Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a rotatable image bearing member; a developing unit configured to supply a developer onto the image bearing member; a transfer unit configured to transfer the developer on the image bearing member to a recording medium by a transfer voltage being applied to the transfer unit by a voltage applying unit; and a cleaning unit configured to remove the developer on the image bearing member, wherein when the apparatus stops an image forming operation halfway, the apparatus executes a recovery operation in which the image bearing member is rotated while the voltage applying unit applies a voltage to the transfer unit so that a part of the developer remaining on the image bearing member is once transferred from the image bearing member to the transfer unit, transferred again from the transfer unit to the image bearing member, and then removed by the cleaning unit.

Abstract: Provided is a remanufacturing method of a developer accommodating unit including a flexible container provided with an opening and configured to accommodate developer, and a frame member configured to accommodate the flexible container. The remanufacturing method includes refilling the developer into the flexible container.

Abstract: Provided is a remanufacturing method of a developer accommodating unit including a frame member configured to accommodate a flexible container for accommodating developer. The remanufacturing method includes taking out the flexible container from the inside of the frame member, and refilling the developer into the flexible container.

Abstract: An image-capturing apparatus includes an image-capturing device having an image-capturing surface, a shutter unit having an aperture configured to allow light from an object to pass through the aperture, and a controller that controls the shutter unit. The shutter unit includes a curtain unit that selectively executes an opening operation of opening the aperture and a closing operation of closing the aperture, and an actuator that drives the curtain unit. The controller is operable to control the shutter unit to execute: an image-capturing operation in which the shutter unit executes the closing operation after resetting an electric charge stored in the image-capturing device; and a pre-driving operation in which the actuator drives the curtain with a small motion before executing the image-capturing operation.

Abstract: An inspection device includes first and second electro-optical systems, a first detector, and a shape calculation unit. The first electro-optical system irradiates an object to be inspected with a first electron beam to cause an irradiation mark to be placed on the object to be inspected. The second electro-optical system irradiates the object to be inspected with a second electron beam. The first detector detects a secondary electron generated from the object to be inspected in response to the irradiation by the second electron beam, and outputs a first signal based on the irradiation mark. The shape calculation unit calculates a three-dimensional shape of the object to be inspected based on the first signal, an irradiation direction of the first electron beam, and an irradiation direction of the second electron beam.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which executes, after an image forming operation is stopped, a cleaning operation in which toner that remains on an intermediate transfer belt is transferred to a photosensitive drum and is removed by a cleaning blade while the image forming apparatus causes the intermediate transfer belt to move for circulation, causes a charging roller or a laser scanner to change the surface potential of the photosensitive drum such that the toner to be transferred from the intermediate transfer belt to the photosensitive drum is part of the toner that is to remain on the intermediate transfer belt, when the cleaning operation is executed.

Abstract: A target primary pressure and a target secondary pressure are set based on a speed ratio, a target line pressure as a target value of a line pressure is set to be a value obtained by adding an offset amount, as a positive value, to either one having a higher value out of the target primary pressure and the target secondary pressure, in at least a cross-point region as a region where an absolute value of a deviation, obtained by subtracting the target primary pressure from the target secondary pressure, is smaller than a predetermined deviation, and a primary pressure, a secondary pressure, and the line pressure are controlled to be the target primary pressure, the target secondary pressure, and the target line pressure, respectively.

Abstract: A stroboscopic device includes a flash discharge tube having an anode and a cathode, and an auxiliary light emitter for emitting light toward cathode. The auxiliary light emitter includes a light-receiving element for measuring a light intensity of external light near the flash discharge tube, a comparator for comparing the light intensity of light received by the light-receiving element with a predetermined threshold immediately before or substantially simultaneously with the light-emission timing of the flash discharge tube, and a lighting section that is lit when the light intensity is lower than the predetermined threshold based on a result of comparison by the comparator. This achieves a stroboscopic device and image pickup device that can stably emit light from the flash discharge tube irrespective of the surrounding environment.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an object distribution analysis apparatus includes a coordinate acquiring module configured to acquire coordinate data on plural objects, and an object pair generator configured to generate plural object pairs, each of which includes two objects among the plural objects. The apparatus further includes an azimuth calculator configured to calculate an azimuth of a line segment connecting the objects of each object pair, and a first factor calculator configured to calculate a first factor which depends on azimuths of line segments of the plural object pairs.

Abstract: A configuration compensates for the pressure in a housing, in which at least one housing wall has a pressure compensation opening which is sealed with a semi-permeable membrane. The membrane is fixed, at least in a material fit to the housing wall and is covered by a protective element. Accordingly, the housing wall has, in the region of the pressure compensation opening, an indentation and/or recess for receiving the membrane. The respective periphery thereof corresponds to a periphery of the membrane and the height thereof corresponds at least to the thickness of the membrane.

Abstract: In a voice recognizing apparatus, a voice recognizing method, and a program for recognizing voice are provided to carry out voice recognition with high precision. When a call receiving unit in which a plurality of telephone numbers for receiving are assigned to respective contents of calls receives a call from a caller, a calling voice signal input device inputs a calling voice signal of the call, and a receiving telephone number input device inputs the receiving telephone number of the call. A voice correction device then carries out voice correction processing for the calling voice signal in accordance with the receiving telephone number and a voice recognizing device executes voice recognition processing for the calling voice signal in accordance with the receiving telephone number.

Abstract: A transmission controller determines whether a shift is a kickdown, and when the shift is determined as the kickdown, the target line pressure is increased to a first target pressure corresponding to an input torque to a continuously variable transmission increased by the kickdown; the transmission controller then determines whether the line pressure has reached the first target pressure, and if determined that the line pressure has reached the first target pressure, the target line pressure is increased to a second target pressure higher than the first target pressure.

Abstract: An image-capturing apparatus includes an image-capturing device having an image-capturing surface, a shutter unit having an aperture configured to allow light from an object to pass through the aperture, and a controller that controls the shutter unit. The shutter unit includes a curtain unit that selectively executes an opening operation of opening the aperture and a closing operation of closing the aperture, and an actuator that drives the curtain unit. The controller is operable to control the shutter unit to execute: an image-capturing operation in which the shutter unit executes the closing operation after resetting an electric charge stored in the image-capturing device; and a pre-driving operation in which the actuator drives the curtain with a small motion before executing the image-capturing operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: at least one image bearing member; a developing device for forming a developer image by developing a latent image formed on a surface of the image bearing member; a cleaning device, including a cleaning blade for collecting a developer on the image bearing member; a discriminating portion for discriminating whether or not a cleaning sequence in which an amount of the developer to be conveyed to the cleaning device is adjusted is to be performed; and a stop detecting portion for detecting the stop of an operation of the image forming apparatus. When the operation of the image forming apparatus is resumed after the stop detecting means detects stop of the operation of the image forming apparatus, the discriminating means discriminates, before the image bearing member is operated, whether or not the cleaning sequence is to be performed.

Abstract: In a hydraulic control circuit including a solenoid valve, whose change responsiveness in an actual pressure with respect to a change in an instructional pressure deteriorates when the instructional pressure enters a dead band region on a lower pressure side than a dead band threshold, for adjusting a hydraulic pressure supplied to a hydraulic device operated by the hydraulic pressure based on the instructional pressure, the instructional pressure is increased in a stepwise manner to a charge pressure higher than the dead band threshold, when the instructional pressure is set in the dead band region and the instructional pressure increases within the dead band region to such an extent that a speed ratio does not change. Then, a lower limit of the instructional pressure is set to the dead band threshold, and use of the dead band region is prohibited for a certain period of time.

Abstract: A target primary pressure and a target secondary pressure are set based on a speed ratio, a target line pressure as a target value of a line pressure is set to be a value obtained by adding an offset amount, as a positive value, to either one having a higher value out of the target primary pressure and the target secondary pressure, in at least a cross-point region as a region where an absolute value of a deviation, obtained by subtracting the target primary pressure from the target secondary pressure, is smaller than a predetermined deviation, and a primary pressure, a secondary pressure, and the line pressure are controlled to be the target primary pressure, the target secondary pressure, and the target line pressure, respectively.

Abstract: An inspection device includes first and second electro-optical systems, a first detector, and a shape calculation unit. The first electro-optical system irradiates an object to be inspected with a first electron beam to cause an irradiation mark to be placed on the object to be inspected. The second electro-optical system irradiates the object to be inspected with a second electron beam. The first detector detects a secondary electron generated from the object to be inspected in response to the irradiation by the second electron beam, and outputs a first signal based on the irradiation mark. The shape calculation unit calculates a three-dimensional shape of the object to be inspected based on the first signal, an irradiation direction of the first electron beam, and an irradiation direction of the second electron beam.

Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection apparatus includes: an ultrasonic probe apparatus including an ultrasonic transducer; a drive element selecting section that selects a required piezoelectric vibrator of the ultrasonic transducer; a signal detecting circuit that detects an electric signal dependent on a reflected echo of an ultrasonic wave emitted from the selected piezoelectric vibrator; a signal processing section that produces data on an internal image of the inspection object based on the detected reflected echo; a second display unit that combines multiple pieces of image data acquired from the signal processing section and displays an integrated visualization data result; and an second input unit that is used to perform an operation command such as a command input to start or terminate an inspection or an a command to set inspection condition.

Abstract: An interchangeable lens includes a zoom lens, a driver configured to drive the zoom lens, an operation unit configured to receive a user's operation for changing a magnification of the zoom lens, and a controller configured to control the driver according to the operation of the operation unit. The controller controls the driver in either one of a first operation mode for enabling the zoom lens to stop at an arbitrary position according to the operation of the operation unit and a second operation mode for enabling the zoom lens to stop at one of discrete predetermined stop positions according to the operation of the operation unit.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an inspection apparatus includes an electron beam applying unit, a voltage applying unit, a substantially flat component with a lattice pattern, and a first detector. The electron beam applying unit generates an electron beam and applies the electron beam to a sample at a first voltage. The voltage applying unit applies a second voltage to the sample. The polarity of the second voltage is opposite to that of the first voltage. The absolute value of the second voltage exceeds the absolute value of the first voltage. The component is provided at a position where the electron beam specularly reflected by the second voltage before reaching the sample is focused. The first detector detects a secondary electron generated from the component which the specularly reflected electron beam has entered and outputs a first signal.