Abstract: A reproducing means for performing reproduction processing on digital data which is read out from a predetermined recording medium recording the digital data, a manipulating means for making an instruction of reproducing the digital data inserted in the recording medium, a control means for reading the digital data from the recording medium in accordance with the reproduction instruction input with the manipulating means and sending it to the reproducing means, and for controlling the reproducing means to perform reproduction processing on the digital data, and a cylindrical case for containing the reproducing means and the control means are provided, and wherein the manipulating means is provided on one end side on one plane in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical case. Thereby the user can manipulate the manipulating means without taking out a portable recording and/or reproducing device from a bag or a pocket, thus making it possible to remarkably improve its manipulation.

Abstract: A reproducing means for performing reproduction processing on digital data which is read out from a predetermined recording medium recording the digital data, a manipulating means for making an instruction of reproducing the digital data inserted in the recording medium, a control means for reading the digital data from the recording medium in accordance with the reproduction instruction input with the manipulating means and sending it to the reproducing means, and for controlling the reproducing means to perform reproduction processing on the digital data, and a cylindrical case for containing the reproducing means and the control means are provided, and wherein the manipulating means is provided on one end side on one plane in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical case. Thereby the user can manipulate the manipulating means without taking out a portable recording and/or reproducing device from a bag or a pocket, thus making it possible to remarkably improve its manipulation.

Abstract: A reproducing means for performing reproduction processing on digital data which is read out from a predetermined recording medium recording the digital data, a manipulating means for making an instruction of reproducing the digital data inserted in the recording medium, a control means for reading the digital data from the recording medium in accordance with the reproduction instruction input with the manipulating means and sending it to the reproducing means, and for controlling the reproducing means to perform reproduction processing on the digital data, and a cylindrical case for containing the reproducing means and the control means are provided, and wherein the manipulating means is provided on one end side on one plane in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical case. Thereby the user can manipulate the manipulating means without taking out a portable recording and/or reproducing device from a bag or a pocket, thus making it possible to remarkably improve its manipulation.

Abstract: A reproducing means for performing reproduction processing on digital data which is read out from a predetermined recording medium recording the digital data, a manipulating means for making an instruction of reproducing the digital data inserted in the recording medium, a control means for reading the digital data from the recording medium in accordance with the reproduction instruction input with the manipulating means and sending it to the reproducing means, and for controlling the reproducing means to perform reproduction processing on the digital data, and a cylindrical case for containing the reproducing means and the control means are provided, and wherein the manipulating means is provided on one end side on one plane in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical case. Thereby the user can manipulate the manipulating means without taking out a portable recording and/or reproducing device from a bag or a pocket, thus making it possible to remarkably improve its manipulation.

Abstract: A reproducing means for performing reproduction processing on digital data which is read out from a predetermined recording medium recording the digital data, a manipulating means for making an instruction of reproducing the digital data inserted in the recording medium, a control means for reading the digital data from the recording medium in accordance with the reproduction instruction input with the manipulating means and sending it to the reproducing means, and for controlling the reproducing means to perform reproduction processing on the digital data, and a cylindrical case for containing the reproducing means and the control means are provided, and wherein the manipulating means is provided on one end side on one plane in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical case. Thereby the user can manipulate the manipulating means without taking out a portable recording and/or reproducing device from a bag or a pocket, thus making it possible to remarkably improve its manipulation.

Abstract: The following steps are conducted: preparing a metal salt carried-substrate A by soaking a sintered nickel substrate in an acidic solution containing cobalt ions and at least one metal ions of magnesium ions, iron ions and manganese ions, and drying thus soaked substrate; preparing a hydroxide carried-substrate B by soaking the substrate A in an alkaline solution to deposit cobalt hydroxide and at least one metal hydroxide of magnesium hydroxide, iron hydroxide and manganese hydroxide in the pores and on the surface of the substrate A; obtaining an oxide carried-substrate C by oxidizing the cobalt hydroxide to produce cobalt oxide having a mean cobalt valence of over 2; and obtaining an active material carried-substrate D by soaking the substrate C in a solution containing nickel nitrate dissolved therein, drying thus soaked substrate C, and then soaking thus dried substrate C in an alkaline solution, to fill the active material in the substrate C.

Abstract: According to this invention, when the header is detected from the digital music contents that has been stored in the flash memory and has the header composed of the reproducible period of time, the number of reproducible times and the number of reproduced times, and the music data, if reproducing instruction is given, the number of reproduced times is incremented and updated according to the above instruction, and at the same time, when the number of reproduced times is within the range of the number of reproducible times, the music data is reproduced according to the reproducing instruction. Thereby, its reproducing processing without limitation over the reproducible period of time can be surely prevented.

Abstract: An information communication system includes a portable radiocommunication terminal, an information provision system in which various provided information can be readily acquired, and a server. The server and a plurality of portable radiocommunication terminals are connected via a network by a wireless connection. Send information and receive information are communicated between the terminal and the server according to a predetermined protocol and a predetermined communication data format respectively suitable for the network and independent of an established communication system. When a user of the terminal performs an operation for calling specifying a party according to the established communication system, the server receives send information including a request for calling and executes processing for information communication suitable for the established communication system. Data addressed to each terminal is received by the server and stored in the storage means of the server.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sintered nickel positive electrode plates for alkaline storage batteries with a high capacity density in which the working voltage during discharge is kept from dropping and the utilization of the positive electrode active material remains high even at high temperatures. The electrode comprises a porous sintered nickel substrate and metal hydroxides mainly composed of nickel hydroxide impregnated in the substrate, the metal hydroxides including: a first layer comprising a hydroxide of at least one element selected from the group consisting of yttrium, ytterbium and lutetium, and being in contact with the substrate; a second layer comprising a mixture of nickel hydroxide and cobalt hydroxide, and covering the first layer; and a third layer comprising cobalt hydroxide and covering the second layer.

Abstract: The following steps are conducted: preparing a metal salt carried-substrate A by soaking a sintered nickel substrate in an acidic solution containing cobalt ions and at least one metal ions of magnesium ions, iron ions and manganese ions, and drying thus soaked substrate; preparing a hydroxide carried-substrate B by soaking the substrate A in an alkaline solution to deposit cobalt hydroxide and at least one metal hydroxide of magnesium hydroxide, iron hydroxide and manganese hydroxide in the pores and on the surface of the substrate A; obtaining an oxide carried-substrate C by oxidizing the cobalt hydroxide to produce cobalt oxide having a mean cobalt valence of over 2; and obtaining an active material carried-substrate D by soaking the substrate C in a solution containing nickel nitrate dissolved therein, drying thus soaked substrate C, and then soaking thus dried substrate C in an alkaline solution, to fill the active material in the substrate C.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improvement of an alkaline storage battery and provides an alkaline storage battery excellent in high-rate discharge characteristic at low temperatures particularly by suppressing the increase of electrode resistance. The alkaline storage battery includes a positive electrode which includes a metal oxide as the main constituent material, a negative electrode which includes a hydrogen absorbing alloy, a separator, and an alkaline electrolyte, wherein the negative electrode has a capacity per unit area of 10-40 mAh/cm2.

Abstract: An improved sintered nickel porous plaque substrate for alkaline storage batteries is prepared by a process which includes coating the surface of the sintered nickel powder with a nickel oxyhydroxide coating by anode oxidation in an alkali solution, then attaching a cobalt salt to the nickel oxyhydroxide coating and, while subjecting the cobalt salt to an alkali conversion treatment, through an oxidation-reduction reaction between nickel oxyhydroxide and cobalt hydroxide, converting the nickel oxyhydroxide coating into a nickel hydroxide coating and forming a cobalt oxyhydroxide layer as a uniform film on the outside of the nickel hydroxide coating.

Abstract: A connector for connecting a first cell and a second cell of a battery in series. Each one of the first cell and second cell has (a) a metal casing as the negative electrode, and (b) a metal electrode installed at one end of the casing, including a first flat portion as the positive electrode. The connector has a side wall capable of fitting the casing inside, and a second flat portion orthogonal to the side wall. A first projection for welding to the electrode member is installed on the second flat portion. A second projection for welding to the casing is installed on an inside surface of the wall. The first projection of the electrode abuts against the first surface of the first cell and are welded together. The side wall of the connector is coupled to the outside of the casing of the first cell, and the second projection of the connector abuts against the surface of the casing of the second cell, and are welded together.

Abstract: A connector for connecting a first cell and a second cell of a battery in series. Each one of the first cell and second cell has (a) a metal casing as the negative electrode, and (b) a metal electrode installed at one end of the casing, including a first flat portion as the positive electrode. The connector has a side wall capable of fitting the casing inside, and a second flat portion orthogonal to the side wall. A first projection for welding to the electrode member is installed on the second flat portion. A second projection for welding to the casing is installed on an inside surface of the wall. The first projection of the electrode abuts against the first surface of the first cell and are welded together. The side wall of the connector is coupled to the outside of the casing of the first cell, and the second projection of the connector abuts against the surface of the casing of the second cell, and are welded together.

Abstract: A power supply unit of the present invention comprises a group of batteries including plural rows of cells arranged in parallel, each row of cells including plural cylindrical cells connected in series. The power supply unit further comprises refrigerant passages comprising main refrigerant passages exposed to the cells arranged in each row of cells and auxiliary refrigerant passages, the upstream sides of the auxiliary refrigerant passages being isolated from the rows of cells, and the downstream sides thereof being connected to the main refrigerant passages at positions corresponding to the midstream or downstream sides of the rows of cells.

Abstract: An information search and display apparatus substantially reduces search time required in consecutively searching a plurality of files and/or a plurality of search terms. When a first search result searched based on a search term entered by a signal input means is displayed and a second search is executed to obtain a second search result following the first search, upon termination of the second search, the state of displaying the search result of the first search is restored.

Abstract: The tap density of nickel hydroxide powders is improved, the expansion of a positive electrode is inhibited and the energy density of the positive electrode and the cycle life characteristics are improved by specifying the shape of the nickel hydroxide powders and besides, adding to the nickel hydroxide powders at least one of Cd, Ca, Zn, Mg, Fe, Co and Mn. The nickel hydroxide active material powders contain 1-7 wt % of at least one of Cd, Ca, Zn, Mg, Fe, Co and Mn and comprise a mixture of spherical or nearly spherical particles and non-spherical particles.

Abstract: A cylindrical battery having a high utilization rate and a high discharge capacity rate is disclosed. It has an electrode group configured by rolling up two sheet electrodes of opposite polarity in spiral fashion interposing a separator therebetween, wherein one of the electrodes is provided with a porous metal substrate having a higher porosity layer and a lower porosity layer which has a considerably smaller thickness than that of the higher porosity layer, and an active material filled substantially in the spaces of the higher porosity layer of the porous metal substrate.

Abstract: A reproducing apparatus for a disc in which data read out from a disc are retrieved, in which, with the use of sole CPU, a data retrieval related processing is executed as a main routine and a reproduction control processing for the disc is executed as a subroutine by timer interrupt to achieve reduction in the number of the CPUs.

Abstract: A disc reproducing apparatus for an optical disc on which data is recorded. The reproducing apparatus reproduces data recorded on the disc as reproduced data, and, in response to a user input, performs data retrieval, a process in which the data to be reproduced from the disc is selected. The apparatus comprises a main body section and a display, attached to the main body section, for displaying reproduced data. The main body section includes an optical pickup that provides signals in response to the disc, a signal processing circuit that processes the signals from the optical pickup means to provide reproduced data, a feed motor that moves the optical pickup radially relative to the optical disc, and a feed motor control that controls the feed motor. The main body section also includes a device that rotationally drives the optical disc, and an input device that receives the user input. Finally, the main body section includes a control device that includes a single central processing unit.