Abstract: An optical phase difference control system is provided for controlling a phase difference of a single optical time-division multiplexed signal obtained by multiplexing a plurality of modulated optical signals encoded. The control system includes an interferometer and a low-frequency extractor. The interferometer is used for receiving part of the optical time-division multiplexed signal to split it into first and second signals, giving, between the first and second signals, a phase difference equivalent to one bit of the optical time-division multiplexed signal, and thereafter multiplexing the first and second signals. The low-frequency extractor is used for adding together signals, output from the interferometer, which have the similar intensity every two successive bits, and extracting a low-frequency waveform signal as a signal for controlling the phase difference of the single optical time-division multiplexed signal.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium composed of a nonmagnetic substrate having a surface onto which are provided a plurality of layers including, in the order recited, a soft underlayer; a nonmagnetic coupling layer; a hard magnetic pinning layer which is antiferromagnetically coupled to the soft underlayer at ambient temperature via the nonmagnetic coupling layer and which has an axis of easy magnetization which extends in a direction which is perpendicular to that of the surface of the nonmagnetic substrate; a nonmagnetic intermediate layer; and a magnetic recording layer. Such a perpendicular magnetic recording medium has an improved medium performance, with reduced noise originating from the presence of the soft underlayer, and no erasure of recorded magnetization when influenced by an external magnetic field.

Abstract: An electrode is formed in a hole extending partway into the substrate of a semiconductor device by depositing an insulating film and a barrier metal layer on the substrate surface and the interior of the hole, then filling the hole with a layer of electrode material that also covers the substrate surface. Next, the electrode material exterior to the hole is removed by wet etching, using an etchant that does not etch the barrier metal. The barrier metal exterior to the hole is then removed by wet etching, using an etchant that does not etch the electrode material. This process eliminates the need for expensive chemical mechanical polishing.

Abstract: An image forming unit is provided in which, through making a distance limiting member to limit a distance between an exposing unit and an image carrying body be able to contact and separate with respect to the image carrying body by a contact/separation enabling section, it is eliminated that developer remaining on the surface of the image carrying body coagulates on the distance limiting member, so it is eliminated that the surface of the image carrying body is scraped by the developer, and that a bad print occurs. The image forming unit has an image carrying body exposed by an exposing unit, a distance limiting member to limit a distance between the exposing unit and the image carrying body. The distance limiting member is installed capable of contacting with and separating from the image carrying body by a contact/separation enabling section.

Abstract: In a closing machine (1), an inner diameter chuck (8) that grips an inner peripheral surface of a work piece (9), a work piece (9) introducing device that moves the inner diameter chuck (8) in a Y axis direction of the work piece (9), and an introduction stopper (12) that projects onto an introduction path of the work piece (9) are used in such a manner that the inner diameter chuck (8) grips the inner peripheral surface of the work piece (9) while the work piece (9) abuts against the introduction stopper (12), the introduction stopper (12) is removed from the introduction path of the work piece (9), and the work piece (9) is introduced into an outer diameter chuck (7) by moving the inner diameter chuck (8) in the Y axis direction of the work piece (9).

Abstract: The object is simplification of a manufacturing process for nonvolatile memory by reducing additional processes for forming a charge storage structure, and downsizing of nonvolatile memory.

Abstract: A positioning and recording information system for rescue at sea implemented with a multi-hopping technique. At least two stations transmit navigation information to one another in the form of data packets. The data packets are received and temporarily stored in the stations. The steps of transmitting, receiving and storing are repeated to form a network topology that records a track of a station mounted on a ship. When the ship meets with misfortune at sea, the latest data packet transmitted by the ship provides a position near the location of the ship accident. Consequently, the rescue can be started immediately, and efficiency of a rescue operation is improved when compared to traditional ways of estimating a ship's position.

Abstract: A display apparatus driving circuitry for driving a plasma display panel. A first transistor is electrically connected between an output terminal and a high-voltage power supply terminal. A second transistor is connected between the output terminal and a reference power supply terminal. A buffer circuit supplies a voltage lower than a low voltage VDL for logic to a gate of the second transistor to make a drop in an output waveform gradual during an address electrical discharge. In a preferred embodiment, during this drop in the output waveform, a p-channel type MOSFET of the buffer circuit is turned on, whereby the VDL is suppressed due to a back gate effect. Therefore, a signal at a potential lower than the VDL is inputted to the gate of the second transistor. As a result, the drop in the second transistor output waveform is gradual, so that noise and damage are prevented.

Abstract: An endoscope comprises: an insertion portion that is to be inserted into a coelom; a treatment instrument elevation support, pivotally provided at a distal end of the insertion portion, that is used to guide a treatment instrument introduced at the distal end; and an observation section that obtains an image observed at the distal end, wherein, when the treatment instrument elevation support is reclined, part of the treatment instrument elevation support is included in the image obtained by the observation section.

Abstract: In an apparatus using air cylinders as a cushioning medium, an air cylinder sheet constructed by a plurality of air cylinders is divided into a first zone and a second zone. The plurality of air cylinders of the second zone is formed with a bridge section between the two lines of bendable points. After the plurality of air cylinders of the first zone is bent along the plurality of bendable points and the plurality of air cylinders of the second zone are bent along the connecting line. This enables an article to be covered therein, and provides the article with a multi-facial cushioning. Parts of the plurality of air cylinders respectively at two ends of each of the plurality of bridge sections are bent along the plurality of bendable points to attach to each other so as to provide the article with double cushioning protection.

Abstract: A compact reflector fluorescent lamp unit includes a lamp cap, a lamp tube, an electronic ballast assembly, a circuit board, a housing, an intermediate plate, a reflection cup, and a transparent plate. The intermediate plate and the housing, the intermediate plate and the circuit board, and the intermediate plate and the reflection cup are tightly assembled together. The reflection cup is connected to a lower surface of the intermediate plate and arranged independently underneath the housing, and has an internal surface having a high degree of fineness, and an external surface having a high degree of roughness by frosted finishing, thereby allowing the radiation heat generated through the body of the reflection cup to be dissipated by the external surface.

Abstract: Due to the indirect transition characteristic of silicon semiconductors, the light extraction efficiency of a silicon-based light emitting diode is lower than that of a compound semiconductor-based light emitting diode. For this reason, there are difficulties in practically using and commercializing silicon-based light emitting diodes developed so far.

Abstract: The motor controller drives an electric motor including a rotor as a field magnet and stator coils of U-phase, V-phase and W-phase. The motor controller includes an exploration voltage application unit for applying an exploration voltage to the stator coils of U-phase, V-phase and W-phase such that a voltage vector expressed by the voltage applied to the stator coils rotates in a predetermined cycle with maintaining a constant magnitude, an electric current detection unit for detecting an electric current flowing through the electric motor during the period in which the exploration voltage is applied by the exploration voltage application unit, and a rotor rotation angle estimation unit for estimating a rotation angle of the rotor based on a phase of the voltage vector when a magnitude of the electric current detected by the electric current detection unit takes a local maximum value.

Abstract: A burglarproof purse installs a control switch and an alarm for issuing a warning sound at hidden positions of the purse, and a closed and opened loop is distributed all over each surface of the purse and connected to the control switch and the alarm, such that after a user turns on the control switch, the closed and opened loop will be disconnected whenever the purse is opened or any surface of the purse is damaged, and a warning sound is produced to alert the abnormal situation and scare away the thief who tries to open the purse illegally.

Abstract: A comfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongue position correction for anti-snoring. The device is made of wire or band material, including a fixer, an upper and nether force-components which are connected with the fixer. The device is mostly applied on upper jaw. The force end of the upper force-component is designed to be suitable to the soft palate palatine velum, and acts to raise up the soft palate palatine velum and uvula upward/upward and backward suitably. The force end of the nether force-component is designed to be suitable to the normal configuration of the corpora linguae (anterior tongue), and acts on the portion in front of the sensitive position of the hind half of the corpora linguae (anterior tongue) to press the big tongue downward/downward and forward. Thus, depending on the co-action of the upper and nether force-components, the blocked respiratory tract could be expanded to prevent snore and remit sleep apnoea syndrome.

Abstract: A method of identifying logical information in a cell, particularly in a programming by hot hole injection nitride electron storage (PHINES) cell by one-side reading scheme is disclosed. The method comprise steps of: erasing the first region and the second region of PHINES cell by increasing a local threshold voltage (Vt) to a certain value; programming at least one of the first region and the second region of the PHINES cell by hot hole injection; and reading a logical state of the PHINES cell by measuring an output current of one of the first region and the second region; wherein different quantity of the output current is caused by interaction between different quantity of the hot hole stored in the first region and the second region, so as to determine the logical state of the PHINES cell by one-side reading scheme.

Abstract: The object of the invention is elimination of an occurrence of instantaneous light in the center part of a display, a border between the upper half and the lower half of the display. An scanning method of the display, dividing the display panel to a first filed and a second filed, starts a counter therein, synchronized with the timing of driving a first row electrode of the first filed thereof, and drives a first row electrode of the second filed thereof, every time the counter value changes.

Abstract: A filter and a filtering method are provided. The filter includes a first compare voltage generation unit, a second compare voltage generation unit, a comparator and a first inverter. The first compare voltage generation unit generates a first compare voltage according to an input signal. The second compare voltage generation unit generates a second compare voltage. When the first compare voltage is not over the first reference voltage, the second compare voltage equals the first reference voltage. When the first compare voltage is over the first reference voltage, the second compare voltage equals the second reference voltage. The first reference voltage and the second reference voltage depend on a minimum pulse width. The comparator outputs a filtered signal according to the first compare voltage and the second compare voltage. The first inverter inverts a filtered signal to an output signal.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of detecting a precise toner consumption amount has a system counting up a turned-on dot number of image data, outputting weight factors corresponding to the respective sub-line's numbers based on the respective sub-line numbers of the plural sub-lines at which a light emitting amount of each dot is varied periodically, and calculating the light emitting amount based on a dot counter value of the turned-on dot number and the weight factor corresponding to the respective sub-line's numbers, to summate the calculated light emitting amounts to estimate the toner consumption amount with high accuracy.