Abstract: A recycling method which comprises constructing a membership computer system comprising appending to products identification displays showing that the products satisfy the standards for products scarcely giving loads to environments, easily recyclable products, highly healthy and safe products, or the like, connecting members comprising the producers A of the products to which the identification displays can be appended, product seller B, purchasers or consumers C, waste-collecting members D, collected commodity-transporting members E, and intermediate raw material producers F to an information network manager G through an information network, and totally monitoring and managing the production of the products, sales, wastes and the production of the intermediate raw materials by the information network manager G, and recycling the used products as wastes to the intermediate raw materials for producing the products, and by which the products can be produced with reduced energy, and the system thereof.

Abstract: A CCD type solid-state imaging device is provided and includes: photodiodes (PD) in a light receiving area of a semiconductor substrate; vertical charge transfer paths; a horizontal charge transfer path; channel stops including linear high density impurity regions for separating mutually adjoining sets from each other, each set including a PD array and a vertical charge transfer path; a first light-shielding film which is stacked on the light receiving area and has openings in the respective PDs, and also to which a control pulse voltage is applied; a second light-shielding film spaced from the first light-shielding film for covering a connecting portion between the horizontal charge transfer path and light receiving area; and a contact portion of a high density impurity region for connecting the channel stops to the second light-shielding film and also for applying a reference potential to the channel stops.

Abstract: A drowsiness alarm apparatus and a program for decreasing the possibility of incorrectly issuing an alarm due to an expressed emotion is provided. A wakefulness degree calculation apparatus performs a wakeful face feature collection process to collect a wakefulness degree criterion and an average representative feature distance. A doze alarm process collects a characteristic opening degree value and a characteristic feature distance. The wakefulness degree criterion is compared with the characteristic opening degree value to estimate a wakefulness degree. The average representative feature distance is compared with the characteristic feature distance to determine whether the face of the driver expresses a specific emotion. If the face expresses the emotion, alarm output is inhibited. When the face does not express the emotion, an alarm is output in accordance with the degree of decreased wakefulness so as to provide an increased alarm degree for the driver if necessary.

Abstract: An apparatus for accurately determining a drowsiness level is provided. A doze prevention system includes a photographic apparatus, a drowsiness determination apparatus, and other apparatuses for doze prevention such as an alarm apparatus, a neck air conditioning apparatus, a seat belt vibrating apparatus, and a brake control apparatus. The photographic apparatus captures a facial image of a driver of a vehicle. The drowsiness determination apparatus determines a drowsiness level based on the facial image. The drowsiness determination apparatus uses a facial image captured by the photographic apparatus, detects a sign of drowsiness or a sign of struggle, and determines the drowsiness level based on the detection results.

Abstract: A sleep prevention system captures a facial image of a driver, determines a sleepiness level from the facial image and operates warning devices including neck air conditioner, seatbelt vibrator, and brake controller if necessary based on the sleepiness determination. A sleepiness determination device determines sleepiness from facial expression information such as distances between corners of a mouth, distance between an eyebrow and eye, tilt angle of a head, and other facial feature distances. The facial distances are calculated from captured images and from reference information gather during wakefulness. The sleepiness degree is determined based on the determination results including combinations thereof.

Abstract: There is provided a musical composition data editing apparatus which enables the generation of musical composition data using which a user can cause his/her own musical image to be reflected to a high degree in a musical composition performance through simple operations, whereby a wide variety of users from beginners having no knowledge of musical composition data such as MIDI data to experts who want to arrange musical compositions in their own manner can be satisfied. A standard musical composition data generating section 230 of a contents server CS refers to musical composition reproduction control codes for controlling reproduction of a musical composition contained in source musical composition data, to determine whether or not a musical image in the musical composition reproduction changes.

Abstract: An automatic performance apparatus which enables expressive ensemble performance to be carried out with a sense of uniformity. Operation signals according to operation by at least one operator, and identification information for identifying a plurality of operating elements are output from these operating elements. Operation-related information indicative of the relationship between respective ones of the plurality of operating elements and respective ones of a plurality of channels, and the master-slave relationship between the plurality of operating elements are stored in a storage.

Abstract: A performance processing apparatus is operable by user with aide of control and sound devices for providing sample music data to data management apparatus. A storage section stores original music data representing a music piece composed of tones. An acquisition section acquires input information from control device which has a detector for detecting either physical action or physiological state of user and operated by user to provide input information indicating detection result by detector. A processing section controls a performance parameter according to input information for enabling sound device to generate tones of the music piece represented by original music data and altered by user. A transmitting section transmits sample music data representing music piece composed of tones controlled by the performance parameter to the data management apparatus which has a storage device for storing sample music data for use as a material of evaluating mental or physical function of user.

Abstract: A CCD type solid-state imaging device is provided and includes: photodiodes (PD) in a light receiving area of a semiconductor substrate; vertical charge transfer paths; a horizontal charge transfer path; channel stops including linear high density impurity regions for separating mutually adjoining sets from each other, each set including a PD array and a vertical charge transfer path; a first light-shielding film which is stacked on the light receiving area and has openings in the respective PDs, and also to which a control pulse voltage is applied; a second light-shielding film spaced from the first light-shielding film for covering a connecting portion between the horizontal charge transfer path and light receiving area; and a contact portion of a high density impurity region for connecting the channel stops to the second light-shielding film and also for applying a reference potential to the channel stops.

Abstract: In a music system, an input unit is manipulated for inputting a signal representative of a performance operation amount rendered by a performer, and an output unit is provided for outputting a music sound in response to the signal fed from the input unit. The input unit has a grip part that is grasped by the performer and shaped to receive a dynamic pressure caused from grasping by the performer for inputting the performance operation amount. A conversion part is provided in the input unit for converting the dynamic pressure applied by the performer into a force acting in a specified direction. A detection part is positioned to align a sensitivity thereof with the specified direction for sensing the force generated by the conversion part and outputting the signal indicative of the performance operation amount in response to the sensed force.

Abstract: A stabilization processing composition for processing a silver halide light-sensitive color photographic material, wherein the stabilization processing composition contains a compound represented by Formula (I); and a molar ratio of ammonium ions in the stabilization processing composition to a total mole of cations in the stabilization processing composition is less than 50 mol %.

Abstract: There is provided a music reproduction system which enables music editing and acoustic effect application by simple operations, for realizing a desired musical concept in an operator's mind. An operating terminal that can be carried by an operator generates motion information in response to motion of the operator carrying the operating terminal unit. Music data of a piece of music to be reproduced is edited based on the generated motion information. The motion information includes peak information indicative of magnitude of the motion. When a peak value indicated by the peak information exceeds predetermined first and second threshold values, music reproduction control information is generated based on the peak information, and when the peak value indicated by the peak information is larger than the first threshold value and smaller than the second threshold value, acoustic effect control information is generated based on the peak information.

Abstract: A totally new method for manufacturing a thin film wherein only an arbitrary small region is structurally controlled. The structure of a film is controlled by applying a force to the entire film or an arbitrary region of the film using a part having a sharp tip during the film-forming process or after finishing the film formation. At this time, the temperature of the film is set at the glass transition point of the amorphous region or higher. An atomic force microscope can be used as an apparatus for realizing this manufacturing method.

Abstract: A packet routing apparatus holds at the least one policy condition, and at the least one label corresponding to the respective policy condition. The packet routing apparatus receives a packet, and determines whether any layer information included in the packet information matches any policy conditions. If at the least one layer information matches any policy condition, a label corresponding to this policy condition is extracted. The packet routing apparatus attaches the label to the packet and transmits the packet.

Abstract: A recycling method which comprises constructing a membership computer system comprising appending to products identification displays showing that the products satisfy the standards for products scarcely giving loads to environments, easily recyclable products, highly healthy and safe products, or the like, connecting members comprising the producers A of the products to which the identification displays can be appended, product seller B, purchasers or consumers C, waste-collecting members D, collected commodity-transporting members E, and intermediate raw material producers F to an information network manager G through an information network, and totally monitoring and managing the production of the products, sales, wastes and the production of the intermediate raw materials by the information network manager G, and recycling the used products as wastes to the intermediate raw materials for producing the products, and by which the products can be produced with reduced energy, and the system thereof.

Abstract: In a vehicle air conditioner, a case member of an inside/outside air switching portion is disposed at an approximate center in an interior unit in a vehicle width direction, to define an air passage extending in the vehicle width direction. An outside air suction port is provided in the case member, and first and second openings are opened in the case member at both side ends of the air passage in the vehicle width direction. One of the first and second openings is used as an inside air suction port, and the other one thereof is used as an outlet passage port. In addition, the outlet passage port of the case member is coupled to a suction port of a blower through a connection duct.

Abstract: An automatic performance apparatus which enables expressive ensemble performance to be carried out with a sense of uniformity. Operation signals according to operation by at least one operator, and identification information for identifying a plurality of operating elements are output from these operating elements. Operation-related information indicative of the relationship between respective ones of the plurality of operating elements and respective ones of a plurality of channels, and the master-slave relationship between the plurality of operating elements are stored in a storage.

Abstract: A stereo sounding method which can provide realistic sounds such as stereo sounds for a large number of listeners while reducing the number of speakers. A stereo sounding system is comprised of a plurality of stereo sound sources, and a plurality of speakers. A smaller number of speakers than twice the number of the plurality of stereo sound sources are arranged, and an R-channel output from at least one stereo sound source among the plurality of stereo sound sources and an L-channel output from a stereo sound source other than the at least one stereo sound source are mixed, and the mixing result is output to at least one of the arranged speakers.

Abstract: There is provided a musical tone generating apparatus which enables beginners inexperienced in musical performance and like players to play a musical instrument such as an electronic harp without practicing repeatedly. The musical instrument has a plurality of operating elements such as strings to which a plurality of musical tones are assigned, respectively. Musical tones are generated in response to operations of the operating elements. Ones of the musical tones, assigned to ones of said operating elements which are not to be operated are muted.

Abstract: A performance processing apparatus is operable by a user with an aide of a control device and a sound device for providing sample music data to a data management apparatus. In the performance processing apparatus, a storage section stores original music data representing a music piece composed of tones. An acquisition section acquires input information from the control device which has a detector for detecting either of physical action or physiological state of the user and which is operated by the user to provide the input information indicating the detection result by the detector. A processing section controls a performance parameter according to the input information for enabling the sound device to generate tones of the music piece which is represented by the original music data and which is altered by the user.