Abstract: Proposed is an optical disk device capable of appropriately performing focus control. In an optical disk device, an objective lens is moved in the thickness direction of an optical disk by controlling an actuator and a time interval in which each of the recording layers was detected is measured while moving the objective lens, a first time interval from the first detection of the recording layer to the second detection of the recording layer is compared with a second time interval from the second detection of the recording layer to the third detection of the recording layer, and a focal position of the objective lens is determined based on the comparative result.

Abstract: Provided is a navigation system capable of outputting situation information of a specified area according to real-time traffic information including a traffic regulation. A navigation apparatus can make a user recognize the moment when a vehicle (Q) enters a specified area (A) where a situation which affects the travel of the vehicle (Q) along a navigation route (r) is generated and the situation (inf(A)) indicating the situation by using an icon (x) indicating an entry position (pin) and having a design decided according to the situation information (inf(A)). The navigation apparatus also can advice the user to instruct the navigation apparatus to perform an appropriate countermeasure in accordance with the situation such as re-search of the navigation route (r) or detour from the navigation route (r) being outputted.

Abstract: A navigation server capable of guiding a mobile subject such as an automobile by a navigation device, while appropriately evaluating the level of safeness of individual link in a disaster occurring area in consideration of the actual disaster condition is provided. According to the navigation server of the present invention, the links included in the disaster occurring area are extracted, and the cost of each of the extracted links is evaluated on the basis of the probe information. There is high probability that the spatial and temporal moving pattern of the automobile (a first mobile subject) represented by the probe information reflects the influence of the disaster. Therefore, the level of the safeness of individual link included in the disaster occurring area may be evaluated as the cost of individual link accurately in consideration of the actual disaster condition and road condition.

Abstract: A navigation server for assisting guidance of moving objects such as automobiles by a navigation device while considering the level of safety of each link in the area where a disaster has occurred and adequately evaluating the safety in consideration of the actual disaster situation. A navigation service extracts links included in a disaster area and evaluates the cost of each of the extracted links according to probe information. The probability of reflection of the adverse influence of the disaster on spatial and temporal movement patterns of an automobile represented by the probe information is high. Therefore, the level of safety of each link in the disaster area can be adequately evaluated so that the adverse influence of the disaster can be avoided.

Abstract: The present invention provides an amorphous alloy ribbon superior in magnetic characteristics and lamination factor by defining the slip property of the amorphous alloy ribbon surface in a specific range, that is, an amorphous alloy ribbon superior in magnetic characteristics and lamination factor produced by the single roll method, characterized in that the slip property of the ribbon surface satisfies the following equation: 0.1?F=P/M?1.0 where, F is the slip friction coefficient, P is the force pulling the intermediate part of the amorphous ribbon when applying weight from above to three amorphous ribbons stacked together, and M is the load applied from the top of the amorphous ribbon (5 kg).

Abstract: The present invention provides a Fe—B—Si system amorphous alloy thin strip excellent in high magnetic flux density, thermal stability, amorphous formability improved workability and low core loss. The present invention further provides a Fe—B—Si system amorphous alloy thin strip which has the reduced cost without using high purity iron resources such as an electrolytic iron as iron resources used in an amorphous alloy thin strip, and also has core loss less than 0.10 W/kg at W13/50 in soft magnetic property in alternating-current field. The Fe—B—Si system amorphous alloy thin strip according to the present invention contains an appropriate amounts of N, C, P to improve thermal stability, amorphous formability, workability (brittleness), and core loss without deteriolating magnetic flux density, and contains, in atomic %, B: 5-25%, Si: 1-30%, N: 0.001-0.2%, C: 0.003-10%, P: 0.001-0.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for producing an amorphous ribbon by ejecting and rapidly solidifying molten alloy on a circumferential surface of a rapidly rotating cooling roll, wherein the cooling roll is polished online during amorphous ribbon production. When the circumferential surface of the cooling roll after peeling off the ribbon is polished using a polishing member, the circumferential surface of the cooling roll is polished continuously or intermittently across its lateral direction while differentiating the polishing mode in accordance with the surface properties.

Abstract: The present invention provides an amorphous ribbon take-up roll switching and method which use a take-up device provided with a plurality of take-up rolls magnetized on their surfaces so as to take up an amorphous alloy ribbon during which it is possible to simply and inexpensively switch take-up rolls stably without ribbon breaking, uneven take-up, or other trouble regardless of the amount of take-up, that is, a method of taking up amorphous ribbon having a magnetic property cast using a cooling roll by using two or more take-up rolls, which amorphous ribbon switching method characterized by, when switching the take-up rolls, bringing the amorphous ribbon into contact with the next take-up roll and cutting the amorphous ribbon being taken up in the state with the next take-up roll brought into proximity with the cooling roll or separating the next take-up roll and the cooling roll and cutting the amorphous ribbon between the take-up roll and the next take-up roll.

Abstract: According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a process for production of an amorphous alloy can be provided at low cost by, e.g., efficiently removing magnetic-property-degrading Al and Ti when using inexpensive Fe—B or scrap as an amorphous alloy raw material. An exemplary embodiment of the process for production of an Fe-based amorphous alloy ribbon can comprise, by mass, e.g., 2 to 4% of B, 1 to 6% of Si, and a balance of Fe and unavoidable materials is provided. For example, it can be determined whether the molten alloy obtained by melting a main raw material has a Ti concentration or Al concentration of 0.005 mass % or greater: When such even occurs, iron oxide source having an iron content of 55 mass % or greater can be added thereto to reduce both Ti and Al to less than 0.005 mass % by oxidative removal. Alternatively, it is possible to determine whether the main raw material has a composition whose Ti concentration or Al concentration is 0.

Abstract: A hair styling appliance is provided in order to prevent hair between a vibrating portion and a backing portion from spreading widely by ultrasonic vibration of the vibrating portion. The vibrating portion comprises a vibrator and an ultrasonic vibration horn. The horn has a contact end brought into contact with the hair and a mounting end on which the vibrator is mounted, and amplifies and transmits the ultrasonic vibration of the vibrator mounted on the mounting end to the contact end. The horn is formed so that amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration in both sides of the center of the contact end is larger than that in the center.

Abstract: The present invention provides a Fe—B—Si system amorphous alloy thin strip excellent in high magnetic flux density, thermal stability, amorphous formability improved workability and low core loss. The present invention further provides a Fe—B—Si system amorphous alloy thin strip which has the reduced cost without using high purity iron resources such as an electrolytic iron as iron resources used in an amorphous alloy thin strip, and also has core loss less than 0.10 W/kg at W13/50 in soft magnetic property in alternating-current field. The Fe—B—Si system amorphous alloy thin strip according to the present invention contains an appropriate amounts of N, C, P to improve thermal stability, amorphous formability, workability (brittleness), and core loss without deteriolating magnetic flux density, and contains, in atomic %, B: 5-25%, Si: 1-30%, N: 0.001-0.2%, C: 0.003-10%, P: 0.001-0.

Abstract: A grain images obtained by CCD line sensors are processed by binarization processing to obtain contour images of grains and images of colored portions in the grains. The images are displayed on a monitor screen of an operating panel 30. The contour images and the images of the colored portions are displayed in a superposed state. Box frames generated by a highlight display circuit in control means 12 are simultaneously displayed by being superposed on the contour images having defective portions, thus producing a highlight display of defective grains. The defective grains include a grain having a light colored portion and a grain having a dark colored portion.

Abstract: A method for pretreating a sintering material using as a material at least two types of iron ore containing coarse grains and fine powder, using a first granulator to make the fine powder stick to coarse grains forming core grains so as to produce S-type granules, and using a second granulator to granulate only fine powder or mainly fine powder to produce P-type granules, which method producing the S-type granules by adjusting an amount of fine powder supplied into said first granulator so that the average stuck thickness of fine powder to the core grains becomes 50 to 300 ?m and supplying the remaining fine powder not supplied to said first granulator to the second granulator.

Abstract: A medication managing apparatus, comprising a medicine package case formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape to store medicine packages in which medicine taken by users is contained. The medicine package case comprises a plurality of blocks partitioned by walls, arranged parallel with each other, and storing medicine packages, openings formed in the opposed walls of the blocks at positions facing each other through the medicine packages stored in the blocks, and an openable cover covering the plurality of blocks and enabling the storage and taking-out of the medicine packages. The blocks are formed in the flat rectangular parallelepiped shape, and arranged in the depth direction of the medicine package case while alternately displacing positions in the depth direction. The openings are formed in the opposed walls of the blocks at positions in the depth direction of the blocks.

Abstract: This invention provides an optical disc device and method for discriminating between DVD and HD-DVD more rapidly. After an optical pickup has been stopped above a data region on the optical disc, a tracking error signal generator acquires amplitude “Vdpp” based on a DPP method and amplitude “Vdpd” based on a DPD method as tracking error signals. A disc discriminator discriminates the kind of optical disc by comparing the acquired “Vdpp” and “Vdpd” data with a threshold level “Vth”. Alternatively, the optical pickup is stopped above the data region and a system lead-in region on the optical disc, and then amplitude values “Vdata” and “Vlead” of tracking error signals are acquired and compared.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus according to the present invention steadily performs a focus jump operation and a track-crossing seek operation relative to an optical disc having a plurality of recording layers. A signal processing section generates a focus error signal based on a conventional astigmatism detection (CAD) system and a focus error signal based on a differential astigmatism detection (DAD) system from a detection signal generated by an optical detector. When a focus jump is to be performed from one recording layer of the optical disc to another recording layer, a focus drive signal that is generated from the focus error signal based on the CAD system is used. When a read/write operation is to be performed in relation to one recording layer, a focus drive signal that is generated from the focus error signal based on the DAD system is used.

Abstract: An e-mail sending and receiving system in which positional data about a plurality of places can be included in an e-mail message to be sent, and further detailed data can be obtained based on the included positional data, thereby improving the convenience and effectiveness of the positional data. The system includes a mail generating section for generating an e-mail message to be sent to an addressee; a positional data storage section for storing a plurality of positional data; and a positional data attaching section for attaching one or more of the positional data stored in the positional data storage section to the e-mail message generated by the mail generating section. The system may further include a section for generating detailed data relating to each positional data attached to the e-mail message, and attaching a URL for accessing the detailed data to the e-mail message.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes parallel first and second intake passages, and the intake passages respectively include first and second superchargers. A first airflow meter measures the intake air amount in the first intake passage. A second airflow meter measures the intake air amount in the second intake passage. An ECU obtains an air amount difference between the intake air amount measured by the first airflow meter and the intake air amount measured by the second airflow meter to compare the obtained air amount difference with a predetermined abnormality determination value. The ECU determines that an abnormality has occurred in one of the superchargers when the air amount difference exceeds the abnormality determination value. The abnormality determination of the superchargers is based on the air amount difference between the intake passages. This accurately determines the occurrence of an abnormality in the superchargers regardless of structure of the intake passages.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical disk apparatus capable of stably performing a layer jump on an optical disk having plural recording layers and non-uniform interlayer distances. In an optical disk with at least three recording layers and non-uniform interlayer distances between respective recording layers, if a layer jump is carried out from a first recording layer to a second recording layer, a distance from the first recording layer to the second recording layer is obtained and driving voltages set according to the distance are applied to an actuator for the layer jump to carry out the layer jump. At this time, interlayer distances for combinations of the respective recording layers and applied driving voltages thereto are stored in a memory in advance and when necessary, corresponding driving voltages are read out from the memory and are set for the layer jump.

Abstract: Collectors are provided on a pair of exhaust passages extending in parallel from an internal combustion engine respectively. Each of the collectors collects black smoke particles (unclean substance) included in exhaust gas. One of a pair of differential pressure detectors detects a first differential pressure between upstream and downstream of one of the collectors while the other differential pressure detector detects a second differential pressure between upstream and downstream of the other collector. Upon finishing a regeneration process of removing the black smoke particles in each of the collectors, a control computer estimates an exhaust gas flow rate of each of the exhaust passages based on the first differential pressure and the second differential pressure.