Abstract: An image-pickup device including an image-pickup element converting an optical image of a subject into an electrical signal is provided. The image-pickup device includes a detection unit which detects brightness of the subject, a first determination unit determining an exposure-time period on the basis of the detected brightness, a second determination unit determining a divided-time period used for dividing the exposure-time period into a plurality of sections, an image-pickup-timing-control unit which divides the exposure-time period by the divided-time period, exposes the image-pickup element a plurality of times, and generates a plurality of time-division-image data items, and a combining unit which generates still-image data by combining the generated time-division-image data items with each other.

Abstract: An image-pickup device including an image-pickup element converting an optical image of a subject into an electrical signal is provided. The image-pickup device includes a detection unit which detects brightness of the subject, a first determination unit determining an exposure-time period on the basis of the detected brightness, a second determination unit determining a divided-time period used for dividing the exposure-time period into a plurality of sections, an image-pickup-timing-control unit which divides the exposure-time period by the divided-time period, exposes the image-pickup element a plurality of times, and generates a plurality of time-division-image data items, and a combining unit which generates still-image data by combining the generated time-division-image data items with each other.

Abstract: An interface switching device is connected to a keyboard unit and a computer. Two data lines, a power-supply line, and a ground line, which are provided at the interface switching device, are respectively connected to a data line, a clock line, a power-supply line, and a ground line, which are provided at the keyboard unit. An unused line is connected to an identification line. At the computer, the unused line, and the power-supply line or the ground line, are short-circuited. When the interface switching device is connected, a keyboard is notified of a voltage as identification information which is fixed at a power-supply voltage or zero volts.

Abstract: A change-over switch is disposed on a line of a peripheral device. The change-over switch is controlled by a control unit provided within a USB controller. When a host discontinues a polling operation to the peripheral device, the peripheral device first opens the circuit of the change-over switch so as to decrease the potential at a point of the host to substantially the same potential of a ground line. Then, the peripheral device closes the circuit of the change-over switch to increase the potential at the point to be close to a power supply voltage. Accordingly, the host determines that the peripheral device is reconnected to the host, and starts the polling operation. In this way, the peripheral device is apparently disconnected and reconnected, thereby allowing for recovery without the actual physical disconnection and reconnection of the peripheral device.

Abstract: In order to determine, where a terminal device and a computer main frame are connected by a PS/2 interface or a USB interface, which interface is connected, the main frame and the terminal device monitor the states of two signal lines after the PS/2 or USB interface is connected to a port of the terminal device, and the interface is determined to be one for PS/2 use if the states are (H, H) or (H, L). If the states are (L, L), a distinguishing signal assigning section on the terminal device side turns on a switching means to give an H signal to the signal lines.

Abstract: With a control section implemented by software, which is provided for a personal computer, when a device is added, a device driver dedicated to the device starts running. When a device is removed, the corresponding device driver is released. Since a control apparatus is used which includes the personal computer provided with the control section, a wireless device, and a universal serial bus (USB) controller for transferring data to and from the device, the device can be used immediately after it is disposed at a predetermined location.

Abstract: A USB controller is provided between a personal computer main unit and various devices. By providing the USB controller with a switch part for temporarily cutting a current flowing between the USB controller and the personal computer main unit, the circuit is connected or interrupted. With the configuration, when a new device is connected, by sequentially turning on and off a switch in the switch part, an operation similar to pull-out and insertion of a connector or resetting of a system can be executed, so that the newly connected device can be made usable immediately.

Abstract: A thermal printer that performs thermal printing by employing a commonly-used thermo-sensitive recording sheet. In the thermal printing, a thermal head starts heating the recording sheet from the back side of a base that covers a recording surface in order to print, so that the recorded information is effectively hidden from view. When the thermal printer performs thermal printing by using a two layer thermo-sensitive recording sheet, high quality images with sharp edges can be reliably recorded. The thermal printer uses two types of thermo-sensitive sheets to perform thermal recording.