Abstract: A computer system which has a plurality of computers and a storage device subsystem connected to the plurality of computers. The storage device subsystem has a plurality of storage devices and a plurality of interfaces, through which the subsystem is connected to the computers. One of the plurality of computers has a management means for holding therein data indicative of the storage devices and a connection relationship between the computers and storage device subsystem. Each computer, when wanting a new device, informs the management means of its capacity and type. The management means receives its notification and selects one of the storage devices which satisfies the request. And the management means instructs the storage device subsystem to set predetermined data in such a manner that the computer can access the selected device.

Abstract: A medium thickness detecting apparatus detects the thickness of a recording medium. A displacement section is disposed in a transport path through which a recording medium passes. When the recording medium passes the displacement section, the displacement section displaces in a direction substantially normal to the surface of a recording medium. An amplifying section amplifies a displacement of the displacement section by a predetermined factor. A thickness determining section outputs a signal representative of an amplified value of the displacement. The displacement section may be one of two rollers between which the recording medium passes, and displaces upward when the recording medium passes between the two rollers. Alternatively, the displacement section my be positioned to sit on a stage provided in the transport path such that the displacement section is pushed away from the stage when the recording medium passes between the displacement section and the surface.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member, a guiding member, and spacers. The fixing member is heated while rotating. The fixing member is in pressure contact with a recording medium that is advancing so that the developer deposited on the recording medium is fused. The guiding member extends across a path of the recording medium so that a predetermined amount of gap is defined between the guiding member and the fixing member. The guiding member guides the recording medium to separate from the fixing member. The spacers are disposed at longitudinal end portions of the guiding member outside of the path between the fixing member and the guiding member to define the predetermined amount of gap. The spacers are movable in a direction at an angle with a surface of the recording medium. The urging member urges the spacers against the fixing member.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image recording apparatus incorporates a fixing unit in which a toner image deposited on a print medium is fused by heat under pressure. The fixing unit includes a fixing member and a separator plate. The fixing member is in pressure contact with a pressure member. The separator plate that is disposed close to the fixing member and has a longitudinal portion extending in a direction transverse to a transport path of the print medium. The separator plate has a mid portion of the longitudinal portion. The mid portion has resiliency to extend away from the transport path and a guide member that pushes the mid portion of the separator plate to maintain the entire longitudinal portion flat so that mid portion is prevented from extending away from the transport path.

Abstract: An image data transfer method and system therefor transfer image data via network 10 connecting between a plurality of clients 100 and a server 400. A plurality of files are stored in image data base storage unit 430 and file search unit 420 searches the files to be processed by desired client from the image data base storage unit 430 in response to the search request of the client 100. The transfer protocol is sorted in transfer protocol storage unit 520 and transfer protocol management unit 150 transmits to a desired client via the network 10 the image data related to the file searched by the file search unit 420 specified the transfer protocol in the transfer protocol storage unit 520 based on the search request of the desired client.

Abstract: A quartz oscillator device of the present invention comprises a quartz oscillating plate having two major surfaces, each of which is formed with an excitation electrode and lead electrodes drawn out of the excitation electrode, and electrode pads formed on a base, wherein the quartz oscillating plate and the electrode pads are electrically connected via a silicone-based conductive adhesive. Among the excitation electrode and the lead electrodes, at least each of the lead electrodes comprises a Cr film layer, a Au film layer, and a thin Cr film layer or a thin Ag film layer, which are laminated on the quartz oscillating plate in this order. In addition, each electrode pad comprises a metallized layer made of tungsten or molybdenum, a Ni film layer and a Au film layer, which are laminated on the base in this order; and Ni in the Ni film layer is diffused at least into a predetermined area of the Au film layer in each electrode pad where the silicone-based conductive adhesive is applied.

Abstract: A storage system includes storage devices having connection ports and logical device groups connected to each connection port, and a switch having a plurality of switch ports to which the storage devices can be connected via their connection ports and, when a data frame is input to one of the switch ports, being capable of outputting that data frame from either one of the switch ports connected to one of the connection ports to which that data frame is to be sent according to a destination specified in that data frame. The switch stores a table that defines a correspondence between the destination and the connection port. In rearranging data stored in one logical device group to another logical device group, a management server connected to the switch sends an update request to the switch and makes it update the correspondence in the table.

Abstract: The present invention provides branched polyalkylene glycols useful as a chemically modifying agent for physiologically active polypeptides, wherein two single-chain polyalkylene glycols are linked to a group having a cyclic structure other than a plane structure, and wherein a group having reactivity with an amino acid side chain, an N-terminal amino group or a C-terminal carboxyl group in a polypeptide or a group convertible into the group having reactivity is linked to the group having a structure other than a plane structure.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image recording apparatus incorporates a fixing unit in which a toner image deposited on a print medium is fused by heat under pressure. The fixing unit includes a fixing member and a separator plate. The fixing member is in pressure contact with a pressure member. The separator plate that is disposed close to the fixing member and has a longitudinal portion extending in a direction transverse to a transport path of the print medium. The separator plate has a mid portion of the longitudinal portion. The mid portion has resiliency to extend away from the transport path and a guide member that pushes the mid portion of the separator plate to maintain the entire longitudinal portion flat so that mid portion is prevented from extending away from the transport path.

Abstract: In the configuration of multiple (M units of) disk subsystems shared from multiple (N units of) hosts, having

Abstract: A medium thickness detecting apparatus detects the thickness of a recording medium. A displacement section is disposed in a transport path through which a recording medium passes. When the recording medium passes the displacement section, the displacement section displaces in a direction substantially normal to the surface of a recording medium. An amplifying section amplifies a displacement of the displacement section by a predetermined factor. A thickness determining section outputs a signal representative of an amplified value of the displacement. The displacement section may be one of two rollers between which the recording medium passes, and displaces upward when the recording medium passes between the two rollers. Alternatively, the displacement section my be positioned to sit on a stage provided in the transport path such that the displacement section is pushed away from the stage when the recording medium passes between the displacement section and the surface.

Abstract: A quartz oscillator device of the present invention comprises a quartz oscillating plate having two major surfaces, each of which is formed with an excitation electrode and lead electrodes drawn out of the excitation electrode, and electrode pads formed on a base, wherein the quartz oscillating plate and the electrode pads are electrically connected via a silicone-based conductive adhesive. Among the excitation electrode and the lead electrodes, at least each of the lead electrodes comprises a Cr film layer, a Au film layer, and a thin Cr film layer or a thin Ag film layer, which are laminated on the quartz oscillating plate in this order. In addition, each electrode pad comprises a metallized layer made of tungsten or molybdenum, a Ni film layer and a Au film layer, which are laminated on the base in this order; and Ni in the Ni film layer is diffused at least into a predetermined area of the Au film layer in each electrode pad where the silicone-based conductive adhesive is applied.

Abstract: An image data transfer method and system therefor transfer image data via network 10 connecting between a plurality of clients 100 and a server 400. A plurality of files are stored in image data base storage unit 430 and file search unit 420 searches the files to be processed by desired client from the image data base storage unit 430 in response to the search request of the client 100. The transfer protocol is sorted in transfer protocol storage unit 520 and transfer protocol management unit 150 transmits to a desired client via the network 10 the image data related to the file searched by the file search unit 420 specified the transfer protocol in the transfer protocol storage unit 520 based on the search request of the desired client.

Abstract: A storage system, for covering advantages of the “In band method” and the “Out of band method”, while complementing disadvantages thereof with each other, comprising: an external storage device having storage data and storage operating data for operating the storage data; a host computer being connected to the external storage device, on which an application is able to operate; and a storage operating server, being connected to the external storage device and the host computer, and having a storage operating server program therein, for obtaining the storage operating data from the external storage device, wherein the application operates the storage operating data through the storage data server program.

Abstract: A computer system which has a plurality of computers and a storage device subsystem connected to the plurality of computers. The storage device subsystem has a plurality of storage devices and a plurality of interfaces, through which the subsystem is connected to the computers. One of the plurality of computers has a management means for holding therein data indicative of the storage devices and a connection relationship between the computers and storage device subsystem. Each computer, when wanting a new device, informs the management means of its capacity and type. The management means receives its notification and selects one of the storage devices which satisfies the request. And the management means instructs the storage device subsystem to set predetermined data in such a manner that the computer can access the selected device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a fixing unit. A heat roller heats a toner image on a print medium to fuse the toner image. A first temperature detector is in contact with a longitudinal end portion of the heat roller, and generates a first temperature data. A second temperature detector opposes the heat roller and is in proximity to a substantially middle portion of the heat roller. The second temperature detector generates a second temperature data. Depending on the first temperature data and the second temperature data, a controller performs temperature control either in a first mode where the heater is energized such that the first temperature data is equal to a first target value, or in a second mode where the heater is energized such that second temperature data is equal to a second target value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a fixing unit. A heat roller heats a toner image on a print medium to fuse the toner image. A first temperature detector is in contact with a longitudinal end portion of the heat roller, and generates a first temperature data. A second temperature detector opposes the heat roller and is in proximity to a substantially middle portion of the heat roller. The second temperature detector generates a second temperature data. Depending on the first temperature data and the second temperature data, a controller performs temperature control either in a first mode where the heater is energized such that the first temperature data is equal to a first target value, or in a second mode where the heater is energized such that second temperature data is equal to a second target value.

Abstract: In an image-data managing apparatus for a work-flow system, wherein image data transmitted from a server are updated sequentially by a plurality of clients, a temporary storage for temporarily storing data being updated is provided in each client, and an image database, an image-data storage device, a work-flow managing unit, and a recovery-state managing unit are provided in the server.

Abstract: Monochrome multi-color, and full-color documents are automatically discriminated from each other, and character and photograph regions are also determined in an automatic manner, thereby producing appropriate binary image data according to the operation results. An image data transformation apparatus includes a binarizing section for converting image data inputted thereto into binary image data associated with a plurality of different colors, binary image data buffers for temporarily storing therein the binary image data, a decision section for deciding based on the input image data whether the monochrome, color, or multi-color output is to be produced and whether an intermediate-tone or particular color pixel is to be processed, and a binary image data selection/output section for selecting as output therefrom binary image data according to the decision results.

Abstract: An image processing system wherein for an inputted composite image composed of a line image and a dither image, both a line image processing and a dither image processing are carried out in parallel, and one of the processed results as selected in accordance with the image region discrimination result. The dither image processing is carried out through data conversion for calculating multivalued gray scale image from the inputted image data, gray scale data conversion for adjusting the gray scale image data so as to match an output device and obtaining such adjusted gray scale image data, and re-binarization for re-binarizing the gray scale image data after subjected to the gray scale conversion. The image region discrimination for discriminating if an image region is of a line image of a dither image is carried out based on a ratio of the number of black or white pixels within the region to the contour line length within the range.