Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a friction stir welding tool which enables friction stir welding of a wide range of materials, from low-melting temperature metallic materials including aluminum to high-melting temperature metallic materials including steel. An entire friction stir welding tool or a tool tip including a pin is made of Mo alloy having a dual phase microstructure of Mo and intermetallic compound Mo5SiB2. It is desirable that the Mo alloy be composed of 6.0 to 10.0 mol % of Si, 10.0 to 20.0 mol % of B, and 20 to 60% of Mo-phase volume content. This Mo alloy tool has excellent high-temperature strength and wear-resistance properties and hardly deform and wear when used for the welding of steel.

Abstract: To provide a temperature sensor circuit capable of obtaining a highly precise output voltage as a desired output voltage. The temperature sensor circuit includes: at least a constant current source; and a base-to-emitter voltage multiplication circuit constructed by a bipolar transistor and resistors, in which a base current error compensation circuit is provided so as to eliminate an error of the base current of the bipolar transistor caused to flow through the resistor. Further, the temperature sensor circuit of the present invention has such a structure that a resistance value of the resistor that determines an output voltage may be controlled.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing device, an image processing method, and an image reading method, by which encoded data can be easily generated from sub-sampled image data, without a complicated circuit or an increase in the data amount. A one-dimensional wavelet transform in a predetermined direction is omitted in stage 1, where components 1 and 2 of input image data have been sub-sampled. When coefficient data generated through such a two-dimensional wavelet transform are to be encoded, sub-bands that are not contained in the coefficient data in comparison with the coefficient data of a component 0 should be considered to have been truncated.

Abstract: An electronic component module is configured by a passive component mounted on a built-in IC substrate. The passive component is provided with a passive element inductor, and a mounting surface for mounting on a substrate. Concavities are respectively provided at parts of two opposed borders in the mounting surface, and a terminal electrode is provided at the bottom part of the concavities. Since the passive component has a concavity within the mounting surface and the terminal electrode is incorporated within this concavity, the passive component can be mounted low on the substrate surface. Since the terminal electrode is incorporated in the concavity, solder is prevented from spreading fillet-like at the periphery of the inductor, thus increasing the mounting density of the passive component. There is increased freedom for mounting the passive component because the passive component is mounted on the built-in IC substrate in which the IC is embedded in the substrate.

Abstract: A lens barrel and imaging device advantageous for making unnatural brightness variation in an image, due to a liquid-crystal light control element, less noticeable, while reducing the size of an optical system, are disclosed. A lens barrel comprises an optical system, a rectangular planar liquid-crystal light control element, and an imaging element. An object image captured by the optical system is guided to the imaging element through the control element comprising a liquid crystal layer sealed in between a pair of alignment layers and containing rod-shaped liquid crystal molecules. A sensor unit of the imaging element has a rectangular imaging area. Light rays guided from the optical system to the imaging element diverge away from an optical axis. An orientational direction of the control element is substantially parallel to the shorter sides of the imaging area.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a heat generating component; a heat radiating member that absorbs heat from the heat generating component and radiates heat; a fan that sends air toward the heat radiating member; a housing incorporating the heat generating component, the heat radiating member and the fan, and including a first opening that discharges air warmed up by the heat radiating member to an outside and a second opening that exposes an air inlet portion of the heat radiating member in which air from the fan enters; and a cover member that is detachably attached to the housing and covers the second opening.

Abstract: The electronic apparatus includes: a housing having an opening in which a unit is inserted; a wiring member that extends under the inserted unit in the direction across insertion direction of the unit; and a sheet that extends under and over the wiring member so as to wrap the wiring member by being folded at a portion of the sheet close to the opening.

Abstract: In a network auction, bidder clients are enabled to recognize ongoing auction sessions substantially on real time. An information image which integrates as a single handling unit an image information pertaining to an auction exhibit item and a related information which guides to establish communication with a particular network auction server through operation of the operator in accordance with this image information is created, and down-linked to the bidder clients to speed up the auction procedure. Thereby, enabling the bidder client to access to a bidding home page on the auction site simply and easily, and to know the ongoing bidding competitive situation almost on real time by tracking the information image created.

Abstract: A continuous passive motion device includes a base, a link member connected to the base rotatably about a first rotary shaft, a lower-leg-holding section connected to the link member rotatably about a second rotary shaft, and a driving means for bending/stretching the link member and the lower-leg-holding section. A first positioning section for positioning a hip joint is provided on the base. A second positioning section for positioning a knee joint is provided in the vicinity of the second rotary shaft. The first and second rotary shafts are respectively offset in the same direction from the first and second positioning section.

Abstract: Provided is a charge pump circuit whose power efficiency is not reduced even when a threshold voltage of a transistor is increased by a substrate effect with an increase in the number of stages. A depletion transistor is used as an N-channel transistor included in an inverter of a high-voltage clock generating circuit. A P-channel enhancement transistor is used as a charge transfer device.

Abstract: The variation of shades due to light transmissivity controlled by a property device is suppressed with a simple structure. An optical device 1 that blocks light having a wavelength longer than a predetermined wavelength is disposed in a property device 20 that is composed of for example liquid crystal and that can control light transmissivity. The optical device 1 blocks light having a longer wavelength than a wavelength at which a wavelength band of which the wavelength dependency of spectrum characteristic of the property device 20 is weak changes to a wavelength band of which the wavelength dependency of spectrum characteristic of the property device 20 is strong. The optical device 1 blocks light having a longer wavelength than a predetermined wavelength emitted from an object. The property device 20 controls the light transmissivity and enters the light to an image sensor 3.

Abstract: A coin dispensing device and method is capable of insuring the dispensing of coins from a coin hopper even if a limited number of coins are stored. The coins in the hopper can be monitored and a control unit can direct the rotation of a rotary disc. Monitors can determine the dispensing and reception of coins including the amount of coins in the coin hopper. The control unit can cause the rotary disc to operate in a first direction for dispensing coins and in a second direction for agitating the coins and insuring receipt of coins by the rotary disc.

Abstract: A gate driver circuit of a voltage drive type power semiconductor switching device capable of speeding up di/dt and dv/dt even during large-current driving to thereby reduce the switching loss is disclosed. This power semiconductor switching device gate driving circuit includes a drive circuit which applies a drive signal to the gate electrode of the power semiconductor switching device and a measurement unit for measuring a flow current of the power semiconductor switching device. Based on a detected value of the flow current of the power semiconductor switching device, the gate is made variable in mirror voltage thereof.

Abstract: An information signal reproducing apparatus which is capable of forming a suitable reproducing environment and building an easy-handling reproducing system regardless of differences such as signal format or recorded media of audio data to be reproduced is provided, in which: a medium type of an optical disc and signal format information of audio data to be read from the optical disc and to be reproduced are detected by an RF signal processing circuit and a Video/audio decoding unit so that a system control unit estimates whether the audio data to be reproduced is a music sound, a movie sound or another type of audio data in accordance with the detected information, and, in accordance with this estimation result, the system control unit and an interface control unit control an audio signal processing unit, an audio volume unit and a speaker amplifier unit so as to carry out a signal processing suitable for the audio data to be reproduced.

Abstract: Electronic equipment includes an operation mechanism having a plurality of key buttons for inputting operations into the device by the user and a base member connecting the plurality of key buttons, both formed of a luminescent material, and a panel placed above the operation mechanism that is formed from a member which can transmit light emitted by the operation mechanism. A plurality of holes are provided to enable operation of the plurality of key buttons and to enable the user to judge the positions and functions of the key buttons for operation even in darkness.

Abstract: A display device comprising: a housing; a plate-shaped display unit having respective side walls; and a fixing means for fixing the display unit to the housing; the fixing means including a Z-direction holding means for holding the display unit in the thickness direction and also including an X-direction holding means and a Y-direction holding means for holding the display unit in the X-direction and the Y-direction perpendicular to the X-direction; at least one of the X-direction holding means and the Y-direction holding means being composed of wall sections, which are opposed to each other, of the housing adjacent to respective side walls of the display unit; a protruding section being formed which protrudes from the side wall of the display unit to the wall section; the wall section having a cutout engaging with the protruding section at a position of the wall section corresponding to the protruding section; and the other of the X-direction holding means and the Y-direction holding means being composed by

Abstract: An information signal reproducing apparatus which is capable of forming a suitable reproducing environment and building an easy-handling reproducing system regardless of differences such as signal format or recorded media of audio data to be reproduced is provided, in which: a medium type of an optical disc and signal format information of audio data to be read from the optical disc and to be reproduced are detected by an RF signal processing circuit and a video/audio decoding unit so that a system control unit estimates whether the audio data to be reproduced is a music sound, a movie sound or another type of audio data in accordance with the detected information, and, in accordance with this estimation result, the system control unit and an interface control unit control an audio signal processing unit, an audio volume unit and a speaker amplifier unit so as to carry out a signal processing suitable for the audio data to be reproduced.

Abstract: A fluid pressure actuator includes: an actuator body which expands and contracts through supply/discharge of a fluid to generate a driving force; a sensor for detecting a condition of the actuator body; and a control part for controlling a fluid regulator for adjusting a pressure of the fluid supplied to and discharged from the actuator body based on a detection signal from the sensor. The sensor is mounted in the actuator body.

Abstract: In addition to output the mid-high range audio sound from the speakers of the main unit, the present invention can output the low range audio sound according to the audio signal transmitted from the main unit through the DC power supply transmission cable from the sub-woofer unit of the AC adapter. Accordingly, the present invention can provide a richly expressive acoustic space without enlarging the size of the main unit.

Abstract: A method and device for dispensing coins from a compact coin dispensing device while fully utilizing the storage capacity of a retaining bowl. The coin dispensing device or devices can be installed in a coin recycling machine where coins are retained by specific denominations. Detectors monitor the coins that are dispensed and the coins that are accepted into the retainer bowls and a control unit can appropriately coordinate and automatically drive a motor in a reverse direction for a predetermined movement and/or predetermined time after a coin dispensing operation and/or a coin depositing operation into a retainer bowl to prevent coin stacking and to maximize the storage capacity.