Abstract: A linear head module includes linear motors each of which includes a movable element and a stator. The movable element includes a shaft having a shaft axis, and magnets fixed to the shaft. The stator includes a coil and a back yoke having a back yoke axis. The movable element is inserted into the back yoke movably along the shaft axis such that the shaft axis substantially coincides with the back yoke axis. The back yoke includes a protruding portion protruding outwardly. The coil is fixed to the back yoke to face the magnets. The linear motors are arranged such that the protruding portion of a first linear motor among the linear motors protrudes along a first protruding direction different from a second protruding direction along which the protruding portion of a second linear motor among the linear motors protrudes.

Abstract: A supply and demand adjusting device: sets a requested reduction amount of energy at date and time when energy usage is scheduled to be reduced to be larger than a target value, and notifies a supply and demand mediating device of the requested reduction amount and the scheduled date and time together; receives a total amount of reducible energy reducible by the consumer from the supply and demand mediating device as a reply to the notification; as the scheduled date and time approaches, inquires of the supply and demand mediating device about a total amount of reducible energy reducible by the consumer at the time of the inquiry; decreases the requested reduction amount stepwise so as to make the requested reduction amount approach the target value; and each time the requested reduction amount is decreased notifies the supply and demand mediating device of the resultant requested reduction amount.

Abstract: An OLT 1 sequentially allocates transmission permission of a packet on an upstream transmission line to a plurality of ONUs 2 registered, and performs packet communication in a simplified method with control by using a first timer for detecting a packet signal and a second timer for controlling transmission permission time, in order to transmit an IP packet of variable length without mounting a function of complex processing for analyzing an upstream packet in the OLT 1.

Abstract: An OLT 1 sequentially allocates transmission permission of a packet on an upstream transmission line to a plurality of ONUs 2 registered, and performs packet communication in a simplified method with control by using a first timer for detecting a packet signal and a second timer for controlling transmission permission time, in order to transmit an IP packet of variable length without mounting a function of complex processing for analyzing an upstream packet in the OLT 1.