Abstract: Power available to a delta sigma modulator is controlled so that relatively high power is provided during one phase of operation, such as during an interval when slewing in a device is expected and relatively low power is provided during another phase. In one implementation, increased power is provided by switching in parallel current mirrors when power demands are expected to be high, whether or not high power is actually needed in a particular interval. A large step size is selected to reduce power corruption and feedback coefficients are optimized for low power by running at a higher oversampling rate than required by signal to quantization noise requirements.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a D/A converter of a multibit type for improving its performance by reducing dispersion of the electric currents of plural electric current sources as much as possible.

Abstract: An antenna apparatus for increasing the capacity in a cellular communication system. The antenna operates in conjunction with a mobile subscriber unit and provides a plurality of antenna elements, each coupled to a respective signal control component to provide a weight to the signal transmitted from each element. The weight for each antenna element is adjusted to achieve optimum reception during, for example, an idle mode when a pilot signal is received. The weight values cause the antenna array to create a beam former for signals to be transmitted from the mobile subscriber unit, and a directional receiving array to more optimally detect and receive signals transmitted from the base station. By directionally receiving and transmitting signals, multipath fading and intercell interference are greatly reduced. The weights are adjusted at the transmitting site in accord with signal quality metric information determined at the receiving site.

Abstract: A location system is disclosed for commercial wireless telecommunication infrastructures. The system is an end-to-end solution having one or more location centers for outputting requested locations of commercially available handsets or mobile stations (MS) based on, e.g., CDMA, AMPS, NAMPS or TDMA communication standards, for processing both local MS location requests and more global MS location requests via, e.g., Internet communication between a distributed network of location centers. The system uses a plurality of MS locating technologies including those based on: (1) two-way TOA and TDOA; (2) pattern recognition; (3) distributed antenna provisioning; and (4) supplemental information from various types of very low cost non-infrastructure base stations for communicating via a typical commercial wireless base station infrastructure or a public telephone switching network.

Abstract: An antenna includes a radiation conductor unit constructed with a plurality of radiation conductors having different lengths which extend in parallel to each other from an electricity-supplying conductor and a grounded conductor unit which opposes said plurality of radiation conductor in an approximately parallel manner with a predetermined distance therebetween. The radiation conductor unit and the grounded conductor unit are contained in an insulating casing constructed by a pair of cases which is fixed to each other. The casing is provided with a plurality of projections for positioning the radiation conductor unit and the grounded conductor unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for emitting and/or receiving electromagnetic waves comprising a lens bringing a plurality of directions defined by the radiation space of the lens into correspondence with a plurality of focusing points defining a focusing surface of the lens, the lens comprising a shaped volume of dielectric material.

Abstract: Antenna elements A1 to A24 of a ring-shaped array antenna are selectively connected to power combiners each with a switch SH1, SH2 and SH3 one after another. When a direct wave and a reflected wave arrive in the directions of the antenna elements A5 and A3, respectively, the antenna elements A2, A5 and A8 in the power combiner SH2 are selected and their received signals are input into a receiver Rr to obtain therefrom an output Sr(2+5+6, f), and the respective antenna elements of the power combiners SH1 and SH3 are sequentially selected and their received signals are input into a receiver Rm to obtain therefrom outputs Sm(1, f), Sm(3, f). The outputs from the receivers Rr and Rm are caused to interfere with each other in an interferer 11 to detect an interference output to obtain data E(K, L).

Abstract: An apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture includes a display unit having a flat image display screen for displaying a two-dimensional picture containing a stereoscopic image; and an image transmitting panel placed parallel to and apart from the image display screen. The image transmitting panel has a microlens array of a plurality of lenses and an effective area larger than that of the stereoscopic image contained in the two-dimensional picture, and a lens frame area surrounding a perimeter of the effective area of the microlens array. The image transmitting panel generates an image-formation plane for displaying a real image of the two-dimensional picture in a space located on an opposite side to the display unit with respect to the microlens array.

Abstract: An apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture includes a display unit having a flat image display screen for displaying a two-dimensional picture containing a stereoscopic image and an image transmitting panel placed parallel to and apart from the image display screen. The image transmitting panel has a microlens array of a plurality of lenses and an effective area larger than that of the stereoscopic image contained in the two-dimensional picture, and a lens frame area surrounding a perimeter of the effective area of the microlens array. The image transmitting panel generates an image-formation plane for displaying a real image of the two-dimensional picture in a space located on an opposite side to the display unit with respect to the microlens array. The apparatus also includes a stereoscopic frame for defining a space for accommodating the image-formation plane.

Abstract: Surface mounted LEDs are arrayed in special patterns to provide a relatively high resolution dot-matrix visual display and/or multi-segment character displays. Especially abbreviated solder bonding pads are utilized to obtain a higher density packing of the surface mounted arrays in at least some embodiments. Special anti-glare coatings and structures are employed to reduce ambient light reflections for aircraft instrument applications. Multi-colored display outputs are also provided.

Abstract: Problems such as insufficient brightness, caused by a reduction in duty ratio (the ratio of a light emitting period and a non-light emitting period), are improved upon in accordance with using a novel method of driving and a novel circuit in an electronic device. Signals are written into pixels of a plurality of differing lines during one gate signal line selection period. By arbitrarily setting, to a certain extent, the time from when a signal is input into the pixels of a certain line until the next signal is input to the same pixels, while ensuring the time for writing into the pixels, a sustain (turn on) period can be arbitrarily set and a high duty ratio is realized.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a color laser display that comprises a red laser light source for emitting red laser light, a green laser light source for emitting green laser light, and a blue laser light source for emitting blue laser light. An excitation solid laser unit (which has a solid-state laser crystal doped with Pr3+ and a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting the solid-state laser crystal), a fiber laser unit (which has a fiber with a Pr3+-doped core and a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting the fiber), or a semiconductor laser unit (which has a semiconductor laser element, employing a GaN semiconductor, and a surface-emitting semiconductor element), is employed as at least one of the red laser light source, the green laser light source, or the blue laser light source.

Abstract: Passive display driven by means of multiple-row addressing, in which the drive voltages are decreased by an optimum choice of the number of orthogonal signals.

Abstract: Disclosed are a driving module for a liquid crystal display panel and a liquid crystal display device capable of inspecting the effectiveness of a driving signal applied to a display cell circuit of the liquid crystal panel and a wiring state of driving signal input/output lines. The display cell circuit provided in the liquid crystal display panel is connected to a gate line and a data line. The liquid crystal display panel displays an image in response to gate and data driving signals inputted through the gate and data lines. An integrated printed circuit board generates gate and data driving signals. A data driving module is electrically connected between the integrated printed circuit board and the data line to control the time for applying the data driving signal. A gate driving module has a plurality of gate driving signal input/output lines connected to the gate line.

Abstract: An active matrix type liquid crystal display device comprises a liquid crystal layer interposed between first and second substrates, plural scanning signal lines and plural video signal lines arranged in a matrix form on the first substrate and a plural pixels formed in regions surrounded by adjacent scanning signal lines and adjacent video signal lines. Each pixel in the display region has at least an active device, a pixel electrode, and a counter electrode to drive liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer by applying a voltage difference between the counter electrode and the pixel electrode which are provided are on the same substrate. The driving of the liquid crystal molecules by applying the voltage difference includes rotation of the liquid crystal molecules in a plane substantially parallel to the substrate with plural directions so as to reduce viewing angle dependency of color tone change.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a liquid crystal display device, including: a liquid crystal panel having a plurality of gate lines arranged in a transverse direction, a plurality of data lines arranged in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the gate lines, and a plurality of pixels defined by the gate and data lines, the data lines having odd data lines and even data lines; a plurality of gate drive ICs for driving the gate lines and being located on the left hand side of the liquid crystal panel; a plurality of first and second data drive ICs for outputting data signals to the certain pixel through the odd and even data lines, respectively, and being respectively located on the top and bottom portions of the liquid crystal panel, the first data drive ICs driving the odd data lines, the second data ICs driving the even data lines; and a plurality of delay compensating circuits for determining a position of the certain pixel and for delaying the data signal outputted from the first or the second data dr

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus including a display control unit which includes a reordering unit which reorders originally ordered display data inputted thereto, and sends the reordered display data to M ones of a plurality of drivers through a bus line to which the M drivers are connected, where M is a positive integer, the M drivers connected to the bus line being divided into N driver groups, where N is a positive integer smaller than M, and a clock generating unit which generates N clock signals having a same frequency as and different phases from each other, and sends the N clock signals to the N driver groups respectively such that each one of the N clock signals is sent to a respective one of the N driver groups.

Abstract: In an active-matrix driving type electro-optical apparatus including an increased number of image signal lines corresponding to an increased number of phases obtained by means of serial-to-parallel conversion, a liquid crystal apparatus (200) includes a liquid crystal layer disposed between two substrates, pixel electrodes (11) formed in a matrix fashion on a substrate (1), and TFTs (30) serving for switching and controlling the pixel electrodes(11) for suppressing the intrusion of high-frequency clock noise into an image signal. The image signal lines (VID1-VID12) extend on the substrate at both sides of a data line driving circuit (101). The image signal lines (VID1-VID12) are electrically shielded from such as clock signal lines (CLX, CLX′) by shielding lines (80, 80′, 82, 86) formed on the substrate and maintained at a constant voltage.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus and a data driver of the present invention is provided with a sampling pulse generating circuit. The sampling pulse generating circuit is provided with a shift register for shift operation having a plurality of set-reset type flip-flops, and analog switches whose opening and closing of each analog switch is controlled in response to each output of the respective flip-flops so that a clock signal is outputted during the opening as a sampling pulse. Sampling of the image signal is carried out in accordance with the sampling pulses. The pulse width of the sampling pulse varies depending on the duty ratio of the clock signal, thereby ensuring to avoid that active periods of the adjoining sampling pulses overlap with each other.

Abstract: A program drive device for computers and game machines, designed to run a variety of game programs, aerobic programs or dance programs on personal computers, commercial computers, personal game machines, or commercial game machines, under the control of users' physical action, is disclosed. The program drive device of this invention consists of a pad having a predetermined area and provided with a plurality of rails thereon. A support column movably engages with each of said rails while standing upright on the rail, and is movable along the rail as desired, and is fixed to the rail at an adjustable position. Upper and lower sensor units are movably installed in each of the support columns of the rails at upper and lower portions such that the sensor units are movable along each support column and are fixed to the support column at adjustable positions.

Abstract: An input device for a computer having a graphical user interface, having a display device that is connected to the computer and that is designed to reproduce contents generated by the computer in a display area and is connected to the computer, a camera device that covers at least one part of the display area and can be connected to the computer and that comprises at least one beam directed by a transmitter device designed to emit a directed electromagnetic beam into the display area and generates a signal that is characteristic of the position at which the beam strikes a surface in the display area and/or of the path and the direction which/in which a beam traverses that strikes a surface in the display area, and wherein the characteristic signal for controlling the execution of a computer program in the computer makes it possible for one or more users to act on the events imaged on the display (screen) surface of the computer regardless of the size of the display area and his spatial distance from it or to

Abstract: A tactile pointing stick is provided. A dome-shaped cap, having a convex portion, is additionally disposed between an outer cap and an adapter of a traditional pointing stick. Hence, when a user operates such tactile pointing stick, he can feel feedback, generated by the dome-shaped cap, and operate the tactile pointing stick more precisely. Furthermore, a hard plate is additionally mounted in the pointing stick to ensure the tactile function.

Abstract: A remote control apparatus comprises a pointing device, keying means provided to the pointing device, key condition detecting means for detecting the ON/OFF conditions of the keying means, ON mode determining means for assuming the keying means to be always in the ON condition when a first condition is satisfied on the basis of the detection result of the key condition detecting means, mode memory means for storing the mode in which the keying means are assumed to be in the ON condition, switch output means not outputting change even when the keying means change to the OFF condition when the keying means are assumed to be in the ON condition, mode canceling means for canceling the mode assumed as the ON condition when a second condition is satisfied and transmitting means for transmitting at least an output from the pointing device and an output from the switch means.

Abstract: An improved mouse computer input device is provided which can easily be controlled by both the small hands of children and the larger hands of adults. The mouse is substantially hemispherical in shape and the buttons of the mouse curve in a continuous arc from substantially horizontal at the top area to substantially vertical at the front area. The buttons of the mouse are activated by either squeezing the front vertical surfaces of the buttons or pressing downward on the top horizontal surfaces of the buttons.

Abstract: The apparatus for inputting coordinates has a support plate including a coordinate input plane for inputting a coordinate position, an optical unit is formed by integrating a light source and a light receiver. The light source emits light which is substantially parallel to the coordinate input plane. A reflecting section reflects the light emitted from the light source. The optical unit is embedded in the coordinate input plate by the use of a frame, an optical unit retaining plate and a screw.

Abstract: An adapter device, which is connected between a host for outputting a sync-on-green (SOG) signal and a conventional display monitor, separates a sync signal from the SOG signal, and supplies red, blue, and SOG signals to a color display monitor together with the separated sync signal. The adapter device is composed of an adapter housing upon which three BNC connectors are mounted, and a D sub-connector which is connected to the housing through an adapter cable. A sync signal separating circuit is embedded in the housing, and a power of the circuit is supplied from the color display monitor through D sub-connector. Since the color display monitor need not have a special sync signal separating circuit for supporting an SOG signal mode, power consumption and manufacturing price can be reduced. And, a conventional color display monitor can be used in a color display apparatus of the SOG signal mode.

Abstract: The surface area occupied by a digital type signal line driver circuit in an image display device is large, and this is an impediment to reducing the size of the display device. A memory circuit within a signal line driver circuit is made common among n signal lines (where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2). One horizontal scan period is divided into n divisions, and all signal lines can be driven by performing processing with respect to signal lines differing by memory circuit and D/A converter circuit, respectively, during the period of each division. It thus becomes possible to make 1/n as many memory circuits and D/A conversion circuits within the signal line driver circuit as in a conventional example.

Abstract: An image display apparatus capable of adjusting a display picture by an input unit through a computer body is disclosed. When the user inputs a control instruction for adjusting the display picture of the display unit by the input unit connected to the computer body, a control signal addition circuit prepares a control signal Sc corresponding to the control instruction and adds the control signal to a video signal R, G or B or a synchronizing signal Hs or Vs produced by a display control circuit during a vertical retrace period. A control signal separation circuit separates the added control signal Sc from the video signal R, G or B or the synchronizing signal Hs or Vs produced by the control signal addition circuit. A display control circuit produces adjustment signals Sa and Sb on the basis of the control signal from the control signal separation circuit to adjust a video circuit and a deflection circuit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring and/or shutting down a power line in, for example, a display device is described. In one embodiment, a method comprises converting a voltage on a power line to a digital value, comparing the digital value with a predetermined value, and shutting down a power supply if the digital value is below the predetermined value for a predetermined amount of time.

Abstract: When a first group of contacts 31a is selected by a power switch 30, all power supply is stopped, when a second group of contacts 31b is selected, power from a power supply portion 27 is supplied only to an information processing circuit 20 and an LCD drive circuit 24, and when a third group of contacts 31c is selected, power from a power supply portion 27 is supplied to all of the information processing circuit 20, the LCD drive circuit 24 and a backlight emitter 26. Thus, an user can arbitrarily choose between turning on a backlight to obtain a bright and legible screen or seeing the screen through natural reflection light with turning off the backlight.

Abstract: In a navigation system using a bird's-eye view display mode, map data on a plan view map are subjected to a perspective projection conversion to obtain drawing data on a bird's-eye view map. In this case, an input of the position of a view point is accepted, and a projection plane for a bird's-eye view is determined on the basis of the coordinates of a current position and a destination and the position of the view point so that the display positions of the two points which have been subjected to perspective-projection conversion are coincident with predetermined positions. Alternatively, an input of a scale is accepted, and the position of the view point and the projection plane are determined on the basis of the coordinates of the two points and the scale so that the display positions of the two points after the perspective projection conversion are coincident with predetermined positions and the drawing scale is coincident with the input scale.

Abstract: An image drawing technique includes a method of drawing a randomly changing image of an object and a method of drawing a revised image including a shimmering image in a background image. The method of drawing a randomly changing image of an object establishes a drawing pattern of the object, the drawing pattern including a plurality of extraction areas, each extraction area including a portion of the drawing pattern. A portion of the drawing pattern is extracted from one of the extraction areas and is combined with a randomly selected mask pattern to draw a composite image which is output on a monitor. The extracting and combining steps are repeated for a next extraction area located at a predetermined distance in a defined direction from a previous extraction area. The method of drawing a revised image includes randomly altering a portion of the background image to generate an altered image, and combining the altered image and another mask pattern to generate another composite image.

Abstract: The monitor system comprises the display device which has a screen having a display area virtually divided into a plurality of sub-screens. Provided are graphics adapters, each of which has two frame buffers, so as to correspond to the sub-screens of the display device.

Abstract: A signal acquisition instrument acquires a succession of waveform records and sequentially transfers the waveform records to a rasterizer for rasterizing the waveform records to generate respective rasterized records each composed of a set of vectors, but inhibits transfer of a current waveform record to the rasterizer until a previous waveform record has been rasterized. The maximum number of dots (M) in each vector is made as large as possible provided that the rasterizer does not complete rasterization of the previous waveform record after acquisition of the current waveform record is complete.

Abstract: A method of and system for displaying high-density bit-mapped dot-matrix imaging data on a large-scale low-density dot-matrix display is disclosed. Bit-mapped image data from each of multiple and adjacently oriented dot image data groups is allocated to drive one dot of the aforesaid display. This is done through a process in which a data selection sequence standard is employed to alternately select and extract image data from each of the aforesaid dot image data groups continually and repetitively at high speed, and in which the extracted image data from each dot image group is applied to drive one dot on the display.

Abstract: A portable information terminal device and an information communication system which can freely display highly sophisticated information including letters, characters and images mixed with each other on any of a plurality of display screens. A predetermined top and bottom codes as identification codes are stored in a memory. Contents data is received via an antenna and is demodulated in a radio unit. When first data to be displayed on a first display is mixed with second data to be displayed on a second display in the received data, the second data is sandwiched between the identification codes, and a collator discriminates the identification codes. A control unit selects a target display of the received data according to the discrimination result of the collator.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention a process is provided for interfacing a legacy application and internet-based application and for displaying information from each application in a frame of a multi-frame browser on a client workstation. Further, the interface system enables users to transact business with the legacy application based on information retrieved from the internet-based application, and to retrieve information from the internet-based application based on information retrieved from the legacy application.

Abstract: A data processing controlled display system for the interactive display and control of a hierarchical trees of elements or objects in which multiple tree views are presented to the user. The objects in the views are selectable to display detail views of the objects, particularly attributes of the child objects of the selected parent object. The multiple tree views may be of different portions of the same tree or of different trees. The tree views are thus available for side by side comparison and detailed study, after which the system provides the capability to transfer objects from tree view to tree view, e.g. by drag and drop means.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of menu-based control of an external device connected to a digital audio/video apparatus. According to the present invention, a main menu is displayed including menu items for selecting functions or operations of the external device and a menu item for obtaining a detailed menu of the external device, the main menu image being stored in a memory of the audio/video apparatus. When one of the menu items associated with the functions or operations is selected, command data corresponding to the selected menu item are transmitted to have the external device perform the corresponding operation. When a menu item for obtaining the detailed menu of the external device is chosen, a menu image of the detailed menu is read out from the memory and is then displayed. Information provided by the external device is requested from the detailed menu.

Abstract: Provided is a printer for a wrapping material making it possible to record time data such as the date and time when an article was wrapped on the surface of the wrapping material for wrapping the article. This printer comprises a wrapping material storing section for storing a wrap film, which is a wrapping material for wrapping an article, a clock means for measuring time to generate time data, and an output means for recording the time data on the surface of the wrap film. When the wrap film is discharged from the wrapping material storing section, the output means records the time data on the surface of the wrap film. Therefore, on the wrap film with which the article such as a food is wrapped, the time data, for example, the date and time when this food was wrapped are recorded. Thus, a user can certainly check the date and time of the wrapping.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus is operated under a basic recording mode for recording through use of a basic unit pixel which is associated with a unit recording area corresponding to a unit print cycle, and a high-resolution recording mode for recording through use of a fine unit pixel, a plurality of fine unit pixels being arranged within the unit recording area in a main scanning direction of the recording head. The print data is developed into the jetting data such that each bit therein indicates whether the recording is conducted or not in each associated fine unit pixel, when the high-resolution recording mode is selected.

Abstract: An apparatus and method provide on-demand drop volume modulation by utilizing a single transducer driving waveform to drive an ink jet. The driving waveform includes at least a first portion and a second portion that each excites a different modal resonance of ink in an ink jet orifice to produce ink drops having different volumes. A control signal is applied to the driving waveform to actuate the selected portion of the waveform to eject the desired ink drop volume. The apparatus and method improves resolution in gray scale printing by knowing an input request and placing a combination of small drops and large drops in a conventional blue noise halftone screen represented as a threshold array such that throughput and image quality goals are met while decreasing jetting robustness risk.

Abstract: Disclosed is a printing apparatus that is capable of stable printing even when the number of printing elements driven simultaneously varies. The printing apparatus includes an input data processor for expanding compressed print data, which has been transmitted from a host device, and outputting a print code sequence; a heat-data generator for generating and outputting heat data, which corresponds to each heater, every heat cycle based upon the print code sequence, and simultaneously counting the number of dots of ink discharged at the same time and outputting a power supply selection signal; a multiple power supply circuit for outputting three different voltages; and a power supply selector which, in accordance with the selection signal [SL (1:0)], selects heater driving power from among the three different voltages and outputs the selected power to a printhead.

Abstract: A micro electro-magnetic system includes a substrate. An actuator mechanism is arranged on the substrate. An actuator arm is displaceably mounted on the substrate and is displaceable with respect to the substrate along a predetermined path of travel. The actuator arm has a plurality of spaced magnetic poles along its length. An electromagnetic field generator is operatively positioned with respect to the actuator arm and is capable of producing an electromagnetic field of sufficient strength to interact with the spaced magnetic poles so that the actuator arm is displaced along the path of travel. A control system is provided for controlling operation of the electromagnetic field generator.

Abstract: A nozzle arrangement for an ink jet printhead that is the product of an integrated circuit fabrication technique includes a substrate. An actuating mechanism is arranged on the substrate and includes an anchor member that is fast with the substrate. An effort member is displaceable with respect to the anchor member. A resiliently flexible connector is fixed between the anchor member and the effort member. The connector, the anchor member and the effort member define a linear spring so that a force applied to the effort member in a first direction relative to the anchor member results in constrained displacement of the effort member in a second direction relative to the substrate. The second direction has at least two vector components, one of which is in said first direction and another is in a third direction at right angles to said first direction with the displacement of the effort member incorporating substantially no rotational movement.

Abstract: A nozzle arrangement for an ink jet printhead includes a substrate. A working member is mounted on the substrate and is movable reciprocally along a path of travel in order to perform work. Two actuators are arranged with respect to the working member to act on the working member. The actuators are configured so that the working member is under the influence of at least one actuator while being reciprocally moved along the path of travel.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method which comprises: directly forming an image on a printing medium on the basis of signals of image data; and fixing the image to produce a printed matter, wherein said image formation is carried out by an ink jet system of ejecting an oily ink by an electrostatic field. The method preferably further comprises cleaning an ink jet head, said cleaning step comprising: immersing said ink jet head in a cleaning solution; and applying voltage to said ink jet head. Alternatively, the method preferably further comprises, when a malfunction happens, either or both of stopping the image formation and eliminating a cause of the malfunction. Also disclosed are printing apparatuses suitably used for these methods.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ink jet recording head and a production method therefor, wherein ink is spouted by vibrating a vibrating plate that is a wall part of a pressure chamber, using an ink jet energy generating part. In the ink jet recording head that comprises a main body formed by a plurality of pressure chambers (ink chambers) provided corresponding to nozzles that spout ink, the vibrating plate that constitutes a wall of the compression chamber being provided to the main body and an energy generating part provided on the vibrating plate at a position corresponding to a forming position of the pressure chamber, which makes the ink inside the pressure chambers spouted from the nozzles by deformative-energizing the vibrating plate, the vibrating plate and the ink jet energy generating part are formed using the thin film forming technology.

Abstract: There is disclosed a liquid supply apparatus which is disposed in an ink outlet of a flexible ink storage bag, having no pressure for supplying an ink, or disposed midway in an ink supply path, for supplying the ink to an ink jet head, and which is small in size, little in power consumption and simple in mechanism. A liquid pressurizing supply apparatus is driven in response to an alternating or pulse electric signal, and comprises a high-permeability driving shaft, a spring for urging the driving shaft in one direction, a bobbin case in which the driving shaft is disposed in a cylindrical chamber, a winding coil wound around an outer peripheral surface of the bobbin case, a pair of high-permeability case members in which the bobbin case with the winding coil wound therearound is contained, and a containing recess portion is formed by a sheet metal drawing process, inlet and outlet joints connected to the cylindrical chamber of the bobbin case, and a ball check valve for preventing ink back-flow.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes: an ink container; a vent provided in the ink container; and an ink supply hole for accepting an ink supply tube for supplying a recording head with ink. When the ink cartridge is inserted into a cartridge container of a printer without removing a closing member for closing vent, an installation stopper formed in one unit with the closing member prevents the ink supply hole from being engaged with a tube container of the cartridge container so as not to accept the ink supply tube.