Abstract: A liquid discharge module includes a nozzle plate, a housing, a valve, and a mover. The nozzle plate has a first face, a second face opposite to the first face, and a nozzle hole. The nozzle hole has at least two different inner diameters between the first face and the second face. The housing has a liquid chamber facing the first face of the nozzle plate and communicating with the nozzle hole. The housing supports the nozzle plate. The valve is disposed in the liquid chamber. The valve contacts the first face of the nozzle plate to form a sealed portion between the valve and the nozzle plate to close the nozzle hole. The mover moves the valve in a contact-separation direction between a contact position at which the valve contacts the nozzle plate and a separation position at which the valve is separated from the nozzle plate.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processor, includes: a storage module which stores a plurality of charging modes associated with a plurality of external devices to be charged when an operating system is not in operation; an input module which receives a charging mode selection request; and a test module which receives the charging mode in the received selection request from the storage module, and tests the charging mode on at least one of the external devices connected to the information processor.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a control module determines whether a second authentication key is present in a authentication key storage device when an information processing apparatus is powered on. The control module displays an identification code input screen for inputting an identification code if the second authentication key is not present, causes a storage device to execute an identification code authentication process of determining whether the identification code which is input to the identification code input screen agrees with the first identification code, and generates a third authentication key and stores the third authentication key in the authentication key storage device if the identification code authentication process is successfully carried out.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processor includes an optical disc drive, an acquiring module, a storage module, and a determination module. The acquiring module acquires identification information that uniquely identifies an optical disc loaded in the optical disc drive based on information read from the optical disc. The storage module obtains information related to failure analysis of the optical disc contained in state information indicating reading state or writing state upon reading from or writing to the optical disc, and stores the information related to failure analysis in association with the identification information. The determination module calculates values each indicating a level of failure of the optical disc based on pieces of information related to failure analysis of the optical disc stored until just recently in association with the identification information and, when the values satisfy a predetermined condition, determines that there is a risk of failure in the optical disc.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes: an optical disk device; an optical disk device controller which opens a tray provided in the optical disk device; a receiver which receives a command for instructing to open the tray; a detector which detects a movement of the information processing apparatus which incorporates the optical disk device; a power controller which controls supply of power to each component of the information processing apparatus; and a power determining module which determines whether the information processing apparatus is connected to an external power supply. The power controller starts the supply of power to the optical disk device if the command is received while stopping the supply of power to the optical disk device and if the movement is not detected and the information processing apparatus is connected to the external power supply.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes an optical disc drive, a measuring module in the optical disc drive, and a measurement value reception module. The measuring module is configured to measure a value related to an operation of a predetermined motor in the optical disc drive, which is executed during a time period of power-up of the optical disc drive. The measurement value reception module is configured to receive a measurement value related to the operation of the predetermined motor from the optical disc drive in response to an event of being requested to turn off the power of the optical disc drive, and to store the received measurement value in a storage device.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processor includes an optical disc drive, a recorder, and a determination module. The optical disc drive includes a loading mechanism that loads and ejects an optical disc. The recorder obtains state information indicating the operating state of the loading mechanism to record the state information. The determination module determines that, when a value related to failure prediction of the loading mechanism satisfies a predetermined condition, there is a risk of failure in the loading mechanism. The value is calculated from a combination of a plurality of indices contained in the state information.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processor includes an optical disc drive, a recorder, and a determination module. The optical disc drive includes a loading mechanism that loads and ejects an optical disc. The recorder obtains state information indicating the operating state of the loading mechanism to record the state information. The determination module determines that, when a value related to failure prediction of the loading mechanism satisfies a predetermined condition, there is a risk of failure in the loading mechanism. The value is calculated from a combination of a plurality of indices contained in the state information.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processor includes an optical disc drive, an acquiring module, a storage module, and a determination module. The acquiring module acquires identification information that uniquely identifies an optical disc loaded in the optical disc drive based on information read from the optical disc. The storage module obtains information related to failure analysis of the optical disc contained in state information indicating reading state or writing state upon reading from or writing to the optical disc, and stores the information related to failure analysis in association with the identification information. The determination module calculates values each indicating a level of failure of the optical disc based on pieces of information related to failure analysis of the optical disc stored until just recently in association with the identification information and, when the values satisfy a predetermined condition, determines that there is a risk of failure in the optical disc.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processor, includes: a storage module which stores a plurality of charging modes associated with a plurality of external devices to be charged when an operating system is not in operation; an input module which receives a charging mode selection request; and a test module which receives the charging mode in the received selection request from the storage module, and tests the charging mode on at least one of the external devices connected to the information processor.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, if a nonvolatile memory which stores format information of an HDD, a CD/DVD, an FDD and a USB storage device, and the USB storage device are connected, the drive letter of the USB storage device is virtually assigned as FDD or HDD on the basis of the format information.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes an optical disc drive, a measuring module in the optical disc drive, and a measurement value reception module. The measuring module is configured to measure a value related to an operation of a predetermined motor in the optical disc drive, which is executed during a time period of power-up of the optical disc drive. The measurement value reception module is configured to receive a measurement value related to the operation of the predetermined motor from the optical disc drive in response to an event of being requested to turn off the power of the optical disc drive, and to store the received measurement value in a storage device.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, if a nonvolatile memory which stores format information of an HDD, a CD/DVD, an FDD and a USB storage device, and the USB storage device are connected, the drive letter of the USB storage device is virtually assigned as FDD or HDD on the basis of the format information.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus configured to be operated by an operating system, including: a display device; a BIOS-ROM configured to store a BIOS program to be executed before starting the operating system; a memory configured to store image data to be displayed on the display device before starting the operating system during an execution of the BIOS program; a processor configured to execute a compression determination program configured to determine whether the image data are stored in the memory in a compression state or in a non-compression state and an expansion program configured to expand the image data stored in the compression state through an execution of the determination program; and a display controller configured to display, on the display device, the expanded image data.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus including: a date generating module configured to generate date information in a real time; a nonvolatile recording module configured to record the date information in a given area; and a recording control module configured to access to the given area when specific software is started, wherein the recording control module is configured to record present date information generated by the date generating module in the given area when the date information is not recorded in the given area.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus including: an input unit that allows a user to input operation; an input controller that receives the operation input through the input unit; a data conversion unit that converts console data, which is output from another apparatus used as a serial console, into code data that is recognizable by an operating system; a console data output unit that outputs the console data to the data conversion unit; and a code data output unit that outputs the code data provided by the data conversion unit to the input controller.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes: a connection port to which an external device is connected; and a processor that executes a BIOS and runs an operating system, wherein, when executing the BIOS, the processor operates to: determine whether or not the external device is connected to the connection port; continues to perform a legacy process and boot the operating system when determined that a prescribed type of the external device is connected; and terminates the legacy process and boot the operating system when determined that the prescribed type of the external device is not connected.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a plurality of authentication units, and a setting unit configured to selectively set a first authentication mode and a second authentication mode, the first authentication mode determining a person to be authenticated to be an authenticated person when authentication by any one of the plurality of authentication units succeeds, and the second authentication mode determining the person to be authenticated to be an authenticated person when the authentications by two or more of the plurality of authentication units succeed.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a connection port to which an external storage device is detachably connectable, a determination unit which determines whether a format type of a memory medium, which is built in the external storage device connected to the connection port, is a first format type corresponding to a hard disk image or a second format type corresponding to a flexible disk image, and a drive number assignment unit which assigns a first drive number, which designates a hard disk drive, to the external storage device in a case where the format type of the memory medium is the first format type, and assigns a second drive number, which designates a flexible disk drive, to the external storage device in a case where the format type of the memory medium is the second format type.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a main body, connection ports to which external storage devices are detachably connectable, a nonvolatile memory which stores mode designation information items which correspond to the connection ports and designate whether each of the external storage devices connected to the associated connection ports is to be handled as a hard disk drive or a flexible disk drive, a drive number assignment unit which assigns, in a case where the external storage device is connected to at least one of the connection ports, one of a first drive number which designates the hard disk drive and a second drive number which designates the flexible disk drive to the external storage device, based on the mode designation information corresponding to the at least one of the connection ports.