Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes an image reader, a document feeder, and a document retainer. A document feeder feeds the document to the image reader, and the image reader reads an image of a document. The document feeder discharges the document onto a stacker after the image of the document has been read. The document feeder is pivotal relative to the image reader. When the document feeder opens relative to the reader at an angle, the document retainer presses the document against the stacker.

Abstract: There is provided an information processing system, comprising: a viewing apparatus equipped with a content reproduction unit that reproduces content containing video data or audio data; a radio communication apparatus equipped with a storage unit in which user data correlated to a user to whom said radio communication apparatus belongs are stored and a data transmitting unit that transmits viewer data that include part of or all of said user data stored in said storage unit; and an information processing apparatus equipped with an analyzing unit that analyzes, based upon the user data, a viewership effect of the content reproduced by said viewing apparatus and a content distribution unit that distributes content data to be used to reproduce the content to said viewing apparatus.

Abstract: Structures of a supporting mechanism for a power source in a vehicle can include a seat portion and a fixing portion. The seat portion can be attached to a body of the vehicle. The fixing portion can extend from the seat portion. One or more stackable power sources can be accommodated within and secured by the fixing portion. The power source supporting mechanism can be easily mounted in available space in or on or otherwise associated with the vehicle, enabling the power source supporting mechanism to be readily adaptable to various different kinds of vehicles. The vehicles may be motorcycles, for example.

Abstract: Power conversion equipment includes an electric power converting section that converts DC electric power to multiphase AC electric power and feeds the converted multiphase AC electric power to a multiphase AC motor. A first short-circuit section includes a first switch disposed between a first DC power supply and the electric power converting section. A second short-circuit section includes a second switch disposed between at least one of an electric power feeding section and the electric power input section in the first DC power supply, or between a multiphase AC output point of the electric power converting section and the multiphase AC motor. A switch control section controls the first switch and the second switch such that the first and second switches are prevented from being brought into the closed-state simultaneously.

Abstract: An inter-network connection system is provided with a plurality of interface boards capable of processing traffic in a lower layer, an upper layer processing board capable of processing traffic in an upper layer, and an inter-board connection board capable of intervening in information transfer between the interface board and the upper layer processing board. The interface board has its input/output ports paired as port groups. When traffic is input through one input/output port of a port group, the traffic is output through the other input/output port of this port group. Only when the traffic is to be processed in the upper layer, the traffic is transferred from the interface board to the upper layer processing board. The inter-network connection system allows the amount of traffic processed in parallel to be increased with a high security configuration.

Abstract: Provided are resistive memory devices and methods of fabricating the same. The resistive memory devices and the methods are advantageous for high integration because they can provide a multilayer memory cell structure. Also, the parallel conductive lines of adjacent layers do not overlap each other in the vertical direction, thus reducing errors in program/erase operations.

Abstract: Provided are an organic thin film transistor and a method of forming the same. The method comprises forming a gate electrode on a substrate, forming a gate dielectric, which covers the gate electrode and includes a recess region at an upper portion, on the substrate, forming a source electrode and a drain electrode in the recess region, and forming an organic semiconductor layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode in the recess region.

Abstract: A metamaterial transmission line for transmitting an electromagnetic wave. The metamaterial transmission line may include a substrate including a substrate configured to include a an upper portion and a lower portion on which a ground plane is formed, a signal line configured to be formed on the substrate, and a defected ground structure configured to include an etched region and two metal portions, wherein the etched region is generated by etching a part of the ground plane and the metal portions extend from the signal line and are disposed on the etched region.

Abstract: A current limiting and averaging circuit for driving a peripheral core circuit with a lower limit current value in response to a supply signal, includes a current limiting module, an energy storage module, and a converter module. The current limiting module provides a limited supply signal whose current value is smaller than or equal to an upper limit value according to the supply signal. The energy storage module stores a storage signal according to the limited supply signal when the upper limit value is higher than the lower limit current value and provides a discharge signal according to the storage signal when the upper limit value is lower than the lower limit current value. The converter module provides a driving signal for driving the peripheral core circuit in response to the limited supply signal or the limited supply signal and the discharge signal.

Abstract: A vehicle steering apparatus (1) comprises: a control device (12) which controls an actuation of an electric motor (18); a control housing (H) which partitions an accommodation chamber (100) which accommodates the control device (12); an adjacent housing (27, 28; 280; 35A) which is adjacent to the control housing (H); and a heat-conducting member (96; 96A; 96B; 96C; 96D; 96E). The adjacent housing (27, 28; 280; 35A) is opposite to the electric motor (18) with the control housing (H) interposed therebetween. The heat-conducting element (96; 96A; 96B; 96C; 96D; 96E) comprises: an adjacent section (97) which is adjacent to a heat-generating element (83) of the control device (12) so that heat can be conducted; and a connected section (98; 98A; 98B; 98C; 98D; 98E) that is connected to the adjacent housing (27, 28; 280; 35A) so that heat can be conducted.

Abstract: A printing system includes a host terminal apparatus (e.g., personal computer) and an image forming apparatus (e.g., printer). The personal computer transmits print data to the printer. The printer is connected to the host terminal apparatus over a network, the printer being capable of embedding a watermark pattern into the print data received from the host terminal apparatus. The watermark pattern contains an item of information that identifies a user who actually picks up a printed output of said image forming apparatus. The watermark pattern contains information that identifies a user who activates printing of the print data. The printer includes a user identifying section that identifies a user who actually picks up the printed output.

Abstract: A method for checking reading errors of a memory includes the following steps. A first data fragment is received. A first count index according to the first data fragment is generated, wherein the first count index is corresponding to a quantity of one kind of binary value in the first data fragment. The first data fragment is written into the memory. The first data fragment is read from the memory as a second data fragment. A second count index is generated according to the second data fragment. The first count index is compared with the second count index.

Abstract: A control system for a power factor correction circuit performs stabilized oscillation operation and suppresses switching frequency variation due to change of the AC power source. A control system includes a voltage error amplifier for outputting a voltage error signal obtained by amplifying a difference between a DC output voltage Vo and a command value Vref of the DC output voltage, a current command value generating circuit for outputting a current command value Vi for controlling the input current Iin, a comparator comparing an inductor current signal obtained by detecting an inductor current running in the switching element by a current detecting resistor with a magnitude of the output signal Vi from the multiplier, a timer circuit for setting an off-period of the switching element corresponding to the voltage Vd, and a reset-set type flip-flop circuit for setting an off-timing of the switching element after an elapse of the off-period.

Abstract: In a media storing and feeding device for winding up or rewinding the tapes between reels attached to reel shafts and a drum 120 by torque limiters to feed or store the medium, at the time of feeding the medium, the reel shafts are rotated at a speed faster than a speed at which the drum rewinds the tapes, and at the time of storing the medium, the reel shafts are rotated at a speed slower than a speed at which the drum winds up the tapes. A difference between the rotational speeds of the reel shafts and the reels is absorbed by the torque limiters. The media storing and feeding device is thus implemented by inexpensive torque limiters which operate at low speed in place of expensive torque limiters supporting high speed.

Abstract: A variable capacity vane pump (100) has a pump housing (10) having a high-load bearing part (10a) on which a higher load is exerted than another part when the pump vane pump (100) operates. A control valve (21) for varying a capacity of the vane pump (100) is provided in a valve housing (28) which is formed integrally in the pump housing (10). By arranging the valve housing (28) on the same side of the pump housing (10) as the high-load bearing part (10a) with respect to the rotation axis of the vane pump (100), the high-load bearing part (10a) can be reinforced without increasing the size of the vane pump (100).

Abstract: A telescopic shaft (5) has an inner shaft (12) and a tubular outer shaft (13) that are fitted to each other so that they can move relative to each other in the axial direction and that they can transmit torque to each other. A plurality of balls (14) are aligned between respective raceway grooves (15; 16) of the inner shaft (12) and the outer shaft (13). Limiting mechanisms (20A; 20B) are provided that limit the amount of relative rotation to not more than a predetermined amount of the inner shaft (12) and the outer shaft (13) when a ball (14) comes off the raceway grooves (15; 16). The limiting mechanisms (20A; 20B) include a pair of engagement sections (21, 22; 23, 24) engageable with each other in a circumferential direction (C1). The engagement sections (21, 22; 23, 24) are provided at ridges (25, 26) and recesses (27, 28) that are adjacent to the raceway grooves (15; 16) of the inner shaft (12) and the outer shaft (13), respectively.

Abstract: A telephone with a speaker and a microphone uses the speaker both as an electric-to-acoustic transducer, to reproduce the far end party's voice, and an acoustic-to-electric transducer, to capture external sound in the vicinity of the near end party. From the captured sound signal and the signal picked up by the microphone, a decision unit decides whether or not the external sound is being blocked. When the external sound is blocked, a volume control unit increases the volume of the far end party's voice as reproduced by the speaker. The near end party can accordingly turn up the speaker volume by moving the part of the telephone including the speaker close to the user's ear to block external sound, without having to manipulate any manual controls.

Abstract: A grill comprising an upper pan unit, a lower pan unit and a lever unit. The upper and the lower pan unit have an opposite position relative to each other, which comprises at least a first opposite position and a second opposite position having different distances relative to each other. The upper pan unit comprises an upper pan mounted on an upper base. The lower pan unit comprises a lower base, a deep pan, and a shallow pan. The deep pan can be detachably mounted on the lower base in the first opposite position. The shallow pan can be detachably mounted on the lower base in the second opposite position. The top peripheries of the shallow pan and the deep pan abut against the upper pan. In both positions, the pan of the lower pan unit can abut against the bottom periphery of the upper pan to avoid the misalignment.

Abstract: A serial peripheral interface of an integrated circuit including multiple pins is provided. The pins are coupled to the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit receives an instruction through only one of the plurality of pins. The integrated circuit receives an address through the plurality of pins. The integrated circuit sends a read out data through the plurality of pins.

Abstract: A face recognition system includes: an image input section that acquires a facial image of a user; a database in which a feature value of a part of a face of a registered person is stored; a facial position detection section that detects a position of a part of a face from the facial image of the user; a feature value extraction section that extracts a feature value of the part of the face; and a recognition section that recognizes the user by comparing the feature value of the part of the face which is extracted by the feature value extraction section with the feature value of the part of the face of the registered person stored in the database, in which the user selects the part of the face from which the feature value is extracted.