Abstract: A solid-state image capturing apparatus is provided, where each of the pixels comprises a pixel light receiving section for converting incident light into a signal charge by photoelectric conversion, a charge storing section for storing the signal charge and generating a signal voltage in accordance with the stored signal charge, and an amplifying transistor for amplifying and outputting the signal voltage. A second-conductivity type semiconductor region, in which the amplifying transistor is formed, on the semiconductor substrate has an impurity concentration profile different from an impurity concentration profile of a different second-conductivity type semiconductor region, in which a peripheral circuit transistor that constitutes the peripheral circuit is formed.

Abstract: In a developing device including a developer tank having a developing area tank and an agitating tank, a first agitating member, a second agitating member, a toner hopper, and a toner storing container, a toner replenishing port is formed in an agitating tank, and two flows of the developer are produced by a rotation of the first agitating member provided with a first agitating blade and a second agitating blade, from both ends of a longitudinal direction of the developer tank to a vicinity of the toner replenishing port. These two flows collides with each other in a vicinity of the toner replenishing port to produce a pulsation flow of the developer from the toner replenishing port into the toner storing container through the toner hopper.

Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a substrate, a TFT formed on the substrate, a storage capacitor element formed on the substrate, an interlayer insulating film covering the storage capacitor element, and a pixel electrode formed on the interlayer insulating film. The storage capacitor element includes a storage capacitor line, an insulating film formed on the storage capacitor line, and two or more storage capacitor electrodes opposed to the storage capacitor line with the insulating film interposed therebetween. The two or more storage capacitor electrodes are electrically connected via associated contact holes formed in the interlayer insulating film to the pixel electrode and electrically continuous with a drain electrode of the TFT.

Abstract: Along a rotational direction of a photoreceptor, a cleaner unit for cleaning a surface of the photoreceptor, a lubricant applying apparatus for applying a lubricant to the surface of the photoreceptor, and a charging device for charging the surface of the photoreceptor are disposed in this order. Further, the lubricant applying apparatus applies the lubricant to the surface of the photoreceptor which has been cleaned and has not been charged. As a result, it is possible to uniformly apply the lubricant to the surface of the image carrier for an extended period of time with stability.

Abstract: In a developing unit including a collecting roller for collecting the developer falling from a developing roller and a developer removing device for removing the developer collected by the collecting roller from the collecting roller, the developer removing device includes a casing for supporting the collecting roller, a scraper for removing the developer adhering to the collecting roller and a scraper supporter for supporting the scraper, and the scraper is supported by pressing it against the casing by the scraper supporter.

Abstract: An optical pickup (20) projects a read beam onto an optical disc (40) as an optical storage medium which is driven to rotate by a spindle motor (30) and receives its reflection. A laser beam from a laser producing element (21) passes through a liquid crystal panel (25) and guided to an objective lens (26). The panel (25) is provided to correct spherical aberration caused by an irregular thickness of a transparent substrate of the optical disc (40). A control circuit (50) changes a spherical aberration correction signal SA to carry out sampling more than once, covering a range of the output of an optical sensor (31) where the output shows large changes. The circuit (50) determines the position of a peak of an approximation curve through calculation and designates that position as the magnitude of correction. Thus, the optical pickup (20) can quickly and accurately detect the magnitude of the correction of the spherical aberration caused by an irregular thickness of the optical disc (40).

Abstract: An upper limit of allowed print count is set for each user requesting print jobs, and a multi function printer includes: (i) a schedule transmission requesting section for acquiring schedule information of the user; (ii) a print count predicting section for predicting, on the basis of the acquired schedule information, allowed print count assigned to the user, and the number of printed sheets, whether changing the upper limit of the allowed print count is required; and (iii) a settings change inquiry section for inquiring a manager terminal of whether the manager terminal authorizes changing the upper limit of the allowed print count. If having obtained from the manager terminal authorization of change of the upper limit of the allowed print count, the multi function printer performs a print job within a range of a new allowed print count.

Abstract: A communication-associated structure and process utilizing (a) a client device, (b) a communication port, and (c) an imaging device which includes an embedded driver and related configuring information. The process, employing these structural elements, involves communicatively associating the two devices through the communication port, and thereafter, and making use of the embedded driver and related configuring information, equipping the client device with a fully configured installation of that driver. This equipping is accomplished through the specific steps of downloading, from the imaging device to the client device, the embedded driver and related configuring information, and thereafter auto-configuring the downloaded driver with the downloaded configuring information.

Abstract: In a waste water treatment apparatus and/or method, waste water containing aminoethanol and dimethyl sulfoxide is introduced into a first denitrification tank within a first waste water treatment apparatus. Malodorous gas generated in the first waste water treatment apparatus is decomposed and treated in a second waste water treatment apparatus where another waste water is treated as another system. The second waste water treatment apparatus has a second nitrification tank including a semi-anaerobic section. The malodorous gas is introduced from the first waste water treatment apparatus into a scrubber. The malodorous gas is treated by sludge which is circulated between the second nitrification tank and the scrubber.

Abstract: A display device includes a left and a right panel sections provided adjacently along a sequence of a plurality of data signal lines, and a plurality of source drivers which are provided along a sequence of the data signal lines and correspond to the panel sections. A controller sends data signals to the respective source drivers in parallel, and a start signal to one of the source drivers in each of the display panel. In each panel section, an operation of acquiring data signals sequentially shifts from the source driver having received the start signal to the next source driver. The controller sends the start signals to the two source drivers closest to a border between the two display regions, and rearranges an order of data signals, which are supplied to source drivers in one of the display regions, to be in line with an order of data signals which are supplied to the other one of the display regions.

Abstract: The size of each of the plurality of characters or graphics is modified while the size of each of the plurality of virtual areas included in the display area is maintained, so that the visual recognizability (ease of reading, or ease of recognition through reading) of characters or graphics is improved without changing the layout thereof. A character/graphic display apparatus of the present invention includes a display device including a display area for displaying a plurality of characters or graphics; and a control section for controlling the display device. The display area includes a plurality of virtual areas. The control section modifies the size of each of the plurality of characters or graphics while maintaining the size of each virtual area included in the display area; and controls the display device to display each of the plurality of characters or graphics having the modified size in the respective virtual area.

Abstract: A controller (101) designates the method of integrating viewpoint images. An image integrator (102) creates an integrated image by placing individual viewpoint images in appropriate positions. A 3D image control information creator (103) creates 3D image control information by formatting the placement mode of individual viewpoint images and various 3-dimensional image characteristics. An encoder (104) encodes integrated image data. A multiplexer (105) multiplexes the coded data and the 3D image control information and outputs them. A filename deciding unit (106) decides the name of a file when multiplexed data is recorded as a file. A storage directory deciding unit (107) decides the directory in which a file to be recorded is stored. A file creator (108) records a file with the decided filename under the decided storage directory. Thus, the distinction between 3-dimensional display image data and 2-dimensional image data can be clarified.

Abstract: The present invention includes means for processing received data, storage means for storing the data, means for performing an invalidation process on the data stored in the storage means, and means for storing history information about the history of the invalidation process performed.

Abstract: An electrostatic suction type fluid discharge device supplies a drive voltage from a power source between a nozzle and an insulating substrate, so as to supply an electric charge to a discharge material supplied into the nozzle. As a result, the discharge material is discharged from the nozzle hole onto the insulating substrate. The diameter of the hole of the nozzle falls within the range between ?0.01 ?m and ?25 ?m, the power source outputs, as the drive voltage, a bipolar pulse voltage that alternates between positive and negative and has a frequency of not less than 1 Hz.

Abstract: A secondary station has a receiver capable of resolving signals received (504,510) as a plurality of multipath signals from a plurality of base stations during a soft handover process. In order to decode and act upon the received signals in a very short period of time, an initial subset of received multipath signals is processed (506) to provide an estimate of the action needing to be taken by the station, which action is then implemented by the station (508). Later arriving signals are processed separately (512) and used to update the estimate, as a result of which the action already taken may be corrected (514). Such a secondary station is particularly suitable for decoding and acting upon power control commands included in received signals in a UMTS system, for which a very limited period of time is provided by the UMTS specification.

Abstract: A cleaning device according to the present invention comprises which includes a cleaning belt, an unwinder, a winder, and a detector. The unwinder is wound with the cleaning belt. The winder winds up the cleaning belt intermittently from the unwinder along a path leading past a cleaning position where the belt is brought into contact with a body to be cleaned. The detector is fitted in a detecting position on the path between the unwinder and the cleaning position. The cleaning belt has an end point set on it near its trailing end and associated with the detecting position. When detecting the end point, the detector outputs a detection signal.

Abstract: In a camera module, the position of image pickup lenses at an end at infinity is defined by contact between a bottom surface of a lens barrel and a surface of a sensor cover. This makes it possible to realize a camera module having image pickup lenses positioned with a high degree of accuracy.

Abstract: A method for self-configuration of offset factors between two base stations in a wireless communications system is described. A first offset factor is sent to a first user equipment (UE) by a first base station. An offset factor is an indication of the reselection area around a home evolved nodeB (HeNB). A second offset factor is received from a second UE. The first offset factor is modified using the second offset factor. The modified first offset factor is sent to the first UE.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium includes: tracks each including a magnetic recording section in which information is recorded and a non-magnetic-recording section in which no information is recorded; and nonmagnetic guide sections magnetically separating the tracks from one another. The non-magnetic-recording section is formed integrally with nonmagnetic guide sections. The magnetic recording medium includes at least one pair of a first region in which at least a portion of each of the respective non-magnetic-recording sections of first and second tracks and a portion of a magnetic recording section of a third track coincide with one another at a position along a direction in which the tracks extend; and a second region in which at least a portion of each of the respective non-magnetic-recording sections of the first and third tracks and a portion of a magnetic recording section of the second track coincide with one another at a position along the direction in which the tracks extend.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a reflective liquid crystal panel (20) having a liquid crystal panel polarization plate (22), a polarization plate (32) provided on a front surface side of the polarization plate (22) with its absorption axis in parallel with an absorption axis of the polarization plate (22), and a negative C plate (31) provided between the liquid crystal panel polarization plate (22) and the polarization plate (32). The negative C plate (31) sets a direction in which viewing limitation is carried out. Thus, it is possible to provide the liquid crystal display device in which a viewing angle can be narrowed by freely setting, in the reflective liquid crystal panel, the direction in which the viewing limitation should be carried out.