Abstract: A loosely coupled multi-processor system including a plurality of terminals and corresponding processors. When a particular terminal tries to start a program, the corresponding processor sets the largest number of the terminals, which are serviceable, on the basis of the load status of the processors which are permanently watched by the OS (operating system) in a main memory. The processor compares this largest number with the number of terminals, which are in service at that time and when the number of the terminals, which are in service, is smaller than the largest number, processing by the terminal issuing a service demand begins. Alternatively, when the number of the terminals, which are in service, is equal to or greater than the largest number, the processor cannot treat the service demand from the terminal and reports this to a global processor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selectively key-inputting a Kanji (Chinese and Japanese ideogram) in a Japanese sentence are disclosed. The operator keys-in a reading of a desired Kanji through a keyboard, and candidate Kanjis for that reading are displayed on a display screen so that the operator chooses a relevant Kanji for entry out of the displayed candidate Kanjis. In entering the reading of a Kanji, blocks which are in correspondence to character keys located in home positions of the keyboard and in the neighborhood thereof are displayed on the display screen and candidate Kanjis corresponding to the reading of the desired Kanji are displayed in the blocks. The operator then keys a character key corresponding to a relevant candidate Kanji displayed on the display screen.

Abstract: An electron beam deflection control system includes a first signal generation circuit which generates a triangular signal varying at a comparatively low speed, a second signal generation circuit which generates a stepped signal varying at a comparatively high speed, and a switching arrangement to change over the first and second signal generation circuits and to drive one of them, whereby the signal from the generation circuit selected by the switching arrangement is used as a deflection signal for an electron beam.

Abstract: An analog comparator comprising a generator circuit which generates an input signal voltage having a certain slew rate, a setting circuit which sets a target or desired voltage, another setting circuit which sets a threshold voltage corresponding to the slew rate of the input signal voltage and an ambient temperature, and a comparison circuit which receives the input signal voltage, the target voltage and the threshold voltage and which delivers a coincidence timing signal upon detecting that the input signal voltage has reached a voltage shifting by the threshold voltage from the target voltage.

Abstract: In a character displaying device having a character pattern memory which is made up of a circulating sequential access memory storing character patterns therein, a character pattern generating system comprises a high speed buffer memory which stores the character codes of one line or any other suitable amount of characters to be displayed and the corresponding character patterns, so that each time one character is delivered as an output from the character pattern memory, the presence of the character code of the particular character is examined for all the character codes of the buffer memory, and the character pattern of the particular character is written into the buffer memory when the character codes are coincident, the writing operations being sequentially executed in the order of the character outputs of the character pattern memory, thereby making it possible to finish all the character patterns in the buffer memory within a period in which the read-out of the character pattern memory circulates.