Abstract: A navigation apparatus has an information taking-in means for taking-in road-in-facility information, which indicates roads placed in a facility and is supplied from the outside, and a displaying means for displaying a location map according to the road-in-facility information read out from the information taking-in means and for-navigation location map data read out from a storing means and displaying a position of a driver's car and a guiding route on the location map.

Abstract: It is an exemplified object of the present invention to provide a radiator mechanism and electronic apparatus having the radiator mechanism that can prevent destruction, deterioration, and malfunction due to heat of exoergic components or other electronic components, thermal deformation of a housing thereof, and low-temperature burn, without preventing the electronic apparatus including a printed board from miniaturization. The radiator mechanism is comprised of a cooling fan and a through hole provided in a motherboard, thereby thermally protecting a variety of circuit components mounted on the motherboard to provide a stable operation.

Abstract: A stabilized DC power supply device that maintains an output voltage thereof at a constant level despite a fluctuation arising in a power supply voltage fed thereto comprises a control circuit that compares the output voltage with a reference voltage so as to output a control signal by which the output voltage is maintained at a predetermined level, and a ripple cancellation circuit that amplifies an undulating component included in the power supply voltage at a predetermined gain and that feeds out a resulting signal as an undulation compensation signal for correcting the output voltage, wherein the undulation compensation signal for correcting the output voltage is superimposed on the reference voltage so as to prevent an undulation arising in the power supply voltage from appearing in the output voltage.

Abstract: A heat conducting apparatus includes a heat pipe and a heat pipe supporting mechanism. The heat pipe conducts heat between a first member and a second member connected by hinge sections. The heat pipe has a first end portion attached to one of the first and second members and a second end portion extending substantially along a center line of the hinge sections. A heat pipe supporting mechanism is disposed on a member different from the one of the first and the second members of the heat pipe. The heat pipe supporting mechanism supports the second end portion so that the second end portion can freely move within a given range. The heat pipe supporting mechanism forms a thermal path between the first and second members together with the heat pipe.

Abstract: A fingerprint recognizing apparatus including a sensor section mounted on the apparatus body for detecting a fingerprint of an operator; a cover movable between an open position and a closed position for protecting the sensor section in such a manner that an operator's finger can access to the sensor section when the cover is in the open position; and a contact section arranged on the apparatus body at a position where the operator's finger can easily come into contact therewith during an operator's action to open the cover, the contact section being electrically connected to the ground of the apparatus body.

Abstract: A portable electronic device having a body and a first slot formed in the body for selectively accommodating a battery and a first recording medium drive having substantially the same width as that of the battery. The first slot has a first width. The portable electronic device further has a second slot formed in the body for selectively accommodating a second recording medium drive having a width larger than that of the first recording medium drive and the battery with an attachment attached to a side surface thereof. The second slot has a second width larger than the first width of the first slot. With this configuration, the two batteries having the same shape can be simultaneously accommodated into the first and second slots, thereby allowing long-term driving of the portable electronic device.

Abstract: A portable electronic device having a body and a first slot formed in the body for selectively accommodating a battery and a first recording medium drive having substantially the same width as that of the battery. The first slot has a first width. The portable electronic device further has a second slot formed in the body for selectively accommodating a second recording medium drive having a width larger than that of the first recording medium drive and the battery with an attachment attached to a side surface thereof. The second slot has a second width larger than the first width of the first slot. With this configuration, the two batteries having the same shape can be simultaneously accommodated into the first and second slots, thereby allowing long-term driving of the portable electronic device.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has a transistor that controls, according to the resistance of the load externally connected to the output terminal thereof, the current fed to the base of an output-stage transistor for driving the load to turn it on. In this circuit configuration, even if circuit constants are so determined as to permit the semiconductor device to drive the heaviest permissible load, only a reduced amount of extra current is fed to the base of the output-stage transistor when it is turned on with a light load connected to the semiconductor device.

Abstract: An H-bridge driver has a drive signal generating circuit for generating a square-wave signal as a drive signal. The H-bridge driver also has a waveform shaping circuit for blunting the waveform of the drive signal at the rising and trailing edges thereof. The waveform shaping circuit has a first circuit for generating, in a rising period of the square-wave signal fed thereto, a first current having a positive peak at the center of the rising period, a second circuit for generating, in a trailing period of the square-wave signal fed thereto, a second current having a negative peak at the center of the trailing period, and a capacitor to which the first and second currents are fed. The waveform shaping circuit outputs the voltage across the capacitor as its output voltage.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a method of accurately calibrating discharge heat energy produced during fusion splicing of two optical fibers by heating the optical fibers arranged with the intentional fiber cladding axes offset; in order to achieve the object, the present invention provides a method of calibrating discharge heat energy used in the optical fiber fusion splicing device wherein a discharge heating energy is measured based on a change of the fiber cladding axes offset.

Abstract: A power supply device produces a predetermined voltage from a supply voltage through a voltage follower composed of a plurality of transistors. The voltage follower has a function of preventing backflow current. The voltage follower has one end connected to the supply voltage and another end connected to a capacitor. A constant voltage generating circuit produces a constant voltage from the voltage across the capacitor. A switch circuit is connected between the supply voltage and the control electrode of one of the transistors constituting the voltage follower other than the first-stage transistor thereof. A voltage drop detecting circuit detects a drop below a predetermined level in the voltage across the capacitor, and turns on the switch circuit on detecting such a drop.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus has an information taking-in means for taking-in road-in-facility information, which indicates roads placed in a facility and is supplied from the outside, and a displaying means for displaying a location map according to the road-in-facility information read out from the information taking-in means and for-navigation location map data read out from a storing means and displaying a position of a driver's car and a guiding route on the location map.

Abstract: A hysteresis circuit has a comparator which compares a threshold voltage and an input voltage. The threshold voltage is supplied from a voltage dividing circuit having resistors. A constant current circuit is connected to a voltage divided point of the voltage dividing circuit through a switch. The ON and OFF of the switch is controlled by an output of the comparator. When the switch is turned ON, a constant current flows to the voltage divided point, so that the value of the threshold voltage supplied from the voltage dividing circuit to the comparator is changed.

Abstract: A power supply monitoring integrated circuit device for individually detecting the voltages of a plurality of lithium-ion cells connected in series has a plurality of comparators for comparing the voltages obtained by dividing the voltages of the individual cells with a predetermined voltage. The power supply monitoring integrated circuit device also has terminals for feeding electric power from the individual cells through resistors to the inputs of the individual comparators and terminals for supplying electric power from the individual cells to the individual comparators, and, in accordance with the results of comparison by the individual comparators, controls charging or discharging of the cells.

Abstract: A control device having a forced operation function has an output circuit that operates in response to an output control signal generated within the control device and a terminal for feeding a signal from the output circuit to outside the control device. The control device further has a signal detection circuit that outputs a forced operation signal when a predetermined signal is fed from the outside to that terminal. The output control signal generated within the control device and the forced operation signal produced by the signal detection circuit are fed through an OR circuit to the output circuit. This circuit configuration makes it possible to reduce the number of terminals to be provided in a control device having a forced operation function and thereby reduce its costs.

Abstract: A power supply controlling integrated circuit device have detection input terminals for receiving the voltages of a plurality of cells and a plurality of comparing means for comparing the voltages of the individual cells with a predetermined reference voltage. To control discharging or charging of the cells in accordance with the outputs of the comparing means, a mode terminal is provided for receiving a signal for designating the number of cells. Also provided are a first circuit that can forcibly bring part of the comparing means into a predetermined output state in accordance with the signal received at the mode terminal and a second circuit for excluding from monitoring the outputs of those comparing means which have been brought into the predetermined output state. This enables the power supply monitoring integrated circuit device to control different numbers of cells without requiring any separately-mounted component or the like.

Abstract: In a power supply monitoring integrated circuit device, a capacitor for setting a non-responsive interval is discharged at an increased rate without an undue increase in the current consumption of the circuit of the device and without undue variations in the non-responsive interval. The power supply monitoring integrated circuit device has a capacitor, a current source for charging the capacitor, a Darlington-connected transistor for discharging the capacitor, and a comparing means for comparing the voltage across the capacitor with a predetermined non-responsive interval setting voltage. An offset voltage equal to the collector-emitter voltage of the transistor when the capacitor is discharged is produced by using the forward voltage of a diode so as to be added to the non-responsive interval setting voltage.

Abstract: Finely divided hydrophobic silica powder having a number average particle size from 3 to 10 nm and a BET surface area from 195 to 290 m.sup.2 /g is dry blended with particles of a thermosetting resin composition having a volumetric average particle size from 5 to 20 .mu.m in a proportion from 0.05 to 2.0 parts per 100 parts of the resin particles on weight basis. Sieving efficiency of the powder coating composition thus processed is remarkably improved.

Abstract: A battery charger outputs a high voltage even when a power supply device having a rechargeable battery is not connected to the battery charger so that the battery charger can supply the high voltage to the power supply device whenever the power supply device is connected to the output terminal of the battery charger. This battery charger has periodic signal producing means for supplying a periodically varying periodic signal to the output terminal by charging and discharging a capacitor connected to the output terminal, and detecting means for checking whether the power supply device is connected to the battery charger or not by checking through a filter whether the periodic signal is present at the output terminal or not. Thus, although the battery charger has no mechanical switch, it can detect the presence of the power supply device.

Abstract: A battery protection circuit has an overcharge detection circuit that detects overcharge of a battery and a charge inhibition circuit that, when overcharge is detected, inhibits charging with a delay produced by a capacitance element. This charge inhibition circuit can detect a short circuit in the capacitance element that is used to produce a predetermined delay, and, when it detects a short circuit in the capacitance element, it inhibits charging without delay. Thus, since charging is inhibited even when the capacitance element is short-circuited, a power supply unit incorporating this battery protection circuit is safer to use.