Abstract: In an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit which forms an image in which toner containing a wax is used on a recording material, and a fixing device which heats the toner image formed on the recording material at a nip portion which nips and conveys the recording material, when the fixing device heats the recording material on which a toner image having a toner maximum carrying amount of toner is formed, when a temperature of a surface of the toner layer reaches a temperature at which an endothermic amount indicates a peak in a relationship between a temperature of the toner and the endothermic amount, a condition of the fixing device at the nip portion is set so that a temperature of an interface between the toner and the recording material is lower than a temperature of a surface of the toner.

Abstract: The use of sound signals from sounds collected by four non-directional sound collectors facilitates calculation for generating surround sound signals, for example, when multi-channel surround sound signals are generated, and prevents the size of the entire apparatus from increasing. Surround sound signals are generated from sound signals of sounds collected by a microphone unit composed of a first sound collector, a second sound collector disposed posterior to the first sound collector, a third sound collector, and a fourth sound collector.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for transmitting a current image of a sequence of digital images between a server device and a client device which are connected by a communication network. Each image of the sequence is encoded in a multi-resolution format, each resolution comprising a set of non independent elementary entities. The method of the invention comprises detecting motion, carried out on spatial entities defined with respect to said elementary entities, between the current image and a reference image, then determining a first set of elementary entities comprising the elementary entities relating to said at least one moving spatial entity and determining a second set of elementary entities which are necessary for reconstructing said moving spatial entities. Finally, at least part of each of the elementary entities of said first and second sets is sent to the client device.

Abstract: To provide an image forming apparatus including: a discharge tray which can moves between a first position capable of loading a discharged sheet and a second position that is separated from the first position; and a sheet loading amount detection sensor which has a sheet detection flag abutting against the upper surface of the sheet loaded on the discharge tray and capable of moving in accordance with a loading amount of the sheet loaded on the discharge tray, and detects the sheet loading amount by detecting a position of the sheet detection flag, wherein when the discharge tray means is located at the second position, the sheet detection flag is removed from a position capable of detecting the sheet loading amount.

Abstract: A thin bridge part provided in an aperture of a disc cartridge is located farther from a optical pickup than a surface of a disc, which is the surface to be irradiated with a light beam in a state in which the disc cartridge is mounted to the information recording/reproducing device. A optical pickup is retracted into a position opposite to an end surface of the thin bridge part at the time of mounting and removing the disc. According to the constitution, a small-sized information recording/reproducing device is realized while preventing an objective lens from colliding against a disc or a cartridge case at the time of mounting and removing the disc.

Abstract: An insulating film is formed on the surface of the base of a semiconductor, and a portion of the insulating film is removed to cause the surface to appear outside. The exposed surface is terminated with hydrogen, and then energy beams are applied to selectively remove the terminating hydrogen. Metal is selectively deposited on the portion terminated with left hydrogen atoms.