Abstract: An ignition circuit for squib for igniting a squib which has a heat producing portion that includes an electrically conductive portion and a fuel portion, and transmits a heat produced by supplying electrical current to the electrically conductive portion to the fuel portion, the circuit having an electrical current boosting device which steeply boosts electrical current supplied to the electrically conductive portion. The ignition circuit achieves electrical operation with greater reliability and less cost.

Abstract: A fluorescence spectroscopy apparatus includes an excitation optical system, a fluorescence detector, a signal processor, and a computer. The excitation optical system alternately applies light beams with different wavelengths or different intensities to a specific region of a sample at shifted times. The fluorescence detector detects fluorescence generated from the sample. The signal processor performs signal processing for a signal detected by the fluorescence detector. The computer performs correlation analysis on a signal generated by the signal processor.

Abstract: A charging method for a plurality of squibs which charges up each storage device built in or attached to each squib which is connected to an ignition control device via a common bus, and can be selectively operated by electrical energy and electrical signals which are supplied from the ignition control device, in which, in the case of charging each storage device, the ignition control device carries out a direction of charging initiation, an electric power supply for charging, and a direction of charging stop for each storage device successively, thereby the charging for all storage devices is completed.

Abstract: A squib for bus connection includes a communication and ignition unit which is connected via a pin to a bus line and is received within an inner cap, along with a quantity of a first explosive which does not emit corrosive gas. Furthermore, between this inner cap and an outer cap in which it is received, there is charged a quantity of a second explosive which is of a different type from the first explosive, the second explosive being of a type which is used in a squib in a conventional inflator.

Abstract: A battery electrode substrate having excellent mechanical strength and flexibility and being capable of increasing the filling density of a positive electrode active substance and, thereby, achieving a higher capacity battery, a battery electrode formed from the battery electrode substrate, and an alkaline secondary battery including the battery electrode are provided. The battery electrode substrate includes a woven or unwoven fabric and nickel for coating fibers constituting the woven or unwoven fabric, wherein the weight per area of the above-described woven or unwoven fabric is 15 g/m2 or more, and 60 g/m2 or less and the thickness of the above-described woven or unwoven fabric is 1.3 mm or more, and 3.0 mm or less. The battery electrode is formed from the battery electrode substrate, and the alkaline secondary battery includes the battery electrode.

Abstract: A squib that is used by being connected to a bus is formed by assembling an explosive unit and a communication/ignition unit that have been constructed as separate components. The communication/ignition unit is provided with an IC substrate for ignition and communication that is electrically connected to a bus wire. The explosive unit is provided with explosive, an ignition element, and a header that is interposed between the ignition element and the IC substrate, and that electrically connects the two. In this IC integrated type of squib that is used for communication and ignition, it is possible to prevent the explosive and the IC from mutually interfering with the performances of each other.

Abstract: An actuatable knee bolster provided in an instrument panel of a vehicle to protect lower legs of an occupant seated in a front seat of the vehicle. The actuatable knee bolster includes: an opposing section opposed to the lower legs of the occupant; a driving section driving the opposing section to move toward and away from the occupant; and a shock absorbing section configured to be plastically deformed when making contact with the lower legs of the occupant. In the actuatable knee bolster, the driving section is disposed inside the shock absorbing section.

Abstract: A squib associated with a supplemental restraint system includes an igniting agent positioned above a first pin that is a connecting terminal providing a connection with a two-wire system bus wire, which is an external signal wire, and above a header that is provided with a second pin that is a connecting terminal. The squib also includes an IC substrate that controls communications and ignitions, and is positioned above the igniting agent, an ignition element between the igniting agent and the IC substrate, and joining portions provided in two locations bridging the igniting agent so as to connect the IC substrate with the first pin and the header. The IC substrate, the igniting agent, the pin, and the header are covered by a circular cylinder shaped cap whose top portion is closed off. Furthermore, these are formed integrally by being covered by a resin mold that is made to extend across the portions of the pins using a molding process.

Abstract: A charging method for a plurality of squibs which charges up each storage device built in or attached to each squib which is connected to an ignition control device via a common bus, and can be selectively operated by electrical energy and electrical signals which are supplied from the ignition control device, in which, in the case of charging each storage device, the ignition control device carries out a direction of charging initiation, an electric power supply for charging, and a direction of charging stop for each storage device successively, thereby the charging for all storage devices is completed.

Abstract: An ignition circuit for squib for igniting a squib which has a heat producing portion that includes an electrically conductive portion and a fuel portion, and transmits a heat produced by supplying electrical current to the electrically conductive portion to the fuel portion, the circuit having an electrical current boosting device which steeply boosts electrical current supplied to the electrically conductive portion. The ignition circuit achieves quicker operation with greater reliability and less cost.

Abstract: A squib for bus connection includes a communication and ignition unit which is connected via a pin to a bus line and is received within an inner cap, along with a quantity of a first explosive which does not emit corrosive gas. Furthermore, between this inner cap and an outer cap in which it is received, there is charged a quantity of a second explosive which is of a different type from the first explosive, the second explosive being of a type which is used in a squib in a conventional inflator.

Abstract: A squib includes a heat-generating portion that has an energizing portion and a fuel portion, and that is formed such that heat that is generated by supplying current to the energizing portion can be transmitted to the fuel portion to ignite same. The squib includes a noise removal device that is connected in parallel with the heat generating portion, and a circuit element that temporally scatters noise such that the noise is more completely removed by the noise removal device. In this manner, the heat-generating portion is protected from all typed of noise, including momentary noise, increasing reliability of the squib.

Abstract: A squib associated with a supplemental restraint system includes an igniting agent positioned above a first pin that is a connecting terminal providing a connection with a two-wire system bus wire, which is an external signal wire, and above a header that is provided with a second pin that is a connecting terminal. The squib also includes an IC substrate that controls communications and ignitions, and is positioned above the igniting agent, an ignition element between the igniting agent and the IC substrate, and joining portions provided in two locations bridging the igniting agent so as to connect the IC substrate with the first pin and the header. The IC substrate, the igniting agent, the pin, and the header are covered by a circular cylinder shaped cap whose top portion is closed off. Furthermore, these are formed integrally by being covered by a resin mold that is made to extend across the portions of the pins using a molding process.

Abstract: A squib that is used by being connected to a bus is formed by assembling an explosive unit and a communication/ignition unit that have been constructed as separate components. The communication/ignition unit is provided with an IC substrate for ignition and communication that is electrically connected to a bus wire. The explosive unit is provided with explosive, an ignition element, and a header that is interposed between the ignition element and the IC substrate, and that electrically connects the two. In this IC integrated type of squib that is used for communication and ignition, it is possible to prevent the explosive and the IC from mutually interfering with the performances of each other.

Abstract: A face authentication apparatus is provided to be able to preferentially cause a subject person to look somewhat downward at the time of imaging. An image lens of a camera is made hard to be seen by a subject person and a dummy lens that can be clearly seen by the subject person is arranged below the image lens, to cause the person subject to authentication to think that the dummy lens is an image lens of a camera. Thereby, a line of sight of the subject person can be drawn downward at the time of imaging, so that it is possible to obtain an imaged picture of a somewhat downwardly directed person's face being an object, that is, an imaged picture, on which an influence caused by reflection of a lighting illuminating the subject person is small.

Abstract: A load device having a short-circuit protection function is disclosed which is capable of avoiding damage of a switching element such as an output transistor. The load device includes a switching element coupled to a load in series. The switching element operates in response to a drive signal. A power supply supplies a voltage across the series circuit of the load and the switching element. A voltage detection circuit detects a voltage exertion to the load and generates a voltage exertion signal. A short-circuit protection circuit interrupts supply of the drive signal to the switching element when no voltage exertion detection signal appears at the expiration of a predetermined period of time from initiation of the supply of the drive signal.

Abstract: A control system for an automatic transmission having a running status detector for detecting the running status of a vehicle including an input torque from an engine; a running resistance estimator for estimating a running resistance on the basis of the running status of the vehicle; a running resistance comparator for comparing the estimated running resistance and a preset reference value; and a shift characteristic changing device for changing shift characteristics in accordance with the comparison result of the running resistance comparator. The automatic transmission control system further has a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature relating to the temperature of the engine and a decision device for determining a specific engine running status, in which the output of the engine drops, on the basis of an output signal coming from the temperature sensor. The running resistance comparator changes the reference value in accordance with the determination of the decision device.

Abstract: The invention provides a control apparatus for an automatic transmission for carrying out neutral control and hill-hold control in a range that causes no slip of a hill-hold brake.

Abstract: A control system for an automatic transmission having a running status detector for detecting the running status of a vehicle to include an input torque from the engine; a running resistance estimator for estimating a running resistance on the basis of the running status of the vehicle; and shift characteristic changer for changing shift characteristics in accordance with the running resistance of the vehicle. The control system further comprises an engine output controller for reducing the output of the engine by a sub-throttle valve which acts independently of the driver at an overrun time of drive wheels; and an action status detector for detecting the action status of the sub-throttle valve. The running resistance estimator estimates the running resistance of the vehicle on the basis of the running status detector and the action status detector of the sub-throttle valve.

Abstract: A fuzzy inference engine has a plurality of individual inference sections and a concluder section for integrally processing outputs from the inference sections. In order to simplify the fuzzy inference engine, nonfuzzy output is obtained through a simple arithmetic operation. Each fuzzy inference section comprises at least one membership function circuit and a predetermined operation circuit. A setting element sets the center position of a membership function of a consequent of each rule. A multiplier multiplies a value from the predetermined operation circuit by the center position from the setting element. A first adder sums the resulting product for each inference first adder by the values from theb section. A second adder sums the values from the predetermined operation circuit for each inference section. A divider divides the values from the second adder to produce the nonfuzzy output. As an option, and additional multiplier multiplies the output from the predetermined operation circuit by a coefficient.