Abstract: An infrared radiation detecting device is provided that comprises a substrate, an infrared radiation absorbing unit, at least one support beam and a thermopile. The at least one support beam has a first end portion coupled to the substrate and a second end portion coupled to the infrared radiation absorbing unit. The thermopile includes first and second electrical conductors disposed on the support beam with the first and second electrical conductors having different electric conductivities. The first and second electrical conductors is dimensioned and shaped to improve structural rigidity of the support beam in comparison to an identically shaped support beam including a thermopile with a pair of first and second electrical conductors that are identically shaped and disposed parallel to each other.

Abstract: In a layer 2 communication device included in multiple layer 2 networks, an identifying unit identifies a layer 3 control packet from among packets passing through, and an embedding unit embeds routing control information for the layer 2 network in the layer 3 control packet. In a layer 3 communication device connected to the multiple layer 2 networks, a selecting unit selects from the multiple layer 2 networks, an optimum L2 network, that is a layer 2 network forming an optimum communication route, based on a communication destination, and a setting unit sets a packet to be transmitted to the optimum L2 network.

Abstract: An operator identifying device for a vehicle with an operating section located between driver's and non-driver's seats includes a photographing section and an image processing section. The photographing section is configured to obtain image data of a prescribed region encompassing the operating section and at least one of hands of a driver and a non-driver when the at least one of the hands is extended toward the operating section. The image processing section is configured to process the image data to determine whether at least one of the driver and the non-driver is an operator of the operating section. Moreover, an onboard apparatus is provided with the operator identifying device, an operating section and a control section. The control section is configured to control an operation of the onboard apparatus based on an operator identification result of the operator identifying device.

Abstract: A method for preventing a control packet loop in a network realizing node redundancy or circuit redundancy based on a rapid spanning tree protocol or a multiple spanning tree protocol is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: detecting a loop of a control packet of the rapid spanning tree protocol or the multiple spanning tree protocol; and discarding the control packet by which the loop is detected so as to prevent occurrence of the loop of the control packet.

Abstract: An infrared radiation detecting device is provided that comprises a substrate, an infrared radiation absorbing unit, at least one support beam and a thermopile. The at least one support beam has a first end portion coupled to the substrate and a second end portion coupled to the infrared radiation absorbing unit. The thermopile includes first and second electrical conductors disposed on the support beam with the first and second electrical conductors having different electric conductivities. The first and second electrical conductors is dimensioned and shaped to improve structural rigidity of the support beam in comparison to an identically shaped support beam including a thermopile with a pair of first and second electrical conductors that are identically shaped and disposed parallel to each other.

Abstract: A radiation-absorbing layer for a thermopile radiation detector highly absorbs incident radiation within a predetermined band of wavelengths. The layer comprises a solid construction of a mixture of an oxide of silicon and separate and/or linked particles of at least one material selected for absorbing incident radiation within the predetermined band.

Abstract: A vehicle perimeter display device is provided that can automatically display images of a vehicle's perimeter to a driver. The vehicle perimeter display device basically has a CCD camera arranged on the passenger side of the vehicle to image an perimeter imaging range of the area on the left side of the vehicle, a first IR camera arranged in front of the driver to image infrared light rays in a first interior imaging range, a second IR camera arranged on the passenger side of the driver to image infrared light rays in a second interior imaging range, a monitor that displays image information obtained by navigation image information from a navigation system and the CCD camera, and a control unit that extracts head movements of the driver's head from the infrared image information obtained by the IR cameras.

Abstract: A non-contact information input device is provided that can easily and reliably use simple image processing to input information indicated by the shape of a user's hand. The non-contact information input device is configured to detect a user's hand using an imaging section, and to select an operation mode based on a shape of the hand. Then, a distance detecting section of the non-contact information input device is configured to detect a distance from the hand to the imaging section and adjust a parameter used in the operation mode in response to the distance if the parameter is adjustable. Thus, the image processing load is reduced and the parameter is easily and reliably adjusted by adjusting the parameter in the selected operation mode based on the distance detected by the distance detecting section.

Abstract: An infrared radiation detecting device is constructed using a manufacturing method to increase the infrared radiation absorptance of the infrared radiation absorbing film. The infrared radiation detecting device has an infrared radiation absorbing film. In one embodiment, the infrared radiation absorbing film has a varying film thickness. The film thickness difference between the thickest points and the thinnest points and the spacing between the thickest points within the same plane are set to decrease the effective surface reflectance cause by the interference or scattering effects of the infrared radiation. Preferably, the film thickness differences between the thickest points and the thinnest points are equal to or greater than ¼ of the wavelength of the infrared radiation being measured, and the spacing between the thickest points within the same plane is shorter than the wavelength of the infrared radiation being measured.

Abstract: An operator identifying device for a vehicle with an operating section located between driver's and non-driver's seats includes a photographing section and an image processing section. The photographing section is configured to obtain image data of a prescribed region encompassing the operating section and at least one of hands of a driver and a non-driver when the at least one of the hands is extended toward the operating section. The image processing section is configured to process the image data to determine whether at least one of the driver and the non-driver is an operator of the operating section. Moreover, an onboard apparatus is provided with the operator identifying device, an operating section and a control section. The control section is configured to control an operation of the onboard apparatus based on an operator identification result of the operator identifying device.

Abstract: An optical bus system comprising an optical bus is furnished, along two opposed edges, with a plurality of signal light input/output portions for inputting and outputting signal light to and from the bus. Any one of the signal light input/output portions on one edge of the bus inputs signal light thereto and propagates the light to the opposite edge at which another signal light input/output portion outputs the propagated signal light from the bus. The system also comprises a plurality of light emitting/receiving circuits corresponding to the signal light input/output portions. Each light emitting/receiving circuit has a signal light sending unit and a signal light receiving unit. The signal light sending unit generates signal light and sends the generated signal light into the optical bus through the corresponding signal light input/output portion. The signal light receiving unit acquires a received light signal upon receipt of the signal light output by the corresponding signal light input/output portion.

Abstract: An infrared radiation detecting device is constructed using a manufacturing method to increase the infrared radiation absorptance of the infrared radiation absorbing film. The infrared radiation detecting device has an infrared radiation absorbing film. In one embodiment, the infrared radiation absorbing film has a varying film thickness. The film thickness difference between the thickest points and the thinnest points and the spacing between the thickest points within the same plane are set to decrease the effective surface reflectance cause by the interference or scattering effects of the infrared radiation. Preferably, the film thickness differences between the thickest points and the thinnest points are equal to or greater than ¼ of the wavelength of the infrared radiation being measured, and the spacing between the thickest points within the same plane is shorter than the wavelength of the infrared radiation being measured.

Abstract: A gettering unit encompasses a silicon substrate, a thin film heater disposed on the silicon substrate, and a gettering layer disposed selectively on the thin film heater. Here, the thin film heater is made of metallic film such as platinum (Pt) or chromium (Cr) film. The area of the gettering layer is smaller than the area for the thin film heater so as to expose first and second end terminals of the thin film heater. The first and second end terminals of the thin film heater serves as the bonding pads in the assembling process.

Abstract: A non-linear Hall IC that stores conversion information for converting Hall voltage output from a Hall element, and converts the Hall voltage into an output voltage based on the conversion information stored. The Hall voltage is converted into the output voltage such that a relation between the magnetic field strength and the output voltage becomes a non-linear relation.

Abstract: A burst synchronizing circuit synchronizes a received data signal in a burst fashion and sampling phases with which the received data signal is sampled. A first part samples a data pattern with different sampling phases. A second part selects the received data signal sampled with an optimal sampling phase based on sampling phases with which the data pattern is detected.

Abstract: A radiation-absorbing layer for a thermopile radiation detector highly absorbs incident radiation within a predetermined band of wavelengths. The layer comprises a solid construction of a mixture of an oxide of silicon and separate and/or linked particles of at least one material selected for absorbing incident radiation within the predetermined band.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for time-division multiplexing. This method comprises a step of generating a plurality of first signals and a plurality of second signals to which specific pulse trains for frame synchronization are allocated respectively; a step of generating low speed signals of plural channels including the first and second signals and transmission signals; a conversion step; and a step of time-division multiplexing the low speed signals after the conversion step, thereby obtaining high speed signals. When the present invention is applied to SDH for example, the first and second signals may be Al bytes and A2 bytes respectively, and the transmission signals may be payload signals. According to one aspect of the invention, at the conversion step, the first and second signals in each channel are partly converted into either of “1/0” alternating signals and “0/1” alternating signals.

Abstract: An optical-signal transmission apparatus and method for optical-signal transmission, or a signal processing apparatus for signal processing including optical-signal transmission. A number of terminals (circuit boards and the like) are connected, and communication can be freely performed among the terminals. A plurality of transmission nodes input optical signals having different light intensity levels into an optical transmission medium. A desired signal is separated and extracted from a multiplex signal where these optical signals transmitted from a reception node are overlaid.

Abstract: A gettering unit encompasses a silicon substrate, a thin film heater disposed on the silicon substrate, and a gettering layer disposed selectively on the thin film heater. Here, the thin film heater is made of metallic film such as platinum (Pt) or chromium (Cr) film. The area of the gettering layer is smaller than the area for the thin film heater so as to expose first and second end terminals of the thin film heater. The first and second end terminals of the thin film heater serves as the bonding pads in the assembling process.

Abstract: An optical bus system comprising an optical bus is furnished, along two opposed edges, with a plurality of signal light input/output portions for inputting and outputting signal light to and from the bus. Any one of the signal light input/output portions on one edge of the bus inputs signal light thereto and propagates the light to the opposite edge at which another signal light input/output portion outputs the propagated signal light from the bus. The system also comprises a plurality of light emitting/receiving circuits corresponding to the signal light input/output portions. Each light emitting/receiving circuit has a signal light sending unit and a signal light receiving unit. The signal light sending unit generates signal light and sends the generated signal light into the optical bus through the corresponding signal light input/output portion. The signal light receiving unit acquires a received light signal upon receipt of the signal light output by the corresponding signal light input/output portion.