Abstract: An area separating apparatus for judging whether or not each object pixel belongs to a photograph image area in an image.

Abstract: Information recording area of an optical disk is divided radially into a plurality of recording areas with a boundary area interposed therebetween. The boundary area is formed as either a high-reflection area that presents a higher reflection light level than the divided recording areas or a low-reflection area that presents a lower reflection light level than the divided recording areas. When an instruction is given to move an optical head from a current point to the target point over the optical disk, a seek operation is performed up to the start point of one of the divided recording areas that contains the target point, while detecting, on the basis of a variation in the reflection light level, the boundary area located between another one of the divided recording areas that contains the current point and the divided recording area containing the target point.

Abstract: A carrier comprising a disk-shaped body portion having fluid circulation holes, a ring-shaped diaphragm portion expanding outward from the outer peripheral surface of the body portion and having pliability, a ring-shaped edge portion projecting at least downward from an outer edge portion of the diaphragm portion and having an inner diameter of at least an outer diameter of a work piece, a pliable sheet having an outer peripheral portion affixed air tightly to a bottom end portion of said edge portion, the back surface of the sheet defining a single pressure chamber communicating with the fluid circulation holes, and a ring-shaped member surrounding the work piece affixed to the bottom surface of the sheet.

Abstract: A structure for mounting a SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) device includes photosensitive resin filling a gap between the SAW device and a mounting substrate in the peripheral portion of the SAW device. The entire structure is substantially as small in size as the SAW device and light weight. The photosensitive resin is formed in a region including pads for connection in order to absorb thermal stresses and extraneous forces apt to act on the pads. Second resin may surround the photosensitive resin or may be provided in a laminate structure together with the photosensitive resin so as to enhance a sealing ability. A method of mounting a SAW device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A database management system for preventing deadlocks from occurring during control while securing execution rights and securing locks, for efficiently operating the application program in a multi-thread environment, and also for limiting the amount of time wasted in standby during synchronous processing for maintenance of execution rights. In this system, once the execution rights to the threads corresponding to a cache resource have been secured, a lock is secured on a transaction operated on a thread secured by an exclusive controller for a resource of a database corresponding to a resource in the cache resource. When a lock cannot be secured for a particular transaction, the exclusive controller informs the synchronization processor of a lock failure the previously secured execution right is automatically discarded so that execution rights to other threads in standby can be secured. In this way deadlocks regarding to control of thread operation are prevented from occurring.

Abstract: A method for mounting a semiconductor chip on a circuit board comprises the steps of pre-baking the circuit board to remove nonvolatile ingredients of epoxy resin, such as cyclohexane, in the circuit board at temperature above 170.degree. C. for above 10 minutes, and thermosetting the epoxy resin by applying a thrust force for thrusting the semiconductor chip against the circuit board at a maximum thrust force of 30 gf/bump.

Abstract: The packaging structure for a semiconductor device according to this invention is formed by mounting a semiconductor chip 1 on a wiring board 4 to connect it to the electrodes 5 of the wiring board 4, and filling a sealing resin 7, obtained by mixing a filler material 8 for lowering the coefficient of thermal expansion in a base resin, in the gap formed between the semiconductor device and the wiring board. The sealing resin 7 is separated to a first part 9 with small amount of the filler material and is composed mostly of the base resin, and a second part 10 with an amount of the filler material more than in the first part. With this constitution, the second part is consists of a material with smaller coefficient of thermal expansion than that of the first part. The first part and the second part are separated after completion of the filling of the sealing resin 7.

Abstract: Au bump is provided on an Al pad of a semiconductor chip. Substrate pads are arranged at predetermined pitches on a circuit board. In each substrate pad, the length (L) of a first side parallel to the array direction is shorter than the length (M) of a second side which is orthogonal to the first side. The substrate pads are formed so that the length (L) of the first side is smaller than the diameter of the Au bump and the length (M) of the second side is larger than the diameter of the Au bump. A solder bump is formed on each substrate pad and it melts to cover the Au bump. At the time of bonding, the width of the solder bump in the direction parallel to the first side is smaller than the diameter of the Au bump, and the width thereof in the direction parallel to the second side is greater than the diameter of the Au bump.

Abstract: In a disk recording and sound reproducing device, a disk is intermittently accessed for data read out to write the disk readout data into a memory. The written data in the memory are continually read out and expanded to output the expanded data as playback data signals. Data to be recorded are continually written into the memory, during which time the data to be recorded are intermittently read out from the memory 10 to be demodulated so as to record the demodulated data onto the disk. A clock controller, in accordance with a pitch change instruction, varies the rate of data readout from the memory (in reproduction) or the rate of data writing into the memory (in recording). Corresponding to the data readout or writing rate, a memory controller controls the intervals at which the data are read out from the disk (in reproduction) or the intervals at which the data are recorded onto the disk (in recording).

Abstract: There is generated a rhythm corresponding to a designated tempo and meter of a music piece to be recorded. Performance of a musical instrument is started at specific timing according to the generated rhythm, and the musical information resulting from the performance is recorded onto an MD (Mini Disk). The address on the MD read out when the performance of the music piece is started is retrieved as a start address of the music piece. After the recording, the retrieved start address is recorded onto the UTOC (User's-table-of-contents) area of the disk along with the designated tempo and meter. By reading out the start address, tempo and meter to calculate a measure number and start address of a desired measure on the basis of the read out information, display of a measure number being currently reproduced and quick access to the starting point of any desired measure can be achieved.

Abstract: A bump structure has a bump constituted by a metal projection which is formed on an electrode of a substrate, and a solder which covers the metal projection but does not touch the electrode. The metal projection is substantially spherical and has a projected portion at a center portion on an upper surface thereof. The metal projection is made of a metal having properties of solder diffusion prevention and adhesion to solder. The bump structure may have two bumps, the first bump being substantially the same as the bump described above and the second being such that its diameter is smaller than an outer diameter of the first bump and it covers the projected portion on the first bump. This bump structure can be formed using a simple process, and can be applied to flip-chip mounting in semiconductor devices with high reliability and yield.

Abstract: There is generated a rhythm corresponding to a designated tempo and meter of a music piece to be recorded. Performance of a musical instrument is started at specific timing according to the generated rhythm, and the musical information resulting from the performance is recorded onto an MD (Mini Disk). The address on the MD read out when the performance of the music piece is started is retrieved as a start address of the music piece. After the recording, the retrieved start address is recorded onto the UTOC (User's-table-of-contents) area of the disk along with the designated tempo and meter. By reading out the start address, tempo and meter to calculate a measure number and start address of a desired measure on the basis of the read out information, display of a measure number being currently reproduced and quick access to the starting point of any desired measure can be achieved.

Abstract: A bump structure has a bump constituted by a metal projection which is formed on an electrode of a substrate, and a solder which covers the metal projection but does not touch the electrode. The metal projection is substantially spherical and has a projected portion at a center portion on an upper surface thereof. The metal projection is made of a metal having properties of solder diffusion prevention and adhesion to solder. The bump structure may have two bumps, the first bump being substantially the same as the bump described above and the second being such that its diameter is smaller than an outer diameter of the first bump and it covers the projected portion on the first bump. This bump structure can be formed using a simple process, and can be applied to flip-chip mounting in semiconductor devices with high reliability and yield.