Author: claimsbot

1. A semiconductor device containing a semiconductor chip, comprising:
a first circuit arranged in a center of said semiconductor chip and configured to operate at a first voltage;
a second circuit arranged in an inputoutput circuit area around said first circuit on said semiconductor chip, and configured to operate at the first voltage and a second voltage and to transfer a signal between an external unit outside said semiconductor chip and said first circuit;
a control signal line provided in said inputoutput circuit area on said semiconductor chip; and
a terminal connected with said control signal line and supplied with a control signal,
wherein said second circuit stops a transfer of the signal between the external unit and said first circuit in response to said control signal which is transferred on said control signal line.
2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:
at least one relay buffer provided in a middle portion of said control signal line.
3. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein said relay buffer is provided in a corner section of said semiconductor chip.
4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said second circuit comprises:
at least one of a plurality of input circuits and a plurality of output circuits, provided in a partial peripheral portion around said first circuit, and
said at least one of said plurality of input circuits and said plurality of output circuits is collectively controlled in response to said control signal.
5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said second circuit comprises:
at least one of a plurality of input circuits and a plurality of output circuits, provided in a full peripheral portion around said first circuit, and
said at least one of said plurality of input circuits and said plurality of output circuits is collectively controlled in response to said control signal.
6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said second circuit comprises:
at least one of a plurality of input circuits and a plurality of output circuits, provided in a peripheral portion around said first circuit, and
said at least one of said plurality of input circuits and said plurality of output circuits prevents a leak current therein.
7. A semiconductor device containing a semiconductor chip, comprising:
a first circuit arranged in a center of said semiconductor chip and configured to operate at a first voltage;
a second circuit arranged in an inputoutput circuit area around said first circuit on said semiconductor chip, and configured to operate at the first voltage and a second voltage and to transfer a signal between an external unit outside said semiconductor chip and said first circuit;
a control signal line provided in said inputoutput circuit area on said semiconductor chip; and
a voltage detecting circuit configured to detect whether supply of said first voltage is stopped and to supply a control signal onto said control signal line when the supply of said first voltage is stopped,
wherein said second circuit stops a transfer of the signal between the external unit and said first circuit in response to said control signal which is transferred on said control signal line.
8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, further comprising:
at least one relay buffer provided in a middle portion of said control signal line.
9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein said relay buffer is provided in a corner section of said semiconductor chip.
10. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein said second circuit comprises:
at least one of a plurality of input circuits and a plurality of output circuits, provided in a partial peripheral portion around said first circuit, and
said at least one of said plurality of input circuits and said plurality of output circuits is collectively controlled in response to said control signal.
11. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein said second circuit comprises:
at least one of a plurality of input circuits and a plurality of output circuits, provided in a full peripheral portion around said first circuit, and
said at least one of said plurality of input circuits and said plurality of output circuits is collectively controlled in response to said control signal.
12. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein said second circuit comprises:
at least one of a plurality of input circuits and a plurality of output circuits, provided in a peripheral portion around said first circuit, and
said at least one of said plurality of input circuits and said plurality of output circuits prevents a leak current therein.
13. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a semiconductor device containing a semiconductor chip; and
a power control unit arranged outside said semiconductor device and configured to control application of a first voltage to said semiconductor device,
wherein said semiconductor device comprises:
a first circuit arranged in a center of said semiconductor chip and configured to operate at the first voltage;
a second circuit arranged in an inputoutput circuit area around said first circuit on said semiconductor chip, and configured to operate at the first voltage and a second voltage and to transfer a signal between an external unit outside said semiconductor chip and said first circuit; and
a control signal line provided in said inputoutput circuit area on said semiconductor chip, and
said second circuit stops a transfer of the signal between the external unit and said first circuit in response to said control signal which is transferred on said control signal line.
14. The electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said semiconductor device further comprises:
at least one relay buffer provided in a middle portion of said control signal line.
15. The electronic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said relay buffer is provided in a corner section of said semiconductor chip.
16. The electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said power control circuit applies the first voltage to said semiconductor device when said semiconductor device needs to operate and stops the supply of the first voltage to said semiconductor device when said semiconductor device needs not operate, and
said semiconductor device further comprises:
a detecting circuit configured to detect the application of the first voltage and to output said control signal to said control signal line when the first voltage is not applied.
17. The electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said power control circuit supplies said control signal to semiconductor device and then stops of the application of the first voltage to said semiconductor device when said semiconductor device needs not operate and applies the first voltage to said semiconductor device and then stops the supply of said control signal to said semiconductor device when said semiconductor device needs to operate.
18. The electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said second circuit comprises:
at least one of a plurality of input circuits and a plurality of output circuits, provided in a partial peripheral portion around said first circuit, and
said at least one of said plurality of input circuits and said plurality of output circuits is collectively controlled in response to said control signal.
19. The electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said second circuit comprises:
at least one of a plurality of input circuits and a plurality of output circuits, provided in a full peripheral portion around said first circuit, and
said at least one of said plurality of input circuits and said plurality of output circuits is collectively controlled in response to said control signal.
20. The electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said second circuit comprises:
at least one of a plurality of input circuits and a plurality of output circuits, provided in a peripheral portion around said first circuit, and
said at least one of said plurality of input circuits and said plurality of output circuits prevents a leak current therein.

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 computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to automatically convert an input into one or more haptic effects in near real-time, the automatic converting comprising:
sensing the input in near-real time;
automatically converting the sensed input into one or more haptic signals in near-real time; and
generating the one or more haptic effects based on the one or more haptic signals.
2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, the automatic converting further comprising:
identifying one or more characteristics of the sensed input; and
modifying the one or more haptic signals based on the one or more identified characteristics.
3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the modifying the one or more haptic signals further comprises:
modifying one or more haptic parameters of the one or more haptic signals to match the one or more identified characteristics.
4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3,
wherein the one or more characteristics of the sensed input comprises at least one of: an amplitude, a frequency, a duration, an envelope, a density, a magnitude, or a strength; and
wherein the one or more haptic parameters of the one or more haptic signals comprises at least one of: an amplitude haptic parameter, a frequency haptic parameter, a duration haptic parameter, an envelope haptic parameter, a density haptic parameter, a magnitude parameter, or a strength haptic parameter.
5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, the automatic converting further comprising filtering the sensed input.
6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, the automatic converting further comprising wirelessly transmitting the sensed input to a controller configured to perform the automatic converting.
7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the generating the one or more haptic effects is performed by a wearable haptic device.
8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the generating the one or more haptic effects further comprising sending the one or more haptic signals to one or more haptic output devices to generate the one or more haptic effects.
9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein at least one haptic output device of the one or more haptic output devices comprises an actuator.
10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the input comprises audio data.
11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the input comprises video data.
12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the input comprises acceleration data.
13. A computer-implemented method for automatically converting an input into one or more haptic effects in near real-time, the computer-implemented method comprising:
sensing the input in near-real time;
automatically converting the sensed input into one or more haptic signals in near-real time; and
generating the one or more haptic effects based on the one or more haptic signals.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:
identifying one or more characteristics of the sensed input; and
modifying the one or more haptic signals based on the one or more identified characteristics.
15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the modifying the one or more haptic signals further comprises:
modifying one or more haptic parameters of the one or more haptic signals to match the one or more identified characteristics.
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15,
wherein the one or more characteristics of the sensed input comprises at least one of: an amplitude, a frequency, a duration, an envelope, a density, a magnitude, or a strength; and
wherein the one or more haptic parameters of the one or more haptic signals comprises at least one of: an amplitude haptic parameter, a frequency haptic parameter, a duration haptic parameter, an envelope haptic parameter, a density haptic parameter, a magnitude parameter, or a strength haptic parameter.
17. The computer-implemented method claim 13, the automatic converting further comprising filtering the sensed input.
18. A system for automatically converting an input into one or more haptic effects in near real-time, the system comprising:
a memory configured to store an automatic haptic conversion module; and
a processor configured to execute the automatic haptic conversion module stored on the memory;
wherein the automatic haptic conversion module is configured to sense the input in near-real time;
wherein the automatic haptic conversion module is further configured to automatically convert the sensed input into one or more haptic signals in near-real time; and
wherein the automatic haptic conversion module is further configured to generate the one or more haptic effects based on the one or more haptic signals.
19. The system of claim 18,
wherein the automatic haptic conversion module is further configured to identify one or more characteristics of the sensed input; and
wherein the automatic haptic conversion module is further configured to modify the one or more haptic signals based on the one or more identified characteristics.
20. The system of claim 19,
wherein the automatic haptic conversion module is further configured to modify one or more haptic parameters of the one or more haptic signals to match the one or more identified characteristics.
21. The system of claim 20,
wherein the one or more characteristics of the sensed input comprises at least one of: an amplitude, a frequency, a duration, an envelope, a density, a magnitude, or a strength; and
wherein the one or more haptic parameters of the one or more haptic signals comprises at least one of: an amplitude haptic parameter, a frequency haptic parameter, a duration haptic parameter, an envelope haptic parameter, a density haptic parameter, a magnitude parameter, or a strength haptic parameter.
22. The system of claim 18, wherein the automatic haptic conversion module is further configured to filter the sensed input.

What is claimed is:

1. A multiplex voltage measurement apparatus, comprising:
(N1) voltage detection terminals connected to N serially connected voltage sources;
a capacitor which is charged with a voltage value of any of the N voltage sources;
a first sample switch for selectively connecting odd-numbered voltage detection terminals among the (N1) voltage detection terminals to a first terminal of the capacitor;
a second sample switch for selectively connecting even-numbered voltage detection terminals among the (N1) voltage detection terminals to a second terminal of the capacitor;
a voltage measurement circuit for measuring the voltage value stored in the capacitor;
a third sample switch for connecting the first terminal and the second terminal of the capacitor to the voltage measurement circuit; and
a polarity controller for controlling the first and second sample switches such that one of the N voltage sources is selected while the third sample switch is open.
2. A multiplex voltage measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the polarity controller allows the first and second sample switches to sequentially select among the N voltage sources in a one-by-one manner such that the capacitor is alternately charged with voltage values having opposite polarities.

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 transfer apparatus comprising:
a transfer roller which opposes an image carrier to transfer developer carried on a peripheral surface of the image carrier onto a recording medium conveyed along a conveyance path, and is configured to rotate in synchronization with the conveyance of the record medium;
a guide-member supporting frame which is provided at an upstream of a transferring portion where the image carrier and the transfer roller are closest, in the conveyance path, and is provided at a side of the transfer roller with respect to the conveyance path;
a flexible guide member which has a thin plate shape as seen in a side sectional view, and is attached to the guide-member supporting frame at an upstream of the transferring portion in the conveyance path to guide the record medium to the transferring portion; and
a inflexible protrusion supporting member which has a rigid shape as seen in a side sectional view, and is provided on the guide-member supporting frame between the transferring portion and the guide member in the conveyance path, and which protrudes toward the conveyance path such that the protrusion supporting member supports a trailing edge of the record medium after the trailing edge of the record medium passes the guide member,
wherein the guide member includes:
a fixed portion which is fixed to the guide-member supporting frame; and
a swing portion which is provided at one end side thereof opposite to the fixed portion as seen along the conveyance path and at a downstream in the conveyance path to be closer to the conveyance path than the fixed portion, and

wherein the protrusion supporting member is provided to abut the guide member while the guide member does not protrude from the protrusion supporting member to a side of the transferring portion when the swing portion of the guide member swings to approach the guide-member supporting frame by abutting the record medium.
2. The transfer apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein a portion of the guide member abutting the guide-member supporting frame and closest to the transferring portion when the swing portion of the guide member swings to approach the guide-member supporting frame by abutting the record medium is defined as a supporting portion,
wherein a direction which is perpendicular to a straight line connecting the supporting portion and the transferring portion, and is perpendicular to a rotation axis line direction of the transfer roller is defined as a conveyance-surface normal direction, and
wherein the protrusion supporting member is provided at a position where the protrusion supporting member overlaps a tip end of the guide member on a swing portion side, in the conveyance-surface normal direction when the swing portion abuts the protrusion supporting member.
3. The transfer apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the protrusion supporting member is made of a non-foaming synthetic resin.
4. The transfer apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein the protrusion supporting member is formed integrally with the guide-member supporting frame seamlessly.
5. The transfer apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein an end portion of the protrusion supporting member on the conveyance path side protrudes toward the conveyance path from a straight line connecting the transferring portion and a supporting portion which is a portion of the guide member abutting the guide-member supporting frame and closest to the transferring portion when the swing portion of the guide member swings to approach the guide-member supporting frame by abutting the record medium.