Abstract: A method is provided for transferring print data from a host computer to a printer connected to the host. According to the method, a transfer rate determiner of the host determines the data transfer rate of the interface between the host and the printer. Before the print data is transferred from the host to the printer, the data compress/decompress time by several compression methods is estimated. Also, the data transfer time for the compressed print data is estimated. These times are added to provide a total data process time. Meanwhile, data transfer time for non-compressed print data is estimated. The total data process time for the compressed data and the data transfer time for the non-compressed data are compared to determine the most efficient print data transfer scheme.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a medicine wrapping machine which wraps each administered amount of a medicine in a medicine wrapping sheet, and enables easy opening even by an aged person or a child. The medicine wrapping machine uses a belt-shaped medicine wrapping sheet, and forms a plurality of divided wrapping bags continuous in a state of containing medicines therein and separated at the time of taking the medicines to wrap the medicines. A raw material of the medicine wrapping sheet is a belt-shaped transparent composite plastic sheet which includes a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet or a biaxially oriented polypropylene sheet, and a minute flaw is formed on the polyethylene terephthalate sheet or the biaxially oriented polypropylene sheet.

Abstract: A step motor is composed of a rotor, first and second stators, and a magnetic member. The rotor is rotatably supported and comprised of a magnet having magnetic poles magnetized in four angular sections. The first stator has a pair of counter poles disposed in opposed relation to the magnet and a coil wound around the first stator. The second stator has another pair of counter poles disposed in opposed relation to the magnet and another coil wound around the second stator. The second stator is opposite to the first stator with respect to the rotor such that the counter poles of the first and second stators surround the rotor to stepwise rotate the rotor in response to electric pulses applied to the coils of the first and second stators. The magnetic member has a pair of interpoles positioned in a middle of the first and second stators in opposed relation to the rotor such as to stabilize a rest position of the rotor, which is held when the electric pulse is not applied to the coils.

Abstract: A method is provided for transferring print data from a host computer to a printer connected to the host. According to the method, a transfer rate determiner of the host determines the data transfer rate of the interface between the host and the printer. Before the print data is transferred from the host to the printer, the data compress/decompress time by several compression methods is estimated. Also, the data transfer time for the compressed print data is estimated. These times are added to provide a total data process time. Meanwhile, data transfer time for non-compressed print data is estimated. The total data process time for the compressed data and the data transfer time for the non-compressed data are compared to determine the most efficient print data transfer scheme.

Abstract: A lens drive includes a stepper motor that can be rotated forward and reversely; a motor control for controlling the driving of the stepper motor, a photographing lens for forming a subject image on a predetermined image surface, a lens driver for driving the photographing lens, and a coupler for coupling the stepper motor and the lens driver.

Abstract: A step motor is composed of a rotor, first and second stators, and a magnetic member. The rotor is rotatably supported and comprised of a magnet having magnetic poles magnetized in four angular sections. The first stator has a pair of counter poles disposed in opposed relation to the magnet and a coil wound around the first stator. The second stator has another pair of counter poles disposed in opposed relation to the magnet and another coil wound around the second stator. The second stator is opposite to the first stator with respect to the rotor such that the counter poles of the first and second stators surround the rotor to stepwise rotate the rotor in response to electric pulses applied to the coils of the first and second stators. The magnetic member has a pair of interpoles positioned in a middle of the first and second stators in opposed relation to the rotor such as to stabilize a rest position of the rotor, which is held when the electric pulse is not applied to the coils.

Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory. An exposure value suitable for a main subject is calculated according to the following equation: Es=log2{1−(1−&agr;)2LVb−LVa}−log2&agr;+LVa wherein Es represents the exposure value and &agr; represents the correction coefficient.

Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory.

Abstract: In an electromagnetic actuator, a rotor composed of a permanent magnet is mounted rotatably in two directions between a first end position and a second end position via an intermediate position. A coil is wound around the rotor to rotate the rotor in an energizing state where an electric current is applied to the coil. An auto-retaining device is provided for retaining the rotor at one of the intermediate position, the first end position and the second end position under a non-energizing state where the electric current is not applied to the coil. The auto-retaining device has an elastic member that regulates the rotor at the intermediate position by a mechanical elastic force, a first magnetic member that is opposed to the permanent magnet and that retains the rotor at the first end position by a magnetic attractive force, and a second magnetic member that is opposed to the permanent magnet and that retains the rotor at the second end position by a magnetic attractive force.

Abstract: In a drive apparatus, an operating member is driven by a step motor under control of a control section in response to a signal from a detection section. The control section sets the operating member to an initial position from a mechanically stopped position by forward rotating the step motor at a predetermined step number. At a time of starting an operation of the operating member from the initial position, the control section temporarily reverse rotates the step motor to move the operating member to a detection zone so that the detecting section may detect the signal when the operating member performs a normal movement. Then, the control section responds to the signal to forward rotate the step motor so as to move the operating member to a target position.

Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory. An exposure value suitable for a main subject is calculated according to the following equation: Es=log2{1−(1−&agr;)2LVb−LVa}−log2&agr;+LVa wherein Es represents the exposure value and &agr; represents the correction coefficient.

Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory.

Abstract: Electrostatic developing units are arranged in the record paper conveyance direction, form dot latent images in conformity with image dot data through the issue of scanning light on photosensitive drums in rotation, and after developing by toner components, transfer dots onto record paper for development. For each lighting noticeable dot amount image dot data, a quantity-of-light control unit provides control and output of optical energy of the noticeable dot on the basis of peripheral dots which may have influence on the size of the noticeable dot on the record paper, for example, in response to the distance from the peripheral dots.

Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory. An exposure value suitable for a main subject is calculated according to the following equation: Es=log2{1−(1−&agr;)2LVb−LVa}−log2&agr;+LVa wherein Es represents the exposure value and &agr; represents the correction coefficient.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transport mechanism transporting a recording medium on a belt which is transported at a constant speed in a transport direction, a plurality of electrostatic recording units arranged in the transport direction of the recording medium and transferring toner images of different colors, a positional error detecting part using the toner image of a reference color transferred by one of the electrostatic recording units as a reference image, and relatively detecting positional error information related to positional errors of the toner images of remaining colors transferred by the remaining electrostatic recording units with respect to the reference image, and a positional error correcting part relatively correcting the positional errors of the toner images transferred by the remaining electrostatic recording units based on the positional error information.

Abstract: A drum phase correction unit for detecting rotational positions of a plurality of photosensitive drums by means of a plurality of drum position sensors and corrects to set rotational phases of the drums to predetermined phases in such a manner that transfer positions on drum circumferential surfaces relative to a belt when employing the thus detected rotational positions as their respective references have a specific relationship including coincidence. A positional offset detection unit detects positional offsets of transfer image on recording paper attributable to the wow and flutter in a drive system including the belt and the photosensitive drums. On the basis of the thus detected positional offsets, a wow and flutter correction unit corrects the positional offsets of the transfer images on the recording paper attributable to the wow and flutter.

Abstract: A drum phase correction unit for detecting rotational positions of a plurality of photosensitive drums by means of a plurality of drum position sensors and corrects to set rotational phases of the drums to predetermined phases in such a manner that transfer positions on drum circumferential surfaces relative to a belt when employing the thus detected rotational positions as their respective references have a specific relationship including coincidence. A positional offset detection unit detects positional offsets of transfer image on recording paper attributable to the wow and flutter in a drive system including the belt and the photosensitive drums. On the basis of the thus detected positional offsets, a wow and flutter correction unit corrects the positional offsets of the transfer images on the recording paper attributable to the wow and flutter.

Abstract: A crankcase for a motorcycle is divided into an upper half and a lower half. A crankshaft, a main shaft, a counter shaft, and a pivot portion are arranged substantially on a straight line along a parting plane P of the crankcase. An eccentric cam and a pivot collar are disposed in the pivot portion, and a rear swing arm is connected to the pivot shaft. The upper half and lower half are vertically mated to each other in front of and behind the pivot portion and then vertically fastened to each other. The center of the pivot collar is offset downwardly from the parting plane P.

Abstract: A toner developing quantity detection unit operates a plurality of electrostatic recording units to transfer Y, M, C and K color component toner marks onto a belt. A toner developing quantity correction unit detects toner developing quantities per unit area of color toners on the basis of detection signals of the color component toner marks on the belt optically detected by a sensor. The toner developing quantity correction unit corrects the toner developing quantities so as to allow the toner consuming quantities of the plurality of electrostatic recording units to be substantially the same level, on the basis of the thus detected toner developing quantities.

Abstract: Wing portions are used to reinforce ground pressure of a front wheel of a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, in which a center of gravity of the vehicle in a driver riding state is positioned between a front wheel and a rear wheel of the vehicle. The wing portions, each of which is provided in such a manner that an aerodynamic center thereof is positioned forward and downward from the center of gravity of the vehicle, produces down-lift.