All The Claims

1. A resistive memory device comprising:
a conductive bottom electrode having a top surface;
a multi-resistive state element having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface of the multi-resistive state element arranged on top of and in direct physical contact with the top surface of the conductive bottom electrode, the multi-resistive state element having a substantially crystalline layer that, while substantially maintaining its substantially crystalline structure has a modifiable resistance;
a conductive top electrode having a bottom surface and arranged on top of and in direct physical contact with the top surface of the multi-resistive state element, wherein the resistance of the resistive memory device may be changed by applying a first voltage having a first polarity across the conductive electrodes and reversibly changed by applying a second voltage having a second polarity across the conductive electrodes;
a top interface created by the direct physical contact between the bottom surface of the top electrode and the top surface of the multi-resistive state element; and
a bottom interface created by the direct physical contact between the top surface of the bottom electrode and the bottom surface of the multi-resistive state element, at least one of the top interface or the bottom interface includes at least one treatment primarily directed towards changing properties of the at least one interface,
wherein the at least one treatment is an exposure to a gas,
wherein the exposure to the gas causes a chemical reaction in the multi-resistive state material, and
whereby the properties of the at least one interface are changed by the at least one treatment.
2. A resistive memory device comprising:
a conductive bottom electrode having a top surface;
a multi-resistive state element having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface of the multi-resistive state element arranged on top of and in direct physical contact with the top surface of the conductive bottom electrode, the multi-resistive state element having a substantially crystalline layer that, while substantially maintaining its substantially crystalline structure, has a modifiable resistance;
a conductive top electrode having a bottom surface and arranged on top of and in direct physical contact with the top surface of the multi-resistive state element, wherein the resistance of the resistive memory device may be changed by applying a first voltage having a first polarity across the conductive electrodes and reversibly changed by applying a second voltage having a second polarity across the conductive electrodes;
a top interface created by the direct physical contact between the bottom surface of the top electrode and the top surface of the multi-resistive state element; and
a bottom interface created by the direct physical contact between the top surface of the bottom electrode and the bottom surface of the multi-resistive state element, at least one of the top interface or the bottom interface includes at least one treatment primarily directed towards changing properties of the at least one interface,
wherein the at least one treatment is caused by a chemical reaction between one of the conductive electrodes and the multi-resistive state element, and
whereby the properties of the at least one interface are changed by the at least one treatment.
3. The resistive memory device of claim 2, wherein:
an anneal process is a catalyst for the chemical reaction.
4. The resistive memory device of claim 2, wherein:
an exposure to a gas is a catalyst for the chemical reaction.
5. A resistive memory device comprising:
a conductive bottom electrode having a top surface;
a multi-resistive state element having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface of the multi-resistive state element arranged on top of and in direct physical contact with the ton surface of the conductive bottom electrode, the multi-resistive state element having a substantially crystalline layer that, while substantially maintaining its substantially crystalline structure, has a modifiable resistance;
a conductive top electrode having a bottom surface and arranged on top of and in direct physical contact with the top surface of the multi-resistive state element, wherein the resistance of the resistive memory device may be changed by applying a first voltage having a first polarity across the conductive electrodes and reversibly changed by applying a second voltage having a second polarity across the conductive electrodes;
a top interface created by the direct physical contact between the bottom surface of the top electrode and the top surface of the multi-resistive state element; and
a bottom interface created by the direct physical contact between the top surface of the bottom electrode and the bottom surface of the multi-resistive state element, at least one of the top interface or the bottom interface includes at least one treatment primarily directed towards changing properties of the at least one interface,
wherein the at least one treatment is caused by a bombardment by inert ions, and
whereby the properties of the at least one interface are changed by the at least one treatment.
6. The resistive memory device of claim 1, wherein:
the substantially crystalline layer is fabricated to be polycrystalline.
7. The resistive memory device of claim 1, wherein:
the substantially crystalline layer is fabricated to be a perovskite.
8. The resistive memory device of claim 7, wherein:
the treatment, to which the at least one interface is subjected, is directed towards changing properties of the perovskite.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A link actuating device to connect an output member to an input member through three or more set of link mechanisms for alteration in posture, each of the link mechanisms including:
end portion link members on an input side and an output side having one ends thereof rotatably connected respectively to the input member and the output member; and
an intermediate link member to which the other ends of the respective end portion link members on the input side and the output side are rotatably connected,
wherein a geometric model representing each of the link mechanisms by a straight line is such that an input side portion and an output side portion of each of the intermediate link members relative to an intermediate portion of each of the intermediate link members are symmetrical to each other;
immobilizing mechanisms to immobilize the output member in an arbitrary attitude relative to the input member are provided in all of the three or more link mechanisms; and
a structure body is provided to connect the input member and the output member to each other while being in contact with a contacted portion formed in the input member and a contacted portion formed in the output member.
2. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the immobilizing mechanisms include an actuator connected directly or indirectly to the end portion link member on the input side, the actuator acting so as to restrain rotation of the end portion link member on the input side relative to the input member.
3. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising
a controller that, when the immobilizing mechanism immobilizes the output member in an arbitrary attitude relative to the input member, controls the actuators so as to increase a contact force acting between the structure body and the contacted portions of the input member and the output member.
4. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 3, wherein
when the immobilizing mechanism immobilizes the output member in an arbitrary attitude relative to the input member, the controller controls the actuators so as to drive the actuators in directions in which forces generated by the respective actuators interfere with each other.
5. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 3, wherein
when the attitude of the output member is altered relative to the input member, the controller controls two of the actuators such that operating positions of the two actuators approach predetermined control target positions, and controls at least one remaining actuator such that a torque generated by the at least one remaining actuator approaches a predetermined control target position.
6. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising
a force transmitting mechanism capable of transmitting forces between the respective actuators and the respective end portion link members on the input side, wherein
when the attitude of the output member is altered relative to the input member, the controller controls two of the actuators such that operating positions of the two actuators approach predetermined control target positions, and controls at least one remaining actuator such that a torque generated by the at least one remaining actuator approaches a predetermined control target position, or drives the at least one remaining actuator in a servo-off state where a feedback control function is off.
7. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the actuators is a rotary actuator having a brake device that locks a rotation of a rotary shaft of the rotary actuator, and
when the output member is immobilized in an arbitrary attitude relative to the input member, the brake device is actuated.
8. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 2, wherein
the attitude of the output member relative to the input member is controlled by inverse-transforming a formula represented by
cos(\u03b82)sin \u03b2n\u2212sin(\u03b82)sin(\u03c6+\u03b4n)cos \u03b2n+sin(\u03b32)=0,
where
an angle of rotation of the end portion link member on the input side relative to the input member is \u03b2n; angle between an axis of a connecting end of the intermediate link member, rotatably connected to the end portion link member on the input side, and an axis of a connecting end of the intermediate link member, rotatably connected to the end portion link members on the output side, are \u03b3; a space angle, in a circumferential direction, of each of the end portion link members on the input side relative to one of the end portion link members on the input side, which serves as a reference, is \u03b4n; a vertical angle of an inclination of the output member relative to a center axis of the input member is \u03b8; and a horizontal angle of an inclination of the output member relative to the center axis of the input member is \u03c6.
9. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the structure body generates a force between the input member and the output member.
10. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein
each of the input member and the output member has the same number of shaft portions as the number of the link mechanisms, the shaft portions protruding from an outer peripheral surface thereof,
the end portion link members on the input side and the output side of each of the link mechanisms are rotatably connected to the shaft portions, and
the contacted portions are arranged radially inwardly of the shaft portions.
11. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the contacted portions of the input member and the output member have spherical shapes whose centers conform with link spherical surface centers of the respective link mechanisms, and the structure body has opposite ends provided with spherical contacting portions that are slidably fitted into the contacted portions.
12. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 11, wherein
the structure body includes an input side structure portion having a contacting portion fitted into the contacted portion of the input member and an output side structure portion having a contacting portion fitted into the contacted portion of the output member, and
a distance between centers of the contacting portions of the input side structure portion and the output side structure portion is changeable.
13. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 12, wherein
one of the input side structure portion and the output side structure portion has a male threaded portion, and the other thereof has a female threaded portion engaged with the male threaded portion, and
by changing an amount of thread engagement between the male threaded portion and the female threaded portion, the distance between the centers of the contacting portions of the input side structure portion and the output side structure portion is adjusted.
14. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 12, wherein
an input side sliding portion and an output side sliding portion are provided in the input side structure portion and the output side structure portion, respectively, so as to be slidable relative to each other along a straight line connecting centers of spherical contacting portions of the input side structure portion and the output side structure portion.
15. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 14, wherein
the input side structure portion and the output side structure portion form a space portion, so that a fluid is introduced and discharged into and from the space portion, thereby sliding the input side sliding portion and the output side sliding portion relative to each other.
16. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 14, further comprising
a piezo actuator that slides the input side sliding portion and the output side sliding portion relative to each other.
17. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the input member has a recessed portion that is conical and tapered on an end face thereof on the output member side, and the output member has a recessed portion that is conical and tapered on an end face thereof on the input member side, and
innermost portions of the recessed portions serve as the contacted portions.
18. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 17, wherein
a maximum bending angle of a bending angle, which is an angle between a center line of the input member and a center line of the output member, is \u03b8max; and
an angle between a generatrix of an inner peripheral surface of the recessed portion of the input member and the center line of the input member, and an angle between a generatrix of an inner peripheral surface of the recessed portion of the output member and the center line of the output member are both \u03b8max2.
19. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
rotational angle detectors provided in two or more of the three or more link mechanisms to detect angles of rotation of the end portion link members on the input side.
20. The link actuating device as claimed in claim 19, wherein
the attitude of the output member relative to the input member is estimated by forward-transforming a formula represented by
cos(\u03b82)sin \u03b2n\u2212sin(\u03b82)sin(\u03c6+\u03b4n)cos \u03b2n+sin(\u03b32)=0,
where
an angle of rotation of the end portion link member on the input side relative to the input member is \u03b2n; angle between an axis of a connecting end of the intermediate link member, rotatably connected to the end portion link member on the input side, and an axis of a connecting end of the intermediate link member, rotatably connected to the end portion link members on the output side, are \u03b3; a space angle, in a circumferential direction, of each of the end portion link members on the input side relative to one of the end portion link members on the input side, which serves as a reference, is \u03b4n; a vertical angle of an inclination of the output member relative to a center axis of the input member is \u03b8; and a horizontal angle of an inclination of the output member relative to the center axis of the input member is \u03c6.

1. An apparatus comprising:
a synthesizer configured to generate an output signal having a frequency in accordance with a tuning signal;
a receiver configured to process a received signal in accordance with at least two communication modes; and
a processor configured to provide the tuning signal to the synthesizer to tune the synthesizer from a first frequency corresponding to a first communication mode to a second frequency corresponding to a second communication mode and to adjust the receiver from the first communication mode to the second communication mode prior to a synthesizer settling to the second frequency.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communication mode corresponds to a first communication technology and the second communication mode corresponds to a second communication technology.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first communication technology is in accordance with W-CDMA and the second communication technology is in accordance with GSM.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the receiver component from the first communication mode to the second communication after providing the tuning signal.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein receiver comprises a plurality of receiver components.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of receiver components is an analog to digital (AD) converter.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of receiver components is a low noise amplifier (LNA).
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the receiver from the first communication mode to the second communication mode by setting filter tap values.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the receiver from the first communication mode to the second communication mode by setting filter tap values.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the receiver from the first communication mode to the second communication mode by changing multiplexing functions.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide another re-tuning signal to the synthesizer to tune the synthesizer from the second frequency to the first frequency and to adjust the receiver from the second communication mode to the first communication mode prior to a synthesizer settling to the first frequency.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A roller device comprising:
a roller main body;
a shaft member inserted into the roller main body;
flanges disposed in contact with both ends of the roller main body, the shaft member being inserted into the flanges;
a position restricting member secured to the shaft member at an end portion side of the shaft member with respect to the flange, the position restricting member restricting an axial position of the flange;
a plate-shaped member disposed between the position restricting member and the flange, movement of the plate-shaped member toward the end portion side in an axial direction being restricted by the position restricting member; and
a biasing member disposed at the flange side of the plate-shaped member, the biasing member biasing the flange toward a center side in the axial direction.
2. The roller device according to claim 1, wherein the plate-shaped member has an insertion hole, the insertion hole allowing insertion of the position restricting member into the insertion hole.
3. A method for manufacturing the roller device according to claim 2, the roller device comprising a securing member disposed at the end portion side of the shaft member with respect to the plate-shaped member, the securing member engaging the position restricting member,
the method comprising the steps of:
inserting the shaft member into the flange;
securing the position restricting member to the shaft member;
inserting the shaft member into the plate-shaped member, the biasing member, and the securing member;
inserting the position restricting member into the insertion hole in the plate-shaped member; and
engaging the position restricting member with the securing member.
4. The roller device according to claim 1, wherein
the shaft member includes both end portions that each have an approximately cylindrically-shaped through hole, the approximately cylindrically-shaped through hole passing through the end portion of the shaft member in a radial direction, and
the position restricting member is an approximately cylindrically-shaped member inserted into the through hole in the shaft member and longer than a diameter of the shaft member.
5. The roller device according to claim 4, further comprising
a securing member disposed at the end portion side of the shaft member with respect to the plate-shaped member, the securing member engaging the position restricting member, wherein
the securing member includes a depressed portion that engages a surface of the position restricting member at a side where the surface faces the securing member.
6. The roller device according to claim 5, wherein
the plate-shaped member includes an insertion hole, the insertion hole allowing insertion of the position restricting member into the insertion hole, and
the securing member includes an inclined portion that is inclined toward the center side in the axial direction from the depressed portion toward the insertion hole in the plate-shaped member.
7. The roller device according to claim 5, wherein
the securing member includes a movement preventing portion, the movement preventing portion restricting movement of the position restricting member in a central axis direction, the position restricting member being engaged with the depressed portion.
8. The roller device according to claim 5, wherein
the securing member includes a turning preventing portion that restricts turning of the position restricting member in an opposite direction of a direction to approach the inclined portion, the position restricting member being engaged with the depressed portion.
9. The roller device according to claim 4, further comprising
a securing member disposed at the end portion side of the shaft member with respect to the plate-shaped member, the securing member engaging the position restricting member, wherein
the securing member is rotatable around a central axis of the shaft member so as to engage the position restricting member,
the securing member includes a turning operating portion, and
the turning operation portion is configured to transform an external force a plied to the turning operation portion into a turning force tending to cause the securing member to rotate around the central axis of the shaft member and engage the position restricting member.
10. The roller device according to claim 1, wherein
the biasing member includes three or more protruding portions that are disposed in approximately a same radial position and almost equally spaced in a circumferential direction, and
the protruding portions are in contact with the flange to bias the flange.
11. The roller device according to claim 10, wherein
the biasing member includes:
an elastic portion configured to support the protruding portion and to be elastically deformable in an axial direction; and
a supporting portion disposed upright in the plate-shaped member and supports the elastic portion.
12. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a surface of a recording medium including a recording paper, comprising
a plurality of rollers around which a transfer belt is stretched, wherein
at least one roller among the plurality of rollers is the roller device according to claim 1.
13. The roller device according to claim 1, further comprising
a securing member disposed at the end portion side of the shaft member with respect to the plate-shaped member, the securing member engaging the position restricting member.
14. The roller device according to claim 13, wherein the securing member is integrally formed with the plate-shaped member.
15. The roller device according to claim 13, wherein
the plate-shaped member and the securing member are made of resin.
16. The roller device according to claim 15, wherein
the plate-shaped member and the securing member are made of polyacetal.