Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first sensor configured to measure a measurement image on a first photoreceptor, a second sensor configured to measure a measurement image on an intermediate transfer member, and a controller. The controller controls the first image forming unit to form first measurement images, wherein the first measurement images are formed along a rotation direction of the first photoreceptor, and controls the first sensor to measure the first measurement images on the first photoreceptor. The controller further controls the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit to form a plurality of measurement images while a rotation speed of the first photoreceptor is being controlled based on a measurement result of the first sensor, wherein the plurality of measurement images is formed along the predetermined direction of the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: An object is to provide a friction stir welding method and apparatus that provide sufficient strength and good welding workability by advantageously eliminating plastic flow deficiency generated as a result of insufficient heating of workpieces. In friction stir welding for steel sheets (3,3) as workpieces, a pair of facing rotary tools (1,15) are inserted into a non-welded part from both one surface side and the other surface side of the steel sheets (3,3), the rotary tools move in a welding direction while rotating, and in addition, a preheating process for heating steel sheets (3,3) is performed by heating means (5) provided in front of the rotary tools (1,15). The configuration of the pair of facing rotary tools (1,15) and the surface temperature, area, position, and so forth of a heated region in the preheating process are strictly controlled.

Abstract: A friction stir welding apparatus that includes a rotary tool and a heating device. The heating device is placed in front of the rotary tool to heat steel sheets that are used as a workpiece. The rotary tool is moved in the welding direction so that steel sheet is softened by frictional heat. Additionally, the surface temperature, the area, and the position of the heated region during the heating process are strictly controlled. The heating of the steel sheets by the welding apparatus provides sufficient strength and good welding workability by advantageously eliminating plastic flow defects generated due to insufficient heating of workpieces.

Abstract: Main current passage and subsequent current passage are performed, with a cooling time of 0.01 s or more being provided between the main current passage and the subsequent current passage. Ip/I which is a ratio of a current value of the subsequent current passage to a current value of the main current passage is controlled to satisfy a predetermined relationship depending on a constant A defined by Mn content and P content of a steel sheet as a part to be welded, in relation to a welding time Tp of the subsequent current passage, a cooling time T, and the constant A.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured to calculate an estimated value of a color misregistration amount based on a first estimation expression when a temperature of an exposure device is under a temperature increasing state. The image forming apparatus is configured to calculate the estimated value of the color misregistration amount based on the first estimation expression when the temperature of the exposure device is under the temperature decreasing state and the exposure device is not in a thermally-deformed state. The image forming apparatus is configured to calculate the estimated value of the color misregistration amount based on a second estimation expression when the temperature of the exposure device is in the temperature decreasing state and the exposure device is in the thermally-deformed state. The image forming apparatus is configured to correct color misregistration based on the calculated estimated value.

Abstract: A resistance spot welding device for welding at least two overlapping steel sheets held between a pair of welding electrodes is provided. The resistance spot welding device includes the pair of electrodes, an electrode force gauge that measures an electrode force, and a controller that controls an electric current supply to the electrodes according to the electrode force measured by the electrode force gauge. The controller controls the electric current such that the electrode force F measured by the electrode force gauge after the start of the electric current supply is adjusted to a prescribed value.

Abstract: Provided is a resistance spot welding method. The resistance spot welding method for joining a sheet set including a plurality of lapped steel sheets includes: holding the sheet set between a pair of electrodes; and energizing the sheet set under application of electrode force to thereby join the steel sheets together. At least one of the plurality of lapped steel sheets is a surface-treated steel sheet including a metal coating layer on a surface thereof. The energizing includes: a primary energizing step of performing energization to form a nugget portion; a non-energizing step in which, after the primary energizing step, the energization is suspended for an energization suspension time Tc (cycles); and a secondary energizing step of, after the non-energizing step, performing energization for reheating while the nugget portion is prevented from growing. During the energizing, the relations of a particular formula are satisfied.

Abstract: A semiconductor chip including an internal circuit, a plurality of electrode pads and a plurality of I/O cells. The plurality of electrode pads are arranged on a first line, a second line and a third line. Each of the plurality of electrode pads arranged at least on the first and second lines overlaps corresponding one of the plurality of I/O cells in a plan view. The plurality of I/O cells are provided on a peripheral region of the semiconductor chip. Each of the plurality of I/O cells includes a protective circuit, and is connected to corresponding one of the plurality of electrode pads. The protective circuit includes a power source-side protective circuit provided between the corresponding one of the plurality of electrode pads and a power source wiring; and a ground-side protective circuit provided between the corresponding one of the plurality of electrode pads and a ground wiring.

Abstract: In a semiconductor manufacturing process, it is necessary to cut a die close to the edge of a wafer in order to obtain as many dies as possible from one wafer. Accordingly, with respect to a charged particle beam device and an optical inspection device used in a semiconductor manufacturing process, there is a demand for detecting the height of the wafer close to the edge of the wafer with high accuracy, in order to measure or examine close to the edge of the wafer with high accuracy. Further, there is a demand for high speed height-detection in order to realize high throughput for the semiconductor manufacturing process. In the present invention, the foregoing can be achieved by the following configuration: sandwiching a target region on a wafer, a first pattern and a second pattern are projected onto one side and the other side respectively of the target region from an oblique direction with respect to the wafer top-surface, enabling an image of the first pattern and/or second pattern to be used.

Abstract: A height detection apparatus is configured to project a pattern on a sample arranged at any of a plurality of reference positions and configured to detect a height of the sample. The apparatus includes: a projection optical system that generates a plurality of spatially separated light beams each having the pattern and projects the generated spatially separated light beams onto the sample; an imaging element that images the pattern reflected from the sample; a detection optical system that guides the pattern reflected from the sample to the imaging element; and at least one optical path length correction member disposed on an optical path different from an optical path having a shortest optical path length among a plurality of optical paths corresponding to the plurality of light beams at a position where the plurality of light beams is spatially separated.

Abstract: Provided is a method for resistance spot-welding at least two overlapping steel sheets. When an electrode force F after an electric current supply is started changes from an initial electrode force Fi to an electrode force Fh(1) while a lapse from the start of the electric current supply is between 20 ms and 80 ms inclusive, a suspension of the electric current supply of from 20 ms to 60 ms inclusive is started. Then the electric current supply is resumed when the electrode force F reaches an electrode force Fc(1).

Abstract: A fore edge image display unit (11) displays fore edge image (60) depicting a fore edge when a tilt sensor (22) detects tilt operation of a touch panel display unit (20) when a contact position detection circuit (21) detects an indicator contacting right or left edge part of the touch panel display unit (20). An edge index display unit (12) displays edge indices (61a) to (61s) in vertically shifted and superposed manner on the fore edge image (60). An item name image display unit (13) performs enlarged display of item name image, representing the name of item assigned to an edge index in contact. When tilt operation of the touch panel display unit (20) is detected when the contact position detection circuit (21) detects the indicator contacting one of the edge indices, selected page display unit (14) displays the page of the item assigned to the edge index in contact.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured to calculate an estimated value of a color misregistration amount based on a first estimation expression when a temperature of an exposure device is under a temperature increasing state. The image forming apparatus is configured to calculate the estimated value of the color misregistration amount based on the first estimation expression when the temperature of the exposure device is under the temperature decreasing state and the exposure device is not in a thermally-deformed state. The image forming apparatus is configured to calculate the estimated value of the color misregistration amount based on a second estimation expression when the temperature of the exposure device is in the temperature decreasing state and the exposure device is in the thermally-deformed state. The image forming apparatus is configured to correct color misregistration based on the calculated estimated value.

Abstract: A sensor element is used to collect environment information on a surface of the earth or a surface layer of the earth by being scattered in a target region where the environment information is collected. At least one of reflection properties, transmission properties, absorption properties, or luminescence properties with respective to an electromagnetic wave with a specific wavelength, or light emitting properties changes in accordance with an environment.

Abstract: An environment information collecting system collects environment information on a surface of the earth or a surface layer of the earth. The environment information collecting system includes a sensor element which is scattered in a target region where the environment information is collected, of which at least one of reflection properties, transmission properties, absorption properties, or luminescence properties with respective to an electromagnetic wave with a specific wavelength, or light emitting properties changes in accordance with an environment, and an aircraft configured to receive the electromagnetic wave obtained from the sensor element and configured to collect the environment information in the target region.

Abstract: An application development environment providing system which provides a development environment for an application program via a network, wherein the network includes a first network which accommodates at least one device and which is communicatively connected to the device, and a second network communicatively connected to the first network, and wherein the application development environment providing system includes a program developer configured to classify processes included in the application program into a process executed in the first network and a process executed in the second network based on a predetermined determination condition, and to generate a first program execution file executed in the first network and a second program execution file executed in the second network in cooperation with the first program execution file.

Abstract: After an installation of an apparatus, although a state confirmation is necessary, if a display having a high display capability is mounted to the apparatus to facilitate checking, the apparatus becomes large. Further, although it is considered that a terminal such as a personal computer is connected to an apparatus to display state information, when the apparatus is installed in a high place or a narrow gap, the connection is difficult. An apparatus is provided which includes a storage unit that stores state information on a plurality of types of states, a switching unit that switches a to-be-output state from among the plurality of types of states in response to receiving a switching operation by a user, an identification information output unit that outputs a first indication for identifying a type of a to-be-output state, and a state information output unit that outputs state information on a to-be-output state.

Abstract: Since such service providing systems are constructed through cooperation among cloud computers, communication networks, and device provides, they cannot be constructed easily. An interface module is provided, the interface module being configured to be disconnectably connected to an application module having at least one of a sensor, an actuator, an input port, an output port, an input/output port, and a user interface, and including: an interface module-side communication connector configured to be disconnectably connected to a communication connector provided to the application module; a network interface configured to be connected to a network; and a verification information storage unit that stores verification information for verifying the interface module connected to the network as an interface module for a preset particular tenant among a plurality of tenants of a server computing system configured to be connected to the network.

Abstract: An application development environment providing system which provides a development environment for an application program via a network, the application development environment providing system includes a manager configured to, in a case where first information for identifying a device node to be used in the application program is specified in accordance with an instruction of a tenant that uses the development environment, associate the specified first information with second information on the tenant that has specified the first information, and to perform a management process of restricting or permitting a use of the device node.

Abstract: An on-demand service providing system which provides a service required for measuring a measurement target in response to a request from a user, the on-demand service providing system includes a selector configured to select a service which uses a sensor required for measuring at least the measurement target, and a system environment setter configured to set up a system environment for collecting a measurement result of the sensor used by the service selected by the selector as data which is usable for the user who has instructed to select the service via a network based on selection information obtained by the selector.