Abstract: A distributed wireless medium access control protocol is disclosed. According to the disclosed wireless medium access control protocol the medium access time is partitioned into equal sized slots, and a predetermined number of the slots forming a superframe. The protocol defines beaconing devices and passive devices. Each beaconing device designates one of the slots in the superframe as its beacon medium access slot, and broadcasts during that beacon medium access slot a beacon frame to other devices in wireless range of that beaconing device. A beacon frame collision detection and resolution procedure, and a procedure for reserving access time for communication between devices are also disclosed.

Abstract: An MPEG decoder decodes a video data packet for standard broadcasting to generate video data for standard broadcasting, and detects a decoding error thereof. A MPEG decodes a video data packet for broadcasting under rainfall to generate video data for broadcasting under rainfall. A synthesizing section generates a composite signal obtained by replacing a decoding error part of the video data for standard broadcasting with a corresponding part of the video data for broadcasting rainfall.

Abstract: An alignment method is disclosed, in which a distance between a substrate and a photomask is set at a predetermined exposure gap. The photomask is rectangular, and includes a first side, and a second side opposite to the first side. A distance between a midpoint of the first side and the substrate is matched with the exposure gap. The photomask is rotated about, as an axis, a line that connects the midpoint of the first side and a midpoint of the second side to each other, whereby distances between both ends of the first side and the substrate are individually matched with the exposure gap. The photomask is rotated about the first side taken as an axis, whereby a distance between the midpoint of the second side and the substrate is matched with the exposure gap.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device which can, in response to the problem of black-crush occurring in an image when strong light is enters the device, positively detect black-crush in a state in which a variance margin has been secured.

Abstract: A cellular electrophysiological measurement device includes a thin plate and a frame. The thin plate has a first surface with a depression and a second surface with a through-hole. The frame is in contact with an outer periphery on the second surface of thin plate. The thin plate has a laminated structure of at least two layers including a first material layer on the first surface and a second material layer on the second surface. The frame is formed of a third material layer. The structure allows the cellular electrophysiological measurement device to be not so vulnerable to breakage of thin plate and other damages, thereby having high production yield.

Abstract: A driving circuit drives a switching element such that an ON-period of the switching element is shorter when a power receiving device is detected not to be placed than when the power receiving device is placed.

Abstract: A three-dimensional image communication terminal can make communication in which there are a sense of being engaged on a place and a sense of reality by use of a three-dimensional image with naturalness and a high robust characteristic. A three-dimensional image communication terminal includes a three-dimensional image input section, a transmitting section that transmits an input image to a communication partner after image processing, a three-dimension image display section which monitor-displays a human image or an object image which was shot, and a telephone calling section which receives three-dimensional image information from a partner and communicates with the other end by voice. The three-dimensional image display section includes an integral photography type horizontal/vertical parallax display device.

Abstract: An electret condenser includes a fixed film 110 including a conductive film 118 to be an upper electrode, a vibrating film 112 including a lower electrode 104 and a silicon oxide film 105 to be an electret film, and a silicon oxide film 108 provided between the fixed film 110 and the vibrating film 112 and including an air gap 109. Respective parts of the fixed film 110 and the vibrating film 112 exposed in the air gap 109 are formed of silicon nitride films 106 and 114.

Abstract: A face authentication device is provided that can perform personal identification with high accuracy regardless of an imaging environment for an input face image.

Abstract: A divider circuit for dividing the frequency of a multi-phase clock signal, which can ensure a sufficient data latch time even if the multi-phase clock signal has a high frequency, includes a main latch circuit which generates an inverted data signal using, for example, two of eight clock signals of an eight-phase clock signal, and a sub-latch circuit which uses the eight clock signals as a trigger to receive the inverted data signal as a common data signal.

Abstract: A fuel cell system of the present invention comprises a fuel cell (1) configured to generate electric power using a fuel gas, a fuel gas generator (2) configured to generate a fuel gas containing hydrogen using a raw material, a combustion burner (2a) configured to heat the fuel gas generator, a combustion fan (2b) configured to supply air to a combustion burner (2a), and a controller (101). The raw material is filled inside the fuel cell (1) before the fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell. The controller (101) controls on-off valves (8, 9) to cause the fuel gas to branch to flow to a second path (R2) and to a fourth path (R4) when the fuel gas generated in the fuel gas generator (2) starts to be supplied to the fuel cell (1).

Abstract: A mounting structure formed by bonding the electrodes of a substantially planar electronic component to the electrodes provided on the mounting surface of a circuit board includes a sealing body 5 formed between one main surface of the electronic component and the circuit board and/or on the other main surface of the electronic component. The sealing body 5 is composed of a plurality of layers having different adhesive strengths and thermal conductivities, wherein a layer having a relatively high adhesion strength is arranged in a region being in contact with either one of the electronic component and the circuit board, and a layer having a relatively high thermal conductivity is arranged in a region being in contact with none of the electronic component and the circuit board.

Abstract: An audio/video information recording/reproducing device capable of easily implementing a post-recording function on an optical disk by using even a low-cost disk drive having a comparatively low-speed seek time. When recording a video file, it is recorded on an optical disk continuously for a duration equivalent to more than three times a seek time. When recording dubbing audio, it is recorded continuously only with constant data size at the same time with the reproducing of the recorded video file, thereby enabling concurrent real-time continuous reproducing and recording. Accordingly, concurrent reproductions of a video file and an audio file are ensured when reproducing dubbing audio.

Abstract: A wireless local area network (WLAN) device includes a WLAN adapter having a USB terminal connected to a USB terminal of a PC (personal computer). The WLAN adapter is loaded with a program for setting a WLAN and executing a communication, and a connection of the adapter to the PC prompts the PC to recognize the adapter as a CD-ROM drive, and prompts the program for setting a WLAN and executing a communication to run automatically. The PC loads data of SCSI standard into the WLAN adapter by using a vender defined command of SCSI standard by way of the program for setting a WLAN and executing a communication. The WLAN adapter converts the data of SCSI standard into data for setting a WLAN or data of TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), and sets the WLAN and executes the communication.

Abstract: An oxygen electrode used in the fuel cell and includes a plurality of carbon particles, a carbon thin-film, and surface nanostructure. The carbon particles are bonded to one another with the carbon thin-film, and the surface nanostructure is formed on the surface of the carbon thin-film. The surface nanostructure comprises catalyst nanoparticles made of platinum (Pt) and carbon nanoparticles. According to this combination of these elements, the catalyst nanoparticles are confined within three-dimensional structure to be formed by the carbon nanoparticles and are immobilized without losing space which allows any reactant to be accessed to the surface of the catalyst nanoparticles.

Abstract: A zoom lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising a first lens unit having positive optical power, a second lens unit having negative optical power, a third lens unit having positive optical power, and subsequent lens units including a fourth lens unit having optical power, wherein any one of the first lens unit, the second lens unit, the third lens unit, and the subsequent lens units includes a lens element having a reflecting surface that bends a light beam incident from an object, wherein in zooming from a wide-angle limit to a telephoto limit at the time of image taking, the first lens unit and the third lens unit do not move along an optical axis, and wherein the condition is satisfied: 1.42<nd4ave<1.58 (nd4ave is an average of refractive indices to the d-line of the lens elements constituting the fourth lens unit), an imaging device and a camera are provided.

Abstract: A planar illumination device includes an optical element outputting a diffusing light from a laser light source into an incident edge surface of a light guide plate. The optical element provides an output substantially parallel to a thickness direction of the light guide plate. A light deflecting unit, including a plurality of deflectors, is provided on a principal surface of the light guide plate for deflecting incident laser light towards an output surface of the light guide. The light deflecting unit is arranged such that a degree of deflection of the light incident on the light guide plate differs according to positions in the light guide plate, to make an amount of light outputted from the output surface uniform across such output surface.

Abstract: In a multiuser MIMO system, entire system throughput achieved during retransmission is significantly enhanced. When an interference signal addressed to another user equipment (UE2) 200b has been demodulated successfully, a user equipment (UE1) 200a holds the demodulated data pertaining to the interference signal, and feeds back ACK information about the UE2 and CQI information achieved after elimination of the interference signal to a radio base station (BS) 100. When the UE2 performs retransmission after ended in a receiving failure and when the UE1 has demodulated the interference signal addressed to the UE2 successfully, the BS changes the distribution of communication resources in such a way that communication resources for the UE2 become larger than those for the UE1.

Abstract: Provided is a radio communication method which can reduce the power consumption as compared to the conventional technique while realizing coexistence of a plurality of radio communication methods and can perform synchronization with a super frame of other radio communication device. The super frame has life confirmation slots (2820, 2830) through which radio communication devices of various modulation types should transmit tone signals. A radio communication device has a chance to judge whether one or more radio communication devices using a different modulation type exist or no such device exists in the vicinity. If no such device exists, the slot to be used by the radio communication device of the modulation method is reported as a time that can be used by a radio communication group of other modulation method. Thus, by confirming existence of an object in the vicinity by other radio communication device with which communication cannot be performed, communication can be performed by sharing the super frame.