Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a silicon nitride sintered body including: a step of molding and firing a raw material powder containing silicon nitride, in which an ?-conversion rate of the silicon nitride contained in the raw material powder is less than or equal to 30 mass %. A thermal conductivity (at 20° C.) of the silicon nitride sintered body exceeds 100 W/m·K and a fracture toughness (KIC) is greater than or equal to 7.4 MPa·m1/2.

Abstract: A threshold map generation unit 412 partitions a captured image into a crowded region and an uncrowded region on a basis of a manipulation signal from an input device 30, acquires a human determination threshold in accordance with a level of crowdedness for each region from the threshold storage unit 411, and generates a threshold map. A human detection unit 421 performs human detection using the human determination threshold corresponding to the region for each of the plurality of regions on the basis of the threshold map. A tracking unit 422 performs tracking of detected humans. A human detection reliability calculation unit 441 calculates human detection reliability for each of the detected humans using a human detection result and a tracking result. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain human detection information with high reliability and high precision.

Abstract: A substrate treating method includes a determining step for determining a treating condition for hydrophobizing a surface of a substrate, based on a target regarding a dissolved area size in a resist pattern, and a treating step for hydrophobizing the surface of the substrate with the treating condition determined in the determining step before forming resist film on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A nozzle starts discharging a processing liquid while a spin chuck holds and rotates a substrate having a water-repellent film being formed on a surface thereof. The processing liquid is discharged to a position spaced away from the center of the substrate by a preset distance, and flows so as to converge into one stream on the substrate immediately after discharge of the processing liquid starts. This achieves suppression of the minute water droplets. Moreover, the nozzle is moved toward outside of the substrate while discharging the processing liquid successively. This allows entire flow of the processing liquid to move toward outside of the substrate while the processing liquid converging into one stream on the substrate is maintained. Here, inside the flow of the processing liquid is a dried region.

Abstract: A substrate treating method includes a determining step for determining a treating condition for hydrophobizing a surface of a substrate, based on a target regarding a dissolved area size in a resist pattern, and a treating step for hydrophobizing the surface of the substrate with the treating condition determined in the determining step before forming resist film on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A nozzle starts discharging a processing liquid while a spin chuck holds and rotates a substrate having a water-repellent film being formed on a surface thereof. The processing liquid is discharged to a position spaced away from the center of the substrate by a preset distance, and flows so as to converge into one stream on the substrate immediately after discharge of the processing liquid starts. This achieves suppression of the minute water droplets. Moreover, the nozzle is moved toward outside of the substrate while discharging the processing liquid successively. This allows entire flow of the processing liquid to move toward outside of the substrate while the processing liquid converging into one stream on the substrate is maintained. Here, inside the flow of the processing liquid is a dried region.

Abstract: A memory management unit manages a state of a memory which is to be accessed by bank interleaving. The memory includes p banks (where p is an integer of 2 or greater). The memory management unit includes a control unit that dynamically determines a bank to be accessed from among the p banks. When predetermined conditions for a reserving state of the memory are satisfied and there is any unused bank in the p banks, the control unit performs power consumption reduction to control the memory to cause power consumption of the unused bank(s) to be less than power consumption of other banks in the p banks except the unused bank(s).

Abstract: There are provided an optical surface protection film capable of permitting even a visual inspection of a coated body having a fine roughness, such as a prism sheet, to be performed under the condition that the protection film is attached to the coated body and excelling in adhesion reliability without an optical adverse effect on the coated body, and an optical film with the surface protection film. The optical surface protection film (1) has a base material layer (10) and an adhesive layer (12) stacked on one surface of the base material layer. The surface of the base material layer (10) on the side of the adhesive layer (12) has an arithmetic surface average roughness (Ra2) of 0.65 ?m or less. The other surface of the base material layer (10) has an arithmetic surface average roughness (Ra1) of 0.6 ?m or more.

Abstract: Methods for measuring insulation resistance in a photovoltaic (PV) array may include partitioning the PV array into groups of PV panels, isolating a group of PV panels selected for an insulation resistance measurement from other groups of panels by setting bypass selectors on each PV panel in the PV array, and making an insulation resistance measurement for the selected group. If a measured value of insulation resistance for a selected group corresponds to an insulation problem in a PV array component, a separate measurement of insulation resistance may be made for each PV panel in the selected group. Insulation resistance measurements may be made accurately and rapidly for large PV arrays without disconnecting and reconnecting cables between panels. Measurements may be made at frequent, regular intervals to permit changes in insulation resistance to be detected before damage from dielectric breakdown occurs.

Abstract: There are provided an optical surface protection film capable of permitting even a visual inspection of a coated body having a fine roughness, such as a prism sheet, to be performed under the condition that the protection film is attached to the coated body and excelling in adhesion reliability without an optical adverse effect on the coated body, and an optical film with the surface protection film. The optical surface protection film (1) has a base material layer (10) and an adhesive layer (12) stacked on one surface of the base material layer. The surface of the base material layer (10) on the side of the adhesive layer (12) has an arithmetic surface average roughness (Ra2) of 0.65 ?m or less. The other surface of the base material layer (10) has an arithmetic surface average roughness (Ra1) of 0.6 ?m or more.

Abstract: Embodiments of a network topology for monitoring and controlling an array of solar panels include an intelligent node adapted to send and receive data and commands by at least two redundant means of communication. An intelligent node includes a solar panel, a node controller, a photovoltaic module, a bypass relay, a bypass bus, PLC and wireless communication interfaces for redundant means of communication, and sensor and actuator interfaces for monitoring and controlling the intelligent node. A PV module in the intelligent node may selectively be bypassed without interrupting network communications. Some embodiments include a plurality of intelligent nodes electrically connected serially into a chain of nodes and further connected to a gateway. Other embodiments include a plurality of chains of nodes connected to an inverter and a transformer, thereby defining an area. Additional embodiments further include a central server in communication with a plurality of areas.

Abstract: An example of an apparatus includes an intelligent node having a monitoring module for controlling electrical connections to other intelligent nodes in a photovoltaic array, redundant means of communication for exchanging data and commands with other intelligent nodes, a serial-parallel selector for combining output power from a photovoltaic panel connected to the monitoring module with output power from photovoltaic panels connected to monitoring modules in other intelligent nodes, and a bypass selector for excluding power from a photovoltaic panel from the output of a photovoltaic array.

Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) panel monitoring apparatus includes a monitoring module for measuring parameter values related to PV panel output, comparing measured values against minimum and maximum values saved in the monitoring module, and outputting an alarm signal when a measured value is outside a range defined by the minimum and maximum values. An alarm signal causes a visual indicator to activate and an audible indicator to sound, thereby assisting maintenance personnel in locating a PV panel with an out-of-range parameter value. The monitoring module further includes a PV panel identification memory for saving an identification code for each PV panel in a PV array. The identification code is transmitted with time, date, and parameter data when the monitoring module detects an out-of-range parameter value. Data may optionally be transmitted from the monitoring module through a communications input/output port or through a wireless transmitter to an external monitoring and control system.

Abstract: Embodiments of a network topology for monitoring and controlling an array of solar panels include an intelligent node adapted to send and receive data and commands by at least two redundant means of communication. An intelligent node includes a solar panel, a node controller, a photovoltaic module, a bypass relay, a bypass bus, PLC and wireless communication interfaces for redundant means of communication, and sensor and actuator interfaces for monitoring and controlling the intelligent node. A PV module in the intelligent node may selectively be bypassed without interrupting network communications. Some embodiments include a plurality of intelligent nodes electrically connected serially into a chain of nodes and further connected to a gateway. Other embodiments include a plurality of chains of nodes connected to an inverter and a transformer, thereby defining an area. Additional embodiments further include a central server in communication with a plurality of areas.

Abstract: Embodiments of a network topology for monitoring and controlling an array of solar panels include an intelligent node adapted to send and receive data and commands by at least two redundant means of communication. An intelligent node includes a solar panel, a node controller, a photovoltaic module, a bypass relay, a bypass bus, PLC and wireless communication interfaces for redundant means of communication, and sensor and actuator interfaces for monitoring and controlling the intelligent node. A PV module in the intelligent node may selectively be bypassed without interrupting network communications. Some embodiments include a plurality of intelligent nodes electrically connected serially into a chain of nodes and further connected to a gateway. Other embodiments include a plurality of chains of nodes connected to an inverter and a transformer, thereby defining an area. Additional embodiments further include a central server in communication with a plurality of areas.

Abstract: Methods for measuring insulation resistance in a photovoltaic (PV) array may include partitioning the PV array into groups of PV panels, isolating a group of PV panels selected for an insulation resistance measurement from other groups of panels by setting bypass selectors on each PV panel in the PV array, and making an insulation resistance measurement for the selected group. If a measured value of insulation resistance for a selected group corresponds to an insulation problem in a PV array component, a separate measurement of insulation resistance may be made for each PV panel in the selected group. Insulation resistance measurements may be made accurately and rapidly for large PV arrays without disconnecting and reconnecting cables between panels. Measurements may be made at frequent, regular intervals to permit changes in insulation resistance to be detected before damage from dielectric breakdown occurs.

Abstract: A system for maximizing power output from a photovoltaic array includes a configurable photovoltaic panel having a series-parallel selector and a bypass selector electrically controlled by a node controller. Some embodiments further include a plurality of configurable photovoltaic modules. A configurable photovoltaic panel may selectively be electrically connected to other configurable photovoltaic panels in a series circuit, a parallel circuit, or a combination of series and parallel circuits according to switching states set by the node controller for the bypass selector and series-parallel selector. A number of configurable photovoltaic panels connected in series and a number connected in parallel may optionally be selected in response to a change in an output voltage from a photovoltaic array, for example a voltage change resulting from a change in illumination, thereby causing the output voltage from the photovoltaic array to be greater than or equal to a minimum input voltage for an inverter.

Abstract: A signal change differential value detector detects a signal change differential value between two digital signals obtained when the analog imaging signal is converted into the digital value for each pixel using two phase adjustment sampling pulses. An analog imaging signal waveform estimator estimates a waveform of the analog imaging signal based on the signal change differential value. A timing adjuster calculates an optimal phase of the imaging pulse based on the waveform of the analog imaging signal estimated by the analog imaging signal waveform estimator.

Abstract: An imaging system according to the present inventions includes an image sensor in which a plurality of unit pixels are arranged on a chip and an image processing LSI for converting color components output from the image sensor to color signals. The imaging system is configured to select only color component which have passed through filters having similar spectral characteristics to spectral characteristics of the human eye from separation filter groups forming multi-layer film filters under white light and, on the other hand, combine color components which have passed through arbitrarily selected filters of the filters the separation filter groups to output the combined color components under illumination of low rendering lightning.

Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) panel monitoring apparatus includes a monitoring module for measuring parameter values related to PV panel output, comparing measured values against minimum and maximum values saved in the monitoring module, and outputting an alarm signal when a measured value is outside a range defined by the minimum and maximum values. An alarm signal causes a visual indicator to activate and an audible indicator to sound, thereby assisting maintenance personnel in locating a PV panel with an out-of-range parameter value. The monitoring module further includes a PV panel identification memory for saving an identification code for each PV panel in a PV array. The identification code is transmitted with time, date, and parameter data when the monitoring module detects an out-of-range parameter value. Data may optionally be transmitted from the monitoring module through a communications input/output port or through a wireless transmitter to an external monitoring and control system.