Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first electrode, a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type located on the first electrode, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type located on a portion of the first semiconductor layer, a metal layer located on the first and second semiconductor layers, a second electrode located on the metal layer, a bonding member connected to an upper surface of the second electrode, and a conductive member located between the second semiconductor layer and the metal layer. The metal layer has a Schottky junction with the first semiconductor layer. The conductive member is made of a different material from the metal layer. An area ratio of the conductive member in a region directly under the bonding member is higher than an area ratio of the conductive member in a region other than the region directly under the bonding member.

Abstract: An in-vehicle environment setting system 10 includes: a receiving unit 210 that receives, from a vehicle 50, setting information regarding a setting for an in-vehicle environment of the vehicle 50 and environment information regarding an outdoor environment of the vehicle 50 in a manner associated with an identity of a user 52 who boards the vehicle 50; a learning unit 220 that learns a preference of the user 52 related to the setting for the in-vehicle environment based on the setting information and the environment information; a generation unit 230 that generates recommended setting information regarding a recommended setting for the in-vehicle environment preferred by the user 52 based on a learning result of the preference; and a transmission unit 240 that transmits the recommended setting information to a vehicle 60 which is different from the vehicle 50.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a nozzle head in which nozzles that form dots on a recording medium by ejecting ink onto the recording medium are arranged in a row in a first direction; a moving mechanism that moves at least one of the recording medium or the nozzle head relative to another in a second direction intersecting the first direction; an image acquirer that acquires image data for forming an image of dots on the recording medium; and a halftone processor that determines whether to form a dot at each pixel position of the image on the basis of the image data, wherein the halftone processor includes: an n-value processor; a grouping processor; a total value calculator; and a rearrangement processor.

Abstract: The present invention provides an antifouling coating composition which comprises (a) an organopolysiloxane having a crosslinkable reactive functional group, (b) a crosslinking agent, (c) a boric acid compound as a curing catalyst and (d) a silicone oil having a number average molecular weight of 180 to 30,000 and a viscosity of 10 to 50,000 mPa·s and which is nontoxic and mild to the environment.

Abstract: An oxygen sensor element is inserted and fixed in a housing. A base body is provided at an end of the housing. The base body is made of a resin. The base body has a flange at an end. The housing has a caulking portion which is deformable when received a pressing force acting in a direction parallel to an axis of the oxygen sensor. By deforming the caulking portion, the flange is tightly connected with the caulking portion.

Abstract: An oxygen sensor 3 having a heater 2 capable of providing an improved temperature increasing characteristic, while maintaining an increased amount of introduced air and a high production efficiency. The sensor 3 includes a sensor element 1 having an air chamber 100 in which a heater 2 is arranged. The heater 2 has a rectangular cross sectional shape. In order to produce the heater 2, onto a green ceramic sheet, a heater of a predetermined pattern including a plurality of heater sections is printed. Then, to the printed sheet, different ceramic green sheets are applied so as to obtain a laminated body. The laminated body is subjected to a cutting so as to produce an intermediate body in which a heater section is included. The intermediate body is subjected to a firing to obtain a completed heater.

Abstract: A lead wire for a sensor has a conductor unit including at least stainless steel wires and copper wires. By setting the cross-sectional percentage of the stainless steel wires in the conductor unit within the range of 30 to 70%, it is possible to obtain a lead wire having low electrical resistance, and high flexibility, tensile strength and elasticity. There are preferred values in hardness and heat treatment of the stainless steel wires. The copper wires are preferably coated with an antioxidant film. The lead wire may include hybrid wires stranded together and obtained by integrally molding or forming stainless steel and copper. It is preferable that the lead wire is coated with an insulating coating material such as a Teflon type resin.

Abstract: There is provided a low-cost satellite broadcast tuner capable of receiving and processing both a QPSK modulation signal and an FM signal while assuring simple connection of an LNB (low noise block) to the tuner. A single front-end section including an RF stage, a mixer, a local oscillator circuit, an IF stage, an AGC loop is used for both an FM detector and an I/Q quadrature detector, so that both the FM signal and the QPSK modulation signal are received and processed in the single front-end section. In the above case, power supplied to the FM detector for detecting the FM signal, and power supplied to a local oscillator circuit required for detecting the QPSK modulation signal is turned off when receiving the FM signal.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio sensor is provided in which sensor lead wires are held by a rubber bush at an end of a sensor housing. The rubber bush is made of a rubber material having a 100% modulus strength equal to or larger than 60 Kgf/cm.sup.2 even after the sensor is used under a temperature environment of 300.degree. C. for 100 hours.

Abstract: An air fuel ratio sensor has a sensor element having a sensing portion and a flange portion in contact with a tapered portion of an accommodation hole of a housing. The sensor element is hot crimped at a hot crimping portion of a housing. At least the hot crimping portion is made of a ferritic stainless steel formed by cold forging and having a composition content comprising a total amount of C and N impurities of 0.03 wt % or below. The average hot crimping temperature of the housing is performed at lower than 1000.degree. C. as applied for a time period of one second or less.

Abstract: An oxygen concentration detector has a detecting element comprising a solid electrolyte inserted into a housing and heating means for heating the detecting element, and the outer surface of the detecting element is provided with a surface layer, the contact angle of the surface layer being larger than the contact angle of the outer surface of the detecting element with which the surface layer directly contacts.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio sensor comprises an oxygen concentration sensing element, a housing for holding this oxygen concentration sensing element, and protecting covers with gas holes. The protecting covers comprises an inside cover disposed closely to the oxygen concentration sensing element, and an outside cover surrounding the outside cover. Flange-like peripheral portions, formed on the protecting covers, are fixed to the abutting face of the housing by a caulking operation. These flange-like peripheral portions are disposed alternately along a same closed curve around the oxygen concentration sensing element, so that they are not overlapped with each other.

Abstract: A remote control system includes a first remote control unit having complete functional capabilities and a second remote control unit having simplified and abbreviated functional capabilities. An apparatus is controlled in a detailed manner by the first remote control unit. For example, the operational mode and timer settings are set by the first remote control unit. On the other hand, the second remote control unit is limited to activating and deactivating the apparatus and/or the timer of the apparatus.

Abstract: A resinous composition for water paint crosslinkable at the normal temperature is provided, which is suitable for painting interiors and exteriors of buildings, bridges, vehicles and et al, which is non-odored, as well as which has advantages in safe and hygienic aspects. A resinous composition for a water paint, which is obtained by blending an aqueous dispersion of a carbonyl group-containing copolymer (A) with a carbonyl group-containing aqueous polyurethane resin (B) at the ratio of 100 parts by weight of solids in (A) to 5.about.150 parts by weight of (B), and then adding as a crosslinking agent a hydrazide compound having at least 2 hydrazide groups per one molecule (C) at the ratio of 0.01.about.2 moles of (C) to 1 mole of carbonyl group contained in the said (A) and (B) components, wherein the said polyurethane resin (B) being obtained by copolymerizing an unsaturated polyurethane resin obtained by the reaction of a diisocyanate compound with a polyol having a number average molecular weight of 60.

Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element having one end portion exposed to gas to be measured. A plurality of electrodes are provided on the other end portion of the sensor element. A plurality of terminal contacts are resiliently held in electrical contact with the electrodes, respectively, in such a manner that the terminal contacts hold the other end portion of the sensor element therebetween. The electrodes are so provided on the sensor element that the terminal contacts abut against the electrodes to prevent the sensor element from being moved axially and laterally.

Abstract: A small-sized highly accurate gas sensor, which is excellent in its reliability of electric connections between contacts and fixtures while being freed from any damage, includes a base member; a detecting unit mounted on the base member for detecting a gas concentration; electrodes mounted on the detecting unit; cylindrical contacts buried integrally in an end portion of the base member; and electric leads interposed between the cylindrical contacts and the electrodes. Contacting fixtures for external lead wires are fitted in and contact the cylindrical contacts so that they are connected to the cylindrical contacts.

Abstract: An exhaust purification device includes a catalytic converter for purifying exhaust gas from an engine, air-fuel ratio sensors provided on the upstream side and downstream side of the catalytic converter, respectively, for detecting the concentration of a specific component in the exhaust gas, a control device for processing the output of the air-fuel ratio sensors and generating a signal based on the processed output, and a catalyst degradation warning device which operates according to the signal generated by the control device for warning an operator of a degraded catalyst, where the responsiveness of the downstream side air-fuel ratio sensor is lower than the responsiveness of the upstream side air-fuel ratio sensor.

Abstract: A remote control system includes a first remote control unit having complete functional capabilities and a second remote control unit having simplified and abbreviated functional capabilities. An apparatus is controlled in a detailed manner by the first remote control unit. For example, the operational mode and timer settings are set by the first remote control unit. On the other hand, the second remote control unit is limited to activating and deactivating the apparatus and/or the timer of the apparatus.

Abstract: A catalyst for exhaust gas purification, comprising a heat-resistant inorganic monolith carrier and a catalyst layer loaded thereon, the catalyst layer including a catalyst composition containing at least one noble metal selected from Pt, Pd and Rh, as an active catalyst component, and active alumina. The catalyst composition has a specific surface area of at least 50 m.sup.2 /g and a porosity of at least 50%. This catalyst for exhaust gas purification contains noble metal(s) in a well dispersed state, has excellent high-temperature durability, and is low in thermal deterioration of catalyst performance. Hence, the catalyst can be suitably used as a converter installed in engine manifolds of gasoline engine automobiles, or as a heater having improved purification ability for the exhaust gases emitted from automobiles during their cold start.

Abstract: An FM tuner including a PLLFM demodulation circuit is provided, which selectively employs one of two BPFs having different extraction bandwidths as an IFBPF. This FM tuner is configured such that by employing a relationship between a lock range and an input signal level of the PLLFM demodulation circuit, an optimum value of the lock range of the demodulation circuit is set for a bandwidth of an input signal, even if any of the BPFs is selected. When the BPF having a narrower bandwidth is selected as the IFBPF, a signal to be inputted to the PLLFM demodulation circuit is attenuated to decrease the level of the input signal of the demodulation circuit to be lower that the level when the other BPF with a larger bandwidth is selected as the IFBPF. As a result, a lock range width of the PLLFM demodulation circuit is reduced.