Abstract: In a data processing method, all information on a figure to be drawn, as vector-graphic data representing said figure, is transmitted to a drawing apparatus. The vector-graphic data is processed to form an image, as raster-graphic data representing the figure, and the run length data is extracted from the image. The run length data is grouped to become grouped run length data, and outline vector-graphic data, that is having a smaller data amount than that of the vector-graphic data, and that is based on an outline of the figure represented by the grouped run length data, is created. In another data processing method, the drawing data is processed in a workstation such as a CAD system, and the resulting outline vector graphic data is transmitted to the drawing apparatus.

Abstract: A steering system for a watercraft provides a position command signal indicative of a position of a rudder. An azimuth or location sensor senses an azimuth or a location of the watercraft, respectively. A control data input device selectively provides a control device with a manual mode signal and an autopilot mode signal. The autopilot mode signal is accompanied by a target azimuth signal or a target location signal. The control device controls the position of the rudder unit based upon the position command signal in the manual mode. The control device controls the position of the rudder unit such that the actual azimuth coincides with the target azimuth. The control device places the watercraft in the manual mode in place of the autopilot mode without the manual mode signal if the position command signal changes while the control device controls the position of the rudder unit in the autopilot mode.

Abstract: In a drawing method, all information on a pattern to be drawn on a drawing surface, represented by first vector-graphic data of a drawing-coordinate-system, is transmitted to an exposure drawing apparatus having a plurality of optical modulation elements. The first vector-graphic data is converted to second vector-graphic data of an exposing-coordinate-system that conforms to the exposure drawing apparatus, and the second vector-graphic data is converted to raster-graphic data of the exposing-coordinate-system. Finally, the drawing surface is multi-exposed for drawing the pattern, based on the raster-graphic data to control the exposure by the optical modulation elements.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a control circuit and method for controlling the throttle valve position and shift mode of a watercraft's engine so as to reduce abrupt engine speed and shift mode transitions. The control circuit controls the actual shift mode (forward, reverse or neutral) and throttle valve position of the engine based on throttle and shift mode signals or commands generated by an operator via a control device, and based further upon the current shift mode and throttle valve position of the engine. When the operator abruptly adjusts the throttle, the control circuit more gradually adjusts the position of the throttle valve to smooth the transition in engine speed. The control circuit also delays operator-commanded transitions in the engine's shift mode, as necessary, so that changes in the engine's shift mode occur while the throttle valve is in the closed or nearly closed position.

Abstract: A multiple node network includes a plurality of terminal nodes. A management node at least initially manages the terminal nodes. A bus connects the respective terminal nodes and the management node to one another. The respective terminal nodes and the management node communicate with one another using the bus. The management node requests identification codes from each terminal node. Each terminal node responds with an individual identification code and then receives a physical address from the management node to establish communication. When a fault in the management node is detected while a terminal node is trying to enter communication, the terminal node assigns an arbitrary address to establish communication if the arbitrary address is not identical to any other terminal node address or after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a pattern has a scanning-time setter, a time-error detector, a scanning-time corrector, a pulse data selector, and a control pulse signal generator. The scanning-time setter sets a “fine-section scanning-time” as a pass-time of the beam for each section of a series of fine sections. The time-error detector successively detects a time-error between the set fine-section scanning-time and an actually detected fine-section scanning-time for each fine section. The scanning-time corrector successively corrects the set fine-section scanning-time for each fine section on the basis of the time-error to successively generate a corrected fine-section scanning-time. The pulse data selector successively selects a set of pulse data, corresponding to the corrected fine-section scanning-time, from a series of sets of pulse data. The control-pulse signal generator successively generates a sequence of control-pulse signals in accordance with a selected set of pulse data.

Abstract: A watercraft is equipped with an outboard motor and an inboard local area network (LAN) that communicates control signals to the outboard motor. An outboard motor operating device retains the ability to operate the outboard motor even if part of the inboard LAN develops an abnormality. In particular, a control signal that controls the outboard motor and a conditional information signal that indicates a condition of the watercraft are transmitted by independent cables that are mutually separated. Even if the cable for transmitting the conditional information signal or equipment connected to the cable develops an abnormality, transmission of the control signal for controlling the outboard motor is not hindered since the control signal is on the other cable, which is not affected by the abnormality. The conditional information signals are processed to generate and display return-to-port warnings based on the watercraft conditions and other operator issued constraints.

Abstract: A watercraft has an engine and a remote controller. The engine has a throttle valve unit. The remote controller provides a command signal indicative of a position of the throttle valve unit. A watercraft velocity sensor senses an actual speed of the watercraft to provide an actual speed signal. A control data input device selectively provides a control device with a manual mode signal and a constant speed mode signal. The constant speed mode signal is accompanied by a target speed signal. The control device controls the throttle valve unit based upon the command signal in the manual mode. The control device controls the throttle valve unit in the constant speed mode such that an actual speed of the watercraft coincides with the target speed of the watercraft once a state of equilibrium is reached.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a pattern has a beam position detector, a fine-section scale corrector, a pulse data selector, and a control pulse signal generator. The beam position detector measures a position of the beam on a scanning-line. The fine-section scale corrector changes a scale of a series of fine-sections to a series of corrected fine-sections, in accordance with a scale-change rate, to change a scale of the pattern. The pulse data selector selects a set of pulse data, corresponding to a length of the corrected fine section that the beam passes, from a series of sets of pulse data. The control pulse signal generator successively generates a sequence of control pulse signals in accordance with the selected set of pulse data.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a pattern has a light source, a scanning unit, a memory, a pulse data selector, a control pulse signal generator, a control pulse signal generator, a writing pulse signal generator, and an optical modulator. The time-interval detector detects successively a time-interval that is a pass-time of the beam in each of a series of fine sections. The pulse data selector selects a set of pulse data, corresponding to the detected time-interval, from a series of sets of pulse data. The control pulse signal generator successively generates a sequence of control pulse signals in accordance with the selected set of pulse data.

Abstract: A steering system for a watercraft provides a position command signal indicative of a position of a rudder. An azimuth or location sensor senses an azimuth or a location of the watercraft, respectively. A control data input device selectively provides a control device with a manual mode signal and an autopilot mode signal. The autopilot mode signal is accompanied by a target azimuth signal or a target location signal. The control device controls the position of the rudder unit based upon the position command signal in the manual mode. The control device controls the position of the rudder unit such that the actual azimuth coincides with the target azimuth. The control device places the watercraft in the manual mode in place of the autopilot mode without the manual mode signal if the position command signal changes while the control device controls the position of the rudder unit in the autopilot mode.

Abstract: Migrating a database from a first system including a first storage device to a second system including a second storage device includes: making a backup copy of data stored in the first storage device; storing the backup copy in the second storage device; creating update information of the data after the backup copy is made in the first storage device; and storing the update information of the data in the second storage device.

Abstract: A laser imaging apparatus includes a scanning unit that emits at least one scanning laser beam, which scans on a surface to be scanned in a main scanning direction to form a scanning section. A plurality of position marks formed on the surface are detected to determine the distortion of the surface to be scanned. A calculating system is provided to calculate an inclination of each scanning section with respect the main scanning direction, and a scaling factor of each scanning section with respect to a predetermined length in the main scanning direction based on the shape of the surface to be scanned. Then, when image is formed, the rotational position of the surface to be scanned is changed in accordance with the inclination, and a start position of each scanning section on the surface to be scanned is changed in accordance with the scaling factor.

Abstract: A watercraft has multiple engines each having a starting device. A common switch mechanism provides a control device with at least an initiation signal to activate the starting devices, such that all of the engines can be started concurrently in response to operator activation of a single switch. A sensing device separately senses the start state of each engine, preferably by sensing an engine speed of each engine. The control device deactivates the starting device separately and asynchronously from one another based on the sensed start states of the engines.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a control circuit and method for controlling the throttle valve position and shift mode of a watercraft's engine so as to reduce abrupt engine speed and shift mode transitions. The control circuit controls the actual shift mode (forward, reverse or neutral) and throttle valve position of the engine based on throttle and shift mode signals or commands generated by an operator via a control device, and based further upon the current shift mode and throttle valve position of the engine. When the operator abruptly adjusts the throttle, the control circuit more gradually adjusts the position of the throttle valve to smooth the transition in engine speed. The control circuit also delays operator-commanded transitions in the engine's shift mode, as necessary, so that changes in the engine's shift mode occur while the throttle valve is in the closed or nearly closed position.

Abstract: A multiple node network includes a plurality of terminal nodes. A management node manages the terminal nodes. A bus connects the respective terminal nodes and the management node to one another. The respective terminal nodes and the management node communicate with each other using a frame that includes at least an identifier field and a data field. The data field has a discriminative number. Each terminal node transfers the frame to the management node. A contention between the terminal nodes is arbitrated by comparing the respective identifier fields of the terminal nodes. When the arbitration fails, each terminal node repeatedly transfers the frame to the management node after a delay time that is unique for the particular terminal node and that is calculated based upon the discriminative number in the data field.

Abstract: A multiple node network includes a plurality of terminal nodes. A management node at least initially manages the terminal nodes. A bus connects the respective terminal nodes and the management node to one another. The respective terminal nodes and the management node communicate with one another using the bus. The management node requests identification codes from each terminal node. Each terminal node responds with an individual identification code and then receives a physical address from the management node to establish communication. When a fault in the management node is detected while a terminal node is trying to enter communication, the terminal node assigns an arbitrary address to establish communication if the arbitrary address is not identical to any other terminal node address or after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a gas generator in which ignition and combustion performance of a gas generating agent and operation performance are enhanced. An inner cylindrical member 4 is disposed in a cylindrical housing 3, an annular first combustion chamber 5a is provided radially in the outside of the inner cylindrical member 4, and, in the combustion chamber 5a, a ratio (D/L) of its radial average distance (D) to its axial average length (L) is adjusted to be in the range of 0.2 to 2.0. The invention provides a gas generator for an air bag capable of reducing a size of the gas generator and easily and reliably adjusting a capacity of a combustion chamber which accommodates the gas generating agent, and also provides a retainer for such a gas generator.

Abstract: A watercraft control system includes a transmitting device and a watercraft control device which receives transmitted signals from the transmitting device and maneuvers the watercraft to a fallen driver, pursues a diver, or the like. The transmitting device can also unlock various devices and systems on the watercraft by generating an authentic ID code. In other embodiments, a signal intensity is monitored to trigger a guidance system, while still other embodiments replace the transmitting device with on-board sonar systems.

Abstract: A watercraft control system for a watercraft having multiple control stations routes operation control signals in a non-competing, non-contradictory manner. In an embodiment, the control system includes a plurality of links. When abnormalities affect one or more of the communication links, the control system maintains communication through one or more of the unaffected communication links.