There are provided a remote control unit configurable to be used to control a plurality of devices together with corresponding methods to use the remote control. According to an operation guidance by the operator, information indicating a switch to be operated is sent from the information center to the laser beam ECU through the vehicle communication apparatus. Therefore, although the bias signal may not be cut off, free electrons and holes are recombined in the semiconductor layer, whereby charge buildup and sticking can be prevented. When a document image data file scanned by a multifunction apparatus is stored in one of the shared folders, the hot folder program causes an action program to perform a process complying with the attributes set for the shared folder which stores the file, and a bookbinding application to import the file. It may also apply to illumination systems where several single-mode sources are mixed or one single-mode laser beam is split and recombined with time delays, thereby creating an equivalent multimode source and to EUV lithography.