Abstract: Continuous, conducting metal patterns can be formed from metal nanoparticle containing films by exposure to radiation (FIG. 1). The metal patterns can be one, two, or three dimensional and have high resolution resulting in feature sizes in the order of micron down to nanometers. Compositions containing the nanoparticles coated with a ligand and further including a dye, a metal salt, and either a matrix or an optional sacrificial donor are also disclosed.

Abstract: A communication apparatus and a communication method prevent responses from being simultaneously received from two or more communicating parties. A first NFC apparatus transmits data for requesting IDs, and acquires IDs sent from second and third NFC apparatuses in reply to the request. After acquiring the IDs of the second and third NFC apparatuses, the first NFC apparatus transmits data that includes their IDs as the data for the second and third NFC apparatuses. If the first NFC apparatus cannot properly acquire the IDs of the second and third NFC apparatuses, then it sends the data for requesting their IDs again. Upon receipt of the request for the IDs, the second and third NFC apparatuses generate their own IDs by using random numbers and send the generated IDs. If the second and third NFC apparatuses receive the request for their IDs again, then they re-generate their own IDs by using random numbers, and send the re-generated IDs again.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having an excellent durability against blue laser light and having a small refractive index and small light absorption, a liquid crystal composition containing the compound, and an optical anisotropic material using the liquid crystal composition. The polymerizable liquid crystal compound represented by the following formula (1), provided that R1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, Cy is a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group, X1 is a 1,4-phenylene group or a trans-1,4-cyclohexlyene group, and R2 is a C1-8 alkyl group. The above 1,4-phenylene group and the trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group may be such that a hydrogen atom bonded to a carbon atom in each group may be substituted by a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom or a methyl group.

Abstract: A heating roller including a core of hollow cylinder form and wherein a thickness of the core is thicker in a center portion thereof than in both end portions thereof. Further, a heating device may have the heating roller, a fixing device may have the heating roller and the heating device, and an image forming apparatus may have the heating roller, the heating device and the fixing device.

Abstract: The book page document image reading apparatus according to the present invention comprises a reading means for reading an image of a spread book page document placed on with the binding section being aligned to the reference position, an image size changing means for changing a size of a read image read by the reading means, a storage means for storing therein image data to image size changing, and a means for differentiating a range for storage of the image data having been subjected in the storage means when a book page document is read with the same size from a range for storage of image data having been subjected to image size changing in the storage means when a book page document is read with a changed size.

Abstract: A circuit and method are provided for stress-testing EEPROMS by incrementally selecting and deselecting word lines. The circuit of the invention comprises a memory cell array, a set of decoders for decoding a memory address bus and controlling word lines for the memory cell array, a control circuit, and a shift register driven by the control circuit. Each bit of the shift register has the capability of overriding a group of one or more of the decoders. When the initiation signal is received by the control circuit, a state control bit is set high and is clocked through the shift register. The high bit overrides successive groups of decoders as it is shifted through the shift register, until all word lines in the memory cell array are selected. After the stress test has been performed, the state control bit is returned to zero and is cycled through the shift register on successive clock cycles, incrementally deselecting groups of word lines until all word lines are deselected.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for collective manufacturing of spacers (35) for flat viewing screens with high voltage control and divided into picture elements or pixels (28), characterized in that it comprises the following steps:machining a substrate, of an adequate material for making spacers, in view of obtaining a profile structure (30) with a cross section (32, 42, 52) comprising a center core (33, 43, 53) and lateral stiffeners (34, 44, 54), the thickness of the center core and the lateral stiffeners as well as the distance separating the lateral stiffeners being such that said section can be inserted between the screen pixels without overlapping them, cutting the profile structure (30) obtained during the preceding interval in view of obtaining sections of a given length, designed to form said spacers (35).