying catalyst adsorbing NOx in the exhaust gas onto the surface when the exhaust gas is lean, and reducing the adsorbed NOx to N2 when the exhaust gas is stoichiometric or rich, and wherein the exhaust gas is purified by adsorbing NOx in the exhaust gas in the NOx purifying catalyst when the internal combustion engine is being operated under a lean condition, and by setting, after the adsorption, the exhaust gas to a stochiometric state or a rich state for 0.5 second to 4.

Abstract: A first stage amplifier circuit includes an amplifier, a variable feedback resistance, a comparator and a shift register. The amplifier amplifies an input signal supplied thereto. The variable feedback resistance includes two or more feedback resistors and one or more switches for changing the connection of the feedback resistors and thereby changing the composite resistance of the feedback resistors. The variable feedback resistance is connected between the output terminal and the input terminal of the amplifier. The comparator judges whether or not the output signal of the amplifier exceeds a predetermined threshold value. The shift register has one or more stages corresponding to the switches of the variable feedback resistance. The shift register operates the switches of the variable feedback resistance one by one and successively reduces the composite resistance of the variable feedback resistance as long as the output signal of the amplifier is judged by the comparator to exceed the threshold value.

Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device, when the detected signal produced from a temperature sensor is not higher than an indicating disabling temperature of an LCD element, a controller supplies a high luminance signal to a dimmer circuit to raise a voltage to be applied to a light source, and on-off controls a driving signal within a much shorter time than the response time of the LCD element.

Abstract: A system for purifying exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine having a NOx reduction catalyst (NOx absorber) installed in the exhaust system of the engine which absorbs NOx in the exhaust gas generated by the engine in a lean environment where a lean fuel mixture is supplied and desorbs to reduce the absorbed NOx in a rich environment where a rich mixture is supplied. In the system, the rich fuel mixture is supplied for a period immediately before cutoff. With the arrangement, the NOx reduction catalyst desorbs the absorbed NOx and is regenerated to absorb NOx sufficiently. At the same time, the NOx reduction catalyst is regenerated from sulfur poisoning, thereby preventing the NOx purification efficiency from being degraded.

Abstract: A laser-diode driving circuit that ensures that the optical output of a laser diode will be stable within a wide temperature range. This circuit includes a reference voltage generator for generating a reference voltage, a control voltage generator for generating a control voltage, an amplifier for producing an amplified output signal corresponding to the difference between the reference voltage and the control voltage, and a driving current generator for generating a driving or operating current for driving a laser diode. The driving current generator is driven by the amplified output signal. The control voltage has a temperature dependence approximately the same as that required for keeping an optical output of the laser diode at a specified level independent of the ambient temperature change.

Abstract: A data processing system for a radiation image reproducing apparatus includes an input device for entering an identification code assigned to a radiation image storage panel and data related with an exposure at an exposing device when the storage panel is exposed to an imagewise radiation. The input device is associated with the exposing device.

Abstract: An optical beam modulation and deflection device having a semiconductor laser mounted on a rotator which employs a rotating transformer so as to supply electrical power to the rotator in a contactless manner.

Abstract: A cassette for use in a radiation image recording and readout system includes a radiation image storage panel including a layer of stimulable phosphor and having an identification recorded thereon, and a casing for enclosing the radiation image storage panel therein. The casing has an opening provided substantially in correspondence in position with the identification so as to sense it from the outside of the cassette. The identification may be recorded in a visual or magnetically sensable form.

Abstract: A laser recorder device in which many levels of half-tone densities are accurately produced with smooth transitions between areas of different densities. An input signal is sampled with a sampling pulse in response to which digital output values of a predetermined function of the input signal are produced. Pulses are applied to a semiconductor laser beam source with the number and frequency of the pulses during a preset application time being determined in accordance with the magnitude of the input signal.

Abstract: A laser recording device adapted for use in a facsimile system in which a semiconductor laser is activated by a series of pulses the number of which is produced in accordance with an input signal. The input signal is sampled with a sampling pulse signal whereas the pulses applied to the semiconductor laser are produced at a frequency which is at least two orders of magnitude greater than the frequency of the pulses used to sample the input signal. The input signal is digitized and used to address a read-only memory which outputs a number of pulses in dependence upon the amplitude of the input signal. The output number of pulses may be logarithmically related to the magnitude of the input signal.

Abstract: In a laser beam recording system in which a laser beam is modulated by an acousto-optic modulator and the zero-order diffraction light beam is used to scan a recording material two-dimensionally for recording information, the zero-order diffraction light beam is vertically deflected to a light shielding mask located outside the recording area in the non-recording period. Thus, the horizontal scanning line is moved to the light shielding mask during the non-recording period and the recording material is prevented from being exposed to the attenuated zero-order diffraction light beam.

Abstract: In a laser beam recording system employing a rotating polygonal mirror for deflecting a recording light beam and a read-out light beam for synchronization, a linear encoder is used to generate a video clock signal in synchronization with the photoelectric pulse signal obtained through the linear encoder. In the video clock signal generator, a clock signal is divided into 1/n where n is an integral number to provide a reference pulse signal to be compared with the photoelectric pulse signal. The displacement of the phase of the photoelectric pulse signal from the reference pulse signal is detected and is corrected by a phase comparator. Thus, a video clock signal having a frequency of n-times as large as that of the photoelectric pulse signal is generated.

Abstract: A fine position control device for finely adjusting the position of a fixed information carrier such as a transparency in a COM (computer output microfilmer) system. This position control device is capable of moving a fixed information carrier in the X, Y and Z directions in an orthogonal coordinate system and also of rotating the same in the .theta.-direction in the X-Y plane. The position control device has a Y-direction moving stage, an X-direction moving stage which moves in the Y-direction together with the Y-direction moving stage and is movable in X-direction independently of the Y-direction moving stage, a Z-direction moving stage which moves in the X-Y plane together with a member fixed to the X-direction moving stage and is movable in the Z-direction independently of the X-direction moving stage, and a .theta.-direction rotating stage which moves together with the Z-direction moving stage and is rotatable in the X-Y plane independently of the Z-direction moving stage. The .theta.

Abstract: Acousto-optically modulated zeroth order light from a laser source is recorded on a heat sensitive medium having a threshold deformation level.