Abstract: The ignition timing is sustained at an initial value during a predetermined time beginning at a start of an engine, and is retarded after the predetermined time is elapsed to heat a catalyst at an early time. The predetermined time ends when the negative pressure of an intake pipe or the negative pressure of a brake booster reaches to a predetermined value. That is, the predetermined time is a period, which begins at a start of the engine and ends when a proper negative pressure can be sustained in the brake booster. As a result, it is possible to assure a negative pressure in the brake booster at an early time and to reduce exhaust emission at a start of the engine simultaneously.

Abstract: An image processing method is provided which can determine if an image obtained by capturing an image of a subject is an image inappropriate for observation and diagnosis or not. The image processing method of the present invention comprises calculating one or more feature value of each of a plurality of images including a plurality of color signals obtained by capturing an image of a subject and determining the image-captured state of each of the images by comparing the calculated feature value with a threshold value of the image-captured state determining good or bad of the image set in advance.

Abstract: A CDMA system includes first and second correlators, a delay buffer, a transmission-line correcting section, and a transmission-line estimating section. The delay buffer is supplied with the data for each symbol extracted from the first correlator to adjust a difference in timing at which the data is output from the first correlator, the difference being caused by a difference in spreading coefficient. The transmission-line correcting section is supplied with an output signal of the delay buffer. The estimating section is supplied with the data for each symbol extracted from the second correlator to obtain a transmission-line response from pilot information and supply transmission-line estimated value information to the transmission-line correcting section using the transmission-line response as an estimated value.

Abstract: An image pickup unit captures an image of a subject and outputs the image of the subject as an image pickup signal. A control unit determines with respect to similarity among a plurality of images contained in an image group in accordance with the image pickup signals of two or more frames among those output from the image pickup unit based on a predetermined threshold value indicating a magnitude of fluctuation between the images contained in the image group, and controls to output an image signal based on a result of the determination.

Abstract: A signal processing circuit of an external device includes a CPU and a memory which are not shown. A program for estimating at least one of the position and orientation of a capsule endoscope on the basis of strength signals received through respective antennas is installed in the signal processing circuit. A single-core coil to generate a magnetic field is arranged in the capsule endoscope. The generated magnetic field is detected by a plurality of coils arranged outside a body, whereby a distance that the capsule endoscope has traveled can be obtained with accuracy. This arrangement controls image-capture timing to reliably capture images necessary for a diagnosis and prevent unnecessary image capture.

Abstract: This invention aims at providing a catalyst body exhibiting a lower degradation of a catalyst due to thermal durability and capable of keeping higher catalyst performance for a long time. A catalyst component such as Pt is directly supported by Zr, W, etc, replacing elements inside a support such as Al of cordierite to provide a catalyst body without forming a coating layer. A combination of the catalyst component and the element inside the support is selected so that support strength is greater than 5 eV by simulation using a density functional method. Coarsening of catalyst particles can be suppressed and a high-performance catalyst body excellent in thermal durability can be obtained.

Abstract: A radio communication apparatus includes a radio signal processing section which produces a first signal. A power calculation section produces a power value signal of the first signal. A correlation detection section produces correlative value signals corresponding to a correlation between the first signal and a known signal. A first and a second detection section detect a beginning of the reception signal, using the power value signal and the correlative value signal respectively. The first and the second detection section respectively produce a first detection and a second detection signal, each of which include information of a beginning timing of the reception signal. A select control section is supplied with the first and the second detection signals and selectively outputs one of them. A demodulation section demodulates a data signal from the first signal using an output signal from the select control section.

Abstract: An engine includes a throttle valve provided to an intake passage and a turbocharger, which includes an exhaust turbine and an intake compressor. The intake compressor is arranged in the intake passage. A waste gate valve operated using an electric actuator is provided to a bypass passage, which bypasses the exhaust turbine. A control apparatus for the engine includes a setting unit and a control unit. The setting unit sets the position of the waste gate valve at a target position in a normal operating condition of the engine. The target position is out of a position range, in which the waste gate valve is in a substantially full close position. The control unit controls the position of the waste gate valve such that the position of the waste gate valve coincides with the target position.

Abstract: A code synchronous timing determining method comprising acquiring correlation values of a code at plural timings in each of a plural given time widths included in a given period, storing the correlation values corresponding to the plural timings, retrieving the maximal correlation value from the stored correlation values to register a retrieved timing corresponding to the maximal correlation value as the maximal timing, scanning the stored correlation values in a given direction to detect at least one minimal correlation value to register a retrieved timing corresponding to the detected minimal correlation value, extracting at least one correlation value selected from the correlation values stored at plural timings having a specified time interval from the maximal timing to the minimal timing as a high correlation value candidate, and holding timing data corresponding to the high correlation value candidate as timing information of code synchronism.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically processing an image that displays changes to the image at the back of a display region on a window of the foremost software are provided. The method of automatically processing an image uses automatic image processing software which is executed in a graphical user interface (GUI) operating system which displays a plurality of windows on a monitor screen. The apparatus and method include capturing the image at the back of a display region on a window of the automatic image processing software; automatically performing a specific image process on the captured image; and displaying the processed image on the display region.

Abstract: A CCD solid state imaging module comprises a CCD area sensor, a substrate bias voltage setting device formed on said CCD area sensor for outputting a voltage, and a substrate bias voltage outputting device formed on a chip other than said CCD area sensor for outputting a substrate bias voltage of said CCD area sensor by selecting one voltage level from a plurality of voltages based on the voltage output by said substrate bias voltage setting device. A solid state imaging module suitable for a CCD area sensor having multiple driving modes can be provided.

Abstract: A control unit employed in a variable valve timing apparatus vibrates a control signal for controlling an oil-pressure control valve. If the vibration center of the duty value of the control signal for driving the oil-pressure control valve lies in a dead band, the vibration takes the duty value to the outside of the dead center temporarily. Thus, even if the center value of the control signal lies in the dead band, the valve timing of the oil-pressure control valve changes with variations in control signal. As a result, the width of the dead band appears small or to have a value of zero. Accordingly, the response characteristic of variations in valve timing to the variations in control signal is improved. The vibration of the control signal is also effective for detection of a width of the dead band.

Abstract: The present invention comprises: a pixel sampling unit that samples a stated pixel value from each of domains constituting an endoscopic image received by an image input/output control circuit; a shape-of-range estimating unit that estimates the shape of a range within the endoscopic image according to the continuity of the distribution of the pixels indicating the stated pixel value; and an inserting direction determining unit that determines an inserting direction within a body cavity, in which an endoscope should be further inserted, on the basis of the estimated shape. The inserting direction is displayed together with the endoscopic image, whereby the direction of a lumen can be determined reliably despite a simple configuration.

Abstract: By disposing a plurality of magnetic-field generating elements in the inserted portion of an endoscope, and by detecting it using a magnetic-field detecting unit disposed around the inserted portion, the shape of the inserted portion inserted into a body cavity is detected and it is displayed on a display device. For this purpose, it is determined whether the inserted portion is in an effective detection range in which the insertion portion shape can be detected by a detecting unit with a practicable accuracy, and by changing the display color of the inserted portion shape based on the determination result, it can be easily checked whether the inserted portion is in the effective detection range.

Abstract: A shaping control method and apparatus performing a shaping for a large amount of connections with high accuracy, the apparatus including a theoretical transfer time calculator, a theoretical transfer time holding section, first and second time managing sections, a theoretical transfer time acquisition section, and a transfer determining section. The second time managing section holds information relating to connections in waiting transfer, by dividing into standardized time slots. A portion of connection information stored in the second time managing section is stored in the first time managing section. The information relating to connections in waiting is stored in the first time managing section or the second time managing section. Thereby, a shaping in stages for the same shaping subject and a shaping of a large amount of connections with high accuracy can be performed. Also, an optimum shaping for a plurality of shaping subjects different from each other can be realized.

Abstract: A printer embodied rendering algorithm for detecting and configuring positive and negative thin lines to be rendered such that when a bright-colored thin line on a dark background (negative thin line) is rendered and the result is stored in an RGB buffer in a printer system, the thin line thickness is increased only when the brightness of the line color is higher than a predetermined threshold value and the thin line thickness is smaller than a predetermined threshold value. According to the rendering algorithm, it is possible to prevent a negative thin line from disappearing or becoming thinner without increasing a positive thin line thickness, thereby improving the visibility of the thin line.

Abstract: A catalyst assembly comprising a substrate, nanofilaments which have a nanometer-size diameter and are formed on the substrate, and particles which have a nanometer-size diameter, at least one of the nanofilaments and the particles having a catalytic function, is provided to use a catalyst more efficiently and to provide a catalytic function more efficiently. Interstices between the nanofilaments serve as distribution channels of a reactive gas, and the reactive gas spreads sufficiently not only around the ends of nanofilaments but also inside a catalyst assembly. A combination of nanofilaments and particles enables dispersion of a catalyst at a distance of not more than about 100 nanometers.

Abstract: A data processing system and a data processor in which the control information for controlling an external device, especially, a device having a PCMCIA interface is stored in an address translation circuit for translating a first address outputted from a CPU to a second address in association with the first or second address.

Abstract: In respective leaf tables (LT(1) to LT(m)) of a coupling management table (20), there are provided delete operation identifiers (D(1) to D(m)) indicating that leaf queues (LQ) respectively next to them toward the upstream direction are under delete operation. When one of the leaf queues (LQ(n)) should be deleted, if the leaf queue (LQ(n)) to be deleted stores any element, the delete operation identifier (D(n+1)) is set to 1. Thereby, the leaf table (LT(n?1)) can acknowledge that the leaf queue (LQ(n)) is currently under delete operation. Therefore, the coupled packet queue after deletion of the leaf queue and the coupling management table can be maintained consistent.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hair conditioning composition comprising by weight: (a) 0.01-10% of a mono-long alkyl quaternized ammonium salt cationic surfactant; (b) 2-20% of a high melting point fatty compound; (c) 0.0014% of a polysorbate; and (d) an aqueous carrier. The hair conditioning composition of the present invention can provide clean feel during and after rinsing the hair, while providing improved conditioning benefits to the hair.