Abstract: A defect inspection device in which an optical axis of a detection optical system is inclined with respect to a surface of a sample, and an imaging sensor is inclined with respect to the optical axis, a height variation amount of an illumination spot in a normal direction of the surface of the sample is calculated based on an output of a height measuring unit, a deviation amount of the focusing position with respect to the light receiving surface in an optical axis direction of the detection optical system is calculated based on the height variation amount of the illumination spot, the deviation amount of the focusing position being generated accompanying a height variation of the illumination spot, and the focus actuator is controlled based on the deviation amount of the focusing position, and scattered light intensities at the same coordinates of the sample are added.

Abstract: A photonics-electronics convergence switch with which, even if an optical network system is built by combining a plurality of packet switches, the amount of processing in the packet switches does not increase, the optical network system operates with low electric power consumption, and this enables wide-range optical communication between the nodes of a communication origin and of a communication partner, includes a network processor that is an electronic circuit configured to control the functions of the packet switch, a plurality of optical transmitter-receivers having photoelectric conversion functions, and a plurality of optical switches.

Abstract: A reception system includes: a visitor recognition unit that recognizes a visitor; a receiving person recognition unit that recognizes a receiving person that corresponds to the visitor; a receiving person contact information storage unit that stores contact information of the receiving person; a notification unit that notifies the receiving person of a visit of the visitor at the contact information of the receiving person stored by the receiving person contact information storage unit; and a receiving person selection unit that selects a substitute receiving person associated with the receiving person in a case where the receiving person is absent when the notification unit notifies the receiving person at the contact information of the receiving person, wherein the notification unit notifies the substitute receiving person selected by the receiving person selection unit when the receiving person is absent.

Abstract: A reception system includes: an imaging unit that captures an image; a reception information storage unit that stores an image of a visitor who visited in the past and information of a receiving person whom the visitor visited in the past in an associated manner; and an action performing unit that generates a question to the visitor based on a scenario regarding a response to the visitor and acquires information via a response to the question from the visitor, wherein the action performing unit changes a response presented to the visitor based on the scenario depending on whether or not the reception information storage unit stores an image that corresponds to the image captured by the imaging unit.

Abstract: A voice processing apparatus includes: a sound input unit configured to acquire an audio signal; a voice recognition unit configured to perform voice recognition on the audio signal acquired by the sound input unit; an intention understanding unit configured to understand a user's intention on the basis of a recognition result recognized by the voice recognition unit; and a question unit configured to question the user on the basis of an understood result understood by the intention understanding unit. The question unit changes question content for the user according to the understood result and a predetermined priority.

Abstract: A reception system includes: an imaging unit that captures an image; a reception information storage unit that stores an image of a visitor who visited in the past and information of a receiving person whom the visitor visited in the past in an associated manner; and an action performing unit that generates a question to the visitor based on a scenario regarding a response to the visitor and acquires information via a response to the question from the visitor, wherein the action performing unit changes a response presented to the visitor based on the scenario depending on whether or not the reception information storage unit stores an image that corresponds to the image captured by the imaging unit.

Abstract: A reception system includes: a visitor recognition unit that recognizes a visitor; a receiving person recognition unit that recognizes a receiving person that corresponds to the visitor; a receiving person contact information storage unit that stores contact information of the receiving person; a notification unit that notifies the receiving person of a visit of the visitor at the contact information of the receiving person stored by the receiving person contact information storage unit; and a receiving person selection unit that selects a substitute receiving person associated with the receiving person in a case where the receiving person is absent when the notification unit notifies the receiving person at the contact information of the receiving person, wherein the notification unit notifies the substitute receiving person selected by the receiving person selection unit when the receiving person is absent.

Abstract: A voice recognizing portion recognizes a voice and generates a phoneme string, and a storage portion stores a first name list indicating phoneme strings of first names and a second name list obtained by associating a phoneme string of a predetermined first name among the first names with a phoneme string of a second name similar to the phoneme string of the first name. A name specifying portion specifies a name indicated by the voice on the basis of the first name list. A checking portion selects a phoneme string of a second name corresponding to a phoneme string of the name specified by the name specifying portion by referring to the second name list when a user answers that the name specified by the name specifying portion is not the correct name.

Abstract: A voice processing apparatus includes: a sound input unit configured to acquire an audio signal; a voice recognition unit configured to perform voice recognition on the audio signal acquired by the sound input unit; an intention understanding unit configured to understand a user's intention on the basis of a recognition result recognized by the voice recognition unit; and a question unit configured to question the user on the basis of an understood result understood by the intention understanding unit. The question unit changes question content for the user according to the understood result and a predetermined priority.

Abstract: A voice recognition system (10) for improving the toughness of voice recognition for a voice input for which a deteriorated feature amount cannot be completely identified. The system comprises at least two sound detecting means (16a, 16b) for detecting a sound signal, a sound source localizing unit (21) for determining the direction of a sound source based on the sound signal, a sound source separating unit (23) for separating a sound by the sound source from the sound signal based on the sound source direction, a mask producing unit (25) for producing a mask value according to the reliability of the separation results, a feature extracting unit (27) for extracting the feature amount of the sound signal, and a voice recognizing unit (29) for applying the mask to the feature amount to recognize a voice from the sound signal.

Abstract: A voice recognition system (10) for improving the toughness of voice recognition for a voice input for which a deteriorated feature amount cannot be completely identified. The system comprises at least two sound detecting means (16a, 16b) for detecting a sound signal, a sound source localizing unit (21) for determining the direction of a sound source based on the sound signal, a sound source separating unit (23) for separating a sound by the sound source from the sound signal based on the sound source direction, a mask producing unit (25) for producing a mask value according to the reliability of the separation results, a feature extracting unit (27) for extracting the feature amount of the sound signal, and a voice recognizing unit (29) for applying the mask to the feature amount to recognize a voice from the sound signal.

Abstract: An object is to increase cracking rate of heavy fraction oils while producing a lessened amount of dry gases generated by the hydrogen transfer reaction and by the overcracking to obtain light fraction olefins in a high yield. A process for the fluid catalytic cracking of heavy fraction oils, which comprises steps of feeding the heavy fraction oils to a raw oil introducing portion provided at a reaction zone inlet; feeding a part of a regenerated catalyst taken out of a catalyst-regenerating zone to a catalyst introducing portion provided at a reaction zone inlet; and feeding another part of the regenerated catalyst taken out of the catalyst-regenerating zone to at least one catalyst introducing portion which is provided between the catalyst introducing portion provided at the reaction zone inlet and reaction zone outlet, the catalytic cracking in the reaction zone being carried out under conditions of a contact time of 0.1 to 3.0 sec. a reaction zone outlet temperature of 530 to 700.degree. C.

Abstract: A melt spinning apparatus particularly applicable to a multifilament spinning for pitch based carbon fibers. The melt spinning apparatus is provided in which a flow uniforming member is attached to a central part on a spinning side of a spinneret having circularly or concentrically arranged nozzles, the flow uniforming member having a sectional diameter at least 3 mm smaller than the diameter of the innermost row of nozzles and a length not smaller than 2 cm. The apparatus is provided with a cooling means as an outer peripheral portion below a spinning pack having an annular blowing port for blowing a cooling gas toward the spun filaments. A gap is provided between the spinning pack and the cooling means and is sealed with a heat insulator.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a carbon/carbon fiber composite characterized in that one or more kinds of fibers selected from the group consisting of a pitch fiber obtained by spinning a carbonaceous pitch, an infusiblized fiber obtained by subjecting the pitch fiber to an infusiblizing treatment, and a pre-carbonized fiber obtained by subjecting the infusiblized fiber to a pre-carbonizing fiber at 400.degree. to 800.degree. C. in an inert gas atmosphere, are woven, laminated or mix-pulverized together with a pitch-based carbon fiber, and then carbonized under the application of pressure or under pressing.

Abstract: A precursor pitch for the production of carton fibers is obtained by heat-treating a carbonaceous pitch in the form of a thin film having a thickness not larger than 5 mm at a temperature in the range of 250.degree. to 390.degree. C. and under a reduced pressure not higher than 100 mmHg. By melt-spinning this precursor pitch and subjecting the resultant pitch fiber to infusiblization and carbonization and, if required, to subsequent graphitization, there is obtained a high quality carbon fiber.

Abstract: A starting pitch for carbon fibers is obtained by mixing (1) 100 parts by volume of a heavy fraction oil boiling at not lower than 200.degree. C. and obtained at the time of fluidized catalytic cracking of petroleum with (2) 10 to 200 parts by volume of a fraction boiling in the range of 250.degree. to 550.degree. C. obtained by distilling under reduced pressure an oil produced at the time of heat treating a starting pitch and then heat treating the resulting mixture at a temperature of from 370.degree. C. to 480.degree. C. under a pressure of from 2 to 50 Kg/cm.sup.2.G thereby to obtain the starting pitch for carbon fibers. The thus obtained starting pitch is heat treated to obtain a precursor pitch which is melt spun, infusibilized, carbonized or graphitized to obtain the carbon fibers.

Abstract: A starting pitch for carbon fibers, obtained by (A) mixing together (1) a heavy fraction oil boiling at not lower than 200.degree. C. obtained at the time of fluidized catalytic cracking of petroleum, (2) a hydrogenated oil selected from aromatic hydrocarbons of 2-10 rings having their nuclei partly hydrogenated and specific fractions boiling at 160.degree.-650.degree. C. and containing such aromatic hydrocarbons and (3) a heavy fraction oil boiling at not lower than 200.degree. C. obtained at the time of steam cracking of petroleum, to form a mixture of the oils (1), (2) and (3), and then (B) heat treating the thus formed oil mixture at 370.degree.-480.degree. C. and 2-50 Kg/cm.sup.2.G thereby to obtain the starting pitch.

Abstract: A pitch which affords a carbon fiber having a high strength and a high elastic modulus is obtained by treating a pitch containing 5 to 35 weight percent of an optically anisotropic region with sulfur.

Abstract: A pitch which affords a carbon fiber having a high strength and a high elastic modulus is obtained by treating a pitch containing 5 to 35 wt. % of an optically anisotropic region with an oxidizing gas, followed by hydrogenation treatment if required.