Abstract: A safety controller provides a safety output to a target controlled system such as a magnet contactor based on an input from an input device such as a safety door switch to thereby control operation of machine equipment. Safety output parts serve to transmit a solid-state output as the safety output and a connection output part transmits a connection output to another safety controller. A control part having two CPUs controls the safety output and the connection output according to a program based on the input from the input device. Two or more of such safety controllers are connected through their connecting output parts and the connecting input parts to together form a safety system.

Abstract: To provide an image processing device and an image processing method capable of analyzing a code image on a document regardless whether it is a black-and-white document or a color one even when a mode is set in which “scanning is performed in a black-and-white scan mode and black-and-white image information acquired by the scanning is transmitted to a printing device”. Based on an instruction from a controller part, the scanner part acquires black-and-white image data and color image data for the detection of a color code image and transmits them to the controller part. The black-and-white image data is transmitted using bits 7 to 0 of an image data bus and the above-mentioned color image data is transmitted using bits 23 to 16 of the image data bus. The controller part analyzes a code image in the document based on the image data transmitted from the scanner part.

Abstract: A hard disk drive enhances random number generation. In particular embodiments, the hard disk drive includes a controller, a hard disk, and a head. The head includes a read sensor for reading patterns on the hard disk. The controller generates a random number based on information associated with the position of the head relative to at least one track of the hard disk.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to retracting a magnetic head of a disk drive device to a retract position in accordance with a fall state, and to suppressing the performance degradation due to erroneous fall determinations as well as occurrence of damage by a head-disk crash. According to one embodiment of the present invention, in a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a servo controller moves a head slider to a cylinder at the side of a ramp at a predetermined timing that a fall determiner determines that it is falling and an unload controller starts an unload process. This shortens the time between determination by the fall determiner that it is falling to retraction of the head slider to the retract position. Furthermore, it prevents increase of the erroneous determinations by relaxing the fall determination condition for safety. Also, it shortens the time that the head slider returns to the initial position before the seek in case that it is not determined that it is falling.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide ways to write data in a load/unload area. In one embodiment, address numbers (ranging from 981 to 1065) whose order of addressing by host equipment is later than that of address numbers (ranging from 1 to 980) as logical block addresses (LBAs) assigned to data sectors in the data area are assigned as LBAs to data sectors whose absolute block addresses (ABAs) range from 1001 to 1100 in the load/unload area. As a result, when the host equipment performs addressing in a magnetic disk drive, the priority order given to the load/unload area becomes low. Accordingly, with the storage capacity being increased, it is possible to prevent the substantial performance from decreasing.

Abstract: To provide a high-frequency module having an antenna configured by integrally connecting a slot plate laid out with radiation slots to a plate having plural thin plates formed with a waveguide for supplying power to the slot plate, using a diffusion bonding. The waveguide of the antenna is connected to a dielectric waveguide of a high-frequency package via a waveguide provided on a resin substrate, thereby configuring a slot antenna at low cost, and connecting a power-supply slot of the slot antenna to a waveguide terminal of the high-frequency package with low loss.

Abstract: In an image processing system according to the present invention, a first device encrypts image data generated by reading an image in a document, stores a decryption key for decrypting the image data, and transmits the image data to a data storing device. A second device receives the image data from the data storing device, sends a request for the decryption key to the first device and receives the decryption key, decrypts the image data with the decryption key, and performs print processing on the image data. Thus, users can easily perform print processing without the need to remember authentication and printer information.

Abstract: When a user designates a communication application, a communication server machine searches a database for another user who can have a communication with the former user through the communication application designated by the former user, and then connects the users with each other through the designated communication application. As a result, the users can have an optimum smooth communication.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to writing servo patterns onto a recording disk with a high degree of accuracy and with correct phases in a servo-pattern-writing process. An In-Drive SSW (TSSW) process is processing to write product servo patterns onto a recording disk on the basis of time aligned patterns. In the processing to write product servo patterns onto a recording disk, time intervals between time aligned patterns already written on an ID-side track are measured, and timings to write the product servo patterns onto the recording disk on the basis of the measured time intervals are determined. Product servo patterns are then written onto an OD-side track with the determined timings relative to detections of the time aligned patterns used as references. In this way, circumferential-direction positions of product servo patterns written on a track may be aligned to the corresponding circumferential-direction positions of product servo patterns written on an adjacent track.

Abstract: The device comprises a first power supply 204 supplying electric power in the normal mode, a second power supply 203 supplying electric power in the power-saving mode, a first switching unit 211 switching between supplying and stopping the supply of electric power from an external power supply to the first power supply, a second switching unit 502 switching between supplying and stopping the supply of electric power outputted from the first power supply 204, a control unit controlling the first switching unit 211 and second switching unit 501 using electric power supplied from the second power supply. In the power-saving mode, the first switching unit stops the supply of electric power from the external power supply to the first power supply.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to measuring characteristics of a head with an actuator put in a state of being pushed against a crush stop. In one embodiment, with a head placed on an innermost ID side or with the current of a VCM sustained at a magnitude I_mid, a burst pattern is written onto a recording disk. At this stage, the gain of a VGA is equal to its maximum value Gmax. Then, while the current of the VCM is being changed gradually, the gain of the VCA is measured. As the current of the VCM becomes equal to a magnitude I_center, a read element of the head is positioned right above the burst pattern. At that time, the gain of a VGA is equal to its minimum value Gmin. As the read element is further moved to the OD side, the gain of the VGA again becomes equal to the maximum value Gmax. A read/write offset of the head is identified by the magnitudes I_center and I_mid.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention control a recovery procedure effectively in accordance with write conditions. In one embodiment, the data to be written into a sector includes not only user data but also recording condition data, which indicates the temperature prevalent during a write. If a data read is not accurately performed, a recovery procedure is executed. If a data read is accomplished by a retry and the temperature prevalent during a write is lower than predetermined, it is concluded that the employed medium is nondefective. Thus, the read data is rewritten into the same sector without being stored in a spare area. This prevents the spare area from being unnecessarily consumed.

Abstract: A central magnet of a plurality of magnets arranged to be different in polarities is detected by two hall ICs; therefore, reduction in size can be achieved by reducing the number of the magnets; and at the same time, the number of the hall ICs can be maintained and the reliability can be secured, as compared with a configuration in which the magnets and the hall ICs individually respond in one to one correspondence.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a disk drive that may perform part of a function assignment process without being connected to a special test apparatus. In one embodiment, servo data is written only into dedicated regions of a disk. A function assignment program is stored within the dedicated regions. When a processor is powered on, the processor refers to a state setter and judges whether the function assignment program is to be executed. The state setter is constituted by a nonvolatile memory or a jumper block. The function assignment program includes data relating to servo data writing based on a self-servo writing scheme, and data relating to parameter setup.

Abstract: A digital contents distribution system has a multi-layered structure including a server device (CS device) of one or a small number of managers which are each to be a manager main body, a plurality of server devices (DS devices) of middle managers, and client terminal devices (SC terminal devices) of a large number of users. Accesses from the respective users are processed in the server devices of respective ones of the middle managers. It is therefore possible to prevent an inconvenience in which the accesses from a large number of users concentrate on the CS device of the manager. As a result, it is possible to reduce the load imposed on the CS device, and to perform a smooth distribution service of digital contents.

Abstract: A circuit module containing a ceramic carrier substrate to carry electronic parts, ceramic substrate pads provided on a surface of the ceramic carrier substrate, and a lid having a cavity and a bottom surface joined to the ceramic substrate pads with solder, the lid being a stepped lid having protrusions adjacent to the cavity, and dents adjacent to the cavity with the protrusions intervening therebetween, the protrusions being in contact with the ceramic carrier substrate with a prescribed distance to the ceramic substrate pads, and the dents being joined to the ceramic substrate pads with solder.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to retracting a magnetic head of a disk drive device to a retract position in accordance with a fall state, and to suppressing the performance degradation due to erroneous fall determinations as well as occurrence of damage by a head-disk crash. According to one embodiment of the present invention, in a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a servo controller moves a head slider to a cylinder at the side of a ramp at a predetermined timing that a fall determiner determines that it is falling and an unload controller starts an unload process. This shortens the time between determination by the fall determiner that it is falling to retraction of the head slider to the retract position. Furthermore, it prevents increase of the erroneous determinations by relaxing the fall determination condition for safety. Also, it shortens the time that the head slider returns to the initial position before the seek in case that it is not determined that it is falling.

Abstract: When a host apparatus transfers/swaps stored information between user sectors in a storage device for the purpose of defragmentation or the like, the storage device is allowed to perform the data transfer or swap without transmission between the host apparatus and the storage device after the command is received by the storage device; and consistency in stored information identification is maintained between the host apparatus and the storage device even if the operation is interrupted. In one embodiment, information stored in the destination user sector LBA(Y) is copied to the dummy sector LBA(D), its entry is written in the mapping table RDM, information stored in the source user sector LBA(X) is copied to LBA(Y), and then the RDM entry is erased.

Abstract: A catalyst for hydrotreating gas oil, which comprises an inorganic oxide support having provided thereon: at least one selected from metals in the Group 6 of the periodic table at from 10 to 30% by weight, at least one selected from metals in the Group 8 of the periodic table at from 1 to 15% by weight, phosphorus at from 1.5 to 6% by weight, and carbon at from 2 to 14% by weight, each in terms of a respective oxide amount based on the catalyst, wherein the catalyst has a specific surface area of from 220 to 300 m2/g, a pore volume of from 0.35 to 0.6 ml/g, and an average pore diameter of about from 65 to 95 ?; a process for producing the catalyst; and a method for hydrotreating gas oil, which comprises subjecting a gas oil fraction to a catalytic reaction in the presence of the catalyst under conditions at a hydrogen partial pressure of from 3 to 8 MPa, a temperature of from 300 to 420° C., and a liquid hourly space velocity of from 0.3 to 5 hr?1.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to writing servo patterns having aligned phases onto a recording disk in a process to write the servo patterns onto the disk. In one embodiment, time aligned patterns are written onto a magnetic disk on the basis of time intervals between base patterns with timings aligned to each other throughout tracks on the disk. The time aligned patterns are written onto typically servo tracks at time intervals Ts with aligned timings. Then, on the basis of these time aligned patterns, product servo patterns are written onto the disk. A time aligned pattern is written onto the disk after the lapse of a predetermined write time period since detection of a base pattern corresponding to the time aligned pattern. The write time period is determined on the basis of time intervals between base patterns on adjacent tracks.