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.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charge/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/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: When an acquisition unit acquires image data of a game being played on another information processing apparatus, a display processing unit displays, using the acquired image data, an image of game play. A participation processing unit allows a user to join the game being played on the other information processing apparatus, and a transmission unit transmits operation information from the user to the other information processing apparatus. When the acquisition unit acquires image data in which the transmitted operation information is reflected in the progress of the game in the other information processing apparatus, the display processing unit displays, using the image data, an image of game play in which the operation information is reflected.

Abstract: When an acquisition unit acquires image data of a game being played on another information processing apparatus, a display processing unit displays, using the acquired image data, an image of game play. A participation processing unit allows a user to join the game being played on the other information processing apparatus, and an execution unit activates game software after it is determined that the user joins the game. While the execution unit is activating the game software, the display processing unit continues to display the image of the game play.

Abstract: Provided is a vibration generating device in which more improvement of drive efficiency can be realized than conventional ones. The vibration generating device includes: a piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric material interposed between electrodes; a vibration member; a power source for applying an alternating voltage to the piezoelectric element; and a control section for controlling a frequency of the alternating voltage applied by the power source, in which the control section controls the frequency of the alternating voltage applied to the piezoelectric element so that the resonance frequency of the piezoelectric element is successively changed from low frequency side to high frequency side in a frequency range including a change range of a resonance frequency of the piezoelectric element.

Abstract: In a friction stir welding apparatus, workpiece fixing surface plates (3a, 3b) are installed on a framework (1). In addition, a welding apparatus main body (8) including a bobbin tool (5) having a probe (5a) protruding upward from a gap (4), a spindle (6) configured to attach the bobbin tool (5) to an upper end section thereof, and a spindle driving apparatus (7) configured to pivot the spindle (6) is movably installed at the framework (1) in a longitudinal direction of the gap (4) via linear guide mechanisms (9) installed at both sides of the welding apparatus main body (8). Further, a moving apparatus (10) is installed to move the welding apparatus main body (8) in the longitudinal direction of the gap (4). According to the friction stir welding apparatus, since the welding apparatus main body (8) is supported by the framework (1) via both of the linear guide mechanisms (9), a large welding reaction force can be sufficiently received.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a manual feed portion provided on a side surface of a housing that accommodates an image forming portion and having an abutting portion against which a downstream end in a sheet feeding direction of a sheet inserted into a gap between the manual feed portion and the side surface abuts. The manual feed portion also includes a holding portion configured to hold the sheet such that a sheet surface is held along the side surface of the housing in the condition in which the downstream end of the sheet abuts against the abutting portion.

Abstract: An imaging system is an imaging system for shooting a plurality of images to generate a panoramic image. The imaging system includes a plurality of cameras. Each camera has each of a plurality of sub-regions of a subject region as a shooting region, the sub-regions resulting from dividing the subject region in a first direction. Each camera is arranged adjacent to an other camera in either the first direction or a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the other camera handling a shooting region adjacent to a shooting region handled by each camera. The number of the pairs of cameras adjacent to each other in the first direction is less than the number of the pairs of cameras adjacent to each other in the second direction.

Abstract: Provided is an image data generating apparatus includes a position data obtaining unit and a display data generating unit. The position data obtaining unit obtains position data of a plurality of regions of interest (ROIs). The display data generating unit generates first data for displaying the plurality of pieces of position data on a display device and second data which enables a part of the captured image to be enlarged and a plurality of such enlarged parts to be displayed on the display device. The part of the captured image includes the ROI corresponding to position data specified by the user among the plurality of pieces of position data displayed on the display device. As a result, a screening operation for specifying a plurality of regions of interest and detailed observation can be performed in association with, and independently of, each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that reduces density irregularity caused by SD gap variation. A developing bias voltage for forming a developing electric field between a photosensitive drum and a developing sleeve is applied to the developing sleeve. A rotational period of the photosensitive drum is divided into a plurality of blocks, and current values are acquired for each block. An average value of the acquired current values for each block is stored until the photosensitive drum is rotated a predetermined number of times, for each of the predetermined number of times of rotation. A moving average value of the average values in each block is calculated, and a correction table for correcting the developing bias voltage to be applied in each block is created using the calculated moving average values, and the developing bias voltage is controlled based on the created correction table.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter has a plurality of DC-DC converting units, a plurality of inductor elements, a plurality of duty detection circuits, and a duty adjustment circuit configured to compare output signals from two detection circuits as each group, and to adjust the duty ratio of the DC-DC converting unit connected to one of the two duty detection circuits based on a result of comparing the output signals so that the duty ratio of the square wave voltage of each group becomes equal.

Abstract: A terminal identification method is provided which enables two-way communications between terminals and a network while identifying terminal IDs and protecting privacy. Also, authentication method and system are provided which require no complicated calculating process, less steps and smaller amount for wireless communications, and less power consumption. A server and terminal share a hash function and an initial value determined for each terminal, calculate the same temporary ID by hashing the initial value the same number of times with the hash function, and identify the terminal using the calculated temporary ID. The server and the terminal also hold a common hash function and authentication information, acquire an authenticating communication parameter from communication parameters temporarily common during communication, and generate an authentication key using the authentication information, the authenticating communication parameter, and the hash function.

Abstract: A piezoelectric ceramic that includes barium titanate and 0.04 mass % or more and 0.20 mass % or less manganese relative to barium titanate. The piezoelectric ceramic is composed of crystal grains. The crystal grains include crystal grains A having an equivalent circular diameter of 30 ?m or more and 300 ?m or less and crystal grains B having an equivalent circular diameter of 0.5 ?m or more and 3 ?m or less. The crystal grains A and the crystal grains B individually form aggregates and the aggregates of the crystal grains A and the aggregates of the crystal grains B form a sea-island structure.

Abstract: A monitoring system includes a monitoring apparatus and a monitoring-target apparatus connected therewith via a network. The monitoring apparatus includes an inquirer that inquires as to whether or not the monitoring-target apparatus is capable of obtaining a status thereof. The monitoring-target apparatus includes a responder that transmits, when the monitoring-target apparatus is in a first status in which the status is obtainable, a response to the inquiry. The monitoring apparatus further includes a receiver that receives the response to the inquiry, and a requester that requests, when the receiver receives the response, the monitoring-target apparatus transmitted the received response to obtain the status of the monitoring-target apparatus.

Abstract: There is provided a port closing device for a compressor which is fixed to a housing of the compressor by a bolt and includes a packing and a cap. The packing closes a suction port or a discharge port formed in the housing. The packing has a first end, a second end and a peripheral surface formed between the first end and the second end. The first end of the packing has a flat seal portion that is in contact with a surface of the housing surrounding the port. The cap has a holding portion that presses the peripheral surface of the packing for holding the packing, and a pressing portion that presses the second end of the packing. The pressing portion of the cap has therethrough a hole.

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: A joint mechanism includes a first unit and a second unit. The first unit has a motor unit and a speed reducer which are coaxially arranged on a hollow first shaft. The second unit has a brake unit and an encoder unit which are coaxially arranged on a second shaft separated from the first shaft. Further, the joint mechanism includes a power delivery unit configured to interconnect the first unit and the second unit.

Abstract: A piezoelectric material includes, as a main component, a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by a general formula (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-y-zSnyZrz)O3 where 1.00?a?1.01, 0.125?x?0.300, 0?y?0.020, and 0.041?z?0.074, the perovskite-type metal oxide containing copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn). A Cu content relative to 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide is 0.02 parts by weight or more and 0.60 parts by weight or less on a metal basis, and a Mn content relative to 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide is 0.12 parts by weight or more and 0.40 parts by weight or less on a metal basis.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device that makes it possible to perform printing at high speed with high accuracy by easily correcting skew of a sheet, such as an index tab sheet, without requiring troublesome operations. Sheet detection sensors for detecting a sheet and skew correction rollers for conveying the sheet are disposed in a direction crosswise to a conveying direction of the sheet. A skew correction drive controller measures a leading edge detection time between respective detections of a leading edge of the sheet by the sensors, and controls the conveying speeds of the skew correction rollers independently of each other such that a skew represented by the leading edge detection time is corrected. If the leading edge detection time is not smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the skew correction drive controller reduces a skew correction amount for correcting the skew by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes a signal generator that sets a first signal at a prescribed value when an input power supply voltage is at or lower than a prescribed voltage, a first voltage controller that generates a first voltage so that an output voltage rises gradually during a prescribed period of time, an error amplifier outputting a second signal corresponding to the voltage difference between the either the first voltage and a voltage correlated to the output voltage of the converter or a reference voltage and the voltage correlated to the output voltage, a signal processor that generates a third signal and a switch control signal for a high-side switch and a low-side switch on the basis of the first signal and the second signal, and an output voltage controller that causes the low-side switch to be turned off during a prescribed period from the start of the prescribed period.