Abstract: An image acquiring apparatus configured to acquire an image of an object, including: an imaging optical system; an image taking element; a changing mechanism configured to change a posture of the object or the image taking element; a control unit configured to calculate a control target value; and a correcting mechanism configured to correct the posture such that a reached posture approaches the target posture, wherein the control unit compares reached image data obtained as a result that the image taking element actually takes an image of a correction chart whereof drawing information is known in a state that the posture is the reached posture, and target image data which is expected to be obtained when the image taking element takes an image of the correction chart in a state that the posture is the target posture to calculate a correction value of the posture.

Abstract: In general, according to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a device main body, a semiconductor substrate. The device main body includes a semiconductor substrate mounting part and a first conductor provided around the semiconductor substrate mounting part. The semiconductor substrate includes a DC-to-DC converter control circuit having a detector to detect at least one of a current flowing through the first conductor and a voltage supplied to the first conductor. The semiconductor substrate is disposed on the semiconductor substrate mounting part so that the detector comes close to the first conductor.

Abstract: A robot includes a turnable base, a lower arm, an upper arm, first and second spaces, and first and second routing members. The turnable base is coupled to a base fixed to an installation surface, and is turnable about a first axis. The lower arm includes a first base end coupled to the turnable base and rotatable about a second axis approximately orthogonal to the first axis. The upper arm includes a second base end coupled to the lower arm and rotatable about a third axis approximately parallel to the second axis. The first and second spaces are disposed in the lower arm, and face each other and extend in a length direction of the lower arm. The first and second routing members are respectively routed in the first and second spaces, and each include at least two bent portions bent in the first and second spaces.

Abstract: A robot includes a turnable base, a lower arm, an upper arm, a space, and a routing member. The turnable base is coupled to a base fixed to an installation surface. The turnable base is turnable about a first axis. The lower arm has a first base end coupled to the turnable base and rotatable about a second axis approximately orthogonal to the first axis. The upper arm has a second base end coupled to the lower arm and rotatable about a third axis approximately parallel to the second axis. The space is disposed in the lower arm and extends in a length direction of the lower arm. The routing member is routed in the space and has at least two bent portions bent in the space.

Abstract: A robot joint mechanism includes a fixed base, a turnable portion, a first routing member, and a second routing member. The fixed base has a base bottom surface and a side wall. The base bottom surface and the side wall define an inner space. The turnable portion is disposed in the inner space and turnable about a vertical axis approximately perpendicular to the base bottom surface. The first routing member includes a first bent portion bent in a first bending direction along a bottom surface of the turnable portion and routed between the turnable portion and the side wall. The second routing member is routed through a position inner than the first bent portion, and includes a second bent portion bent in a second bending direction different from the first bending direction.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric ceramic having a high and stable piezoelectric constant and a high and stable mechanical quality factor in a wide operating temperature range, and a piezoelectric element according to the present invention includes a main component containing a perovskite type metal oxide having the following general formula (1) or (2); and Mn as a first auxiliary component, (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-y-zSnyZrz)O3??(1) (0.08?x?0.20, 0.01?y?0.04, 0<z?0.04) (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-ySny)O3??(2) (0.08?x?0.20, 0.01?y?0.04) wherein the amount b (mol) of Mn per mole of the metal oxide is in the range of 0.0048?b?0.0400, and the value a of the general formula (1) or (2) is in the range of 0.9925+b?a?1.0025+b.

Abstract: A robot includes: a mounting portion on which a welding torch is mountable; an arm portion having a tip portion, the arm portion swingably supporting the mounting portion at the tip portion; an arm supporting portion having a tip portion, the arm supporting portion supporting the arm portion rotatably around a first rotation axis at the tip portion, the first rotation axis being perpendicular to a swinging axis of the mounting portion; and a feeding device arranged in a space to intersect with an axis line of the first rotation axis, the space being formed between the tip portion and a base end portion of the arm portion along an axis line of the first rotation axis, the feeding device being configured to feed a wire to the welding torch mounted on the mounting portion.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes a high-side circuit supplied with a power supply voltage and a first internal reference voltage generated by a first regulator. The high-side circuit provides a current to an inductor, which is used for generating an output voltage. The first and second regulators each generate respective internal reference voltages. The second internal reference voltage is provided to a signal processing module, which controls the high side circuit so that the output voltage of the DC-DC converter corresponds to regulated target voltage level. The first and second regulators include a differential circuit comparing voltages and generating a corresponding comparison signal, a transistor for generating the internal reference voltage according to a gate voltage applied to its gate, and a circuit to change the gate voltage to reduce a signal amplitude of the comparison signal.

Abstract: In order to produce high-purity trichlorosilane by removing methyldichlorosilane from a mixture (S) containing methyldichlorosilane (CH3HSiCl2), tetrachlorosilane (SiCl4), and trichlorosilane (HSiCl3) in the method for producing trichlorosilane of the present invention, a procedure is employed in which chlorine atoms are redistributed between methyldichlorosilane and tetrachlorosilane through catalytic treatment for conversion into trichlorosilane and methyltrichlorosilane (CH3SiCl3). Methyldichlorosilane (boiling point: 41° C.) having a boiling point close to that of trichlorosilane (boiling point: 32° C.) to be purified is converted into methyltrichlorosilane (boiling point: 66° C.) having a higher boiling point through redistribution of chlorine atoms between methyldichlorosilane and tetrachlorosilane, achieving easy removal of impurities.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: image bearing members; a belt unit including an endless belt; a slackness forming unit for performing a first function of forming a belt slacking region, at least at a portion where the belt opposes the image bearing members, by causing the slackness forming unit to act on the belt unit and for performing a second function of eliminating the belt slacking region; and a guiding unit for guiding the belt unit so that the slackness forming unit performs the first function in a state in which the belt is spaced from the image bearing members and so that the slackness forming unit performs the second function in a state in which the belt slacking region contacts the image bearing members.

Abstract: The present invention provides a piezoelectric element that includes a piezoelectric material having first and second surfaces; a common electrode disposed on the first surface; and a plurality of drive phase electrodes, a detection phase electrode, and a non-drive phase electrode disposed on the second surface, the piezoelectric material being sandwiched between the common electrode and the electrodes on the second surface. An absolute value d(1) of a piezoelectric constant of the piezoelectric material (1) in portions sandwiched between the drive phase electrodes and the common electrode, an absolute value d(2) of a piezoelectric constant of the piezoelectric material (2) in a portion sandwiched between the detection phase electrode and the common electrode, and an absolute value d(3) of the piezoelectric material (3) in a portion sandwiched between the non-drive phase electrode and the common electrode satisfy d(2)<0.95d(1), d(3)<0.95d(1), and 0.9?d(3)/d(2)?1.1.

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 patterned light interference generating device 1 is provided with a laser light source 10; a wavefront controller 20 for receiving laser light, presenting a hologram pattern to control the wavefront of the laser light, and outputting wavefront-controlled light; an imaging optical system 40 for imaging the wavefront-controlled light at a target position 2; a filter 50 arranged at a portion of concentration by the imaging optical system 40; and a control unit 30 for controlling the hologram pattern; the filter 50 has a plurality of slits in one-to-one correspondence to a plurality of bright spots of a desired order; each of the plurality of slits has an elongated shape extending radially from a center of the plurality of bright spots of the desired order; one end on the center side of each of the plurality of slits is separated from the center.

Abstract: The present invention can provide a lead-free piezoelectric material having a high piezoelectric constant in the room temperature range. The present invention for this purpose is a piezoelectric material including a main component containing a perovskite metal oxide represented by following general formula (1), Baa(Ti1-xZrx)O3??(1) where 0.02?x?0.13 and 0.986?a?1.02, a first auxiliary component containing Mn, and a second auxiliary component containing trivalent Bi, wherein an amount of the contained Mn is 0.0020 moles or more and 0.0150 moles or less relative to 1 mole of the metal oxide, and an amount of the contained Bi is 0.00042 moles or more and 0.00850 moles or less relative to 1 mole of the metal oxide.

Abstract: A signal separation unit (101) separates an input picture made up of component pictures of RGB, each of which has an equal number of pixels as the input picture, into three component pictures, and outputs the three component pictures. Each of coding units (102 to 104) codes one of the component pictures into an intra-picture prediction coded picture or an inter-picture prediction coded picture, and outputs a bit stream corresponding to the component picture. A bit stream multiplexing unit (105) multiplexes three bit streams outputted from the three coding units into one bit stream, and outputs the bit stream. Each of the coding units (102), (103) and (104) determines a prediction method for the component picture at the time of coding.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes a high-side circuit supplied with a power supply voltage and a first internal reference voltage generated by a first regulator. The high-side circuit provides a current to an inductor, which is used for generating an output voltage. The first and second regulators each generate respective internal reference voltages. The second internal reference voltage is provided to a signal processing module, which controls the high side circuit so that the output voltage of the DC-DC converter corresponds to regulated target voltage level. The first and second regulators include a differential circuit comparing voltages and generating a corresponding comparison signal, a transistor for generating the internal reference voltage according to a gate voltage applied to its gate, and a circuit to change the gate voltage to reduce a signal amplitude of the comparison signal.

Abstract: In general, according to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a device main body, a semiconductor substrate. The device main body includes a semiconductor substrate mounting part and a first conductor provided around the semiconductor substrate mounting part. The semiconductor substrate includes a DC-to-DC converter control circuit having a detector to detect at least one of a current flowing through the first conductor and a voltage supplied to the first conductor. The semiconductor substrate is disposed on the semiconductor substrate mounting part so that the detector comes close to the first conductor.

Abstract: To provide a lead-free piezoelectric material having a high and stable piezoelectric constant in a wide operating temperature range. The piezoelectric material contains a perovskite type metal oxide having the general formula (1), Mn, Mg, (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-y-zSnyZrz)O3??(1) (wherein x is in the range of 0.050?x?0.200, y is in the range of 0.010?y?0.040, and z is in the range of 0?z?0.040, provided that x?0.375(y+z)+0.050, and a is in the range of 0.9925+b?a?1.0025+b) wherein the amount b (mol) of Mn on a metal basis per mole of the metal oxide is in the range of 0.0048?b?0.0400, and the Mg content on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide is 0.100 parts by weight or less.

Abstract: There is provided a lead-free piezoelectric material having a high and stable piezoelectric constant and mechanical quality factor in a wide operating temperature range. A piezoelectric material mainly composed of a perovskite type metal oxide having the general formula (1), wherein manganese is incorporated in the metal oxide, and the Mn content is 0.12 parts by weight or more and 0.40 parts by weight or less on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide. (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-y-zSnyZrz)O3??(1) (1.00?a?1.01, 0.125?x?0.300, 0<y?0.020, and 0.041?z?0.

Abstract: A piezoelectric material contains a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide having the formula (1); a first auxiliary component composed of Mn; and a second auxiliary component composed of Bi or Bi and Li, wherein the Mn content is 0.04 parts by weight or more and 0.400 parts by weight or less on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide, the Bi content is 0.042 parts by weight or more and 0.850 parts by weight or less on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide, and the Li content is 0.028 parts by weight or less (including 0 parts by weight) on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide. (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-y-zSnyZrz)O3??(1) (wherein 0?x?0.080, 0.013?y?0.060, 0?z?0.040, and 0.986?a?1.020.