Abstract: The present invention provides processes for producing polyester. In one of the embodiments, the invention provides a process for producing polyester, comprising adding a catalyst in a polycondensation reaction, esterification reaction or transesterification reaction between components comprising at least a polyfunctional alcohol and at least a polyfunctional carboxylic acid or ester-forming derivative of a polyfunctional carboxylic acid to produce the polyester; and obtaining the polyester, wherein the polymerization catalyst comprises an aluminum substance and a phosphorus compound, wherein the aluminum substance is selected from the group consisting of aluminum hydroxide and aluminum alkoxides, and wherein the phosphorus compound has an aromatic ring structure.

Abstract: An integrated circuit configured to provide a microphone output signal, comprising: a preamplifier coupled to receive an input signal, generated by either a first microphone member or a second microphone member, where one of the members is movable relative to the other microphone member; a voltage pump to output a pumped voltage; and a low-pass filter coupled to filter the pumped voltage from the voltage pump and to provide a bias voltage to either microphone member.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a video bit rate control method for encoding a video sequence based on a decoder buffer condition and a group of picture (GOP) size limitation of the encoded video sequence. The method includes iteratively adjusting a quantization parameter and/or a masking strength parameter and encoding the video sequence at the adjusted parameters until the buffer condition and GOP size limitation are satisfied. The method makes the above adjustments to avoid buffer underflow and GOP oversizing.

Abstract: The pressure-adjusting valve provided in the cathode outlet of a fuel cell stack constituting a fuel cell system has a function of adjusting the oxidizing gas pressure in the fuel cell stack according to the adjustment of the valve opening degree. When the exhaust pipe is flooded with water, the pressure inside the exhaust pipe varies from the atmospheric pressure and the opening degree of the pressure-adjusting valve changes. The flooding estimation signal output processing unit of the control unit outputs a flooding estimation signal indicating that the exhaust pipe is flooded when an opening degree difference that is a difference between the opening degree of the pressure-adjusting valve and a preset opening degree corresponding to the operation directed pressure is equal to or greater than a preset threshold opening degree difference. The processing of inhibiting the flowing is performed based on this signal.

Abstract: The aim of the invention is to improve the accuracy of estimating residual water content in a fuel cell system adopting an intermittent operation mode and to accurately suppress cell voltage reduction due to water accumulation caused by the intermittent operation. The fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell having a cell laminate; an estimating unit for estimating a residual water content distribution in a reactant gas flow channel and a moisture content distribution in an electrolyte membrane in a cell plane of each single cell while taking into consideration water transfer that occurs between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode via the electrolyte membrane; and an operation control unit which changes the content of an intermittent operation when a residual water content in the reactant gas flow channel estimated by the estimating unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: Disclosed is a micro-electro-mechanical switch, including a substrate having a gate connection, a source connection, a drain connection and a switch structure, coupled to the substrate. The switch structure includes a beam member, an anchor and a hinge. The beam member having a length sufficient to overhang both the gate connection and the drain connection. The anchor coupling the switch structure to the substrate, the anchor having a width. The hinge coupling the beam member to the anchor at a respective position along the anchor's length, the hinge to flex in response to a charge differential established between the gate and the beam member. The switch structure having gaps between the substrate and the anchor in regions proximate to the hinges.

Abstract: According to a work mounting method by the work transfer apparatus of the prior art, a glass plate or a work may fail to abut against a window frame homogeneously at its peripheral edge portion, and the adhesion strength or the sealing property between the glass plate and the window frame may not be retained all over the periphery of the adhered portion. Provided is a work transfer apparatus, which grips a rear glass by its gripping member and mounts the rear glass while pushing the gripped rear glass onto the window frame of a car body by the action of a supporting arm. The work transfer apparatus comprises a control device, and each of absorption pads of the gripping member includes a force detecting sensor for detecting the force to be applied to the absorption pads.

Abstract: The present invention provides a ferritic stainless steel casting and a sheet thereof excellent in deep drawability, punch stretchability and ridging resistance and a method for producing the casting and the sheet. In the present invention, a chemical composition is controlled so that the amounts of C, N, Si, Mn, P and Ti may be reduced to the utmost for securing high workability and, on the basis of the chemical composition, the roping and ridging of a steel sheet product is reduced by adding Mg, thus dispersing Mg containing oxides that accelerate the formation of nuclei for solidification and, resultantly, suppressing the development of coarse columnar crystals in a casting. The present invention is characterized in that the average composition of the Mg containing oxides dispersing in a casting satisfies the following expressions <2> and <3>, 17.4(Al2O3)+3.9(MgO)+0.3(MgAl2O4)+18.7(CaO)?500??<2>, (Al2O3)+(MgO)+(MgAl2O4)+(CaO)?95??<3>.

Abstract: A software application program interface system and method is provided. A call message may be received that specifies a type of application program to be called from a calling application program that is executing on a computer system. It may be determined whether the computer system has any application programs of the specified type available for execution. If an application program of the specified type is available for execution on the computer system, an application call message may be provided in a format recognized by a particular available application programs of the specified type, and the particular available application program may be called using the application call message.

Abstract: A charge pump circuit can include a first pair of transistors having connected sources and gates configured to receive a first pump signal and an inverse first pump signal and a second pair of transistors having connected drains and gates configured to receive a second pump signal and an inverse second pump signal, sources of the second pair of transistors being connected to drains of the first pair of transistors at first and second connection nodes, wherein the first and second pair of transistors are all of the same transistor type and provide an output current in response to the first and second pump signals. The charge pump circuit can also include a voltage stabilizer circuit connected to the second connection node and configured to regulate the second connection node to have a voltage within a predetermined range about a selectable voltage. Duty cycle stabilizers and control loops such as delay locked loops can include the charge pump circuit.

Abstract: The invention creates a control and evaluation apparatus for different sensor units, having: a stabilized supply unit for supplying the sensor unit with electrical energy; an amplifier device for amplifying a sensor signal generated by the sensor unit, which signal is delivered to the amplifier device as an input signal, and for outputting a measured signal dependent on the sensor signal; and an output unit for outputting the amplified sensor signal as an output signal. The amplifier device contains an integrated measuring resistor for measuring a voltage drop produced by the sensor signal, the voltage drop being delivered to the amplifier device as the input signal. In addition, in a comparator unit downstream from the amplifier device, the measured signal is compared with a definable threshold value, the threshold value being adjustable as a function of the sensor unit being used.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound or salt thereof, represented by the following formula (I), and a pest control agent containing the compound or salt thereof, as an active ingredient of the pest control agent: (wherein, R0 represents a halogen atom, or the like; Z represents an unsubstituted or substituted aryl group, or the like; Y represents a nitro group, or the like; n represents an integer of 0 to 3; D represents a 5-membered to 8-membered hydrocarbon ring group or heterocyclic group; X represents a functional group represented by the following formula (II)-1 or formula (II)-2: (wherein, in the formula (II)-1, the dotted line represents a single bond or double bond, and R1 and R2 respectively and independently represent a hydrogen atom, nitro group, hydroxyl group, mercapto group, unsubstituted or substituted amino group, or organic group; and, in the formula (II-2), W represents an oxygen atom or sulfur atom; and, R11 represents a hydrogen atom, hydrox

Abstract: A method for driver support in a vehicle in which a driver assistance system monitors a driving situation of the vehicle. Support takes place after a confirmation or after the absence of an abort instruction, a dialogue about the extent of support the driver wishes being conducted between the driver and the driver assistance system.

Abstract: A method for managing charge of a plurality of battery-driven AGVs (automated guided vehicles) circulating on the main route provided with an automatic charge station includes: a first step of detecting, using an AGV, a marker for battery voltage check provided on a main route to measure the voltage of a battery of the AGV; a second step of changing the route of the AGV to advance it into a charge route provided in an automatic charge station, stopping the AGV in a charging position, and charging the battery automatically by using an automatic charger, if the measured battery voltage has lowered to a level requiring charging; and a third step of conveying the AGV that has been automatically charged to a standby place provided in the automatic charge station.

Abstract: A device and a method for controlling an internal combustion engine are provided, in which the fuel quantity to be injected is controlled as a function of a Lambda signal. A setpoint value for the Lambda signal is specified on the basis of at least one maximally permitted exhaust-gas temperature value.

Abstract: The invention relates to an energy-transmitting device, for transmitting electrical energy between a handheld power tool and/or a battery unit and/or a charging unit. The energy-transmitting device has at least one pin contact element. It is proposed that the pin contact element is movably supported.

Abstract: An optical element that is made of a transparent medium L1 rotationally symmetric relative to the central axis 2 with a refractive index greater than 1, wherein the transparent medium L1 has a first transmissive surface 11, a first reflective surface 12, a second reflective surface 13 arranged at an opposite side to the image plane 5 relative to the first reflective surface 12 and a second transmissive surface 14 arranged at the image plane 5 side relative to the second reflective surface 13 and that the flux of light entering the transparent medium L1 goes into it by way of the first transmissive surface 11 so as to be reflected to the opposite side to the image plane 5 by the first reflective surface 12 and then to the image plane 5 side by the second reflective surface 13 to form an optical path before going out from the transparent medium L1 at the image plane 5 side by way of the second transmissive surface 14 in the order of forward ray tracing.

Abstract: The imaging optical system of the invention is built up of, in order from its object side, the first lens group G1 having positive refracting power, the stop S, the second lens group G2 having positive refracting power, and the third lens group G3 having negative refracting power. The first lens group G1 comprises a cemented lens consisting of the first lens L1 and the second lens L2. The second lens group G2 comprises the third lens L3. The third lens group G3 comprises the fourth lens L4. The second lens L3 has an object-side surface that is concave on its object side both on and off the optical axis, and an image-side surface being an aspheric surface that is convex on its object side on the optical axis and has one or more off-axis inflection points.

Abstract: A microsystem has a first cavity which is sealed off from the surroundings and a second cavity which is sealed off from the surroundings. The first cavity is bounded by a first bond joint and the second cavity is bounded by a second bond joint. Either the first bond joint or the second bond joint is a eutectic bond joint or a diffusion-soldered joint.

Abstract: There is disclosed a fuel cell system or the like capable of stably operating an auxiliary machine and the like, even when recovering a poisoned electrode catalyst and warming up a fuel cell. A controller derives a target operation point sufficient for recovering activity of the poisoned electrode catalyst, and realizes shift of an operation point to a target operation point in a state in which an output power is held to be constant. The operation is switched to a low-efficiency operation point, whereby an output voltage of the fuel cell lowers, but the voltage is raised to an allowable input voltage of a high-voltage auxiliary machine by a DC/DC converter.