Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, the auto-focusing process and the photometry system may be coupled such that when a multi-area AF system is set, the setting of the auto-focusing areas of the multi-area AF system is performed in accordance with a selected photometry system. More specifically, when an average metering system is selected as the photometry system, nine AF areas are set such that the AF areas are distributed throughout the whole image. When a center-weighted metering system is selected as the photometry system, four AF areas are set in the vicinity of the middle of the image. When a spot metering system is selected as the photometry system, one AF area is set in the vicinity of the middle of the image.

Abstract: An optical device includes a metal film that has a first plane and a second plane electrically connected to the first plane. For example, the second plane is integrally formed with the first plane. The second plane is arranged at an obtuse angle ? (90°<?<180°) with respect to the first plane. An optical semiconductor chip is mounted on the second plane of the metal film, and a light-transmitting sealing material seals the optical semiconductor chip. The light-transmitting sealing material has the metal film provided on a surface thereof.

Abstract: A label sheet is constituted by a second label and predetermined plural numbers of first labels which are formed consecutively with the second label. The first label to be attached to an object indicates predetermined information on the object, and the second label for managing the first label indicates second information which is not appropriate as the information to be indicated on the first label and is on the purpose and handling of the first label.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes: an inductance element and a rectifier element connected in series between a voltage input terminal to accept input direct current voltage and a first output terminal; a switching element connected between a connection node of the inductance element and the rectifier element and a reference potential point; and a controlling circuit to form a signal to control on/off of the switching element. The controlling circuit controls on/off of the switching element to control current through the inductance element, and a voltage applied to the voltage input terminal to accept the input direct current voltage is output via a second output terminal as a reference potential of a circuit at a latter stage, so that an output voltage is controllable from a lower to higher voltage than the input direct current voltage without switching step-up and step-down operations.

Abstract: An antenna apparatus includes: an antenna element; and a substrate on which a low noise amplifier is mounted and on which the antenna element is disposed, wherein the substrate comprises: an input unit for inputting an electric signal into the low noise amplifier from an output terminal formed at a lower part of the antenna element; an output unit for outputting the electric signal to a transmission unit connected to a signal processing unit for processing the electric signal from the antenna element; and a signal blocking unit provided between the input unit and the output unit.

Abstract: Disclosed are an ultrasonic testing system and an ultrasonic testing technique for a pipe member capable of detecting minute flaws of several hundreds of microns or less located at positions in the wall thickness inside portion of a welded portion of a seam-welded pipe and the like without omission and further easily setting optimum conditions when the size of the pipe is changed. A transmitting beam, which is focused to the welded portion at an oblique angle, is transmitted using a part of the group of transducer elements of a linear array probe as a group of transducer elements for transmission, a receiving beam, which is focused at the focusing position of the transmitting beam at an oblique angle, is formed using the transducer elements of a portion different from the above group of transducer elements for transmission as a group of transducer elements for reception, and a flaw echo is received from the welded portion.

Abstract: In an imaging apparatus, an imaging element picks up an object image focused thereon through an image pickup lens. An angle-rate sensor detects a shake amount of the imaging apparatus. An optical shake-compensation unit is prepared to move the image pickup lens based on the shake amount detected by the angle-rate sensor to compensate for a shake of the object image. A base plate shake-compensation unit is prepared to move the imaging element based on the shake amount detected by the angle-rate sensor to compensate for a shake of the object image and a control unit selectively controls operation of the optical shake-compensation unit and operation of the base plate shake-compensation unit, thereby compensating for a shake of the object image focused on the imaging element.

Abstract: A transistor array panel includes switching elements provided in intersecting portions between gate and data lines, and display electrodes connected to the switching elements. A conductive film pattern is provided to be electrically insulated from the gate and data lines, and display electrodes, and to be overlapped on the display electrodes, thereby forming a storage capacitance between each of the display electrodes and the conductive film pattern. A protection circuit is electrically connected to the gate and data lines, and disposed in an outer peripheral portion of a display region in which the switching elements and the display electrodes are formed on the one side of the substrate. A common line is insulated from the protection circuit, connected to the conductive film pattern, and provided to be insulated from the protection circuit and to be at least partially overlapped on the protection circuit, in the outer peripheral portion of the display region.

Abstract: A tandem type color image forming apparatus which executes color misregistration correction, including: a detecting section which detects a width of a transfer sheet; an image forming section having an image carrier, on which arranged side by side are an image area where formed is an image for transfer and a non-image area where formed is an imprint image; and a control section which selects a complex or a single correction mode based on the transfer sheet width, to execute correction processing; where the complex correction mode is an operation mode of forming in parallel the image for transfer in the image area and the imprint image in the non-image area, and the single correction mode is an operation mode of suspending to form the image for transfer in the image area, and executing only to form the imprint image in the non-image area or in the image area.

Abstract: CPU instructs RF controlling section to switch RF section from an inoperative mode to an operation mode and from the operation mode to the inoperative mode. When all of five pieces of sub-frame data have not been acquired, RF section is switched intermittently from the inoperative mode to the operation mode in synchronization with transmission of lacking sub-frame data, thereby acquiring such lacking sub-frame data. When all the five pieces of sub-frame data have been acquired, the current position is calculated using positional information contained in the sub-frame data. A part of five pieces of sub-frame data including the first to fifth sub-frame data transmitted from a satellite in a time series manner is acquired from GPS signal received in the operation mode, and the remaining part of the five pieces of sub-frame data is acquired in operation mode set at other timing, and then the positional information is judged based on the five pieces of sub-frame data acquired in the above manner.

Abstract: A disposable diaper having: an elastic portion where a plurality of elastic members is provided along a width direction with an interval of not more than 7.0 mm in a longitudinal direction, and a non-elastic portion wherein the non-elastic portion is in a center of at least one of a front side and a back side and the elastic portion is provided in a region including right-and-left side portions except the non-elastic portion, and a difference between a maximum product width obtained when the body peripheral region is extended to a limit of extension in a product width direction and a contracted product width obtained when the body peripheral region is in a non-extended contraction state is from 100 to 250 mm in a state where the front side and the back side are overlapped.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for pattern formation and an apparatus for pattern formation, the method comprising: applying, between partition lines for pattern formation formed on a surface of a base member, a resin composition for pattern formation having small compatibility or substantially no compatibility with a resin forming the partition lines for pattern formation, in a state in which the surface of the base member with the partition lines for pattern formation formed whereon is placed face down; maintaining the state in which the resin composition for pattern formation is held on the surface of the base member that is placed face down in order to form the resin composition for pattern formation applied between the partition lines for pattern formation into a downward convex shape; and curing the resin composition for pattern formation that is formed into the downward convex shape in order to form a pattern.

Abstract: In an antenna device of a wristwatch, a pair of external magnetic members each attached to a respective one of both ends of a magnetic core effectively collects the magnetic flux of a standard time and frequency signal. The collected magnetic flux passes through the core around which a coil is wound, thereby inducing an electromotive force and hence improving the reception accuracy of the signal. The pair of external magnetic members screens out undesirable external magnetism which would otherwise influence motors that drive a hand shaft and hands, thereby achieving accurate hand driving and improving the high watch accuracy.

Abstract: A head cap for an aerosol type atomizer is proposed in which a residual gas that remains in the container after the use of the aerosol type atomizer is ended are discharged easily and safely, and which is so structured that the aerosol type atomizer cannot be falsely operated while it is being used.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal layer which is arranged between first and second aligning films formed on inner sides of first and second substrates, has liquid crystal molecules twist-aligned in a direction from the first aligning film toward the second aligning film when an electric field is not applied between first and second electrodes, and generates retardation of substantially ?/2 with respect to transmitted light. First and second polarizing plates are arranged on outer sides of the first and second substrates. A Transmission axis or an absorption axis of the first polarizing plate is substantially matched with a direction along which the liquid crystal molecules in the vicinity of the first aligning film are aligned when a sufficiently intensive electric field is applied.

Abstract: A bar-code reading apparatus includes a differential processor which generates a differential signal from an electric signal corresponding to an intensity of light reflected from a bar code, an extreme value detector which detects each extreme value of the differential signal and generates extreme value information including at least an electric signal value of the detected extreme value, a voltage difference calculator which calculates a voltage difference in electric signal between a target extreme value and at least one of extreme values adjacent thereto for each extreme value in the extreme value information, and an extreme value verifying unit which compares the voltage difference with a predetermined threshold value and determines the validity of the extreme value corresponding to the voltage difference for each voltage difference. Information encoded as the bar code is decoded by using extreme value information of the valid extreme value.

Abstract: A shake reduction apparatus comprising a movable-side unit having a movable-side frame provided with a camera unit including a lens and an image sensor, and a movable-side shaft having a spherical surface as an extremity surface thereof; a stationary-side unit having a stationary-side frame provided with a stationary-side shaft having an extremity formed as a spherical surface coming into contact with the extremity of the movable-side shaft, to which the movable-side unit is attached; linear actuators disposed between the movable-side frame and the stationary-side frame to drive the movable-side unit to rotate about two orthogonal axes; a movement detection unit for detecting a movement of a camera about the two orthogonal axes; and a controller for controlling the linear actuators to cause the movable-side unit to move so as to cancel the movement of the camera when the movement detection unit detects the movement of the camera.

Abstract: The present invention is applied to a tuner module comprising a circuit as a constituent component for tuning at the time of radio signal reception and a metal case made of aluminum and receiving the circuit. The circuit includes at least one IC component. In the metal case, a heat conductive sheet is attached between the at least one IC component and the metal case so as to be in contact with them. Furthermore, a heat radiating sheet is attached to an outer surface of the metal case.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device, re-wiring is provided on a circuit element formation region of a semiconductor substrate. A columnar electrode for connection with a circuit board is provided on the rewiring. A first insulating film is provided over the semiconductor substrate excluding a connection pad, and a ground potential layer connected to a ground potential is provided on an upper surface of the first insulating film. A re-wiring is provided over the ground potential layer with a second insulating film interposed. The ground potential layer serves as a barrier layer for preventing crosstalk between the re-wiring and circuit element formation region. A thin-film circuit element is provided on the second insulating film, and a second ground potential layer is provided as a second barrier layer over the thin-film circuit element with an insulating film interposed. Re-wiring is provided over the second ground potential layer.