Abstract: A computer-implemented method for extracting an approximated medial surface from a solid having a thin-wall geometry. The method includes generating a first mesh representative of the solid and including a plurality of mesh elements. The method further includes defining a mid-surface element for each of at least a portion of the volumetric mesh elements, segmenting a surface collectively formed by the mid-surface elements to form a plurality of surface regions, defining a boundary for each surface region, and fitting an approximate surface to each surface region and its corresponding boundary. The approximate surfaces collectively define the approximated medial surface.

Abstract: A method is provided for generating a quadrilateral mesh and a hexahedral mesh. First, a geometric model, which is an object of meshing, is input. The model is either two-dimensional or three-dimensional. Multiple bubbles of a plurality of types are generated in a region of the geometric model. The bubbles are moved according to an interbubble force defined by a predetermined rule, and the bubble count is controlled to adjust a neighboring relationship between the bubbles, so that the stable allocation of the bubbles are determined. By connecting the centers of bubbles of a specific type, a mesh is generated.

Abstract: A method for automatically generating a mesh (e.g., a quadrilateral mesh, a hexahedral mesh, and the like) includes inputting a geometric model to be meshed, generating a plurality of bubbles within a region of the geometric model, determining a stable allocation of the bubbles by moving the bubbles using a force defined by a potential field provided for the bubbles and controlling a number of the bubbles, and generating the mesh by connecting centers of adjacent bubbles.

Abstract: In order to change the positions of a plurality of nodes that constitute a line or a surface, following steps are executed: storing in a storage device data of a normal for each node; changing the position of each node and storing the position information into the storage device by (1) defining a virtual elastic member connected to each node in a direction of the normal of each node, and (2) stretching or shrinking the elastic members in the direction of each normal so as to balance each elastic member; and repeating the storing step and the changing step until a predetermined condition has been satisfied. As a result, a smooth curve or smooth surface is generated.

Abstract: A curved surface to be meshed and a tensor at each point on the curved surface are inputted. Then, bubbles are generated in parametric space corresponding to the curved surface and in accordance with tensors transformed according to the relationship between the curved surface and parametric space. Following this, the bubbles are moved in parametric space by inter-bubble force defined by a predetermined rule, and are transformed by using the transformed tensors. The number of the bubbles is also controlled, so that stable locations for the bubbles in parametric space can be determined. Next, a connection relationship between mesh nodes, which are centers of the bubbles located in parametric space, is determined in parametric space. Finally, a mesh is generated on the curved surface by employing the positions and the connection relationship of the mesh nodes.

Abstract: A method and appatatus for generating a quadrilateral mesh comprising a plurality of quadrilateral elements from a triangular mesh comprising a plurality of triangular elements by performing the following operations: for each candidate quadrilateral element comprising a pair of adjacent triangular elements (also referred to as a pair of adjacent triangular elements in embodiments), calculating a first evaluation value which represents a relationship between the candidate quadrilateral element and an alignment direction of quadrilateral elements specified by a user and a second evaluation value which relates to the shape of the candidate quadrilateral element; and selecting, by using the first and the second evaluation values, a candidate quadrilateral element to be used as an element of the quadrilateral mesh among the candidate quadrilateral elements.

Abstract: A "double-touch" input method is described that is particularly suitable for use as a substitute for a "double-click" input from a mouse or trackball, and that is particularly suitable for use with a touch panel. Briefly, the input method involves contacting a touch panel at a first location (for example, over an area where an icon is displayed) with a first finger. Before a predetermined period of time T.sub.wait elapses, a second finger "taps" the panel at a second location. The location tapped by the second finger is greater than a predetermined distance from the first location tapped by the first finger. In addition, the tap by the second finger is shorter than a second predetermined period of time T.sub.tap. After the tap by the second finger, the first finger is still in contact with the touch panel. The position of the first finger after the tap should be within a predetermined range of its position just prior to the tap.

Abstract: A microfabricated wobble motor with a positioning arm attached to the wobble motor rotor acts as a fine positioner with bidirectional movement. The primary application is a rotary actuator for the read/write head in a very small magnetic recording disk drive. An integrated head-arm assembly is attached at one end to the rotor of the wobble motor. The other end of the head-arm assembly has a head carrier that is maintained in contact with the disk. Head position error information is read from the disk and used to provide control signals to each of the stator elements. The stator elements are sequentially addressed by applying a voltage from a driver circuit. This causes the rotor to be electrostatically attracted to the activated stators, so that the rotor is movable bidirectionally. The read/write head can thus be moved bidirectionally to any of the data tracks on the disk and maintained on a desired data track for reading or writing data.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor integrated microactuator device that includes the steps of: bonding or laminating a driving element to a substrate for generating a vertical motion, and coupling a conversion element to the driving element for converting the vertical motion into rotational motion. The method can be effectively used for micro-actuators that utilize Coulomb's force, vibration, and fluid pressure as their driving force.

Abstract: A device for providing micro positioning having an operating range in the submicron order in the X and Y directions, respectively. Positioning is achieved by a device which includes a driving section bonded to a silicon wafer for applying a driving force to excite vertical motion, and a mechanism for converting this vertical motion into rotational motion. Three types of micro actuators are described herein: one, that uses vibration as its driving force; a second, that uses Coulomb's force; and a third, that utilizes fluid pressure, such as air.

Abstract: A micro-actuator suitable for a piezoelectric film is described. A slow deformation and a rapid deformation are repeatedly produced in a piezoelectric film by generating a first voltage pattern V1 having an essentially sawtooth waveform between a pair of electrodes on one side of a wall-like member and a second voltage pattern V2 having an opposite polarity to that of the first voltage pattern V1 between a pair of electrodes on the other side of the wall-like member. As a result, the wall-like member responds by moving slowly in a first direction and rapidly in a second direction. An object placed on the wall-like member is moved in the first direction, because the object can follow the slow movement of the wall-like member but cannot follow its rapid movement.

Abstract: A device for providing micro positioning having an operating range in the submicron order in the X and Y directions, respectively. Positioning is achieved by depositing a pair of aluminum electrodes on a piezoelectric element bonded on a silicon wafer, vertically moving the piezoelectric element, arranging a plurality of micro actuators whose contact pin ends, formed on the aluminum electrodes, rotate on a surface as an array, and displacing in the horizontal direction a moving member arranged on the micro actuator array.