All The Claims

1. An ink-jet recording apparatus comprising:
a recording head configured to eject droplets of an ink;
a carriage on which the recording head is mounted;
a support portion configured to support the carriage such that the carriage is reciprocally movable in a first direction;
a drive power source;
a power transmission mechanism configured to transmit a drive force from the drive power source to the carriage; and
a vibration damping device disposed on the support portion,
and wherein the vibration damping device has mutually different resonance frequency values at respective at least two different positions in the first direction.
2. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least two different positions in the first direction are a first-carriage position and a second-carriage position spaced from the first-carriage position in the first direction, and the mutually different resonance frequency values are a resonance frequency value when the carriage is located at the first-carriage position, and a resonance frequency value when the carriage is located at the second-carriage position.
3. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration damping device includes a first vibration damper located at a first position in the first direction, and a second vibration damper which is located at a second position spaced from the second position in the first direction and the resonance frequency value of which is different from that of the first vibration damper.
4. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the resonance frequency value of the first vibration damper is equal to that of the support portion when the carriage is located at a first-carriage position, and the resonance frequency value of the second vibration damper is equal to that of the support portion when the carriage is located at a second-carriage position.
5. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the support portion includes a first support portion and a second support portion which are spaced apart from each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction,
and wherein the power transmission mechanism, and the first and second vibration dampers are disposed on the first support portion.
6. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the power transmission mechanism includes an endless belt member disposed on the support portion and rotated with the drive force transmitted thereto from the drive power source,
and wherein the carriage is connected to the endless belt member and reciprocally movable in the first direction by a rotary motion of the endless belt member, and the first and second vibration dampers are disposed between the endless belt member and the support portion.
7. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the first and second vibration dampers consists of a weight member and an elastic member,
and wherein at least one of the weight and elastic members of each of the first and second vibration dampers is provided by a one-piece member commonly used for the first and second vibration dampers.
8. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the first and second vibration dampers are spaced apart from each other in the first direction.
9. An ink-jet recording apparatus comprising:
a recording head configured to eject droplets of an ink;
a carriage on which the recording head is mounted;
a support portion configured to support the carriage such that the carriage is reciprocally movable in a first direction;
a drive power source;
a power transmission mechanism configured to transmit a drive force from the drive power source to the carriage; and
a vibration damping device disposed on the support portion and including a first vibration damper located at a first position in the first direction, and a second vibration damper which is located at a second position spaced from the first position in the first direction and the resonance frequency value of which is different from that of the first vibration damper,
and wherein the resonance frequency value of the first vibration damper is equal to that of the support portion when the carriage is located at a first-carriage position, and the resonance frequency value of the second vibration damper is equal to that of the support portion when the carriage is located at a second-carriage position,
and further wherein each of the first and second vibration dampers consists of a weight member and an elastic member, and at least one of the weight and elastic members of each of the first and second vibration dampers is provided by a one-piece member commonly used for the first and second vibration dampers.
10. An ink-jet recording apparatus comprising:
a recording head configured to eject droplets of an ink;
a carriage on which the recording head is mounted;
a support portion configured to support the carriage such that the carriage is reciprocally movable in a first direction;
a drive power source;
a power transmission mechanism configured to transmit a drive force from the drive power source to the carriage; and
a vibration damping device disposed on the support portion and including a first vibration damper located at a first position in the first direction, and a second vibration damper which is located at a second position spaced from the first position in the first direction and the resonance frequency value of which is different from that of the first vibration damper,
and wherein the resonance frequency value of the first vibration damper is equal to that of the support portion when the carriage is located at a first-carriage position, and the resonance frequency value of the second vibration damper is equal to that of the support portion when the carriage is located at a second-carriage position,
and further wherein each of the first and second vibration dampers are spaced apart from each other in the first direction.

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 wiper blade assembly, comprising:
an elongated wiper blade of a flexible material;
a carrier element biasing said wiper blade into a pre-curved condition;
a connecting device including first and second parts detachably coupled with one another through a protrusion and hole connection;
said first part being operably coupled to said wiper blade; and
said second part having a generally U-shaped cross-section at the location of said protrusion and hole connection between said first and second parts and wherein each leg of said U-shaped cross-section is bendable outwardly in response to insertion of an oscillating arm into said second part to interconnect said first and second parts.
2. The wiper blade assembly according to claim 1, wherein each leg of said U-shaped cross-section is bendable between a first position, wherein said first and second parts are connected together in response to insertion of the oscillating arm into said second part, and a second position, wherein said first and second parts are released from each other in response to removal of the oscillating arm from said second part.
3. The wiper blade assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first part is provided with opposite abutting surfaces for abutting against the legs of said U-shaped cross-section, and wherein a protrusion extends laterally outwardly from each leg of said U-shaped cross-section into a hole provided on an abutting surface abutting against a respective leg.
4. The wiper blade assembly according to claim 1, wherein said second part is positioned at least substantially within said first part.
5. The wiper blade assembly according to claim 1, wherein said carrier element includes a pair of longitudinal strips.
6. The wiper blade assembly according to claim 5, wherein said longitudinal strips of said carrier element are disposed in opposing longitudinal grooves on longitudinal sides of said wiper blade.

1. A transmitting path comprising:
a digital to analog converter (DAC) configured to receive digital data signals and convert the digital data signals into analog data signals;
a first transmission protocol path coupled to the DAC and configured to receive a first data signal from the DAC, the first data signal associated with a first transmission protocol;
a second transmission protocol path coupled to the DAC and configured to receive a second data signal from the DAC, the second data signal associated with a second transmission protocol; and
a mixer coupled to the first and second transmission protocol paths and configured to receive at least one of the first data signal and the second data signal and modulate at least one of the first data signal and the second data signal onto a carrier signal to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal.
2. The transmitting path of claim 1, further comprising:
a first switch coupled between the DAC and the first transmission protocol path, the first switch configured to close when the DAC communicates the first data signal and open when the DAC communicates the second data signal; and
a second switch coupled between the DAC and the second transmission protocol path, the second switch configured to close when the DAC communicates the second data signal and open when the DAC communicates the first data signal.
3. The transmitting path of claim 1, the first transmission protocol path including a first voltage to current converter (V-I) circuit configured based on specifications associated with the first transmission protocol and the second transmission protocol path including a second V-I converter circuit configured based on specifications associated with the second transmission protocol.
4. The transmitting path of claim 1, the first transmission protocol path including a voltage to current converter (V-I) circuit configured based on specifications associated with the first transmission protocol and the second transmission protocol path including a current amplifier circuit configured based on specifications associated with the second transmission protocol.
5. The transmitting path of claim 1, further comprising:
a balun coupled to the mixer and configured to receive the RF signal from the mixer at an input coil of the balun and further configured to output the RF signal at an output coil of the balun; and
a supply voltage selector circuit coupled to the input coil and configured to adjust a bias voltage at the input coil according to a power level of the RF signal received at the input coil.
6. The transmitting path of claim 1, further comprising:
a balun coupled to an output of the mixer and configured to received the RF signal from the mixer at an input coil of the balun and further configured to output the RF signal at an output coil of the balun; and
a current source coupled at the output of the mixer and configured to source current to the mixer to at least partially bypass an internal resistance between the output of the mixer and the input coil of the balun to reduce power consumption associated with the internal resistance.
7. The transmitting path of claim 1, further comprising a current source coupled at an output of at least one of the first and second transmission protocol paths and configured to source current to at least one of the first and second transmission protocol paths to at least partially bypass an internal resistance between the output of the at least one first and second transmission protocol paths and the mixer to reduce power consumption associated with the internal resistance.
8. The transmitting path of claim 1, the first transmission protocol comprising at least one of a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA), and a 3GPP long-term evolution (LTE) transmission protocol and the second transmission protocol comprising at least one of a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), an enhanced data rate for GSM evolution (EDGE), a general packet radio system (GPRS) and a Gaussian minimum-shift-keying (GMSK) transmission protocol.
9. The transmitting path of claim 1, the first transmission protocol path configured to have high linearity and the second transmission protocol path configured to have low noise.
10. The transmitting path of claim 1, further comprising a step-down balun coupled to the mixer and configured to receive the RF signal from the mixer at an input coil of the balun.
11. A method comprising:
configuring a first transmission protocol path based at least partially on specifications associated with a first transmission protocol and to receive a first data signal associated with the first transmission protocol from a digital to analog converter (DAC);
configuring a second transmission protocol path based at least partially on specifications associated with a second transmission protocol and to receive a second data signal associated with the second transmission protocol from the DAC;
coupling a mixer to the first and second transmission protocol paths; and
configuring the mixer to receive at least one of the first data signal and the second data signal and to modulate at least one of the first data signal and the second data signal onto a carrier signal to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
closing a first switch coupled between the DAC and the first transmission protocol path when the DAC communicates the first data signal;
opening the first switch when the DAC communicates the second data signal;
closing a second switch coupled between the DAC and the second transmission protocol path when the DAC communicates the second data signal; and
opening the second switch coupled when the DAC communicates the first data signal.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
configuring a first voltage to current converter (V-I) circuit of the first transmission protocol path based on specifications associated with the first transmission protocol; and
configuring a second V-I converter circuit of the second transmission protocol path based on specifications associated with the second transmission protocol.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
configuring a voltage to current converter (V-I) circuit of the first transmission protocol path based on specifications associated with the first transmission protocol; and
configuring a current amplifier circuit of the second transmission protocol path based on specifications associated with the second transmission protocol.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
configuring a balun, coupled to the mixer at an input coil of the balun, to receive the RF signal from the mixer at an input coil of the balun and to output the RF signal at an output coil of the balun; and
adjusting, by a supply voltage selector circuit coupled to the input coil, a bias voltage at the input coil according to a power level of the RF signal received at the input coil.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
configuring a balun, coupled to an output of the mixer at an input coil of the balun, to receive the RF signal from the mixer at an input coil of the balun and to output the RF signal at an output coil of the balun; and
sourcing current to the mixer at the output of the mixer to at least partially bypass an internal resistance between the output of the mixer and the input coil of the balun to reduce power consumption associated with the internal resistance.
17. The method of claim 11, further comprising sourcing current, to at least one of the first and second transmission protocol paths to at least partially bypass an internal resistance between an output of the at least one first and second transmission protocol paths and the mixer to reduce power consumption associated with the internal resistance.
18. The method of claim 11, the first transmission protocol comprising at least one of a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA), and a 3GPP long-term evolution (LTE) transmission protocol and the second transmission protocol comprising at least one of a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), an enhanced data rate for GSM evolution (EDGE), a general packet radio system (GPRS) and a Gaussian minimum-shift-keying (GMSK) transmission protocol.
19. The method of claim 11, the first transmission protocol path configured to have high linearity and the second transmission protocol path configured to have low noise.
20. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the RF signal from the mixer at an input coil of a step-down balun.

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 display apparatus comprising:
a shutter of which light transmittance is changeable;
a gas discharge tube for lightening the shutter;
a shutter controller for controlling the light transmittance of the shutter on the basis of luminance information about an image to be displayed; and
a discharge controller for controlling a discharge state of the gas discharge tube in accordance with a light transmittance state acquired when the shutter controls the light transmittance responsively to the luminance information; wherein the discharge controller includes:
a field detector configured to detect a period of each field from the image to be displayed;
a lighting period controller configured to control the period of each field so that the period of each field is divided in sequence into a luminescence-rest period during which the gas discharge tube is subjected to either one of a reduction of an intensity of light emitting therefrom and a rest of the luminescence thereof in cases where the light transmittance state of the shutter is out of a desired light transmittance range, a luminescence-preparing period during which the luminescence of the gas discharge tube is prepared, and a luminescence period during which the gas discharge tube performs the luminescence; and
an applied-voltage generator configured to generate a voltage signal to be supplied to the gas discharge tube, the voltage signal being formed depending on a difference among the luminescence-rest, luminescence-preparing, and luminescence periods.
2. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shutter controller includes a shutter control signal generator configured to generate a shutter control signal for controlling the light transmittance of the shutter from the luminance information about the image, and
the discharge controller further includes a luminance detector configured to detect a luminance of the image from the shutter control signal,
wherein the lighting period controller is configured to changeably control a length of the luminescence-rest period in accordance with the luminance of the image detected by the luminance detector.
3. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discharge controller is configured to allow the gas discharge tube to not only reduce an intensity of light emitted therefrom in cases where the light transmittance state of the shutter is out of a desired light transmittance range but also to perform luminescence toward the shutter in cases where the light transmittance state of the shutter begins falling into the desired light transmittance range.
4. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discharge controller is configured to allow the gas discharge tube to not only rest luminescence thereof during a first specified period in cases where the light transmittance state of the shutter is out of a desired light transmittance range but also to perform the luminescence toward the shutter during a second specified period in cases where the light transmittance state of the shutter begins falling into the desired light transmittance range.
5. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein the discharge controller is configured to apply to the gas discharge tube a voltage for preparing the luminescence during a certain period of time residing in an early part of the second specified period.
6. The display apparatus of claim 5, wherein the discharge controller is configured to make a duration of the voltage for preparing the luminescence longer than a duration of voltage to be applied to the gas discharge tube during a remaining period of time in the second specified period.
7. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discharge controller is configured to make the gas discharge tube lighten the shutter continuously for a desired number of field periods independently of the light transmittance state of the shutter when the display apparatus is first put into operation.
8. A method of driving a gas discharge tube having a plurality of glass substrates placed to form a discharging spacing with which a rare gas is filled, one or more pairs of sustaining electrodes embedded in a dielectric layer, and an auxiliary electrode placed insulatedly apart from the sustaining electrodes, the method comprising the steps of:
performing a luminescence rest by applying two voltages whose amplitudes are the same and constant to two sustaining electrodes composing each pair among the paired sustaining electrodes, so that the two sustaining electrodes composing each pair rest the discharge;
performing a luminescence preparation during a predetermined time of period, after performing the luminescence rest, by not only applying two voltage pulses whose phases are the same to the two sustaining electrodes composing each pair but also applying a voltage to cause a preparatory discharge to the auxiliary electrode; and
performing a luminescence of the gas discharge tube, after performing the luminescence preparation, by applying two voltage pulses whose phases are mutually shifted to the two sustaining electrodes composing each pair, so that the sustaining electrodes cause discharge for the luminescence.
9. The driving method of claim 8, wherein the two voltage pulses applied to the two sustaining electrodes composing each pair are mutually shifted in phases by half a cycle of each voltage pulse.
10. The driving method of claim 8, wherein during the luminescence step, a summed voltage of the two voltage pulses is applied to the auxiliary electrode.
11. The driving method of claim 8, wherein during the luminescence step, each of the two voltage pulses applied to the two sustaining electrodes composing each pair is set to have a duty ratio ranging from approximately 10 to 90 percents.
12. The driving method of claim 11, wherein during the luminescence step, the two voltage pulses applied to the two sustaining electrodes composing each pair are adjusted in the phases so that a pulsed waveform of voltage generated in the discharging spacing is adjusted in pulse width.
13. The driving method of claim 8, wherein the two voltage pulses applied to the two sustaining electrodes composing each pair during the luminescence-preparing step are different in a cycle from the two voltage pulses applied to the two sustaining electrodes composing each pair during the luminescence step.
14. The driving method of claim 8, wherein voltage pulses from a first voltage pulse to a desired number of voltage pulses in a pulse sequence of each of the two voltage pulses applied to the two sustaining electrodes composing each pair during the luminescence-preparing step are different in a duty ratio from the two voltage pulses applied to the two sustaining electrodes composing each pair during the luminescence step.
15. The driving method of claim 8, wherein the luminescence-rest step is omitted during a predetermined period of time in an initial start state immediately after power of the display apparatus is put on.
16. The driving method of claim 8, further comprising a step of performing a preparation for initial-start luminescence by not only applying two voltage pulses whose phases are the same to the two sustaining electrodes composing each pair but also applying a voltage to cause a preparatory discharge to the auxiliary electrode, in an initial start state immediately after power of the display apparatus is put on, the initial-start luminescence-preparing step being followed by the luminescence step.
17. The driving method of claim 8, wherein the sustaining electrodes are arranged so as to divide a discharging area of the gas discharge tube into a plurality of sub-areas, and during the luminescence-rest step, sustaining electrodes located in a sub-area subjected to the luminescence are grounded and sustaining electrodes located in a sub-area subjected to non-luminescence are given voltage of a predetermined amplitude.
18. A gas discharge tube configured to be driven by the driving method according to claim 8.