Abstract: A network for a vehicle correlates network addresses with functions. The network can be used to connect control devices and an outboard motor mounted to a watercraft. Each physical node on the network can include one or plurality of functional nodes. The network can be configured to assign network addresses to devices on the network based on the functions performed by the devices, respectively.

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 information sharing system receives actual watercraft component performance information from participating watercraft and manages the received data at a server in order to provide the combined watercraft component information to registered users. The watercraft information sharing system provides a registered user, a dealer or a manufacturer with the actual performance data of specific combinations of watercraft components. This information allows the user to evaluate the performance of different combinations of watercraft components without having to physically operate watercraft having the combinations of components.

Abstract: A management system for watercrafts includes a network. A server is connected to the network. A plurality of terminal computers which belong to customers, dealers and watercraft builders join the network. The server manages warranty condition data of each watercraft. The server collects usage status data regarding each watercraft. The server also determines whether the data are different from the data previously collected. The server further establishes the warranty condition data of each watercrafts based upon the determination.

Abstract: A watercraft propelled by an outboard motor includes an inspection system. The inspection system includes a terminal computer that conducts an inspection of an engine control device and a control unit. The computer includes a program that performs an inspection process that provides the control device with a command signal to start an inspection of the control device and that requests the control device to output a first response signal. The process determines whether the response signal is consistent with a first specified signal. The process provides the control unit with a command signal to start an inspection of the control unit and requests the control unit to output a second response signal. The process determines whether the second response signal is consistent with a second specified signal. The control device controls a throttle actuator and a shift actuator based upon the second response signal and provides the inspection system with an operating signal.

Abstract: A multi-exposure drawing apparatus for drawing a given pattern on a workpiece is provided. The apparatus uses an exposure unit with optical modulation elements arranged in a matrix. The apparatus comprises a first, second, and third memory, a coordinate transformation processor, a calculation processor, and an exposure-data generating processor. The first, second, and third memory respectively stores raster-data of the given pattern, first-coordinate data representing a position of each optical modulation element, and second-coordinate data representing a position of the exposure unit. The coordinate transformation is performed for the first-coordinate data. Address-data is calculated in accordance with a pixel size of the raster-data, and is based on the sum of the first and second coordinate data. Exposure-data generated by outputting the raster-data of the address-data is given to each of the optical modulation elements. The given pattern is drawn on the drawing surface as to the exposure-data.

Abstract: The present invention includes a sheet material, a first optical fiber, a second optical fiber optically coupled to the first optical fiber in portions thereof, and an optical fiber coupler constituted in the portions where the two optical fibers are coupled, and those of the first and second optical fibers, and the optical fiber coupler are integrally held in the sheet material.

Abstract: In a multi-exposure drawing method for drawing a pattern on a drawing surface, using an exposure unit including a plurality of optical modulation elements arranged in both a first array-direction and a second array-direction, the exposure unit is moved in relation to the drawing surface in a drawing direction. The drawing direction is inclined to form an angle with respect to the first array-direction, whereby the exposure unit is gradually shifted in the second array-direction during the movement of the exposure unit. The modulation elements are successively and selectively operated based on pattern bit-data to thereby modulate a light beam made incident on each modulation element, whenever the exposure unit is moved in the drawing direction by a distance of “A+a”.

Abstract: In a multi-exposure drawing method for drawing a pattern on a drawing surface, using an exposure unit including a plurality of optical modulation elements arranged in a matrix manner, the unit is continuously and relatively moved at a constant velocity with respect to the drawing surface in an array-direction defined by a matrix-arrangement of the modulation elements. Optical modulation elements, spaced at a regular interval in an alignment of optical modulation elements along the array-direction, are successively and selectively driven based on a same bit datum, to thereby modulate a light beam made incident thereon, whenever the exposure unit is moved by a distance corresponding to the regular interval, resulting in the production of a pixel dot on the drawing surface in a multi-exposure manner by the modulated light beams.

Abstract: A supply such as an ink tank or the like, which is mounted on an image recording apparatus, includes a recording section in which encoded information created by encoding identification information by a secret key is recorded, and the encoded information is decoded by a decoding key provided with the image recording apparatus and then checked. With this arrangement, it can be advantageously prevented that the supply such as the ink tank or the like is mounted on the image recording apparatus by mistake, whereby the deterioration of image quality, the trouble of the image recording apparatus and the like caused by the supply mounted by mistake can be prevented.

Abstract: In a laser drawing apparatus, a pattern is drawn on a workpiece by scanning the workpiece with at least one laser beam. The laser beam is modulated on the basis of raster-graphic data, in accordance with a series of clock pulses. A calculator calulates clock-pulse-phase-shift location data, indicative of where a phase of the clock pulses should be shifted, with a unit of less than 2.PI.. The calculation is made on the basis of pixel-dot-pitch discrepancy data measured along a scanning line defined by the scanning laser beam. A clock-pulse-outputting controller controls outputting the clock pulses so that the phase of the clock pulses is shifted, with the unit of less than 2.PI.. The shift occurs whenever the laser beam reaches each of the clock-pulse-phase-shift locations, represented by the clock-pulse-phase shift location data, during scanning of the workpiece with the laser beam. Consequently, a pixel-dot-pitch discrepance in the scanning line can be corrected with a unit of less than a one-pixel-dot size.

Abstract: A laser drawing apparatus is used to draw a pattern on a surface of a workpiece by scanning the workpiece surface with at least one laser beam and by modulating the laser beam on the basis of raster-graphic data in accordance with a series of clock pulses. In the apparatus, a detector detects a dimensional variation of the workpiece in a scanning direction of the laser beam with respect to a corresponding standard dimension of an ideal workpiece. A calculator calculates a degree of variation the dimension of the workpiece and the corresponding standard dimension of the ideal workpiece. A regulator serves to cyclically shift a phase of the clock pulses by a unit of less than 2.pi., whereby the pattern to be drawn on the workpiece is dimensionally varied, in accordance with the degree of the dimensional variation of the workpiece.

Abstract: Disclosed is a raster data drawing apparatus, in which a reference clock pulse signal having a predetermined period is first generated, and then a plurality of delayed clock signals are generated. Phases of the plurality of delayed clock signals are shifted by a period of time which is shorter than the predetermined period. An image is formed in a main scanning direction synchronously with one of the plurality of delayed clock signals so that the starting point of the image in the main scanning direction is adjusted.

Abstract: For an aperture plate to be used to form dot images of a two dimensional aperture pattern by projection through an imaging optical system in a normal direction, a pattern of markings in ideal positions is projected through an imaging optical system in the reverse direction to normal imaging operations. The image of the pattern is recorded at the position of the aperture plate, and the recorded image is used as a guide to form corrected apertures in the aperture plate. Accordingly, locational errors of the dot images in the normal direction are corrected when the corrected aperture plate is used.

Abstract: A plotter system has a data converting portion for converting image data to raster data. An intermediate memory temporarily stores the converted data, while a plot portion draws an image based upon the data outputted from the intermediate memory.

Abstract: Material for expanded graphite gasket comprising an expanded graphite sheet and a stainless steel sheet provided on its surface with a coating layer of a predetermined metal, the expanded graphite sheet and the stainless steel sheet being adhered to each other by use of adhesive.

Abstract: A scanning pattern drawing apparatus which scans the surface of a workpiece with a light beam so that a pattern is described on the workpiece with the issued light beam being controlled on the basis of pattern drawing data stored in a pattern memory, wherein the pattern drawing apparatus is able to read many pieces of data in a short period of time even if the frequency of the timing pulses is reduced and which therefore is capable of drawing a precise pattern on a workpiece. A scanning pulse generator produces as scanning pulse in response to a predetermined amount of scanning with the light beam. The scanning pulse is converted to a plurality of resulting timing pulses, and successive parallel outputs of the timing pulses are produced after delaying by a predetermined time. The pattern drawing data is read from the pattern memory in response to the delayed timing pulses.

Abstract: A drawing surface adjusting mechanism suitable for use with a large scanning pattern drawing apparatus in which a scanning optical system scans drawing rays of light along scanning lines on a workpiece on a drawing board. A plurality of light-emitting units project rays of light in a wavelength region outside a sensitivity range of the workpiece onto a drawing surface of the workpiece in such a way that the rays substantially converge at more than one point along a scanning line of the drawing rays of light, preferably at center and end points along the scanning line. A plurality of condenser lenses are provided for focusing beams of light from the plural light-emitting units after the beams have been reflected by the drawing surface. A plurality of light-detecting elements are disposed at points of condensation by respective ones of the condenser lenses to produce output signals representing differences in condensation points that occur as the lenses depart from or approach the drawing surface.

Abstract: An optical inspection system uses a fluorescent optical fiber to receive detection light and generate fluorescent light which then travels the length of the fiber and is detected at one or both ends thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for correcting a scranning beam produced by a polygonal mirror tilting in small surface segments in each mirror surface segment caused by uneven mirror surfaces of the polygonal mirror. Data indicative of the amount of tilting in each of the surface segments is stored in a memory, which is addressed by a data signal indicative of the present scanning position of the polygonal mirror. Output data from the memory is applied to an acousto-optical modulator disposed in the beam path between the light source and the polygonal mirror.