Abstract: The operational processor includes a general-purpose register that holds data associated with operation processing, and a program status register that holds information associated with the status of the operational processor. The data and information are saved during interrupt processing or task switching. The program status register holds in its bit positions C1-Cn a portion of data resulting from the operation processing. The held data are the n most significant bits of the least significant bits of the data resulting from the operation processing which are not held in the general-purpose register, and are for use in the operation. The operational processor may perform fewer operations than the double precision operation, and improve the operation precision without increasing the task switching time.

Abstract: A USB system is capable of connecting, based on the function of constructing and connecting a virtual port by a virtual port constructing functional unit, a number of devices exceeding a prescribed number of tiers having a hub device in a connection topology of a host device—hub devices—a device of the USB system. When the host device addresses a device on its downstream side, the hub device acts as if it is a specified device by a proxy response functional unit including the hub device, and instantaneously performs a proxy response depending upon the situation that, for example, the device on its downstream side is not ready. This causes no problem associated with the turn-around time of the USB bus even if the prescribed number of tiers is exceeded.

Abstract: In a network topology design apparatus for designing a network topology connecting a plurality of points by communication lines so that a predetermined traffic volume is transmitted between the plurality of points, chromosomes wherein the network topology is represented in a matrix are created, and a genetic algorithm is applied to evolve the chromosomes in order to improve cost performance. Then by applying a local search method to the chromosomes which have been evolved by the genetic algorithm, to search the chromosomes in the neighborhood of the evolved chromosomes, a chromosome with a better cost performance is determined. In this way, genetic algorithms and local search methods are applied to design a network topology with excellent cost performance.

Abstract: A USB system is capable of connecting, based on the function of constructing and connecting a virtual port by a virtual port constructing functional unit, a number of devices exceeding a prescribed number of tiers having a hub device in a connection topology of a host device—hub devices—a device of the USB system. When the host device addresses a device on its downstream side, the hub device acts as if it is a specified device by a proxy response functional unit including the hub device, and instantaneously performs a proxy response depending upon the situation that, for example, the device on its downstream side is not ready. This causes no problem associated with the turn-around time of the USB bus even if the prescribed number of tiers is exceeded.

Abstract: In a network topology design apparatus for designing a network topology connecting a plurality of points by communication lines so that a predetermined traffic volume is transmitted between the plurality of points, chromosomes wherein the network topology is represented in a matrix are created, and a genetic algorithm is applied to evolve the chromosomes in order to improve cost performance. Then by applying a local search method to the chromosomes which have been evolved by the genetic algorithm, to search the chromosomes in the neighborhood of the evolved chromosomes, a chromosome with a better cost performance is determined. In this way, genetic algorithms and local search methods are applied to design a network topology with excellent cost performance.

Abstract: A digital demodulator which demodulates an analog signal obtained through a quadrature amplitude modulation to produce a digital demodulated signal includes a converter to convert the analog signal into a digital signal and a signal processor to quadrature-demodulating the digital signal from the converter. Assuming that the analog signal has a carrier frequency of f.sub.IF and the signal conversion is accomplished with the sampling frequency fs, the demodulator is set to satisfy fs=4.multidot.f.sub.IF /(2n+1), where n denotes a positive integer. The signal processing section conducts the quadrature demodulation according to a quadrature local oscillation signal having a frequency fc satisfying fc=fs/4.

Abstract: An FDMA (Frequency-Division Multiple Access) transmitter-receiver for use in an FDMA communication system which is capable of changing a bandwidth of a channel as required.

Abstract: The FM stereo broadcasting apparatus has a sampling frequency converter for receiving a digital input signal having an L (left audio)-signal and an R (right audio)-signal and for converting the digital input signal so that its sampling frequency is equal to either a frequency of a subcarrier of a composite audio signal or a first sampling frequency of a first sampling signal for the operation of a composite audio signal generator, a sampling signal generator for generating the first sampling signal for the operation of the composite audio signal generator having the first sampling frequency which is equal to 2.sup.

Abstract: There is provided a maximum likelihood decoding method, and an apparatus, capable of correcting burst errors caused by abrupt lowering of the signal amplitude. The soft decision maximum likelihood decoding method is a maximum likelihood decoding method for conducting maximum likelihood decoding on a received train resulting from addition of an error train to a transmission code train, which has been obtained by coding an information train by using convolutional codes on a transmission side. The soft decision maximum likelihood decoding method includes the step of making corrections by multiplying the soft decision likelihood metric having a multi-valued level, which has been obtained by soft decision likelihood metric from the received train, by weighting coefficients depending upon an instantaneous amplitude of the received signal, and the step of conducting maximum likelihood decoding by using corrected soft decision likelihood metric values.

Abstract: In a complex modulation/demodulation method and system, the data frequency f.sub.C1 of data signals I and Q inputted to a constellation mapping circuit is converted by a digital interpolation circuit into a sampling frequency f.sub.C2 equal to f.sub.S /N, where f.sub.S is an operation sampling frequency and N is selected such that the signal maximum frequency of the data signals I and Q becomes lower than f.sub.C2 /2. The interpolated data signals I and Q are respectively inputted to real and imaginary input terminals of a complex coefficient band pass filter to extract a real signal output. An output signal of the complex coefficient band pass filter is converted by a DA converter into an analog signal from which desired frequency components are extracted by an analog band pass filter, thereby performing a quadrature modulation.

Abstract: A hydrophilic porous membrane is obtained by covering porous membrane substrate with a non-ionic, amino-acid-based or non-ionic fluorine-based surface active agent. For the covering, the porous membrane substrate is immersed in a solution containing the surface active agent and then drying the membrane substrate. A different hydrophilic porous membrane is obtained by providing the surfaces of a porous membrane substrate and inner pore surfaces with a polar group and then covering the membrane substrate with a hydrophilic polymer film. For this covering, after introduction of the polar group to the surfaces of the porous membrane substrate and inner pore surfaces, the membrane substrate is immersed in a solution containing a hydrophilic substance and then dried.

Abstract: A blood plasma-separating membrane formed of a porous membrane possessing a wetting time in the range of 3 to 500 seconds relative to water and a non-priming grade blood plasma separator using the same.

Abstract: A scanning line interpolation circuit for reproducing scanning lines not transmitted through interpolation on the basis of a main scanning line signal and an auxiliary signal both transmitted, wherein an interpolated scanning line signal is generated on the basis of the main scanning line signal and auxiliary signal with respect to a frequency band used to transmit the auxiliary signal and an interpolated scanning line is generated in response to picture motion on the basis of only the main scanning line signal with respect to a frequency band used not to transmit the auxiliary signal.

Abstract: A hydrophilic porous membrane is obtained by covering porous membrane substrate with a non-ionic, amino-acid-based or non-ionic fluorine-based surface active agent. For the covering, the porous membrane substrate is immersed in a solution containing the surface active agent and then drying the membrane substrate. A different hydrophilic porous membrane is obtained by providing the surfaces of a porous membrane substrate and inner pore surfaces with a polar group and then covering the membrane substrate with a hydrophilic polymer film. For this covering, after introduction of the polar group to the surfaces of the porous membrane substrate and inner pore surfaces, the membrane substrate is immersed in a solution containing a hydrophilic substance and then dried.

Abstract: A .gamma.-ray-sterilizable hydrophilic porous material has been found which includes a continuous layer made of a synthetic polymer compound forming a porous substrate and a hydrophilic and .gamma.-ray-resistant polymer supported on at least part of the surface of the porous substrate in an amount not less than 5% by weight, based on the porous substrate. The hydrophilic porous material has an average pore diameter in the range of 0.02 to 20 .mu.m, a porosity in the range of 10 to 90% and a wall thickness in the range of 10 .mu.m to 5.0 mm.

Abstract: A hydrophilic material having excellent hydrophilicity and fitness to living bodies and used for porous membranes or the like and also a method of manufacturing the same. The hydrophilic material is formed by subjecting at least part of the surfaces of a substrate of a polymer material to a plasma treatment to thereby produce a polymer radical and graft polymerizing therewith a block copolymer containing a hydrophilic monomer supplied in the gasious phase and a subsequently supplied hydrophobic monomer.

Abstract: A simplified carrier phase control apparatus used in a modem for demodulating a quadrature amplitude modulated data signal, to correct phase jitters of a carrier signal due to a 50 Hz or a 60 Hz frequency of the commercial power supply, and its harmonic wave frequency components. The carrier phase control apparatus has a predictive filter for predicting a carrier phase jitter, the predictive filter composed of band-pass filters with center frequencies of 50 Hz and 60 Hz, and a circuit where the output signals of the band-pass filters are multiplied by the coefficients and added linearly.

Abstract: A maximum likelihood decoder for decoding a code from a signal transmitted through quadrature amplitude modulation of a code including a convolutional code can decode at high speed and high accuracy with a simple hardware configuration. In the maximum likelihood decoding of the convolutional code, the metric processing is not carried out for all of the possible paths and states but a smaller number of path(s) (metric(s)) and state(s) (metric(s)) are selected in a descending order to determine survival paths.

Abstract: A digital demodulator for separating and demodulating quadrature modulated signals to produce the inphase components and quadrature components of a baseband through simple digital processing. This digital demodulator is constructed by an A/D converter for sampling received modulated signal so as to be converted into digital signals, means for distributing every other sample signal of the sample signals from said A/D converter into two trains of the sample signals, means for inverting the polarity of every other signal of the one signal train so as to provide the inphase components of the baseband, and means for delaying the other signal sequence by one sampling period and thereafter inverting the polarity of every other signal of the delayed signals so as to provide the quadrature components of the baseband.

Abstract: A quadrature phase modulator constructed by use of a simple digital circuit. Digital signals of sample data obtained by sampling outputs from a roll-off filter with a frequency four times a modulated carrier frequency are stored in an ROM, the outputs corresponding to all combinations of a plurality of successive bits of input data; the plurality of bits are set as an address, and a signal of an in-phase channel and a signal of a quadrature phase channel is alternately read from the ROM with a frequency equal to half the sampling frequency, then the obtained serial signals are subjected to a digital-to-analog conversion to obtain a quadrature phase modulated signal.