Abstract: A question answering system includes a question answering unit, an analysis unit, a tree structure generation unit, a feature extraction unit, an evaluation unit and a re-ranking unit. The question answering unit executes search processing based on an input question and acquires answer candidates to the question. The analysis unit executes syntactic analysis processing or syntactic and semantic analysis processing on a passage obtained as a result of the search processing. The tree structure generation unit generates a tree structure based on an analysis result. The feature extraction unit extracts a relation between a search word applied in the search processing and each acquired answer candidate as a feature corresponding to each answer candidate from the tree structure. The evaluation unit determines an evaluation value of each answer candidate based on the feature extracted. The re-ranking unit re-ranks the answer candidates based on the evaluation values.

Abstract: An image processing device including an image processing section having: one or more image processing modules, each image processing module having an image processing engine and a control section; and one or more buffer modules having a buffer for storing image data. The image processing module is realized by a program, which corresponds to the image processing engine, and a program, which corresponds to the control section, being executed by a CPU of the image processing device, and a portion of or an entirety of the program corresponding to the control section is used in common for, among the plurality of types of image processing modules, image processing modules whose units of writing image data to the buffer of the buffer module connected at the following stage of its own module are the same.

Abstract: An image processing device including an image processing section and a memory managing section. The image processing section having: (A) one or more image processing modules, each having: an image processing engine and a control section; and (B) one or more buffer modules. The memory managing section (a) can execute, by a plurality of types of managing methods, memory managing processing in which, in accordance with requests from individual modules, the memory managing section reserves memories which are to be allotted to the individual modules from a memory provided at the image processing device, and allots the reserved memories to the individual modules, and, at a time of deleting the individual modules, releases the memories allotted to the individual modules, and (b) carries out the memory managing processing by a managing method which is instructed from the exterior among the plurality of types of managing methods.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical waveguide, which at least includes: a waveguide core having a cavity therein; and a clad which encloses the periphery of the waveguide core and has a smaller refractive index than the waveguide core, wherein the optical waveguide changes a direction of a part or all of propagated light by using a part or all of an interface between the waveguide core and the cavity as a reflecting surface. The present invention further provides a method for manufacturing the optical waveguide, which at least includes: forming a core having a cavity therein on a substrate; applying an uncured clad material to a side surface and an upper portion of the core while maintaining the cavity which allows an atmospheric gas to be present in the cavity; and curing the clad material by heat or light to seal the gas in the cavity.

Abstract: An image processing device has an image processing module and a buffer module. The image processing module has an image processing engine that carries out an image processing on image data. The buffer module has a buffer that stores the image data and a buffer control section that controls the amount of the image data to input into a following image processing module.

Abstract: An image processing device has an image processing section. The image processing section has one or more image processing modules and one or more buffer modules. Each image processing module has an image processing engine and a control section. The image processing engine carries out an image processing on image data in units of a unit processing data amount. The control section inputs the image data to the image processing engine. The one or more image processing modules is selected from a plurality of the image processing modules for carrying out the image processing by the image processing engine, and the buffer module is connected to at least one of an image processing module which is selected.

Abstract: An image processing section of an image processing device is constructed by plural image processing modules being connected in a pipeline form, such that a buffer module is connected at at least one of preceding and following stages of each module. A buffer control section of the buffer module: when image data is outputted from the preceding image processing module, causes the module to write, immediately or after completion of reading, based on weather the following image processing module is reading data from the buffer; and when image data is requested from the following image processing module, causes the module to read, immediately or after completion of writing, based on weather the preceding image processing module is writing data to the buffer.

Abstract: A digital document comprising a multi-channel interface is provided that achieves improved user interaction. The digital document includes a plurality of content channels providing primary content continuously in a looping manner and at least one supplementary channel on a single page. The supplementary channel is configured to provide supplementary content upon the occurrence of an event during playback of the document. Channel content may include video, text, images, web page content and audio. The media content can be managed in a spatial and temporal manner. In addition to media content, a channel may contain interactive regions in the form of hot spots and interactive mapping regions. An authoring tool is also provided for generating a multi-channel interactive digital document.

Abstract: A recommendatory information provision system includes: a management apparatus; and a user terminal device, wherein: the management apparatus includes: a browsed information acquisition unit for acquiring information of a browsed document; a recommended document retrieval unit for retrieving a recommended document relevant to the browsed document; a recommendation history management unit for storing and managing history information which concerns recommendation of the recommended document; a recommendation history retrieval unit for retrieving from the recommendation history management unit, the history information of the recommended document which has been retrieved by the recommended document retrieval unit; and a recommendatory information provision unit for providing to the user terminal device, the information concerning the recommended document and the history information of the recommended document as have been retrieved; and the user terminal device includes: a display process unit for displaying on a

Abstract: A document analysis tool may generate a halftone image corresponding to the output of an image forming device and may display the generated halftone image for a document designer. The halftone image may include halftone dots displaced from each other, depending on a misregistration between image forming stations in the image forming device. Based on the quality of the displayed halftone image, the document designer may revise the document to account for the misregistration.

Abstract: The invention provides a color image forming method including charging, developing, transferring and fixing. The fixing includes thermally fixing a toner image to paper by using a heating body and a pressurizing member which is positioned opposite to the heating body via a film-like member. The color toner includes a toner particle containing a crystalline resin and a non-crystalline resin. When the color toner is subjected to dynamic viscoelasticity measurement employing a sine wave vibration method, a minimum value of the relaxation elasticity H in a relaxation spectrum obtained from frequency dispersion characteristics when a measurement frequency measured at 60 and 80° C. is 0.1 to 100 rad/sec and a measurement strain at a frequency of 6.28 rad/sec is 0.1 %, is in a range of about 10 to 900 Pa/cm2. A relaxation time ? corresponding to the minimum value is in a range of about 1 to 10,000 sec.

Abstract: A polycarbonate generated from the polymerization of a protected hydroxylated bisphenolic compound, a bisphenol, a monophenolic endcapping agent, a bisphenol haloformate, and a curing compound, and thereafter subjecting the obtained polymer to a reaction with an acidic compound. A hydroxylated charge transport compound may also be included in the polycarbonate.

Abstract: Determining an end-of-life prediction of a replaceable cartridge may be accomplished by analyzing input parameters independent of the cartridge, in addition to parameters of the cartridge. An event count denoting a consumption event is read from a memory in the replaceable cartridge. A current consumption status of the replaceable cartridge is determined based on an initial load and the event count of the replaceable cartridge. An input parameter is received from an input device regarding a next pending process that involves a pending consumption increment of the replaceable cartridge. A subsequent consumption status of the replaceable cartridge is determined corresponding to the current consumption status altered by the pending consumption increment. The subsequent consumption status is compared to a replacement condition to decide whether a replacement condition is satisfied. An alert indicator is signaled to an operator upon satisfaction of the replacement condition.

Abstract: Provided are a developer cartridge and a developing apparatus using the developer cartridge, the developer cartridge making it possible to set the amount of developers that can be received to be large even when used in a miniaturized developing device and simplify the mechanism for opening/closing a supply outlet of the developer cartridge. As a result, the developer cartridge has no wasted space and thus can be miniaturized. In order to attain the above, the present invention provides a developer cartridge including a developer receiving portion that receives a new developer and has a section formed to have a shape that occupies a substantially entire space that is allocated to the developer cartridge to be attached.

Abstract: An imaging member having a substrate, a charge transport layer having charge transport materials dispersed therein, and thereover, an overcoat layer comprising a deletion control agent.

Abstract: A system for determining latent demand for at least one of a plurality of commodities includes an offer analyzer and a commodity selector. The offer analyzer analyzes at least a plurality of initially unaccepted offers for each of the plurality of commodities. The commodity selector selects at least one of the plurality of commodities to offer for sale which satisfies at least one criteria based on the analysis by the offer analyzer.

Abstract: In an optical wiring board, an optical components including a planar optical waveguide, a plurality of first optical fibers optically connected via a transmissive diffusion plate to a light incident face of the waveguide, and a plurality of second optical fibers optically connected to a light emitting face of the waveguide is placed on a support board. The optical component is sealed by a sealing member made of a resin.

Abstract: Consistent identity information is provided for content information through the use of an identity manager. The identity manager stores styles and style elements and presentation information associated with a specific client identity. The styles and presentation information for each identity are stored based on client information. When a request for content is received, the information is retrieved. The styles and presentation information associated with the specific client identity are retrieved and merged with the content. The content and the client or user identity or look and feel information are integrated without expensive custom programming.

Abstract: Disclosed are phase change inks comprising a phase change ink carrier and a trans-1,2-cyclohexane bis(urea-urethane) compound of the formula or mixtures thereof, wherein R1 and R?1 each, independently of the other, is an alkylene group, an arylene group, an arylalkylene group, or an alkylarylene group, R2 and R?2 each, independently of the other, is an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, or an alkylaryl group, R3 and R?3 each, independently of the other, is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, R4 and R?4 each, independently of the other, is a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, an alkyl group, or a phenyl group, n is an integer of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, and R5 is an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, an alkylaryl group, or a substituent other than an alkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, or alkylaryl group.

Abstract: A drop emitting device that includes a fluid channel layer, a diaphragm layer having a laser ablated bonding region, and a plurality of electrical components attached to the laser ablated bonding region.