Abstract: In a prediction system, terminal devices having monitors connected thereto and a server can communicate with each other through a network. Each terminal device acquires a luminance measured by a corresponding monitor and transmits it to the server. The server predicts the life of the monitors on the basis of information from the respective terminal devices and notifies the predicted life. The server previously stores information about the installation locations of the monitors. The server notifies the predicted life in such a manner that the installation location of each monitor and the predicted life are associated with each other. Each terminal device acquires, from a corresponding monitor, a measured luminance, a brightness setting at the time when the luminance has been measured, and information about the time when the luminance has been measured and transmits them to the server.

Abstract: A battery includes a safety valve configured to cause a deformation due to an increase in internal pressure of the battery; a restraining part including a plurality of first protrusions provided along a first circumference to serve as a restrainer against a lead part when the safety valve and the lead part are shut off due to deformation of the safety valve; and an insulating holder including a plurality of second protrusions provided along a second circumference to insulate the safety valve and the restraining part, where a number of the first protrusions and the second protrusions arranged on a diagonal line including the first circumference and the second circumference is 3 or less.

Abstract: A vibration type actuator including a vibrator having an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and an elastic member fixed to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element; a base unit configured to fix the vibrator; a moving body configured to come into press contact with the vibrator and capable of being moved by the vibration; a press member configured to bring the vibrator and the moving body into press contact with each other and transmit a drive force of the moving body to an output unit; and a bearing unit configured to rotatably support the output unit with respect to the base unit, wherein the bearing unit is arranged on an outer peripheral side of the vibrator and the moving body in a direction orthogonal to a direction of rotation axis of the output unit.

Abstract: The driving apparatus comprises a vibrating body which includes an electro-mechanical energy conversion device, and drives a vibration-wave motor which moves the vibrating body and a driven body relatively to each other. The electro-mechanical energy conversion device has sensor electrodes that output detecting signals corresponding to vibrations of the vibrating body. Based on the detecting signals, the driving apparatus determines a direction in which the vibrating body and the driven body are to be moved relatively to each other.

Abstract: A battery includes: an electrode body; and a battery can configured to accommodate the electrode body and include a bottom part. At least one surface of the bottom part has two or more grooves on a same circumference, a proportion of an inner diameter of the groove to an outer diameter of the bottom part is 44% or more, and a proportion of a total value of intervals of the grooves to a perimeter of the circumference is 2% or more and 24% or less.

Abstract: A vibrator of a vibration-type driving device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a first vibrating member that includes first protrusions protruding in a first direction, a second vibrating member that includes second protrusions protruding in a direction that is opposite to the first direction, and an electric-mechanical energy conversion element that is fixed to the first vibrating member. The first protrusions and the second protrusions each have a hollow structure, and the first vibrating member and the second vibrating member are disposed in such a manner that a surface of the first vibrating member on which the first protrusions are not formed and a surface of the second vibrating member on which the second protrusions are not formed face each other.

Abstract: Voltage applied to switching elements of a power conversion device is suppressed to be within a predetermined range. A power conversion device (1) includes a leg (31) in which switching elements (41, 42) are connected in series, a leg (32) in which switching elements (43, 44) are connected in series, a reactor (61) connected between the midpoint of the switching elements (41, 42) and the switching-element (43) end not connected to the switching element (44), a reactor (62) connected between the midpoint of the switching elements (43, 44) and the switching-element (42) end not connected to the switching element (41), and a DC power source (10) connected between the switching-element (41) end not connected to the reactor (61) and the terminal of the switching element (44) not connected to the reactor (62). Loads can be connected in parallel to the legs (31, 32).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a vibration-type driving apparatus including a vibrator including an electro-mechanical transducer; a driven body disposed in pressure-contact with the vibrator; a supporting portion extending from the vibrator; a base to which the vibrator is fixed with the supporting portion interposed therebetween; a vibration absorber disposed between the supporting portion and the base; and a compressive-force adjusting device capable of adjusting a compressive force to be applied to the vibration absorber between the supporting portion and the base.

Abstract: A gear pair includes a first gear and a second gear that are engaged and paired with each other, wherein the arithmetic average roughness Ra of the tooth surface of the first gear is less than 0.10, and the arithmetic average roughness Ra of the tooth surface of the second gear is equal to or greater than 0.15. An improvement of the transmission efficiency is achieved due to the improved composite roughness of the gear pair. Accordingly, both of the improvement of the transmission efficiency of the gears and an improvement of the pitting fatigue life are achieved at low cost.

Abstract: A method of driving a vibration actuator. The vibration actuator includes a vibration element including a piezoelectric element as an electromechanical energy conversion element and an elastic body which is joined to the piezoelectric element, and a driven element which is brought into pressure contact with the elastic body. Driving vibration is excited in the vibration element by applying a drive signal to the piezoelectric element, whereby the vibration element and the driven element are moved relative to each other. The driving vibration is vibration in which at least n-th-order vibration and 2n-th-order vibration are combined, n being a natural number.

Abstract: A vibration-type actuator that is capable of reducing an unnecessary vibration during driving. A vibration body is configured by connecting an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and an elastic body. A driven body is in pressure contact with the vibration body. A controller moves the vibration body and the driven body relatively by a vibration that is excited in the vibration body by applying driving voltage to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element so that a difference between a resonance frequency in a natural vibration mode of the vibration body that is higher than an upper limit frequency of a predetermined driving frequency range and that is nearest to the upper limit frequency and a frequency of the driving voltage is larger than a difference between a resonance frequency in a natural vibration mode used for moving the vibration body and the driven body relatively and the frequency of the driving voltage.

Abstract: In a prediction system, terminal devices having monitors connected thereto and a server can communicate with each other through a network. Each terminal device acquires a luminance measured by a corresponding monitor and transmits it to the server. The server predicts the life of the monitors on the basis of information from the respective terminal devices and notifies the predicted life. The server previously stores information about the installation locations of the monitors. The server notifies the predicted life in such a manner that the installation location of each monitor and the predicted life are associated with each other. Each terminal device acquires, from a corresponding monitor, a measured luminance, a brightness setting at the time when the luminance has been measured, and information about the time when the luminance has been measured and transmits them to the server.

Abstract: Voltage applied to switching elements of a power conversion device is suppressed to be within a predetermined range. A power conversion device (1) includes a leg (31) in which switching elements (41, 42) are connected in series, a leg (32) in which switching elements (43, 44) are connected in series, a reactor (61) connected between the midpoint of the switching elements (41, 42) and the switching-element (43) end not connected to the switching element (44), a reactor (62) connected between the midpoint of the switching elements (43, 44) and the switching-element (42) end not connected to the switching element (41), and a DC power source (10) connected between the switching-element (41) end not connected to the reactor (61) and the terminal of the switching element (44) not connected to the reactor (62). Loads can be connected in parallel to the legs (31, 32).

Abstract: A gateway electronic control unit (ECU) includes an update condition table that indicates a vehicle load state that updates an ECU program corresponding to each of several ECUs. The gateway ECU wirelessly communicates with an external center apparatus to receive an update file. The gateway ECU uses the update condition table to determine whether the current vehicle load state equals a lightly loaded state capable of updating an ECU program or a heavily loaded state incapable of updating an ECU program. If the current vehicle load state is determined to equal the lightly loaded state, the gateway ECU updates an ECU program using the update file received from the center apparatus. If the current vehicle load state is determined to equal the heavily loaded state, the gateway ECU performs environment improvement control based on the update condition table to change the current vehicle load state to the lightly loaded state.

Abstract: A gateway ECU includes an update condition table that indicates a vehicle load state capable of updating an ECU program corresponding to each of several ECUs. The gateway ECU wirelessly communicates with an external center apparatus to receive an update file. The gateway ECU uses the update condition table to determine whether the current vehicle load state equals a lightly loaded state capable of updating an ECU program or a heavily loaded state incapable of updating an ECU program. If the current vehicle load state is determined to equal the lightly loaded state, the gateway ECU updates an ECU program using the update file received from the center apparatus. If the current vehicle load state is determined to equal the heavily loaded state, the gateway ECU performs environment improvement control based on the update condition table to change the current vehicle load state to the lightly loaded state.

Abstract: A rotary type vibration wave driving apparatus which is capable of reducing local wear of a contacting member and of reducing performance deterioration due to long term operation is provided. The apparatus includes a electro-mechanical energy conversion element, an vibration member fixed to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element and vibrated by a voltage being supplied to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element, and a moving member being brought into contact with the vibration member and frictionally driven by the vibration, and is configured such that the moving member includes a supporting portion extended from the main body portion of the moving member, and a contacting portion extended from the supporting portion and being brought into contact with the vibration member, and such that each of the supporting portion and the contacting portion is configured to be elastically deformable in the rotation axis direction of the moving member.

Abstract: A vibration type actuator including a vibrator having an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and an elastic member fixed to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element; a base unit configured to fix the vibrator; a moving body configured to come into press contact with the vibrator and capable of being moved by the vibration; a press member configured to bring the vibrator and the moving body into press contact with each other and transmit a drive force of the moving body to an output unit; and a bearing unit configured to rotatably support the output unit with respect to the base unit, wherein the bearing unit is arranged on an outer peripheral side of the vibrator and the moving body in a direction orthogonal to a direction of rotation axis of the output unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a vibration-type driving apparatus including a vibrator including an electro-mechanical transducer; a driven body disposed in pressure-contact with the vibrator; a supporting portion extending from the vibrator; a base to which the vibrator is fixed with the supporting portion interposed therebetween; a vibration absorber disposed between the supporting portion and the base; and a compressive-force adjusting device capable of adjusting a compressive force to be applied to the vibration absorber between the supporting portion and the base.

Abstract: A transmission shift fork engages with a coupling sleeve of a synchronizer and shifting the coupling sleeve. The transmission shift fork includes a first part, second part, and at least one fin. The first part is arranged to movably mount the transmission shift fork in a shift fork movement direction. The second part includes a coupling sleeve facing surface, an outwardly facing surface, and a pair of shift-direction facing surfaces. The coupling sleeve facing surface includes at least one coupling sleeve engagement part arranged to engage with an engaging groove formed on an external circumferential surface of the coupling sleeve. The outwardly facing surface includes an oil catch disposed in a position with respect to the coupling sleeve engagement part such that the oil catch captures lubricating oil and supplies to the coupling sleeve engagement part. The fin projects from inside an oil receiving recess defined by the oil catch.

Abstract: A vibration wave driven apparatus includes a vibrator configured to generate vibration, a rotor configured to be in frictional contact with the vibrator and to rotate about an axis of rotation, and a transmitting member configured to rotate about the axis and to transmit rotation of the rotor to an external component. A part of the transmitting member forms a worm portion of a worm gear.