Abstract: A user support system employing agent technology is provided. The entrance server identifies the user command by matching it with a collection of anticipated user commands. An index search is performed to identify the contents of the user command. The identified user command is then used to determine which specialized server should respond to the user command. The specialized server contains a collection of action patterns for an agent to use in responding to a user command. An agent supports a user in searching for information and/or navigating to the desired information through friendly conversation with that user. The entrance server is configured as a portal site and a specialized server is provided for each specialized field.

Abstract: A shock sound prevention circuit which provides a BTL audio amplifier with stable operation about 100 msec after turning-on of a power supply is required. Since the BTL audio amplifier is usually integrated in an IC, use of capacitors which takes up a large pattern area on the IC chip needs to be minimized. This invention offers a shock sound prevention circuit which has a capacitance for reference voltage to generate a reference voltage which rises according to turning-on of a power supply, a first operational amplifier to which an audio signal input and the reference voltage are applied, a second operational amplifier to which a reverse signal of the audio signal input and the reference voltage are applied, a first and a second buffers to which the reference voltage is applied and a level comparator which compares a voltage of the power supply with the reference voltage.

Abstract: An electrode for a lithium secondary cell capable of attaining excellent charge/discharge characteristics with high discharge capacity is obtained by properly controlling a component of a collector diffusing into active material layers formed on both sides of the collector. Embodiments include forming a first active material layer consisting of a plurality of layers on a first surface of a collector, and forming a second active material layer consisting of a plurality of layers on a second surface of the collector. At least one layer constituting the second active material layer is formed before forming all layers constituting the first active material layer, thereby preventing heat for forming at least one of the layers constituting the second active material layer from being applied to all layers constituting the first active material layer.

Abstract: In an organic EL device, a hole injection electrode is formed on a glass substrate, and a hole transport layer, a luminescent layer, a hole blocking layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection electrode are formed in this order on the glass substrate. The hole blocking layer includes a ternary complex compound including two quinolinol derivatives, a group IIIB element, and a halogen element or a phenol derivative.

Abstract: Brackets 9, 9 for supporting respective opposite ends of a guide rod 4 are provided with respective cam faces 95, 95 approximately symmetric about an approximate longitudinal midportion C of the guide rod 4, and at least one of the brackets 9 is provided with an adjusting member for moving the guide rod 4 longitudinally thereof. The cam faces 9 guide the guide rod 4 toward a direction in which the guide rod 4 pivotally moves about the approximate longitudinal midportion C, as the guide rod 4 is moved longitudinally thereof by the adjusting member.

Abstract: In a transport stream decoder, a plurality of synchronization establishment circuits receive a plurality of different transport streams and a plurality of input clocks corresponding thereto, to establish synchronization between the transport streams and the input clocks. A multiple TS time-division multiplexing circuit receives outputs of two FIFO memories, converts a plurality of transport stream signals into time-division multiplexing signals synchronizing with an internal processing clock, and provides an addition of a TS identification signal indicating which one of the transport streams corresponds to each time-division multiplexing signal. Therefore, a TS decoder with suppressed circuit scale can be provided even when different types of transport streams are handled.

Abstract: Flicker, which occurs in photographing of a moving image under lighting by a fluorescent lamp, is detected accurately. A common multiple of a light-emitting period {fraction (1/100)} sec in a region where a frequency of a commercial AC power supply is 50 Hz, a light-emitting period {fraction (1/120)} sec in a region where the frequency is 60 Hz, and 1/fp according to a frame rate fp is defined as a synchronous period. An exposure condition determining unit decides an exposure condition on the basis of an image signal level at each synchronous period and feeds back the exposure condition to exposure control of a frame after the synchronous period. A synchronous level extracting unit extracts image signal levels for plural frames at each synchronous period and a synchronous judging unit judges a stability state of the levels. On the other hand, a flicker judging unit detects presence of a section where a fluctuation in an image signal level between adjacent frames is large in the synchronous period.

Abstract: Conventionally, in the case where optical sensors are included in a display device, separate modules manufactured in separate steps are included in the same casing. However, reduction in the number of parts and in costs cannot be achieved, and reduction in size and thickness of the display device has not been realized. An optical sensor is realized by use of a TFT provided on an insulating substrate. The TFT is used as the optical sensor by detecting a photocurrent generated by incident ambient light when the TFT is off. By increasing a gate width W of the TFT, a region where the photocurrent is generated is increased, and the optical sensor with good sensitivity is realized. Moreover, since the optical sensor can be realized by use of a TFT provided on a glass substrate, the optical sensor can be provided on the same substrate as that of an EL display device.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device having a MOS transistor and a diffusion resistance layer formed on a same semiconductor substrate, where current leakage from the diffusion resistance layer is minimized. The manufacturing method of the semiconductor device of the invention has following features. That is, a CVD insulation film is formed on a whole surface of an n-type well including on a gate electrode and a p+-type diffusion resistance layer formed thereon. Then, a second photoresist layer is formed having an opening above a part of the diffusion resistance layer. By using this second photoresist layer as a mask, an anisotropic etching is performed to the CVD insulation film to form a sidewall spacer on a sidewall of the gate electrode.

Abstract: A projection type video display has a sensor which includes an image pick up device to take a projected image and the projection type video display projects an adjustment image to automatically implement the focus adjustment and the keystone distortion correction on the basis of output of the sensor.

Abstract: A semiconductor forming transistors on a semiconductor substrate includes a low concentration source/drain region formed in the semiconductor substrate, a high concentration source/drain region formed in the source/drain region, a gate electrode formed on the substrate through gate oxide film, a P type body region formed under the gate electrode and placed between the source/drain regions and, plug contact portions contacting the source/drain region and arranged in plural, and a source/drain electrode connecting to the source/drain region with contact through the contact portions.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell having a positive electrode comprising mainly of a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode active material is a lithium-containing transition metal composite oxide of a hexagonal crystal system that includes a compound represented by the general formula LiCo1-xMxO2, where M is at least one species selected from the group consisting of V, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Al, and Ti, and x is a decimal number in a range 0<x<1, magnesium, and halogen. In a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell having such a construction, the high-temperature characteristics are improved without reducing the cell capacity.

Abstract: A voltage detecting circuit for a cell combination including one or more cell blocks having a plurality of cell modules connected to each other in series, including voltage detecting lines extending, respectively, from a plurality of voltage detecting points of the cell combination, of the lines is connected to the ground, and nongrounding voltage detecting lines are each interconnected through voltage branch lines to the grounding voltage detecting line. A voltage dividing resistor is interposed on each of the nongrounding voltage detecting lines and each of the voltage branch lines. Each of the nongrounding voltage detecting line is connected to a computing circuit via an analogue-digital converter. The computing circuit calculates voltage of each of cell modules based on voltage detecting data input from each of the nongrounding voltage detecting lines. Accordingly, the number of parts is reduced, voltage detecting accuracy is improved, and disconnection is reliably detected.

Abstract: A magneto-optical disk apparatus generates magnetic field onto a magneto-optical recording medium prior to recording signals in the magneto-optical recording medium having a recording layer and a reproduction layer, by use of magnetic field and laser beam. The magneto-optical apparatus then adjusts a position of a magnetic head that generates the magnetic field, under a state where the laser beam is irradiated, by utilizing that an irradiation spot of the laser beam deviates due to eccentricity of the magneto-optical recording medium. This position adjustment is carried out based on, for example, a beam position signal showing the irradiation spot of the laser beam and/or a detection signal which is detected after the laser beam is modulated by the magnetic field.

Abstract: It is difficult to check the mounted state of solder by means of visual inspection after the mounting of a semiconductor device according to a conventional art, in particular, a CSP-semiconductor device, to a substrate and a problem arises wherein defective products increase and yield decreases. Terminals 50, 51, 52 and 53 for external connection are exposed from second main surface 412 of first insulating substrate 41 in the semiconductor device according to the present invention. Thus, second insulating substrate 48 is adhered to second main surface 412 so as to surround the internal portions of these terminals for external connection. Thereby, second insulating substrate 48 serves as a background mirror so that the mounted state of deep portions of the solder can be ascertained at the time of visual inspection of the mounted state of solder after the mounting of the semiconductor device to the substrate.

Abstract: The optical disk apparatus is provided with a Viterbi decoder and an expected value correction circuit. The branch metric operation unit calculates first, second and third errors between sampling data and expected values, and outputs them to the expected value correction circuit. The expected value correction circuit extracts the sampling data in a region where its variation is small based on the first, second and third errors, calculates the average values of the extracted sampling data to correct the first, second and third expected values, and outputs the corrected expected values to the branch metric operation unit. The Viterbi decoder performs Viterbi decoding of the sampling data based on the first, second and third corrected expected values. Thus, high-precision Viterbi decoding is permitted even if the amplitude value of the reproduction signal varies.

Abstract: There is disclosed a signal processing device including a reception part which receives a signal from outside, a preliminary detection part, a main processing part whose power consumption is larger than that of the preliminary detection part, and a power supply part which supplies power to the main processing part. The preliminary detection part collates bit values of bit information constituted of a combination of bit values included in the signal received by the reception part and those of collation key information constituted of a combination of preset bit values. Moreover, the power is supplied to the main processing part from the power supply part in a case where all the bit values agree with each other.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electronic device comprising a base substrate to be surface-mounted on a circuit board, one or more electronic component elements mounted on a surface of the base substrate and/or therein, an external electrode provided on an end portion of the base substrate and in the form of a post perpendicular to a rear surface of the base substrate for connecting the one or more electronic component elements to the circuit board. Furthermore, the base substrate is provided on its end portion with a slope crossing a side surface and a rear surface of the base substrate. A surface of the external electrode is exposed on the slope.

Abstract: A non-authentic article discrimination system for discriminating whether an article to which an IC tag is attached is a non-authentic article includes an IC tag and a base device. The IC tag includes a first antenna portion for receiving a radio wave, a power generation circuit for generating electric power from the radio wave received by the first antenna portion, a first storing portion for storing information regarding the article, and a radio wave output circuit for outputting a radio wave including the information stored in the first storing portion via the first antenna portion.