Abstract: An autonomous robot mainly contains an image capturing device, an interpretation device, a synthesis device, and an audio output device. The image capturing device captures pages of graphical images in which appropriate musical information is embedded, and the interpretation device deciphers and recognizes the musical information contained in the captured graphical image. The synthesis device simulates the sound effects of a type of instrument or a human singer by synthesis techniques in accordance with the recognized musical information. The audio output device turns the output of the synthesis device into human audible sounds. The graphical image of appropriate musical information is prepared in a visually recognizable form. The graphical image can also contain special symbols to give instructions to the autonomous robot such as specifying an instrument.

Abstract: An optical inspection device is provided herein to achieve the accuracy and convenience of inspecting optical glasses and planar optical objects. The optical inspection device mainly has the optical inspection lenses installed on the arms of a U-shape member that surrounds the object to be examined. Then, by moving the U-shaped member along orthogonal directions, the entire surface of the object could be examined accurately.

Abstract: A novel cleaning device for removing the particles and residual chemicals from the surfaces of optical objects is provided herein. The cleaning device mainly integrates a driving mechanism for spinning the object to be cleaned, and an advancing mechanism to lift the object in and out of the cleaning device. The driving mechanism has adjustment means for adjusting the level of the object so that the object could be rotated at very high speed but with superior stability. The advancing mechanism reduces manual intervention in the cleaning process and thereby reduces the possibility of contamination to the object after it is cleaned.

Abstract: An agent for the prevention or alleviation of allergy symptoms contains as an effective component a dioxabycyclo?3.3.0!octane derivative represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or alkyl group of 1-3 carbon atoms, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 and/or R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 together represent a methylene or ethylene group, and n, m and l represent 0 or 1.An agent for the prevention or alleviation of allergy symptoms also contains as an effective component an antioxidant in addition to the dioxabicyclo?3.3.0!octane derivative.

Abstract: A data retrieval system using a compression scheme especially for serial transmission, which does not inadvertently generate typical flow control codes, such as ASCII values less than 32. A personal computer with a modem is used to access a remote mainframe database. Retrieved data is compressed according to the scheme and transmitted over telephone lines. Compression is achieved by encoding a compressed byte pair in place of a recurring sequence of data longer than two bytes. The byte pair contains information as to the length and offset into the transmitted packet of a previous occurrence of the recurring sequence, so that it may be copied from previously received bytes. The length and offset are stored in the byte pair such that neither byte has an ASCII value typical of those used for controlling modems.