Abstract: A charge/discharge control apparatus includes: a charge/discharge reward information receiving unit for receiving charge/discharge reward information representing a reward given to a charge/discharge action of a customer and a restriction in conducting a charging/discharging from a charge management central server; a computing unit for creating a charge/discharge plan including a total charging quantity in a time zone and an estimated use start time of an electric vehicle such that a reward is maximized, based on the charge/discharge reward information; a charge/discharge instruction transmitting unit for instructing the electric vehicle to start or finish a charging/discharging according to the charge/discharge plan; a charge/discharge quantity monitoring unit for monitoring the charging/discharging; and a charge/discharge results transmitting unit for transmitting results of monitored charging/discharging including contents of the conducted charging/discharging and individual identification information for

Abstract: In a multi-charged-particle-beam apparatus, when an electric field and voltage on a surface of a specimen are varied according to characteristics of the specimen, a layout of plural primary beams on the surface of the specimen and a layout of plural secondary beams on each detector vary. Then, calibration is executed to adjust the primary beams on the surface of the specimen to an ideal layout corresponding to the variation of operating conditions including inspecting conditions such as an electric field on the surface and voltage applied to the specimen. The layout of the primary beams on the surface of the specimen is acquired as images displayed on a display of reference marks on the stage. Variance with an ideal state of the reference marks is measured based upon these images and is corrected by the adjustment of a primary electron optics system and others.

Abstract: A perfect non-contact type vein authentication apparatus is provided with a light source for emitting infrared light; an input interface equipped with an imaging unit for photographing a vein image of a living body by the infrared light emitted from said light source; a unit for controlling intensity of light to be illuminated; an image calculating unit for performing a feature extracting operation and a feature authenticating operation with respect to an image; and a positioning unit for presenting the living body. More specifically, the light source is provided in front of the living body. Both the light source and the imaging unit are installed in such a positional relationship that the light of the light source gives no adverse influence to the imaging unit. Also, the light source is installed in such a direction that the light of the light source gives no adverse influence to the imaging unit.

Abstract: A plurality of data signal lines each of which is connected to at least one pixel circuit in one pixel circuit column and is not connected to the pixel circuits of other pixel circuit columns are provided to one pixel circuit column, and the pixel circuits in the pixel circuit column are connected to any one of the plurality of data signal lines. An image display device having such a constitution can alleviate lowering of display quality attributed to transmission delay or voltage drop of a scanning signal.

Abstract: A computer system and method which stores path definition information including a storage ID, a volume ID, and validities of paths between a host computer and a first or second storage system identified by the storage ID for accessing a volume identified by the volume ID in one of the storage systems, sends an I/O request via the paths, based on the path definition information, receives information indicating the storage and volume IDs, and updates the path definition information. During initial copying from the second to the first volume, validity corresponding to a first path is set to “Invalid” and validity corresponding to a second path is set to “Valid”. After completion of initial copying, the validity corresponding to the first path included in the path definition information is changed to “Valid.

Abstract: In a controller for a windfarm including a plurality of wind turbine generators controllable in rotation frequency and pith of blades of the wind turbine generators, coupled to a grid through a transmission line, an anemometer is provided to each wind turbine generator to transmits wind direction and wind speed data to a central controller which process the wind direction and wind speed data to transmit an output command each wind turbine generator. The central controller predicts, on the basis of the wind speed detected by the upstream wind turbine generator, variation in wind speed at other wind turbine generators to control the output of the windfarm. The output power may be limited or charging energy as rotation energy of blades and discharging the rotation energy as output power in addition to a battery unit for averaging.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes an ultrasound probe 1, in which a plurality of transducer elements are arrayed and which converges and radiates an ultrasound on a patient and detects a reflection wave thereof, and images a tomogram of the patient, using the reflection wave, wherein an expansion detector 22 operates a difference between a radial component of a therapeutic converging beam of a movement amount of each part, and an integral amount integrated from the radial component, and extracts a tissue expansion generated at a part of the patient from the tomogram, and wherein the movement amount is calculated by performing a pattern matching between tomograms imaged with different frames.

Abstract: It is possible to automatically correct a six-plane body mesh pattern so as to satisfy the required quality. A device for generating a mesh pattern for analysis comprises: surface mesh generating device for generating a surface mesh pattern of an analysis object by acquiring shape model data on the analysis object and mesh control data including required quality of an analysis mesh model; internal mesh generating device for generating an internal mesh pattern of the analysis object according to the generated surface mesh pattern; device for calculating the element quality of surface meshes; quality evaluating device for evaluating calculated element quality according to the required quality; and mesh correction device for shifting a surface mesh node point not satisfying the required quality in the direction to improve the quality.

Abstract: A user can watch desired content among a plurality of encrypted contents recorded in a storage apparatus having a large capacity recording medium when the user wants to watch. Usage Pass (UP) necessary for watching content and encrypted content are recorded in a rental storage apparatus. The UP is in an invalid state when the storage apparatus is rented, and processing for validating the corresponding UP is executed between the storage apparatus and a host apparatus through which content is watched to thereby make content watchable. A history that processing for validating the UP is executed is recorded in the storage apparatus. A service provider bills a content use fee to the user based on the history of the storage apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of producing oxide particles, comprising a step of mixing a metal carbonate with an acid to give a mixture, a step of heating the mixture to give a metal oxide and a step of pulverizing the metal oxide, and slurry wherein metal oxide particles obtained by the above method of producing are dispersed in an aqueous medium, a polishing slurry, and a method of polishing a substrate. Particularly, the present invention provides a polishing slurry containing cerium oxide particles obtained by using cerium carbonate as the metal carbonate material and oxalic acid as the acid. The present invention provides a method of producing oxide particles, wherein coarse particle- and abrasion powder-free fine particles can be rapidly obtained. The present invention also provides a polishing slurry using the oxide particles, which can maintain a suitable polishing rate, can reduce generation of scratches, and can accurately polish the surface of a semiconductor.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device having a touch panel and a front window which can enhance reliability thereof and facilitates repair thereof is provided. The touch panel and the front window are mounted on a liquid crystal display device using a thermoplastic adhesive material. Electronic parts are arranged on a lower side of a touch-panel-use flexible printed circuit board, and electronic parts are arranged on a lower side of a main flexible printed circuit board. The respective electronic parts are covered with the front window in a plan view. A light emitting diode is mounted on the main flexible printed circuit board, and faces a light guide plate in a resin mold. Due to such a constitution, an external shape of the liquid crystal display device can be made small as a whole, and relatively expensive light emitting diodes can be reproduced and reused by repair.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device including: a plurality of column spacers and a first alignment film which are formed above the first substrate; an insulating layer which is formed on the second substrate and a second alignment film which is formed on the insulating layer; and column spacer receiving members which are provided between the insulating layer and the second alignment film in places opposed to the plurality of column spacers, the column spacer receiving members each being made of a material different from both of a material of the insulating layer and a material of the second alignment film, in which a thickness of the second alignment film in places above the column spacer receiving members is ? or less of a thickness of the second alignment film in places in which the second alignment film is formed directly on the insulating layer.

Abstract: In a nonvolatile memory apparatus, a system bus receives address, command, and/or control signals. Memory cells store bits of data by shifting a threshold voltage to one of plural ranges. In writing a first page, the threshold voltage of a first memory cell remains in a first range or shifts into a second range. In writing a second page, the threshold voltage remains in the first or second voltages, or shifts into a third range from the first range or into a fourth range from the second range. Before writing the second page, the memory reads data from the first memory cell for generating the second page writing data. A shifting direction of the threshold voltage from the first to the second range is the same as a shifting direction from the first to the third range.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical disk drive that performs a stable lock operation with a small number of components at the time of the insertion of a tray. The optical disk drive has a locking mechanism which engages the inserted tray with the chassis, a reset arm provided in the tray to return the locking mechanism to the initial state, and an engaging boss that is provided in the chassis and is engaged with the reset arm. The tray has a projecting portion for controlling the engagement position between the reset arm and the engaging boss. The projecting portion comes into contact with a back surface of the engaging boss, to control the engaging amount between the reset arm and the engaging boss to be constant.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus capable of reducing looseness vibrations resulting from a gap between a sub-guide shaft and a bearing is provided. According to an optical disc apparatus in the present invention, both ends of the sub-guide shaft are supported by being sandwiched between a pair of support parts formed in a chassis and a pair of pressing members mounted on the chassis. The support part is formed by bending a protruding portion both protruding in an inward direction of a hole from an edge of the hole of the chassis and extending along the direction perpendicular to the sub-guide shaft.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a lithium ion secondary battery that realizes to raise an initial charge and discharge efficiency without deteriorating its charge and discharge characteristic in comparison with the conventional technology. A carbon material and a lithium ion secondary battery using the carbon material as the anode material, wherein the face interval d002 of the carbon material determined by an X ray diffraction apparatus is not less than 0.340 nm and not more than 0.370 nm, and further, V1/V2 representing a ratio of a volume V1 of pores having diameters from not less than 1 nm to less than 10 nm in the carbon material with respect to a volume V2 of pores having diameters from not less than 10 nm to less than 100 nm therein is not more than 0.2.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining whether a moving entity is moving in a predetermined direction. A moving entity being equipped with positioning means receives data from a sender comprising information about a position of a point of interest and a position of a reference point. Based on the received data, a first position of the moving entity at a first point in time, and a second position of the moving entity at a second point in time, it is determined whether the moving entity is moving in the predetermined direction. Preferably, angular information is utilized to verify whether the moving entity is moving in the predetermined direction.

Abstract: In order to efficiently utilize processor resources, a storage system according to this invention includes: a protocol processor; a processor; a local router; a first memory; and a disk drive. In the storage system, the protocol processor transmits, upon transmitting a frame to the host computer, information on a transmission state of the frame to the local router, and the local router determines, upon the protocol processor receiving a frame, which of the processors processes the received frame, based on which a subject the received frame requests for an access to, transfers the received frame to the determined processor, determines, upon the protocol processor transmitting a frame, which of the processors processes information on a transmission state of the frame, based on an exchange of the transmitted frame, and transfers the information on the transmission state of the frame to the determined processor.

Abstract: A switch connected to a network system including a computer and a storage apparatus: controlling read/write request from the computer to the storage apparatus and controlling to store journal data in the storage apparatus; wherein the storage apparatus includes a first storage area for storing data to be used by the computer and a second storage area for storing journal data including write data and first update log information corresponding to the write data when there is a write request from the computer for writing data in the first storage area; wherein when the switch detects an event of status change related to the network system, the switch marks a first point of time corresponding to the event as a recovery request point, and creates second update log information corresponding to the recovery request point.

Abstract: An electromagnetic contactor includes a fixed core into which a bobbin of an electromagnetic coil is inserted and fitted, a movable core, a movable insulating base, a retracting spring, a fixed insulating base, and a supporting mechanism. The supporting mechanism is inserted into a through-hole formed in a thickness direction of the fixed core, and is configured in such a manner that a buffer spring is arranged between both ends of a supporting member that is arranged so as to protrude from the through-hole and a lower surface of the coil bobbin. An elastic member is provided between the fixed insulating base and a lower surface of the fixed core.