Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member and a rotatable developing member to carry developer made up of toner particles and carrier particles adhered to surfaces of the toner particles. Where a pressing force pressing the developing member against the image bearing member is F1, a total number of the carrier particles interposed between the toner particles and the image bearing member is N1, and an adhesion Ft between a carrier particle and a toner particle, measured when the carrier particle is pressed against the toner particle with F1/N1 that is a pressing force per unit carrier particle, and an adhesion Fdr1 between the carrier particle and the image bearing member, measured when the carrier particle is pressed against the image bearing member with F1/N1, satisfy Ft?Fdr1.

Abstract: A submerged entry nozzle includes a bottomed cylinder having a vertical side face with at least two outlet ports and having an inner side and an outer side. The outlet port satisfies the following expressions: Vi/Vo?1.1??Expression (l) Ho/Hi?1.1??Expression (2) where Vi indicates a vertical opening dimension of each of the at least two outlet ports on the inner side, Hi indicates a horizontal opening dimension of each of the at least two outlet ports on the inner side, Vo indicates a vertical opening dimension of each of the at least two outlet ports on the outer side, and Ho indicates a horizontal opening dimension of each of the at least two outlet ports on the outer side.

Abstract: A submerged entry nozzle includes a bottomed cylinder having a vertical side face with at least two outlet ports and having an inner side and an outer side. The outlet port satisfies the following expressions: Vi/Vo?1.1??Expression (l) Ho/Hi?1.1??Expression (2) where Vi indicates a vertical opening dimension of each of the at least two outlet ports on the inner side, Hi indicates a horizontal opening dimension of each of the at least two outlet ports on the inner side, Vo indicates a vertical opening dimension of each of the at least two outlet ports on the outer side, and Ho indicates a horizontal opening dimension of each of the at least two outlet ports on the outer side.

Abstract: A position detection system is provided as including (i) a sound wave apparatus in a predetermined designated area and (ii) a detection terminal. The sound wave apparatus transmits a sound wave on which position information including a position of its own is superimposed as a detection sound wave. The detection terminal receives the detection sound wave, acquires the position information superimposed on the received detection sound wave, and stores the acquired position information as information indicating the position of the designated area.

Abstract: A position detection system is provided as including (i) a sound wave apparatus in a predetermined designated area and (ii) a detection terminal. The sound wave apparatus transmits a sound wave on which position information including a position of its own is superimposed as a detection sound wave. The detection terminal receives the detection sound wave, acquires the position information superimposed on the received detection sound wave, and stores the acquired position information as information indicating the position of the designated area.

Abstract: A wireless positioning system is provided which includes a point information transmitter and a wireless positioning terminal carried by a user to communicate wirelessly with the point information transmitter. The point information transmitter is installed at a predetermined installation position and transmits point information including at least magnetic correction information to correct a geomagnetic bias at the installation position. The wireless positioning terminal includes an orientation detector to detect an orientation based on geomagnetism and a correction section to correct the orientation detected by the orientation detector based on the magnetic correction information included in the point information received from the point information transmitter.

Abstract: A software duplication prevention system includes: a terminal having a receiver and basic software; and a post having a transmitter transmitting data. The data transmitted from the post is transmitted as a second encrypted code encrypted with a second encryption key. The terminal includes: a first decryption part decrypting a first encrypted code encrypted with a first encryption key; a first decryption key; and a second decryption part decrypting the second encrypted code. The terminal executes the basic software to acquire the second decryption key by decrypting the first encrypted code using the first decryption key, and decrypts the second encrypted code using the second decryption key.

Abstract: An azimuth specifying system including a traveling moving object; a terminal device moving inside the moving object independently of the moving object; a first detection unit that detects an azimuth of a traveling direction of the moving object relative to an absolute azimuth; a delivery unit that delivers, to the terminal device, the azimuth of the traveling direction of the moving object; a second detection unit that detects an azimuth of a traveling direction of the terminal device relative to the absolute azimuth; and a specifying unit that specifies an azimuth of a relative traveling direction of the terminal device based on the azimuth of the traveling direction of the moving object and the azimuth of the traveling direction of the terminal device. The relative traveling direction of the terminal device is the traveling direction of the terminal device relative to the traveling direction of the moving object.

Abstract: A wireless positioning system is provided which includes a point information transmitter and a wireless positioning terminal carried by a user to communicate wirelessly with the point information transmitter. The point information transmitter is installed at a predetermined installation position and transmits point information including at least magnetic correction information to correct a geomagnetic bias at the installation position. The wireless positioning terminal includes an orientation detector to detect an orientation based on geomagnetism and a correction section to correct the orientation detected by the orientation detector based on the magnetic correction information included in the point information received from the point information transmitter.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus transmits current position information to a server. The server transmits course data to the navigation apparatus; the course data indicates a course that is predicted based on the current position information. The navigation apparatus corrects a subsequently measured current position on the course specified by the course data. The navigation apparatus transmits corrected position information indicating the corrected position to the server. The server distributes map data to the navigation apparatus; the map data corresponds to a specified area containing the corrected position specified by the corrected position information. Based on the received map data, the navigation apparatus displays a map near the corrected position on a screen of a display portion.

Abstract: An electrode active material is based on an organic compound containing in the structural unit thereof a pyrazine structure bound to cycloalkane. The electrode active material and a secondary battery containing it have large energy density, outputting high power, and having excellent cycle characteristics with little reduction in capacity even after repetition of charging and discharging.

Abstract: A map data production method is disclosed. The method includes: dividing a record target map area into meshes; creating mesh-unit data elements as groups of mesh-unit data elements so that the groups respectively correspond to the meshes, and each group of mesh-unit data elements describes information on map components of a corresponding one of the meshes in such manner that mesh-unit data elements in the each group respectively describes the information on the map components; creating data files, through (i) organizing, according to map component type, the mesh-unit data elements into sets of mesh-unit data elements and (ii) respectively storing the sets of mesh-unit data elements, each set having a same map component type, in the data files; and creating map data from the plurality of data files.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus transmits current position information to a server. The server transmits course data to the navigation apparatus; the course data indicates a course that is predicted based on the current position information. The navigation apparatus corrects a subsequently measured current position on the course specified by the course data. The navigation apparatus transmits corrected position information indicating the corrected position to the server. The server distributes map data to the navigation apparatus; the map data corresponds to a specified area containing the corrected position specified by the corrected position information. Based on the received map data, the navigation apparatus displays a map near the corrected position on a screen of a display portion.

Abstract: Map data includes, for each of multiple links used for representing a road in a map, a link record and a speed limit record for a certain link. The link records and the speed limit records of the multiple links for representing a road are collected to form separate data lists of respective attribute types, that is, a link record data list and a speed limit record data list, instead of collecting records by a unit of each link. The map data structured as separate attribute data lists of respective attribute data types for links in the map data, for example, establishes inter-attribute data association between different attribute data types for the certain link based on the arrangement orders of the respective attribute data types in the data list indicative of the same arrangement order of the multiple links.

Abstract: A map data provides a road network, which is defined by multiple unit links and multiple link connection relationships. Each unit link represents a part of a road. The map data includes: an attribution data relating to each unit link, which defines a link connection relationship of a subject unit link at one end of the subject unit link. Each attribution data includes link connection information defining only one object unit link as a connection object of the subject unit link. The only one object unit link is selected from a group of one or more object unit links, which are coupled with the one end of the subject unit link.

Abstract: Map data define a road in units of links, and a multilink as links connected consecutively with an identical attribute while containing: a road management information list storing fixed-length road management information elements, each indicating the number of links in each multilink; a lower level link information list storing fixed-length link information elements, each indicating the number of coordinate points in each link, in an order in which corresponding road management information elements are arrayed in the road management information list; a higher level link information list storing fixed-length link information elements, each indicating a multilink as a higher level link; and a higher level link ID list storing fixed-length information elements, each indicating a storage array position in the higher level link information list with respect to a multilink, in an order in which corresponding lower link information elements are arrayed in the lower level link information list.

Abstract: In map data, a road corresponds to a multilink defined as links connected consecutively with an identical attribute. The map data contains a road management information list, link information list, and coordinate information list of a real data list. In the road management information list, fixed-length road management information elements, each of which indicates the number of links in each multilink, are arrayed in an order. In the link information list, fixed-length link information elements, each of which indicates the number of coordinate points in each link, are arrayed in an order in which corresponding road management information elements are arrayed in the road management information list. In the coordinate information list, fixed-length coordinates information elements, each of which indicates coordinate points arranged in one link to illustrate a shape of the link, are arrayed in an order in which the coordinate points are arranged in the link.

Abstract: An electric device for executing a process based on a map data includes: a map data memory; a work memory; and a CPU for developing a map data from the map data memory into the work memory. The CPU executes the process based on the developed map data. The map data provides a road network defined by unit links and link connection relationships, and includes an attribution data in each link. The CPU generates a node table according to the attribution data. The node table stores a link connection information in each node as the connection point coupled with links. The link connection information provides identification of the links coupled with each other at a corresponding node. The CPU writes the node table as the developed map data into the work memory.

Abstract: Map data define a road in units of links, and a multilink as links connected consecutively with an identical attribute while containing: a road management information list storing fixed-length road management information elements, each indicating the number of links in each multilink; a lower level link information list storing fixed-length link information elements, each indicating the number of coordinate points in each link, in an order in which corresponding road management information elements are arrayed in the road management information list; a higher level link information list storing fixed-length link information elements, each indicating a multilink as a higher level link; and a higher level link ID list storing fixed-length information elements, each indicating a storage array position in the higher level link information list with respect to a multilink, in an order in which corresponding lower link information elements are arrayed in the lower level link information list.

Abstract: A lead route guidance system capable of displaying route guidance not causing the user to be confused by the difference between the line of vision and the route guidance image, a portable route lead guidance device, and program are provided. The lead route guidance system comprises route storage means storing a route from a start point to a destination, route guidance image creating means for creating a route guidance image (24) containing a route image (22) for specifying the route and a lead image (23) for leading the route by displaying a lead position on the route ahead of the current position of the user, a display screen (11) for displaying thereon the route guidance image (24), walk detecting means for detecting walk of the user, and lead position updating means for updating the lead position depending on the walk of the user when the walk of the user is detected.