Abstract: The fluorescent lamp retaining member retains two lamp units each including two fluorescent lamps that have electrodes at both ends thereof, a bundling member that bundles a wire from each of electrodes at one end of the two fluorescent lamps, and a conductive member that connects electrodes at the other end of the two fluorescent lamps through a conductive path. The fluorescent lamp retaining member holds the vicinity of the central of each of the fluorescent lamps so arranged in parallel as to set the bundling members in the same direction. The fluorescent lamp retaining member allows one retained lamp unit to rotate relative to the other retained lamp unit adjacent thereto, and so retains the lamp units adjacent to each other that the bundling members and conductive members are arranged alternately after one lamp unit has been rotated.

Abstract: A fixing unit includes a heat roller and a pressing roller that comes in pressure contact with the heat roller, and passes the recording paper with an unfixed toner image formed thereon through the nip between the heat roller and pressing roller to thereby fix the toner image to the recording paper by applying heat and pressure thereto. A cleaning device for removing the toner remaining on the heat roller or pressing roller in the fixing unit includes cleaning rollers made of metal arranged in press-contact with the heat roller and pressing roller, the peripheral surface of the cleaning rollers being formed with projected and indented shapes to thereby remove the leftover toner appropriately.

Abstract: Systems and methods for discovering a device on a computer network are disclosed. An exemplary method involves providing key data to be sent with an initiation message. The initiation message is sent by an origination device on a computer network to an undiscovered destination device on the computer network. The initiation message includes the key data. The undiscovered destination device includes an electronic or computing device that the origination device has not sent electronic communications to. The initiation message is received by the undiscovered destination device. The key data is obtained by the undiscovered destination device from the initiation message. Key reply data is provided that is based on the key data. An initiation reply is sent by the undiscovered destination device to the origination device on the computer network. The initiation reply includes the key reply data.

Abstract: An antenna of the present invention includes a coaxial cable, antenna elements (3a and 3b), and an unbalanced/balanced converter. The unbalanced/balanced converter has a high-pass circuit provided between an input terminal port1 and an output terminal port2 and a low-pass circuit provided between the input terminal port1 and an output terminal port3. Moreover, the high-pass circuit rejects frequencies within a VHF band, and the high-pass circuit and the low-pass circuit both pass frequencies within a UHF band. In response to a signal, inputted to the input terminal port1, which falls within the UHF band, the high-pass circuit and the low-pass circuit output signals that are inverted in phase and equal in amplitude with respect to each other. Therefore, the antenna has high transmission and reception sensitivity in a wide frequency range, i.e., in the VHF and UHF bands. This makes it possible to provide an antenna having high transmission and reception sensitivity in a wide frequency range.

Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting device includes a first conductivity-type first semiconductor layer; an emission layer; a second conductivity-type second semiconductor layer; and a second conductivity-type transparent substrate transparent to light beams from the emission layer and directly bonded to the second semiconductor layer. The transparent substrate has a parallel surface almost parallel to the emission layer on an opposite side of the emission layer, and an inclined surface adjoining the parallel surface and inclined to the parallel surface. Light beams totally reflected on the parallel surface and light beams totally reflected on a side surface of the transparent substrate come incident to the inclined surface at an angle smaller than the critical angle, and emit out of the semiconductor light emitting device.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for establishing an Instant Messenger (IM) reflector service. The method comprises: establishing an interface between an IM network server and an IM master client identified with a first username; establishing a reflector service between the IM master client and an IM peer client; and, identifying the IM peer client with the first username. That is, IM messages associated with the first username are routed via the IM master client. Alternately stated, IM messages are communicated between the IM network and all IM clients identified with the first username. More specifically, communicating IM messages with all IM clients identified with the first username includes: the IM master client receiving IM messages from the IM network, addressed to the first username; and, the IM master client distributing the IM messages to IM peer clients identified with the first username, via the reflector service.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes: a first substrate; a second substrate disposed so as to be closer to a viewer than the first substrate is; a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate; a light source provided by a side of the first substrate, the light source emitting light toward a side face of the first substrate; and a selective reflection layer formed on a principal face of the first substrate opposite from the viewer, the selective reflection layer selectively reflecting light of a specific polarization direction.

Abstract: A charging apparatus is provided in which electrodes can be protected from corrosion induced by water content in the air, ozone, nitrogen oxide and the like and thereby lack of uniformity in charged potential on photoreceptor surface can be prevented, and in which a charged potential on photoreceptor surface can be kept in an adequate range for a longer period of time. As an electrode disposed in the charging apparatus for charging photoreceptor surface, an electrode formed with a protective layer made of nickel and phosphorus for surface protection is used. In the protective layer, phosphorus concentration and thickness proportion are each set to fall within a specified range.

Abstract: A display device includes a pixel defined by a plurality of sub-pixels. The plurality of sub-pixels include first, second, third and fourth sub-pixels. A second hue of the second sub-pixel is closest to a first hue of the first sub-pixel in the chromaticity diagram of the L*a*b* color system, and a third hue of the third sub-pixel is closest to the first hue on the opposite side to the second hue with respect to the first hue in the chromaticity diagram of the L*a*b* color system among the hues. The luminances of the plurality of sub-pixels are set such that while a color displayed by the pixel changes from black via the first color of the first sub-pixel to white, the luminance of the first sub-pixel starts to be increased, and when the luminance of the first sub-pixel reaches a predetermined luminance, the luminance of at least one of the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel starts to be increased.

Abstract: To transfer signal charges generated by a semiconductor photoelectric conversion element in opposite directions, the center line of a first transfer gate electrode and that of a second transfer gate electrodes are arranged on the same straight line, and a U-shaped first exhausting gate electrode and a second exhausting gate electrode are arranged to oppose to each other. The first exhausting gate electrode exhausts background charges generated by a background light in the charge generation region, and the second exhausting gate electrode exhausts background charges generated by the background light in the charge generation region. The background charges exhausted by the first exhausting gate electrode are received by a first exhausting drain region and the background charges exhausted by the second exhausting gate electrode are received by a first exhausting drain region.

Abstract: Provided are data lines, scanning lines crossing the data lines, and a switching element in vicinity of each intersection of the data lines and the scanning lines, the data lines being connected via the switching elements with pixel electrodes arranged in matrix. Direct-type backlights arranged in parallel with the scanning lines are provided, and a backlight turning-ON drive circuit for turning the direct-type backlights in order at a predetermined frequency in sync with a scanning signal is provided. In at least one embodiment, the backlight turning-ON drive circuit includes a controller for controlling the direct-type backlights to turn ON in order in sync with the scanning signal in such a manner that the direct-type backlights are turned ON discretely over frames being continuous based on a vertical sync signal.

Abstract: A wireless communication system, a base station device, a mobile station device, and a macrodiversity selection method of the invention, in a base station device including a macrodiversity function among a plurality of sectors, select a macrodiversity method for the mobile station device from a plurality of macrodiversity methods, in accordance with a predetermined determination reference based on reception conditions of the mobile station device.

Abstract: In a discharge tube, a conductive ferrule is provided on an end portion of a glass tube. The ferrule includes a body that is to be mounted to the outer circumference of the glass tube and has a contact portion to be electrically conductively fixed to a relay connector (or a bearing device). Further included is a conductive portion that extends from the body so as to have elastic contact with an outer lead. The outer lead will not be under load due to the weight of the discharge tube, but the conductive portion solely has elastic contact therewith. Thus, stress concentration on the outer lead can be prevented.

Abstract: A display system provided in a drivable vehicle is arranged to display information including the information on the vehicle on the screens corresponding to the information, on a front liquid crystal panel and a rear liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panels can each display data at least one screen. The system has first and second control circuits provided for the respective front and rear liquid crystal panels and adapted to create display data to be displayed on the screens of the front and rear liquid crystal panels, and a single all-panel control section arranged to select screens displayed on the front and rear liquid crystal panels according to the information including the information on the vehicle. When display panels are equipped in a moving body, a display system is capable of controlling the screen display of the display panels integrally. A display system display control method, a data display program and recording medium are also displayed.

Abstract: In a manufacturing method of a thin film transistor (1), the oxide film forming step is performed whereby: a process-target substrate (2) having a surface on which a gate oxide film (4) should be formed is immersed in an oxidizing solution containing an active oxidizing species; and a gate oxide film (4) is formed through direct oxidation of polycrystalline silicon (51) on the process-target substrate (2). With this step, a silicon dioxide film (42) is formed while growing a silicon dioxide film (41) on the process-target substrate 2. Accordingly, the interface between the polycrystalline silicon (51) and the gate oxide film (4) is kept clean. The gate oxide film (4) is uniformly formed with excellent quality in insulation tolerance and other properties. Therefore, the thin film transistor (1) contains a high quality oxide film with excellent insulation tolerance and other properties which can be formed at low temperature.

Abstract: A light scattering section is formed on at least part of a surface of a sealing resin section including fluorescent bodies and covering light emitting diode chips. Light from the light emitting diode chips is scattered by the light scattering section, and then is returned to the sealing resin section so as to excite the fluorescent bodies so that fluorescence is generated. Part of the light to be emitted outside a light emitting element from the light emitting diode chips returns to the sealing resin section so that chromaticity of the light is converted by the fluorescent bodies, thereby adjusting a chromaticity variation among the light emitting elements. In this way, the chromaticity variation among the light emitting elements can be adjusted.

Abstract: An infrared communication apparatus and method enabling data communication with a receiving device, regardless of a protocol with which the receiving device is compatible. A transmitting unit transmits a first packet to inquire whether a receiving device is compatible with a first protocol and transmits a second packet to inquire whether the receiving device is compatible with a second protocol, to the receiving device at least once, and transmits a plurality of third packets to inquire whether the receiving device is compatible with a third protocol, to the receiving device. A receiving unit receives a response packet indicating a protocol with which the receiving device is compatible, from the receiving device having received the first packet, the second packet, and the plurality of third packets. A data transmitting unit transmits data to the receiving device, based on the protocol indicated by the response packet received by the receiving unit.

Abstract: In an LED package, LED chips are connected in parallel by wires between lead frames connected to terminals. When an open circuit failure such as the coming off of the wire occurs in one of the LED chips in the LED package that is being energized, a current twice as high as that flowing through the other LED chip prior to the open circuit failure is passed through the other LED chip, and thus the amount of light emitted therefrom is increased about two-fold. Consequently, the amount of light emitted from the LED package does not change significantly.

Abstract: A method for providing access control and accounting information for one or more services is described. A service request is received from a device. A service to execute the service request is selected. A determination is made whether the device is authorized to access the selected service. The accounting information associated with executing the service request using the selected service is calculated.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus of the present invention includes: an appearance data generating section 21 for generating appearance data according to a drawing appearance of a processed document; a classification information producing section 22 for producing, from the appearance data, classification information for classifying the processed document; a data file save processing section 23 (saving section) for saving in a storage section a data file of the processed document together with the classification information of the data file; an appearance information inputting section 15 (inputting section) for inputting the appearance information of the processed document desired by a user; an appearance information converting section 29 for converting the appearance information into classification information to output the classification information; and a searching section 26 for searching the storage section 26 to find the data file of the processed document consistent with the outputted classification informa