Abstract: The initial charge/discharge efficiency and cycle characteristics of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that contains a silicon material as a negative-electrode active material are improved. A negative-electrode active material particle (10) according to an embodiment contains a base particle (13), which includes a lithium silicate phase (11) represented by Li2zSiO(2+z) {0<z<2} and silicon particles (12) dispersed in the lithium silicate phase (11). The symmetry determined by an image analysis of a backscattered electron image of a cross section of the base particle (13) is 1.5 or less. The symmetry refers to the ratio (b/a) of the half width at half maximum b of a peak on the high-gray-scale side to the half width at half maximum a of the peak on the low-gray-scale side in a histogram of color distinction based on 256 gray levels for each pixel of the backscattered electron image.

Abstract: To obtain a separator for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery that has an excellent nonaqueous electrolyte permeability into an electrode and an excellent electrolyte retentivity of the electrode and achieves a large capacity, a high energy density and a good high-temperature charge characteristic. A separator 3 used for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery is formed by disposing a porous layer 2 made of inorganic fine particles and a resin binder on a porous separator substrate 1, the resin binder is made of at least one resin selected from the group consisting of polyimide resins, polyamide resins and polyamideimide resins and the molecular chain of the resin has a halogen atom content of 10% to 30% by weight, and the content of the resin binder in the porous layer is 5% by weight or more.

Abstract: Provided is a substrate wherein wiring layers laminated onto the top and bottom surfaces of a core layer are connected to each other by a simple means. Also provided is a method for manufacturing said substrate. In the provided substrate (10A), a connection substrate (13) is placed in a removed region (12) which goes all the way through a part of a thick core layer (11). Said connection substrate (13) electrically connects a first wiring layer (16A) laminated onto the top surface of the core layer (11) to a second wiring layer (16B) laminated onto the bottom surface of the core layer (11). This eliminates the requirement of providing a through-hole through the core layer (11) for each connection, resulting in a small form-factor substrate (10A) with a high wiring density.

Abstract: A setting unit defines the first frame and the second frame and selects use of the first frame or the second frame. A generation unit generates control information which is defined by the same format regardless of the selection by the setting unit and which includes at least information related to the base station broadcast period. The generation unit puts information related to the ratio between the priority period and the general period into the control information and reflects the selection by the setting unit to the ratio. The modem unit and the RF unit broadcast a packet signal including the control information in the base station broadcast period.

Abstract: Infrared light emitted by a fluorescent material is weak. When an infrared image obtained by this fluorescent material is superposed and displayed on a visible-light image, the infrared image is made clear. A signal <IR> of an IR pixel having selective sensitivity to infrared light is subtracted from RGB pixel signals <R>, <B>, and <G> of a solid-state image sensor by adders (20), and signals R0, G0, and B0 that correspond to the R, G, and B components of incident light within <R>, <G>, and <B> are separated and extracted. <IR> is multiplied by each of the gains ?R, ?G, and ?B to enhance the IR component by multipliers (22), and each is synthesized with R0, G0, and B0 by adders (24). ?R, ?G, and ?B are set so that the infrared image displayed on the visible-light image by the synthesized IR component is enhanced and displayed in a hue that can be distinguished from the color white or another visible-light image.

Abstract: An electronic camera includes an imager. An imager outputs an image signal that is based on electric charges produced on an imaging surface having an optical black area. A clamper clamps the image signal outputted from the imager by referring to a signal level of the optical black area. A processor processes the image signal outputted from the clamper by referring to a parameter setting. A restrictor restricts behavior of the clamper corresponding to a specific area allocated to the optical black area. An adjustor adjusts the parameter setting based on an output of the clamper corresponding to the restricting process of the restrictor.

Abstract: A network system providing highly reliable transmission quality for delay-sensitive applications with online learning and cross-layer optimization is disclosed. Each protocol layer is deployed to select its own optimization strategies, and cooperates with other layers to maximize the overall utility. This framework adheres to defined layered network architecture, allows layers to determine their own protocol parameters, and exchange only limited information with other layers. The network system considers heterogeneous and dynamically changing characteristics of delay-sensitive applications and the underlying time-varying network conditions, to perform cross-layer optimization. Data units (DUs), both independently decodable DUs and interdependent DUs, are considered. The optimization considers how the cross-layer strategies selected for one DU will impact its neighboring DUs and the DUs that depend on it.

Abstract: An image stabilization control circuit comprises a plurality of vibration detecting elements for detecting vibration of an image pickup apparatus; a plurality of position detecting elements for detecting a position of an optical component; an analog/digital converter circuit for converting output signals of the plurality of vibration detecting elements and the plurality of position detecting elements to digital signals; and a logic circuit for generating a control signal for driving the optical component based on the output signals of the plurality of vibration detecting elements and the plurality of position detecting elements digitalized by the analog/digital converter circuit, wherein the analog/digital converter circuit digitalizes and outputs the output signal of the plurality of vibration detecting elements with respect to a plurality of axis directions, and successively digitalizes and outputs the output signal of the plurality of position detecting elements with respect to a plurality of axis directio

Abstract: An illumination apparatus includes a red light valve, a green light valve, a blue light valve, a polarization adjustment element, and a color combiner. The polarization adjustment element adjusts polarization of fourth color component light. The color combiner combines light emitted from the red light valve, the green light valve and the blue light valve. Superimposed component light which is any one of a red component light, a green component light and a blue component light enters the polarization adjustment element together with a fourth color component light. The polarization adjustment element transmits the superimposed component light without adjusting the polarization, and transmits the fourth color component light with adjusting the polarization.

Abstract: In some examples, a differential comparator includes a differential amplifier configured to output differential output signals, a first switch portion configured to input the differential output signals from the differential amplifier and output the differential output signals from output terminals while alternatively changing over the output terminals, a latch portion configured to update and latch the differential output signals from the output terminals of the first switch portion, and a second switch portion configured to input output signals from the latch portion and output the latched output signals. The first switch portion and the second switch portion are changed over complementarily so that the differential output signals from the differential amplifier are always outputted from the same first and second output terminals of the second switch portion respectively.

Abstract: A solar cell module includes: a translucent front surface member; a rear surface member; solar cells disposed between the front surface member and the rear surface member and electrically connected to each other; and a translucent sealing resin filled between the front surface member and the rear surface member and fixing the solar cells to the front surface member and the rear surface member. The solar cell includes: a photoelectric conversion body having a semiconductor junction to form an electric field isolating carriers; a suppression layer provided between the front surface member and the photoelectric conversion body and configured to suppress recombination of minority carriers; and an inclined surface provided at the outer edge of the suppression layer and extending in a direction non-parallel to the normal line of the solar cell.

Abstract: A solar cell module comprises a solar cell having a light receiving surface and a rear surface provided on the opposite side of the light receiving surface; a light-receiving-surface-side protection member disposed on the light-receiving-surface-side of the solar cell; a rear-surface-side protection member disposed on the rear-surface-side of the solar cell and having a metal layer sandwiched between a plurality of resin layers; and a output lead configured to draw electric power from the solar cell, wherein the rear-surface-side protection member has an opening portion formed by folding back a first area in the rear-surface-side protection member, one end portion of the output lead is electrically connected to the solar cell, and the other end portion of the output lead is drawn out from the opening portion.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser diode capable of further improving temperature characteristics while sufficiently preventing a laser beam emission end surface portion from thermal destruction through a window structure is obtained. This semiconductor laser diode comprises an active layer having a window structure on a laser beam emission end surface portion and a p-type layer, formed on the surface of the active layer, containing Mg and Zn as impurities. The impurity concentration of Zn contained in the p-type layer is larger than the impurity concentration of Mg contained in the p-type layer.

Abstract: A light-emitting element driving circuit includes a PWM signal output circuit configured to output a plurality of PWM signals each having one logic level whose duty ratio corresponds to gradation data and each corresponding to each of a plurality of light-emitting elements, on the basis of the gradation data indicating brightness of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements. A driving signal output circuit is configured to change the duty ratio of each of the plurality of inputted PWM signals to output the plurality of changed PWM signals as a plurality of driving signals, on the basis of instruction data for changing the brightness of the plurality of light-emitting elements. A driving circuit is configured to drive the plurality of light-emitting elements on the basis of a duty ratio of each of the plurality of driving signals.

Abstract: Provided are: a determiner which determines whether or not a power-source connecting operation for transitioning to a connected state between a power source and a apparatus main body is performed; a start-up acceptor which accepts a manipulation for executing a start-up process for transitioning the apparatus main body from a non-activated state to an activated state; a non-volatile memory which holds start-up information necessary for executing the start-up process to the apparatus main body; a volatile memory; a transferer which executes a transfer operation for transferring the start-up information from the non-volatile memory to the volatile memory; a start-up processor which executes the start-up process to the apparatus main body by using the start-up information transferred, according to the start-up manipulation by the transferer, to the volatile memory; and a controller which executes the transfer operation when it is determined by the determiner that the battery mounting operation is performed.

Abstract: An optical-pickup apparatus comprising: a laser diode to emit laser light forward and backward; an objective lens to focus the laser light emitted forward from the laser diode onto a signal-recording layer of an optical disc; a spherical-aberration correction element that is arranged on an optical path between the laser diode and the objective lens, and is so movable in an optical-axis direction of the laser light as to correct spherical aberration; a movement-position detection unit to detect a movement position of the spherical-aberration correction element, and output a detection signal indicating the movement position of the spherical-aberration correction element; a photodetector to receive the laser light emitted backward from the laser diode, and output a monitor signal corresponding to a light-receiving level of the laser light; and a control unit to control intensity of the laser light emitted from the laser diode based on the monitor and detection signals.

Abstract: A solid electrolytic capacitor comprising an anode body, a dielectric layer placed on the surface of the anode body, a conductive polymer layer placed on the surface of the dielectric layer, and a housing accommodating at least the anode body, the dielectric layer and the conductive polymer layer, wherein a water-retaining layer having higher water absorption than that of the housing is placed between the conductive polymer layer and the housing.

Abstract: A fuel cell system of the present invention includes a fuel cell stack, a fuel feeder that provides the fuel cell stack with fuel, a fuel cell DC/DC converter that converts the output voltage of the fuel cell stack to a predetermined voltage and then outputs it, a rechargeable battery that is an electric storage device, and a rechargeable battery DC/DC converter that converts the output voltage of the rechargeable battery to a predetermined voltage and then outputs it. The setting of a voltage at a node at which an output end of the fuel cell DC/DC converter and an output end of the rechargeable battery DC/DC converter are connected together is changeable, and the rechargeable battery is detachable. As a result, the fuel cell system of the present invention has high versatility.

Abstract: A disc apparatus comprising: a jitter-value detection unit configured to detect a jitter value based on a signal to be read from a medium; a defocus-value setting unit configured to set a defocus value for focusing an objective lens in the medium based on the jitter value; and a defocus-value adjusting unit configured to detect the jitter value every time the defocus value is changed stepwise within a predetermined range of the defocus value including a reference value of the defocus value, to obtain an optimum defocus value to be set for the defocus-value setting unit within a predetermined time period, based on a maximum jitter value and a minimum jitter value of the detected jitter values.

Abstract: A lens mounting plate to which a projection lens unit is fixed is brought into contact with a sliding base. The lens mounting plate is pressed against the sliding base by the urging of a coiled spring. The pressing force is set such that the position of the projection lens unit can be held and shifted. A cover is provided with a pipe-shaped projection so as to surround the projection lens unit with a clearance corresponding to the shifting width of the projection lens unit between the pipe-shaped projection and the projection lens unit. A user shifts the position of the projection lens unit with his or her fingers laid on the pipe-shaped projection and the projection lens unit.