Abstract: The present invention provides Al-based wiring material that allows, in a display device including thin film transistors and transparent electrode layers, direct bonding to the transparent electrode layer made of ITO, IZO or the like as well as direct bonding to the semiconductor layer, such as n+-Si. The Al—Ni—B alloy wiring material according to the present invention is configured such that the nickel content X at %, the nickel atomic percent, and the boron content Y at %, the boron atomic percent, satisfy the following equations: 0.5?X?10.0, 0.05?Y?11.0, Y+0.25X?1.0 and Y+1.15X?11.5, and the remainder is aluminum.

Abstract: To provide a lever-type connector in which a sufficient strength and durability of a lever are secured so that a fitting operation can be effected positively, and also a thin design of the lever is achieved, a lever-type connector 10 includes a female housing, a lever 20 pivotally mounted on the female housing, and a male housing for fitting to the female housing, and the female and male housings are completely fitted to each other by pivotally moving the lever 20 engaged with the male housing.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an aluminum-based target having a large area which has internal defects such as blow holes reduced to a minimum and has no warp. The aluminum-based target consisting of a plurality of aluminum alloy target members has a joint in which the aluminum alloy target members are joined with a friction stir welding method. The joint contains precipitates of an intermetallic compound with diameters of 10 ?m or smaller dispersed in an aluminum matrix, and blow holes with diameters of 500 ?m or less in an amount of 0.01 to 0.1/cm2.

Abstract: The provided is a sputtering target material that is made not to cause an arcing phenomenon and splash phenomenon at the time of sputtering as completely as possible. A portion to be used for sputtering of the sputtering target material is subjected to a friction stir processing. Even with a sputtering target material made of a carbon-containing aluminum alloy or a large-sized sputtering target material, the arcing phenomenon and the splash phenomenon at the time of sputtering can be certainly suppressed.

Abstract: A nickel electrode for an alkaline storage battery in which an active material mainly containing nickel hydroxide is applied to a porous sintered nickel substrate, wherein a layer containing at least one hydroxide of an element selected from a group consisting of Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, lanthanoid, and Bi is formed on a surface of the active material thus applied to the sintered nickel substrate, or between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.

Abstract: A nickel electrode for an alkaline storage battery in which an active material mainly containing nickel hydroxide is applied to a porous sintered nickel substrate, wherein a layer containing at least one hydroxide of an element selected from a group consisting of Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, lanthanoid, and Bi is formed on a surface of the active material thus applied to the sintered nickel substrate, or between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.

Abstract: The stream converting apparatus includes a stream extracting circuit that extracts a second level data stream from a first format data stream, an error detecting circuit that detects an error included in the second level data stream output from the stream extracting circuit, a data correcting circuit that corrects the detected error to generate a proper-form second level data stream, and a multiplexer that multiplexes the corrected second level data stream to generate a second format data stream.

Abstract: The control circuit controls output of template block data held in the input section such that a plurality of operation units within the operation section are provided with data of unadjacent template blocks that are different from each other. The operation units within the operation section detect motion vectors according to the template block data provided thereto. Thus, motion vector detection in the template blocks except for those in a region on a display screen requiring no motion vector detection is distributed in the plurality of operation units. Accordingly, the motion vector search can be performed in a wider range in a vertical or horizontal direction than in the conventional case within the same operation time.

Abstract: To provide an image compression coding apparatus and method capable of minimizing a deterioration in picture quality which is caused on a reproduced image during an overflow of an output buffer. A picture top detector (7A) executes a picture top detection processing for discarding image compression data (S2) until a top of a picture of the image compression data (S2) is detected during detection of a start address, and restarts a normal operation after detecting the top of the picture. A processor (5) brings a detection start register (8) into a set state and causes the picture top detector (7A) to execute the picture top detection processing during an overflow of an output buffer (3a), and executes an interruption processing of rewriting, as a value of a write address register (9), an address where a top of an overflow picture to be a picture causing the overflow is stored.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a metal hydride alkaline storage cell includes a first step of preparing a negative electrode by applying a paste containing hydrogen absorbing alloy powder onto a substrate; and a second step of placing the negative electrode and a positive electrode into a cell can with disposing separator therebetween, and thereafter pouring an electrolyte into the cell can. Into the paste or the electrolyte, a catalytic metal compound that has a proportion of 0.1 to 2.5 wt. % based on the weight of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder and that is soluble in the electrolyte is added. Consequently, the catalytic action of the metal is fully utilized by this method that dots a catalytic metal or metal compound on the alloy surface, and thereby the inner pressure characteristic (high-rate charge characteristic) of a cell is improved.

Abstract: A nickel electrode for an alkaline storage battery in which an active material mainly containing nickel hydroxide is applied to a porous sintered nickel substrate, wherein a layer containing at least one hydroxide of an element selected from a group consisting of Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, lanthanoid, and Bi is formed on a surface of the active material thus applied to the sintered nickel substrate, or between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.

Abstract: A metal hydride alkaline storage cell of the present invention comprises a positive electrode, a separator impregnated with an electrolyte, and a negative electrode comprising hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder. On the surface of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder, there is formed a layer of hydrogen-absorbing alloy oxide, and on the layer of the oxide, there is dotted a catalytic metal or metal compound formed in a granular state by adding a substance soluble in the electrolyte. The substance is selected from the group consisting of a metal fluoride, a metal chloride, a metal iodide, and a metal sulfide. The proportion of the metal fluoride, the metal chloride, the metal iodide, or the metal sulfide in adding, is restricted within the range of from 0.1 to 2.5 wt. % based on the weight of hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder.

Abstract: A time zone start time point calculating unit calculates a time zone to be set in a VOBU in accordance with audio bit rate. A time zone comparing unit compares a time point at which an audio pack is to be multiplexed with the time zone calculated by the time zone start time point calculating unit. A flag setting unit sets whether the audio pack is to be completed or not in accordance with the result of comparison by the time zone comparing unit. Therefore, a completing process takes place before a VOBU boundary, and a completed PCK will not be generated immediately after the VOBU boundary. Thus, generation of a buffer overflow can be prevented.

Abstract: A metal hydride alkaline storage cell of the present invention comprises a positive electrode, a separator impregnated with an electrolyte, and a negative electrode comprising hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder. On the surface of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder, there is formed a layer of hydrogen-absorbing alloy oxide, and on the layer of the oxide, there is dotted a catalytic metal or metal compound formed in a granular state by adding a substance soluble in the electrolyte. The substance is selected from the group consisting of a metal fluoride, a metal chloride, a metal iodide, and a metal sulfide. The proportion of the metal fluoride, the metal chloride, the metal iodide, or the metal sulfide in adding is restricted within the range of from 0.1 to 2.5 wt. % based on the weight of hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder.

Abstract: A motion estimation method capable of setting an optimum threshold value and allowing high speed processing includes the steps of: sequentially selecting one of blocks to be searched from a search range; sequentially calculating a difference between corresponding sample values of a reference block and one of blocks to be searched and accumulating an absolute value of difference; comparing an intermediate result of an accumulation value and a prescribed threshold value for a prescribed number of samples and interrupting the step of accumulating the absolute value of difference when the intermediate result exceeds the prescribed threshold value; and making one of blocks to be searched having a minimum final result of the accumulation value correspond to the reference block. The prescribed threshold value is dependent on the reference block. It is noted that the motion estimation apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A nickel electrode for alkaline secondary battery including a porous sintered nickel substrate loaded with a nickel hydroxide-based active material, the nickel electrode has a configuration wherein a surface portion of the active material loaded into the sintered nickel substrate is provided with a combination of a first coating layer of a suitable compound and a second coating layer of a suitable compound, or a coating layer of a compound of two or more suitable elements, or wherein the coating layer of two or more suitable elements is formed between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.

Abstract: In a hydrogen absorbing alloy electrode employed as a negative electrode of an alkaline storage battery, a covering layer containing at least one of metal elected from nickel and cobalt, and carbon particles is formed on a surface of the hydrogen absorbing alloy electrode or hydrogen absorbing alloy particles used in the hydrogen absorbing alloy electrode.

Abstract: A search MB determination unit determines whether or not an object macro block is a macro block on which a motion search is carried out. A motion vector determination unit selects an optimal vector of a macro block determined not to carry out a motion search by the search MB determination unit from among neighboring macro blocks. Accordingly, it becomes possible, in comparison with a motion search apparatus that carries out a motion search on every macro block, to eliminate the amount of data to be operated required for the motion search while preventing image quality deterioration.

Abstract: The control circuit controls output of template block data held in the input section such that a plurality of operation units within the operation section are provided with data of unadjacent template blocks that are different from each other. The operation units within the operation section detect motion vectors according to the template block data provided thereto. Thus, motion vector detection in the template blocks except for those in a region on a display screen requiring no motion vector detection is distributed in the plurality of operation units. Accordingly, the motion vector search can be performed in a wider range in a vertical or horizontal direction than in the conventional case within the same operation time.

Abstract: A nickel electrode for alkaline secondary battery including a porous sintered nickel substrate loaded with a nickel hydroxide-based active material, the nickel electrode has a configuration wherein a surface portion of the active material loaded into the sintered nickel substrate is provided with a combination of a first coating layer of a suitable compound and a second coating layer of a suitable compound, or a coating layer of a compound of two or more suitable elements, or wherein the coating layer of two or more suitable elements is formed between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.