Abstract: A laser annealing apparatus (1) according to the embodiment includes: a laser beam source (11) configured to emit a laser beam (L1) to crystallize an amorphous silicon film (101a) on a substrate (100) and to form a poly-silicon film (101b); a projection lens (13) configured to condense the laser beam to irradiate a silicon film (101); a probe beam source configured to emit a probe beam (L2); a photodetector (25) configured to detect the probe beam (L3) transmitted through the silicon film (101); a processing apparatus (26) configured to calculate a standard deviation of detection values of a detection signal output from the photodetector, and to determine a crystalline state of the crystallized film based on the standard deviation.

Abstract: A power transmission apparatus wirelessly communicates with a power reception apparatus using an antenna, wirelessly transmits power to the power reception apparatus using the antenna, measures, in a period during which the transmission of the power is stopped, one or both of a voltage and a current output from the antenna, performs, based on a measurement result obtained by the measurement, a determination process for determining that an object different from the power reception apparatus is present, restricts, in a case where it is determined that an object different from the power reception apparatus is present as a result of the determination process performed by the first determination unit, the transmission of the power, and controls the first determination unit not to use in the determination process the measurement result obtained by the measurement in a period during which communication is performed.

Abstract: An in-seat experience system includes: a seat which includes a seat body, a sensor, and a seat controller allowed to acquire a measurement value from the sensor; an experience instruction device connected to the seat controller, configured to notify an occupant seated on the seat body a motion instruction and to store user identification information; and a server capable of communicating with the experience instruction device. The experience instruction device makes a determination based upon a measurement value of the sensor as to whether or not a first condition is satisfied, and to transmit a result of the determination to the server when at least the first condition is satisfied, and the server is allowed to increase a point score stored for the corresponding user identification information with a condition that the result of the determination that the first condition is satisfied is received from the experience instruction device.

Abstract: A communication apparatus operable to perform communication with another communication apparatus that supports a first version of a predetermined communication method or a second version of the predetermined communication method different to the first version, registers a version of the communication method that the other communication apparatus supports, transmits, in a case where the version of the communication method that the other communication apparatus supports is registered, a signal according to the first version or the second version that is registered, and transmits, in a case where the version of the communication method that the other communication apparatus supports is not registered, both a signal according to the first version and a signal according to the second version.

Abstract: A nozzle for spouting a liquid phase, in which one liquid phase in a two-liquid phase system can be stably jetted as highly dispersible droplets while suppressing coalescence of droplets, and accumulation of fine solid components in the nozzle hardly occurs. The nozzle has a structure in which capillary tubes or pores are assembled. Further, the capillary tubes or the pores are formed using a suitable material having a low affinity for organic or a low affinity for water, or a material subjected to appropriate surface treatment.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing unit configured to form an ink image by discharging ink on a medium, and a heating unit configured to heat the ink image on the medium. The heating unit includes a heat generating unit configured to generate radiant heat, a reflecting unit that includes a reflecting surface configured to reflect the radiant heat of the heat generating unit, and a cooling unit configured to cool the reflecting surface by supplying a gas to the reflecting surface.

Abstract: A seat includes a seat body and a sensor configured to acquired information on an occupant seated on the seat body. The seat includes a coating as a location marker that marks a location of the sensor to render the location visually recognizable from outside the seat body.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purification system for an engine includes an exhaust passage extending from the combustion chambers of the engine, and an exhaust purifying unit disposed in the exhaust passage and configured to purify exhaust gas in the exhaust passage. The exhaust purifying unit includes a carrier disposed in the exhaust passage, a first purifier having at least a function of oxidizing components in the exhaust gas. The first purifier covers, as an underlayer, an outer surface of the carrier, and a second purifier having a function of purifying the exhaust gas by reducing, using occluded ammonia, the components in the exhaust gas that have been oxidized in the first purifier. The second purifier includes a superposed portion covering, as an upper layer, an outer surface of the first purifier.

Abstract: Disclosed is a seat including: sensors which includes a first cushion sensor provided at a seat cushion in a position corresponding to buttocks of an occupant, a second cushion sensor provided at the seat cushion and located farther frontward than the first cushion sensor, a first back sensor provided at a seat back and located in a lower position thereof, and a second back sensor provided at the seat back and located above the first back sensor; and a controller connected to the sensors and thereby allowed to acquire pressure values from the respective sensors. The controller is configured to identify the motion of the occupant based on outputs of at least two sensors of the first cushion sensor, the second cushion sensor, the first back sensor, and the second back sensor.

Abstract: A pressure booster is equipped with a pair of cylinders provided on both sides of a center unit, pistons each disposed inside the pair of cylinders, and a piston rod connecting the pistons. Each of the cylinders has a drive chamber and a booster chamber partitioned by the piston therein, and wherein the pressure booster is further equipped with a switching valve that is switched by abutting on each of the pistons, and a reset valve disposed in a fluid passage connecting a supply port to one of the pair of drive chambers.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprising: an image capturing unit; a driving unit for moving an image capturing direction; a first detection unit; a second detection unit; a sound input unit including a plurality of microphones; a third detection unit; and a control unit, wherein the control unit determines microphones of the sound input unit, based on the direction of the user detected by the first detection unit and the movement of the image capturing apparatus detected by the second detection unit, wherein the third detection unit detects a direction of a sound source of the voice collected by microphones, and wherein, in a case where the third detection unit has detected the direction of the sound source of the voice, the control unit controls the driving unit to move the image capturing direction of the image capturing unit to direct toward the direction of the sound source.

Abstract: A zooming imaging optical system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, at least: a first lens group having positive refractive power; a second lens group having negative refractive power; a third lens group having positive refractive power; a fourth lens group having positive refractive power; a fifth lens group having negative refractive power; and a sixth lens group. During zooming, the distance between adjacent lens groups changes. During focusing from an object at infinity to a close object, the fifth lens group moves along an optical axis toward an imaging surface side. The second lens group includes, in order from the object side to the image side, at least: a 2a-th lens group; and a 2b-th lens group having negative refractive power. Image stabilization is performed by displacing the 2b-th lens group perpendicularly to the optical axis. The optical system satisfies a predetermined conditional expression.

Abstract: A laser annealing apparatus (1) according to an embodiment includes a laser oscillator (4) configured to generate a laser beam (L), a floating-type conveying stage (3) configured to float and convey a workpiece (W) to be irradiated with the laser beam (L), and a beam profiler (7) configured to measure a beam profile of the laser beam (L). The floating-type conveying stage (3) includes a conveying surface (3a) opposed to the workpiece (W), and a bottom surface (3b) on the side opposite to the conveying surface (3a). The beam profiler (7) is positioned below the bottom surface (3b) of the floating-type conveying stage (3). The floating-type conveying stage (3) includes a detachable part (12) in a part of it. An opening (S) is formed by detaching the detachable part (12) from the floating-type conveying stage (3), the opening (3) extending from the conveying surface (3a) to the bottom surface (3b). The beam profiler (7) is configured to measure the beam profile of the laser beam (L) through the opening (S).

Abstract: A printing apparatus according to an embodiment of this invention brings, out of a cleaning unit that cleans a transfer member in contact with a transfer member and an application unit that applies a reactive liquid with ink to the transfer member, the cleaning unit into contact with the transfer member to clean the transfer member by the cleaning unit at the start of the printing operation. Alternatively, out of the application unit and an absorbing unit that absorbs a liquid component from the reactive liquid applied by the application unit in contact with the transfer member, the printing apparatus brings the application unit into contact with the transfer member to apply the reactive liquid by the application unit.

Abstract: A pressure booster is equipped with a pair of cylinders provided on both sides of a center unit, pistons each disposed inside the pair of cylinders, and a piston rod connecting the pistons. Each of the cylinders has a drive chamber and a booster chamber partitioned by the piston therein, and wherein the pressure booster is further equipped with a switching valve that is switched by abutting on each of the pistons, and a reset valve disposed in a fluid passage connecting a supply port to one of the pair of drive chambers.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a print unit configured to discharge ink onto a transfer member and form an ink image; a drying promotion unit configured to promote drying of the ink image on the transfer member; an absorption unit configured to absorb a liquid component from the ink image after drying promotion; and a transfer unit configured to transfer the ink image on the transfer member, whose liquid component is absorbed by the absorption unit, onto a print medium. The drying promotion unit includes: a first heating unit configured to radiate radiant heat to the ink image on the transfer member; and an airflow generating unit configured to generate an airflow flowing in a widthwise direction of the transfer member on the ink image on the transfer member heated by the first heating unit.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a transfer member that rotates, a printhead configured to form an image on the transfer member, and a transfer unit configured to transfer, to a print medium, the image formed on the transfer member. A detection unit is configured to detect a surface condition of the transfer member, and a specifying unit is configured to specify a region of the transfer member in which the surface condition is poor, based on a detection result output by the detection unit. In addition, a prohibiting unit is configured to prohibit image formation by the printhead for the region of the transfer member, specified by the specifying unit, for which the surface condition is poor.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purification system for an engine includes an exhaust passage extending from the combustion chambers of the engine, and an exhaust purifying unit disposed in the exhaust passage and configured to purify exhaust gas in the exhaust passage. The exhaust purifying unit includes a carrier disposed in the exhaust passage, a first purifier having at least a function of oxidizing components in the exhaust gas. The first purifier covers, as an underlayer, an outer surface of the carrier, and a second purifier having a function of purifying the exhaust gas by reducing, using occluded ammonia, the components in the exhaust gas that have been oxidized in the first purifier. The second purifier includes a superposed portion covering, as an upper layer, an outer surface of the first purifier.

Abstract: An audio processing apparatus includes a transform unit that transforms time series audio data obtained from first and second microphones into first and second frequency spectrum data; a driving noise computation processing unit that computes a subtraction amount of the driving noise for each of frequencies from the first and second frequency spectrum data obtained by the transform unit; a generating unit that, on the basis of the first and the second frequency spectrum data obtained by the transform unit and the driving noise subtraction amount obtained by the driving noise computation processing unit, generates left and right channel frequency spectrum data in which the driving noise is respectively suppressed; and an inverse transform unit that inverse-transforms the left and right channel frequency spectrum data generated by the generating unit into left and right channel time series audio data, respectively.