Abstract: A positioning system wherein radio waves from a GPS satellite (4) are received by a reference station (1), the absolute position of which is already known, and a plurality of mobile stations (3) to perform relative positioning among particular stations, thereby determining the positions of the mobile stations (3). At least one of the mobile stations (3) is disposed such that a baseline limit length allowing relative positioning relative to the reference station (1) is exceeded, and the intervals between particular mobile stations (3) are shorter than the baseline limit length allowing relative positioning. Each of the stations (1, 3) is equipped with a GPS receiver (11, 21) that receives the radio waves from the GPS satellite (4), and further equipped with a wireless communication apparatus (12, 22) that transmits/receives data to/from a particular station.

Abstract: In an image processing apparatus which can always provide an excellent processed image, an analysis unit analyzes condition information representing a condition at a time when an image is obtained and being included in image information, and determines an algorithm of an image correction process for the image based on the analyzed result.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus equipped with an image bearing member, a latent electrostatic image forming unit which forms a latent electrostatic image on the image bearing member, a developing unit which develops the latent electrostatic image by using a toner to form a toner image, a transfer fixing member which is roll shaped or belt shaped and bears the toner image , a heating unit which heats the toner image on the transfer fixing member; and a pressurizing member which is roll shaped and forms a transfer fixing nip with the transfer fixing member. The toner image on the transfer fixing member is transferred and fixed simultaneously to a recording medium which passes through the transfer fixing nip to record an image on the recording medium.

Abstract: A measuring system wherein radio waves from a GPS satellite (4) are received by a reference station (1) and a plurality of mobile stations (3) to perform relative measuring among particular stations, thereby measuring the shift amounts of the mobile stations (3). At least one of the mobile stations (3) is disposed such that a baseline limit length allowing relative measuring relative to the reference station (1) is exceeded, and the intervals between particular mobile stations (3) are shorter than the baseline limit length allowing relative measuring. Each of the stations (1, 3) is equipped with a GPS receiver (11, 21) that receives the radio waves from the GPS satellite (4), and further equipped with a wireless communication apparatus (12, 22) that transmits/receives data to/from a particular station.

Abstract: Coil is made to be disposed with gap opposed to the surface of wafer, and wafer stage is made to move in X and Y direction and R and ? direction. When supplying an alternating current to coil with the frequency swept by impedance analyzer, the magnetic field made to be induced in coil will operate on the conductive film of wafer. By changing a parameter (a frequency or an angle) influencing the skin effect of the conductive film and giving the parameter to coil, the state where a magnetic field is not made to penetrate relatively the film of wafer and the state where the magnetic field is made to penetrate relatively the film can be formed. From the variation of various values corresponding to the eddy current induced based on the change of state influenced by the skin effect of the conductive film, the film thickness of wafer can be measured with sufficient accuracy.

Abstract: Elastic member bundled by pencil band is mounted to the lower edge of support part. Elastic member is composed with tungsten wires which are 25 mm in the length and 0.15 mm in diameter bundled with every 30 wires in one bundle. The tip part of each element wire of elastic member contacts polishing pad with the tip end cut round and performs dressing of polishing pad. The wire size of the tip part of each element wire of elastic member is made to be fine and the cutting width on polishing pad is made to be narrow, and at the same time, the rigidity of elastic member is made to be enhanced by bundling each element wire of elastic member with pencil band, and a large pressure is made to be pressed to the fine tip part of each element wire. Therefore, the tip part of elastic member can give an effective incision depth to polishing pad.

Abstract: A sheet conveying path is constituted by a fixed guide portion and a movable guide portion movable in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of a sheet for regulating the position of one side edge of the sheet by a skew feed correcting portion, and an auxiliary guide for guiding the sheet is provided between the fixed guide portion and the movable guide portion for movement in the width direction. When the skew feed of the conveyed sheet is corrected, the movable guide portion is moved in advance to a position corresponding to the size of the sheet, and in operative association with the movable guide portion, the auxiliary guide is moved to a guide position corresponding to the size of the sheet.

Abstract: The present invention provides a power steering lock apparatus having a high reliability which can be actuated by minimum control part and communication wires. In a power steering lock apparatus including a lock bolt, an actuator, an actuator driving part, position detecting part, and a slave control part, and being structured such that the slave control part executes a control in accordance with a control signal output by a host control part, the host control part outputs an integrity confirmation code signal to the slave control part, the slave control part executes a computing process by using the input integrity confirmation code signal as a parameter, and outputs a result of computation as an integrity confirmation information to the host control part, and the host control part outputs an engine start signal when the host control part determines that the slave control part is normally activated, and the lock bolt indicates an unlock position state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes an image forming mechanism configured to form an image, and a fixing unit configured to fix a toner image formed on a recording medium. The fixing unit includes a fixing device having a first endless moving member configured to rotate, and a second endless moving member configured to rotate to form a nip area together with the first endless moving member to fix, at the nip area, a toner image disposed on the recording medium onto the recording medium with heat and pressure, the second endless moving member including a surface layer having a universal hardness HU and a maximum nip surface pressure P each within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a reference surface extending along a sheet conveyance direction and configured to regulate the position of a side edge of a sheet to be conveyed, a skew conveyance mechanism configured to convey the sheet obliquely so that the side edge of the sheet collides against the reference surface, and a sheet deforming unit configured to deform the side edge of the sheet when the sheet is conveyed toward the reference surface by the skew conveyance mechanism.

Abstract: An air heating mechanism for heating the air which is blown from a loosening/separating nozzle toward the top sheet attracted to an attracting and conveying unit is provided. A control unit controls the air heating mechanism based on moisture content information from a sensor for detecting a moisture content of a sheet supported by the tray.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a latent electrostatic image forming unit, a developing unit, an intermediate transferring unit which has an intermediate transfer belt and a plurality of rollers supporting the intermediate transfer belt, and a transfer fixing unit. The transfer fixing unit has a transfer fixing belt, a plurality of rollers supporting the transfer fixing belt, a heating member, and a pressurizing member forming a transfer fixing nip with the transfer fixing belt. A first roller, which is one of the plurality of rollers supporting the intermediate transferring belt, is opposite to a second roller, which is one of the plurality of rollers supporting the fixing transfer belt. The first roller and the second roller form a transfer nip between the intermediate transferring belt and the fixing transfer belt. The diameter of the first roller is smaller than the diameter of the second roller.

Abstract: A transfer fixation apparatus includes: a fixing member that carries the toner image; a pressurizing member that becomes in contact with the fixing member with pressure to form a nip through which the recording target medium is transported; and a plurality of heating members that are provided at relatively upstream positions when viewed from the relatively downstream nip and apply heat to the surface of the recording target medium that is transported toward the nip, wherein the number of heating members that apply heat to the surface of the recording target medium is changed depending on whether the transfer of the toner image is performed only on the front side of the recording target medium or the transfer of the toner image is performed also on the reverse side of the recording target medium after the transfer of the toner image on the front side of the recording target medium.

Abstract: A first guide member and a second guide member guide a recording medium into a nip between a transfer member and a nip-forming member. The first guide member and the second guide member are arranged so as to form a substantial V-shape with tip of the V-shape being toward the nip. A distance between the first guide member and the second guide member at the tip being equal to or less than 5 millimeters.

Abstract: An image extracting method that can efficiently extract a predetermined number of images from a large amount of image data and improve user operability. Evaluations for a plurality of images are input. A predetermined number of images are extracted from the plurality of images based on the input evaluations. In a preferred form, the evaluations are sequentially input for respective ones of the plurality of images, preferably, in chronological order.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner-layer filling-rate lowering unit that causes a toner layer of toner images to be formed on an image carrier so that the toner layer has sufficient optical transparency for exposing and the toner-layer filling rate is set relatively low; and a toner rolling rate adjusting unit that rolls the toner images at a predetermined toner rolling rate in accordance with the toner-layer filling rate when the toner images are transferred to the transferring/fixing unit.

Abstract: [Problem to be Solved] To provide a method and device for forecasting/detecting a polishing end point and a method and device for monitoring a real-time film thickness to suppress Joule heat loss due to the eddy current to the minimum, to precisely forecast/detect an polishing end point, to precisely calculate the remaining film thickness to be removed, polishing rate and the like on the spot, and to precisely evaluate whether the predetermined conductive film is appropriately removed [Solution] In order to achieve the object, according to the present invention, there is provided a method wherein an inductor 36 in a high frequency inductor type sensor is arranged adjacent to a predetermined conductive film 28, and a magnetic flux change induced in the predetermined conductive film 28 by a magnetic flux formed of the inductor 36 is monitored, and by use of a magnetic flux change when a film thickness becomes corresponding to skin depth in which a film thickness in polishing is determined by the material of the

Abstract: PROBLEM To provide a method for forecasting a polishing end time, wherein without exerting a strong magnetic flux up to an element, a minute wiring, and the like formed on a device wafer downward a conductive film, and as a result, the generation of an eddy current induced by electromagnetic induction is suppressed, a joule heat loss due to the eddy current is suppressed to the minimum, and at the same time, even when a magnetic field is minute to an extent of not penetrating a device wafer, a polishing end time is sufficiently and accurately forecast and detected.

Abstract: A wafer polishing in which a polishing liquid is supplied to a polishing pad for polishing a wafer carried on a carrier head; and the polishing liquid is supplied from one or more polishing liquid supplying devices onto the polishing pad, by a polishing liquid supplying member of the polishing liquid supplying device being positioned close to or in contact with the polishing pad, and is relatively moved against the polishing pad, so that the polishing liquid supplied to the upper portion of the polishing liquid supplying member flows down along the polishing liquid supplying member to be painted on a surface of the polishing pad.

Abstract: An article storage facility comprising a storage rack that includes a plurality of storage units that store articles; a first article transport that includes a first vertically movable body guided by a first vertical guide and a first transit body configured to move along a path defined along the storage rack, the first vertical guide being provided in said first article transport so as to be positioned on one side of a lateral direction of the path; and a second article transport that includes a second vertically movable body guided by a second vertical guide and a second transit body configured to move along the path, the second vertical guide being provided in the second article transport so as to be positioned on the other lateral side of the path. The first transit body and said second transit body are configured so as to be able to pass each other.