Abstract: The present invention provides a charge and discharge control circuit and a battery device capable of detecting an intermediate terminal disconnection without causing the balance between battery voltages to collapse and shortening the service life of the battery device. A charge and discharge control circuit which controls charging/discharging of a plurality of secondary batteries connected in series is equipped with intermediate terminal disconnection detecting circuits each of which is provided between a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal of each secondary battery and detects an intermediate terminal disconnection of each intermediate terminal by intermittently equal detection currents.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique which allows stable use of an ion-exchange resin for removing boron impurities over a long period of time in the purification step of a silane compound or a chlorosilane compound. In the present invention, a weakly basic ion-exchange resin used for the purification of a silane compound and a chlorosilane compound is cleaned with a gas containing hydrogen chloride. When this cleaning treatment is used for the initial activation of the weakly basic ion-exchange resin, a higher impurity-adsorbing capacity can be obtained. Further, use of the cleaning treatment for the regeneration of the weakly basic ion-exchange resin allows stable use of the ion-exchange resin for a long time. This allows reduction in the amount of the resin used in a long-term operation and reduction in the cost of used resin disposal.

Abstract: A power supply circuit, such as a DC-DC converter includes a first transistor connected to an input voltage node, a second transistor connected between the first transistor and a reference voltage node, a first gate control circuit to control a gate voltage of the first transistor, a capacitor connected between first and second power supplying nodes of the first gate control circuit, and a first control circuit configured to charge the capacitor at least while the second transistor is in a non-conducting state.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing semiconductor-grade high-purity polycrystalline silicon in a dosed system, the method comprising recovering chlorosilane contained in reaction exhaust gas and circulating the recovered chlorosilane to resupply and reuse the recovered chlorosilane for polycrystalline silicon deposition reaction without discharging the recovered chlorosilane out of the system. The present invention employs a process design including: step D of obtaining chlorosilane with a reduced impurity content from recovered chlorosilane fractionated in step C; and a step of supplying the chlorosilane with a reduced impurity content, which is obtained in the step D, to step A which is a step of depositing polycrystalline silicon.

Abstract: A vibration wave driving device including a lead-free piezoelectric material that can be driven with high reliability over a wide operating temperature range, an image pickup device including the vibration wave driving device, and an optical apparatus including the vibration wave driving device are provided. The vibration wave driving device generates a vibration wave by applying an AC voltage to a piezoelectric element, and includes the piezoelectric element and a capacitor that satisfy 20[° C.]?T?(Cmax)?T?(Pmax)?75[° C.] and 0.50??(Cc)/?(Cmax)?0.80.

Abstract: A lead-free piezoelectric material that does not undergo depolarization in a wide operating temperature range and has a good piezoelectric constant is provided. A piezoelectric material include a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-yZry)O3 (where 1.00?a?1.01, 0.125?x?0.175, and 0.055?y?0.090) as a main component, and manganese incorporated in the perovskite-type metal oxide. The manganese content relative to 100 parts by weight of the perovskite-type metal oxide is 0.02 parts by weight or more and 0.10 parts by weight or less on a metal basis.

Abstract: A robot includes a base. A turnable portion is mounted on the base and turnable about a first axis approximately perpendicular to an installation surface on which the base is disposed. An arm is mounted on the turnable portion and swingable about a second axis parallel to the installation surface. A first motor is accommodated in the turnable portion and moves the turnable portion about the first axis. A first motor includes a body and a protrusion. The body has an axial dimension that is in a direction along an output shaft of the first motor and that is smaller than a perpendicular dimension in a direction approximately perpendicular to the output shaft. The protrusion protrudes from a surface of the body in a direction along the output shaft and is displaced from the output shaft. A second motor moves the arm about the second axis.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a wristband-type information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program through which more casual and intimate communication can be implemented. [Solution] A wristband-type information processing device includes: a band section configured to be worn on a wrist of a user; a sensor unit configured to detect a motion of the user; a vibration signal generating unit configured to generate a first vibration signal for vibrating another associated wristband-type information processing device according to the motion detected by the sensor unit; and a communication unit configured to transmit the first vibration signal generated by the vibration signal generating unit to the other wristband-type information processing device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for purifying organic chemical-containing contaminated substances by which various organic chemicals (contaminants) can be readily and sufficiently decomposed in a short time, the method comprising the steps of adding a metal salt and a transition metal ionic compound to water or soil that contains organic chemicals, decomposing the organic chemicals by irradiating with light, and separating/collecting the detoxified organic chemicals.

Abstract: In a constitution provided with no primary-transfer roller, in order to ensure a contact length between each of photosensitive drums and an intermediary transfer belt, the photosensitive drums are disposed with projecting amounts of a plurality of levels with respect to a stretching surface of the intermediary transfer belt, and therefore an apparatus is liable to be increased in a height direction. In order to avoid this, four image bearing members are arranged, along the intermediary transfer belt, with the same projection amount with respect to the stretching surface of the intermediary transfer belt, and a depressing member for depressing a belt surface between two central image bearing members toward an outside is provided.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device capable of preventing the passage of current that is unexpected in a circuit operation even in the case of reverse connection, thus ensuring higher safety. The semiconductor device has a switch circuit which includes: a first transistor; a second transistor having a drain thereof connected to a drain of the first transistor, a source and a back gate thereof connected to a back gate of the first transistor, and a gate thereof connected to a source of the first transistor; and a third transistor having a drain thereof connected to the source of the first transistor, a source and a back gate thereof connected to the back gate of the first transistor, and a gate thereof connected to the drain of the first transistor.

Abstract: An editing device for connecting first and second streams containing variable length coded parameters, includes a decision unit operable to compare an encoded first parameter contained in the first stream with an encoded second parameter contained in the second stream, and decide whether at least one of the first parameter and the second parameter is to be changed, and a replacing unit operable to replace at least one of the first and second parameters with the other code word of the same length as the code words assigned to the first and second parameters, when the decision unit decides that at least one of the parameters is to be changed.

Abstract: Provided are methods of manufacturing an oriented ceramics containing sodium niobate and a raw material thereof. Specifically, provided is a sodium niobate powder, including cuboidal sodium niobate particles having an average side length of 0.1 ?m or more to 100 ?m or less, at least one face of the cuboid including a (100) plane in pseudo-cubic notation, in which the sodium niobate powder has a perovskite single-phase structure.

Abstract: A robot according to an aspect of the embodiment includes a driving body including a driving device that drives a driven body. The driving device includes a plurality of hollow shafts and a plurality of driving units. The plurality of hollow shafts are disposed concentrically. The plurality of driving units are disposed along a circumferential direction of the hollow shafts. The output shafts of the driving units are connected to the hollow shafts via gears.

Abstract: A robot according to an aspect of an embodiment includes a driving body, a driven body that is rotatably coupled to the driving body, a driving device that drives the driven body and is provided on the driven body, and an encoder that is attached to a final output shaft of the driving device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for purifying organic chemical-containing contaminated substances by which various organic chemicals (contaminants) can be readily and sufficiently decomposed in a short time, the method comprising the steps of adding a metal salt and a transition metal ionic compound to water or soil that contains organic chemicals, decomposing the organic chemicals by irradiating with light, and separating/collecting the detoxified organic chemicals.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit having a heater, and a fixing member, the fixing unit configured to fix an image onto a recording material, a film configured to increase its temperature by absorbing infrared rays, a first sensor configured to measure a temperature of the film, a holding member configured to hold the film, a second sensor configured to measure a temperature of the holding member, a storage unit for storing a plurality of temperature determination information, a selection unit configured to select temperature determination information to interest, based on the measurement results of the first and the second sensor, from among the plurality of the stored temperature determination information, and a determination unit configured to determine a temperature of the fixing unit using the temperature determination information to interest selected by the selection unit, based on the measurement results of the first and the second sensor.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a first transistor is a high-side switching transistor. A second transistor is a low-side switching transistor. A third transistor has one end that is connected the other end of the first transistor and a control terminal that is connected to the ground potential, and is a normally-on type transistor. A diode has a cathode that is connected to the other end of the third transistor and an anode that is connected to the ground potential.

Abstract: Disclosed is a gluing device including a reservoir tank of liquid glue; an applicator roll partially immersed in the liquid glue; a doctor roll for adjusting a thickness of the liquid glue adhered to the applicator roll to become uniform; and a pair of glue dams for regulating a width of the liquid glue adherable to the applicator roll. The gluing device is configured to apply the adhered liquid glue on the applicator roll to a corrugated medium of a corrugated paperboard sheet. Each of the glue dams includes a pair of dam units located in spaced-apart relation to each other in a width direction of the applicator roll. The pair of dam units are configured to form a glue-uncoated region interposed between the pair of dam units on an outer peripheral surface of the applicator roll so as to correspond to a trimming region of the corrugated paperboard sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit heating an image formed on a recording medium and disposed along a conveying path conveying the recording medium. The conveying path includes a first guide plate, discharge guide plate portions and second guide plate portion as conveyance guide plates guiding the recording medium. Partition walls and vertical walls are disposed at positions facing these guide plate portions. The air current guide portion guides air taken in from intake ports through an intake guide portion between the respective guide plate portions and each walls.