Abstract: A conversation controller outputs a reply sentence according to a user utterance. The conversation controller comprises a conversation database and a conversation control unit. The conversation database stores a plurality of plans. Each plan has a reply sentence and one or more pieces of next plan designation information for designating a next candidate reply sentence to be output following the reply sentence. The conversation control unit selects one of the plans stored in the conversation database according to a user utterance and outputs a reply sentence which the selected plan has. Then, the conversation control unit selects one piece of the next plan designation information which the plan has according to a next user utterance and outputs a next candidate reply sentence on the basis of the selected piece of the next plan designation information. Some plans have a plurality of reply sentences into which one explanatory sentence is divided.

Abstract: A conversation controller outputs a reply sentence according to a user utterance. The conversation controller comprises a conversation database and a conversation control unit. The conversation database stores a plurality of plans. Each plan has a reply sentence and one or more pieces of next plan designation information for designating a next candidate reply sentence to be output following the reply sentence. The conversation control unit selects one of the plans stored in the conversation database according to a user utterance and outputs a reply sentence which the selected plan has. Then, the conversation control unit selects one piece of the next plan designation information which the plan has according to a next user utterance and outputs a next candidate reply sentence on the basis of the selected piece of the next plan designation information. Some plans have a series of questions as the reply sentences.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a control system, an integrated control apparatus, and a control program that are capable of well maintaining freshness and quality of food articles, by reducing time for performing a recovery operation following a frost removing operation of cooling devices. In response to a start of the frost removing operation of a first showcase, an integrated control apparatus provides a second device controller (device control unit) with a “lower limit cooling instruction (increase instruction)” to increase the refrigerant supplied to a second showcase to an amount larger than that before the frost removing operation starts. In response to the “lower limit cooling instruction (increase instruction),” the second device controller (device control unit) increases the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the second showcase.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser device includes a supporting substrate; a semiconductor laser device portion which is formed on a surface of the supporting substrate, and which includes a pair of cavity surfaces; an adhesive layer with which the supporting substrate and the semiconductor laser device portion are adhered to each other; and areas, in which no adhesive layer exists, the areas being near the ends respectively of the cavity surfaces, the ends being closer to the supporting substrate.

Abstract: In a projection display device which includes a light source for outputting a light and a plurality of light modulating devices for modulating the light from the light source based on an input image signal, the projection display device comprises: a plurality of light quantity adjusting devices disposed on respective incidence sides of the light modulating devices and serving to adjust the quantity of light incident on the respective light modulating devices; and a controller unit for controlling the respective light quantity adjusting devices based on the input image signal.

Abstract: A motor control device has: a motor current detecting portion for detecting, based on a current flowing between an inverter and a direct-current power supply, a motor current flowing through a three phase motor; a specified voltage value producing portion for producing a specified voltage value based on the motor current; a specified voltage value holding portion for holding an earlier specified voltage value outputted from the specified voltage value producing portion; and a specific period setting portion for setting a specific period based on a voltage difference between two of U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase voltages. Outside the specific period, the motor is controlled based on the specified voltage value outputted from the specified voltage value producing portion, and, within the specific period, the motor is controlled based on the specified voltage value held by the specified voltage value holding portion.

Abstract: An illuminating device includes: an illuminating board having a plate-like transparent board, a reflector provided on a back surface of the transparent board to reflect light, and a cloudy, translucent medium provided on a front surface of the transparent board; a support member supporting an end of the illuminating board in a cantilever fashion, so as to provide a free end for the other end of the illuminating board; a light emitting portion, arranged beside the supported end of the illuminating board, that emits light to the transparent board at the supported end; and an emission control unit that causes the light emitting portion to emit light.

Abstract: A gaming apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a roulette wheel including a plurality of pockets associated with respective numbers in advance; a memory for storing a plurality of control data for controlling the gaming apparatus so as to provide different weights on probabilities that a ball is housed in each of the pockets; a plurality of stations for a player to play games; and a controller, said controller being programmed to execute the following processings (a) and (b): (a) controlling rotation of the roulette wheel and launching of the ball by referring to a single control data out of the control data, and (b) selecting another control data different from the single control data, out of the plurality of control data, to set the selected control data as a reference target, when the balance between the total sum of the currency value inserted at the plurality of stations and the total sum of the currency value paid out from the plurality of stations reaches a predetermined value.

Abstract: A frame rate converting apparatus includes a pan/tilt determining unit which determines whether an image is in a pan/tilt state on the basis of information related to motion of the image detected by a motion detecting unit for each frame of a moving image, a moving distance setting unit which sets 0 as a moving distance of an image with respect to a frame the image of which is not determined as an image in a pan/tilt state by the pan/tilt determining unit, which calculates a moving distance of an image from the information related to the motion of the image detected by the motion detecting unit with respect to a frame the image of which is determined as an image in a pan/tilt state, and which sets the obtained moving distance as a moving distance of the image, and a prediction image generating unit which generates a prediction image necessary for frame rate conversion on the basis of the moving distance of the image set for each frame by the moving distance setting unit.

Abstract: A gaming machine of the present invention comprises: a controller programmed so as to execute the following processing of: (A) accepting from an input device an input indicating placement of a normal BET on outcome of dice; (B) accepting from the input device an input indicating placement of a side BET on colors of regions to which stopped dice belong; (C) rolling and stopping the dice in a gaming region which includes a plurality of regions each having a different color from one another; (D) offering a normal payout based upon the outcome of the dice stopped in the processing (C) and the normal BET placed in the processing (A); and (E) offering an additional payout based upon the colors of the regions to which the dice stopped in the processing (C) belong and the side BET placed in the processing (B).

Abstract: A photovoltaic element capable of improving weather resistance is obtained. This photovoltaic element includes a photoelectric conversion layer, a first transparent conductive film formed on a surface of the photoelectric conversion layer closer to an incidence side and including a first indium oxide layer having (222) orientation and two X-ray diffraction peaks, and a second transparent conductive film formed on a surface of the photoelectric conversion layer opposite to the incidence side and including a second indium oxide layer having (222) orientation and one X-ray diffraction peak.

Abstract: A back metal electrode, a bottom cell using microcrystalline silicon for a photoelectric conversion layer, a front cell using amorphous silicon for a photoelectric conversion layer, and a transparent front electrode are formed in this order on a supporting substrate. At least one of the concentration of impurities contained in the front photoelectric conversion layer and the concentration of impurities contained in the bottom photoelectric conversion layer is controlled such that the concentration of impurities in the bottom photoelectric conversion layer is higher than the concentration of impurities in the front photoelectric conversion layer. Impurities do not include a p-type dopant or an n-type dopant but are any one, two, or all of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.

Abstract: A state-of-charge equalizing device equalizes the state of charge of each of cells connected in series to form an assembled battery, and comprises charging/discharging circuits connected in parallel to the respective cells to discharge and/or charge the respective cells, voltage measurement circuits connected to the respective charging/discharging circuits to measure the voltages across the respective cells, and a control circuit.

Abstract: A gaming apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a roulette wheel including a plurality of pockets associated with respective numbers in advance; a memory for storing a plurality of control data for controlling the gaming apparatus so as to provide different weights on probabilities that a ball is housed in each of the pockets; and a controller, the controller controlling rotation of the roulette wheel and launching of the ball by referring to a single control data out of the control data, and selecting another control data different from the single control data, out of the plurality of control data, and setting the selected control data as a reference target, when the number of games cumulatively counted every time a game is played reaches a predetermined number.

Abstract: An airbag includes a circumferential plane, a margin, a receiving plane and a second seam line. The circumferential plane is formed by being seamed to form a first seam line from its base end to its farthest end and has a closed cross section. The margin for the first seam line is provided on the circumferential plane. The receiving plane extends integrally from the circumferential panel and receives a passenger at an impact. The circumferential plane and the receiving plane are seamed together to form the second seam line. The second seam line crosses the first seam line and goes across the margin in a width direction of the margin. According to the airbag, its manufacturing efficiency can be improved.

Abstract: When the number of bets is determined and a game is started, reels start spinning. After a lapse of a predetermined time, fifteen symbols are repositioned in symbol display regions. By dragging and dropping a repositioned symbol to a crater of a volcano, a performance character, an animation effect to represent a volcanic eruption of the volcano and a sound effect corresponding to a volcanic eruption sound of the volcano are outputted. In case the symbol is dragged and dropped to the outside of a display, a warning sign is indicated as well as a warning sound is outputted.

Abstract: When the number of bets is determined and a game is started, reels start spinning. After a lapse of a predetermined time, fifteen symbols are repositioned in symbol display regions. Particularly, in case a “RED7” symbol or a “BLUE7” symbol is included in the repositioned symbols, an animation effect to represent a volcanic eruption of a volcano, a performance character, and a sound effect corresponding to a volcanic eruption sound of the volcano are outputted by dragging and dropping the “RED7” symbol or “BLUE7” symbol to a crater of the volcano.

Abstract: Conductive paste allowing narrowing of an electrode prepared from the conductive paste and suppressing increase of resistance resulting from a small sectional area of the electrode is obtained. This conductive paste comprises binder resin, a conductive material dispersed in the binder resin and an additive, dispersed in the binder resin, containing at least either layered sulfide particles or spheroidal particles.

Abstract: A motor control device includes a motor current detector for detecting motor current flowing in a three-phase motor based on current flowing between an inverter driving the motor and a DC power supply, a specified voltage vector generating portion for generating a specified voltage vector indicating a voltage vector to which an applied voltage to the motor should follow based on a magnetic flux linkage of an armature winding of the motor, a specified voltage vector correcting portion for correcting the generated specified voltage vector, and a magnetic flux estimating portion for estimating the magnetic flux linkage based on the motor current and the specified voltage vector after the correction. The motor control device controls the motor via the inverter in accordance with the specified voltage vector after the correction.

Abstract: When the number of bets is determined and a game is started, reels start spinning. After a lapse of a predetermined time, fifteen symbols are repositioned in symbol display regions. Particularly, in case a “RED7” symbol or a “BLUE7” symbol is included in the repositioned symbols, an animation effect to represent a volcanic eruption of a volcano, a performance character, and a sound effect corresponding to a volcanic eruption sound of the volcano are outputted by dragging and dropping the “RED7” symbol or “BLUE7” symbol to a crater of the volcano.