Abstract: An apparatus for image formation includes a slider, rotatable members, elastic members, and a waste toner box. The slider is supported by the main body of the apparatus and can reciprocate in the outward direction from the inside of the body to one side of the body and the inward direction opposite to the outward direction. The rotatable members are arranged in the outward and inward directions over the slider. Each of the elastic members biases one of the rotatable members upward relative to the slider. The rotatable members support the waste toner box, which has an inlet for connection to the bottom of the outlet. The box inlet is formed at the end of the waste toner box that is upstream in the outward direction. The elastic member most upstream of all the elastic members in the outward direction is the greatest in biasing force of all the elastic members.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises an active region (4), a cladding layer (5,7), and a saturable absorbing layer (6) disposed within the cladding layer. The saturable absorbing layer comprises at least one portion (11a) that is absorbing for light emitted by the active region and comprises at least portion (11b) that is not absorbing for light emitted by the active region. The fabrication method of the invention enables the non-absorbing portion(s) (11b) of the saturable absorbing layer (6) to produced after the device structure has been fabricated. This allows the degree of overlap between the non-absorbing portion(s) (11b) of the saturable absorbing layer (6) and the optical mode of the laser to be altered after the device has been grown.

Abstract: When receiving an interlaced video signal, an I/P conversion section converts the interlaced video signal into a progressive video signal by any of two or more I/P conversion methods. Further, an emphasis conversion section subjects the progressive video signal to emphasis conversion. Here, a control CPU controls the degree of emphasis conversion performed by the emphasis conversion section so as to be changed in accordance with which kind of conversion method among the two or more conversion methods is used for the conversion. This makes it possible to subject video data supplied to a liquid crystal display panel to emphasis conversion with a degree corresponding to the conversion method. As a result of this, it is possible to implement a liquid crystal display device which can realize both improvement in response speed of a liquid crystal display device and improvement in quality of video image displayed on the liquid crystal display device.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems, and devices for improving network management in a centralized network, which typically includes a central coordinator (CCO) that manages and schedules activities within the network. The embodiments of the invention provide a manner of selecting a CCO, including a backup CCO, best suited to manage the network based on a set of rules. Furthermore, the embodiments provide a manner of transferring the current CCO functions to a new CCO, e.g., via message exchanges. Moreover, a process of a backup CCO assuming the function of an unavailable CCO is also described.

Abstract: A toner bottle that is composed of a main body having a bottle-side toner discharge port for discharging toner and a bottle holder that encloses the bottle-side toner discharge port and rotatably holds the main part and is constructed such that the main part is rotated in its peripheral direction to thereby discharge the toner charged in it out of the bottle. The toner bottle is characterized in that the bottle holder has a guide portion that is able to position and hold the main part at a position with respect to its rotational direction, and the main part has a hooking piece that is able to position and hold itself with respect to the direction of rotation by means of the guide portion.

Abstract: A toner container includes: a container body with a toner discharge aperture; and a toner container supporting structure which has a toner feed aperture and supports the container body in a rotatable manner, and discharges toner while rotating the container body. A toner feed recess 303 that is intended into the interior of the toner container is formed on the outer periphery of the container body so as to temporarily reserve the discharged toner. The toner feed recess is formed on the upstream side of the toner discharge aperture. The toner feed recess is formed so that its sectional opening area perpendicular to the rotational direction of the container body decreases from the downstream side to the upstream side of the rotational direction.

Abstract: A guide member, which is constituted by an upper paper guide and a lower paper guide that form a paper transport path, is arranged between registration rollers and pre-registration rollers. At least one of the upper paper guide and the lower paper guide is supported swingably during printing operation.

Abstract: A camera-equipped portable device has first and second bodies, a camera for taking a picture, and a main display portion displaying the taken picture. The camera and the main display portion are arranged on the same surface of first body, and the camera is fixed to the first body such that an optical axis of the camera extends in a direction different from a direction perpendicular to a display surface of the main display portion. Thereby, it is possible to provide an image pick-up device, which allows picture-taking in a natural position, can suppress increase in product cost and can have a compact structure.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a casing having an engagement portion, and a sheet stacker detachably housed in the casing. The stacker has a liftable stacking plate, a handle, a lock claw, and a transmission mechanism. The plate is provided for loading a plurality of sheets. The handle is pivotable between operational and nonoperational positions. The claw is pivotable between engaged and disengaged positions. In the engaged and disengaged positions, the claw is engaged with, and disengaged from, the engagement portion, respectively. The mechanism has a solenoid and an interlock member. The solenoid has a plunger movable between locking and unlocking positions according to an input driving signal. The member allows, only with the plunger in the unlocking position, the claw to be moved from the engaged position to the disengaged position in association with pivot movement of the handle from the nonoperational position to the operational position.

Abstract: A color sensor of the present invention is arranged such that (i) an interference filter is provided directly above light receiving elements so as to transmit incoming light having a predetermined wavelength of the incoming light, and color filters are provided directly on the interference filter, or (ii) the color filters are provided directly above the light receiving element, and the interference filter is provided directly on the color filters so as to transmit incoming light having a predetermined wavelength of the incoming light.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor laser device capable of reducing stress occurring to a semiconductor laser element so that a life of the semiconductor laser device can be prolonged. In this semiconductor laser device, a solder layer 114 is absent over a first region R1 ranging to a specified length L1 in a perpendicular direction X from a center line J1 of a light-emitting region 150 toward both sides of the perpendicular direction X. That is, the first region R1 over which the light-emitting region 150 is present serves as an incomplete bonding region between the solder layer 114 of the semiconductor laser element 100 and a heat sink 200. Thus, stress given to the light-emitting region 150 due to differences in coefficient of thermal expansion among the semiconductor laser element 100, the solder layer 114 and the heat sink 200 during operation is reduced.

Abstract: An optical pickup includes: a first projector for projecting a first light beam of a first wavelength so as to record and reproduce information with respect to an optical disk having a first light transmissive layer; a second projector for projecting a second light beam of a second wavelength longer than the first wavelength so as to record and reproduce information with respect to an optical disk having a second light transmissive layer; an objective lens common to the first and second light beams; and a diffraction optical element made of a lens with a diffraction grating and a refracting face and disposed in an optical path between the first and second projectors and the objective lens. The diffraction optical element is set to satisfy a predetermined equation.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for forming a data structure that improves error resilience when applied to the coding of hierarchical subband decomposed coefficients, e.g., wavelet transform coefficients. The texture unit is defined as comprising only those AC transform coefficients that are located in one or more slices in a single subband. The texture unit is defined as comprising only those AC transform coefficients that are across “n” subbands, where “n” is smaller number than the total number of “N” levels of decomposition. A texture unit can also be defined as comprising only those bits from the DC transform coefficients that form a single bitplane.

Abstract: The present invention provides a data processing setting apparatus which is improved in convenience when selecting a desired function from a plurality of functions of data processing. A printer driver UI section 15 includes (i) an icon read-out section 33 which reads out from a table managing section 23 a plurality of advanced function icons each indicating a function regarding a processing of generating a print job and each being able to be identified by the function, (ii) a display control section 37 which sequentially displays the read-out advanced function icons on the setting screen image, and (iii) a selection processing section 39 which can select any of a plurality of selectable advanced function icons simultaneously displayed by the display control section 37.

Abstract: With a micro nozzle in which the fluid discharge head has a nozzle with a micro hole having a diameter of 0.01 ?m to 25 ?m, the drive voltage during discharging operation is reduced. Further, by disposing an electrode section for applying a drive voltage to a discharge fluid on an external wall of a nozzle section, a distance between the electrode section and the nozzle hole is shortened. With this structure, the subject invention achieves both miniaturization of nozzle and reduction in drive voltage in an electrostatic suction type fluid discharge device. The subject invention also achieves an increase in discharge limit frequency while allowing use of materials with higher resistance for the fluid to be discharged.

Abstract: An electric apparatus and an electric system comprise: a control panel to accept instructions for operations; and a part to detect and control situations of the operations. The operations, carried out by the electric apparatus and the electric system, are in accordance with the instructions. Furthermore, the electric apparatus and the electric system comprise a remote control to accept instructions about situations and setups of the part. It is configured to accept instructions about the situations and setups of the part, only through the remote control.

Abstract: An AV device is provided that can automatically perform OSD display setting of other AV devices at a time based on local ODS display setting even when a plurality of AV devices are connected. The AV device (depicted as TV 1) includes a connection means (depicted as an HDMI connector 21 and an HDMI connector 22) for making connection with external AV devices 3 and 4 capable of performing OSD display, an OSD processing portion 23 for performing OSD display on a display 17, and a system controller 20 for controlling the entire system. The OSD processing portion 23 generates ODS display setting data 23a from the display setting such as a character color and size in OSD display received from a user using a TV remote controller 2 or the like and stores it. The system controller 20 transmits the OSD display setting data 23a for the TV 1 stored here to the external AV devices 3 and 4 via the HDMI connectors 21 and 22.

Abstract: In a backlight unit including fluorescent tubes and a diffusion unit overlapped with each other, optical materials with different transmittances are contained in a holding layer positioned between a diffusion plate and a lenticular lens layers.

Abstract: A wireless communication system includes a base station device and a mobile station device that tries a random access to the base station device. The mobile station device determines an upper limit of a random backoff time representing an interval from when the random access fails to when another random access is retried based on a relationship between the mobile station device and the base station device.

Abstract: A lighting device for a display device includes a plurality of light sources, a power source arranged to provide drive power for the light sources, a common electrode arranged to supply the drive power to the plurality of light sources, a plurality of holder electrodes arranged to hold the respective light sources and supply the drive power from the common electrode individually to the respective light sources, and a dielectric portion provided between the common electrode and each of the holder electrodes.