Abstract: A belt-type fixing device having therein a pressure roller that has an elastic layer which is made of solid rubber, wherein, the elastic layer is covered by a resin layer on which a plurality of cracks are formed to be substantially deep enough to arrive at the elastic layer, and cracks harmful for the elastic layer are not caused by pressurization at a nip portion.

Abstract: A two-dimensional photonic crystal plane emission laser of the invention includes a two-dimensional photonic crystal which has a two-dimensional photonic crystal area and a light reflecting area, and which selects a wavelength of light to be generated in an active layer. The light reflecting area is formed in such a manner that when light leaking from the two-dimensional photonic crystal area and reflected on a reflecting surface of the light reflecting area is returned to the two-dimensional photonic crystal area, the reflection light is combined with a standing wave residing in a propagating direction of the reflection light without disturbing its resonant state.

Abstract: A variable-power optical system includes, in order from an object side thereof: a first lens group with a negative optical power; a second lens group with a positive optical power; and a third lens group with a negative optical power, where an interval between the first lens group and the second lens group decreases when a power of the variable-power optical system varies from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end. The first lens group comprises a negative lens and a positive lens. The second lens group consists of a positive lens and a negative lens, and includes at least one aspheric surface. The variable-power optical system satisfies the predetermined conditional expressions.

Abstract: A meeting data conversion application executed in a PC successively obtains the first and last images and an image immediately before reduction of display content, among a plurality of images arranged in chronological order. Among the obtained images, an image immediately before reduction of display content by a prescribed amount or more and the last image are registered as delimiting images. Among the obtained images, the images from the image immediately after the delimiting image to the next delimiting image are processed as one image group.

Abstract: An oximeter system includes a blood oxygen saturation detector for detecting blood oxygen saturation information of a subject, a body motion detector for detecting body motion information of the subject, a controller for causing the blood oxygen saturation detector to acquire the blood oxygen saturation information, and causing the body motion detector to acquire the body motion information at a predetermined sampling frequency concurrently and respectively sequentially, and a display unit for displaying data concerning the acquired blood oxygen saturation information and data concerning the acquired body motion information along a common time axis.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus is configured such that the level of each of first and second output signals obtained by exposing a color image sensor by using mutually differing first and second photoelectric conversion properties is compared with one of threshold values to thereby select output signals to be used as signals for constituting an image from among the first and second output signals for individual color components thereof. The threshold values are set for the individual color components based on the first and second output signals.

Abstract: Two-dimensional photonic crystal surface-emitting laser comprising a two-dimensional photonic crystal, having media different in refractive index arrayed in a two-dimensional cycle, disposed in the vicinity of an active layer that emits light by the injection of carriers, wherein the two-dimensional photonic crystal consists of square lattices having equal lattice constants in perpendicular directions, and a basic lattice consisting of a square with one medium as a vertex has an asymmetric refractive index distribution with respect to either one of the two diagonals of the basic lattice to thereby emit light in a constant polarizing direction.

Abstract: There is provided an imaging unit: including an image sensor with a number of pixels arranged in a matrix, the pixels having color pixels where color filters are disposed, and white pixels where the color filters are not disposed; a sampling circuit section for sampling pixel signals generated in the image sensor; and a main controller for controlling the image sensor and/or the sampling circuit section to sample the pixel signals generated in the white pixels or the pixel signals generated in the color pixels sequentially in a time-series manner.

Abstract: A driving device and driving device manufacturing method that ensure stable fixing of an SMA, without causing difficulties in downsizing the device, and without adversely affecting the performance of the SMA. A driving device equipped with a string-shaped shape memory alloy as a drive source includes a base member constituting a basis of the driving device, and a rod-like member which penetrates the base member and is made of the metal fixed onto this base member. The rod-like member is caulked on one end of this rod-like member so that the aforementioned shape memory alloy is pinch-held in-between, whereas power-feeding members to apply current to the shape memory alloy are arranged on the other end of the rod-like member.

Abstract: Provided are an authentication method, authentication system and a terminal device in which the authentication of a non-participating third node is can be simplified and can be executed in the case of multicast by using an authentication ticket in a distributed processing network system, the non-participating third node being intended to access each of the nodes, including a first and a second node, constituting a workgroup. The first node that has already participated in the workgroup authenticates the third node intended to participate in the workgroup and issues the authentication ticket including the signatures of both nodes, and when the authentication ticket is submitted to the second node, the second node permits the third node to access, without password-based-authentication, by authenticating the first node and the second node which have signed the authentication ticket.

Abstract: In an organic EL element, at the interface between a first electrode and a light-emitting layer, a diffraction grating with grating constants a, b, and c is provided in the form of surface irregularities on the first electrode. The grating constants are determined such that, when the effective refractive index as light experiences in the organic EL element is n, with respect to the periods d01, d10, and d1?1 defining the periodicity of the diffraction grating, n×d01 corresponds to a red region and n×d10 and n×d1?1 correspond to a blue to green region.

Abstract: A face authentication system includes a data input section for obtaining three-dimensional data concerning a face area of a subject at multiple points, and a processor for performing a registration process or a verification process of authentication data of the subject based on the three-dimensional data. The processor has a quality rater for rating a quality of the three-dimensional data with respect to each of the points of the three-dimensional data to generate quality data, and a quality distribution deriving section for deriving a distribution of the quality with respect to the face area, based on the quality data.

Abstract: A driver, including: a piezoelectric element extending and contracting upon application of an electrical voltage; a driving member having one end secured to the piezoelectric element; a frictionally coupling member, frictionally coupling the driving member; and a drive circuit, connected with a power supply to activate the piezoelectric element at a predetermined period, including: a charge switching element for connecting an electrode of the piezoelectric element with the power supply, a discharge switching element, and a protective resistor arranged in an electric path between the power supply and the piezoelectric element or between the piezoelectric element and a ground point, wherein a resistance value of the protective resistor is set larger than an ON resistance of the switching element but smaller than a value obtained by dividing one half of the drive period of the switching element by a capacitance of the piezoelectric element, in a predetermined period.

Abstract: A switching mode power supply and a switch thereof are provided. The switch includes a plurality of first transistors, and a second transistor that is turned on/off by a control signal that is equal to that of the plurality of first transistors and in which a second current corresponding to a first current flowing to the plurality of first transistors flows, wherein a ratio of the first current to the second current sequentially changes from a time point at which the second transistor is turned on. Therefore, a switching mode power supply and a switch thereof that can always uniformly sustain a maximum limit current flowing to the switch regardless of a level of an input voltage without including a special additional circuit can be provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a switch mode power supply and a driving method for reducing switching loss and audible noise in the burst mode. The switch mode power supply includes a main switch, a power supply, an output unit, and a switch controller. The power supply includes a transformer having a primary coil connected to the main switch, and supplies power to a secondary coil of the transformer according to the operation of the main switch. The output unit is connected to the secondary coil of the transformer and outputs power supplied to the secondary coil of the transformer.

Abstract: A laser projection device includes: an incidence optical system condensing laser light, a scanning device deflect the laser light in a first scanning direction and a second scanning direction with a mirror, and a projection optical system guiding the deflected light to a surface to be scanned. The scanning device performs the deflection in the first scanning direction by resonant driving and performs the deflection in the second scanning direction by non-resonant driving. The incidence optical system has different optical powers in the first scanning direction and the second scanning direction, and makes light incident on the scanning device in a convergent state in the first scanning direction and in a substantially parallel light state in the second scanning direction. The projection optical system has a negative optical power in the first scanning direction.

Abstract: A measurement system for obtaining a predetermined estimated value, including a measuring section for acquiring measurement data with respect to a measurement object, a display section for displaying indication concerning a measurement, a display controller, a measurement controller, a storing section for storing the measurement data, a computing section for obtaining the estimated value based on the measurement data, and a checking section for checking whether a required number of measurement data has been acquired. The display controller causes the display section to display first information relating to measurement elements required for acquiring the measurement data, and second information, for allowing an operator to recognize whether the measurement has been completed. The measurement controller causes the selection information to function as a site for accepting a command indicating start of the measurement of the measurement element relating to the individual selection information.

Abstract: In a position controller, a driving mechanism and an image pickup system according to the present invention, an operation of controlling a position of a movable member is performed by using, as a reference value, a first resistance value giving a first change point at which a resistance change rate per unit temperature change in a shape-memory-alloy member changes from a first rate to a second rate different from said first rate. Thus, the present invention makes it possible to control the position of the movable member based on a resistance of a shape-memory-alloy member, without a position sensor.

Abstract: A rear projector for performing image projection includes: a screen and a projection optical system. The screen has a rotationally symmetric Fresnel lens. The projection optical system has at least one reflection surface formed of a rotationally asymmetric free curved surface. The projection optical system is nonaxisymmetric and makes a central principle ray incident obliquely on the screen in the image projection. The Fresnel lens has aberration that cancels out pupil aberration of the projection optical system so that principal rays of beams exiting from the Fresnel lens become substantially parallel to each other.

Abstract: The motor driving inverter circuit module includes first-phase, second-phase, and third-phase high voltage drivers generating first-phase, second-phase, and third-phase upper arm and lower arm driving signals in response to input signals for driving the first-phase, second-phase, and third-phase upper and lower arms and a first-phase, second-phase, and third-phase upper arm and lower arm transistors, generating first-phase, second-phase, and third-phase motor driving output signals in response to the first-phase, second-phase, and third-phase upper arm and lower arm driving signals of the first-phase, second-phase, and third-phase high voltage drivers. The first-phase, second-phase, and third-phase high voltage drivers and the first-phase, second-phase, and third-phase upper arm and lower arm transistors are respectively integrated into separate chips.