Abstract: A method for manufacturing a hydrocarbon compound from carbon dioxide, said method including: (a) a step of preparing an absorption-conversion catalyst that includes an oxide carrier, a first component supported on the oxide carrier and including at least one type of metal selected from the group consisting of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, and a second component supported on the oxide carrier and including at least one type of metal selected from the group consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, Cu, and Ru; (b) a step of bringing the absorption-conversion catalyst and a carbon dioxide-including gas into contact under higher pressure than atmospheric pressure, and causing the carbon dioxide to be stored in the absorption-conversion catalyst; and (c) a step of bringing the absorption-conversion catalyst that has the carbon dioxide stored therein and a reducing gas into contact under higher pressure than atmospheric pressure, and obtaining the hydrocarbon compound.

Abstract: A cartridge drive apparatus includes a holder, a lock plate, and a drive unit. The holder is configured to hold a cartridge inserted therein. The lock plate is attached with respect to the holder to be movable in one of an insertion direction and a discharge direction of the cartridge and includes a locking mechanism configured to lock the cartridge. The drive unit is configured to drive the holder and the lock plate in one of the insertion direction and the discharge direction of the cartridge.

Abstract: A cartridge drive apparatus includes a holder, a lock plate, and a drive unit. The holder is configured to hold a cartridge inserted therein. The lock plate is attached with respect to the holder to be movable in one of an insertion direction and a discharge direction of the cartridge and includes a locking mechanism configured to lock the cartridge. The drive unit is configured to drive the holder and the lock plate in one of the insertion direction and the discharge direction of the cartridge.

Abstract: A charging member is disclosed having a support and at least one cover layer provided on the support., The cover layer has an outermost layer of the cover layer placed at the outermost surface of the charging member; the outermost layer contains i) composite particles composed of first metal oxide particles coated with carbon black, ii) second metal oxide particles and iii) a binder.

Abstract: A parameter writing element converts a solution vector found by an optimum solution method that determines optimum n-dimensional solution vector, based on a plurality of optimum n-dimensional solution vector candidates to an adjustment parameter values of a programmable hearing aid and writes the adjustment parameter values into a hearing aid parameter memory element of the programmable hearing aid using a sound source memory element for storing a sound source, and a sound source presenting element for presenting the sound source to the programmable hearing aid.

Abstract: A design system includes a design engine for generating designs, an evaluation process for evaluating the generated designs based on human visual inspection and/or domain knowledge, and an optimization process for pruning based at least in part on the evaluation. Generation of additional designs is performed based on optimization. Newly-generated designs are then subjected to the same iterative steps. In one embodiment a simulator is also used to evaluate the generated designs, in part, with numerically designed specification. Subjective human evaluation is used fully or at least in part of an optimization process to obtain final designs. Human visual inspection and domain knowledge is used to evaluate and rate key designs at different points in the evolution of a design.

Abstract: A charging member is disclosed having a support and at least one cover layer provided on the support. The cover layer has an outermost layer of the cover layer placed at the outermost surface of the charging member; the outermost layer contains i) composite particles composed of first metal oxide particles coated with carbon black, ii) second metal oxide particles and iii) a binder.

Abstract: A recording medium driving apparatus can adjust the position of a linear driving means with respect to a turntable with high precision, so that a direction in which the head apparatus is moved by the linear driving means matches a predetermined radial direction with respect to a rotational center axis of the turntable. The recording medium driving apparatus includes a chassis 70, a rotating plate 63 that is rotatably provided on the chassis 70, a rotational center determining means 61 that determines the rotational center of the rotating plate 63 with respect to the chassis 70, and a rotational driving means 62 for rotating the rotating plate 63 around the rotational center.

Abstract: A recording medium driving apparatus can adjust the position of a linear driving means with respect to a turntable with high precision, so that a direction in which the head apparatus is moved by the linear driving means matches a predetermined radial direction with respect to a rotational center axis of the turntable. The recording medium driving apparatus includes a chassis 70, a rotating plate 63 that is rotatably provided on the chassis 70, a rotational center determining means 61 that determines the rotational center of the rotating plate 63 with respect to the chassis 70, and a rotational driving means 62 for rotating the rotating plate 63 around the rotational center.

Abstract: A parameter writing element for converting a solution vector found by an optimum solution method that determines an optimum n-dimensional solution vector, based on a plurality of optimum n-dimensional solution vector candidates to an adjustment parameter values of a programmable hearing aid and for writing the adjustment parameter values into a hearing aid parameter memory element of the programmable hearing aid, a sound source memory element for storing a sound source, and a sound source presenting element for presenting the sound source to the programmable hearing aid are provided.

Abstract: A magnetic disk device having a base and a cover; a magnetic disk recording information on a recording surface thereof facing the base or the cover; a spindle motor fixed to the base and rotating the magnetic disk; a head for recording and reproducing the information to and from the recording surface of the magnetic disk; a slider having the head mounted thereto; a first suspension supporting the slider; a head arm provided between the magnetic disk and the base or the cover and supporting the first suspension on the side of the recording surface; and a carriage fixed to the base and swinging the head arm, moving the head in a radial direction of the magnetic disk and positioning the head. The magnetic disk device also has a second suspension provided on the base side or the cover side of the head arm and having a natural frequency substantially equal to a natural frequency of the first suspension.

Abstract: At the start of a process, an information presenting section presents information expressed by a solution vector, while an auxiliary information presenting section presents information for facilitating comparative evaluation of multiple pieces of information being presented simultaneously. Based on these pieces of information, the user evaluates each solution vector. A model estimation executing section generates an evaluation model for an adjustment process from a user evaluation history, and thereafter, a model evaluation calculating section performs evaluation using the evaluation model. A fitness calculating section calculates fitness from the evaluation made by the user or by the model, and in accordance with the thus calculated fitness, a recombination operation section performs an arithmetical recombination operation. The above process is iteratively performed to carry out optimum adjustment of solution vectors.

Abstract: A proportion predicting system for realizing a predetermined target by mixing a predetermined number of elements at a predetermined proportion. The system includes a target characteristic extractor for extracting a characteristic of the predetermined target; an evaluating means operable upon receipt of proportion vectors, which are represented by the characteristic of the predetermined target and the quantity of each of the elements, respectively, to determine fitnesses of the proportion vectors based on the extracted characteristic of the predetermined target; and a GA processor for predicting the proportion vectors on the basis of the fitnesses according to a genetic algorithm in which the quantity of each of the elements and each of the proportion vectors are represented by a gene and a chromosome, respectively.

Abstract: At the start of a process, an information presenting section presents information expressed by a solution vector, while an auxiliary information presenting section presents information for facilitating comparative evaluation of multiple pieces of information being presented simultaneously. Based on these pieces of information, the user evaluates each solution vector. A model estimation executing section generates an evaluation model for an adjustment process from a user evaluation history, and thereafter, a model evaluation calculating section performs evaluation using the evaluation model. A fitness calculating section calculates fitness from the evaluation made by the user or by the model, and in accordance with the thus calculated fitness, a recombination operation section performs an arithmetical recombination operation. The above process is iteratively performed to carry out optimum adjustment of solution vectors.

Abstract: A magnetic disk device wherein a member having and suspension thereof a natural frequency similar to that of a head is disposed on an opposite surface of a head arm having one head mounted thereto via a suspension. The outermost shape (profile when the member is projected in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the magnetic disk) of the member having the natural frequency equal to that of the head and suspension thereof is similar to that of the head and the suspension or does not swell out from the profile of the head and the suspension. The member having the natural frequency similar to that of the head is provided to the head arm by the same device as that of the head.

Abstract: There is disclosed a pattern outline data extraction device in which plural pattern feature vectors representing patterns contained in a given pattern distribution are input, a geometric figure containing at least one feature vector on the outer periphery thereof is repeatedly generated to delete possible feature vectors contained within the geometric figure generated and an outline of the given pattern distribution is identified with feature vectors not having been deleted. An outer surface detection device and a pattern recognition device are also disclosed as applications of the pattern outline data extraction device.

Abstract: The adjustment of a noise suppressing apparatus inputs the voice signal with the noises being piled up in it to decide the weight coefficient of the neutral network 130 with a back propagating method so that the errors of the output signal and of the noiseless signal may become minimum, the noise suppressing apparatus where noises in a voice signal are suppressed even in a situation where the positional relation between the noise source and the voice source may often change, and noises offensive to the voice after the noise suppression may not remain, the suppressing effect is not deteriorated even if the time pattern of the input signal is varied.

Abstract: An inference rule determining process according to the present invention sequentially determines, using a learning function of a neural network model, a membership function representing a degree which the conditions of the IF part of each inference rule is satisfied when input data is received to thereby obtain an optimal inference result without using experience rules. The inventive inference device uses an inference rule of the type "IF . . . THEN . . ." and includes a membership value determiner (1) which includes all of IF part and has a neural network; individual inference quantity determiners (21)-(2r) which correspond to the respective THEN parts of the inference rules and determine the corresponding inference quantities for the inference rules; and a final inference quantity determiner which determines these inference quantities synthetically to obtain the final results of the inference.

Abstract: An iterative learning machine uses, as a direction of changing iterative weight, a conjugate gradient direction in place of the conventional steepest descent direction, thereby saving time. Learning rates are set dynamically. Error calculation for plural learning rates, with respect to a certain weight changing direction, are accomplished by storing a product-sum of the input signals and weights in a hidden layer and a product-sum of the input signals and the weight changing direction in the hidden layer. When the learning falls into a non-effective state where further iteration does not effectively reduce an error, the weights are adjusted in order to restart the learning.

Abstract: An inference rule determining process according to the present invention sequentially determines, using a learning function of a neural network model, a membership function representing a degree which the conditions of the IF part of each inference rule is satisfied when input data is received to thereby obtain an optimal inference result without using experience rules. The inventive inference device uses an inference rule of the type "IF . . . THEN . . ." and includes a membership value determiner (1) which includes all of IF part and has a neural network; individual inference quantity determiners (21)-(2r) which correspond to the respective THEN parts of the inference rules and determine the corresponding inference quantities for the inference rules; and a final inference quantity determiner which determines these inference quantities synthetically to obtain the final results of the inference.