Abstract: A gas sensor includes a body having a measurement-gas chamber and a reference-gas chamber. The measurement-gas chamber is supplied with a measurement gas. The reference-gas chamber is supplied with a reference gas. A detecting cell provided in the body includes (1) a solid electrolyte member, (2) a measuring electrode provided on the solid electrolyte member and facing the measurement-gas chamber, and (3) a reference electrode provided on the solid electrolyte member and facing the reference-gas chamber. A heater portion operates for heating the detecting cell. The heater portion includes (1) a first substrate, (2) a heating member provided on the first substrate, (3) a high-voltage-side lead portion provided on the first substrate and electrically connected to the heating member, (4) a low-voltage-side lead portion provided on the first substrate and electrically connected to the heating member, and (5) a second substrate covering the heating member.

Abstract: A pay information providing service system charges each time the received information is decrypted, while maintaining high security, and enables temporary copying, thereby achieving a time shift function. To realize a tuner section, a display output control section, and a time shift function of shifting the display timing of the received information, there is provided a received information temporary storage section for storing the received information temporarily. To assure the security in realizing the time shift function, making use of the delivery time information sent from the transmission side, there are provided an allowed display time difference setting section, a totalized time shift time computing section, and a decrypting section. Furthermore, to charge properly, there are provided a user authenticating section, a charging information extracting section, and a received information control and charging section.

Abstract: A composite gas sensor comprises a pump cell, a NOx sensor cell and an oxygen sensor cell. The NOx sensor cell is connected to a first ammeter and a constant power source to measure the NOx concentration of a sample gas. The pump cell is connected to a second ammeter and a variable power source to measure an air-fuel ratio of the sample gas. The oxygen sensor cell is connected to a voltmeter. A controller adjusts the variable power source to produce a constant value from the voltmeter.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a thermally isolated element formed above a substrate such that the thermally isolated element is isolated from the substrate by a cavity, a thermal-to-electrical transducer for converting heat to an electrical signal, an electrical-to-thermal transducer for converting an electrical signal to heat, a functional material whose physical property changes at a particular temperature, and a circuit, formed on the substrate, for controlling the electrical-to-thermal transducer in accordance with a signal received from the thermal-to-electrical transducer. The thermal-to-electrical transducer, the electrical-to-thermal transducer, and the functional material are formed in the thermally isolated element.

Abstract: A semiconductor device with an electric converter element on a diaphragm is provided, in which the diaphragm has an improved thermal shielding or blocking capability from a semiconductor substrate without lowering the mechanical strength of a leg of the diaphragm. The semiconductor device includes of a semiconductor substrate, a diaphragm mechanically connected to the substrate by a thermally-resistive leg, an electric converter element provided on the diaphragm, an electronic circuit formed on the substrate, and an electric path located on the leg for electrically connecting the electric converter element and the electronic circuit. The diaphragm is electrically insulated and thermally separated from the substrate. The electric converter element conducts a conversion between a physical quantity and an electric input/output signal. The electric path is made of a metal suicide to decrease its thermal conductivity without decreasing its electrical conductivity.

Abstract: An objective gas to be measured is introduced into first and second chambers which are connected via a diffusion resistive passage. A first electrochemical cell is provided in the first chamber for pumping in and out oxygen in accordance with an applied voltage. A second electrochemical cell is provided in the second chamber and responsive to application of a predetermined voltage for generating a sensor current representing a specific gas concentration in the objective gas. The first electrochemical cell is located between the first chamber and a reference gas chamber so that oxygen pumping in and out operation can be performed between the first chamber and the reference gas chamber.

Abstract: In order to raise accuracy of measurement, a compound layered type of sensing device is provided. The device comprises a plurality of solid electrolyte plates and first to third electrochemical cells. Each cell has a single pair of electrodes disposed on the solid electrolyte plates. A concentration of a gas specified from a gas to be measured pre-processed based on oxygen pumping by the first electrochemical cell is detected by the second electrochemical cell. A difference in electromotive force between the gas to be measured and a reference gas is detected by the third electrochemical cell. The single pair of electrodes of the third electrochemical cell is disposed on the same surface of one of the solid electrolyte plates, and both of the first and third electrochemical cells are located with different ones of the solid electrolyte plates.

Abstract: Disclosed is a NOx gas detecting apparatus which is capable of detecting a NOx gas at a low concentration with high accuracy over a long period of time even if Au or impurities contained in exhaust gas adheres to a cathode of a NOx detecting cell, and which is excellent in startability and responsivity. The NOx detecting apparatus comprises an oxygen pumping cell for removing oxygen from a measurement gas, and a NOx detecting cell. The NOx detecting cell includes, as a cathode, a cermet electrode composed of a Pt-Pd alloy, a Pt-Au-Pd alloy, or a Pt-Pd-Rh alloy along with a ceramic component. An addition amount of Pd to the alloy is preferably from 1 to 90 wt %. A weight ratio of Pd to Au in the Pt-Au-Pd alloy is preferably not less than 1.67. An addition amount of Rh in the Pt-Pd-Rh alloy is not more than 30 wt %.

Abstract: A gas sensing element having a sample gas chamber into which a sample gas is introduced, and a reference gas chamber into which a reference gas is introduced. A sensor cell detects a specific gas concentration in the sample gas chamber. An oxygen pump cell pump cell pumps oxygen gas from or to the sample gas chamber. An introducing passage includes at least one pinhole provided on a surface of the oxygen pump cell for introducing the measuring gas into the sample gas chamber. The surface of the oxygen pump cell faces an outside of the gas sensing element. And, a porous diffusion resistive layer is provided on the surface of the oxygen pump cell so as to cover a portion corresponding to the introducing passage, thus serving to reduce or eliminate the effects of temperature dependency upon gas sensor output for properly sized and machine pinholes.

Abstract: An imaging device has a control block for offsetting signal levels and controlling the amplification factor for the signal levels within one frame. The imaging device can image a subject having low-illuminance and high-illuminance areas without reduction in the sensitivity, and allows a wide dynamic range and high sensitivity to be achieved real-time. The imaging device thus can image subjects of different illuminance levels ranging from a low-illuminance subject to a high-illuminance subject, and can differentiate small illuminance distributions.

Abstract: A fiber optic laser conducting probe is used for photodynamic therapy. In this fiber optic laser conducting probe, an optical fiber has an end used for conducting a pulse laser beam. The laser beam is conducted through the optical fiber and irradiated from the end. A end tip is made of polyamide resin. The end tip has a hollow portion, and is attached to the end of the optical fiber such that the pulse laser beam can be irradiated through the end of the optical fiber, through the hollow portion and through the end tip.

Abstract: A thermal-type infrared imaging device includes a first thermo-electric converting element (101) for generating an electric signal which corresponds to temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray, a first bipolar transistor (102) having its emitted connected to the first thermo-electric converting element (101), and a second bipolar transistor (104) having its collector connected to the collector of the first bipolar transistor (102). The thermal-type infrared imaging device further includes a resistor (103) connected at one end thereof to a power supply and at the other end to the emitter of the second bipolar transistor (104), and an integration capacitor (105) connected to a connecting point of the respective collectors of the first and second bipolar transistors (102 and 104).

Abstract: A flicker reduction system for display of computer graphics on an interlaced display is provided. Under the control of a computer or game system, horizontal lines are analyzed to determine if flicker conditions are present. If flicker conditions exist, a horizontal line may be constrained to occupy a certain field depending on the location of the graphical object relative to other graphical objects. Analyzing flicker conditions allows a flicker-free display to be created without unnecessarily reducing resolution of the display. The flicker conditions may be analyzed whenever a new graphical object is created or when an existing graphical object is moved. Additionally, all horizontal edges may be constrained to being displayed in the same field to reduce flicker.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio sensing element comprises a cup-shaped solid electrolyte with one end opened and the other end closed, an external electrode provided on an outer wall surface of the solid electrolyte so as to be exposed to measured gas, and an internal electrode provided on an inner wall surface of the solid electrolyte in a confronting relationship to the external electrode. A first insulating layer, made of a gas-permeable and nonconductive porous material, is provided on the external electrode at least in a region used for detecting of an air-fuel ratio. A second insulating layer is provided outside the first insulating layer and, a heater layer as provided between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive infrared-light image sensor is provided with an array of reference cells and video cells. During a setup (initialization) mode, video offset values are produced as representative of deviations of video samples from the video cells and stored in a memory. First reference offset values are produced as representative of deviations of reference samples from the reference cells and a first average value representing an average of the first reference offset values is derived and stored into a first register. During an operational mode, second reference offset values are produced as representative of deviations of reference samples from the reference cells, and a second average value representing an average of the second reference offset values is derived and stored into a second register.

Abstract: A digital audio tape recorder for processing input signals in a predetermined manner and for digitally recording the processed signals on a recording medium or reproducing digital signals recorded on the recording medium by a rotary head has a time base compressing unit and a time base expanding unit for time base compressing signals supplied to the rotary head or time base expanding signals reproduced from the rotary head for recording and reproducing data at a high transmission rate on or from the recording medium. Time base compression/expenion and the rotation of the rotary head at a number of revolutions in conformity to the high transmission rate are achieved.

Abstract: An automatic equalizer having a high convergence performance and broad pull and lock ranges. In converting playback signals into multi-level signals, a transversal filter output is processed with maximum likelihood decoding using a maximum likelihood decoder for calculating transmission errors and the coefficients of the transversal filter are again set based on the calculated errors.

Abstract: An oxygen sensor element for detecting an oxygen concentration, the oxygen sensor includes a solid electrolyte; a porous film covering the solid electrolyte at the gas-measuring side; and a reaction electrode provided on the porous film; wherein the porous film includes ceramic particles and metallic particles, and the metallic particles are bonded with the reaction electrode by a metallic bond. In this way, the porous film includes the ceramic particles and the metallic particles to form an irregular surface, and the reaction electrode is adhered to the irregular surface of the porous film in such a manner that the electrode bites into the surface of the porous film. The metallic particles in the irregular surface of the porous film are tightly bonded to the reaction electrode by the metallic bond.

Abstract: A superconducting coil bas a winding wire portion which is formed by winding a superconducting wire covered with an insulating material around a winding frame composed of such a material that its modulus of longitudinal elasticity is 50 (GPa) or greater, and its thermal contraction rate between a room temperature and a temperature of 77 (K) is 0.35% or above while applying a tensile force thereto, and a bonding material impregnated between the superconducting wires and is then solidified by a heat treatment to reduce a contact surface pressure between the winding wire portion and the winding frame, preventing transition to a normal conductive state.

Abstract: In a bolometer-type infrared detecting apparatus, a bolometer and a MOS transistor are provided for one pixel. A source of the MOS transistor is connected to a power supply terminal. A drain of the MOS transistor is connected to the bolometer which is connected via a switch to an output terminal.