Abstract: (A) An electrolyte solution containing lithium bis(oxalato)borate and vinylene carbonate is injected into a lithium-ion battery. (B) Initial charging is performed. (C) Aging is performed. During the aging, lithium bis(oxalato)borate and vinylene carbonate contained in the electrolyte solution are degraded. After the aging, in the electrolyte solution, a mass fraction of lithium bis(oxalato)borate is less than 0.10% and a mass fraction of vinylene carbonate is less than 0.10%.

Abstract: A carbon-fiber-reinforced SiC composite having a high tensile strength is produced by impregnating a carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon composite with melted metal Si. The carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon composite includes carbon fibers that are pitch-based short carbon fibers. The pitch-based short carbon fibers are oriented in two-dimensional random directions. The carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon composite has a bulk density of 1.2 to 1.7 g/cm3, a porosity of 15 to 40 vol %, and a carbon fiber volume content of 20 to 50 vol %.

Abstract: A carbon-fiber-reinforced SiC composite having a high tensile strength is produced by impregnating a carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon composite with melted metal Si. The carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon composite includes carbon fibers that are pitch-based short carbon fibers. The pitch-based short carbon fibers are oriented in two-dimensional random directions. The carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon composite has a bulk density of 1.2 to 1.7 g/cm3, a porosity of 15 to 40 vol %, and a carbon fiber volume content of 20 to vol %.

Abstract: A scanner has an imaging device which is constituted by a cold-cathode tube, includes a light source for irradiating light to a reflection surface of a reference white plate and a plurality of pixels arranged in one line, and detects light reflected on the reflection surface by the respective pixels, and has a light source stability determination unit which determines whether or not light amounts obtained by the one line of pixels from the light source are approximately uniform. Only in a case where the light source stability determination unit determines that the light amounts obtained by the one line of pixels from the light source are approximately uniform, the scanner reads the reference white plate to calculate correction values for the respective pixels and reads a manuscript.

Abstract: In a magnetoresistive effect element using a ferromagnetic tunnel junction having a tunnel barrier layer sandwiched between at least a pair of ferromagnetic layers, a magnetization free layer comprising one of the ferromagnetic layers is composed of a single layer of a material having an amorphous or microcrystal structure or a material layer the main portion of which has an amorphous or microcrystal structure. The magnetoresistive effect element can produce excellent magnetic-resistance characteristics, and a magnetic memory element and a magnetic memory device using the magnetoresistive effect element as a memory element thereof can improve both of write and read characteristics at the same time.

Abstract: The color image processing apparatus of the present invention selects, on the basis of a moving average number n of pixels calculated by a predetermined numerical formula with respect to any notable pixel i, n number of reference pixels j located before and after the notable pixel i, and calculates an absolute value of a difference between an output of respective of the selected reference pixels j and that of the notable pixel i. Then, a moving average processing is executed by using only some reference pixels j of which the absolute value of the difference between each of their output levels and the output level of the notable pixel i is smaller than a threshold value.

Abstract: In a magnetoresistive effect element using a ferromagnetic tunnel junction having a tunnel barrier layer sandwiched between at least a pair of ferromagnetic layers, a magnetization free layer comprising one of the ferromagnetic layers is composed of a single layer of a material having an amorphous or microcrystal structure or a material layer the main portion of which has an amorphous or microcrystal structure. The magnetoresistive effect element can produce excellent magnetic-resistance characteristics, and a magnetic memory element and a magnetic memory device using the magnetoresistive effect element as a memory element thereof can improve both of write and read characteristics at the same time.

Abstract: The scanner includes the switch 10 that is closed when a document is read, the boosted-voltage conversion circuit 12 that boosts a DC voltage of 12 volts (V) supplied from a power source (not shown) and then converts it into a high-frequency signal b of 50 KHz, the temperature detection circuit 20 formed of the thermistor 15 for ambient temperature detection and correction circuit 16, and the dimmer control circuit 13 that varies the high-frequency signal b from the boosted-voltage conversion circuit 12 according to a temperature detected by the thermistor 15 and produces a drive signal c to vary the luminance of the cold-cathode-tube light source 2.

Abstract: A USB device comprises a USB connector 1 for connecting it to a USB or HUB of a host and a serial interface engine (SIE) 2 serving as an interface. The USB connector 1 and the SIE 2 are interconnected by four signal lines defined in a USB. Of these signal lines, a 5-V power supply line for supplying 5-V power to the SIE 2 is provided with a switch 3 for electrically on-off switching it. The user can readily control the power supply from the host to the USB switch by operating the switch. Thus, when the USB device is not used, the power supply from the host can be stopped to reduce power consumption of the host.

Abstract: A scanner has an imaging device which is constituted by a cold-cathode tube, includes a light source for irradiating light to a reflection surface of a reference white plate and a plurality of pixels arranged in one line, and detects light reflected on the reflection surface by the respective pixels, and has a light source stability determination unit which determines whether or not light amounts obtained by the one line of pixels from the light source are approximately uniform. Only in a case where the light source stability determination unit determines that the light amounts obtained by the one line of pixels from the light source are approximately uniform, the scanner reads the reference white plate to calculate correction values for the respective pixels and reads a manuscript.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a magnetic memory device, wherein the inventive method does not require any special technique for forming pattern, but bilaterally ensures precision for processing a tunnel magneto-resistive effect element (called TMR element) and self-matching formation of connecting elements. The manufacturing method of a magnetic memory device comprises a processing step of forming a tunnel magneto-resistive effect film sandwiching a tunnel barrier layer between a magnetic pinned layer and a memory layer into a predetermined elementary configuration by applying a mask layer, wherein the mask layer is formed by applying a plating process.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a magnetic memory device, wherein the inventive method does not require any special technique for forming pattern, but bilaterally ensures precision for processing a tunnel magneto-resistive effect element (called TMR element) and self-matching formation of connecting elements. The manufacturing method of a magnetic memory device comprises a processing step of forming a tunnel magneto-resistive effect film sandwiching a tunnel barrier layer between a magnetic pinned layer and a memory layer into a predetermined elementary configuration by applying a mask layer, wherein the mask layer is formed by applying a plating process.

Abstract: An image reader including a light source irradiating light to a reading object, a reading device reading an image on the reading object based on the radiated light; and a lens focusing the image onto the reading device and having a characteristic by which a distortion rate is increased from the central part to the end part. The distortion rate of the end part is set to a value in which there is no need to complement the read image.

Abstract: The color image processing apparatus of the present invention selects, on the basis of a moving average number n of pixels calculated by a predetermined numerical formula with respect to any notable pixel i, n number of reference pixels j located before and after the notable pixel i, and calculates an absolute value of a difference between an output of respective of the selected reference pixels j and that of the notable pixel i. Then, a moving average processing is executed by using only some reference pixels j of which the absolute value of the difference between each of their output levels and the output level of the notable pixel i is smaller than a threshold value.

Abstract: The present invention provides a video data reading method comprising steps of: inputting a video data from a video input device; inputting a key-in data from a key switch; adding said key-in data to a packet of said video data; and transmitting said video data and said key-in data in the same packet via a USB interface to a host computer.

Abstract: When the scanner moves over the subject copy, the first reading elements of a close contact type image sensor (1) read the copy. As the movement causes a platen roller (5) to rotate, an encoder ring (4), having a prescribed distinguishing pattern (10) printed within, rotates. Second reading elements configured outside the copy reading range of the close contact type image sensor (1) read the distinguishing pattern, which moves over the reading face as the encoder ring (4) rotates. The second reading elements which read the distinguishing pattern are driven independently of the first reading elements for reading the subject copy, and their reading period is shorter than that of the first reading elements. This configuration enables the moving speed to be accurately detected even when the scanner moves faster than the copy reading speed.

Abstract: An image reading device, particularly a hand scanner, capable of setting a reading position in the main scanning direction accurately at all times. A stage glass is affixed to the reading surface of the hand scanner. A reference line is printed on the stage glass outside of the valid reading range of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image scanner. For the adjustment of the valid reading range, the image sensor and a lens are roughly adjusted such that data representative of the reference line appears at the edge of the valid reading range. Subsequently, the valid reading range is electrically shifted in the main scanning direction such that the reference line disappears.