Abstract: When a user uses one of a plurality of image forming apparatuses from one of a plurality of terminals, an authentication server determines, on a user by user basis, whether he/she is permitted to use each image forming apparatus, and detects if any of the image forming apparatuses is in a troubled state and incapable of executing a prescribed function. If one image forming apparatus is in a troubled state and the user requests another, trouble-free image forming apparatus to execute a job utilizing a function of the trouble-free image forming apparatus, the authentication server permits execution of the job if the user is permitted to use the image forming apparatus in the troubled state. Thus, the user can get a print even if a usually used image forming apparatus is unavailable.

Abstract: A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device includes a nitride semiconductor light-emitting element, a package substrate and an optically transparent resin sealing portion. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element includes a substrate, a nitride semiconductor multilayer portion having a light-emitting layer and a protective layer. The nitride semiconductor multilayer portion is provided on the substrate. The protective layer is provided on an upper portion of the nitride semiconductor multilayer portion. The resin sealing portion seals the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element that is mounted on the package substrate. An air gap layer is formed in at least one of an area between the substrate and the light-emitting layer in the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element, an area between the light-emitting layer and the protective layer in the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element and an area in the package substrate.

Abstract: A signal processing device (500a) subjects an input signal indicating an image to a process of sharpening the image and outputs a signal indicating the sharpened image, and includes: a two-dimensional filter (200) for removing, from the input signal, a high frequency component of frequency components in directions other than horizontal/vertical directions of the image indicated by the input signal, to generate an obliquely reduced signal; a sharpening process section (100A) for generating a sharpened signal (S101) by a nonlinear process section (102) performing a nonlinear process on a signal indicating pixels adjacently aligned in a horizontal direction of an image indicated by the obliquely reduced signal; and a sharpening process section (100B) for generating a sharpened signal (S102) by a nonlinear process section (102) performing a nonlinear process on a signal indicating pixels adjacently aligned in a vertical direction of an image indicated by the sharpened signal (S101).

Abstract: This invention provides a method capable of fabricating, by simple manufacturing processes, a color conversion layer which realizes high-efficiency color conversion characteristics without greatly increasing the film thickness of the color conversion layer. Further, this invention provides a color conversion layer manufactured by this method, and an organic EL element which includes this color conversion layer. By means of a method in which a polymer material having a weight-average molecular weight in a specific range is brought into contact with a color conversion material layer, and the polymer material is caused to intrude into the color conversion layer by a diffusion phenomenon, concentration quenching in the color conversion layer can be suppressed, and the fluorescence quantum yield can be increased.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided with an endless fixing belt; a heating roller for heating the fixing belt; a fixing roller that has a shaft and extends the fixing belt between the fixing roller and the heating roller; a pressure roller for pressurizing the fixing roller via the fixing belt; and a deviation preventing member that is provided on the shaft of the fixing roller and suppresses moving of the fixing roller in a shaft direction. The fixing roller has an end portion with high hardness and an end portion with low hardness along the shaft direction of the fixing roller. The end portion with high hardness is in contact with the deviation preventing member.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel substituted aminotetrahydropyrans of structural formula I which are inhibitors of the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV enzyme and which are useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases in which the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV enzyme is involved, such as diabetes and particularly Type 2 diabetes. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use of these compounds and compositions in the prevention or treatment of such diseases in which the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV enzyme is involved.

Abstract: A memory device can perform a first operation mode in which a discrete level is supplied to cause the memory cell to retain a logical level, and prevent unnecessary power consumption due to an operation of a power source which is unnecessary in the first operation mode. The memory device includes: a first power source for supplying a first potential level; a second power source for supplying a second potential level, a third power source for supplying a potential higher than a highest potential of discrete levels; and a fourth power source for supplying a potential lower than a lowest potential of the discrete levels, the first and second potential levels being used to supply the discrete levels, when the first operation is carried out, VDD, VSS, and GVDD being caused to be in operation and the fourth power source being stopped from being in operation.

Abstract: A system for decoding a video sequence includes a first sequence of images corresponding to a first image acquisition device of a stereoscopic pair of image acquisition devices and a second sequence of images corresponding to another image acquisition device of the stereoscopic pair of image acquisition devices, wherein at least one of the images of at least one of the sequence of images and the second sequence of images has an exposure different than the exposure of other images. A high dynamic range image sequence is created, having a dynamic range greater than the dynamic range of the first sequence and the second sequence, based upon at least one of the first sequence of images and the second sequence of images together with at least one of the images of at least one of the first sequence of images and the second sequence of images having exposure different than the exposure of other images.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a liquid crystal panel capable of repairing a defective portion of an alignment film more easily. Provided is a method for producing a liquid crystal panel, including the step of repairing a defective portion 50 of an alignment film 30 formed on a substrate 12 by use of a repair stamp 60 having repair ink 61 attached thereto. The step of repairing includes step (a) of locating the repair stamp 60 in a zone (repair zone) 55 including the defective portion 50; step (b) of moving the repair stamp 60 from the position (60a) at which the repair stamp 60 has been located in step (a); and step (c) of moving the repair stamp 60 again from a position (60b) to which the repair stamp 60 has been moved in step (b) to the position (60a) at which the repair stamp 60 was located in step (a).

Abstract: A multifunction peripheral of the present invention includes: a display section that displays an information display screen; a storage section that stores information display screen setting data including default conditions for preparing the information display screen; and an information display screen preparation section that prepares the information display screen on the basis of the information display screen setting data, the information display screen preparation section (i) changing, in accordance with an instruction received from the server, at least one of the default conditions included in the information display screen setting data, and (ii) causing the display section to display the information display screen prepared on the basis of the information display screen setting data including the change.

Abstract: A system for image processing includes determining edge pixels of a model image using an edge based technique and determining an angular orientation for each the edge pixels of the model image. The system determines a histogram of gradient orientations based upon the angular orientations of the model image. The system determining edge pixels of an input image using an edge based technique and determining an angular orientation for each of the edge pixels of the input image. The system determines a histogram of gradient orientations based upon the angular orientations of the input image. The system compares the histogram of gradient orientations of the model image with the histogram of gradient orientations of the input image to determine candidate locations of an object within the input image.

Abstract: An object is to prevent light leakage caused due to misregistration even when the width of a black matrix layer is not expanded to a designed value or larger. One embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device including a single-gate thin film transistor in which a first semiconductor layer is sandwiched between a bottom-gate electrode and a first black matrix layer. The first semiconductor layer and the first black matrix layer overlap with each other.

Abstract: A color conversion circuit converts a three-primary-color signal PS0 to a 5-color signal PS5, and includes (i) a color component extraction module that generates, by performing isochromatic conversion, a 7-color signal PS2 made up of 7 color components equivalent in terms of color to color components d1 through d5 of the 5-color signal PS5, and (ii) a matrix operation module that generates color components of the 5-color signal by performing linear combination of the color components of the 7-color signal. With this, it is possible to realize a color conversion circuit by which colors represented by a signal after conversion can be adjusted using intuitively-understandable parameters.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds of general Formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The compounds can be used in the treatment of immune, autoimmune, inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, bone resorption disorders, neurodegenerative diseases or proliferative diseases.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, guidance information is stored in advance for guiding an optimal operation procedure for execution of a job, and the guidance information is displayed on a display portion based on operation input that is input to an input portion in order to execute a job of image formation. For example, a device control portion compares operation input that is input to the input portion in order to execute the job of image formation to the guidance information corresponding to the job executed by the operation input, and causes the display portion to display the guidance information in a case where an actual frequency of operation input is greater than a frequency of operation input that is specified in an operation procedure of the guidance information.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a sodium-containing particle electrolyte structure. The method provides sodium-containing particles (e.g., NASICON), dispersed in a liquid phase polymer, to form a polymer film with sodium-containing particles distributed in the polymer film. The liquid phase polymer is a result of dissolving the polymer in a solvent or melting the polymer in an extrusion process. In one aspect, the method forms a plurality of polymer film layers, where each polymer film layer includes sodium-containing particles. For example, the plurality of polymer film layers may form a stack having a top layer and a bottom layer, where with percentage of sodium-containing particles in the polymer film layers increasing from the bottom layer to the top layer. In another aspect, the sodium-containing particles are coated with a dopant. A sodium-containing particle electrolyte structure and a battery made using the sodium-containing particle electrolyte structure are also presented.

Abstract: Provided is a lighting device that can suppress decrease in its luminous efficiency and shortening of its life. A lighting device (1) includes a fluorescent member (4) which is irradiated with laser light emitted by a semiconductor laser (2) and emits fluorescent light, a rotation mechanism (6) which rotates the fluorescent member, and a reflecting member (7) which reflects the fluorescent light emitted by the fluorescent member toward the outside.

Abstract: There are provided a terminal, a base station, a communication system, and a communication method allowing a base station to efficiently notify a terminal of control information in a communication system in which the base station and the terminal communicate with each other. A terminal configured to communicate with a base station including a plurality of transmit antenna ports is configured to estimate, based on a channel state information reference signal transmitted from the plurality of transmit antenna ports, a channel state between the base station and the terminal; and to generate power difference information representing a difference between powers for groups of transmit antenna ports that are some of the plurality of transmit antenna ports.

Abstract: A method is presented for fabricating an anode preloaded with consumable metals. The method provides a material (X), which may be one of the following materials: carbon, metals able to be electrochemically alloyed with a metal (Me), intercalation oxides, electrochemically active organic compounds, and combinations of the above-listed materials. The method loads the metal (Me) into the material (X). Typically, Me is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, or a combination of the two. As a result, the method forms a preloaded anode comprising Me/X for use in a battery comprising a M1YM2Z(CN)N·MH2O cathode, where M1 and M2 are transition metals. The method loads the metal (Me) into the material (X) using physical (mechanical) mixing, a chemical reaction, or an electrochemical reaction. Also provided is preloaded anode, preloaded with consumable metals.

Abstract: A lighting apparatus is provided that, while suppressing an increase in size, can change the illuminating direction. The lighting apparatus has: a laser generator which emits laser light; a light emitting member which is irradiated with the laser light emitted from the laser generator to emit light; an irradiated position changer which moves and thereafter stops an irradiated position at which the light emitting member is irradiated with the laser light; and a light projecting member which projects the light emitted from the light emitting member.