Abstract: A deployable reflector of the invention includes connection members that bridge plural extendable structures constituting a deployable truss structure and connect portions corresponding to nodes of a buckling mode occurring in the extendable structures when a surface cable system is given tension, with portions corresponding to antinodes thereof. The surface cable system includes an internal surface cable system and a circumferential surface cable system connected to the outer circumference thereof. A cable used for the internal surface cable system is high in stiffness and small in ratio of length variation to tension variation. A cable used for the circumferential surface cable system is lower in stiffness and smaller in ratio of the tension variation to the length variation than that used for the internal surface cable system. Given tension by the deployable truss structure via the circumferential surface cable system, the internal surface cable system forms predetermined surface shape.

Abstract: An optical functioning component has a tubular housing with a front end side having substantially the same shape as that of a front end of a removable plug housing of an optical connector plug. A rear end side of the tubular housing has a shape configured for connection to the optical connector plug when the plug housing is removed from the optical connector plug. A ferrule is provided on the front end side of the tubular housing and has a mechanism capable of attenuating, cutting-off, reflecting or absorbing a specific wavelength of light. An optical connection sleeve is connected to an end of the ferrule. A frame supports the ferrule and the optical connection sleeve and is mounted in the tubular housing for undergoing axial movement therein by a preselected amount.

Abstract: In a P2MP system in which upstream bandwidth is shared by a plurality of ONUs, a dynamic bandwidth allocation circuit is provided which reduces the consumption of memory capacity, and avoids the divergence of parameters. A dynamic bandwidth allocation circuit provided in an optical line terminal (OLT) calculates, for each cycle and for each ONU, a target data size (targetj,k) which constitutes a target for allocated data size (allocatedj,k). Furthermore, taking the time constant of an exponential weighted moving average as ?, and taking ?=(??1)/(?+1), an ideal allocated data size (idealj,k) is calculated by idealj,k=targetj,k?(?/(1??))·excessj,k?1. Furthermore, an excess allocated data size (excessj,k) per one cycle is calculated by excessj,k=?·excessj,k?1+(1??)·(allocatedj,k?targetj,k). If idealj,k<0, the condition that bandwidth allocation is not granted is used for bandwidth allocation.

Abstract: An optical amplifier includes a first optical path, second optical path, semiconductor optical amplifier, and multi-mode interference 3-dB coupler. The first optical path guides oscillation light. The second optical path guides signal light. The semiconductor optical amplifier causes oscillation on the first optical path. The multi-mode interference 3-dB coupler crosses the first and optical paths in the gain medium of the semiconductor optical amplifier.

Abstract: In retransmission processing due to a failure of transmission of data packets, a plurality of data packets are simultaneously transmitted between two STAs by utilizing multiple wireless channels and MIMO, and the number of idle channels and the number of retransmission packets are compared. Then, when both of the numbers are different or only when the number of idle channels is larger than the number of retransmission packets, the retransmission packets are reconstructed according to the number of idle channels, and the reconstructed retransmission packets are simultaneously transmitted by using the idle channels.

Abstract: An optical multi/demultiplexing circuit includes at least one phase generating optical coupler and an optical delay line coupled to the phase generating optical coupler. The phase generating optical coupler consists of at least one input and at least two outputs. At least one of the phase generating optical coupler has a wavelength dependent or frequency dependent output phase difference in the passband of the circuit so that it can change the transmittance characteristics of the optical multi/demultiplexing circuit.

Abstract: A data transfer apparatus and a data transfer system are provided that can reduce the cost of installing communication equipment compatible with each of several dissimilar communication protocols in one exchange office and can reduce the cost of constructing the network.

Abstract: In a two dimensional image recording and reproducing scheme, a position of a prescribed pattern in an information recording image that contains the prescribed pattern is detected by detecting a rough position of the prescribed pattern in the information recording image in units of pixel size, and then detecting a detailed position of the prescribed pattern in the information recording image in units less than the pixel size, according to the rough position and a center of gravity of a distribution of similarities between regions in the information recording image and a reference image of the prescribed pattern.

Abstract: A bit-rate discrimination circuit for determining which bit-rate an input signal has, a first bit-rate or a second bit-rate higher than the first bit-rate, is disclosed. The circuit is characterized by a frequency selection unit configured to filter out a signal having the second bit-rate, and allow at least a fraction of the low frequency component of a signal having the first bit-rate to pass through; a determination unit configured to determine whether the fraction of the low frequency component of the signal having the first bit-rate has passed through said frequency selection unit; a smoothing unit configured to smooth the output of said determination unit; and a level conversion unit configured to convert the output of said smoothing unit to a logic level. According to the above arrangements, the bit-rate of the input signal can be discriminated based on the low frequency component thereof.

Abstract: An optical signal quality degradation monitoring apparatus for monitoring an optical wavelength division multiplex signal is implemented in a small size. To monitor the optical signal quality degradation in the optical wavelength division multiplex signal by a configuration as simple as possible, the following configurations are used: A configuration using an optical wavelength division demultiplexer and a sampling clock generator to make one an electric signal processor; A configuration using an optical sampling pulse train generator, an optical multiplexer, a nonlinear optical medium, and an optical wavelength division demultiplexer to make one an electric signal processor; or a configuration using a selection wavelength control section, an optical wavelength selecting section, and a sampling clock generator to make one electric signal.

Abstract: A booster circuit generates a boosted output by boosting a low voltage output supplied as a target to be boosted and feeds back a part of the boosted output, an output by the booster circuit itself, to the booster circuit as operation energy. An auxiliary booster circuit outputs start-up energy generated based on a low voltage output to the booster circuit as start-up energy that is necessary for starting up the booster circuit.

Abstract: A function reconfigurable semiconductor device is provided. The function reconfigurable semiconductor device includes a plurality of function cells, each of the function cells being a basic unit which realizes a function; each of the function cells including a plurality of threshold elements; each of the threshold elements including means which stores a threshold value; and wherein a function which is realized by the function cell is determined by determining the threshold value in each of the threshold elements. In addition, the semiconductor device includes a nonvolatile memory which stores data for realizing the function in the function cells.

Abstract: This invention discloses an optical burst transmission system in which an optical generator generates Type 1 lightwaves having different wavelengths corresponding to transmission lines and having undergone intensity modulation with obtained data; a broad spectrum optical generator generates, by incorporating Type 2 lightwaves, a Type 3 lightwave using a fewer light emitting devices than the number of the Type 1 lightwaves, each Type 2 lightwaves having a corresponding wavelength apart from Type 1 lightwave's wavelength with an FSR interval and having undergone the intensity modulation with clock signals; an optical multiplexer multiplexes the Type 1 and Type 3 lightwaves to output the combination to each transmission line; and an optical routing unit extracts, from the combination, pairs of one Type 1 lightwave and one Type 2 lightwave having the corresponding wavelength, and guides pairs to each transmission line corresponding to the Type 1 lightwave's wavelength in each pair.

Abstract: An optical module includes an under cladding, a first core, a second core, and an over cladding. The under cladding has a flat shape as a whole. The first core has a quadrangular cross section and is placed on the under cladding. The second core is placed on a terminal end portion of the first core. The over cladding is placed in a region including the terminal end portion of the first core and the second core placed on the terminal end portion of the first core. The under cladding and the first core placed thereon constitute a first optical waveguide. The under cladding, the terminal end portion of the first core placed on the under cladding, the second core placed thereon, and the over cladding placed on and around the second core constitute a mode field size conversion portion. The under cladding, the second core placed on the under cladding, and the over cladding placed on and around the second core constitute a second optical waveguide. The first core is made of silicon.

Abstract: A conductive transparent probe used in a probe control apparatus for adjusting a distance between the apex of the probe and a sample by vibrating the probe with an vibrator in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the probe is provided. The conductive transparent probe includes: an optical fiber having a taper part at one end; a conductive transparent film formed on the surface of the taper part; a first metal film formed on the surface of the optical fiber other than the taper part; wherein the conductive transparent film and the first metal film are electrically connected, and length and thickness of the first metal film are determined such that the conductive transparent probe vibrates while contacting with the vibrator.

Abstract: In a wireless communication system formed by a plurality of access points constituting a wireless network, through which user terminals make accesses, and at least one control station configured to control the access points, public access points are systematically set up by a manager of the control station, while user's personal access points to be freely set up by users at desired locations according to needs of users are accommodated by operating the control station to measure a utilization level of each user's personal access point and charge an owner of each user's personal access point according to a measured utilization level and set up relay routes using the public access points and the user's personal access points.

Abstract: A method of establishing a multicast transfer route is disclosed that can reduce the cost of entire route under a constraint on delay incurred between starting point and ending points. The method includes the steps of: computing the shortest route with respect to delay connecting the starting point and the plural ending points based on measurement result; computing delay from a node on the shortest route to each ending point and the greatest delay; removing, if the greatest delay satisfies a delay condition, the greatest-cost route from the shortest route in accordance with selection criteria effective for cost reduction; dividing the multicast transfer route into two route trees; and establishing separately computed route as a complementary route that complement the removed route for connecting the two route trees. A method of multicast label switching for realizing the above method is also disclosed.

Abstract: There is provided an optical connector device which prevents leakage of light until right before connectors are connected to each other and is small-sized by a reduction in space for housing shutters. The optical connector device is an optical connector device comprising a first optical connector and a second optical connector. When shutters for shutting out light from the optical connectors are collided with each other, the shutters move to positions where they do not shut out the light. Therefore, the first optical connector and the second optical connector are connected to each other. After moving, the shutter of the first optical connector and the shutter of the second optical connector are inserted into the second optical connector while remaining contacting each other.

Abstract: A method for embedding digital watermark data in digital data contents includes the steps of obtaining a frequency coefficient of block data of digital data contents, obtaining a complexity of the block data, obtaining an amount of transformation of the frequency coefficient from the complexity and the digital watermark data, and embedding the digital watermark data by transforming the frequency coefficient. In addition, a method for reading digital watermark data includes the steps of calculating a probability of reading ‘1’ or ‘0’ in a read bit sequence by using a test method on the basis of binary distribution, determining the presence or absence of digital watermark data according to the probability, and reconstituting digital watermark data. Another method includes the steps of performing soft decision in code theory by assigning weights to the digital watermark sequence with a weighting function, and reconstituting digital watermark data.

Abstract: Two images P1 and P2 having different backgrounds are input into a transparency calculation processing part AT. The transparency calculation processing part AT obtains a transparency image PT from P1 and P2. Next, noise is removed from the transparency image PT as necessary. A color calculation processing part AC generates a color image PC from P1 and P2. Next, a cutting processing part AR cuts unnecessary parts from the transparency image PT and the color image PC. Finally, an overlaying processing part AS overlays the object O on a background image PZ by using PT, PC and PZ.