Abstract: A vehicle seat apparatus includes: a vehicle seat; a swiveling drive unit that swivels the vehicle seat between the frontward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat faces the front of a vehicle and at least one of the outward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in the outward direction of the vehicle and the inward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in the inward direction of the vehicle; a traveling route information obtainment unit that obtains information on a traveling route along which the vehicle travels; and a control unit that controls the operation of the swiveling drive unit based on the information obtained by the traveling route information obtainment unit.

Abstract: A vehicle seat apparatus includes a vehicle seat; a swiveling drive unit that swivels the vehicle seat between a frontward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat faces the front of a vehicle and at least one of an outward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in the outward direction of the vehicle and an inward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in the inward direction of the vehicle; an occupant condition detection unit that detects the condition of an occupant in the vehicle; and a control unit that controls the swiveling drive unit based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit. With this configuration, it is possible to further increase the comfort of a passenger compartment based on the condition of the occupants in the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle seat apparatus includes a vehicle seat; a swiveling drive unit that swivels the vehicle seat between a frontward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat faces the front of a vehicle and at least one of an outward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in the outward direction of the vehicle and an inward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in the inward direction of the vehicle; an occupant condition detection unit that detects the condition of an occupant in the vehicle; and a control unit that controls the swiveling drive unit based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit. With this configuration, it is possible to further increase the comfort of a passenger compartment based on the condition of the occupants in the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle seat apparatus includes: a vehicle seat; a swiveling drive unit that swivels the vehicle seat between the frontward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat faces the front of a vehicle and at least one of the outward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in the outward direction of the vehicle and the inward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in the inward direction of the vehicle; a traveling route information obtainment unit that obtains information on a traveling route along which the vehicle travels; and a control unit that controls the operation of the swiveling drive unit based on the information obtained by the traveling route information obtainment unit.

Abstract: A carrier pocket engineering technique used to provide superlattice structures having relatively high values of the three-dimensional thermoelectric figure of merit (Z3DT) is described. Also described are several superlattice systems provided in acordance with the carrier pocket engineering technique. Superlattice structures designed in accordance with this technique include a plurality of alternating layers of at least two different semiconductor materials. First ones of the layers correspond to barrier layers and second ones of the layers correspond to well layers but barrier layers can also work as well layers for some certain carrier pockets and vice-versa. Each of the well layers are provided having quantum well states formed from carrier pockets at various high symmetry points in the Brillouin zone of the structure to provide the superlattice having a relatively high three-dimensional thermoelectric figure of merit.

Abstract: A superlattice structure for thermoelectric power generation includes m monolayers of a first barrier material alternating with n monolayers of a second quantum well material with a pair of monolayers defining a superlattice period and each of the materials having a relatively smooth interface therebetween. Each of the quantum well layers have a thickness which is less than the thickness of the barrier layer by an amount which causes substantial confinement of conduction carriers to the quantum well layer and the alternating layers provide a superlattice structure having a figure of merit which increases with increasing temperature.

Abstract: A superlattice structure for use in thermoelectric power generation systems includes m layers of a first one of Silicon and Antimony doped Silicon-Germanium alternating with n layers of Silicon-Germanium which provides a superlattice structure having a thermoelectric figure of merit which increases with increasing temperature above the maximum thermoelectric figure of merit achievable for bulk SiGe alloys.

Abstract: An aqueous acidic electrolyte of the chloride, sulfate and mixed chloride-sulfate types suitable for electrodepositing a zinc-nickel alloy on a conductive substrate comprising an aqueous solution containing zinc ions and nickel ions, and an additive agent of a class selected from the group consisting of (a) aromatic sulfonic acids, (b) aromatic sulfonamides, sulfonimides and mixed carboxamides/sulfonamides, (c) acetylene alcohols as well as the bath soluble and compatible salts and mixtures thereof. The invention further encompasses the process for electrodepositing a zinc-nickel alloy employing the aforementioned electrolyte.