Abstract: A molten material liquid level detection method that can detect a liquid level of molten material from a residual amount of the molten material with high accuracy and a method for operating a vertical furnace by using the detection method. The molten material liquid level detection method detects a liquid level of molten material remaining in a bottom portion of a vertical furnace after end of discharge of a molten material. The molten material liquid level detection method includes calculating a void fraction of the solid-filled structure, and detecting a liquid level of the molten material after the end of the discharge by using the calculated void fraction and a residual amount of the molten material after the end of the discharge.

Abstract: An open vehicle includes a vehicle upper portion, a traveling device, an external sensor, and an ECU. The vehicle upper portion has a riding surface that forms a bottom surface of the riding space and is configured for a plurality of users to ride on. The ECU is configured to control the traveling device to cause the open vehicle to automatically travel. The ECU is configured to execute: a specific person recognition process to use the external sensor to recognize a specific person existing in an outside space; and an automatic travel control process to control the traveling device such that, when the specific person exists within a predetermined distance range, the traveling device executes at least one of moving the open vehicle away from the specific person and increasing a vehicle speed as compared to when the specific person does not exist within the range.

Abstract: A stand-up vehicle includes a vehicle upper portion, a handrail, one or more biometric information sensors, and one or more processors. The vehicle upper portion has a riding surface on which a user stands. The handrail is provided at an upper portion of the vehicle and is gripped by a user. The one or more biometric information sensors are at least one of a sensor provided on a handrail and a weight sensor provided below a riding surface and having the riding surface as a weight detection surface, and detect biometric information of the user. The one or more processors perform notification processing for notifying a user of biometric information detected by the one or more biometric information sensors.

Abstract: An apparatus according to the present invention in which a first substrate including a photoelectric conversion element and a gate electrode of a transistor, and a second substrate including a peripheral circuit portion are placed upon each other. The first substrate does not include a high-melting-metal compound layer, and the second substrate includes a high-melting-metal compound layer.

Abstract: In a stand-up vehicle having a vehicle upper part having a riding surface configured for a user to stand on, one or more electronic control units execute emergency situation detection processing for detecting an emergency of the user when receiving notification from the user or based on information from one or more sensors, safety posture determination processing for determining whether or not the user takes a safety posture based on information from one or more sensors after detecting the emergency, and upper limit speed management processing executed when detecting the emergency and determining that the user takes the safety posture. The upper limit speed management process increases the upper limit speed to be higher than the basic upper limit speed selected when the safety posture determination process determines that the user is not in the safety posture, or cancels the upper limit speed.

Abstract: An automatic traveling vehicle includes a vehicle structure including a first top plate, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to execute a storage mode when a storage execution condition is satisfied. The storage mode includes a storage posture formation process of causing the vehicle to automatically travel so as to take a predetermined storage posture together with a counterpart automatic traveling vehicle. In the storage posture, the vehicle is in a superposition state in which the vehicle overlaps with the counterpart vehicle in a plan view, or a parallel state in which the vehicle is lined up with the counterpart vehicle while the first top plate and a second top plate of the counterpart vehicle are standing and facing each other so as to be parallel to or substantially parallel to a vertical direction.

Abstract: In an air cleaner, a cassette is removably installed in an air cleaner housing. The cassette holds therein a filter formed by stacking a chemical filter and an air cleaner element. At the time of replacement or inspection of the filter, the cassette is pulled out of the air cleaner housing, and then the filter is removed from the cassette. Further, after completion of the replacement or inspection, the filter is placed in the cassette, and the cassette is installed in the air cleaner housing.

Abstract: An air cleaner for a fuel cell vehicle includes: a case having an inlet and an outlet; and a filter element fixed to the case, the filter element being configured to section the case into an inlet side and an outlet side and filter air flowing from the inlet side to the outlet side. A locking projection projecting toward the inside of the case is provided on the inlet side in the case. A first prefilter, a second prefilter, and a chemical filter are sandwiched between the locking projection and the filter element in the order of the first prefilter, the chemical filter, and the second prefilter from the upstream side as the inlet side of the filter element inside the case toward the downstream side as the outlet side of the filter element inside the case.

Abstract: An air cleaner for a fuel cell vehicle includes: a case having an inlet and an outlet; and a filter element fixed to the case, the filter element being configured to section the case into an inlet side and an outlet side and filter air flowing from the inlet side to the outlet side. A locking projection projecting toward the inside of the case is provided on the inlet side in the case. A first prefilter, a second prefilter, and a chemical filter are sandwiched between the locking projection and the filter element in the order of the first prefilter, the chemical filter, and the second prefilter from the upstream side as the inlet side of the filter element inside the case toward the downstream side as the outlet side of the filter element inside the case.

Abstract: In a player, for example, when a memory card is loaded as a removable medium during playback of a CD, an audio-output-source selecting unit switches the output state to playback of the memory card in normal operation. However, in a case in which a medium-loading detecting unit detects that a memory card is not loaded at the time when a request for recording on the memory card is entered during the playback of a CD, and a medium-loading-time detecting unit detects that the memory card is loaded within a predetermined time, the audio-output-source selecting unit immediately starts recording on the memory card without switching the output state to the playback of the memory card.

Abstract: A sub converter 330 provided in a data conversion apparatus for data encryption/decryption includes a data conversion function and a data transfer function or key transfer function, the sub converter converts data and transfers data that is nonlinear converted in a main converter 320 or a key that is outputted from a key KL register 240, by switching between the data conversion function and the data or key transfer function.

Abstract: A sub converter 330 provided in a data conversion apparatus for data encryption/decryption includes a data conversion function and a data transfer function or key transfer function, the sub converter converts data and transfers data that is nonlinear converted in a main converter 320 or a key that is outputted from a key KL register 240, by switching between the data conversion function and the data or key transfer function.

Abstract: A button processing method and a data processing apparatus that improve the operability of buttons when a display device with a display screen of small size is employed. In cases where an output image includes a button, when a display image is displayed on a display device with a small display device size, e.g., 6.5 inches, the size of the button in an image space is enlarged n times at a button enlargement ratio determined in accordance with the display device size. In contrast, when a display image is displayed on the display device with a larger display device size, e.g., 8 inches, the size of the button in an image space is enlarged, e.g., n/1.23 times at a button enlargement ratio determined in accordance with the display device size.

Abstract: In a player, for example, when a memory card is loaded as a removable medium during playback of a CD, an audio-output-source selecting unit switches the output state to playback of the memory card in normal operation. However, in a case in which a medium-loading detecting unit detects that a memory card is not loaded at the time when a request for recording on the memory card is entered during the playback of a CD, and a medium-loading-time detecting unit detects that the memory card is loaded within a predetermined time, the audio-output-source selecting unit immediately starts recording on the memory card without switching the output state to the playback of the memory card.

Abstract: A receiver is provided for efficiently selecting a channel providing desired broadcast information. The broadcast information of each channel transmitted from a digital broadcast has been given a plurality of categories having different priority levels. When a channel search is instructed with a category to be searched for as a specified target, a controller performs the channel search for a channel having a category matching the category to be searched for as a target in order of precedence of the categories. After the channel having the matching category is found, the controller receives the broadcast information of the channel as a new channel.

Abstract: When a collision detecting mechanism 27 detects a front collision of a vehicle, a clutch mechanism 18 integrally connecting a pedal arm 2 to a push rod lever 15 connecting a push rod 14 of a Master vac 13 is disconnected. Accordingly, even when the push rod 14 is backward moved together with the Master vac 13, the push rod lever 14 strikes the air, so that a collision load does not act on the pedal arm 2.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling an automatic transmission of a vehicle which is capable of continuously changing a transmission ratio (Rt) and transmission coefficient (Ct). The method is three fold, that is, an initial stage control procedure, a special stage control procedure and a normal stage control procedure having priority in operation in this order.At the initial stage control procedure, Rt and Ct are determined, according to a plurality of indices representing a state of the vehicle, so that the vehicle is accelerated effectively, in general.At the special stage control procedure, Rt and Ct are determined, when a propelling force transmitting path for transmitting propelling force from an engine to the ground is disconnected at least at one part, so that a shock due to a recovery of said propelling force transmitting path is minimized.At the normal stage control procedure, Rt and Ct are determined so that the vehicle responds to the operation of the driver swiftly.

Abstract: In a motorcycle with a pair of left and right steps mounted in a projecting manner on a lower portion of a vehicle body, a pair of left and right brake pedals capable of independently operating the rear wheel brake are pivoted on the vehicle body in close vicinity to the left and right steps, respectively. When a driver turns the motorcycle in either left or right direction with his one foot being placed on the ground, the driver can operate the rear wheel brake using the opposite foot.

Abstract: Addition compounds have the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 represents an aliphatic oxycarbonyl group, benzyloxycarbonyl group which can have nuclear substituents or benzoyl, aromatic sulfonyl or aromatic sulfinyl group; R.sub.2 represents methyl, isopropyl, isobutyl, isoamyl or benzyl group; R.sub.3 represents a lower alkoxyl, benzyloxy or benzhydryloxy group and n represents 1 or 2.The addition compounds are produced by reacting an N-substituted monoaminodicarboxylic acid having the formula ##STR2## with an amino carboxlic acid ester having the formula in an aqueous medium in the presence of a protease and reacting the resulting dipeptide ester with the amino carboxylic acid ester and separating the addition compound.The addition compounds can be decomposed into the constituent dipeptide esters and amino acid esters by the action of an acid.

Abstract: Addition compounds having the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 represents an aliphatic oxycarbonyl group, benzyloxycarbonyl group which can have nuclear substituents, or benzoyl, aromatic sulfonyl or aromatic sulfinyl group; R.sub.2 represents methyl, isopropyl, isobutyl, isoamyl or benzyl group; R.sub.3 represents a lower alkoxyl, benzyloxy or benzhydryloxy group and n represents 1 or 2 are produced by reacting an N-substituted monoaminodicarboxylic acid having the formula ##STR2## with an amino carboxylic acid ester having the formula ##STR3## in the presence of a protease.