Abstract: An objective lens of an optical pickup apparatus converges a divergent light flux onto an information recording surface. The following conditional formula is satisfied: |?SA1/?U|·|?U|+|?SA2/?T|·|?T|?0.07 ?rms where ? represents a wavelength of a light source, ?SA1/?U represents a change of a spherical aberration for an object-to-image distance change ?U (|?U|?0.5 mm) and ?SA2/?T represents a change of spherical aberration for a temperature change ?T (|?T|?30° C.), the object-to-image distance is a distance between the light source (a light emitting point) and the information recording surface.

Abstract: A film forming method comprising: supplying a reactive gas comprising a compound including a metal atom between facing electrodes; arranging a substrate between the electrodes; making the reactive gas in a plasma state by applying a voltage between the electrodes under atmospheric pressure or under a pressure in a vicinity of the atmospheric pressure and discharging; and forming a metal film on a surface of the substrate by supplying a reducing gas having a reducing property into a plasma atmosphere in which the reactive gas in the plasma state exists.

Abstract: A radiation-curable ink including, (a) a colorant dispersion containing a pigment and a diluent, the pigment being present in an amount of 20 to 95 weight % based on the total weight of the colorant dispersion; (b) polymerizable compound; and (c) a polymerization initiator, wherein the radiation-curable ink has a viscosity of 6 to 500 mPa·s measured at 25° C. and comprises water in an amount of not more than 2.5 weight % based on the total weight of the radiation-curable ink measured with Karl Fisher method.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus for forming a color image by superposing component color images, a control device obtains position data representing a forming position of each of plural registration mark images for the component color images with respect to a positional reference value arbitrarily determined, divides the position data into each of a unit reference range representing a range in which one mark image is formed, converts the position data divided for each unit reference range into those based on respective reference values representing the front edge of the unit reference ranges, extracts the position data representing ranges common to the mutually overlapping ranges each of which is represented by a couple of position data corresponding to the rising and falling edges of a passage timing pulse as read position data of the mark image of the component color, and calculates the amounts of positional deviations of the component color images from one another on the basis of the position data extracted.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for communicating with a management apparatus for storing a plurality of electronic prepaid information and authentication information related to the plurality of electronic prepaid information, and replaying to inquiry request for electronic prepaid information based on authentication information through a portable communication terminal storing authentication information.

Abstract: A polarizing plate used in a vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display comprising a liquid crystal cell is disclosed, wherein the polarizing plate comprises a polarizing film and a mixed fatty acid cellulose ester film with optical biaxiality provided between the polarizing film and the liquid crystal cell, and wherein the mixed fatty acid cellulose ester film has a retardation in plane R0 of from 31 to 120 nm, and a retardation in the thickness direction Rt of from 60 to 300 nm, in which R0 is represented by the following formula (1) and Rt is represented by the following formula (2): R0=(nx?ny)×d??formula (1) Rt={(nx+ny)/2?nz}×d.

Abstract: An organic electroluminescence element is disclosed which comprises a hole transporting layer containing a hole transporting material, a light emission layer containing a host compound and a phosphorescent compound, a hole blocking layer, and an electron transporting layer, the host compound having a band gap of from 3.3 eV to 5 eV, and having a molecular weight of not less than 500, and relationship c<d being satisfied, wherein c (eV) represents a difference between energy level of LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) in the hole blocking layer and energy level of LUMO in the light emission layer and d (eV) represents a difference between energy level of HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital) in the hole blocking layer and energy level of HOMO in the light emission layer.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus comprises first, second and third light sources to emit light fluxes of wavelength ?1, ?2 and ?3 for conducting recording and/or reproducing information for first, second and third optical information recording mediums having respective protective substrates of thickness t1, t2 and t3 and a diffractive optical element located on a common optical path for the first, second and third light sources. A converged-light spot is formed on the first optical information recording medium with m-th order diffracted-light ray of the wavelength ?1, on the second optical information recording medium with n-th order diffracted-light ray of the wavelength ?2, and on the third optical information recording medium with k-th order diffracted-light ray of the wavelength ?3 generated by the diffractive optical element respectively, wherein one of m, n and k is different from one of other two numbers.

Abstract: A work flow system for circulating a digital document file to plural clients through a network, including: a transmission client for initially issuing a document file for circulation, circulation clients for sequentially circulating the document file, transmitted by the transmission client. The transmission client includes: a setup processor for setting destination information to specify destination and order of circulation; and a transmission processor for sending a circulation information file, including the destination information, and the document file to the next circulation client, which is preset so in the destination information. Each of the circulation clients includes: a transmission processor for sending the circulation information file and the document file to the next circulation client, which is preset so in the destination information, in response to a verification of the document file.

Abstract: A laser processing method for making an inkjet head, including a step of irradiating laser light to an inkjet head material for removing a part of the inkjet head material. The laser light is emitted from a solid laser and has a wavelength of not longer than 355 nm.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus for forming a color image by superposing component color images, a control device obtains position data representing a forming position of each of plural registration mark images for the component color images with respect to a positional reference value arbitrarily determined, divides the position data into each of a unit reference range representing a range in which one mark image is formed, converts the position data divided for each unit reference range into those based on respective reference values representing the front edge of the unit reference ranges, extracts the position data representing ranges common to the mutually overlapping ranges each of which is representing by a couple of position data corresponding to the rising and falling edges of a passage timing pulse as read position data of the mark image of the component color, and calculates the amounts of positional deviations of the component color images from one another on the basis of the position data extracted

Abstract: An image pickup device provided on a base board, comprises an image pickup element provided on the base board and including a photoelectrically converting section in which pixels are arranged, a peripheral surface formed around the photoelectrically converting section and a side surface crossing the peripheral surface; an optical member including a lens section to form an image of an object onto the photoelectrically converting section of the image pickup element, a leg section to support the lens section and a contact surface to be brought in contact with the image pickup element, wherein the lens section, the leg section and the contact surface are made in a single body. The optical member is mounted on the image pickup element such that the contact surface is brought in contact with the peripheral surface or with a surface member when the surface member is provided on the peripheral surface.

Abstract: An optical system has an optical functional surface including a common region used for conducting information recording and/or reproducing for both of a first optical information recording medium and a second optical information recording medium. The common region comprises a refractive surface of an imaginary basic aspherical surface and a optical path difference providing structure in which plural ring-shapes zones are separated around the center of an optical axis and neighboring ring-shaped zones are displaced to each other in a direction of an optical axis so as to cause an optical path difference obtained by multiplying a predetermined wavelength ?s (?1<?s<?2) with almost an integer. The refractive surface of the imaginary basic aspherical surface is structured such that a spherical aberration becomes under on the first information recording medium and a spherical aberration becomes over on the second information recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus providing services for general users, capable of getting rid of trouble to collect use charges.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cellulose ester film comprising a polymer prepared by polymerizing at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer selected from vinyl esters, vinyl esters having a functional group, acrylic esters, and acrylic esters having a functional group, wherein the polymer has a weight average molecular weight of not more than 5,000.

Abstract: An information sharing system capable of transferring determined data between a plurality of image forming apparatuses each other extremely efficiently and accurately, and an image forming apparatus for the information sharing system. The image forming apparatus has: a storage for storing determined data for controlling image formation; a determined data providing section for performing a processing concerning a predetermined request; a determined data obtaining section for making the predetermined request; and a controller for controlling the determined data providing section and the determined data obtaining section.

Abstract: A hybrid objective lens has a refractive lens and a diffractive optical element constructed by plural coaxial ring-shaped zones on at least one optical surface thereof. When n1, n2 and n3 each is a diffraction order of a diffracted ray having a maximum light amount among diffracted rays of each of first, second and third light flux having wavelength ?1, ?2 and ?3 when respective light flux comes to be incident into the diffractive structure respectively, the following formulas are satisfied: |n1|>|n2|, and |n1>|n3 |, and the hybrid objective lens converges a n1-th, n2-th and N3-th order diffracted ray of the first, second and third light flux onto an information recording plane of each of the first, second ant third optical information recording medium respectively so as to form an appropriate wavefront within respective prescribed necessary image side numerical apertures.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optically anisotropic film used for a liquid crystal display of a vertical alignment liquid crystal mode comprising a fatty acid cellulose aster film, a retardation value (Rt value) in the thickness direction of the fatty acid cellulose ester film is from 60 to 300 nm, and the number of luminescent points having a size exceeding 50 ?m is zero per 250 mm2, and the number of luminescent points having a size of 5 to 50 ?m is 200 or less per 250 mm2 when the fatty acid cellulose ester film is observed with two polarizing plates being provided on both surfaces of the fatty acid cellulose ester film so as to shield transmission light.

Abstract: A layer forming method is disclosed which comprises the steps of supplying power of not less than 1 W/cm2 at a high frequency voltage exceeding 100 kHz across a gap between a first electrode and a second electrode opposed to each other at atmospheric pressure or at approximately atmospheric pressure to induce a discharge, generating a reactive gas in a plasma state by the charge, and exposing a substrate to the reactive gas in a plasma state to form a layer on the substrate.

Abstract: An image-reading apparatus reads an image on a document by controlling a main-scanning operation in accordance with an index period, a sub-scanning operation in accordance with a line-thinning rate, and a reading velocity of reading the image in a sub-scanning direction in accordance with a magnification factor. The apparatus includes an inputting section to input the magnification factor, an index period changing section to control the index period, based on the magnification factor, and a line-thinning rate changing section to control the line-thinning rate, based on the magnification factor. The index period changing section may select one of a plurality of index periods, including at least normal and long index periods, to control the index period. The thinning-rate changing section may select one of a plurality of line-thinning rates, including line-thinning rates indicating activation and deactivation of a line-thinning operation, to control the line-thinning rate.