Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a plurality of unit cells each including at least one light receiving unit and an amplifying transistor which outputs an amplified signal corresponding to an amount of the signal charge photoelectrically converted by the light receiving unit; a plurality of vertical signal lines each for receiving an output signal from the amplifying transistor; a pixel power supply line for supplying a power supply voltage to the amplifying transistor; a plurality of constant current source transistors each connected to a different one of the vertical signal lines; and a bias circuit which controls an amount of current to be supplied to each of the constant current source transistors, based on a variation in the power supply voltage.

Abstract: A voltage generation circuit includes a control circuit which outputs a first digital signal, a DAC which outputs a first analog signal corresponding to the first digital signal, and an attenuator which is connected to an output terminal of the DAC and is configured to output a voltage signal obtained by attenuating the first analog signal input from the DAC.

Abstract: A disclosed data structure of a phrase tree includes, as data of each node in the phrase tree, a data block including a first area for holding a code for a character or a character string, a second area for holding, for each character that will be used, an appearance sequential number of a second character that appears next to the character or the character string, and a third area for holding, according to the appearance sequential number, a number of appearances or a code corresponding to a character string comprising the character or the character string and the second character when the number of appearances exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: The ramp-signal generator circuit includes a reference voltage generator that changes the voltage of a reference signal Vr to a comparator setting voltage VR for compensating for a voltage difference between a reference signal Vr and an analog input signal (Vs1-Vsn) before comparison by an analog-to-digital converter circuit and outputs a ramp signal whose slope starts from the comparator setting voltage VR in response to a start of the comparison. The ramp-signal generator circuit is configured to add a predetermined enhanced voltage VA to the comparator setting voltage VR before the comparison.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device including: a plurality of pixels which are on a same semiconductor substrate and each of which generates a pixel signal; a comparison circuit that is connected to the pixels in each of columns; a D/A conversion circuit that generates a comparison potential and provide the generated comparison potential in common to the comparison circuit in each column; and a D/A conversion circuit output unit provided in a common line for providing the comparison potential to the comparison circuit in each column, wherein the D/A conversion circuit output unit includes: a source follower circuit that is provided to the line and includes a first current source having a transistor, and an amplification transistor having a gate oxide film that is thinner than a gate oxide film of the transistor; and a voltage control circuit that controls a drain-to-source voltage of the amplification transistor.

Abstract: An extrusion noodle-making machine includes a mixer that produces noodle dough by mixing a noodle sheet raw material made of raw material powder and water or a liquid seasoning. The machine produces a noodle sheet by pressing the noodle dough extruded from the mixer into a dough in-pressing opening of a nozzle connected to a discharge opening of the mixer and extruding the noodle dough from a noodle sheet outlet of the nozzle while extracting gas from the noodle dough using a vacuum pump at a pressure of ?0.06 to ?0.095 MPa (gauge pressure). At a predetermined position between the dough in-pressing opening and the noodle sheet outlet, the cross-sectional shape of a dough passage extending from the dough in-pressing opening to noodle sheet outlet of the nozzle has a smaller lateral width near a longitudinal central part of the cross-sectional shape than the lateral width at both longitudinal ends.

Abstract: A ramp generator circuit includes: a reference signal generator circuit which generates a ramp waveform having a slope obtained by multiplication using a power of 2 according to a value of a higher order bit of a gain control signal; a clock control circuit which selectively outputs 2?m kinds of fractional-N clocks according to one of 2?m (natural number) areas obtained by dividing a code range represented by a lower order bit, when a negative gain is set; and a variable gain circuit which sets a ramp waveform according to the value of the gain control signal, and sets a ramp signal amplitude in each area so that a period ratio between ramp driving clocks for adjacent areas and a ratio between an amplitude of a ramp signal when the standard gain is set and a largest amplitude of a ramp signal are equal.

Abstract: The solid-state imaging device includes a D/A converting circuit generating a reference voltage to be used for an A/D conversion. The D/A converting circuit includes: a voltage generating circuit generating an analog voltage according to a digital signal; a buffer circuit (a resistor ladder upper voltage supplying buffer circuit) which buffers the generated analog voltage, the buffer circuit sampling and holding a bias voltage generated inside the buffer circuit, and outputting the buffered analog voltage using the held bias voltage; an analog signal outputting unit (a resistor ladder unit) outputting the reference voltage according to the inputted digital signal, by receiving an output from the buffer circuit; and a pre-charge amplifier which charges a noise-reducing capacitor in conjunction with the sampling and holding by the buffer circuit, the noise-reducing capacitor being connected to the analog signal outputting unit.

Abstract: A die piece for extrusion molded noodles is a die piece in which a contact angle of a water droplet on a die piece surface is 61 to 73 degrees and a water absorption of the die piece is 0.01 to 0.15% by weight after the die piece is immersed in water for 24 hours. The use of the die piece for extrusion molded noodles makes it possible to produce pasta, spaghetti, or any other extrusion molded noodles with no increase or decrease in its surface roughness (degree of surface roughness) over time and also makes it possible to stably produce, over a prolonged period of time, extrusion molded noodles having proper surface roughness.

Abstract: An exhaust gas analysis system of the present invention includes: an exhaust gas collecting device for collecting exhaust gas from an exhaust pipe; and exhaust gas analysis equipment for analyzing the exhaust gas. The exhaust gas collecting device includes: an exhaust gas collecting part which is provided at an exhaust gas discharge port of the exhaust pipe, having an exhaust gas collecting port that is larger than the exhaust gas discharge port, for collecting air around the exhaust gas discharge port together with the exhaust gas; a main flow passage which is connected to the exhaust gas collecting part and in which the exhaust gas and the air collected from the exhaust gas collecting part flow; and an exhaust gas detecting mechanism for continuously detecting a predetermined component contained in the exhaust gas in the vicinity of the exhaust gas collecting port in the exhaust gas collecting part.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device including: a plurality of pixels which are on a same semiconductor substrate and each of which generates a pixel signal; a comparison circuit that is connected to the pixels in each of columns; a D/A conversion circuit that generates a comparison potential and provide the generated comparison potential in common to the comparison circuit in each column; and a D/A conversion circuit output unit provided in a common line for providing the comparison potential to the comparison circuit in each column, wherein the D/A conversion circuit output unit includes: a source follower circuit that is provided to the line and includes a first current source having a transistor, and an amplification transistor having a gate oxide film that is thinner than a gate oxide film of the transistor; and a voltage control circuit that controls a drain-to-source voltage of the amplification transistor.

Abstract: The device for predicting crack generation in dry noodles is equipped with: a light source that irradiates polarized light on the dry noodles; an image pickup unit that acquires a phase difference image of the dry noodles based on the light passing through the dry noodles as a result of the polarized light irradiated from the light source; and a predicting unit that measures the birefringence phase difference of the dry noodles based on the phase difference image acquired by the image pickup unit and evaluates the residual stress in the dry noodles from the measured birefringence phase difference to predict whether or not cracks will occur in the dry noodles.

Abstract: A voltage generation circuit includes a control circuit which outputs a first digital signal, a DAC which outputs a first analog signal corresponding to the first digital signal, and an attenuator which is connected to an output terminal of the DAC and is configured to output a voltage signal obtained by attenuating the first analog signal input from the DAC.

Abstract: The ramp-signal generator circuit includes a reference voltage generator that changes the voltage of a reference signal Vr to a comparator setting voltage VR for compensating for a voltage difference between a reference signal Vr and an analog input signal (Vs1-Vsn) before comparison by an analog-to-digital converter circuit and outputs a ramp signal whose slope starts from the comparator setting voltage VR in response to a start of the comparison. The ramp-signal generator circuit is configured to add a predetermined enhanced voltage VA to the comparator setting voltage VR before the comparison.

Abstract: Provided is dried pasta having no or very little cracking and a manufacturing method therefor. The method for manufacturing dried pasta comprises a drying step of drying pasta noodle strands to reach the percentage of water content of 14% or less under an environment maintained at a temperature of 75 to 95° C. and humidity of 60 to 90%; a heating step of heating, after the drying step, the pasta noodle strands for 10 to 120 minutes under an environment maintained at a temperature lower by at least 15° C. than the temperature in the drying step and within a range of 50 to 80° C., and humidity of 60 to 90%; and a cooling step of cooling, after the heating step, the pasta noodle strands for 10 to 60 minutes under an environment maintained at a temperature of 20 to 40° C. and humidity of 40 to 80%.

Abstract: A disclosed data structure of a phrase tree includes, as data of each node in the phrase tree, a data block including a first area for holding a code for a character or a character string, a second area for holding, for each character that will be used, an appearance sequential number of a second character that appears next to the character or the character string, and a third area for holding, according to the appearance sequential number, a number of appearances or a code corresponding to a character string comprising the character or the character string and the second character when the number of appearances exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: Provided are dried noodles having no or very little cracking and a manufacturing method therefor. The method for manufacturing dried noodles comprises a drying step of drying noodle strands to reach the percentage of water content of 15% or less under an environment maintained at a temperature of 30 to 50° C. and humidity of 60 to 80%; a cooling step of cooling, after the drying step, the noodle strands for 15 to 60 minutes under an environment maintained at a temperature of 15 to 25° C. and humidity of 40 to 70%; a packaging step of packaging, after the cooling step, the noodle strands; and a heating step of heating, after the packaging step, the noodle strands for 15 minutes to 120 minutes under an environment maintained at a temperature of 30 to 40° C.

Abstract: A die piece for extrusion molded noodles is a die piece in which a contact angle of a water droplet on a die piece surface is 61 to 73 degrees and a water absorption of the die piece is 0.01 to 0.15% by weight after the die piece is immersed in water for 24 hours. The use of the die piece for extrusion molded noodles makes it possible to produce pasta, spaghetti, or any other extrusion molded noodles with no increase or decrease in its surface roughness (degree of surface roughness) over time and also makes it possible to stably produce, over a prolonged period of time, extrusion molded noodles having proper surface roughness.

Abstract: A ramp wave output circuit includes a ramp wave generation circuit generating a ramp wave, and a low-pass filter having a variable cutoff frequency, which receives the ramp wave. The low-pass filter operates at a first cutoff frequency for a predetermined time period after the receipt of the ramp wave, and at a second cutoff frequency, which is larger than the first cutoff frequency, after the predetermined time period has passed.

Abstract: A seatbelt apparatus is provided which can constrain a passenger by ensuring removal of a slack of a lap belt when two pretensioners are activated under two different time frames. A pretensioner of a seatbelt retractor is activated first, and a shoulder belt and a lap belt are pulled in a direction toward the seatbelt retractor. Subsequently, a pretensioner of a belt anchor portion is activated and pulls a seatbelt toward the belt anchor portion, and hence a one-way tongue catches and locks the seatbelt. Accordingly, the shoulder belt is prevented from moving toward the lap belt through the tongue. Therefore, removal of the slack of the lap belt is ensured, and hence a lumber of the passenger is firmly fixed.