Abstract: An environment detection system includes a sound wave transmitter, a sound wave receiver, and a control unit. The sound wave transmitter transmits a detection sound wave to a target space. The sound wave receiver receives the detection sound wave transmitted by the sound wave transmitter. The control unit controls the sound wave transmitter. The environment detection system detects at least either a temperature distribution or an air velocity distribution in the target space. The control unit executes a first control to regulate at least either a volume or a frequency of the detection sound wave transmitted by the sound wave transmitter so that a volume of the detection sound wave received by the sound wave receiver is higher than or equal to a predetermined reference reception volume.

Abstract: An air-conditioning control system provides an appropriate environment in accordance with a stress level of a person in a room and a use of a space in which the person stays. A deriver derives heartbeat-related parameters based on a body movement of the person. A determiner determines a stress level of the person at a current moment, based on the heartbeat-related parameters. A receiver receives a use of the space for the person. A CPU for appliance control (i) selects a heartbeat-related parameter to be changed, depending on the received use and the heartbeat-related parameters, and (ii) controls operation of the air conditioner to change the selected heartbeat-related parameter to be changed.

Abstract: A plurality of pulse position candidate extraction units characterize waves included in a vibration signal from a vibration sensor using predetermined specific forms and extract respective sets of pulse position candidates. A frequency distribution calculation unit calculates a frequency distribution of the pulse interval and a frequency distribution of variation in pulse intervals on each of the extracted sets of pulse position candidates. A distribution ratio calculation unit calculates the distribution ratio of a modal class to the total frequency in each of the calculated frequency distributions. A selection unit selects a set of pulse position candidates from among the extracted sets of pulse position candidates using the calculated relative frequencies as indicators for evaluating accuracy of the sets of pulse position candidates.

Abstract: A seat portion includes a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer that are stacked sequentially from the surface side to the inner side of the seat portion. The second layer has a higher stiffness than the third layer, and the first layer has a lower stiffness than the third layer. A pressure sensitive part has a pressure sensitive-part body arranged between the first layer and the second layer.

Abstract: An air-conditioning control system provides an appropriate environment in accordance with a stress level of a person in a room and a use of a space in which the person stays. A deriver derives heartbeat-related parameters based on a body movement of the person. A determiner determines a stress level of the person at a current moment, based on the heartbeat-related parameters. A receiver receives a use of the space for the person. A CPU for appliance control (i) selects a heartbeat-related parameter to be changed, depending on the received use and the heartbeat-related parameters, and (ii) controls operation of the air conditioner to change the selected heartbeat-related parameter to be changed.

Abstract: This system correctly obtains a thermal sensation of a person in a room to provide a comfortable environment. A first parameter deriver derives, as a first parameter, a ratio of a low frequency component to a high frequency component in a variation of R-R intervals of a person, based on his/her body movement. A second parameter deriver derives, as a second parameter, any one of a coefficient of variation of R-R intervals, a respiration rate, or a heart rate of the person, based on the body movement of the person. An estimator estimates a thermal sensation of the person, based on the first parameter and the second parameter. A CPU for air-conditioning control controls an air-conditioning capacity of the air conditioner, based on a result of the estimation by the estimator.

Abstract: A plurality of pulse position candidate extraction units characterize waves included in a vibration signal from a vibration sensor using predetermined specific forms and extract respective sets of pulse position candidates. A frequency distribution calculation unit calculates a frequency distribution of the pulse interval and a frequency distribution of variation in pulse intervals on each of the extracted sets of pulse position candidates. A distribution ratio calculation unit calculates the distribution ratio of a modal class to the total frequency in each of the calculated frequency distributions. A selection unit selects a set of pulse position candidates from among the extracted sets of pulse position candidates using the calculated relative frequencies as indicators for evaluating accuracy of the sets of pulse position candidates.

Abstract: This system correctly obtains a thermal sensation of a person in a room to provide a comfortable environment. A first parameter deriver derives, as a first parameter, a ratio of a low frequency component to a high frequency component in a variation of R-R intervals of a person, based on his/her body movement. A second parameter deriver derives, as a second parameter, any one of a coefficient of variation of R-R intervals, a respiration rate, or a heart rate of the person, based on the body movement of the person. An estimator estimates a thermal sensation of the person, based on the first parameter and the second parameter. A CPU for air-conditioning control controls an air-conditioning capacity of the air conditioner, based on a result of the estimation by the estimator.

Abstract: A sleep determination apparatus capable of detecting wakefulness of a subject before entering a hypnagogic state with high accuracy is provided. When the subject is not yet in the hypnagogic state, it is determined that the subject is asleep when a detected body movement signal continuously remains below a determination threshold for a predetermined time or longer, and that the subject is awake in other situations. When the subject has entered the hypnagogic state, it is determined that the subject is awake when the detected body movement signal continuously remains above the determination threshold for the predetermined time or longer, and that the subject is asleep in other situations.

Abstract: A formaldehyde detector (10) includes a detection reagent that produces a color by reaction with formaldehyde. The detector (10) further includes a detection element (30) including: a base material (31) constituting an optical waveguide through which light propagates while repeating total reflection; and a mesoporous layer (32) that is formed on at least part of a light-reflecting surface constituting a surface of the base material (31) and carries the detection reagent. The detector (10) further includes: a light emitter for emitting light to the base material (31); and a light receiver for receiving light emitted from the base material (31). In addition, the detector (10) includes a signal processing part.

Abstract: A sleep determination apparatus capable of detecting wakefulness of a subject before entering a hypnagogic state with high accuracy is provided. When the subject is not yet in the hypnagogic state, it is determined that the subject is asleep when a detected body movement signal continuously remains below a determination threshold for a predetermined time or longer, and that the subject is awake in other situations. When the subject has entered the hypnagogic state, it is determined that the subject is awake when the detected body movement signal continuously remains above the determination threshold for the predetermined time or longer, and that the subject is asleep in other situations.

Abstract: An operational air conditioning mode is allowed to set to a temperature uniformization mode and a spot air conditioning mode, and is selectively switched between these modes automatically by a control means (53) or manually. In such an embodiment, a comfortably air-conditioned state is obtained in all the areas of a space to be air-conditioned W during air conditioning performed in the temperature uniformization mode, and the comfort is ensured by intensively air-conditioning the surroundings of a person during air conditioning performed in the spot air conditioning mode. At the same time, since an unnecessary air conditioning is not provided to a region without the presence of a person, energy conservation is improved, for example, and thus the comfort of air conditioning and energy conservation are both achieved.

Abstract: An operational air conditioning mode is allowed to set to a temperature uniformization mode and a spot air conditioning mode, and is selectively switched between these modes automatically by a control means (53) or manually. In such an embodiment, a comfortably air-conditioned state is obtained in all the areas of a space to be air-conditioned W during air conditioning performed in the temperature uniformization mode, and the comfort is ensured by intensively air-conditioning the surroundings of a person during air conditioning performed in the spot air conditioning mode. At the same time, since an unnecessary air conditioning is not provided to a region without the presence of a person, energy conservation is improved, for example, and thus the comfort of air conditioning and energy conservation are both achieved.

Abstract: An indoor unit (Z1) has a casing (1) which is embedded or suspended in/from a ceiling (50), and an indoor panel (2) which is provided on a lower side of the casing (1) and installed in an indoor exposed state. The indoor panel (2) is provided with an air inlet (3), a plurality of air outlets (4) which surround the air inlet (3) in a rectangular shape and have a rectangular shape. An infrared sensor (15) is provided on an exposed portion of the indoor panel (2). The indoor unit (Z1) further has an airflow changing unit (52) for changing characteristics of airflow blown out from each of the air outlets (4), and a control unit (53) for controlling the airflow changing unit (52) based on output information of the infrared sensor (15).

Abstract: An exciting light 2 is introduced within a slab-type optical waveguide 1, an evanescent wave due to the exciting light 2 excites fluorescent light, and among the fluorescent light, a fluorescent light which is radiated in a direction which direction crosses the exciting light 2 by a predetermined angle, is detected by a fluorescent light detector 4. Consequently, the exciting light and the fluorescent light are spacially separated so as to reduce stray light, and an arrangement of an optical system is simplified.

Abstract: An optical measurement apparatus includes a reaction vessel 2 which is formed in one body with a slab-type optical waveguide 1, and the apparatus adds fine-grains or water soluble dye for absorbing a fluorescent light which is radiated from fluorescent dye, and/or an exciting light so that stray light due to reagent is reduced and the S/N ratio of the optical measurement is improved.

Abstract: An apparatus for optical measurement is formed as a one-piece molding. The apparatus has a reaction vessel and pre-treatment vessels, at least part of the partitioning wall between the both serves as an optical waveguide body, and a light absorber vessel is formed adjacent the reaction vessel (24). Simplification of the process of manufacture thus is attained. With a light absorber accommodated in the light absorber vessel, (25), reaction components of excitation light and other noise light components that are propagated through the optical waveguide body can be sufficiently attenuated to improve the S/N ratio of the optical measurement.

Abstract: An optical measurement apparatus in which a reaction vessel is formed on a surface of at least one side of an optical waveguide, and which apparatus includes a signal light outgoing section for outgoing a signal light which is obtained by introducing a measurement light in the optical waveguide, and a detection section for detecting the signal light from the signal light outgoing section is described. The optical measurement apparatus for preventing stray light further includes a preventing device, positioned near the signal light outgoing section, for preventing stray light, which is outgone from an interior of the reaction vessel to an edge section of the signal outgoing section, from being guided to a detection region of the detection section. The stray light, which has a same wavelength to that of the signal light, is thus prevented from reaching the detection device by the preventing device.

Abstract: A thermal environment sensor has a single temperature detector for detecting temperature and producing an output representative of the detected temperature, the temperature detector having, when heated by a predetermined constant power, a convective heat transfer coefficient giving it a wind velocity dependent temperature drop characteristic in close conformity with the wind velocity dependence of the effective temperature drop felt by a human body. A heater is provided for heating the temperature detector, and an electric power supply is connected to the heater for supplying the heater with a constant electric power corresponding to the predetermined constant power, and a temperature estimating circuit is connected to the temperature detector for correcting the output of the temperature detector by a predetermined constant temperature difference for thereby obtaining the effective temperature felt by a human body.

Abstract: A thermal environment sensor has a single temperature detector for detecting temperature and producing an output representative of the detected temperature, the temperature detector having, when heated by a predetermined constant power, a convective heat transfer coefficient giving it a wind velocity dependent temperature drop characteristic in close conformity with the wind velocity dependence of the effective temperature drop felt by a human body. A heater is provided for heating the temperature detector, and an electric power supply is connected to the heater for supplying the heater with a constant electric power corresponding to the predetermined constant power, and a temperature estimating circuit is connected to the temperature detector for correcting the output of the temperature detector by a predetermined constant temperature difference for thereby obtaining the effective temperature felt by a human body.