Abstract: A positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery, including a positive electrode current collector; and a positive electrode mixture layer that is provided on at least one side of the positive electrode current collector, the positive electrode mixture layer including a positive electrode active material layer, and an undercoat layer formed between the positive electrode current collector and the positive electrode active material layer, the undercoat layer containing a conductive auxiliary, a binder, and a thermally expandable microcapsule having a maximum volume expansion temperature of from 70° C. to 180° C.

Abstract: A glass wool which has physical properties required for a heat insulation material, can be produced industrially, can have reduced hygroscopicity, and has a novel compounding composition. The glass wool having the following glass composition: SiO2: 60.0 to 65.0% by mass inclusive, Al2O3: 0.5 to 2.0% by mass inclusive, Na2O and K2O: 13.0 to 17.0% by mass inclusive, MgO and CaO: 8.0 to 12.0% by mass inclusive, B2O3: 5.0 to 12.0% by mass inclusive, and others: a remainder.

Abstract: A face detection device has a classifier configured to determine, while scanning an image with a search window, whether a partial image in the search window is a face image with use of an image feature based on a difference in luminance between local regions in the partial image. The face detection device determines whether the partial image in the search window is a low-luminance image, and performs determination by the classifier with use of a changed partial image obtained by changing a luminance of a pixel in a predetermined position in the partial image instead of the partial image when determined that the partial image is a low-luminance image.

Abstract: A glass wool which has physical properties required for a heat insulation material, can be produced industrially, can have reduced hygroscopicity, and has a novel compounding composition. The glass wool having the following glass composition: SiO2: 60.0 to 65.0% by mass inclusive, Al2O3: 0.5 to 2.0% by mass inclusive, Na2O and K2O: 13.0 to 17.0% by mass inclusive, MgO and CaO: 8.0 to 12.0% by mass inclusive, B2O3: 5.0 to 12.0% by mass inclusive, and others: a remainder.

Abstract: A floppy disk drive includes a frame having a bottom portion and left and right walls and a casing for covering the frame. The casing includes an upper cover for covering an upper side of the frame and a lower cover for covering a lower side of the frame, in which the upper cover has a top plate and left and right side plates, and the lower cover has a bottom plate and left and right plates. Each of the side walls of the frame is designed so as to have size and height that are partially overlapped with the side plate of the upper cover and the side plate of the lower cover, respectively, at each side of the casing, thereby providing a triplex structure for reinforcing each side of the casing.

Abstract: An optical fiber inspecting system comprises a waveform measuring unit for measuring an OTDR waveform for an optical fiber and a waveform evaluating unit for evaluating an anomaly within the optical fiber through a use of the measured waveform. The waveform evaluating unit comprises a calculating part and a detecting part. The calculating part calculates the gradient and the amount of change in gradient of the waveform at each time point by means of a gradient calculating section and a gradient change amount calculating section. The detecting part determines whether or not the gradient and the amount of change in gradient are within a defined allowable range of gradient and a defined allowable range of amount of change, respectively, by way of a gradient determining section and a gradient change amount determining section.

Abstract: A floppy disk drive includes a frame having a bottom portion and left and right walls and a casing for covering the frame. The casing includes an upper cover for covering an upper side of the frame and a lower cover for covering a lower side of the frame, in which the upper cover has a top plate and left and right side plates, and the lower cover has a bottom plate and left and right plates. Each of the side walls of the frame is designed so as to have size and height that are partially overlapped with the side plate of the upper cover and the side plate of the lower cover, respectively, at each side of the casing, thereby providing a triplex structure for reinforcing each side of the casing.

Abstract: An optical fiber inspecting system 1A comprises a waveform measuring unit 2 for measuring an OTDR waveform for an optical fiber F to be inspected and a waveform evaluating unit 3 for evaluating an anomaly within the optical fiber through a use of the measured waveform. Furthermore, the waveform evaluating unit 3 comprises a calculating part 4 and a detecting part 5. The calculating part 4 calculates the gradient and the amount of change in gradient of the waveform at each time point by means of a gradient calculating section 41 and a gradient change amount calculating section 42. The detecting part 5 determines whether or not the gradient and the amount of change in gradient are within a defined allowable range of gradient and a defined allowable range of amount of change, respectively, by means of a gradient determining section 51 and a gradient change amount determining section 52.

Abstract: An optical fiber inspecting system 1A comprises a waveform measuring unit 2 for measuring an OTDR waveform for an optical fiber F to be inspected and a waveform evaluating unit 3 for evaluating an anomaly within the optical fiber. The waveform evaluating unit 3 comprises a calculating part 4 and a detecting part 5. The calculating part 4 calculates the gradient and the amount of change in gradient of the waveform at each time point. The detecting part 5 determines whether or not the gradient and the amount of change in gradient are within a defined allowable range of gradient and a defined allowable range of amount of change, respectively. This realizes an optical fiber inspecting system, an inspection method and a selecting method, all of which enable to detect reliably an anomaly within an optical fiber through an OTDR waveform.

Abstract: An optical fiber for optical amplification used for 1.58 &mgr;m band signal light amplification, at least a core region thereof being doped with Er has a core region at least a part thereof made of silica glass co-doped with Ge and Al together with Er, and Er average atomic concentration in the core region is from 1000 wt-ppm to 3000 wt-ppm inclusive, and cutoff wavelength is from 1.3 &mgr;m to 1.5 &mgr;m inclusive.

Abstract: Disclosed are an optical amplifier and an optical transmission system using the same in which not only can the dispersion of optical waveguide paths for optical amplification be easily and sufficiently compensated, but also the waveform degradation of signal light can be restrained. An optical amplifier according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises at least two erbium-doped fibers 10 and 20, having erbium doped to optically amplify signal light with the pump light, and having dispersion different from each other in sign, and being connected together in series, and two pump light sources 11 and 12 for supplying pump light to them.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a light-amplifying optical fiber comprising a structure for realizing a flat gain characteristic or oscillation characteristic in a wider wavelength band, and a method of making the same. The light-amplifying optical fiber according to the present invention comprises a second doped area containing a first doped area including an optical axis center and having a larger outer diameter than the first doped area. The second doped area is doped with at least one of Al2O3, P2O5, Y2O3, and B2O3 as an oxide of an element having a valence different from that of a cation constituting a main material of the light-amplifying optical fiber; whereas the first doped area is doped with at least one of Er, Nd, Tm, Yb, and Pr as a rare-earth element together with the oxide.

Abstract: An unscheduled terminal unit is prevented from being connected to conference communication or a scheduled terminal unit is prevented from being not connected to the conference communication, and security of the conference communication is improved, and also, a conference server for interconnecting many terminal units is connected to a private branch exchange and reservation tables for using the conference server are provided in order to surely charge users for conference communication service. When an incoming call for requesting connection of the conference communication comes to the private branch exchange, the validation is identified by whether the incoming call has been registered in the reservation tables or not, and the connection is rejected for the invalid incoming call.

Abstract: An optical fiber inspecting system 1A comprises a waveform measuring unit 2 for measuring an OTDR waveform for an optical fiber F to be inspected and a waveform evaluating unit 3 for evaluating an anomaly within the optical fiber through a use of the measured waveform. Furthermore, the waveform evaluating unit 3 comprises a calculating part 4 and a detecting part 5. The calculating part 4 calculates the gradient and the amount of change in gradient of the waveform at each time point by means of a gradient calculating section 41 and a gradient change amount calculating section 42. The detecting part 5 determines whether or not the gradient and the amount of change in gradient are within a defined allowable range of gradient and a defined allowable range of amount of change, respectively, by means of a gradient determining section 51 and a gradient change amount determining section 52.

Abstract: An optical fiber for optical amplification used for 1.58 &mgr;m band signal light amplification, at least a core region thereof being doped with Er has a core region at least a part thereof made of silica glass co-doped with Ge and Al together with Er, and Er average atomic concentration in the core region is from 1000 wt-ppm to 3000 wt-ppm inclusive, and cutoff wavelength is from 1.3 &mgr;m to 1.5 &mgr;m inclusive.

Abstract: An optical fiber for optical amplification used for 1.58 &mgr;m band signal light amplification, at least a core region thereof being doped with Er has a core region at least a part thereof made of silica glass co-doped with Ge and Al together with Er, and Er average atomic concentration in the core region is from 1000 wt-ppm to 3000 wt-ppm inclusive, and cutoff wavelength is from 1.3 &mgr;m to 1.5 &mgr;m inclusive.

Abstract: An optical fiber is for optical amplification used for 1.58 &mgr;m band signal light amplification, at least a core region thereof being doped with Er. At least a part of the core region is made of silica glass co-doped with Ge and Al together with Er. The Er average atomic concentration in the core region is from 1500 wt-ppm to 3000 wt-ppm inclusive, and cutoff wavelength is from 0.8 &mgr;m to 1.1 &mgr;m inclusive.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an OFA having a high signal gain, easily manufactured, having a high mechanical strength, having a small splice loss with respect to other optical fibers, and rarely encountering the occurrence of noise at a signal wavelength. The OFA according to the present invention has a function of amplifying signals propagating therethroug by pumping light supplied thereto, and comprises, at least, a core region, an inner cladding region provided on the periphery of the core region, an outer cladding region provided on the periphery of the inner cladding region, and one or more node coupling gratings. An element for signal amplification is added to at least the core region. The core region has a structure ensuring a core mode with respect to the signals, while the inner cladding region has a structure ensuring a multi-mode with respect to the pumping light.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fiber optic amplifier comprising a structure enabling favorable signal amplification characteristics to be maintained even in an environment exposed to radiation. The fiber optic amplifier according to the present invention comprises a bleaching system for restoring glass defects generated within an optical fiber for amplification upon exposure to ultraviolet rays. This bleaching system carries out at least one of optical bleaching and thermal bleaching for the optical fiber for amplification. The optical bleaching is effected when bleaching light having a shorter wavelength shorter and a higher power than pumping light is supplied into the optical fiber for amplification, whereas the fiber optic amplifier has a structure which can introduce and eliminate the bleaching light.

Abstract: Disclosed are an optical amplifier and an optical transmission system using the same in which not only can the dispersion of optical waveguide paths for optical amplification be easily and sufficiently compensated, but also the waveform degradation of signal light can be restrained. An optical amplifier according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises at least two erbium-doped fibers 10 and 20, having erbium doped to optically amplify signal light with the pump light, and having dispersion different from each other in sign, and being connected together in series, and two pump light sources 11 and 12 for supplying pump light to them.