Abstract: In an automatic transmission having multiple oil pressure control valves for controlling friction engagement elements, a first and second pressure modulating valves are provided between an oil pressure generating means (pump) and the oil pressure control valves. A switching valve is further provided between the pressure modulating valves and the oil pressure control valves. In case that one of the pressure modulating valves becomes out of order, the oil pressure of a working oil is supplied to the oil pressure control valves from the other pressure modulating valve, so that the automatic transmission can be continuously operated even in the case that one of the pressure modulating valves becomes out of order.

Abstract: A charging member is disclosed having a support and at least one cover layer provided on the support. The cover layer has an outermost layer of the cover layer placed at the outermost surface of the charging member; the outermost layer contains i) composite particles composed of first metal oxide particles coated with carbon black, ii) second metal oxide particles and iii) a binder.

Abstract: This invention relates to a food containing a glycosylated ceramide and diacylglycerol. This food is capable of improving and enhancing the barrier function of skin and increasing water holding capacity of the skin.

Abstract: A position sensor for an automatic transmission has multiple switches, each of which generates “ON” or “OFF” signal depending on a selected position of a shift lever. Signal patterns (“ON” and “OFF” signals) of the normal operation are memorized as a map of signal patterns in a first memory portion. A second memory portion memorizes the respective signal patterns at the respective selected positions of the shift lever. The signal pattern and the change of the signal patterns in the second memory portion are compared with those memorized as the map of the signal pattern in the first memory portion, and determines that a malfunction has occurred in the position sensor, if at least one of the signal patterns and the changes of the signal patterns does not coincide with any of those memorized the map of the signal pattern. The malfunction of the position sensor can be surely detected at an earlier stage of operation of the shift lever for the automatic transmission.

Abstract: A three-dimensional photonic crystal operating at a plurality of design wavelengths, in which the photonic band gap can be adjusted to a desired wavelength band without changing the lattice period, and an optical element that can contain a defect resonator or a defect waveguide in the three-dimensional photonic crystal are provided.

Abstract: A method for adhering a friction material for a lockup clutch, with which a friction material is adhered to a flat surface of a core plate, comprises a disposing step of disposing the friction material between a heated member and the flat surface of the core plate, a pressing/heating step of bringing the heated member into contact with the core plate and applying load to the core plate by a plurality of pins from a back side opposite to the flat surface of the core plate, and a step of maintaining a state under the above-mentioned pressing/heating step for a predetermined time.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide techniques to inspect the track pitch of a magnetic disk. In one embodiment, the track pitch is inspected using the servo information that was written onto the magnetic disk. A PES gain is set to be PG0. A head is moved to a position K near the position where control is to switch between MPES and SPES, and then MPES and SPES are calculated using reproduced burst signals and PG0. The quantity of change in the inspection HSP which is a half-servo pitch of an inspection-related burst pattern, with respect to an ideal half-servo pitch, is detected by calculating PES?, the difference between the MPES and SPES at position K. The track pitch is thus judged whether it is abnormal.

Abstract: A support for fixing a nucleotide that contributes to the efficient clarification of DNA without damaging the terminal parts of the DNA and, therefore, is useful in the fields of biology, biochemistry and the like. This support for fixing a nucleotide is a chemically modified substrate on which oligonucleotide are immobilized characterized in that the oligonucleotide have a restriction enzyme cleavage site. This support is produced by chemically modifying the substrate, immobilizing a single-stranded oligonucleotide thereon, then hybridizing the single-stranded oligonucleotide with another single-stranded oligonucleotide having a base sequence complementary thereto, and ligating an oligonucleotide having a restriction enzyme site at the end thereof.

Abstract: An impeller for a fluid transmitting device includes a hub and a bowl-shaped shell connected to an outer peripheral portion of the hub via an annular weld seam. An inner peripheral surface of the shell is fitted to an outer peripheral surface of the hub, and the weld seam is formed therebetween by laser welding over an entire length of fitting depth. Thus, it is possible to form the annular weld seam between the hub and the shell with a relatively small amount of heat input, and to precisely perform a visual inspection as to whether the weld seam is good or not without any skill.

Abstract: An axial-air-gap brushless vibration motor has an eccentric ro or R in which an axial-air-gap magnet and an arched weight are provided in a rotor yoke which is rotatably mounted on a shaft fixed to a yoke bracket. A stator base is attached to the yoke bracket which includes a magnetic portion receiving the magnetic field of the magnet and a nonmagnetic portion. One Hall sensor and a drive circuit member for receiving output of the Hall sensor are disposed so that they do not overlap on a radial plane, of the stator base which has single-phase air-core armature coils installed. A cover member is welded to the yoke bracket.

Abstract: Substantially S-shaped optical waveguides are embedded in a semiconductor substrate, and at least two optical waveguide returning parts are interposed between the input and output ends of the waveguides. Each of the optical waveguide returning parts includes a multiplexing portion. A reflecting part is located on a rear end side of the multiplexing portion of each optical waveguide returning part. Thus, the length between input and output ends of the waveguides can be reduced, suppressing bending loss, and achieving a high speed and small size integrated optical device.

Abstract: A three-dimensional periodic structure exhibiting a complete photonic band gap in a wide wavelength range and being readily produced, as well as a functional element including the same, is provided. In the three-dimensional periodic structure exhibiting a photonic band gap according to the present invention, layers composed of a plurality of columnar structures spaced at predetermined intervals are stacked sequentially with additional layers therebetween. Discrete structures contained in the additional layers are disposed at the positions corresponding to the intersections of the columnar structures, and the area of the discrete structure is larger than the area of the intersection region of the above-described columnar structures.

Abstract: In a broadcast receiving system for receiving the digital broadcasting, when the selection of “channel addition/deletion menu” is inputted by the user, received broadcasting signals are decoded to obtain collectively the channel information of the digital/analog broadcasting. This channel information is compared with channel information made stored in a memory to distinguish the channel having suspended from the channel having been resumed, and the distinguished information is made OSD displayed for each channel. The user operates an input device to select a desired channel, and inputs an instruction of the channel addition/deletion with an addition button or a deletion button to update the data stored in the memory.

Abstract: In a foldable keyboard, a cover member (100) includes a cover part (101) provided with a cover plate (104) and a pair of supporting elements (102, 103) formed on both ends of the cover plat. The supporting elements are each formed with a first slot (117) and a second slot (118). A support screw (123) passes with play through the first slot and is fixedly received in a baring hole (13A) of a bearing member (13) formed in a corner (12B) of a first keyboard unit (3) and a support screw (124) passes with play through the first slot and is fixedly received in a support hole (121) of a first base plate (5) formed in a corner (12A). A support screw (125) passes with play through the second slot and is fixedly received in a bearing hole (17A) of a bearing member (17) formed in a corner (16B) of a second keyboard unit (4) and a support screw (126) passes with play through the second slot and is fixedly received in a support hole (120) of a second base plate (8) formed in a corner (16A).

Abstract: A digital contents area displayed on a terminal is detected, and an area to be charged is calculated according to the detected area. A criterion for determining that a user reads the digital contents is a time during which the area of the contents is displayed. If the time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, the displayed contents area is determined to be an area to be charged. There are two methods, a page-change button method and a scroll method, as a method that measures a contents display time for determining whether an area is to be charged.

Abstract: In a TV broadcast signal receiving system capable for connecting a plurality of TV broadcast signal receivers to a single multi-directional antenna without using modular cables, each TV broadcast signal receiver outputs a control signal with apparatus identifying information including an antenna control signal, apparatus ID and priority level thereof for controlling an effective signal receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna and a gain of an amplifier. The multi-directional antenna compares the priority level included in the control signal newly received with that of the control signal previously received. When the priority level of the control signal newly received is equal to or larger than that of the control signal previously received, the antenna control signal is extracted from the control signal, and the effective signal receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna is switched corresponding to an indication of the antenna control signal.

Abstract: For changing setting of caption output format, a TV receiver sequentially outputs, to a monitor; a font setting image having options of two parameters, font type and size, in matrix; a color setting image having options of foreground and background colors in matrix; an edge setting image having options of edge type and color in matrix; and an opacity setting image having options of foreground and background opacities in matrix, and allows user to select the options of each two parameters based on each setting image, and further changes the setting image to be output to the monitor, depending on whether “Transparent” is selected as the foreground and/or background color. The TV receiver excludes, from each setting image, an option combination of two options, one causing loss of discriminability of the other, to make impossible selection of such option combination. The user can quickly complete intended setting without redundant procedures.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of delivering a fine particle dispersion in the state of laminar flow from an inlet port to an outlet port of a microflow channel having the inlet port and the outlet port, the fine particle dispersion containing fine particles having a volume average particle size of from about 1.5 ?m to about 1000 ?m dispersed in its liquid medium, the specific gravity of the fine particles being from approximately 0.10 to 0.99 times that of the liquid medium, wherein the microflow channel is disposed such that the outlet port is disposed above the inlet port in the buoyant force direction, and the angle of the flow channel from the inlet port to the outlet port is set to from approximately 0 to 45° relative to the buoyant force direction, and wherein the fine particle dispersion is introduced into the inlet port and the introduced fine particle dispersion is delivered to the outlet port. Also disclosed is a device for delivering the fine particle dispersion.