Abstract: A magnetoresistive element includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic layer, a first metal layer, a second metal layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The nonmagnetic layer is provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer. The first metal layer includes Au and is provided so that the first ferromagnetic layer is sandwiched between the nonmagnetic layer and the first metal layer. The second metal layer includes a CuNi alloy, and is provided so that the first metal layer is sandwiched between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second metal layer. In addition, magnetization of either one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer is fixed in a direction. Magnetization of the other is variable in response to an external field. At least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer includes a half metal.

Abstract: A navigation and control system including a sensor configured to locate objects in a predetermined field of view from a vehicle. The sensor has an emitter configured to repeatedly scan a beam into a two-dimensional sector of a plane defined with respect to a first predetermined axis of the vehicle, and a detector configured to detect a reflection of the emitted beam from one of the objects. The sensor includes a panning mechanism configured to pan the plane in which the beam is scanned about a second predetermined axis to produce a three dimensional field of view. The navigation and control system includes a processor configured to determine the existence and location of the objects in the three dimensional field of view based on a position of the vehicle and a time between an emittance of the beam and a reception of the reflection of the emitted beam from one of the objects.

Abstract: PDAs can be used to provide their users with a variety of functions. One function provided by PDAs is enabling their users to contact particular users of other devices who are stored as contacts, for example by a telephone call or text message. The present invention provides a PDA in which contacts that the user of the PDA may be more likely to want to contact at any given time can be determined and displayed. Whether or not a user may be likely to want to contact a user at any given time may be based on the status of the user of the PDA, and optionally also the status of the other user's PDA. For example, if the user of the PDA is listening to a particular genre of music, then they may want to contact other contacts who a also listening to that particular genre of music. Similarly, if the user is at their place of work, then they may want to contact a specific list of contacts related to work. In this way, the user of the PDA can be provided with a list of relevant contacts.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hologram recording material which is not required to be subjected to pre-exposure treatment at the time of recording, attains high refractive index change, high sensitivity, low scattering, environment resistance, durability, low dimensional change, and high multiplicity, and is suitable for volume hologram recording. Also, the present invention provides a hologram recording medium. A hologram recording material comprising a matrix material having a softening temperature of 50° C. or higher, and a photopolymerizable monomer which is in a liquid phase state at room temperature. The matrix material is preferably contained in an amount of 50% by weight or more and 90% by weight or less of the whole of the hologram recording material. A softening temperature of the hologram recording material is preferably 0° C. or higher.

Abstract: A powder conveyance device includes a powder conveyance pipe having a first conveyance section communicating with the powder container section and having a supply inlet to receive powder from a powder container. A second conveyance section is provided in the powder conveyance pipe to communicate downstream with the first conveyance section via a first bending section. The second conveyance section downwardly extends to the conveyance destination being inclined from a horizontal at a larger angle than the first conveyance section. A third conveyance section is also provided in the powder conveyance pipe to communicate downstream with the second conveyance section via a second bending section. The third conveyance section extends toward the conveyance destination being inclined from the horizontal at a smaller angle than the second conveyance section. The third conveyance section has a replenishment outlet for replenishing the powder from the powder conveyance pipe to the powder conveyance destination.

Abstract: An audio signal processing apparatus includes a band signal component extraction unit for extracting signal components in a predetermined frequency band from an audio signal input by an audio collection unit for collecting at least an outgoing call audio upon an audio phone call, a stationary signal component extraction unit for extracting a stationary signal component from the signal components, a signal adjustment unit having a level adjustment function of adjusting an output signal level with respect to an input signal level and an input and output characteristics change function of changing input and output characteristics upon level adjustment in the level adjustment function through a control signal and configured to set an incoming call audio signal upon the audio phone call as the input signal, and a control signal generation unit for generating the control signal for changing the input and output characteristics by using the stationary signal component.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus that can decrease the probability of an image in which a main subject is not in focus being captured is provided. An image pickup apparatus 1A includes two image pickup devices 5 and 7 that capture an image relating to a subject image made incident through an image capturing lens, a main subject detecting unit 122 that detects a main subject in the captured image, a phase difference AF control unit 121 that performs focus control on the basis of a phase difference detection signal acquired from a ranging area set in an imaging area, a determination unit 123 that determines whether the main subject is present in the ranging area, and a warning control unit 126 that, if the determination unit 123 determines that the main subject is not present in the ranging area, performs predetermined control for preventing a state in which the main subject is not in focus.

Abstract: An infrared imaging device according to an embodiment includes: an imaging area formed on a semiconductor substrate, the imaging area having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, the plurality of pixels including a plurality of reference pixels arranged in at least one row and a plurality of infrared detection pixels arranged in remaining rows to detect incident infrared rays, each of the reference pixels having a first thermoelectric conversion element, each of the infrared detection pixel having a thermoelectric conversion unit, the thermoelectric conversion unit having an infrared absorption film to absorb the incident infrared rays and convert the incident infrared rays to heat and a second thermoelectric conversion element to convert the heat obtained by the conversion conducted by the infrared absorption film to an electric signal.

Abstract: A processing unit performs a method including controlling a reading-out of data from a first storage medium at a predetermined read-out data rate to produce inputted data, and controlling a compression of the inputted data to produce first compressed data of a first compressed format. The method includes controlling a storage of the first compressed data in a second storage medium at a faster writing data rate than the predetermined read-out data rate, controlling a reading-out of second compressed data of a second compressed format from the second storage medium, and controlling a decompression of the second compressed data to produce decompressed data. The method also includes controlling simultaneously the storage of the first compressed data in the second storage medium, the reading-out of the second compressed data from the second storage medium, and audibly reproducing the decompressed data. The first compressed format is different from the second compressed format.

Abstract: A data reproducing apparatus, which is capable of reproducing stream data according to time stamps without need to have an independent time counting clock. At step S141, it is determined whether a received access unit has a time stamp. When the access unit has a time stamp, the flow advances to step S142. At step S142, a value of the time stamp is set. When the access unit does not have a time stamp. The flow advances to step S144. At step S144, a value corresponding to the previous pic_struct is added to the current time. Thereafter, the flow advances to step S143. At step S143, the current pic_struct is stored for the next process. The present invention is capable of being applied to for example a game device using a DVD.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal layer causing a selective reflection and exhibiting Kerr effect, first and second electrodes applying voltage to the liquid crystal layer, a first circular polarizer disposed between the liquid crystal layer and a viewer and allowing a first circularly polarized light incident on the liquid crystal layer when irradiated with a natural light, the first circularly polarized light having an electric-field vector rotating in a direction reverse to a rotation direction of an electric-field vector of a circularly polarized light selectively reflected by the liquid crystal layer, and a second circular polarizer facing the first circular polarizer with the liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween and allowing a second circularly polarized light incident on the liquid crystal layer when irradiated with a natural light.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a porous metal organic framework comprising at least a first organic compound and, if appropriate, a second organic compound, in which at least the first organic compound is at least partially coordinated in a bidentate fashion to at least one metal ion, where the at least one metal ion is Mg(II) and the first organic compound is derived from formic acid and the second organic compound is derived from acetic acid, for storing or isolating methane. Furthermore, the invention relates to a porous metal organic framework based on magnesium formate and acetate and also its preparation.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a Ni base alloy solid wire for welding, which has excellent cracking resistance to ductility dip cracking in weld metal, can increase the tensile strength of the weld metal to not less than the tensile strength of the base material, and has excellent weldability. The present invention provides a solid wire which has a composition containing Cr: 27.0 to 31.5 mass %, Ti: 0.50 to 0.90 mass %, Nb: 0.40 to 0.70 mass %, Ta: 0.10 to 0.30 mass %, C: 0.010 to 0.030 mass %, and Fe: 5.0 to 11.0 mass %, and is regulated to Al: 0.10 mass % or less, N: 0.020 mass % or less, Zr 0.005 mass % or less, P:0.010 mass % or less, S: 0.0050 mass % or less, Si: 0.50 mass % or less, and Mn: 1.00 mass % or less, with the balance including Ni and inevitable impurities.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus can prevent a sheath from becoming distorted, simplify a configuration of the apparatus, and prevent particles from attaching to a substrate. The plasma processing apparatus performs plasma processing on the substrate. A housing chamber houses the substrate. A mounting stage is disposed within the housing chamber and mounted with the substrate. An annular member is disposed in the mounting stage. A power supply unit supplies high-frequency power to the mounting stage. An observation unit optically observes the distribution of the plasma. A voltage applying unit applies a DC voltage to the annular member. A control unit sets the value of the DC voltage to be applied based on the observed plasma distribution.

Abstract: A debugging support device includes: a plurality of CPU simulating units which simulates the operations of a plurality of CPUs which executes programs in parallel; a memory simulating unit of a memory to be shared by the plurality of CPUs; an event monitoring unit that detects a predetermined event occurring between each CPU simulating unit and the memory simulating unit; and a state judging unit that judges whether the state of the occurred predetermined event matches a predetermined condition and, if the predetermined condition is matched, records history information related to the state of the memory simulating unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for straining or deforming a pattern or a thin layer (24), starting from an initial component comprising the said thin layer and a prestressed layer (20), this method comprising: an etching step of the prestressed layer, perpendicular to its surface.

Abstract: An optical information analyzing device includes an irradiating unit that irradiates irradiation light to specimens, a transmitted light receiving unit that receives transmitted light and detects the transmitted light as a transmitted light signal, a scattering/fluorescent light receiving unit that receives lateral scattering light and fluorescent light and detects the lateral scattering light and the fluorescent light as a scattering/fluorescent light signal, a nozzle position adjusting mechanism, and an analyzing unit that measures the optical information on the specimen on the basis of the detected transmitted light signal and the detected scattering/fluorescent light signal and analyzes the specimen.

Abstract: A subject for the invention is to provide a positive-electrode material, which has high capacity and high output and is inhibited from suffering a decrease in output with repetitions of charge and use. The invention provides a positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery, which comprises a secondary particle of a lithium/transition metal composite oxide containing boron and/or bismuth, and wherein the atomic ratio of the sum of boron and bismuth to the sum of the metallic elements other than lithium, boron, and bismuth in a surface part of the secondary particle is from 5 times to 70 times the atomic ratio in the whole secondary particle.

Abstract: A surface processing method for a mounting stage, which enables a mounting surface conforming to a substrate to be formed while saving time and effort. The substrate is mounted on a mounting surface of the mounting stage disposed in a housing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus that carries out plasma processing on the substrate. The mounted substrate is thermally expanded.

Abstract: A vehicle seat lock device is provided. The vehicle seat lock device includes a seat lock housing, a striker, a hook member and a blocking member. The seat lock housing is configured to be fixed to one of a seat back and a vehicle body. The striker is configured to be fixed to the other of the seat back and the vehicle body. The hook member is rotatably mounted on the seat lock housing to latch and unlatch the striker by engaging and disengaging the striker, respectively. The blocking member is pivotally mounted on the seat lock housing. The blocking member pivots and contacts with the hook member to prevent the hook member from rotating and to maintain engagement between the hook member and the striker when a load that is higher than a predetermined amount is inputted to the vehicle body.