Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image heating apparatus having a flexible sleeve of an excellent durability. To this end, an image heating apparatus according to the present invention includes: a flexible sleeve; a driving roller contacting an external periphery surface of the sleeve and serving to rotate the sleeve; a sliding member contacting an internal periphery surface of the sleeve to form a nip portion in cooperation with the driving roller; and a restricting member for restricting a movement of the sleeve in a generatrix direction of the sleeve, wherein, within an edge face of the sleeve in a mounted state on the apparatus, equally bisected by an imaginary plane substantially parallel to a nip plane of the nip portion into a first area closer to the nip portion and a second area farther from the nip portion, the restricting member executes a restricting action only on the second area.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises an image forming part and a density calibration control part. The image forming part forms an image in any one of a plurality of image forming modes with respectively different processing speeds. The density calibration control part performs image density control for the image forming part in a state where any one of the plurality of image forming modes is applied. Herein, the density calibration control part makes a performing time interval for the image density control in a first image forming mode and a performing time interval for the image density control in a second image forming mode different from each other.

Abstract: A driving control device for an electric vehicle includes an electric machine which is driven by a current supplied from a battery, a transmission which is coupled with the electric machine and performs shifting at a predetermined gear ratio, a charging state detecting portion which detects an electric variable that shows a charging state of the battery, a fail determination processing device which determines whether the electric variable exceeds a threshold value and makes a fail determination when the electric variable exceeds the threshold value, and a charging control processing device which decreases a rotational speed of the electric machine and reduces the electric variable when the fail determination is made. The fail determination is made to decrease the rotational speed of the electric machine when field weakening control becomes unperformable and the electric variable exceeds the threshold value, which makes it possible to prevent an overcurrent from being supplied to the battery.

Abstract: An alignment apparatus for aligning a reflective reticle includes a light source for emitting alignment light, an optical alignment mark provided on the reticle, and a reference mark provided on a reticle stage that holds the reticle. A detecting unit detects the alignment light reflected from the alignment mark and the reference mark, and the reticle is aligned on the basis of the result of detection by the detection unit.

Abstract: A method of determining relative position between a reflective reticle and a substrate includes a detection step of detecting relative position between a transmissive reference mark on a reticle stage and a substrate alignment mark on a substrate stage through a reflective optical system which projects a pattern of the reflective reticle onto the substrate with extreme ultraviolet light, and a determination step of determining relative position between the reflective reticle and the substrate based on the detection result in the detection step.

Abstract: An alignment apparatus for aligning a reflective reticle includes a light source for emitting alignment light, an optical alignment mark provided on the reticle, and a reference mark provided on a reticle stage that holds the reticle. A detecting unit detects the alignment light reflected from the alignment mark and the reference mark, and the reticle is aligned on the basis of the result of detection by the detection unit.

Abstract: A management system including an acquisition device for acquiring actual processing results obtained by operating an industrial device with a set parameter value and another parameter value, and an estimated processing result, an inspection device for inspecting the processing result obtained with the set parameter value, and acquiring and accumulating an inspection result value, a change device for changing the set parameter value on the basis of the processing results acquired by the acquisition device and the inspection result value obtained by the inspection device, an evaluation device for evaluating a variation state of the processing results on the basis of an inspection result value accumulated by the inspection device, and a decision device for deciding, on the basis of an evaluation result by the evaluation device, a frequency at which the acquisition device is executed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of movable image carriers, a movable intermediate transfer body, and a contacting member separably contacting to the intermediate transfer body at a contacting position. A position for transfer between a first image carrier and the intermediate transfer body defines a first transfer position. A position for transfer between a second image carrier and the intermediate transfer body defines a second transfer position. A toner image formed on said intermediate transfer body is again transferred onto a transfer material after passing through said first transfer position and said second transfer position. The latent image formation on the first image carrier is done at a time different from a contacting operation of the contacting member.

Abstract: A system for controlling an apparatus. The system includes an operating device for operating the apparatus based on a first parameter value and a second parameter value, an inspecting device for inspecting operation results of the apparatus corresponding to the first parameter value, an estimating device for estimating operation results of the apparatus corresponding to the first parameter value on the basis of the operation results corresponding to the first parameter value, and a revising device for revising parameter values to operate the apparatus on the basis of the operation results obtained by the inspecting device and the estimated operation results obtained by the estimating device.

Abstract: A management system including an acquisition device for acquiring actual processing results obtained by operating an industrial device with a set parameter value and another parameter value, and an estimated processing result, an inspection device for inspecting the processing result obtained with the set parameter value, and acquiring and accumulating an inspection result value, a change device for changing the set parameter value on the basis of the processing results acquired by the acquisition device and the inspection result value obtained by the inspection device, an evaluation device for evaluating a variation state of the processing results on the basis of an inspection result value accumulated by the inspection device, and a decision device for deciding, on the basis of an evaluation result by the evaluation device, a frequency at which the acquisition device is executed.

Abstract: A reticle stage reference mark 3 of material having high reflectivity to alignment illumination light is provided on a reticle 5, and a chuck mark 8 of material having high reflectivity to the alignment illumination light is provided on a wafer chuck 11. A relative position of the reticle stage reference mark 3 to the chuck mark 8 is detected by using a first position detection optical system 1 and a first illumination optical system 2, and relative alignment is performed between the reticle 5 and a wafer 10.

Abstract: A position detecting method includes the steps of forming an image of a mark on a sensor, performing a first process that processes a raw signal obtained from the sensor with plural parameters, performing a second process that determines an edge of a signal processed by the first process for each parameter, determining a parameter from a result of the second process obtained for each parameter, and calculating a position of the mark based on a determined parameter.

Abstract: It is to provide an improved method for preparation of microsphere from an emulsion wherein an organic phase containing an organic solvent having a boiling point lower than that of water and a hardly-water-soluble polymer is emulsified in an aqueous phase by an in-water drying method, which comprises: (1) using an apparatus equipped with a gas separation membrane; (2) supplying the emulsion to be subjected to in-water drying to one side of said gas separation membrane; (3) evaporating off the organic solvent contained in said emulsion to the other side of said gas separation membrane, which can remove the organic solvent with high efficiency and can be carried out in a closed system and hence is favorable from the environmental viewpoint.

Abstract: A position detecting method includes the steps of forming an image of a mark on a sensor, performing a first process that processes a raw signal obtained from the sensor with plural parameters, performing a second process that determines an edge of a signal processed by the first process for each parameter, determining a parameter from a result of the second process obtained for each parameter, and calculating a position of the mark based on a determined parameter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying a toner image; an image forming unit for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; a transfer material carrying member, for carrying a transfer material, wherein the toner image is transferred onto a transfer material carried on the transfer material carrying member or onto the transfer material carrying member; a density detecting unit for detecting a density of the toner image transferred to the transfer material carrying member; wherein a transfer intensity is smaller when the toner image for density detection is transferred onto the transfer material carrying member than when the toner image is transferred onto the transfer material carried on the transfer material carrying member.

Abstract: A color printer has multiple developing-agent-containing cartridges each having storage units, and a cartridge holding unit for rotatably holding the developing-agent-containing cartridges. With one of the multiple developing-agent-containing cartridges positioned at an image formation position, a latent image on an image carrying member is developed by the developing agent contained in the developing-agent-containing cartridge. An access position where the storage units of the developing-agent-containing cartridges are accessed is a position other than the image formation position. This provides an image formation device and a control method thereof whereby storage units provided to developing-agent-containing cartridges can be accessed in a precise manner.

Abstract: An improved method for the preparation of a microsphere from an emulsion wherein an organic phase containing an organic solvent having a boiling point lower than that of water and a hardly-water-soluble polymer is emulsified in an aqueous phase by an in-water drying method, which method includes: (1) providing a gas separation membrane; (2) supplying the emulsion to be subjected to in-water drying to one side of the gas separation membrane; and (3) evaporating off the organic solvent contained in the emulsion to the other side of the gas separation membrane, which can remove the organic solvent with high efficiency and can be carried out in a closed system and hence is favorable from an environmental viewpoint.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus performs AGA measurement by using a predetermined sample shot group formed on a wafer, and decides an alignment parameter. The exposure apparatus executes wafer alignment processing and exposure processing by using the alignment parameter. The exposure apparatus notifies a central processing unit of AGA measurement results and the alignment parameter. An overlay inspection apparatus measures an actual exposure position on the exposed wafer, and notifies the central processing unit of the measurement result. The central processing unit optimizes alignment processing on the basis of the AGA measurement results, alignment parameter, and actually measured exposure position.

Abstract: A system which manages a plurality of semiconductor exposure apparatuses holds TIS information representing the characteristics of the respective semiconductor exposure apparatuses. In a semiconductor exposure apparatus, a parameter value is optimized on the basis of AGA measurement results obtained using a set parameter value and another parameter value and AGA measurement estimation results obtained by virtually changing the parameter value. Whether to reflect the optimized parameter value in another exposure device is decided on the basis of the TIS information. If it is decided to reflect the optimized parameter value, the parameter value of another semiconductor exposure apparatus is optimized by the optimized parameter value. In this manner, the optimization result of a parameter value by a given exposure device can be properly reflected in another exposure device, realizing efficient parameter value setting.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member and an intermediate transfer body in an endless shape movable and receivable of toner images from said image carrying member at first and second transfer positions. The following relationship is satisfied where a distance from the first transfer position to the second transfer position along the moving direction of the intermediate transfer body is denoted as Lab, a circumference of the intermediate transfer in the moving direction is denoted as Lr, and a length of the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer body is denoted as Lm?Lr?Lm>Lab.