Author: claimsbot

What is claimed is:

1. A valve driving apparatus, comprising:
a first pipe, a second pipe and a third pipe, which are airtightly connected with each other;
a valve body;
cam member, which rotates about a rotation axis for moving the valve body so as to openclose the first pipe and the second pipe so that the third pipe is selectively communicated with the first pipe and the second pipe, the cam member being movable in a direction parallel with the rotation axis; and
a cam actuator, which drives the cam member so as to move the cam member in the direction parallel with the rotation axis to open both of the first pipe and the second pipe, when the cam member is rotated at a predetermined angle.
2. A valve driving apparatus, comprising:
an inflow pipe;
an outflow pipe;
a casing body having an airtight chamber formed with openings respectively communicated with the inflow pipe and the outflow pipe;
a valve body;
a cam member, which provides an urging force on the valve body in such a direction that the valve body closes at least one of the openings;
a cam driver, which provides a driving force for rotating the cam member; and
a cam actuator, which moves the cam member against the urging force such that the openings are simultaneously opened.
3. The valve driving apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the cam actuator includes:
a seesaw portion, which performs a seesaw action in which the urging force moves the cam actuator and the seesaw portion moves the cam member against the urging force as a reaction; and
an actuating portion, which moves the valve body to simultaneously open the openings when the seesaw action is performed.
4. The valve driving apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the cam member provides the urging force by utilizing the driving force of the cam driver.
5. The valve driving apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein a direction in which the cam member is moved as the reaction of the seesaw action is a direction parallel with a direction in which the urging force acts.
6. The valve driving apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein;
the seesaw portion extends in a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis of the cam member;
a first position at which the urging force is applied is situated in a first end portion of the seesaw portion;
the first position serves as a fulcrum of the seesaw action;
a second position at which the actuating portion is provided is situated in a second end portion of the see saw portion; and
a slider which moves the cam member is situated at a third position closer to the second position.
7. The valve driving apparatus as set forth in claim 6, further comprising a guide member which restricts a direction in which the seesaw action is performed.
8. The valve driving apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein:
the valve body is spherical body which is urged by an urging member so as to close the openings; and
the guide member restricts a position of the valve body.
9. The valve driving apparatus as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:
a rotor, integrated with the cam member; and
a stator, provided an outer periphery of the casing body,
wherein a motor formed by the rotor and the stator constitutes the cam driver.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A dispensing apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a container coupled to the frame, the container containing a granular or powdered material and having a closure that selectively dispenses the material from the container via rotation of at least a portion of the closure, the closure having a cap, a first rotor, and a second rotor, the cap is received on the container and has an inside face, an outside face, and an aperture extending from the inside face to the outside face through the cap to allow materials within the container to be dispensed, the first rotor is positioned adjacent the inside face of the cap to selectively block the aperture in the cap, the first rotor being rotatable between a first position in which the aperture is blocked and a second position in which the aperture is not blocked, the second rotor is positioned adjacent the outside face of the cap to selectively block the aperture in the cap, the second rotor is rotatable between a first position in which the aperture is blocked and a second position in which the aperture is not blocked, rotation of the first rotor and the second rotor is sequenced such that at least one of the rotors is always blocking the aperture;
a drive member coupled to the frame and actuatable to rotate a portion of the closure relative to the frame;
a receptacle positioned to receive material dispensed from the cap and having an opening through which material from the cap is dispensed into the receptacle, the opening substantially facing the cap in all positions of the first and second rotors;
a sensor operable to sense the rotational position of the first and second rotors relative to the aperture of the cap and stop the drive member only when the sensor determines a rotational position of at least one of the first and second rotors.
2. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a Hall effect sensor that senses the position of a magnet.
3. The dispensing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the magnet is moved in response to the drive member.
4. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inside face of the cap is generally concave.
5. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second rotor has a generally planar configuration adjacent the aperture.
6. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first rotor has at least one protrusion movable to eject material from the aperture.
7. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor controls activation of the drive member through a predetermined number of rotations of the first and second rotors.
8. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor controls activation of the drive member to stop the first rotor and second rotor.
9. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first rotor has a hook-shaped portion extending toward the container.
10. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second rotor has a protrusion extending in a direction substantially axially away from the container.
11. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the container is removable from the frame.
12. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receptacle comprises a funnel into which material from the container is dispensed upon rotation of the first and second rotors.
13. The dispensing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the funnel is rotatable with respect to the container.
14. The dispensing apparatus of claim 13, wherein a portion of the funnel drives at least one of the first and second rotors to rotate.
15. The dispensing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the portion of the funnel engages at least one of the first and second rotors.
16. The dispensing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the funnel is driven to rotate by the drive member.
17. The dispensing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the drive member is located laterally adjacent the funnel.
18. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is operable to stop the drive member only when the sensor determines at least one of the first and second rotors covers the aperture.
19. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is operable to stop the drive member only when the sensor determines that both of the first and second rotors cover the aperture.
20. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second rotors are engaged with one another through the cap.
21. A dispensing apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a container coupled to the frame, the container containing a granular or powdered material and having a closure that selectively dispenses the material from the container via rotation of at least a portion of the closure, the closure having a cap, a first rotor, and a second rotor, the cap is received on the container and has an inside face, an outside face, and an aperture extending from the inside face to the outside face through the cap to allow materials within the container to be dispensed, the first rotor is positioned adjacent the inside face of the cap to selectively block the aperture in the cap, the first rotor rotatable about an axis of rotation of the first rotor between a first position in which the aperture is blocked and a second position in which the aperture is not blocked, the second rotor is positioned adjacent the outside face of the cap to selectively block the aperture in the cap, the second rotor being rotatable between a first position in which the aperture is blocked and a second position in which the aperture is not blocked, rotation of the first rotor and the second rotor is sequenced such that at least one of the rotors is always blocking the aperture;
a drive member coupled to the frame and actuatable to rotate a portion of the closure relative to the frame;
a receptacle rotatable about an axis of the receptacle that is substantially parallel to that of the first rotor; and
a sensor operable to sense the rotational position of the first and second rotors relative to the aperture of the cap and stop the drive member only when the sensor determines a rotational position of at least one of the first and second rotors.

1. Apparatus for driving a light-emitting diode, the apparatus comprising:
a driving circuit configured to control a driving current in the light-emitting diode according to a driving schema and a control value to cause the light-emitting diode to emit light having a brightness determined by the control value and a chromaticity determined by the driving schema, the driving schema specifying one or more characteristics of the driving current; and,
a control circuit configured to alter the driving schema to alter the chromaticity of the light emitted by the light-emitting diode without changing the brightness of the emitted light, wherein altering the driving schema comprises changing from a first driving schema to a second driving schema so as to produce a change in an overall spectral composition of the light emitted by the light-emitting diode.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a temperature sensor wherein the control circuit is configured to alter the driving schema based at least in part on a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the control circuit is configured to reduce a pulse width specified by the driving schema for the driving current and make a corresponding increase in an amplitude specified by the driving schema for the driving current based at least in part on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a chromaticity sensor wherein the control circuit is configured to alter the driving schema based at least in part on a dominant wavelength sensed by the chromaticity sensor.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a lifetime timer configured to maintain a lifetime value representative of an age of the light-emitting diode wherein the control circuit is configured to alter the driving schema based at least in part on the lifetime value.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising an on timer configured to maintain an on-time value representative of a length of time that the light-emitting diode has been on wherein the control circuit is configured to alter the driving schema based at least in part on the on-time value.
7. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a voltage sensor configured to monitor a voltage drop across the light-emitting diode wherein the control circuit is configured to alter the driving schema based at least in part on a voltage drop measured by the voltage sensor.
8. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a user control configured to provide a user-input signal indicating a user input wherein the control circuit is configured to alter the driving schema based at least in part on the user-input signal.
9. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a memory wherein the driving schema comprises one or more parameters stored in the memory.
10. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of predetermined driving schemas wherein altering the driving schema comprises switching from a first one of the plurality of predetermined driving schemas to a second one of the plurality of predetermined driving schemas.
11. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the driving circuit is configured to deliver the driving current in pulses and the control circuit is configured to alter two or more of an amplitude, pulse width and frequency of the pulses without changing the brightness.
12. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to alter a waveform specified for the driving current and the driving circuit is configured to control the driving current to have the specified waveform.
13. Apparatus according to claim 1 configured to drive a plurality of light-emitting diodes and to apply to each of the light-emitting diodes a driving current according to a corresponding one of a plurality of driving schemas.
14. Apparatus according to claim 13 configured to provide individual control of brightness of each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes.
15. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the driving circuit comprises an input for receiving a plurality of control values, each of the plurality of control values corresponding to one of the plurality of light-emitting diodes wherein the driving circuit is configured to control the driving current in each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes according to the corresponding driving schema and the corresponding control value to cause the light-emitting diode to emit light having a brightness determined by the corresponding control value and a chromaticity determined by the driving schema.
16. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the light-emitting diode constitutes a first light-emitting diode, the driving circuit constitutes a first driving circuit, the apparatus comprises a second light-emitting diode driven by a second driving circuit, and the apparatus comprises a color balance control configured to alter a spectral composition of light emitted by the first and second light-emitting diodes by altering the driving schema.
17. Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the first light-emitting diode is one of a first plurality of light-emitting diodes driven by the first driving circuit and the second light-emitting diode is one of a second plurality of light-emitting diodes driven by the second driving circuit.
18. A display comprising:
a plurality of light-emitting diodes;
a driving circuit configured to control a driving current in each of the light-emitting diodes according to a corresponding driving schema, a corresponding control value to cause the light-emitting diode to emit light having a brightness determined by the control value and a chromaticity determined by the corresponding driving schema; and
a control circuit configured to alter the driving schema corresponding to one or more of the light-emitting diodes to alter chromaticity of the light emitted by the one or more light-emitting diodes without changing the brightnesses of the light emitted by the one or more of the light-emitting diodes, wherein altering the driving schema comprises changing from a first driving schema to a second driving schema so as to produce a change in an overall spectral composition of the light emitted by the one or more light-emitting diodes.
19. A display according to claim 18 wherein the light-emitting diodes are arranged in a two-dimensional array.
20. A display according to claim 19 wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes emit light having a first range of spectral characteristics if driven according to the same driving schema and the corresponding driving schemas are selected to cause light emitted by the plurality of light-emitting diodes to have a range of spectral characteristics smaller than the first range.
21. A method for controlling a light-emitting diode, the method comprising controlling a driving current in the light-emitting diode according to a driving schema and a control value to cause the light-emitting diode to emit light having a brightness determined by the control value and a chromaticity determined by the driving schema, the driving schema specifying one or more characteristics of the driving current; and,
altering the driving schema to alter the chromaticity of the emitted light while maintaining the brightness of the emitted light substantially unchanged, wherein altering the driving schema comprises changing from a first driving schema to a second driving schema so as to produce a change in an overall spectral composition of the light emitted by the light-emitting diode.
22. A method according to claim 21 wherein altering the driving schema comprises changing a waveform specified for a driving current.
23. A method according to claim 22 wherein altering the driving schema comprises changing an amplitude of a driving current for the light-emitting diode.
24. A method according to claim 22 wherein changing the waveform comprises altering a width of pulses in the waveform.
25. A LED driver unit for driving a plurality of light-emitting diodes, the driver unit comprising:
a plurality of driving circuits each having an input for receiving a control value and an output connectible to a light-emitting diode to be driven,
for each of the driving circuits an independently-variable stored driving schema specifying one or more characteristics of the driving current;
wherein the driver circuits are each configured to control a driving current in the light-emitting diode according to the corresponding driving schema and the corresponding control value to cause the light-emitting diode to emit light having a brightness determined by the control value and a chromaticity determined by the driving schema and the driving circuit is configured to alter the driving schema for one or more of the driver circuits to cause a change in the chromaticity of light emitted by the corresponding light-emitting diode to be driven without affecting the brightness determined by the control value, so as to produce a change in an overall spectral composition of the light emitted by the corresponding light-emitting diode to be driven.
26. A LED driver unit according to claim 25 provided in an integrated circuit chip.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A communication system comprising:
a first communication device;
a second communication device; and
a key management apparatus,
wherein the second communication device includes
a random number generation unit that generates a random number
a first encrypting processing unit that, using an encryption key that is based on the random number, encrypts predetermined data and thus generates encrypted data, and that, using a key of the second communication device, encrypts the random number and thus generates key information data, and
a first communication unit that transmits the key information data, identification information of the second communication device, and the encrypted data to the first communication device,
wherein the first communication device includes
a second communication unit that receives the key information data, the identification information of the second communication device, and the encrypted data from the second communication device, transmits the key information data and the identification information of the second communication device, which are received, to the key management apparatus, and receives the encrypted key from the key management apparatus, and
a second decoding processing unit that, using the received encryption key, decodes the encrypted data and obtains the predetermined data,
wherein the key management apparatus includes
a third communication unit that receives the key information data and the identification information of the second communication device from the first communication device, and
a first decoding processing unit that decodes the key information data and thus acquires the random number, using a key of the second communication device, which corresponds to the identification information of the second communication device, and
wherein the third communication unit transmits the encrypted key that is based on the acquired random number, to the first communication device.
2. The communication system of claim 1,
wherein the second communication device includes a first key generation unit that generates the encryption key from the random number using a unidirectional function, and
wherein the key management apparatus includes a second key generation unit that generates the encryption key from the random number using the unidirectional function.
3. The communication system of claim 1,
wherein the key management device includes a second encrypting processing unit that encrypts the encryption key with a key of the first communication device,
wherein the third communication unit transmits the encrypted encryption key to the first communication device,
wherein the second communication unit receives the encrypted encryption key from the key management apparatus, and
wherein the second decoding processing unit decodes the received encryption key with the key of the first communication device and decodes the encrypted data using the decoded encryption key.
4. The communication system of claim 1,
wherein the first communication unit and the second communication unit mutually perform short-distance wireless communication.
5. The communication system of claim 1,
wherein the second communication unit transmits identification information of the first communication device to the key management apparatus, and
wherein the key management apparatus includes an authentication unit that authenticates the first communication device using the identification information of the first communication device.
6. The communication system of claim 1,
wherein the first communication device and the second communication device are communication terminals, and
wherein the second communication device includes a data acquisition unit that acquires the predetermined data from a data providing server.
7. A communication device that provides predetermined data to a different communication device, the communication device comprising:
a random number generation unit that generates a random number;
an encrypting processing unit that encrypts predetermined data and thus generates encryption data, using an encryption key that is based on the random number, and encrypts the random number and thus generates key information data using a key of the communication device, and
a communication unit that transmits the key information data, identification information of the communication device, and the encrypted data to the different communication device.
8. A communication device to which predetermined data from a different communication device is provided, the communication device comprising:
a communication unit that receives
key information data that results from encrypting a random number using a key of the different communication device, identification information of the different communication device, and encrypted data that results from encrypting the predetermined data using an encryption key that is based on the random number, from the different communication device, transmits the received key information data and the identification information of the different communication device to the key management apparatus, and receives the encryption key from the key management apparatus; and
a decoding processing unit that, using the received encryption key, decodes the encrypted data and obtains the predetermined data.
9. A key management apparatus that is connected to a first communication device to which a second communication device provides predetermined data, through a network, the key management apparatus comprising:
a communication unit that receives key information data that results from encrypting a random number using a key of the second communication device, and identification information of the second communication device, from the first communication device; and
a decoding processing unit that decodes the key information data and thus acquires the random number, using a key of the second communication device, which corresponds to the identification information of the second communication device,
wherein the communication unit transmits an encryption key that is based on the acquired random number, to the first communication device.
10. A communication method for use in a communication system that includes a first communication device, a second communication device, and a key management apparatus, the method comprising:
generating a random number in the second communication device;
encrypting predetermined data and thus generating encrypted data using an encryption key that is based on the random number in the second communication device;
encrypting the random number and thus generating key information data using a key of the second communication device in the second communication device;
transmitting the key information data, identification information of the second communication device, and the encrypted data to the first communication device in the second communication device;
receiving the key information data, the identification information of the second communication device, and the encrypted data from the second communication device in the first communication device;
transmitting the key information data and the identification information of the second communication device to the key management apparatus in the first communication device;
receiving the key information data and the identification information of the second communication device from the first communication device in the key management apparatus;
decoding the key information data and thus acquiring the random number using a key of the second communication device, which corresponds to the identification information of the second communication device in the key management apparatus;
transmitting an encryption key that is based on the acquired random number, to the first communication device in the key management apparatus;
receiving the encryption key from the key management apparatus in the first communication device; and
decoding the encrypted data and obtaining the predetermined data using the received encryption key in the first communication device.