Abstract: Methods, devices and systems for Real-time Instant Presence with Advertisement (RIPA) using an instant messaging topology with wireless technology to instantly setup and update of presence information of an instant messaging user. The invention provides location information of a business and other business information to a wireless instant messaging user/customer of the business, and obviates the need for the users/customer to manually enter presence information of the business. The invention further provides methods for promotion, advertising and network marketing of a business using presence information sent to instant messaging users and instantly propagated through instant messaging address lists.

Abstract: A process for producing crystal 1-kestose wherein granular crystal 1-kestose in the form of large crystals can be produced at a high yield is disclosed. A highly pure solution of 1-kestose is concentrated to a Brix of 75 or higher; either seed crystals are added, or the solution is vacuum-concentrated to generate microcrystals for use as nuclei; then, a crystal growing step by vacuum-concentration and a microcrystal dissolving step for redissolving microcrystals which have formed in the concentrate are repeated at least twice each. Alternatively, a highly pure solution of 1-kestose is concentrated to a Brix of 80 or higher; either seed crystals are added, or the solution is allowed to initiate crystallization; after crystals are allowed to grow, a cooling step where the temperature is lowered by 5° C. to 20° C. from the previous step and a crystal growing step where the concentrate is maintained at the temperature to allow the crystals to grow are repeated at least twice each.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for an ink jet printer having a housing having at least one wall. The ink cartridge further has at least two ink chambers for containing different ink accommodated in the housing. Ink supply ports are formed in one wall of the housing within each of the ink chambers. Each of the ink supply ports has an inner opening and an outer opening. The distance from the inner opening of a first ink supply port to that of a second ink supply port adjacent to the first ink supply port is different from a second distance from the outer opening of the first ink supply opening to that of the second ink supply port.

Abstract: A software architecture for task oriented applications. The architecture utilizes a wrapper as an intermediate structure between an external calling application and a wrapped component or module. The wrapper is written in a script language and acts as a bridge between the external application and the wrapped component. Data is transferred among components through the intermediary of a table of contents (TOC) file which contains data attribute information and a link to the actual data file.

Abstract: An electronic message forwarding system selectively forwards information to a plurality of different receiving device types. One or more user defined filters filter incoming messages, route the messages, and send the routed message to appropriate form converters to convert the message into a form appropriate to the receiving device type, such as e-mail, pager, facsimile, or telephone forwarding. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of filters, router, and form converters may be used to perform a message classification, channel selection, and channel output control function.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for an ink jet printer having a housing having at least one wall. The ink cartridge further has at least two ink chambers for containing different ink accommodated in the housing. Ink supply ports are formed in one wall of the housing within each of the ink chambers. Each of the ink supply ports has an inner opening and an outer opening. The distance from the inner opening of a first ink supply port to that of a second ink supply port adjacent to the first ink supply port is different from a second distance from the outer opening of the first ink supply opening to that of the second ink supply port.

Abstract: A TEG (Test Element Group) block 1 includes a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) test element and a capacitance test element that are arranged adjacent to each other, and six test terminals. A TEG block 2 includes a resistance test element and a capacitance test element that are arranged adjacent to each other, and six test terminals. In these TEG blocks, the test terminals are arranged with the same pattern. Each of the test elements in each TEG block is connected to at least one of a plurality of test terminals included in that TEG block.

Abstract: A non-heat treated soft-nitrided steel part respective contents of C, Si, Mn, P, Cr, Ti, V, N, Al, Pb, S and Ca of which are in specific ranges and which satisfies the following formulas (1) to (3). This part can be produced in a process of hot working, machining and soft-nitriding without any prior heat treatment, and has superior properties such as high fatigue strength and wear resistance. Fn1=−141.5(C %)−19.6(Mn %)+1280(N %)+95.6≦60  (1) Fn2=−103.8(C %)+59.1(Mn %)+850.4(N %)+360.9≧350  (2) Fn3=−13.4(C %)−3.45(Mn %)+112.7(N %)+13.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus is provided, which comprises a sub-tank unit mounted on a carriage for supplying ink to an ink jet record head and an ink replenishment unit connected to a main tank installed on a housing by a duct and being able to be connected to and disconnected from the sub-tank unit. The sub-tank unit comprises an ink injection port and an exhaust port that are communicated with an ink storage chamber via self-seal type valve means, and a valve mechanism for opening and closing the exhaust port based on a liquid level of ink, wherein ink is supplied to the ink storage chamber by negative pressure from negative pressure generation means for sucking air through the exhaust port. Also provided is an ink droplet ejection capability recovery method for a recording head of an ink jet recording apparatus for determining an amount of ink remaining in the sub-tank unit, replenishing the sub-tank unit with ink from the main tank, and performing a recovery operation.

Abstract: The object is to provide a technique whereby a non-operating nozzle can be detected with higher accuracy. The present invention resides in a printer for printing images by ejecting ink droplets from a plurality of nozzles, wherein an optical path in which light from a light-emitting element 40a for emitting light is focused by a first focusing element 41, allowed to pass through a focusing aperture 43a that is smaller than the area illuminate by the light, and transmitted through the focusing aperture 43a to a light-receiving element 40b for receiving light is laid out according to a configuration in which an intersection is formed with the path described by the ink droplets ejected by the nozzles. The light-emitting element 40a is energized and caused to emit light.

Abstract: An image processing method and apparatus includes a controller for an electronic apparatus which displays image data stored in a image memory on a display unit. The controller includes an output unit outputting the image data to be displayed and stored in the image memory to the display unit, a storing controller storing an image data received from an image input device to the image memory, and a transfer unit transferring the image data stored in the image data by the storing controller to a second memory.

Abstract: A steering shaft includes: an outer shaft having an inner splined portion; an inner shaft having a shaft portion and an outer splined portion which are arranged continuously along an axial direction; a retaining portion formed on at least one of the outer splined portion and the shaft portion; a sliding coupling section formed by a coupling portion of the outer shaft and a coupling portion of the inner shaft so as to allow the outer shaft and the inner shaft to be telescopically slidable in the axial direction relative to each other by means of splines; and a sliding resin member which is filled in a space formed in the sliding coupling section between an opening portion of the outer shaft and the retaining portion of the inner shaft.

Abstract: Disclosed are a polyester mainly composed of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid as an acid component and an aliphatic diol as a diol component, wherein the content of an antimony element in the polyester is from 50 to 350 ppm, the number of metallic antimony particles having a diameter of 0.5 &mgr;m or more is 30,000 or more per 100 mg of polyester, the ratio of the number of fine particles having a diameter of 0.5 &mgr;m to less than 0.6 &mgr;m is 70% or more, and the L value in hue is 80 or more; a stretch blow molded product formed of the polyester; and a method for producing a polyester mainly composed of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid as an acid component and ethylene glycol as a diol component which comprises adding a preliminary mixed catalyst solution of an antimony compound and a trivalent phosphorus compound as a catalyst, the catalyst solution having a haze of 10% or less, at a stage showing an acid value of 1,000 eq/ton or less before initiation of melt polymerization.

Abstract: A steering shaft includes: an outer shaft having an inner splined portion; an inner shaft having a shaft portion and an outer splined portion which are arranged continuously along an axial direction; a retaining portion formed on at least one of the outer splined portion and the shaft portion; a sliding coupling section formed by a coupling portion of the outer shaft and a coupling portion of the inner shaft so as to allow the outer shaft and the inner shaft to be telescopically slidable in the axial direction relative to each other by splines; and a sliding resin member which is filled in a space formed in the sliding coupling section between an opening portion of the outer shaft and the retaining portion of the inner shaft.

Abstract: A toothbrush is manufactured by planting sheath/core type composite fibers in a planting base, wherein the sheath/core type composite fiber further comprises: a composite portion consisting of a sheath portion made from polyester resin and 2 to 5 of core portions made from polyamide resin dispersed therein having a predetermined length from a planted base portion; and 2 to 5 of exposed core filament portions obtained by exposing the core portions only having a predetermined length on an end side from the composite portion.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing system including an image input unit, an extraction unit, a plurality of compression process parts and a selection unit to compress a 1-frame image down to a less amount of color information. The image input unit takes in a plurality of frame images per frame. The extraction unit extracts each of the taken-in frame images per unit area of a designated size. The plurality of compression process parts effects compression processes different from each other with respect to pels contained in each unit area. The selection unit selects one compression process part from the plurality of compression process parts for compressing the unit area of the designated size.

Abstract: A pickup device comprises a memory for storing therein positional data for parts, a camera for detecting a position of the parts, a displacement rate computing section for computing a displacement rate between the positional data stored and a position detected, a hand for picking up parts, a inserting posture deciding section for deciding a posture of the hand such as an inserting position or an inserting direction against the parts, a moving section for moving the hand according to the decided posture, a up-movement pin selecting section for selecting pins required for pushing up only desired parts, an interfering pin removing section for removing pins interfered by the hand, and a pin up-movement control section for raising the selected pins.

Abstract: In an interactive editing apparatus, a three-dimensional object to be edited is a set of polygonal surfaces which are arranged in a three-dimensional space and have the same number of sides. These polygonal surfaces are arranged on the three-dimensional space to display on a perspective view, the sides of the polygonal surfaces are linearly enveloped to express a polygonal three-dimensional object. When a user edits any one of vertex positions, data regarding the edited vertex and associated other vertex positions are updated. Further in the interactive editing apparatus, data regarding vertexes and faces of the object are managed using data cells, and shape data before the last editing are stored in the data cells together with present shape data, whereby an undo function is realized.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a processed material of bean curd refuse, comprising a highly viscous liquid containing cut bean curd refuse fibers and water-soluble polysaccharides released from bean curd refuse.

Abstract: Novel hydroquinone derivatives of the formulae (I) and (II), ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is an alkyl group having 7 to 11 carbon atoms, ##STR2## wherein each of R.sup.2 to R.sup.5 is independently a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group or a lower alkoxy group provided that at least one of R.sup.2 to R.sup.5 is a lower alkyl group or a lower alkoxy group, and R.sup.6 is an alkyl group having a carbon chain of at least 2 carbon atoms. as compounds having antioxidant activity and tumor incidence inhibiting activity, and an antioxidant and a tumor incidence inhibitor containing, as an active ingredient, a hydroquinone derivative of the formula (III), ##STR3## wherein each of R.sup.7 to R.sup.10 is independently a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group or a lower alkoxy group, and R.sup.11 is an alkyl group having a carbon chain of at least 2 carton atoms, and/or a salt thereof.