Abstract: An optical deflection apparatus includes a signal light source configured to emit signal light having one or more wavelengths, a control light source configured to emit control light having a wavelength different from the wavelength of the signal light, a thermal lens forming optical element including a light absorption layer configured to transmit the signal light and selectively absorb the control light, and a beam-condensing unit configured to cause beam-condensation of the control light and the signal light at different convergence points in the light absorption layer.

Abstract: A thermal lens forming element includes a first chamber serving as a control light absorbing region, which is configured as a columnar body or an N prismatic body (wherein N is an integer equal to or greater than 4) circumscribing the columnar body and filled with a control light absorbing dyestuff solution containing a solvent having a viscosity of 0 to 3 mPa·s at 160° C. or above and a ratio of the viscosity of the solvent at 160° C. to a viscosity of the solvent at 40° C. not less than 1 and not greater than 6, wherein the columnar body or the N prismatic body circumscribing the columnar body has a central axis coinciding with an optical axis of incident signal light. The first chamber is connected to a second chamber via a solution channel and a dam. The dyestuff solution and a bubble of an inert gas are confined in the second chamber.

Abstract: An optical deflection apparatus includes a signal light source configured to emit signal light having one or more wavelengths, a control light source configured to emit control light having a wavelength different from the wavelength of the signal light, a thermal lens forming optical element including a light absorption layer configured to transmit the signal light and selectively absorb the control light, and a beam-condensing unit configured to cause beam-condensation of the control light and the signal light at different convergence points in the light absorption layer.

Abstract: An automatic circulation collection type data system is constructed by connecting a monitoring device and data collecting modules disposed at respective places through optical cables. The monitoring device transmits a trigger pulse for data collection through the optical cable to each data collecting module. An identification code is given to each data collecting module, and each data collecting module has an automatic circulation mechanism comprising first and second optical switches, a data collecting unit, and a controller 6 for performing various kinds of control for data collection. When receiving the trigger pulse from the monitoring device, the automatic circulation mechanism turns on the third switch and transmits the collected data through the optical cable to the monitoring device together with the identification code, and also transmits a trigger pulse through the optical cable to a next data collecting module.

Abstract: Data to be sent are, in a data communication unit, first divided into electric signal packets by a data transmission/receipt control unit, whereby an electric signal sequence tag is added to each electric signal packet, then converted into optical packets by an optical signal transmitting unit, and transmitted through an optical signal path. At optical switch, the optical paths of the packets are switched to optical signal paths by the actions of optical destination tags that are respectively synchronized with optical packets and irradiated by an optical signal transmitting unit. At optical signal receiving units, the received optical packets are converted to electric signal packets, and reassembled to be original data according to the identification information on the reassembly sequence recorded in the sequence tag in an electric signal packet by data transmission/receipt control units, and distributed to client devices as electric signals.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to execute processing to capture an image; a GPS (Global Positioning System) device configured to execute position calculation processing based on data received from a satellite; a power-supply control unit configured to control power supply to the GPS device; an apparatus control unit configured to monitor a state of photographing by a user to calculate a frequency of use of the imaging unit per unit time, and to cause the power-supply control unit to intermittently supply power to the GPS device when the calculated use frequency is lower than a predetermined threshold; and a data-recording control unit configured to generate photographed data attribute information in which positional information acquired in the GPS device is set as attribute information of an acquired image in the imaging unit, and to execute processing to store the photographed data attribute information in a storing unit.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to execute processing to capture an image; a GPS (Global Positioning System) device configured to execute position calculation processing based on data received from a satellite; a power-supply control unit configured to control power supply to the GPS device; an apparatus control unit configured to monitor a state of photographing by a user to calculate a frequency of use of the imaging unit per unit time, and to cause the power-supply control unit to intermittently supply power to the GPS device when the calculated use frequency is lower than a predetermined threshold; and a data-recording control unit configured to generate photographed data attribute information in which positional information acquired in the GPS device is set as attribute information of an acquired image in the imaging unit, and to execute processing to store the photographed data attribute information in a storing unit.

Abstract: A data distribution system transmitting and receiving a large capacity of data such as image data smoothly without incurring a delay over an optical fiber line located between a data sever and a client device. In the data transmission system, a plurality of client devices are bus-connected through an optical fiber to a data server transmitting and receiving data as signal light. Each of the client devices has a client optical switch and is connected with a client access device. The client optical switch is structured with a thermal-lens forming element and a signal-light path shifting member. When any of the client devices forwards an access command to its own client access device, control light is irradiated from the client access device to the own client optical switch thus effecting a switchover. Thus, transmission data of from the data server is stored in a data storage of the relevant client device.

Abstract: An image pickup position information acquisition unit acquires, from a position fixing unit, position information of an image pickup location of a moving image being picked up. A preceding image pickup position information storage unit stores position information of a preceding image pickup location as preceding image pickup position information. A change point detector compares the image pickup position information and the preceding image pickup position information. If the position indicated by the image pickup position information is spaced apart from the position indicated by the preceding image pickup position information by a predetermined distance, the change point detector detects the current position as a change point. The change point is recorded onto a change point position information. Thumbnail data generated by a thumbnail generator is recorded as a change point thumbnail.

Abstract: A brake system for a vehicle includes an electrically operated parking brake drive device which generates an operating force for operating the wheel brakes or dedicated parking brakes in response to energization, and which operates even upon cancellation of the energization while in the operated state. A braking force related amount detector detects a physical quantity related to a braking force exhibited by each of the hydraulic pressure operated wheel brakes. When a detected physical quantity exceeds a reference value in a stopped state of the vehicle, a controller energizes the electrically operated parking brake drive device. Thus, the frequency of operation of the electrically operated parking brake drive device is decreased while eliminating inconvenient operations required to operate the electrically operated parking brake drive device, thereby reducing noise and improving durability.

Abstract: An image pickup position information acquisition unit acquires, from a position fixing unit, position information of an image pickup location of a moving image being picked up. A preceding image pickup position information storage unit stores position information of a preceding image pickup location as preceding image pickup position information. A change point detector compares the image pickup position information and the preceding image pickup position information. If the position indicated by the image pickup position information is spaced apart from the position indicated by the preceding image pickup position information by a predetermined distance, the change point detector detects the current position as a change point. The change point is recorded onto a change point position information. Thumbnail data generated by a thumbnail generator is recorded as a change point thumbnail.

Abstract: Position information of image pickup positions included in a designated moving image file is read out from position of point of change information, and map information covering all the positions of the position information is obtained from a map information database by a map information obtaining portion. A map is drawn by a map drawing portion based on the position information and the map information. The drawn map is overlapped with a moving image, which is replayed by a moving image replay portion, by an overlapping portion and displayed on a display portion.

Abstract: A transfer conveyor which prevents collisions between works to be conveyed when the works to be conveyed or stored are carried on a conveyer track by a work support having a length shorter than the length of works to be conveyed, which permits reverse traveling during maintenance operations and the like. The collision preventing mechanism includes a sensing element which is biased into a contact position where it engages a leading work support on the conveyor track and is deflected, a sensing lever 132, which mounts the sensing element and pivots in accordance with the contacting/deflecting operation of the sensing element, and a stopper lever downstream from the sensing element, which is connected to the sensing element to be displaced into the path of travel of the next trailing work support when the sensing element is in the contacting position, The stopper lever limits the travel of the trailing work support to a predetermined storage conveying interval.

Abstract: A flip-flop circuit of the present invention includes a first switch and a second switch which are connected in series to each other. The first switch includes: two input ports upon which light source light and signal light are incident; two output ports for outputting an optical output; and a thermal lens forming element for forming a thermal lens in a predetermined optical inputting condition. Although the second switch is composed in the same manner as that of the first switch, a relation between the wave-lengths to be utilized is inverted. When a state is changed from OFF to ON, a pulse signal is inputted for setting and one of the rays of output light of the second switch is fed-back to the first switch so as to maintain the state of ON. When the state is changed from ON to OFF, a pulse of additional signal light is inputted. Due to the foregoing, the two states of ON and OFF can be stably maintained.

Abstract: In an end surface closely arranged multicore optical fiber 200, at least two single-mode optical fibers 10 are, at one and the other ends of the individual single-mode optical fibers 10, closely arranged in parallel to each other and bound together, such that a center-center distance of adjacent single-mode optical fibers 10 is twice a core diameter of the single-mode optical fiber 10 or greater and 0.5 times a value obtained by subtracting the core diameter of the single-mode optical fiber from a core diameter of a multimode optical fiber to be connected or less, and that the remaining individual single-mode optical fibers 10 are individually independent from each other.

Abstract: A positioning information processing apparatus includes positioning information acquiring means for acquiring positioning information at predetermined standard time intervals; and positioning information transmitting means for transmitting outside the positioning information acquired by the positioning information acquiring means through a predetermined data communication path only if the positioning information is effective.

Abstract: An optical deflection apparatus includes a signal light source configured to emit signal light having one or more wavelengths, a control light source configured to emit control light having a wavelength different from the wavelength of the signal light, a thermal lens forming optical element including a light absorption layer configured to transmit the signal light and selectively absorb the control light, and a beam-condensing unit configured to cause beam-condensation of the control light and the signal light at different convergence points in the light absorption layer.

Abstract: A transfer conveyor which prevents collisions between works to be conveyed when the works to be conveyed or stored are carried on a conveyer track by a work support having a length shorter than the length of works to be conveyed, which permits reverse traveling during maintenance operations and the like. The collision preventing mechanism includes a sensing element which is biased into a contact position where it engages a leading work support on the conveyor track and is deflected, a sensing lever 132, which mounts the sensing element and pivots in accordance with the contacting/deflecting operation of the sensing element, and a stopper lever downstream from the sensing element, which is connected to the sensing element to be displaced into the path of travel of the next trailing work support when the sensing element is in the contacting position, The stopper lever limits the travel of the trailing work support to a predetermined storage conveying interval.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to execute processing to capture an image; a GPS (Global Positioning System) device configured to execute position calculation processing based on data received from a satellite; a power-supply control unit configured to control power supply to the GPS device; an apparatus control unit configured to monitor a state of photographing by a user to calculate a frequency of use of the imaging unit per unit time, and to cause the power-supply control unit to intermittently supply power to the GPS device when the calculated use frequency is lower than a predetermined threshold; and a data-recording control unit configured to generate photographed data attribute information in which positional information acquired in the GPS device is set as attribute information of an acquired image in the imaging unit, and to execute processing to store the photographed data attribute information in a storing unit.

Abstract: An automatic circulation collection type data system is constructed by connecting a monitoring device and data collecting modules disposed at respective places through optical cables. The monitoring device transmits a trigger pulse for data collection through the optical cable to each data collecting module. An identification code is given to each data collecting module, and each data collecting module has an automatic circulation mechanism comprising first and second optical switches, a data collecting unit, and a controller 6 for performing various kinds of control for data collection. When receiving the trigger pulse from the monitoring device, the automatic circulation mechanism turns on the third switch and transmits the collected data through the optical cable to the monitoring device together with the identification code, and also transmits a trigger pulse through the optical cable to a next data collecting module.