Abstract: According to one embodiment, a focus position changing apparatus is provided on an optical path of a confocal optical apparatus having a light source and an objective lens and is configured to change a focus position of the objective lens in an optical axis direction of the objective lens. The focus position changing apparatus includes at least a plurality of optical path changing pieces and a rotating plate. Each of the plurality of optical path changing pieces is differ from each other in at least one of a refractive index and a thickness. On the rotating plate, the plurality of optical path changing pieces is arranged along a rotation direction of the rotating plate so as to cross an optical axis of the objective lens. And an anti-reflection layer is formed in a predetermined region on a surface of the rotating plate on a side of the light source.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus includes at least an aperture plate that is provided with a plurality of confocal apertures which are two-dimensionally arranged to have a predetermined arrangement period, and an aperture plate displacement portion that displaces the aperture plate at a constant speed in a predetermined direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction. Further, the aperture plate is provided with a cover member which is moved integrally with the aperture plate and which includes a transparent body allowing the light beams from the light source to pass therethrough and to be irradiated to the plurality of confocal apertures, and protects the plurality of confocal apertures from dust. Further, an imaging optical system, by which each of reflected light beams is guided to a photo-detector, is designed in consideration of optical properties of the whole optical system including the transparent body of the cover member.

Abstract: An optical fiber electric current sensor includes a polarization-splitter (13) that splits light outputted from a sensor fiber (11) into two polarization planes of which polarization directions are perpendicular to each other, a depolarizer (17) that depolarizes each of the polarization components from the polarization-splitter (13), light receiving element that converts the two lights that were depolarized by the depolarizer (17) to a first signal (S1) and a second signal (S2) respectively, and a signal processing unit (15) that, based on the first signal (S1) and the second signal (S2), determines the magnitude of a Faraday rotation applied to the linearly-polarized light, and thereby calculates a value of the current to be measured.

Abstract: A polarization bearing detection type two-dimensional light reception timing detecting device for implementing a fast surface shape measurement that can accommodate an animal body measurement, and a surface shape measuring device using it. The polarization bearing of a detection light is turned in synchronization with slit light scanning, and the polarization bearing is two-dimensionally recorded by two sets of analyzers and storage type image detectors in a crossed Nicols arrangement, and thereby it is possible to determine, with only one-time imaging, timing at which a slit light is beamed into respected pixels in the storage type image detectors.

Abstract: A network linking together one or more servers and a plurality of network terminals which function on a basic software set downloaded from a server and are uses for remotely operating the application software stored in the servers, configured so that a switch-off command can be sent from a server to all network terminal simultaneously and each of said network terminals, and, in response to the switch-off command, checks whether the basic software set being used on the network terminal requires disconnection from the corresponding server prior to switch-off in order to prevent problems caused by switch-off and then switches off the power after disconnection if the basic software set requires disconnection, or otherwise switches off the power immediately without disconnection.

Abstract: An active confocal image acquisition apparatus includes a confocal image acquisition system and a liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel is disposed in the confocal image acquisition system so that its elements are aligned with elements of the detector. The light transmittance of elements of the liquid crystal panel is adjusted so as to make the intensities of reflection of all pixels (the values attained when the parts reflecting light are at or near the focused position) as close to a predetermined level as possible. By this configuration and method of using it, the active confocal image acquisition apparatus can perform accurate measurement if there are high-reflectance and low-reflectance parts together in the measuring field.

Abstract: The micro-scanning multislit confocal image acquisition apparatus of the present invention is a confocal image acquisition apparatus that comprises a nonscanning multislit confocal image acquisition system using a slit array instead of a pinhole array and a multislit-image microscanning mechanism for moving the image of the slit array in a small back and forth motion with respect to the object during each exposure of the two-dimensional arrayed photodetector in one complete measurement. Microscanning the image of the slit array with an amplitude equal to half the distance between adjacent slits increase the aperture ratio of the pixels to 100 percent, reducing blind regions to zero. As a result, this apparatus can measure a small object that cannot be measured by a conventional nonscanning confocal image acquisition apparatus because of blind regions.

Abstract: A coil apparatus for a linear-motor railway system comprises six superconductive coils mounted on a bogie of a vehicle at a predetermined pitch such that N and S poles are alternately formed; ground coils disposed on either side wall of a guide, each of the ground coils providing propulsion, levitation, and guide functions, and each set of three ground coils corresponding to a pair of adjacent superconductive coils that form N and S poles; and a feeder circuit connected to the ground coils. The coil apparatus can decrease the number of ground coils in order to decrease man-hour required for installation, and to facilitate inspection and maintenance of contact points through reduction in the number of the connection points.

Abstract: A three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus using a confocal imaging system which has a new means for changing the distance in the Z direction between the object and the object-position-in-focus, instead of an object stage moved in the Z direction. This means shifts the object-position-in-focus in the Z direction by refraction. One means inserts a plurality of transparent flat plates between the objective lens and the object-position-in-focus in turn. Another means uses a transparent flat plate made of a material for which the refractive index changes according to the voltage applied and is disposed between the object and the object-position-in-focus.

Abstract: A single-phase three-wire type transformer which forms secondary coils by duplex coils winding two conductors in parallel according to the division intersection connection and can reduce currents circulating inside of a circuit of the transformer, thereby reducing the loss in the transformer. Coils A and B are formed in two opposing locations of a core (1). The coils A and B are configured so that two secondary coils and a primary coil are overlapped and wound in sequence from the inside of the core (1) in three layers, respectively. Each of the secondary coils provided by winding two conductors of small diameter in parallel condition on the core (1). One duplex coil connects the two parallel winding conductors in series with the other duplex coil, i.e.

Abstract: A three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus which has an improved arrayed confocal imaging system.A three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus using a confocal imaging system which has a new means for changing the distance in the Z direction between the object and the object-position-in-focus, instead of an object stage moved in the Z direction. This means shifts the object-position-in-focus in the Z direction by refraction. One means inserts a plurality of transparent flat plates between the objective lens and the object-position-in-focus in turn. Another means uses a transparent flat plate made of a material for which the refractive index changes according to the voltage applied and is disposed between the object and the object-position-in-focus.

Abstract: A three-dimensional image acquisition apparatus for acquiring a plurality of images of an object with the positions in focus shifted at predetermined step distances used for measuring the three-dimensional shape of an object.This three-dimensional image acquisition apparatus comprises an image forming lens, a two-dimensional image pickup means for converting the optical image of an object into electric signals and outputting the electric signals, at least one rotary support which has a plurality of transparent plates differing in thickness or refractive index or both secured thereto and is disposed so that when it is rotated the transparent plates in turn intersects the optical axis between the image forming lens and the object or the image forming lens and the two-dimensional image pickup means, and at least one drive means for intermittently or continuously rotating the rotary support.