Abstract: An unstaffed store system includes: a store entry checker which acquires, with a first camera, a face image of a user at a time of entry to the store and permits entry of the user to the store based on the face image at the time of entry to the store; a checkout counter which acquires, with a second camera, the face image of the user at a time of payment and allows the user to make payment based on the face image at the time of payment; and a store exit checker which, with a third camera, acquires the face image of the user at a time of exit from the store and confirms exit of the user from the store based on the face image at the time of exit from the store.

Abstract: A cost calculation and payment device includes: a main body provided with a placement portion on which the user places merchandise items; a first camera for capturing an image of the merchandise items placed on the placement portion; a second camera for capturing an image of a face of the user; a controller for performing a process related to cost calculation by recognizing the merchandise items in question based on a merchandise item image acquired by image capture by the first camera and to perform a process related to face authentication based on a face image acquired by image capture by the second camera; and a display for displaying a cost calculation result and a payment result acquired by the controller, wherein the display is disposed in a vicinity of the placement portion, and the second camera captures an image of the face of the user looking at the display.

Abstract: A cost calculation and payment device includes: a main body provided with a placement portion on which merchandise items are placed; a first camera for capturing an image of the merchandise items placed on the placement portion; a second camera for capturing an image of a face of the user; a controller for performing a process related to cost calculation by recognizing the merchandise items in question based on a merchandise item image acquired by the first camera and to perform a process related to face authentication based on a face image acquired by the second camera; a display for displaying a cost calculation result and a payment result acquired by the controller, and a projector for projecting an image onto the placement portion, wherein the display is disposed in a vicinity of the placement portion.

Abstract: An information distribution system is provided where broadcasting contents are distributed to an IP network using a multicast address for each set of contents, and a home gateway at home connected to the IP network receives desired contents. A program guide server that retains multicast addresses used for each content distribution is also provided in the system, so that a multicast address of a desired contents can be obtained by accessing the program guide server from a program selection terminal via the IP network, and the home gateway can receive the desired contents based on the multicast address.

Abstract: A thin-film type photoelectric conversion device for use in an image input unit of facsimile equipment, a scanner and the like, which uses a thin-film semiconductor as a phoconductive layer to reading not only a monochromatic image but also a color image with high resolution. A photoelectric conversion device having a photoconductive layer disposed between opposing electrodes, in which a surface facing in a direction perpendicular to a direction of film deposition of the photoconductive layer acting as a light-receiving surface.

Abstract: A reading apparatus having a photo-detecting element array constituted by a plurality of photo-detecting element blocks each constituted by a plurality of photo-detecting elements, and having switching elements for transferring charges generated in the photo-detecting elements block by block to an output circuit, in which the output circuit has wirings having no crossing portions and the outputs of the photo-detecting elements can be produced as time-series signals without requiring any external memory.

Abstract: An image sensor has blocks of light-receiving elements which are switched by respective associated thin-film transistors. Charges generated in the light-receiving elements are transferred to respective common signal lines through a matrix wiring on a block basis. Capacitor forming lines are formed above the common signal lines in a crossed relationship through an interposed insulating layer to provide a capacitance substantially equal to a source-gate overlap capacitance of each thin-film switching transistor. A voltage signal in an inverse phase relation to a gate control signal is applied to the capacitor forming lines to cancel out coupling of the gate control signal to the potential of the common signal lines.

Abstract: An image reader including: a scanning mechanism section for holding an imaging optical unit and a solid-state image pick-up device, and for rotating the imaging optical unit and the solid-state image pick-up device in an arbitrary direction and another direction orthogonal to that arbitrary direction respectively, so that an original image can be picked up with an arbitrary resolution while being segmented into a plurality of pieces; and a control section for driving the scanning mechanism section in accordance with the original image and for synthesizing the segmented image to produce original image data. As a result of this construction, the image reader is down-sized and does not require that the original be placed on the platen glass facedown and at a predetermined position, to dispense with the conventionally required complicated operation.

Abstract: A close-contact image sensing device has at least a plurality of blocks each including the combinations each consisting of a photo sensing element and a photo sensing element select switch connected in series to the photo sensing element, and a common signal line used, when an image signal is read in each block. A read signal flows through the common signal line. An amount of charge as is stored in an equivalent capacitor of the photo sensing element in accordance with an amount of light incident on the photo sensing element, is transferred to a capacitor connected to the common signal line by turning on the photo sensing element select switch. In the image sensing device, a reset switch is connected at one end to a node between the photo sensing element and the photo sensing element select switch, and at the other end to a ground point.

Abstract: A method of detecting the charges which photo-electric conversion elements produce in correspondence to the density data of minute regions in an original image. In the method, a variable capacitor is charged with the capacitance set to a large value, and the voltage developed across the variable capacitor is detected with the capacitance set to a small value, whereby the voltage to be detected is increased as much, with an improvement in the signal detection accuracy.

Abstract: An elongated image sensor comprises a plurality of light receiving elements of a sandwich structure arranged in a row and wherein a photoconductive layer is sandwiched by a lower electrode and a light-permeable upper electrode. In the image sensor, an overlapped region of the lower and upper electrodes for each of the light receiving elements is made larger in area than a light reception region and the light reception area (sensor area) is defined by a light shielding means or an insulating film having an opening of a predetermined size.

Abstract: An elongated image sensor comprises a plurality of light receiving elements of a sandwich structure arranged in a row and wherein a photoconductive layer is sandwiched by a lower electrode and a light-permeable upper electrode. In the image sensor, an overlapped region of the lower and upper electrodes for each of the light receiving elements is made larger in area than a light reception region and the light reception area (sensor area) is defined by a light shielding means or an insulating film having an opening of a predetermined size.

Abstract: A manuscript reading device for reading a manuscript comprises a plurality of photodiodes for storing electric charges in parasitic capacitances thereof corresponding to lightness-and-darkness information on each minute area of a picture image on the manuscript by way of biasing said photodiodes to a predetermined state, and a plurality of thin film transistors connected in series to associated one of the photodiodes for transferring the electric charges stored in said parasitic capacitances to a corresponding wiring capacitance of a rear wiring group in response to the application of a predetermined voltage to gate electrodes thereof, the electric charges transferred and stored in said wiring capacitance being sequentially outputted as picture information corresponding to said picture image on the manuscript, wherein the thin film transistor comprises an n-type thin film transistor to a gate electrode of which a positive voltage is applied, and the photodiode is biased by a positive voltage.

Abstract: Image signals of an original is obtained from a plurality of image sensors and are successively supplied to an output terminal. A switching element is provided for resetting the previous image signal, which adversely causes to produce noises. An image sensor driving device according to the invention is to cancel the noises by the provision of a noise accumulating circuit and a subtracting circuit for subtracting the noises as accumulated in the noise accumulating circuit from the image signal on which the noises are superimposed.

Abstract: An image sensor comprises a plurality of photoelectric converting elements of the sandwich type arranged on a substrate in which a photoelectric conversion layer is sandwiched between upper and lower electrodes and a light shielding film having a window for controlling the quantity of incident light is formed so as to correspond to each of the photoelectric converting elements, wherein, noting the fact that a photoelectric current can be dervied from a wider area than the actual area of a photoelectric converting region, an overlapped region of lower and upper electrodes in each of the photoelectric converting elements is made smaller in area than that of the window.

Abstract: In a sandwich type image sensor having a photoelectric converting portion comprising a photoelectric conductive layer interposed between an upper electrode and a lower electrode, a light-shielding means is provided for selectively covering an end portion of the photoelectric conductive layer so as to be excluded from a light-receiving area of the converting portion. Alternatively, an insulating layer partly blocking the contact between the photoelectric conductive layer and the lower electrode is provided for effectively defining the light-receiving area of the converting portion. In an example where the photoelectric is divided so that it is operable as those of a plurality of sensor elements arranged in a row, a light-shielding means is provided for defining light-receiving areas of the sensor elements, while overlapping areas of the upper and lower electrodes are adjusted for equalizing the stray capacitances of the sensor elements inclusive of their connecting portions.