Abstract: A variable compression ratio system for an internal combustion engine, including a variable compression ratio mechanism for continuously varying a compression ratio of the engine, the variable compression ratio mechanism including a control shaft rotatably moveable to a rotational position corresponding to the compression ratio, a hydraulic actuator driving the control shaft to the rotational position depending on operating conditions of the engine, a hydraulic pressure source mechanically driven by the engine to produce a hydraulic pressure supplied to the hydraulic actuator, and a hydraulic control for variably controlling the hydraulic pressure supplied to the hydraulic actuator on the basis of the engine operating conditions.

Abstract: The developing device of the present invention has developer containers detachably to house developers to be supplied by hollow holding members, supports plural developing units to supply different color developers to an image carrier and plural developing units in the replaceable state, and a revolver to move a desired developing unit to a point opposite to the image carrier by rotating plural developing units en block, and openings of the holding members for inserting the developer containers in the holding members when removed.

Abstract: In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, a developing roller is press fit into the rotor at the edge of the rotary holder of the revolver type color developing device that is positioned against the photosensitive drum and a developing gap between the photosensitive drum and the developing roller is finely adjusted in parallel to a line connecting the center of the photosensitive drum and the rotary holder by sliding the developing roller in the rotor by the adjuster. Irrespective of the adjustment of the developing gap, the developing position on the photosensitive drum is always kept at a constant position and a developing image of high level of quality is obtained.

Abstract: The present invention provides a piezoelectric vibration gyro-sensor utilizing Coriolis force that includes a tuning fork type vibrator in which two rectangular-columnar arms and a base to support the lower end of the arms are integrated; drive electrodes formed on two rectangular-columnar arms; and IDT electrodes of a surface acoustic wave element formed on two arms. Two pairs of the drive electrodes are provided on each rectangular-columnar arm, in which each of the pairs of drive electrodes face each other, and each pair of the drive electrodes are arranged in parallel on the rectangular-columnar arm at a given distance. The IDT electrodes of the surface acoustic wave element are provided between the drive electrodes at the lower end of the rectangular-columnar arms.

Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to provide a method for producing conductive fine particles having a plating layer of extremely uniform thickness and free from scratches without being accompanied with agglomeration of fine particles to be plated during the plating process and a method for producing conductive fine particles comprising resin fine particles and a tin/silver alloy plating layer formed thereon. The invention is a method for producing a conductive fine particle, which comprises forming a plating layer on the surface of a fine particle to be plated using a barrel plating apparatus having a rotatable barrel in a plating bath, said method comprising putting the fine particle to be plated and a dummy particle with a lager particle diameter than that of the fine particle to be plated in the barrel and forming a plating layer while vibrating the barrel at an amplitude of 0.05 to 3.0 mm and a frequency of 20 to 120 Hz.

Abstract: An alloy type thermal fuse is provided in which a Bi—Sn alloy is used as a fuse element, which has an operating temperature of about 140° C., which, even when used at a high power, can safely operate, and in which dispersion of the operating temperature can be sufficiently reduced. Also a material for a thermal fuse element is provided. An alloy composition in which Bi is larger than 50% and 56% or smaller, and a balance is Sn is used as a fuse element of the alloy type thermal fuse.

Abstract: A format of data recorded in a DVD-Audio disc is composed of an audio manager (AMG) and a plurality of audio title sets (ATSs) following the AMG. A plurality of audio packs are arranged in each ATS. An audio signal indicating a musical composition is encoded to audio data in a signal processing circuit, and the audio data is arranged in the audio packs. The audio data of the audio packs are formatted in a DVD formatting unit with the AMG to be arranged in the ATSs following the AMG. Also, copyright information is arranged in an area of a control data block placed in a read-in area of the DVD-Audio disc. Table-of-contents (TOC) information indicating a top address of the audio data is automatically produced and is arranged in an empty area of the control data block reserved for the copyright information, in an area of the audio packs, in an area of the AMG or in an area of the ATSs.

Abstract: A program length extending or shortening device for extending or shortening the program length in a digital video tape recorder of the image information compression recording method. The device comprises storage means for storing an image of a material video program reproduced and supplied from a predetermined recording medium by a reproducing device, and extending or shortening control means for extending or shortening the program length of the material video program to produce a target video program by skipping or reading duplicately the image of the material video program from the storage means in accordance with a program length extending or shortening ratio N based on the program lengths of the material video program and the target video program. According to the present invention, the program length can be freely extended or shortened using storage means of a small capacity while the recording device is being operated at a normal rate.

Abstract: An alloy type thermal fuse is provided in which a ternary Sn—In—Bi alloy is used, the operating temperature belongs to the range of 130 to 170° C., the overload characteristic and the dielectric breakdown characteristic are excellent, the insulation stability after an operation can be sufficiently ensured, and thinning of a fuse element can be easily realized. A fuse element having an alloy composition in which Sn is larger than 43% and 70% or smaller, In is 0.5% or higher and 10% or lower, and a balance is Bi is used.

Abstract: In an audio signal encoding apparatus, a first audio signal and a second audio signal are added into an addition-result signal. The first audio signal is subtracted from the second audio signal to generate a subtraction-result signal. A first difference signal is generated which represents a difference in the addition-result signal. A second difference signal is generated which represents a difference in the subtraction-result signal. A plurality of first predictors have different prediction characteristics respectively, and are responsive to the first difference signal for generating first different prediction signals for the first difference signal, respectively. A plurality of first subtracters operate for generating first prediction-error signals representing differences between the first difference signal and the first different prediction signals, respectively. A first minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference is selected from among the first prediction-error signals.

Abstract: An audio signal encoding apparatus includes a device for compressing multiple-channel digital audio signals into compression-resultant multiple-channel signals respectively. The multiple-channel digital audio signals relate to a sampling frequency and a quantization bit number. The compression-resultant multiple-channel signals, a signal representative of the sampling frequency, and a signal representative of the quantization bit number are formatted into a formatting-resultant signal. The formatting-resultant signal contains a sub packet and a sync information portion. The sub packet contains at least portions of the compression-resultant multiple-channel signals. The sync information portion contains the signal representative of the sampling frequency and the signal representative of the quantization bit number.

Abstract: The interface according to an embodiment for displaying icons or indicators corresponding to a plurality of functions on a screen and selectively pointing each icon or indicator on the screen, comprises a display controlling means for displaying a rotator on the screen, placing each icon or indicator on the circumferential face of the rotator, and sequentially displaying each icon or indicator by rotating the rotator, and an input operating means for selectively pointing an icon or indicator on the circumferential face of the rotator.

Abstract: In a printer driver 1, user interface UI-1 is displayed in the beginning and setup items are displayed in the respective display forms of the basic level on this user interface UI-1. In this state, basic explanations or detailed explanations are omitted. In addition, user interface UI-2 is displayed when the “Other Features” button is pressed in user interface UI-1 and setup items are displayed in the respective display forms of the applied level on this user interface UI-2. In this state, basic explanations or detailed explanations etc. concerning print control information entered via the setup items are displayed, which makes it possible to learn what type of information the print control information is.

Abstract: A printing control apparatus that succeeds in providing enhanced usability by giving a paper placement opportunity to users so that an operational burden can be reduced is provided. A printer control section controls a printing section to effect print standby with respect to one of a plurality of image-data pages that has been subjected to print-standby specification first by a standby specification command. After a sensor of a manual feeding tray in the printing section detects placement of a new sheet, the printing section is so controlled as not to effect print standby with respect to the remainder of the pages even if standby is specified by a standby specification command.

Abstract: A digital signal recording disc has a first area and a second area. The second area differs from the first area. The first area stores a first-channel digital audio signal and a second-channel digital audio signal. The first-channel digital audio signal results from quantizing a first-channel analog audio signal with a first quantization bit number. The second-channel digital audio signal results from quantizing a second-channel analog audio signal with a second quantization bit number. The second area stores information of the first and second quantization bit numbers.

Abstract: Using a single printer driver, the present invention enables setting, for each user, identification information of the user or the group the user belongs to and enables settings information concerning printing of the printer other than the identification information to be shared by multiple users. A data output apparatus is connected to at least one printer via a network, and includes a data send/receive unit communicating with the printer and a printer driver executing settings regarding printing of the printer. The printer driver includes a means for acquiring user information, a means for inputting identification information (e.g., department numbers) for identifying the user or the group the user belongs to, and a means for retaining the inputted identification information in association with the acquired user information, wherein the data send/receive unit communicates the retained identification information to the printer based on the user information acquired at the time of printing.

Abstract: A format of data recorded in a DVD-Audio disc is composed of an audio manager (AMG) and a plurality of audio title sets (ATSs) following the AMG. A plurality of audio packs are arranged in each ATS. An audio signal indicating a musical composition is encoded to audio data in a signal processing circuit, and the audio data is arranged in the audio packs. The audio data of the audio packs are formatted in a DVD formatting unit with the AMG to be arranged in the ATSs following the AMG. Also, copyright information is arranged in an area of a control data block placed in a read-in area of the DVD-Audio disc. Table-of-contents (TOC) information indicating a top address of the audio data is automatically produced and is arranged in an empty area of the control data block reserved for the copyright information, in an area of the audio packs, in an area of the AMG or in an area of the ATSs.

Abstract: A digital signal recording disc has a first area and a second area. The second area differs from the first area. The first area stores a first-channel digital audio signal and a second-channel digital audio signal. The first-channel digital audio signal results from quantizing a first-channel analog audio signal with a first quantization bit number. The second-channel digital audio signal results from quantizing a second-channel analog audio signal with a second quantization bit number. The second area stores information of the first and second quantization bit numbers.

Abstract: A video data reproducing apparatus and a video data transfer system are able to reproduce video data of a range designated by file information from a VTR (video tape recorder) based on the fact that the file information for designating video data of a constant range of video data with high resolution such as a non-compressed HDTV (high-definition television) signal recorded on the VTR and a transfer command for requesting transfer of video data of the range designated by this file information are received from a computer through a LAN (local area network) and they are able to transfer reproduced video data through a high-speed network to the computer.

Abstract: The invention relates to an alloy type thermal fuse and a wire member for a thermal fuse element, and provides an alloy type thermal fuse in which a fuse element does not contain a harmful metal, the operating temperature is about 150° C., the dispersion of the operating temperature can be sufficiently suppressed, and the operation stability to a heat cycle can be satisfactorily assured. The thermal fuse has an alloy composition of 30 to 70% Sn, 0.3 to 20% Sb, and a balance Bi.