Abstract: An image reading device includes an illuminator, an imager, a background portion, and an image processor. The illuminator irradiates a subject with visible light and invisible light. The imager receives the visible light and the invisible light reflected by the subject to capture a visible image and an invisible image. The background portion is disposed in an image capturing range of the imager. The background portion has a reflectance at a specific wavelength of the visible light equal to or higher than a lower limit of visible light reflectance, and a reflectance at a specific wavelength of the invisible light equal to or lower than an upper limit of invisible light reflectance. The image processor detects a feature of one of the subject and the background portion from at least one of the visible image and the invisible image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, a system, and a method. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming engine to form an image on a recording medium, interrupts an image formation by the image forming engine in response to a malfunction, detects a recording medium on which the image formation is interrupted, and notifies an external device of a detection result of the recording medium.

Abstract: Provided is a calcium carbonate generation method and system in which calcium carbonate having a high purity can be generated using a calcium-containing waste. Provided is a calcium carbonate generation method of generating calcium carbonate from a calcium-containing waste, the calcium carbonate generation method including: a calcium dissolution step of adding aqueous hydrochloric acid to a calcium-containing waste and dissolving calcium to generate an aqueous solution containing a calcium ion; a separation step of adjusting a hydrogen ion concentration index of the aqueous solution containing a calcium ion and separating a component containing at least one selected from the group consisting of Si, Al, Mg, and heavy metal from the aqueous solution; and a calcium carbonate collection step of generating calcium carbonate using an aqueous solution obtained in the separation step and an aqueous solution containing potassium carbonate and/or sodium carbonate.

Abstract: A spoiler device is adapted to be installed on a rear edge of a vehicle body component arranged on a vehicle and includes a spoiler body having an upper surface portion and a bent portion bent downward from a rear end of the upper surface portion and a movable mechanism connected to the spoiler body to drive the spoiler body to move relative to the vehicle body component. The spoiler body is movable between a storing position where a front end of the upper surface portion is close to an upper surface of the vehicle body component and an extending position where the upper surface portion extends rearward relative to the vehicle body component via the movable mechanism. Taking an imaginary line extending along the upper surface as a reference, the front end in the extending position is located on or further downward than the imaginary line.

Abstract: An on-server data transmission device (200) that performs data transfer control on an interface part in a user space includes: a data transfer part (220) configured to launch a thread that monitors packet arrivals using a polling model; and a sleep control manager (210) configured to manage data arrival schedule information and deliver the data arrival schedule information to the data transfer part (220), to perform sleep control on the data transfer part (220). The data transfer part (220) is configured to put the thread into a sleep state based on the data arrival schedule information delivered from the sleep control manager (210) and cause a timer to expire immediately before an arrival of data to perform cancellation of the sleep state, causing the thread to wake up.

Abstract: An air discharge device includes a duct that defines a flow passage through which a working air flow to be discharged passes, and a hole forming member defining an air discharge hole as an outlet of the working air flow. The hole forming member has a vortex generation structure configured to generate an auxiliary vortex having a vortex characteristic including a vortex rotation direction and a vortex axis direction. The vortex characteristic of the auxiliary vortex is different from that of a lateral vortex generated by the working air flow at a downstream side of the air discharge hole. The vortex generation structure is configured in the hole forming member so that the auxiliary vortex collides with the lateral vortex in a state where at least one of the vortex rotation direction and the vortex axial direction of the vortex characteristic is different from that of the lateral vortex.

Abstract: A resource dynamic allocation device includes: a unit thread ID acquisitor that acquires identification information of an application process initialized at a time of activation, identification information of a thread which is included in the application process and to which a possible physical resource on a physical server is allocated, and identification information of the physical resource allocated to the thread; and a resource recorder/allocator that freezes all threads of the initialized application process and freezes the thread or unfreezes the thread in accordance with any one of transfer traffic, a resource load, and a load of the application process.

Abstract: An OS (120) of a client (100) includes: an L3/L4 protocol/ACC function/argument data packetizing unit (121) that serializes a function name/argument input from an application side according to a format of a predetermined protocol and packetizes the function name/argument as a payload; and an L3/L4 protocol/ACC function/return value data parsing unit (122) that deserializes packet data input from a server (200) side according to a format of a predetermined protocol and acquires a function name/execution result.

Abstract: A customer service robot autonomously moves to support shopping of a customer in a commercial facility including a plurality of stores. The customer service robot includes an action plan generating unit (a route setting unit) configured to set a store to be visited and a moving route in the commercial facility based on a store visiting purpose acquired from the customer and an operation control unit (a movement control unit) configured to cause the customer service robot to autonomously move along the moving route.

Abstract: A customer service robot autonomously moves to support shopping of a customer in a commercial facility including a plurality of stores. The customer service robot includes an operation mode setting unit (a moving form setting unit) that sets a moving form in moving while being accompanied by the customer to a leading mode (a first moving form) for leading the customer and moving along a set moving route or a following mode (a second moving form) for moving following the customer and a movement control unit that causes the customer service robot to move, in the moving form set by the operation mode setting unit, in a state in which the distance to the customer is kept constant.

Abstract: A headrest stay includes a detachment prevention slot portion formed in a rod-shaped leg portion, the detachment prevention slot portion being recessed toward a center side of the leg portion, the lock portion being configured to enter into the detachment prevention slot portion, and the detachment prevention slot portion including: a first flat face portion that faces a lower side; and a second flat face portion that faces an upper side, the second flat face portion including: an opposing portion that opposes the first flat face portion; and a region that, in a vertical sectional diagram cut along the axial direction of the leg portion, is disposed at an outer peripheral side of the leg portion relative to the first flat face portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, a system, and a method. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming engine to form an image on a recording medium, interrupts an image formation by the image forming engine in response to a malfunction, detects a recording medium on which the image formation is interrupted, and notifies an external device of a detection result of the recording medium.

Abstract: A reading device includes a light source, an image sensor, a background board, and an image processing circuitry. The light source irradiates visible light and invisible light to a subject. The image sensor receives the visible light and the invisible light, each of which is reflected from the subject, to capture a visible image and an invisible image. The background board is provided in an image capturing range of the image sensor. The background board is a background portion. The image processing circuitry detects a feature amount of the subject and the background portion from at least one of the visible image and the invisible image.

Abstract: The visual function test device of an embodiment comprises a test subject display device and an operator display device. A target display portion displays a target image to be viewed by the test subject onto the test subject display device. A visual axis estimation portion estimates a visual axis of the test subject when the target image is viewed. A position display portion displays a display position of the test target image and a viewpoint position that corresponds to the estimated visual axis, onto the operator display device, and thus a tester can objectively recognize a gazing state of the test subject and surely perform the test, which enhances the reliability of the test.

Abstract: A maintenance method for a power storage system wherein: in a bank in which multiple modules, each comprising multiple lithium-ion battery cells connected to each other, are serially connected, a voltage sensor measures voltage values of the cells; a module containing a cell having the lowest voltage value in the hank is identified; and the capacity of the identified module or of the cell having the lowest voltage value is measured.

Abstract: A reading device includes a light source, an image sensor, a background board, and an image processing circuitry. The light source irradiates visible light and invisible light to a subject. The image sensor receives the visible light and the invisible light, each of which is reflected from the subject, to capture a visible image and an invisible image. The background board is provided in an image capturing range of the image sensor. The background board is a background portion. The image processing circuitry detects a feature amount of the subject and the background portion from at least one of the visible image and the invisible image.

Abstract: An eye movement measuring device for detecting an eyeball-state/movement including: an eyeball photographing device configured to take a photograph of an eyeball; and an eye movement detecting unit configured to detect eye movement based on eyeball image as a photograph taken with the eyeball photographing device, the eyeball photographing device including an eyeball illuminating unit configured to illuminate an eyeball of a subject including a driver with illumination light, an eyeball image imaging unit configured to obtain eyeball image as a result of imaging the illuminated eyeball, and an arranging unit configured such that, when the eyeball photographing device is worn by the subject, the eyeball illuminating unit is arranged in a position where the eyeball can be irradiated with the illumination light, and the eyeball image imaging unit is arranged in a position where the eyeball image can be obtained as a result of the imaging.

Abstract: The visual function test device of an embodiment comprises a test subject display device and an operator display device. A target display portion displays a target image to be viewed by the test subject onto the test subject display device. A visual axis estimation portion estimates a visual axis of the test subject when the target image is viewed. A position display portion displays a display position of the test target image and a viewpoint position that corresponds to the estimated visual axis, onto the operator display device, and thus a tester can objectively recognize a gazing state of the test subject and surely perform the test, which enhances the reliability of the test.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a pair of rollers configured to convey a sheet in a sheet conveyance passage, a detector configured to optically detect an attitude of the sheet, one of a rotation device to rotate the pair of rollers in a direction parallel to a plane of the sheet and a moving device to move the pair of rollers in a width direction, and a controller configured to correct the attitude of the pair of rollers at a time interval, based on a detection result obtained by the detector. The controller performs the correcting operation by setting, according to reflectance of the sheet, at least one of a light emission time of the detector, the time interval of the correcting operation, light emission intensity of the detector and a conveying speed of the sheet.

Abstract: An eye movement measuring device for detecting an eyeball-state/movement including: an eyeball photographing device configured to take a photograph of an eyeball; and an eye movement detecting unit configured to detect eye movement based on eyeball image as a photograph taken with the eyeball photographing device, the eyeball photographing device including an eyeball illuminating unit configured to illuminate an eyeball of a subject including a driver with illumination light, an eyeball image imaging unit configured to obtain eyeball image as a result of imaging the illuminated eyeball, and an arranging unit configured such that, when the eyeball photographing device is worn by the subject, the eyeball illuminating unit is arranged in a position where the eyeball can be irradiated with the illumination light, and the eyeball image imaging unit is arranged in a position where the eyeball image can be obtained as a result of the imaging.