Abstract: An alkoxide compound of formula (I) suitable as a material for thin film formation used in thin film formation involving vaporization of a material such as CVD, a material for thin film formation including the alkoxide compound, and a process for thin film formation using the material. The process includes vaporizing the material for thin film formation, introducing the resulting vapor containing the alkoxide compound, onto a substrate, and causing the vapor to decompose and/or chemically react to form a thin film on the substrate. wherein one of R1 and R2 represents an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms, the other representing a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms; R3 and R4 each represent an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms; A represents an alkanediyl group having 1-8 carbon atoms; M represents a silicon atom or a hafnium atom; and n represents 4.

Abstract: Provided is a battery state monitoring circuit which is capable of preventing a discharge leak current from a battery so as to eliminate a load conventionally imposed on a user, including: a battery state detector circuit that detects a state of the battery based on a voltage of the battery; a transmitting terminal that transmits battery state information indicative of the state of the battery to an outside; a receiving terminal that receives battery state information of another battery from the outside; a transistor that is used for transmitting the battery state information, and has any one of two terminals except for a control terminal connected to the transmitting terminal; and a diode that is connected in a direction opposite to a direction of a parasitic diode disposed between the two terminals of the transistor, the diode being disposed between the transmitting terminal and one terminal of the transistor.

Abstract: An image scanning apparatus according to the invention includes a face-side scanning unit and a back-side scanning unit that simultaneously scan both sides of an original, a page memory in which each image element outputted from the face-side scanning unit and the back-side scanning unit is stored at a required memory address and thus a scanning output image of the face-side image and the back-side image is constructed, and a face-side address calculating unit and a back-side address calculating unit that calculate a memory address at which each image element should be stored. The memory address at which each image element should be stored is decided in accordance with information of the main scanning direction of the face-side scanning unit and the back-side scanning unit, and the information of whether the original type of an original to be scanned is a booklet type or a tablet type.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a backup system for an image forming apparatus includes: the image forming apparatus including an original data storage unit configured to store data, the image forming apparatus sending a backup copy of the data; and a backup apparatus electrically communicating with the image forming apparatus, the backup apparatus including a backup copy storage unit configured to save the backup copy received from the image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus further includes: a key generation unit configured to uniquely generate a key from an input key seed; an encryption and decryption unit configured to execute an encryption process and a decryption process in a symmetric-key cryptosystem using the key generated from the key seed by the key generation unit; and a nonvolatile memory unit configured to pre-store a first key seed, and the backup apparatus further includes: a nonvolatile memory unit configured to pre-store a second key seed.

Abstract: Provided is a charge pump circuit whose power efficiency is not reduced even when a threshold voltage of a transistor is increased by a substrate effect with an increase in the number of stages. A depletion transistor is used as an N-channel transistor included in an inverter of a high-voltage clock generating circuit. A P-channel enhancement transistor is used as a charge transfer device.

Abstract: An overcharge detecting comparator (121) detects an overcharged state of a battery (101), and an overcurrent detecting comparator (120) detects an overcurrent state of the battery (101). In response to output signals from those comparators, a control circuit (210) performs on/off control of each of a switch (102) and a protection circuit (50). In response to an output signal from the control circuit (210), the protection circuit (50) is turned on, to thereby connect a resistor (125) to a path connecting a VSS terminal and an overcurrent detecting terminal, and is turned off, to thereby disconnect the resistor (125) from the path. As a result, even when the battery is in the overcurrent state, current consumption can be reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed is electronic equipment enjoying improved ease of use, and a highlighting method and a program to be implemented or installed in the electronic equipment. For example, a user performs manipulations so as to reproduce a content up to the middle of the content, and then turns off a power supply. When the user turns on the power supply next, a playback selection menu screen image is displayed and “Playback from the middle thereof” is highlighted. Consequently, when the user wants to reproduce the content from the middle of the content, the user need not worry about whether to reproduce the content from the beginning or the middle thereof. The user should merely finalize the highlighted item. This would prove user-friendly and helpful. When the electronic equipment is used outdoors or the like, the number of manipulations to be performed on the equipment is smaller than the number of manipulations conventionally performed.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a battery state monitoring circuit and a battery device which are capable of normally operating when a charger (301) is connected to an opposite polarity in error, and then correctly connected. In the case where the charger (301) is connected to the opposite polarity in error and then correctly connected, a logic circuit (305) does not output a power-down signal that powers down the respective circuits to the respective circuits by the aid of a power-down preventing circuit (110). As a result, the battery device normally operates without falling into the power-down state.

Abstract: A metal alkoxide compound represented by the following general formula (1), wherein each of R1 to R8 is independently a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; M is a titanium, a zirconium or a hafnium atom.

Abstract: A thin film capacitor including a substrate, a capacitor portion having an upper conductor, a lower conductor, and a dielectric thin film, and a resin protective layer for protecting the capacitor portion. A barrier layer is interposed between the capacitor portion and the resin protective layer. The barrier layer includes a crystalline dielectric barrier layer formed in contact with the capacitor portion and having the same composition system as the dielectric thin film, and an amorphous inorganic barrier layer formed on the surface of the crystalline dielectric barrier layer and composed of silicon nitride having non-conductivity. The inorganic barrier layer prevents deterioration in the properties of the dielectric thin film by blocking diffusion of the constituent elements of the inorganic barrier layer toward the capacitor portion.

Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor device and a rechargeable power supply unit which are capable of accurately detecting an overcharge state of a battery even in a case where the battery is charged with a sine wave charger. In a case where a 1/2 cycle of a charging voltage of the sine wave charger is shorter than a delay time for cancellation of an overdischarge state, when it is detected that a voltage of the battery in the overdischarge state exceeds an overdischarge detection voltage and becomes equal to or higher than an overcharge detection voltage, a delay circuit sets the delay time for cancellation of the overdischarge state to 0 seconds.

Abstract: The alkoxide compound of the present invention is represented by general formula (I) below. The alkoxide compound of the present invention is an iron compound that can be delivered in a liquid state and is easily vaporized due to its high vapor pressure. The compound particularly enables production of thin films with excellent composition controllability, and hence is suitable for producing multi-component thin films by CVD. (In the formula, R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or C1-4 alkyl group, R3 and R4 each represent a C1-4 alkyl group, and A represents a C1-8 alkanediyl group.

Abstract: A connector, to which a flat band cable having a plurality of conductive channels is connected at one side, and a counterpart connector is connected at another side, is disclosed. The connector includes an electrically insulative block and a contact member that is inserted into the block. The contact member includes a contact portion that is configured to be connected to a counterpart contact portion of the counterpart connector and a flat band cable engaging portion that is configured to bend and engage an end portion of the flat band cable.

Abstract: Provided is a charging and discharging protection circuit realizing low current consumption in an overcurrent detection state, easy calculation of an automatic return impedance, and high usability. A pull-down circuit for pulling down an overcurrent detection terminal to a VSS terminal is connected in series between the overcurrent detection terminal and a switching circuit. The switching circuit is connected in series between the pull-down circuit and the VSS terminal.

Abstract: Provided is a charge pump circuit whose power efficiency is not reduced even when a threshold voltage of a transistor is increased by a substrate effect with an increase in the number of stages. A depletion transistor is used as an N-channel transistor included in an inverter of a high-voltage clock generating circuit. A P-channel enhancement transistor is used as a charge transfer device.

Abstract: Provided is a charge/discharge protection circuit, which has a simple circuit configuration using a double-throw semiconductor switching device and is capable of recovering from a state where charging/discharging is inhibited with the double-throw semiconductor switching device being turned off. The charge/discharge protection circuit includes a charge/discharge control circuit which is provided with a second terminal for detecting which one of a charger and a load is connected to an external terminal. The second terminal has a first resistor and a first switch connected in series between a power source, and has a second resistor and a second switch connected in series between a ground.

Abstract: Provided are a battery state monitoring circuit in which charging of a secondary battery in an over-charge detection state is prevented to improve safety, and a battery device including the battery state monitoring circuit. A circuit for consuming a leakage current is provided in the battery state monitoring circuit to prevent the secondary battery from being charged with the leakage current.

Abstract: A metal compound represented by general formula (I): wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 each represent an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; A represents an alkanediyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; M represents a lead atom, a titanium atom or a zirconium atom; n represents 2 when M is a lead atom or 4 when M is a titanium or zirconium atom. The metal compound has a low melting point and is therefore deliverable in a liquid state, has a high vapor pressure and is therefore easy to vaporize, and, when mixed with other metal compound, undergoes no denaturation due to a chemical reaction. The metal compound is suitable as a material of thin film formation processes involving vaporization of a metal compound, such as CVD.

Abstract: A parallel-transmission flat cable that is equipped with a connector unit is provided. This parallel-transmission flat cable includes: a parallel-transmission flat cable member that has pairs of signal transmission paths and ground portions that are arranged alternately so as to enable parallel transmission, and has pairs of signal terminal portions and ground terminal portions exposed at either end of the parallel-transmission flat cable member; and a connector unit forming member that is provided at either end of the parallel-transmission flat cable member and forms a connector unit that has the signal terminal portions and the ground terminal portions of the parallel-transmission flat cable member serving as terminal portions thereof. In this structure, the connector unit is located at either end of the parallel-transmission flat cable member.

Abstract: A connector is disclosed. A plate contact member is fixed to a housing of the connector. The contact member includes an FFC connection contact section. The FFC connection contact section is formed in a U-shape, and includes a base section on which a triangular projection is formed. An FFC is held between the base section and a slider fitted in the housing. The projection pierces a covering of the FFC to come into contact with a wire of the FFC. Thus, the FFC is electrically and mechanically connected to the connector.