Abstract: The present invention relates to a cache mechanism of a browser apparatus as a World Wide Web (WWW) client and aims at the improvement of utilization efficiency and the shortening of an information acquisition delay time. A cache is constituted in an HDD or DVD-RAM under the control of a Web cache program. A copy of acquired information is stored in the cache. A directory of the cache is managed by a Web cache management table, and the control is made so that the writing of the cache contents and necessary entries of the management table is completed before the DVD-RAM is removed from the browser apparatus. A browsing work can be continued smoothly by loading the DVD-RAM to another browser apparatus. Also, if an information provider provides information in a form stored in a disk in the form of a Web cache, the browsing of the information becomes possible with the same URL as that in WWW access.

Abstract: A process for the production of a highly chemically stable hydrophilic ODS packing material made of silica gel for liquid chromatography that causes hardly any peak tailing. ODS groups are chemically bonded to a silica gel having a specific surface area of 200 to 300 m2/g, which is then subjected once or twice to end capping including high temperature end capping so as to efficiently remove or deactivate active silanol groups.

Abstract: Baked, fried or steamed goods or foodstuffs exerting wheat flour's specific flavor and taste and having a unique flavor can be made characteristically through a process comprising a first step of preparing first a basic dough by mixing wheat flour and water and kneading the mixture under heating to give a basic dough having a temperature of around 55 to 98° C., an additional step of preparing a finished dough by mixing the basic dough, wheat flour and auxiliary materials containing yeast and subsequently kneading the mixture, and a last step of subjecting the finished dough to fermentation and subsequently baking, frying or steaming the fermented dough into baked, fried or steamed goods or foodstuffs.

Abstract: A color ink-jet head, having plural arrays of nozzles side by side in a main scan direction corresponding to different color inks, is moved to scan reciprocally. In a multi-pass recording for divided recording on an area by scanning at plural times with the head, an ink firstly landed on recording of the area determines a prioritized color influential on the color tone. Moreover, a printing medium is largely covered by the recording of first two passes. A harmful influence on a whole image by the color irregularity can reduced by suppressing the color irregularity in the two passes, therefore, the data recording ratio of the first pass to the area is set smaller than that of the second pass and thereafter. Further, for such the control, a pseudo periodical masking data arranging record prohibiting pixels and record permitting pixels in a visually agreeable state is introduced.

Abstract: An optical element includes an incidence surface, one or more reflecting surfaces reflecting light from the incident surface, an emergence surface, and off-axial curved surfaces causing the light to emerge from the emergence surface. At least one of the incidence surface, the emergence surface and the one or more reflecting surfaces is a surface having diffracting action. The surface having the diffracting action is a curved surface.

Abstract: An image pickup optical system includes an optical unit having a light incidence surface on which a light is incident, a light reflecting surface reflecting the light incident from the light incidence surface and having a curvature, and a light emergence surface from which the light reflected by the light reflecting surface emerges, and a transparent optical member disposed near the surface position of at least one of the light incidence surface and the light emergence surface. The optical member is adhesively fixed to the optical unit to thereby make any special holding member for the optical member relative to the optical unit unnecessary.

Abstract: Disclosed is an inkjet printer comprises: an ink jet head having a first array of a plurality of nozzles from which ink drops are discharged; a scanning unit for scanning said ink jet head in a first direction so that the ink drops are discharged within a predetermined extent with respect to the first direction; and a transporter for reciprocally transporting a recording medium in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, said transporter comprising at least one member brought into contacting with a recording surface of the recording medium, said at least one member being provided at a position that is outside of the predetermined extent with respect to the first direction. Since the transporter is brought into contact with the recording surface of the recording medium only at the position outside of the predetermined extent, the recorded ink that have not been dry is prevented from contacting with the member of the transporter, e.g., a roller.

Abstract: The present invention provides a printing apparatus and method that can prevent the image grade from lowering. A print head is provided with a plurality of printing elements to print dots on N adjacent rasters and dots on M adjacent columns under different conditions by causing the print heads perform a plurality of (P) main-scanning operations in a main-scanning direction and transporting a printing medium at least once in a sub-scanning direction. A plurality of dot arrangement patterns used for the same level of image data are periodically changed. The plurality of dot arrangement patterns are such that within each period when the patterns are repeatedly used, the number of dots formed in each of said N rasters are equalized, whereas the number of dots formed in each of said M columns are equalized.

Abstract: A method and a system for executing a general database processing independent of a specific user-defined function are provided. In an implementation method, index definition information for setting a specific user-defined function in correspondence to a specific index which is used to carry out an index access to data in a database region is created, and module definition information for setting the specific index which is used to carry out the index access to the data in the database region in correspondence to an implementation module for subjecting the data in the database region to a specific processing is created.

Abstract: A variable magnification optical system comprises at least three optical units which are a first moving optical unit, a fixed optical unit and a second moving optical unit. The three optical units are arranged in that order in a propagation direction of light, and a variation of magnification is effected by a relative movement between the first moving optical unit and the second moving optical unit.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus for printing an image based on image information on a printing medium by relatively moving an ink-jet printhead and the printing apparatus detects the temperature of the ink-jet printhead by using a head temperature detection unit and outputs it to a driving frequency determination unit. The driving frequency determination unit acquires temperature information in units of pages of image information or predetermined image areas. If the acquired temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the driving frequency of the ink-jet printhead is decreased when a predetermined unit of the image information is printed.

Abstract: An image display apparatus is provided, in which the generation of discharge can be suppressed and a preferable display image can be obtained. A method of manufacturing an image display apparatus having an airtight container including a rear plate having a plurality of electron-emitting devices and a face plate which is located opposite to the rear plate and has a phosphor and an electroconductive film, includes the steps of, (A) disposing the rear plate having the plurality of electron-emitting devices and the face plate having the phosphor and the electroconductive film such that the rear plate and the face plate are opposite to each other and arranging a plurality of plate shaped spacers between the rear plate and the face plate to assemble the airtighontainer, and (B) applying an electric field between the rear plate and the face plate in a state that the airtight container is slanted such that a longitudinal direction of the plate-shaped spacers is not in vertical to a gravitational direction.

Abstract: This invention relates to an ink-jet printer equipped with an ink-jet printhead and a control method and apparatus for the ink-jet printer. The printhead incorporates an EEPROM storing head information including the ink discharge amount characteristics of the printhead. The head information stored in this EEPROM is transmitted from the ink-jet printer having the printhead to the printer driver of a host computer. The printer driver then selects a gamma correction table in accordance with the head information. In this case, a gamma correction table is selected from a plurality of gamma correction tables in which pieces of correction information which make print densities uniform are stored in correspondence with ink discharge amounts. This table also includes correction data for correcting an increase in ink discharge amount to prevent beading due to an increase in ink discharge amount with a rise in the temperature of the printhead.

Abstract: The present invention provides a riding lawn mower comprising: two pairs of ground engaging wheels 2, 2 and 3, 3 disposed at front and rear portions of a vehicle frame 5; a cutter blade 9 supported by the vehicle frame 5; a drive source 7 mounted on the vehicle frame 5 and having an output shaft 8 extending downwardly; a transmission 20 including i) a casing 21; ii) an input shaft 22 substantially vertically supported by the casing 21, and iii) a pair of axles 4, 4 extending substantially horizontally in opposite directions, the pair of axles supporting each one of the two pairs of ground engaging wheels, the transmission 20 being arranged below the drive source 7 and having the input shaft 22 coupled substantially coaxially with the output shaft 8 of the drive source 7 non-rotatably relative thereto; and power transmitting members 10 and 11 for the cutter blade 9, the power transmitting members 10 and 11 being provided to rotate with the output shaft 8.

Abstract: The present invention provides a scattering sheet obtained by forming a scattering resin into a sheet having a thickness of about 1 &mgr;m to about 100 &mgr;/m, and having a total light transmittance of about 85% or more and less than about 100%, and a haze of about 50% or more and less than about 90%, wherein the scattering resin comprising a colorless transparent resin and colorless transparent spherical particles dispersed in the colorless transparent resin, a difference between a refractive index of the colorless transparent resin and a refractive index of the colorless transparent is more than about 0.00 and not more than about 0.

Abstract: A process for producing a glass substrate for information recording media which comprises polishing one side of a float glass in a finish polishing step to remove a surface layer therefrom in a thickness of 5 &mgr;m or larger and keeping the one side of the float glass not substantially in contact with any jig in each of the processing steps other than the finish polishing step. The number of processing steps in glass substrate production is reduced by utilizing only one side of a float glass as a data recording side to thereby attain a reduced production cost and stable supply of glass substrates and thus contribute to the progress of an information-oriented society.

Abstract: This image processing device for games is a device whereby a prescribed number of models (characters) are setup in virtual space, these models are controlled such that they move in prescribed directions in the virtual space, and images of this virtual space from a virtual viewpoint are displayed on means for display. In order to display the movement of the models that are arranged in virtual space more realistically, in one construction thereof, this device is provided with means for image processing that apply virtual centripetal force to the models. Furthermore, in order to display the movement of the models more realistically and to heighten the dramatic effect, in one construction thereof, this device is equipped with means for processing residual image presentation in order to represent the track of movement of a model as residual images.

Abstract: A method including the steps of: consecutively depositing a first etch stop layer, a first compound semiconductor and a second compound semiconductor layer overlying a semiconductor substrate, the first etch stop layer, the first and second compound semiconductor layers having different compositions from one another, etching the first and second compound semiconductor layers until the etching stops at the first etch stop layer, and forming a semiconductor laser device including the first etch stop layer and the first and second compound semiconductor layers. The existence of the first compound semiconductor layer made of a material different from those of the second compound semiconductor layer and the etch stop layer enables the etching of the second compound semiconductor layer while controlling the etching depth thereof by using the etch stop layer.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an Internet billing method which can reject invalid orders with reliability, and which can be used without a credit card. In the present invention, a terminal makes a request of a content server for a chargeable service by using a prepaid information medium which has predetermined information necessary for transactions. After the request, the content server makes a request of a prepaid information management server for authentication to check whether the prepaid information medium is authorized to be used for the chargeable service, and for billing for the prepaid information medium. Then, the prepaid information management server authenticates the prepaid information medium and performs the billing for the prepaid information medium on the basis of usage of the chargeable service. If the authentication and the billing succeed, the content server provides the chargeable service to the terminal.

Abstract: An ion toothbrush which can be tested on the supply voltage by turning on a switch, and concerning which assembling steps are simplified. This ion toothbrush comprises: a head (50) with brush bristles (51) implanted therein; a handle (10); and a battery (14) received in the handle (10). One electrode of the battery (14) is conductively connected with the external surface of the handle (10), and the other electrode is conductively connected with the vicinity of the implanted area of the brush bristles (51) at the head (50). This ion toothbrush further comprises: an LED (18) with its one terminal (18B) connected to one electrode of the battery (14), and with the other terminal (18A) connected to the other electrode of the battery; a spindle capable-of conductively connecting the other electrode of the battery.