Abstract: In an active muffler having improved response characteristics, a speaker section includes a diaphragm adapted to generate sound, a voice coil for driving the diaphragm, and a distance sensor to detect the movement of the diaphragm. A light generated by the LED is reflected by the diaphragm, the reflected light is detected by a phototransistor to thereby measure the distance to the diaphragm, so that the movement of the diaphragm is detected. Noise is detected by a microphone, and a signal having opposite phase to that of the noise is generated by an opposite-phase generating section. The difference between the opposite-phase signal and the signal of the distance to the speaker from the distance sensor is calculated and inputted to a PID control section. Such a difference indicates the delay of the speaker movement. Feedback control is performed in a direction in which the difference is canceled out.

Abstract: In an object detection method and an object detector 10 using the method, HOG feature (A) of a target image is computed, and existence of a target object P in the image is judged based on HOG feature (B) pre-computed for a sample image 20 having the object P pictured therein. A classifier 18 to judge the existence of the object P in the image is constructed based on a feature pattern representing the existence of the object P obtained by calculating a plurality of the HOG features (B) having different bin numbers for each of a plurality of local areas (cells) 19 in the image 20. The existence of the object P in the image is judged by the classifier 18 based on a plurality of the HOG features (A) having different bin numbers computed for each of the local areas 19 in the image.

Abstract: Provided is a dielectrophoresis apparatus with which it is possible to handle (move, stop, separate and sort, etc.) a dielectric particle utilizing dielectrophoresis and to measure dielectrophoretic force. The interior of a dielectrophoresis device that includes a case having a flat top or bottom surface is filled with a dielectric solution S and accepts introduction of a small target body (particle) P comprising a dielectric. A non-uniform alternating electric field is formed within the case. By tilting the case (through an angle ?pitch or other direction), rotating the case in an inclined plane (through a rotational angle ?yaw) or adjusting the voltage and frequency of the alternating electric field, imbalance or balance is produced between a dielectrophoretic force FDEP that acts upon the small body and a force FG sin ?pitch ascribable to gravity and buoyancy, thereby enabling the small body to be moved and stopped.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for measuring surface properties of a polishing pad which measures surface properties such as surface topography or surface condition of a polishing pad used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus for measuring surface properties of a polishing pad includes a laser beam source configured to emit a laser beam, and a photodetector configured to detect scattered light that is reflected and scattered by the polishing pad, an optical Fourier transform being performed on the detected scattered light to produce an intensity distribution corresponding to a spatial wavelength spectrum based on surface topography of the polishing pad. The laser beam is applied to the polishing pad at such an incident angle that the laser beam does not reach a bottom portion of a pore formed in the surface of the polishing pad.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of measuring surface properties of a polishing pad which measures surface properties such as surface topography or surface condition of a polishing pad used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The method of measuring surface properties of a polishing pad includes applying a laser beam to the polishing pad, detecting scattered light that is reflected and scattered by the polishing pad with a photodetector and performing an optical Fourier transform on the detected scattered light to produce an intensity distribution corresponding to a spatial wavelength spectrum based on surface topography of the polishing pad, and calculating a numerical value representing surface properties of the polishing pad based on the intensity distribution corresponding to two different prescribed spatial wavelength ranges.

Abstract: In an object detecting method according to an embodiment, external reference points are set in external space of a model of an object and an internal reference point is set in internal space of the model. A table is stored in which feature quantities on a local surface of the model are associated with positions of the external reference points and the internal reference point. The feature quantity on the local surface of the model is calculated, and the position of the reference point whose feature quantity is identical to the calculated feature quantity is acquired from the table and is converted into a position in a real space. When the converted position is outside the object, the position is excluded from information for estimation and the position and the attitude of the object are estimated.

Abstract: Provided is a dye-sensitized solar cell, and a method for manufacturing the same, that in a technology in which a current collector electrode is used instead of a transparent conductive film, can be manufactured by a simple cell producing operation and is capable of achieving a desirably thin thickness for the current collector electrode. A dye-sensitized solar cell 10 includes a transparent substrate 12 provided on the side where solar light is incident, a conductive substrate 14 that serves as a cathode and is provided opposite the transparent substrate 12, a porous semiconductor layer 16, a porous conductive metal layer 18 that serves as a current collector electrode, and a porous insulating layer 20. The porous conductive metal layer 18 is a layer that has a thickness of 0.3 ?m to 100 ?m and is deposited on the porous insulating layer 20.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an object motion estimating device and the like, which solve a problem of assuming translational movement (that is, a spatial gradient is 0) of an optical flow and are suitable to estimation of an optical flow by an image analysis of captured images. The object motion estimating device performs the image analysis of the captured images of the object to estimate motion of the object. The object motion estimating device includes an image analyzing unit 15. The image analyzing unit 15 assumes time invariance of the optical flow while not assuming the translational movement, and the image analyzing unit 15 estimates the optical flow with intensity at each point of the captured images as measurement variable while simultaneously estimating a spatial gradient of the optical flow. The assumption about the translational movement of the optical flow is an assumption about the optical flow that is actually unknown.

Abstract: A cylinder portion is divided into a cylinder main body, and two side cylinders coupled to opposite ends of the cylinder main body. The cylinder main body is configured so that a sample-enclosing capsule in which a sample and a pressure medium are enclosed can be disposed inside the cylinder main body. Pistons for load transmission are disposed at opposite ends of the interior of the cylinder portion; and locking nuts are provided on the outer sides of the positions. The pistons are moved in an axial direction by screwing the locking nuts. With this configuration, a piston cylinder-type high-pressure generating device in which a cylinder having a small outer diameter is formed of a non-magnetic material can generate a high pressure while securing a sample space having a predetermined effective volume.

Abstract: To provide a dye-sensitized solar cell with suppressed photoelectric conversion efficiency deterioration due to a gap to be possibly be generated between a transparent member on which a light is incident and the dye-sensitized solar cell components. A dye-sensitized solar cell 10 is provided with a dye-sensitized solar cell components unit 14 arranged within a cylindrical transparent member 12, the unit having an electrolyte layer, current collecting electrode 18, and porous semiconductor layer 20 carrying dye cylindrically laminated in this order centering around a cathode electrode layer 16. The cathode electrode layer 16 is a spring body, and the dye-sensitized solar cell components unit 14 is pressed to the transparent member 12 with an elastic restoring force of the spring.

Abstract: The present invention is to generate a pulsed laser beam having a width greater than the gap between a rotating tool and a workpiece opposed thereto, and then irradiate the gap with the generated laser beam while the optical axis thereof is tilted relative to a workpiece plane. The pulsed laser beam has one lased-pulse period per one revolution or an integer number of revolutions of the rotating tool and is directed in the same angle range relative to the rotating tool within the ON durations of the lased pulse. The light which has irradiated the gap and has not been interrupted but diffracted by the gap is detected on a light-receiving sensor to measure the length of the gap.

Abstract: A dye-sensitized solar cell is provided, wherein it can be produced by a relatively easy and simple process and ensures high conversion efficiency even in cases where the thickness of the porous semiconductor layer is increased. The dye-sensitized solar cell 10 includes, in the interior of or on the conductive-substrate-side surface of the porous semiconductor layer 16, conductive metal film 20, such as a film of tungsten, having a large number of randomly located penetrations 24. Penetrations 24 of the conductive metal film 20 are formed by forming a fine-particle layer on the surface of the porous semiconductor layer, forming a conductive metal film on the surface of the fine-particle layer, and making the fine-particle layer disappear by heating or solvent-cleaning.

Abstract: A dye-sensitized solar cell is provided, wherein it can be produced by a relatively easy and simple process and ensures high conversion efficiency even in cases where the thickness of the porous semiconductor layer is increased. The dye-sensitized solar cell 10 includes, in the interior of or on the conductive-substrate-side surface of the porous semiconductor layer 16, conductive metal film 20, such as a film of tungsten, having a large number of randomly located penetrations 24. Penetrations 24 of the conductive metal film 20 are formed by forming a fine-particle layer on the surface of the porous semiconductor layer, forming a conductive metal film on the surface of the fine-particle layer, and making the fine-particle layer disappear by heating or solvent-cleaning.

Abstract: To provide a device to reconfigure multi-level logic networks, which enable logic modification and reconfiguration of a multi-level logic network with small circuit area and low-power dissipation in a simple manner. For example, in the case of reconfiguring a multi-level logic network following logic modification for deleting an output vector F(b) of an objective logic function F(X) corresponding to an input vector b, unmodified pq elements are selected one by one from the nearest pq element EG to an output side. At this time, among output values of pq elements closer to an input side than selected pq elements, output values corresponding to the input vector, which equal an output value corresponding to any input variable X other than the input vector b are considered modified and thus not selected. Then, a selected output value corresponding to the input vector b is rewritten to an “invalid value”.

Abstract: A dye-sensitized solar cell is provided, wherein it can be produced by a relatively easy and simple process and ensures high conversion efficiency even in cases where the thickness of the porous semiconductor layer is increased. The dye-sensitized solar cell 10 includes, in the interior of or on the conductive-substrate-side surface of the porous semiconductor layer 16, conductive metal film 20, such as a film of tungsten, having a large number of randomly located penetrations 24. Penetrations 24 of the conductive metal film 20 are formed by forming a fine-particle layer on the surface of the porous semiconductor layer, forming a conductive metal film on the surface of the fine-particle layer, and making the fine-particle layer disappear by heating or solvent-cleaning.

Abstract: An organic thin-film transistor comprising a gate electrode, a gate insulator layer, an organic semiconductor layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode wherein the organic semiconductor layer consists of the organic semiconductor material having the structure represented by the general formula (1) shown below, and the organic semiconductor layer has crystallinity: wherein L represents a bivalent linker group having the structure consisting of one group or any combination of two or more groups selected from unsubstituted or fluorinated benzene residue, unsubstituted or fluorinated thiophene residue, unsubstituted or fluorinated thienothophene residue; R1 represents carbonyl group, cyano group or C1-C6 fluorinated alkyl group; R2 represents halogen atom, cyano group, carbonyl group or acetyl group.

Abstract: A high frequency signal interpolation apparatus provides, with a simple structure, a high-quality digital audio signal through interpolation of high frequency signals missing due to compression. The high frequency signal interpolation apparatus includes a peak value detection and holding circuit configured to detect a peak value of a digital audio signal provided to an input terminal by sampling the digital audio signal and generate a square wave signal by holding the detected peak value; a high-pass filter configured to extract a higher harmonic component from the generated square wave signal; and an adder configured to add the extracted higher harmonic component to the digital audio signal provided to the input terminal.

Abstract: Provided are a squarylium dye having a carboxyindolenine structure and an N-alkyl substituent, and a photoelectric conversion element having high photoelectric conversion efficiency in a near-infrared region and a dye-sensitized solar cell, both of which are produced using the squarylium dye. The photoelectric conversion element or dye-sensitized solar cell uses a compound represented by the formula (1) as the squarylium dye. In the formula (1), R1 and R2 represent a substituted or unsubstituted C5 to C30 alkyl group; X represents C(CH3)2; and A and B represent a carboxy group.

Abstract: An electrode module includes a working electrode, a counter electrode, a reference electrode and a well (container) for retaining an electrolytic solution and is used in electrochemical measuring instruments. This electrode module is produced by integrating the well with at least one of the working electrode, the counter electrode and the reference electrode. This integrated electrode includes a chip-like electrode having a thin membrane of an electrode material formed on the surface of a chip-like base metal. This chip-like electrode is disposed on and integrated with the bottom of the well in a detachable manner. There is provided the compact, low price electrode module of high repetition use efficiency with no need of maintenance and having easy handling.

Abstract: There is provided a superconductive cable wherein an efficiency of an electric power transmission is increased to a maximum and the superconductive cable is miniaturized by strengthening a longitudinal magnetic field in a superconductive material.