In order to prevent degradation in print quality which can come from matter generated from an ink ribbon and adhering to a thermal head, the thermal transfer printer transports an ink ribbon which has characteristics such that the amount of matter generated from the ink ribbon by transfer and adhering to the thermal head has a peak at predetermined transfer energy and reduces in an energy range higher than the predetermined transfer energy with increase in transfer energy, transfers ink and protective material onto paper in this order from the ink ribbon on which the ink and the protective material are repeatedly arranged in a longitudinal direction thereof, and adjusts transfer energy for the protective material to a value within a predetermined range. The lower limit of the predetermined range is higher than the predetermined transfer energy and minimum energy at which the protective material can be transferred, and is a value sufficient for transfer of the protective material to reduce matter having adhered to the thermal head since transfer of the ink. The upper limit of the predetermined range is lower than an energy value at which the protective material becomes mat and thereby glossiness of a protective layer on the paper formed from the protective material is lost.

In order to prevent degradation in print quality which can come from matter generated from an ink ribbon and adhering to a thermal head, the thermal transfer printer transports an ink ribbon which has characteristics such that the amount of matter generated from the ink ribbon by transfer and adhering to the thermal head has a peak at predetermined transfer energy and reduces in an energy range higher than the predetermined transfer energy with increase in transfer energy, transfers ink and protective material onto paper in this order from the ink ribbon on which the ink and the protective material are repeatedly arranged in a longitudinal direction thereof, and adjusts transfer energy for the protective material to a value within a predetermined range. The lower limit of the predetermined range is higher than the predetermined transfer energy and minimum energy at which the protective material can be transferred, and is a value sufficient for transfer of the protective material to reduce matter having adhered to the thermal head since transfer of the ink. The upper limit of the predetermined range is lower than an energy value at which the protective material becomes mat and thereby glossiness of a protective layer on the paper formed from the protective material is lost.

Printhead pin configurations are disclosed. An example printhead assembly includes an interface to place the printhead assembly in communication with a logic circuit; and a logic circuit configured according to a pin configuration, the pin configuration comprising pin groups, wherein each of the pin groups includes a signal line and a reference voltage.

A semiconductor apparatus includes a transistor connected to a first potential terminal having a first potential, an anti-fuse element connected between the transistor and a second potential terminal having a second potential, a resistive element connected in parallel with the anti-fuse element between the transistor and the second potential terminal, and a temperature adjustment unit disposed to face the resistive element.

A semiconductor apparatus includes a transistor connected to a first potential terminal having a first potential, an anti-fuse element connected between the transistor and a second potential terminal having a second potential, a resistive element connected in parallel with the anti-fuse element between the transistor and the second potential terminal, and a temperature adjustment unit disposed to face the resistive element.

Examples of a printhead assembly comprising an Erasable Programmable Read-only Memory (EPROM) having a predefined number of banks, with EPROM cells arranged in rows and columns in each of the banks are described. In one example, the printhead assembly comprises a shift register to generate, in consecutive shift register cycles, a row select signal, column select signal, and bank select signal to select a row, column, and bank, respectively, corresponding to an EPROM cell. A row select signal bus, column select signal bus and bank select signal bus is included in the printhead assembly to provide the row select signal, column select signal, and bank select signal, respectively, to the EPROM cell during the respective shift register cycles.

A noncontact power transmission apparatus includes an instrument including a first case, a power reception coil arranged to generate an induced current due to magnetic flux in a first direction intersecting a gravitational direction, and a holder configured to hold the power reception coil at a predetermined distance from an outer surface of the first case in the first case. A power transmission device includes a conductive second case that has an opening into which the instrument is inserted in which the instrument is stored, a power transmission coil provided in the second case so as to generate magnetic flux in the first direction, and disposed to generate an induced current in the power reception coil, and an elastic body that is provided in the second case, maintains a distance between the power transmission coil and the power reception coil to be constant, and supports the power transmission coil.

A printer comprising a printhead configured to selectively cause a mark to be created on a substrate, a first motor coupled to the printhead and arranged to vary the position of the printhead relative to a printing surface against which printing is carried out to thereby control the pressure exerted by the printhead on the printing surface, and a controller arranged to control the first motor. The controller is arranged to control the magnitude of current supplied to windings of the first motor so as to cause a predetermined pressure to be exerted by the printhead on the printing surface.

A printer comprising a printhead configured to selectively cause a mark to be created on a substrate, a first motor coupled to the printhead and arranged to vary the position of the printhead relative to a printing surface against which printing is carried out to thereby control the pressure exerted by the printhead on the printing surface, and a controller arranged to control the first motor. The controller is arranged to control the magnitude of current supplied to windings of the first motor so as to cause a predetermined pressure to be exerted by the printhead on the printing surface.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a power reception device. A power reception coil receives power from a power supply device in a non-contact manner. A power reception unit causes the received power as a charging current to flow to a load. A notification unit notifies that a relative position of the power reception device to the power supply device is inappropriate. A control unit starts charging by the charging current which is set to a first current value and controls the charging current so as to gradually increase the charging current. If the charging is stopped before the charging current reaches a second current value larger than the first current value, notification is performed that the relative position of the power reception device to the power supply device is inappropriate.