Abstract: A printer includes a first ink-jet head which is fixed, and a second ink-jet head which is movable selectively to a first position which is opposite to an upper surface of a recording paper by an reversing-mechanism, and a second position which is opposite to a lower surface of the recording paper by the reversing-mechanism. Accordingly, it is possible to carry out printing on both surfaces of the recording paper, and it is possible to realize a high-speed printing and a high quality printing at the time of single-face printing.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head is provided, in which a light source with a sufficient power is disposed in the element-integration surface to improve mass-productivity. The head comprises, in an element-integration surface of a substrate: a light source; a waveguide for propagating light from the light source; and a magnetic pole for generating write field. Further, the edge along optical axis of the light source is set to be parallel with or inclined from the edge on the opposed-to-medium surface side of the element-integration surface. In the head, since the light source is disposed in the element-integration surface, the construction of the optical system can be completed in the stage of a wafer process. This construction can be relatively facilitated and simplified; thus, mass-productivity in the head manufacturing can be improved. Further, a light source with a sufficient power (cavity length) can be disposed in the element-integration surface.

Abstract: Provided is a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head capable of setting the near-field light (NFL-) emission point to be sufficiently close to the write-field-generating portion. The head comprises a magnetic pole, a waveguide propagating light, and a NFL-generator coupled with the light in surface plasmon mode. The NFL-generator comprises a propagation edge extending to the NFL-generating end surface, at least a portion of the propagation edge being opposed to the waveguide with a distance, and the magnetic pole has a surface contact with a surface portion of the NFL-generator including no propagation edge. Therefore, the distance between the magnetic-pole end surface and the NFL-generating end surface becomes zero. The propagation edge is not contacted with the magnetic pole. Accordingly, the surface plasmon can propagate along on the propagation edge without being absorbed by the pole. Thus, the NFL-emission point is ensured to be at the end point of the propagation edge.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the transmission of contents among a plurality of audio/video (AV) devices by using a general purpose network In case of transmitting the contents held in a first device (source) to a second device (sink) by way of a designated transmission path, information relating to the transfer protocol for transmitting the contents is added to each content when the contents information held in the first device is disclosed to a controller on the network. Transmission management is performed based on the information on the transfer protocol added to each content when starting transmission of the contents between the first device and the second device.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for the provision of data for transmission and/or storage, the transmission and storage of data, and, more particularly, to data coding for transmission and/or storage and to decoding of received and/or accessed or retrieved coded data. In an embodiment of the invention, data is assembled into coded data structures comprising a plurality of fields that, e.g., may contain actual or implied field values, and data associated therewith that relates to the plurality of fields. Encoding and decoding of the data may take place with reference to one or more associated data models, and a coded data structure according to this embodiment may contain content only (field values and data identifying the structure). This allows for a reduction in size of the data structure as compared to, e.g., a data structure comprising program code or all data needed to describe the data in the data structure.

Abstract: A recording apparatus is disclosed which records at least either a video or an audio signal of a broadcast program in accordance with reservation information.

Abstract: A device and method are presented for use in non-invasive measurement of a patient's intra-ocular pressure (IOP). The device comprises a probe unit comprising a flexible membrane which is to be brought into contact with a patient's eyelid thereby enabling a contacting region of the membrane to match a shape of the eyelid defined by the shape of the patient's cornea. The device is configured to enable controllably varying application of force to the membrane against the eyelid and to enable illumination of the membrane at least within the contacting region thereof, the deformation of the illuminated membrane affecting detected light returned from the membrane, thereby enabling identification of a condition of applanation of a desired area of the membrane by identifying desired data indicative of the detected light and allowing the IOP measurement upon identifying said condition.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards generating a public/private key pair prior to registration. The generation of the public/private key pair is performed by the entity to which the key pair is to be associated. The entity may then complete n application. The entity may then employ the generated public/private key pair to digitally sign the application. In one embodiment, the public key is provided with the application to a registration authority. Upon request, the public key and at least some of the application information may be provided to requester for use in identification, authentication, integrity, and/or non-repudiation of the registered entity. In another embodiment, the registration authority or other entity may verify the identity of the registering entity using the application. In one embodiment, the registration authority may select to digitally sign the application to indicate that the information has been verified.

Abstract: A liquid-droplet jetting apparatus includes a pressure-applying mechanism and a channel unit. The channel unit has a stacked body made of a plurality of metal plates. A plurality of pressure chambers arranged in a row in one direction, a plurality of manifolds which are arranged to be mutually adjacent and which extend in the one direction, and a plurality of communication channels each communicating one of the pressure chambers with one of the manifolds are formed in the stacked body. Here, the communication channels have channel resistances which are same. It is possible to divide the manifold into a plurality of divided manifold portions, and the construction of the channel unit as a whole can be made compact while suppressing the variation in jetting characteristic, thereby making the size of the liquid-droplet jetting apparatus to be small.

Abstract: A picture decoding method and apparatus for encoding a video signal. The method includes performing an encoding process on the video signal to generate a bit stream compatible with MPEG 1 moving picture video standard. The method further includes controlling the encoding process so as to generate the bit stream which includes, in a previous picture header, an extension start code indicating the beginning of extension data added when a picture header includes control data that is newly added in MPEG 2 standard format and the extension data, and does not include, in a current picture header, the extension start code and the extension data.

Abstract: Device for difficult intervention in a closed enclosure, including a duct, a first end of which is intended to penetrate within the chamber, the duct being furthermore connected: to a pressure reduction device, the function of which is to lower the pressure within the enclosure; to an outlet duct for extracting the sucked-up material; and to a duct connected to a device for suddenly relieving the pressure and to an opening in the device for bringing the end of the duct into contact with the external air when the pressure within the enclosure reaches a value below a certain threshold.

Abstract: To improve the convenience of a record medium and allow a reproduction process to be more easily performed than before. When a reproduction process 123 that reproduces material data recorded on a disc 32 is executed, a disc information file management section 63 references a reproduction history of a disc information file held in a disc information file hold section 52 and starts reproducing material data from a position according to the reproduction history. When the reproduction process is completed, the disc information file management section 63 updates the reproduction history of the disc information file held in the disc information file hold section 52. A disc information file record control section 82 records the updated disc information file on the disc 32.

Abstract: A magnetic head which includes a core, a coil wound on the core, terminals to which ends of the coil are connected. The magnetic head also includes a substrate on which mounted are a demodulating electronic component for demodulating an analog output signal output from the terminals to create a digital demodulated signal, and an encrypting electronic component for encrypting the demodulated signal to create an encrypted signal. A cable electrically connects the demodulating electronic component and the terminals. A case body stores the core, the coil, the terminals, and the cable. The demodulating electronic component is mounted on one side of the substrate, and the encrypting electronic component is mounted on the other side of the substrate. The substrate is fixed to the case body so that the demodulating electronic component is placed inside the case body while the encrypting electronic component is placed outside the case body.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an I/O device capable of collectively managing and easily editing AV data recorded by a plurality of video cameras with transfer bit rate between devices kept constant, and an I/O management system. The I/O management system according to the present invention comprises: a storage device having a non-linear accessible recording medium; a control unit for controlling output of externally supplied data with respect to the storage device, or input of data from the storage device; and one or more I/O device having a record information management unit for managing, through a file system, record information acquired at the time when data is recorded onto the recording medium, and controls input of data from the storage device on the basis of the record information managed by a file system at the time of reproduction.

Abstract: A picture decoding method and apparatus for encoding a video signal. The method includes performing an encoding process on the video signal to generate a bit stream compatible with MPEG 1 moving picture video standard. The method further includes controlling the encoding process so as to generate the bit stream which includes, a picture coding type in a previous picture header, an extension start code indicating the beginning of extension data added when a picture header includes control data that is newly added in MPEG 2 standard format in the previous header, the extension data in the previous header, and the picture coding type in a current picture header, and does not include the extension start code in the current picture header and the extension data in the current picture header.

Abstract: The inventive method makes it possible to communicate in a network comprising wireless nodes provided with communications means enabling to communicate through a wireless channel and wire nodes provided with communication means enabling to communicate through a wire channel. Said method is characterised in that the wire node repeats a message received exclusively through a wireless channel if a signal acknowledging the message reception is not received, wherein the transmission of said acknowledgement signal is generated in a first time slot upon the reception of the signal though a wire channel.

Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus which discharges a liquid in each of continuing discharge opportunities includes: a discharge head discharging the liquid from nozzles; a controller controlling the discharge head to discharge the liquid from the nozzles; a duty detecting section detecting a value of a duty which is a ratio of a discharge amount of the liquid discharged from the discharge head with respect to a maximum discharge amount of the liquid to be discharged from the discharge head in each of the discharge opportunities; and a wait time determining section determining whether a wait time, in which the liquid is not discharged, is provided after each of the discharge opportunities, based on the values of the duties detected by the duty detecting section in past continuing discharge opportunities including the last discharge opportunity.

Abstract: An image transmitting apparatus includes a region detecting unit detecting, in an image, a region of interest matching a predetermined condition; a resolution converting unit selecting, for reducing resolution of the image, an image passed through a low-pass filter as an image outside the detected region of interest and an image not passed through the low-pass filter as an image inside the region of interest; and a transmitting unit transmitting the image with reduced resolution and positional information of the region of interest. An image receiving apparatus includes a resolution restoring unit performing image quality improvement processing on the region of interest obtained from the positional information and included in the image transmitted from the image transmitting apparatus so as to increase resolution in the region of interest; and a combining unit combining the image inside the processed region of interest with the image outside the region of interest.

Abstract: The present invention provides a robot apparatus that can perform appropriate actions in accordance with the ambient conditions, and a method of controlling the behavior of the robot apparatus.

Abstract: A filter circuit includes: a first weight-coefficient calculating unit calculating first weight coefficients concerning pixel levels in a first pixel and second pixels surrounding the first pixel; a first weight-coefficient adjusting unit replacing, when the first weight coefficients of a pair of the second pixels symmetrically arranged across the first pixel are different from each other, the first weight coefficient of the second pixel having a larger one of the first weight coefficients of the pair of the second pixels with the first weight coefficient of the second pixel having a smaller one of the first weight coefficients; a third weight-coefficient calculating unit integrating the first weight coefficients and second weight coefficients concerning positions of the pixels to calculate third weight coefficients of the pixels; and a correction processing unit correcting the pixel level of the first pixel using the third weight coefficients and the pixel levels of the pixels.