Abstract: An LED lighting device of AC power-driven type having a comparatively simple constitution and a high power efficiency. The device compares a signal voltage (rectified voltage) obtained by rectifying an AC source with a predetermined reference voltage and controls ON/OFF of a driving current to each LED of an LED array in response to a comparison result. In this constitution, a large voltage of AC source enables lighting of more number of LEDs, while a small voltage thereof enables lighting of less number of LEDs, thus enhancing power efficiency of the LED lighting device.

Abstract: A plurality of areas are set on an image displayed on a display screen, and a plurality of performance indexes, each of which indicates a range of each of the areas, are displayed. An area designated by an operation input is detected, and sound output information is generated when an operation input, which designates one of the areas, and then further designates another area other than the designated area, is detected. Thereafter, a sound is outputted from a speaker in accordance with the sound output information.

Abstract: A light focusing optical system focuses light, for recording to and/or reproducing from a plurality of optical recording media of different kinds, onto the recording media by using a diffraction element and lens. The diffraction element has at least first and second diffractive surfaces. The first diffractive surface diffracts light whose wavelength is 630 nm or more and 670 nm or less to perform aberration correction on an optical recording medium whose cover layer has a thickness of approximately 0.6 mm. The second diffractive surface diffracts light whose wavelength is 400 nm or more and 415 nm or less to perform aberration correction on an optical recording medium whose cover layer has a thickness of approximately 0.1 mm or approximately 0.6 mm.

Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to provide a stacked-type thin-film photoelectric conversion device having high photostability, at a high yield rate and significantly reduced production costs. In a stacked-type photoelectric conversion device having an amorphous silicon-based photoelectric conversion unit and a crystalline silicon-based photoelectric conversion unit stacked thereon or vice versa, an amorphous photoelectric conversion layer included in the amorphous photoelectric conversion unit has a thickness of at least 0.03 ?m and less than 0.17 ?m, a crystalline photoelectric conversion layer included in the crystalline photoelectric conversion unit has a thickness of at least 0.2 ?m and less than 1.0 ?m, and a silicon oxide layer of a first conductivity type included in the amorphous photoelectric conversion unit and a silicon layer of a second conductivity type included in the crystalline photoelectric conversion unit make a junction.

Abstract: For superior wear resistance to conventional TiN hard films and TiAlN hard films, a hard film contains (Zr1-a, Hfa) (C1-xNx), wherein “a” and “x” are the atomic ratios of Hf and N, respectively, and satisfy the following conditions: 0.05?a?0.4 and 0?x?1. Another hard film contains (Zr1-a-b, Hfa, Mb) (C1-xNx) , wherein M is at least one of W and Mo; and “a”, “b”, and “x” are the atomic ratios of Hf, M, and N, respectively, and satisfy the following conditions: 0?1-a-b, 0?a, 0.03?b?0.35, and 0?x?1.

Abstract: A solid-fuel burner comprising a fuel nozzle for injecting a mixed fluid with a mixture of solid fuel and air as a carrier gas thereof, a plurality of air nozzles provided on the outside of the fuel nozzle for surrounding the fuel nozzle; an end portion of an inner circumferential wall of the air nozzle located at least at the outermost circumference is outwardly expanded, and an inductive member provided at outlet of the air nozzle located at least on the outermost circumference so as to direct flow of air in the direction of outer circumference.

Abstract: A biometrics authentication system capable of achieving high precision and high safety is provided. A biometrics authentication system includes: a light source applying light to a living organism; a microlens array section condensing light from the living organism, and including a plurality of microlenses each having a different refractive power; an image pickup device obtaining image pickup data on a plurality of layers of the living organism on the basis of light condensed by the microlens array section; and an authentication section performing authentication of the living organism on the basis of image pickup data on the plurality of layers of the living organism.

Abstract: In a stacked-layer type photoelectric conversion device, a plurality of photoelectric conversion units are stacked on a substrate, each of which includes a one conductivity-type layer, a photoelectric conversion layer of substantially intrinsic semiconductor and an opposite conductivity-type layer in this order from a light-incident side. At least one of the opposite conductivity-type layer in a front photoelectric conversion unit arranged relatively closer to the light-incident side and the one conductivity-type layer in a back photoelectric conversion unit arranged adjacent to the front photoelectric conversion unit includes a silicon composite layer at least in a part thereof. The silicon composite layer has a thickness of more than 20 nm and less than 130 nm and an oxygen concentration of more than 25 atomic % and less than 60 atomic %, and includes silicon-rich phase parts in an amorphous alloy phase of silicon and oxygen.

Abstract: In a solder paste which is a mixture of a flux and low melting point metal particles, low melting point metal fine particles manufactured by a conventional method or apparatus therefor include particles having widely varying particle diameters. Accordingly, the solder paste could not completely fill the minute holes in a mask for application to minute solder portions by printing, or mask removability was poor. According to the present invention, a mixture of a heat resistant continuous phase liquid and coarse metal particles in molten state is passed through a porous membrane to form the coarse low melting point metal particles into fine particles with a predetermined diameter. An apparatus according to the present invention comprise a porous membrane between a heating and dispersing mechanism and a cooling mechanism, and a pressure vessel connected to the heating and dispersing mechanism for applying a high pressure to the heating and dispersing mechanism.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus is used in the light communication system. The apparatus receives electricity from a commercial alternating-current power source and a light-emitting element in the apparatus emits light. The zero passage time of commercial alternating-current power source is detected and signals are transmitted from illumination apparatus, or intercommunications between terminals of communication equipment take place, during a specific reserved time that is in synchronization with this zero passage time.

Abstract: It is suppressed that a whisker occurs on a lead for external connection. A lead for external connection is formed of the alloy (42Alloy) of Fe and Ni, and a plating film which includes alloy of Sn and Cu is formed on the surface. Next, using a heat-treat furnace, the heat treatment at the temperature beyond melting-point T0 of the plating film is performed, and the plating film is melted. At this time, the temperature beyond T0 is held for 20 seconds or more. The grain boundary of the plating film can be vanished by the above-mentioned heat treatment. Hereby, the internal stress of the plating film can be eased, and the generation of the whisker can be suppressed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hard coating excellent in wear resistance, insusceptible to seizure, and excellent sliding property even after use over the long term, and a method capable of forming the hard coating excellent in sliding property in a short time. The hard coating is a hard coating expressed by chemical formula MxBaCbNc, wherein M is at least one kind of metallic element selected from the group consisting of elements in the groups 4A, 5A, and 6A of the periodic table, and Si, Al, the hard coating having chemical composition satisfying respective formulas expressed by 0?a?0.2, 0?c?0.2, 0<x?a?c, x?a?c<b?0.9, 0.05?x?0.5, and x+a+b+c=1, where x, a, b, and c denote respective atomic ratios of M, B, C, and N.

Abstract: For superior wear resistance to conventional TiN hard films and TiAlN hard films, a hard film contains (Zr1-a, Hfa) (C1-xNx), wherein “a” and “x” are the atomic ratios of Hf and N, respectively, and satisfy the following conditions: 0.05?a?0.4 and 0?x?1. Another hard film contains (Zr1-a-b, Hfa, Mb) (C1-xNx), wherein M is at least one of W and Me; and “a”, “b”, and “x” are the atomic ratios of Hf, M, and N, respectively, and satisfy the following conditions: 0?1-a-b, 0?a, 0.03?b?0.35, and 0?x?1.

Abstract: A hard coating superior in wear resistance and in oxidation resistance and also a hard coating superior in high-temperature anti-friction performance and oxidation resistance over the conventional coating film are provided. One of the typical hard coating excellent in wear resistance and oxidation resistance, which comprises a composition represented by the formula: (Ala,Mb,Cr1-a-b) (C1-eNe) (where M represents W and/or Mo, a, b and e that represent atomic ratios of Al, M and N, respectively, satisfy the following relations): 0.25?a?0.65, 0.05?b?0.35, and 0.

Abstract: In order to improve photoelectric conversion properties of a silicon-based thin-film photoelectric converter to which a conductive SiOx layer is inserted to obtain an optical confinement effect, the silicon-based thin-film photoelectric converter according to the present invention includes an i-type photoelectric conversion layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon or an alloy thereof, an i-type buffer layer made of hydrogenated amorphous silicon, and an n-type Si1-xOx layer (x is 0.25-0.6) stacked successively, wherein the buffer layer has a higher hydrogen concentration at its interface with and as compared with the photoelectric conversion layer and has a thickness of at least 5 nm and at most 50 nm. Accordingly, generation of silicon crystal phase parts and reduction of resistivity are promoted in the n-type Si1-xOx layer, contact resistance at the interface is reduced, and FF of the photoelectric converter is improved, so that the photoelectric converter achieves improved properties.

Abstract: A member with alumina-based hard coating formed there-on wherein said hard coating contains nitrogen and has a composition represented by the formula (1) below: Al1?xMx(O1?yNy) ??(1) (0?x?0.5, 0<y?0.5, z>0) where, M denotes at least one species of elements selected from those belonging to Group 4, Group 5, and Group 6 (excluding Cr), and such elements as Y, Mg, Si, and B. The hard coating based on ?-alumina, which is formed at temperatures no higher than 1000° C., is superior in wear resistance and heat resistance.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image-pickup lens having an aperture diaphragm, an image-pickup element that has a color filter which is periodically allocated colors in units of a predetermined unit array and that generates picked-up image data including pixel data of colors using received light, the color filter being adjacent to a light receiving surface, a microlens array unit that is arranged on an image forming surface of the image-pickup lens and whose microlenses are each allocated a plurality of pixels of the image-pickup element, and an image processing unit that performs image processing on the picked-up image data generated by the image-pickup element. The image processing unit includes a parallax component image generation unit that generates a plurality of parallax component images and an interpolation processing unit that performs color interpolation processing for each of the parallax component images.

Abstract: In an intake valve phase control after an engine stop command is issued, a stop-time phase is used as a target value. In the intake valve phase control, when the mode changeover condition is not satisfied, and an electric motor that serves as an actuator is not in a locked-state, the highest-speed mode, in which the amount of electric power supplied to the electric motor is fixed to the maximum value, is selected to reliably change the intake valve phase by a required amount. Then, the intake valve phase comes close to the stop-time phase and the mode changeover condition is satisfied, the control mode is changed from the highest-speed mode to the normal mode to set the control phase to the stop-time phase with higher accuracy, and the feedback control over the intake valve phase is executed.

Abstract: A hard coating superior in wear resistance and in oxidation resistance and also a hard coating superior in high-temperature anti-friction performance and oxidation resistance over the conventional coating film are provided. One of the typical hard coating excellent in wear resistance and oxidation resistance, which comprises a composition represented by the formula: (Ala,Mb,Cr1-a-b)(C1-eNe) (where M represents W and/or Mo, a, b and e that represent atomic ratios of Al, M and N, respectively, satisfy the following relations): 0.25?a?0.65, 0.05?b?0.35, and 0.5?e?1.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a hard coating film of laminate type which comprises more than one layer of a first kind, which has a composition represented by the formula (1a) below and a thickness of 1 to 80 nm, and more than one layer of a second kind, which has a composition represented by the formula (2a) below and a thickness of 1 to 80 nm, the layers being placed alternately one over another. (Cr(1-a)Ala)(C(1-x)Nx) ??(1a) (Zr(1-k)Hfk)(C(1-y)Ny) ??(2a) where each subscript denotes the atomic ratio specified below. 0.2?a?0.8 0.7?x?1 0?k?1 0.5?y?1 The hard coating film has outstanding high-temperature characteristics.