Abstract: An electronic device includes a main body, a drive mechanism configured to move the main body, a detector having a plurality of sensors mounted in the main body for detecting distances to an object which is present in a space around the main body, a calculator configured to calculate a direction of the object relative to the main body based on the detected distances, and a controller configured to control the drive mechanism to change an orientation of the main body dependent on the calculated direction.

Abstract: A position sensor has an interface structure between negative dielectrics and a dielectric, and is provided with a configuration in which the plasmon intensity with respect to a microstructure in a surface including the interface structure or in the vicinity thereof is detected by the interface structure, and the positional relationship between the interface structure and the microstructure is thereby detected.

Abstract: A PC (10) has an SSID and a WEP key required for wireless communication with a wireless LAN access point router (30). When the PC (10) has wireless connection with the Internet radio receiver (20) in Ad-Hoc mode, the PC (10) transfers the encrypted SSID and WEP key to the Internet radio receiver (20). The Internet radio receiver (20) decrypts the transferred SSID and WEP key and validates the decrypted SSID and WEP key.

Abstract: In a fluorescent display device wherein light is emitted by impinging a low speed electron beam on a phosphor layer formed on an anode, the phosphor layer comprises a compound containing W and/or a compound containing P, K and/or Na. The compound containing P, K and/or Na may be a compound selected from the group consisting of K3PO4, P2O5 and Na2SiO3, the compound being added in an amount of 0.01 to 10.00 wt % to the phosphor layer, to provide a higher luminance residual ratio and a higher high temperature exposure characteristic than those of a convention fluorescent display device.

Abstract: An input device is disclosed which includes: a casing; an input unit provided in the casing; an orientation detection unit configured to detect the orientation of the casing; and a command assigning unit configured to assign commands to inputs from the input unit, based on the results of detection by the orientation detection unit.

Abstract: An IP telephone determines, in making a telephone call, whether a called party's telephone is an IP telephone or not (S17). If determination result is affirmative, a flag 2 is turned on (S19). Then, a marker indicating that the called party is an IP telephone is added to telephone control information for the called party registered in a telephone directory within a memory (S59, S65). This makes it possible to know, in making a telephone call to the called party from next time onward, whether the called party's telephone is an IP telephone or not prior to establishment of connection with the called party, from the presence or absence of the marker in the telephone directory.

Abstract: A process execution apparatus and method is disclosed by which a process can be executed significantly simply and readily. The process execution apparatus includes a direction recognition section for recognizing a housing member shaking direction in which a housing member is shaken, and a process execution section for executing a process in response to the housing member shaking direction recognized by the direction recognition section. The direction recognition section recognizes the housing member shaking direction with respect to a direction of the gravity detected when the housing member is held by a person.

Abstract: The present invention provides a speaker apparatus and reproducing apparatus with no limitation on their listening areas. The apparatus includes; the housing 2 substantially in the shape of a spheroid; the left speaker 5A, which is attached to the left end of the long side of the housing 2 such that the left speaker 5A faces outwardly of the housing 2; and the right speaker 5B, which is attached to the right end of the long side of the housing 2 such that the right speaker 5B faces outwardly of the housing 2. Therefore, the left speaker 5A and the right speaker 5B are approximately equivalent to a point sound source, and the sound from the left speaker 5A and the right speaker 5B smoothly radiates from the housing 2 in every direction. Thus, a listener can have good quality of sound from anywhere around the housing.

Abstract: A position sensor has an interface structure between negative dielectrics and a dielectric, and is provided with a configuration in which the plasmon intensity with respect to a microstructure in a surface including the interface structure or in the vicinity thereof is detected by the interface structure, and the positional relationship between the interface structure and the microstructure is thereby detected.

Abstract: An information recording and reproducing apparatus is constituted by a recording medium including at least a substrate, a reflection layer disposed on the substrate, and a recording layer disposed so as to interpose the reflection layer between the substrate and the recording layer; and a near-field optical head, disposed close to the recording medium, for irradiating the recording medium with near-field light to effect recording and reproduction of information. The near-field optical head includes a light-blocking metal film which includes a dielectric base material provided with a small opening and which is disposed opposite to the reflection layer disposed on the substrate so that the light-blocking metal film and the reflection layer constitute an optical resonator to increase intensity of the near-field light.

Abstract: A ceramic filter (1) comprising a porous body (2) and filtration membranes (5), wherein the cross section shapes of plural main flow passages (3) provided in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of fluid to be purified or purified fluid are aligned in rows. The cross section shape of a specific partition wall part (18) is formed in perpendicular to flow direction of the fluid formed as to be encompassed by a shape defined by two parallel lines apart at a specified distance from each other. The cross section shape of a first specific main flow (3a) perpendicular to the fluid flow direction is formed in a polygon of heptagon or more arranged in a specified state. The angles ?1, ?2, ?3, and ?4 are within the range of 110 to 160° , and the symbols A and B satisfy the relation 0.3 B?A?0.7 B.

Abstract: An Internet radio device (10), when an N-th radio station server (200) is selected, receives streaming contents from five N?2-th to N+2-th radio station servers (200, 200, . . . ), writes them respectively into five buffers, and reads only the streaming content from the N-th radio station server (200) via the buffer and reproduces it. After that, when a station change operation is performed for a change to a neighboring station, that is, the N?1-th or N+1-th radio station server (200), the Internet radio device (10) reads only the streaming content from the N?1-th or N+1-th radio station server (200) via the buffer and reproduces it.

Abstract: A SrTiO3:Pr phosphor includes a SrTiO3:Pr phosphor material and an additive having one or more elements selected from the group consisting of W, Mo and V in a form of an elemental substance and/or a compound. A total amount of one or more elements included in the additive is in a range from 0.1 wt % to 30 wt % of the SrTiO3:Pr phosphor. The additive is WO3 and a particle size distribution of WO3 is such that a weight of WO3 whose particle diameters are in a range from 0.2 to 0.4 ?m is not less than 70% of a total weight of WO3. A fluorescent luminous tube includes the SrTiO3:Pr phosphor.

Abstract: The objective of the invention is to provide a three-dimensional data display apparatus that easily saves an entire or a portion of the display state of the graphics, so that the data can be selected and restored according to the instructions of the user.

Abstract: A near-field light generating method for forming a fine light spot at a portion adjacent to a fine opening having a size of not more than a wavelength of light on a light outgoing side of the fine opening by irradiating the fine opening with the light includes a step of forming a light spot having a length and a width which are substantially equal to each other by the fine opening. The fine opening has a rectangular shape having a length and a width which are different from each other.

Abstract: A chemical sensor for detecting a reaction of a sensor material with a specimen on the basis of an intensity of a surface plasmon polariton wave propagated along a surface of a sensor medium including the sensor material is principally constituted by the sensor medium. The sensor medium includes a periodic structure and the sensor material disposed on the periodic structure. The periodic structure has a pitch substantially equal to an integral multiple of a wavelength of the surface plasma polariton wave generated by irradiating an interface between the periodic structure and the sensor material with light.

Abstract: Disclosed is an exposure method and apparatus, an exposure mask and a device manufacturing method, wherein a first surface of a light blocking member having a plurality of openings formed in a mutually adjoining relation is placed at an exposure object side, and light is projected to the light blocking member from its second surface side so that exposure of the exposure object is carried out on the basis of near field light leaking from the openings. For exposure, interference is caused between surface plasmon polariton waves passing respectively through adjacent openings and going around to the first surface side, and, on the basis of it, a portion having a decreased light intensity is produced in the exposure object so that the exposure is carried out by use of the decreased light intensity portion.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for enabling an automatic creation of a parts list and 3-dimensional illustrations of a product based on 3-dimensional CAD or XVL data of an industrial product consisting of a plurality of parts. In order to attain the above objective, according to a principal aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for generating a parts catalog consisting of a parts list and corresponding disassembly illustrations.

Abstract: A signal record reproduction device 1 of the invention comprises a microcomputer 12 and a memory 17. A series of data blocks are divided into a plurality of items of element data. The element data is interleaved and stored to the memory 17. A memory incorporated in the microcomputer 12 stores a table and a function expression for deriving address data representing an address to store each element data in memory regions positioned sufficiently apart one another in address space.

Abstract: In an inspecting method of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator having a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element and two or more electrodes, the frequency response characteristics is picked up when a vibration is given to the piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator, and the amount of displacement of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator is predicted by the frequency response characteristics. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator is precisely inspected without dissolution and destruction and without actual driving as a product.