Abstract: A semiconductor distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) including a first multilayer structure including a plurality of first semiconductor layers and one or more second semiconductor layers each interposed between a corresponding pair of the plurality of first semiconductor layers; a second multilayer structure including a plurality of third semiconductor layers and one or more second semiconductor layers each interposed between a corresponding pair of the plurality of third semiconductor layers; and a protection layer interposed between the first multilayer structure and the second multilayer structure. The second semiconductor layer has a lower decomposition temperature than the first semiconductor layer. The third semiconductor layer has a lower decomposition temperature than the second semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A driving support apparatus includes an image acquisition that acquires a captured image, a calculator that calculates distance and relative speed between a subject vehicle and a following vehicle, and distances and relative speeds between following vehicles; an evaluator that evaluates a degree of risk caused when the subject vehicle changes a lane to the adjacent lane with respect to the following vehicles on a basis of the distances and the relative speeds; and a display controller that creates support information on the degree of risk associated with a lane change in association with road sections based on positions at which the following vehicles are present, and displays a support image in which a created support information is superimposed on the captured image at a corresponding position on the display portion.

Abstract: A display system equipped to a vehicle includes a display screen, a notification section, a determination section, and a display control section. The display screen displays information for a vehicle occupant. The notification section preliminarily notifies the vehicle occupant of an information update to be performed on the display screen. The determination section determines whether the vehicle occupant pays attention to the display screen after the notification section notifies of the information update. The display control section performs the information update in order to display new information on the display screen when the determination section determines that the vehicle occupant pays attention to the display screen.

Abstract: Provided are a heat exchanger that does not impede downsizing and removes water in the heat absorbing pipe adequately with a simple configuration even when the reduction in diameter of the heat absorbing pipe is made. A heat exchanger 5 in which heat absorbing pipes 51 are disposed in a multi-tier arrangement within a casing 50 which is the passage of combustion exhaust gas, both pipe ends 511,512 of each of the heat absorbing pipes 51 are connected respectively to two headers 54, 55 provided on a side plate 52 of the casing 50, and water introduced from an external pipe 63 to each of the heat absorbing pipes 51 through the header 54 is heat-exchanged and heated by combustion exhaust gas. The pipe ends 511, 512 of the heat absorbing pipes 51 are arranged at a predetermined vertical interval.

Abstract: In a reflector including an AlGaN layer, an InGaN layer, and a GaN layer placed therebetween, high reflectivity and a wide reflection band are achieved. A reflector includes a substrate containing GaN; first layers containing AlxGa1-xN; second layers containing InyGa1-yN; and a third layer containing GaN, the first, second, and third layers being stacked on the substrate. The first and second layers are alternately stacked, the third layer is placed between one of the first layers and one of the second layers, x and y satisfy a specific formula, the first layers have a thickness less than the thickness of the second layers, and the second layers have an optical thickness of ?/8 to 3?/8, where ? is the central wavelength of the reflection. band of the reflector.

Abstract: A driving support apparatus includes an image acquisition that acquires a captured image, a calculator that calculates distance and relative speed between a subject vehicle and a following vehicle, and distances and relative speeds between following vehicles; an evaluator that evaluates a degree of risk caused when the subject vehicle changes a lane to the adjacent lane with respect to the following vehicles on a basis of the distances and the relative speeds; and a display controller that creates support information on the degree of risk associated with a lane change in association with road sections based on positions at which the following vehicles are present, and displays a support image in which a created support information is superimposed on the captured image at a corresponding position on the display portion.

Abstract: In a reflector including an AlGaN layer, an InGaN layer, and a GaN layer placed therebetween, high reflectivity and a wide reflection band are achieved. A reflector includes a substrate containing GaN; first layers containing AlxGa1-xN; second layers containing InyGa1-yN; and a third layer containing GaN, the first, second, and third layers being stacked on the substrate. The first and second layers are alternately stacked, the third layer is placed between. one of the first layers and one of the second layers, x and y satisfy a specific formula, the first layers have a thickness less than the thickness of the second layers, and the second layers have an optical thickness of ?/8 to 3?/8, where ? is the central wavelength of the reflection. band of the reflector.

Abstract: The method of producing a GaN-based microstructure includes a step of preparing a semiconductor structure provided with a trench formed in a main surface of the nitride semiconductor and a heat-treating mask covering a main surface of the nitride semiconductor excluding the trench, a first heat-treatment step of heat-treating the semiconductor structure under an atmosphere containing nitrogen element to form a crystallographic face of the nitride semiconductor on at least a part of a sidewall of the trench, a step of removing the heat-treating mask after the first heat-treatment step and a second heat-treatment step of heat-treating the semiconductor structure under an atmosphere containing nitrogen element to close an upper portion of the trench on the sidewall of which the crystallographic face is formed with a nitride semiconductor.

Abstract: A surface emitting laser in which a plurality of nitride semiconductor layers including a lower reflector, a plurality of active layers causing a gain by current injection, and an upper reflector are provided on a substrate, includes an n-type spacer layer formed between the lower reflector and an active layer closest to the lower reflector in the plurality of active layers, a p-type spacer layer formed between the upper reflector and an active layer closest to the upper reflector in the plurality of active layers, and an intermediate layer arranged between the plurality of active layers. The intermediate layer is configured from an Mg-doped layer including at least Mg, and a nitride semiconductor layer including In, and the Mg-doped layer and the nitride semiconductor layer including In are provided in that order from a side of the substrate.

Abstract: An input apparatus includes a display unit, an input unit, and a control unit. The display unit displays function items on a display window. The input unit selects and determines one function item with a pointer. The control unit controls a movement of the pointer by setting coordinates of the pointer based on position information transmitted from the input unit. Each function item includes a button region and a selection region. When the pointer moves to one of the button region and the selection region, the function item is selected. When the pointer is set to an equivalent stop state in the selection region, coordinates of the pointer are set as coordinates of a stop state position. When the pointer is set to the equivalent stop state in the button region, the coordinates of the pointer are set as coordinates of a predetermined position of the button region.

Abstract: A method for producing a light-emitting device includes the steps of: forming a layer containing In on a substrate in a reactor in which a Mg-containing raw material has been used; and forming an active layer including a nitride semiconductor on the layer containing In.

Abstract: A vehicle display apparatus includes a display panel to be placed at a position where a driver visually recognizes the display panel and to display information related to vehicle traveling status. The display panel includes a first display area for displaying a first information and a second display area for displaying second information. The vehicle display apparatus further includes a first display control portion for obtaining the first information, and a second display control portion for obtaining the second information and displaying the second information. A vehicle display apparatus includes the display panel which has a third display area for displaying third information and a fourth display area for displaying fourth information. The vehicle display apparatus further includes a third display control portion and a fourth display control portion.

Abstract: A display control apparatus controls a plurality of buttons displayed on a screen of a display unit. The apparatus, via a detection unit and position calculation unit, calculates a pointer position on the screen that corresponds to a contact position on an input screen that is touched by a fingertip of user. A button selection unit selects one button, as a desired button, from among the plurality of buttons on the screen based on the pointer position. A selected button display control unit displays the desired button on the screen in a display mode different from the buttons not selected. A position correction unit corrects a current pointer position to be at a reference line when the reference line extends in a specific direction from a previous pointer position and the current pointer position is within a specific range that is set to include the reference line.

Abstract: An input apparatus for, in response to a user's sliding operation on an operation surface, inputting a coordinate point in the operation surface to move a pointing image to a target button image is disclosed. The apparatus acquires the coordinate point in the operation surface and sets, as a characteristic line, a tendency of trace of the coordinate point in the user's sliding operation directed to a lateral direction or a longitudinal direction of the operation surface. The apparatus corrects the coordinate point with reference to the set characteristic line so that the trace of the coordinate point is corrected to be a horizontal line or a vertical line. The apparatus outputs the corrected coordinate point for moving the pointing image.

Abstract: A control unit indicates a cursor on a screen of an indication unit according to operation data sent from an operation unit based on user's operation of an operation knob. The control unit implements enlarging indication of a screen region corresponding to a selection item image indicated on the screen of the indication unit. When the control unit implements contracting indication to return an enlarged screen region subsequent to the enlarging indication, the control unit indicates contraction of the screen region in a visually recognizable form and indicates the cursor to follow the screen region. The operation unit further causes a driving force generation unit to generate a driving force to move the operation knob correspondingly to the position of the cursor, according to information on the position of the cursor sent from the control unit.

Abstract: A portable terminal receives a user operation on a terminal screen of the portable terminal in a portable terminal normal mode. After receiving the user operation, the portable terminal shifts from a portable terminal normal mode to a portable terminal in-operation state, in which the portable terminal sends out a portable terminal in-operation notice to an in-vehicle apparatus. The in-vehicle apparatus shifts to a portable terminal in-operation mode upon receiving the notice from the portable terminal, and invalidates a reaction force by a reaction force generation unit to transit to a portable terminal normal state.

Abstract: A semiconductor distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) including a first multilayer structure including a plurality of first semiconductor layers and one or more second semiconductor layers each interposed between a corresponding pair of the plurality of first semiconductor layers; a second multilayer structure including a plurality of third semiconductor layers and one or more second semiconductor layers each interposed between a corresponding pair of the plurality of third semiconductor layers; and a protection layer interposed between the first multilayer structure and the second multilayer structure. The second semiconductor layer has a lower decomposition temperature than the first semiconductor layer. The third semiconductor layer has a lower decomposition temperature than the second semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A process for forming a microstructure of a nitride semiconductor including (1) preparing a semiconductor structure which has a second semiconductor layer formed of a group III nitride semiconductor containing at least Al formed on a principal plane of a first semiconductor layer formed of a group III nitride semiconductor containing no Al, and which has a hole that penetrates through the second semiconductor layer and is formed in the first semiconductor layer; (2) subjecting the semiconductor structure to heat treatment under a gas atmosphere including a nitrogen element after step (1) to form a crystal plane of the group III nitride semiconductor containing no Al, on at least a part of a side wall of the hole; and (3) forming a third semiconductor layer formed of a group III nitride semiconductor on the second semiconductor layer after step (2) to cover the upper part of the hole.

Abstract: The method of producing a GaN-based microstructure includes a step of preparing a semiconductor structure provided with a trench formed in a main surface of the nitride semiconductor and a heat-treating mask covering a main surface of the nitride semiconductor excluding the trench, a first heat-treatment step of heat-treating the semiconductor structure under an atmosphere containing nitrogen element to form a crystallographic face of the nitride semiconductor on at least a part of a sidewall of the trench, a step of removing the heat-treating mask after the first heat-treatment step and a second heat-treatment step of heat-treating the semiconductor structure under an atmosphere containing nitrogen element to close an upper portion of the trench on the sidewall of which the crystallographic face is formed with a nitride semiconductor.

Abstract: A photonic crystal surface emitting laser array reduces the occurrence of reflected feedback light while also reducing input of leaking light. The photonic crystal surface emitting laser array includes a plurality of first photonic crystal regions that cause laser oscillation, a second photonic crystal region that causes light diffraction to occur in an out-of-plane direction, and a light absorber that is provided above the second photonic crystal region and that absorbs light having a wavelength ?. A radiation coefficient of each first photonic crystal region is smaller than a radiation coefficient of the second photonic crystal region.