Abstract: A conductive contact includes a first plunger 11 which is formed approximately in a needle-shape and is formed of conductive material and of which tip portion has an axisymmetric shape; a second plunger 12 which is formed approximately in a needle-shaped and is formed of conductive material, of which tip portion 12a is oriented in a direction opposite to a tip portion 11a of the first plunger 11, and of which tip portion 12a has an axisymmetric shape with respect to an axis line same as that of the tip portion 11a of the first plunger 11; and a spring member 13 which is formed of conductive material, of which one end is in contact with the first plunger 11 and the other end is in contact with the second plunger 12, and which is extendable in a longitudinal direction, in which a base end portion 11d of the first plunger 11 and a base end portion 12d of the second plunger 12 are slidably in contact with each other.

Abstract: A conductive contact holder includes a holder substrate and a holding member. The holder substrate is made of a conductive material and has an opening for holding a conductive contact for inputting and outputting a signal to and from a circuit structure. The holding member is formed by filling the opening with an insulating material, smoothing the surface of the insulating material, and forming a hole through the insulating material for inserting the conductive contact.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a conductive contact holder includes forming, from an insulating material, a holder member for holding a plurality of conductive contacts; forming, from a conductive material, a substrate having a hollow portion to which the holder member can be fitted; and fixing the holder member formed from the insulating material by fitting the substrate into the hollow portion of the substrate formed from the conductive material.

Abstract: A shape of a cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of a main body section of a conductive contact is anisotropic.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a conductive contact holder includes forming, from a conductive material, a substrate having a hollow portion to which a holder member for holding a plurality of conductive contacts can be fitted; fixing the substrate formed from the conductive material and an insulating member by fitting the substrate and the insulating member into the hollow portion of the substrate, the insulating member being a raw material of the holder member; polishing a surface of the fixed holder member and a surface of the substrate adjoining the surface so as to make the surfaces smooth; and forming a plurality of holder holes for containing the conductive contacts, respectively, the holder holes penetrating the holder member, the surface of which is polished. The fixing includes filling an insulating adhesive between the holder member and the substrate.

Abstract: In order to make a conductive contact that is appropriate for fine pitching, without using a lead wire whose diameter is needlessly thin, a compressed coil spring 5 and the shells 6a and 7a of needle-like elements 6 and 7 that are connected to the two ends of the coil are accepted into a through hole 3a in an intermediate-layer member 3 that is laminated with three layers in an axial direction. A holding hole 8a is formed in a wiring plate 8 that is laminated on the top face of an upper-layer member 4, and an approximately circular flat part 9a that is formed at the end of a signal-transmitting lead wire 9 is accepted in the holding hole 8a of the wiring plate 8, and extraction of the flat part 9a from the holding hole 8a is prevented by making the lead-wire insertion hole 8b narrower in diameter than the holding hole 8a.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determination of a steering angle and velocity using distances from obstacles in a plurality of directions or changes in distances with time as input information; obtaining a function output for each of the directions using the input information as a parameter and using a function regarding steering angle, a function regarding velocity and a function regarding degree of danger; executing operations using each function output as a parameter to compute a steering angle for obstacle avoidance and also compute a steering angle for route tracing and a velocity by a predetermined method; and synthesizing the obtained steering angle for route tracing and for obstacle avoidance with a velocity as derived. The foregoing control method avoids obstacles and is comparatively simple, even in an unknown environment without constructing a complicated rule base.

Abstract: The present apparatus, control system, and method for navigating is used to navigate a mobile machine accurately along a traced path so that the machine avoids collisions with obstacles. Intermediate control outputs are generated not only in accordance with a signal indicative of a distance and angle from a path to be traced according to a navigation procedure for path tracing, but also in response to a signal related to the obstacle-free space ahead of the machine according to a navigation procedure for obstacle avoidance. Weighting coefficients respective for the two procedures are generated by fuzzy inference based on signals indicating the distance and angle from the predetermined path and signals related to the obstacle-free space ahead of the machine. Final control outputs are computed in accordance with the two intermediate outputs and the two weighting coefficients.

Abstract: A method and system for maneuvering a mobile robot are disclosed, which include a mobile robot having a plurality of sensors, including a sensor which detects the presence of an object and a sensor which detects image information related to the object. Utilizing data acquired by the plurality of sensors, elements of the object are determined. A hypothesis expressing the configuration of the object is then generated from the elements interpreted from the data. The hypothesis is generated by referencing a table in which interpretations of data acquired by the plurality of sensors are associated with possible configurations of objects in response to the generated hypothesis, the mobile robot is moved along a path which avoids the object.

Abstract: A mobile machine having active sensors for allowing similar energy waves to coexist close to each other. A mobile machine enters an exclusive transmission mode with respect to energy wave transmission when interference can occur between its own active sensor and the sensors of mother mobile machines. Prior to the transmission of energy waves, the mobile machine determines whether or not any competing mobile machine has acquired the energy wave transmission right. If not, it broadcasts a declaration of its acquisition of the right to transmit energy waves and transmits energy waves. If the transmission right has already been acquired by a competing mobile machine, it adds its own identification to a transmission queue, and increments the transmission queue each time it receives a declaration of renunciation of the right to transmit energy waves from a competing mobile machine.

Abstract: A table editor for editing a table of rows and columns using a pointing device and display station. The table editor stores information about the lines and boxes that make up the table. A pointing device is used to select horizontal or vertical lines or a box defined by horizontal and vertical lines for an operation. The user can select a command to insert rows or columns, to delete rows or columns, or to concatenate the contents of two or more boxes. The determination of whether rows or columns are to be acted upon is made from the orientation of the lines selected by the pointing device.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus is provided which automatically controls the temperature and humidity in the region of a photosensitive recording medium. The recording medium carries the indication of its sensitivity characteristic. A detector disposed in the image recording apparatus reads the sensitivity characteristics which may take the form of the bar code or magnetic tape. The detector then sends an output signal, to a controller. At least one of a thermal sensor and a humidity sensor are provided in the passage of the photosensitive recording medium. These elements respectively sense the temperature and humidity and output their detection signals to the controller. The controller then controls a heater and a humidifier to set the optimal temperature and optimal humidity for the passage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising an image data inputting device for inputting image forming data to the image forming apparatus, a control unit for adjusting operational conditions such as an amount of light of a light source, an insertion amount of color filters into a light path and so on in the image forming appartus for performing the copying processes on the basis of the image forming data and a mode switching unit for selecting one of a first mode for roughtly inputting the image forming data and a second mode for minutely inputting the image forming data.

Abstract: An information recording system comprising a read/write device including a read/write head for reading and writing information from and on a rotatable data-storage medium rotated by a first drive motor, and electrically operated elements such as a second drive motor for moving the read/write head relative to the data-storage medium, reading and writing amplifiers, and detectors for sensing operating conditions of the recording system such as the angular position of the data-storage medium. Electric power is supplied to such electrically operated elements from a power source via power disconnect switches connected between the power source and the respective electrically operated elements for selective power supply to the individual elements.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving a magnetic disk for information storage and retrieval, comprising a battery for supplying electric power to a first actuator for rotating the magnetic disk, and to a second actuator for moving a magnetic head across a surface of the magnetic disk and energizing the head to write information on and read the information from the magnetic disk. The apparatus further comprising a detector for sensing a voltage level of the battery, and generating a voltage-drop signal when the voltage level of the battery has fallen below a preset limit. A control unit is provided for controlling the first and second actuators. The control unit is responsive to the voltage-drop signal to inhibit the starting of an access to the magnetic disk, or inhibit the operation of the first actuator.