Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt, a rotatable pressing member, a pad member inside of the belt, and a sliding member held by the pad member and sliding on an inner circumferential surface of the belt in a nip. The rotatable pressing member nips and feeds a recording material in the nip in cooperation with the belt and fixes a toner image on the recording material by applying heat and pressure. The sliding member includes a base material layer on which a plurality of projections projecting toward the rotatable pressing member are formed on a side sliding with the belt and a sliding layer provided on an outer surface of the plurality of projections. A shape of a surface of the sliding layer is a curved surface and a radius of curvature R of the curved surface satisfies 300 ?m?R?850 ?m.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt, a rotatable pressing member, a pad member inside of the belt, and a sliding member held by the pad member and sliding on an inner circumferential surface of the belt in a nip. The rotatable pressing member nips and feeds a recording material in the nip in cooperation with the belt and fixes a toner image on the recording material by applying heat and pressure. The sliding member includes a base material layer on which a plurality of projections projecting toward the rotatable pressing member are formed on a side sliding with the belt and a sliding layer provided on an outer surface of the plurality of projections. A leading end of the plurality of projections is a plane and an average roughness (Ra) of the plane satisfies 0.13 ?m?Ra?1.67 ?m.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus that switches a normal mode and an energy-saving mode includes control circuitry, an operation unit, and a device. The control circuitry controls processing of the information processing apparatus. The operation unit includes a display. The device mounted on the control circuitry or the operation unit writes change information indicating change of an operation mode in response to switching between the normal mode and the energy-saving mode. The device has a limit to a number of times of writing. The control circuitry counts the number of times of writing of the change information into the device, predicts a life of the device on a basis of a count value of the number of times of writing, and diagnoses appropriateness of the count value used for prediction of the life of the device when an increase rate of the count value exceeds a predetermined increase rate.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus that switches a normal mode and an energy-saving mode includes control circuitry, an operation unit, and a device. The control circuitry controls processing of the information processing apparatus. The operation unit includes a display. The device mounted on the control circuitry or the operation unit writes change information indicating change of an operation mode in response to switching between the normal mode and the energy-saving mode. The device has a limit to a number of times of writing. The control circuitry counts the number of times of writing of the change information into the device, predicts a life of the device on a basis of a count value of the number of times of writing, and diagnoses appropriateness of the count value used for prediction of the life of the device when an increase rate of the count value exceeds a predetermined increase rate.

Abstract: A disinfection apparatus includes an installation member. The installation member includes a sealing member configured to seal a hole located in a ceiling, a nozzle configured to be placed in a ceiling space through the hole and spray a chemical solution to disinfect the ceiling space, a mount member configured to place the nozzle above the sealing member, and a fixing member configured to maintain a state in which the sealing member seals the hole.

Abstract: A disinfection apparatus includes an installation member. The installation member includes a sealing member configured to seal a hole located in a ceiling, a nozzle configured to be placed in a ceiling space through the hole and spray a chemical solution to disinfect the ceiling space, a mount member configured to place the nozzle above the sealing member, and a fixing member configured to maintain a state in which the sealing member seals the hole.

Abstract: An operating device used in a game machine for playing a television game includes a main body and first and second finger-manipulatable operating units positioned symmetrically on the main body. The operating device may include first and second grips projecting at spaced positions from the main body, with the first and second operating units being positioned adjacent the first and second grips. The operating device may further include vibration-imparting units for imparting vibrations to the user's hands.

Abstract: An operating device used in a game machine for playing a television game includes a main body and first and second finger-manipulatable operating units positioned symmetrically on the main body. The operating device may include first and second grips projecting at spaced positions from the main body, with the first and second operating units being positioned adjacent the first and second grips. The operating device may further include vibration-imparting units for imparting vibrations to the user's hands.

Abstract: An operating device used in a game machine for playing a television game includes a main body and first and second finger-manipulatable operating units positioned symmetrically on the main body. The operating device may include first and second grips projecting at spaced positions from the main body, with the first and second operating units being positioned adjacent the first and second grips. The operating device may further include vibration-imparting units for imparting vibrations to the user's hands.

Abstract: An operating device used in a game machine for playing a television game includes a main body and first and second finger-manipulatable operating units positioned symmetrically on the main body. The operating device may include first and second grips projecting at spaced positions from the main body, with the first and second operating units being positioned adjacent the first and second grips. The operating device may further include vibration-imparting units for imparting vibrations to the user's hands.

Abstract: An operating device used in a game machine for playing a television game includes a main body and first and second finger-manipulatable operating units positioned symmetrically on the main body. The operating device may include first and second grips projecting at spaced positions from the main body, with the first and second operating units being positioned adjacent the first and second grips. The operating device may further include vibration-imparting units for imparting vibrations to the user's hands.

Abstract: An operating device used in a game machine for playing a television game includes a main body and first and second finger-manipulatable operating units positioned symmetrically on the main body. The operating device may include first and second grips projecting at spaced positions from the main body, with the first and second operating units being positioned adjacent the first and second grips. The operating device may further include vibration-imparting units for imparting vibrations to the user's hands.

Abstract: An operating device used in a game machine for playing a television game includes a main body portion and first and second grip portions protruding from one side of the main body portion. A first operating unit is mounted on one end of the main body portion and a second operating unit is mounted on the opposite end of the main body portion. The first and second operating units are each provided with at least one signal input element operable to generate a signal. A third operating unit and a fourth operating unit are mounted to the main body portion adjacent the first and second grip portions. Each of the third and fourth operating units has at least one signal input element operable to generate a signal. When the first and second grip portions are gripped, the third and fourth operating units can be manipulated by the thumb of the hand gripping the first or second grip portion, respectively. The operating device further includes a vibration imparting mechanism for imparting vibrations to the user's hands.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system including a machine capable of retrieving data from a recording medium and of executing a program retrieved from the recording medium in response to an instruction given by an operator to the machine. Particularly, the invention relates to a system which comprises of such machine and a control unit connected to the machine for controlling the machine. The control unit includes: a housing; a pair of diverging grips which are molded integral with said housing and are supportable by both palms of the operator; a plurality of finger-manipulatable controllers mounted on the housing; and a vibration motor mounted within at least one of the grips via a adapter. The vibration motor includes: a casing; a freely rotatable shaft supported by the casing; an eccentric member, mounted on the shaft, having a rotor mounted on the shaft and a plurality of coils mounted on the rotor.

Abstract: A control apparatus includes a pressure-sensitive device for providing an analog signal responsive to an applied pressure, a level segmenting unit for segmenting the analog signal into output levels and an analog-to-digital (A/D) converting unit for converting the segmented analog signal into a digital signal having a plurality of bits.

Abstract: An operating device used in a game machine for playing a television game includes a main body portion and first and second grip portions protruding from one side of the main body portion. A first operating unit is mounted on one end of the main body portion and a second operating unit is mounted on the opposite end of the main body portion. The first and second operating units are each provided with at least one signal input element operable to generate a signal. A third operating unit and a fourth operating unit are mounted to the main body portion adjacent the first and second grip portions. Each of the third and fourth operating units has at least one signal input element operable to generate a signal. When the first and second grip portions are gripped, the third and fourth operating units can be manipulated by the thumb of the hand gripping the first or second grip portion, respectively. The operating device further includes a vibration imparting mechanism for imparting vibrations to the user's hands.

Abstract: An operating device used in a game machine for playing a television game includes a main body portion and first and second grip portions protruding from one side of the main body portion. A first operating unit is mounted on one end of the main body portion and a second operating unit is mounted on the opposite end of the main body portion. The first and second operating units are each provided with at least one signal input element operable to generate a signal. A third operating unit and a fourth operating unit are mounted to the main body portion adjacent the first and second grip portions. Each of the third and fourth operating units has at least one signal input element operable to generate a signal. When the first and second grip portions are gripped, the third and fourth operating units can be manipulated by the thumb of the hand gripping the first or second grip portion, respectively. The operating device further includes a vibration imparting mechanism for imparting vibrations to the user's hands.

Abstract: An analog operation is possible by a pressing operation of a controller which is normally used for conventional digital operation. A detecting device (e.g., a pressure-sensitive device) for outputting an analog signal corresponding to the pressing operation by the controller is provided, the analog signal which is outputted by the detecting device is segmented into levels by a level segmenting unit, and the segmented analog signal is converted into a digital signal having a plurality of bits corresponding to the output level by an A/D converting unit. A segmenting-range setting unit (such as a memory) for setting the range of output levels of the analog signal which is segmented by the level segmenting unit is also provided. The level segmenting unit segments the output level of the analog signal which is outputted by the detecting device within the range which is set by the segmenting-range setting unit.

Abstract: An operating device is capable of both digital operation and analog operation by using a pressing operation continuously. The operating device has detecting elements (e.g., pressure-sensitive elements) for outputting analog signals according to the pressing operations of operators, and is configured such that the analog signals output from the detecting elements are subjected to level dividing by a level dividing unit and converted into multi-bit digital signals corresponding to the output levels thereof by an A/D converting unit. The operating device is also configured so as to output single-bit digital signals according to a change in the analog signals output from the detecting element. A switching unit outputs one or the other of the multi-bit digital signals and single-bit digital signals.

Abstract: An operating device used in a game machine for playing a television game includes a main body portion and first and second grip portions protruding from one side of the main body portion. A first operating unit is mounted on one end of the main body portion and a second operating unit is mounted on the opposite end of the main body portion. The first and second operating units are each provided with at least one signal input element operable to generate a signal. A third operating unit and a fourth operating unit are mounted to the main body portion adjacent the first and second grip portions. Each of the third and fourth operating units has at least one signal input element operable to generate a signal. When the first and second grip portions are gripped, the third and fourth operating units can be manipulated by the thumb of the hand gripping the first or second grip portion, respectively. The operating device further includes a vibration imparting mechanism for imparting vibrations to the user's hands.