Abstract: The distance measuring device includes a light source (1), a light-receiving sensor (2), a timing controller (5), a distance calculator (6), and a delay controller (8). The timing controller (5) outputs a modulation signal and plural reference timing signals. The modulation signal is a square wave signal having high and low level periods appearing alternately. Each of the high and low level periods has its length randomly selected from integral multiples of a predetermined unit time period. The reference timing signals include a signal having the same waveform as that of the modulation signal and a signal having the same waveform as that of the inverted modulation signal. The light source (1) varies an intensity of the light in concordance with the modulation signal. The delay controller (8) delays the plural reference timing signals by the delay period (Td) to create plural timing signals respectively.

Abstract: A power supply control device includes a body part in which a circuit block is accommodated; a first cable drawn outside from the body part to be connected to a charge circuit of an electric vehicle; a second cable drawn outside from the body part to be connected to a power source; and a sealing member sealing a gap between each of the cables and a corresponding cable passing port of the body part. The power supply control device further includes an outer restriction member provided at each of the cables on an outer side than the sealing member to prevent the corresponding cable from being bent.

Abstract: The communication controller (10) obtains second class information (first class information) corresponding to a second device (12) (first device (11)) newly added to a network (13). The communication controller (10) refers to fundamental request information (fundamental notification information) and obtains request information (notification information) corresponding to the obtained second class information (first class information). The communication controller (10) refers to notification authorization information (request authorization information) and obtains second sender information (first sender information) associated with the notification information (request information) indicative of the same processing as that indicated the obtained request information (notification information).

Abstract: A stroke sensor includes conductor pieces 51 to 57 of a detected body 50 two-dimensionally arranged on a lower surface of a slider 41 in a specified pattern. The lower surface of the slider 41 is divided into four regions corresponding to respective detector units 61 to 64 along a Y-direction. The conductor pieces 51 to 57 are arranged over a specified X-direction extent in the respective regions. The arrangement of the conductor pieces 51 to 57 is set such that the combinations of the conductor pieces 51 to 57 detected by the detector units 60 become different in each and every shift range in the X-direction. This makes it possible to consistently specify the shift range based on the combination of the detector units 61 to 64 staying in the detected state.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an orthodontic appliance capable of efficiently applying vibration to teeth to be aligned and enabling a treatment to be easily and safely continued even at home. This appliance is provided with a load applying mechanism and a vibration generating actuator. The load applying mechanism is mounted on teeth to apply a load for the malocclusion correction to a specified tooth in the teeth. The vibration generating actuator includes a contact portion that is inserted into a buccal cavity containing the teeth and can come into contact with a part of the load applying mechanism corresponding to the specified tooth or the specified tooth, and applies a vibration force from the contact portion to the specified tooth or the part of the load applying mechanism.

Abstract: In an insulation type AC-dc converter in which input current from a commercial power supply is converted to obtain insulated direct current, the overall efficiency is raised and the structure is simplified. A multi-resonance type half-bridge DC-DC converter having an insulation transformer T is used as a first converter, and a boosting chopper circuit for power factor improvement is used as a second converter. Hence through multi-resonance operation, increases in losses can be suppressed even when the switching frequency is raised, and because a half-bridge circuit is used, switching elements and similar with lower voltage ratings can be employed, whereby overall efficiency can be increased.

Abstract: The network system includes a controller and a plurality of terminals. The controller repeats transmitting a request signal indicative of a predetermined probability. Upon receiving the request signal, the terminal sends, at the probability indicated by the request signal, a response signal including the identification information uniquely allocated to the terminal. Upon receiving the response signal, the controller sends a notification signal with reference to the identification information included in the response signal. The terminal judges whether or not a response has been completed, on the basis of the received notification signal. The terminal sends no response signal in response to receiving the request signal once after judging that the response has been completed. The controller prepares the next request signal indicative of the probability not less than that indicated by the previous request signal.

Abstract: A system manages communications between a provider and a requestor in a distributed network. A requestor is implemented on a computing device and provides a stay online binding. The stay online binding identifies a binding that is desired by the requestor. A provider is implemented on a computing device and provides a binding. The provider receives the stay online binding from the requestor and continues providing the binding because the provider became aware of the stay online binding.

Abstract: A nitride semi-conductor light emitting device has a p-type nitride semi-conductor layer 7, an n-type nitride semi-conductor layer 3, and a light emission layer 6 which is interposed between the p-type nitride semi-conductor layer 7 and the n-type nitride semi-conductor layer 3. The light emission layer 6 has a quantum well structure with a barrier layer 6b and a well layer 6a. The barrier layer 6b is formed of AlaGabIn(1-a-b)N (0<a<1, 0<b<1, 1?a?b>0), and contains a first impurity at a concentration of A greater than zero. The well layer 6a is formed of AlcGadIn(1-c-d)N (0<c<1, c<a, 0<d<1, 1?c?d>0), and contains a second impurity at a concentration of B equal to or greater than zero. In the nitride semi-conductor light emitting device of the present invention, the concentration of A is larger than that of B, in order that the barrier layer 6b has a concentration of oxygen smaller than that in the well layer 6a.

Abstract: A discharge lamp ballast includes a DC-DC converter circuit configured to convert a voltage of a DC power supply by a switching operation of a switching element based on a PWM signal and to output a DC power, an inverter circuit configured to invert the DC power into an AC power, and a PWM ON-width control circuit configured to control switching conditions of the switching element in the DC-DC converter circuit immediately before a polarity of the AC power is reversed such that an ON-width of the PWM signal is increased from a start of a polarity reversal so as to increase the DC power in a predetermined period. The polarity of the AC power of the inverter circuit is reversed in synchronism with a switching timing of the switching element immediately after the control by the PWM ON-width control circuit to increase the ON-width.

Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object. The method of the present invention comprises the repeated steps of: (i) forming a solidified layer by irradiating a predetermined portion of a powder layer on a base plate with a light beam, thereby allowing a sintering of the powder in the predetermined portion or a melting and subsequent solidification thereof; and (ii) forming another solidified layer by newly forming a powder layer on the resulting solidified layer, followed by the irradiation of a predetermined portion of the powder layer with the light beam; wherein the solidified layers are formed such that they have a high-density portion whose solidified density is 95 to 100% and a low-density portion whose solidified density is 0 to 95% (excluding 95%); and wherein the high-density portion is a portion of the three-dimensional shaped object, to which the force is applied when the three-dimensional shaped object is used.

Abstract: A high pressure discharge lamp lighting device, includes: a DC/DC converter for converting a power source voltage of a DC power source into a desired DC voltage and stably lighting a high pressure discharge lamp; a DC/AC inverter for inverting the DC voltage into an AC voltage; and a starting pulse generating circuit for generating a high voltage required for the start-up of the high pressure discharge lamp. Further, the high pressure discharge lamp lighting device includes a lighting state decision unit for deciding a lighted/unlighted state of the high pressure discharge lamp; and an operating state switching control unit for switching the operating state of at least one of the DC/DC converter, the DC/AC inverter, and the starting pulse generating circuit to another operating state, depending on a predetermined operation phase out of the start-up, stable lighting and power interrupt phases of the high pressure discharge lamp.

Abstract: A high pressure discharge lamp lighting device includes a DC power source circuit; a power supply circuit for converting an output from the DC power source circuit into a square wave AC output to be supplied to a high pressure discharge lamp; a starting circuit for applying a high voltage output for lamp startup to the high pressure discharge lamp; a control circuit; and a half-wave discharge detection circuit for detecting a half-wave discharge. The detection circuit detects the half-wave discharge at an initial stage of the lamp startup and the control circuit controls the magnitude of a voltage of a square wave half period of one polarity having a load voltage of a larger magnitude and that of a square wave half period of the other polarity having a load voltage of a smaller magnitude to approximate to each other.

Abstract: A wake-up system includes an illumination apparatus which irradiated wake-up light, a control apparatus which controls output of the wake-up light irradiated from the illumination apparatus, and an interface apparatus which is operated by a user to input at least a wake-up time, the illumination apparatus includes an output variation apparatus which varies output of the wake-up light to be irradiated, and a color temperature variation apparatus which varies color temperature of the wake-up light, and the control apparatus includes a light output control unit which controls the output variation apparatus so as to increase the output of the wake-up light irradiated from the illumination apparatus from an wake-up operation start time to the wake-up time, and a color temperature control unit which controls the color temperature variation apparatus such that color temperature of the wake-up light in a time period from a first time to the wake-up time, the first time is a time passing a first predetermined time per

Abstract: An optical waveguide of excellent flex resistance which is to be formed on the surface of a flexible printed circuit is obtained by using an epoxy resin composition includes (A) a liquid epoxy compound, (B) a solid epoxy compound, and (C) a cationic curing initiator, wherein as the liquid epoxy compound (A), (A1) a liquid epoxy compound represented by general formula (I) below is included: (where R1 and R2 are each independently a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R3 to R6 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, a chlorine atom or a bromine atom; R7 is an alkyleneoxy group or alkylene group of 1 to 15 carbons; p is 0 or 1; q is 1 to 25; r and s are 0 when p is 0, and are 1 when p is 1; and n is a positive integer which averages from 1 to 5).

Abstract: The network system includes a controller and a plurality of terminals. The controller sends a first request signal indicative of a response probability to the plurality of the terminals. Upon receiving the first request signal, each terminal sends a first response signal to the controller at the response probability indicated by the first request signal. The controller determines the total number of the terminals on the basis of the number of the received first response signals and the response probability. The controller determines a limited time period on the basis of the total number of the terminals, and sends a second request signal indicative of the limited time period to the terminals. Upon receiving the second request terminal, each terminal randomly selects a waiting time period from time periods not greater than the limited time period, and sends a second response signal to the controller after a lapse of the waiting time period.

Abstract: A sphygmomanometer includes a base block and a cuff block having a cuff for restricting flow of blood, the cuff block being connected to the base block in such a manner that an angle of the cuff block with respect to a horizontal plane is variable within an angular range. The sphygmomanometer further includes a spring biasing unit for returning the cuff block to a position at a predetermined angle within the variable angular range of the cuff block when the cuff block is not used.

Abstract: An electrostatic atomizer, for use in a motor vehicle, includes a discharge electrode, a water supply unit for cooling the discharge electrode to generate water condensed on the discharge electrode, and a high voltage applying unit for applying a high voltage to the water on the discharge electrode to electrostatically atomize the water. The electrostatic atomizer is arranged in a ceiling of the motor vehicle. The electrostatic atomizer further includes an ejection portion provided in the ceiling of the motor vehicle for ejecting electrically-charged water particles generated by electrostatic atomization and an ejection direction changing unit provided in the ejection portion for changing an ejection direction of the electrically-charged water particles.

Abstract: An illumination device includes a housing having a light-emitting surface through which illumination light is irradiated and a plurality of LED units fixed to the housing in specified positions to emit the illumination light. The illumination device further includes a plurality of reflectors each having a reflection surface for reflecting the illumination light emitted from each of the LED units in a specified direction and a reflector attachment plate removably fixed to the housing. Each of the reflectors is adjustably attached to the reflector attachment plate in a specified orientation.

Abstract: An organic EL element (1) is formed by laminating two emitting layers (5, 7) between an anode (3) and a cathode (9) with a hole transporting non-emitting layer (6) being interposed between the two emitting layers (5, 7). The emitting layer (5) on an anode side is a hole transporting emitting layer, the emitting layer (7) on a cathode side is an electron transporting emitting layer. The non-emitting layer (6) includes at least one energy transfer auxiliary material in a hole transporting material. In the organic EL element (1), the energy transfer auxiliary material transfers excitation energy in the non-emitting layer (6) to the emitting layers (5, 7) adjacent to the non-emitting layer (6) effectively, so that luminous efficiency of the emitting layers (5, 7) can be enhanced. Moreover, it is difficult for holes to reach an electron transport layer (8), so that the electron transport layer (8) is not deteriorated, and the organic EL element (1) can thereby have a long life.