Abstract: In an energy storage device, a charging circuit is electrically coupled to the energy storage section. A first comparator is electrically coupled to an energy storage section, and its output is inverted when voltage Vc of the energy storage section reaches first predetermined voltage Vc1. A second comparator is electrically coupled to the energy storage section, and its output is inverted when voltage Vc of the energy storage section reaches second predetermined voltage Vc2. A control circuit is electrically coupled to the first comparator and the second comparator. The control circuit obtains period tm from inversion of the output of the first comparator to the output of the second comparator. Capacitance C of the energy storage section is calculated based on this period tm and voltage change width ?Vc between the first predetermined voltage Vc1 and the second predetermined voltage Vc2.

Abstract: An image reading device includes an upstream-side conveying unit configured to convey an original; a reading unit configured to read an image of the original conveyed by the upstream-side conveying unit; and a guide unit arranged between the upstream-side conveying unit and the reading unit to guide the original. As seen from a direction parallel to a reading surface of the reading unit and perpendicular to an original conveying direction in a reading position of the reading unit, an original conveying position for applying a conveying force to the original using the upstream-side conveying unit is arranged in a lower side from the reading position in a direction perpendicular to the reading surface of the reading unit, and the guide unit is configured such that the original passing through the original conveying position is guided to an upper direction.

Abstract: An electric storage device is disclosed, this device can balance voltages across each one of energy storage devices with each other in a short time even if the voltages disperse in a wide range, and also it can reduce needless power consumption. This device includes the energy storage devices and an equalizing voltage circuit coupled in parallel with the energy storage devices. The equalizing voltage circuit includes a balancing resistor, a balancing switch coupled between respective energy storage devices and respective balancing resistors, a discharging resistor coupled in parallel with the respective energy storage devices and having a smaller resistance value than the balancing resistor, and a discharging switch coupled between the respective energy storage devices and the respective discharging resistors.

Abstract: A power supply device includes an electric storage unit connected to a main power supply and a load via a charging circuit; and a control circuit connected to the main power supply, the charging circuit, a voltage detection circuit, and a current detection circuit. When the electric storage unit is charged up to a steady-state voltage Vcs of the electric storage unit, the control circuit controls the electric storage unit to be charged until the voltage Vc of the electric storage unit reaches a voltage for determining the property deterioration of the electric storage unit. During the charge process, the control circuit calculates at least one of the internal resistances and the capacitance of the electric storage unit from the variation width ?Vcr of the voltage Vc, the current Ic of the electric storage unit, the variation width ?Vct per unit time of the voltage Vc, and the current-time product ?(Ic)dt of the electric storage unit.

Abstract: According to the configuration and the manufacturing method of forming a moisture proof agent on both surfaces of a circuit substrate after soldering a capacitor connection pin in a vertical direction to the circuit substrate, and electrically connecting the capacitor so as to be in a perpendicular direction to the length direction of the capacitor connection pin at the upper space of the circuit substrate, the possibility of the moisture proof agent attaching to the capacitor is eliminated, the productivity enhances since the moisture proof agent can be easily formed on both surfaces of the circuit substrate, and a capacitor unit of miniaturized and low height configuration is realized since the capacitor is mounted in the horizontal direction in the upper space with respect to the circuit substrate.

Abstract: A DC blocking capacitor and a resistor are coupled in series, and coupled in parallel with an electricity storing section. An ON/OFF circuit and a peak voltage holding circuit are coupled in parallel with the resistor. A current sensing section is coupled in series with the storing section, with its output supplied to the peak current holding circuit. Current from a positive to a negative electrode of the storing section is referred to as a positive direction. The ON/OFF circuit is turned on when the current flows in a negative direction, and is turned off when the current flows in the positive direction. An internal resistor of the storing section is found based on a peak voltage and a peak current resulting from the control and held by the respective circuits. A degree of degradation of the electricity storing section is determined with this internal resistor.

Abstract: A device for detecting or quantifying influenza viruses in a sample, which comprises a detection region having a human anti-influenza virus nucleoprotein antibody immobilized onto a support, a sample supply region, and a sample-migrating region; and a kit for detecting or quantifying influenza viruses, which comprises a solid phase in which a human anti-influenza virus nucleoprotein antibody is fixed onto a carrier.

Abstract: In an energy storage device, a charging circuit is electrically coupled to the energy storage section. A first comparator is electrically coupled to an energy storage section, and its output is inverted when voltage Vc of the energy storage section reaches first predetermined voltage Vc1. A second comparator is electrically coupled to the energy storage section, and its output is inverted when voltage Vc of the energy storage section reaches second predetermined voltage Vc2. A control circuit is electrically coupled to the first comparator and the second comparator. The control circuit obtains period tm from inversion of the output of the first comparator to the output of the second comparator. Capacitance C of the energy storage section is calculated based on this period tm and voltage change width ?Vc between the first predetermined voltage Vc1 and the second predetermined voltage Vc2.

Abstract: In an electrical storage apparatus including an electric storage device connected between a main power supply and a load, a first bypass FET and a bypass diode which are connected in series between the main power supply and the load are provided, and first and second main path FETs connected in series between the electric storage device and the load are provided. A controller judges that the first bypass FET suffers an open-circuit failure if the voltage (Va) of the load is equal to or smaller than the first threshold value Vth1 or if the voltage (Vc) at the connection point between the first bypass FET and the bypass diode is equal to or smaller than the second threshold value Vth2, when the first bypass FET is turned on and the first main path FET and the second main path FET are turned off.

Abstract: A charging apparatus suppresses rise in temperature of an internal chip of a charging element. The output signal obtained from a current detecting portion for detecting charging current to a capacitor and from a voltage detecting portion for detecting a difference between a voltage (VC) of capacitor and a voltage corresponding to DC power supply is integrated by integrator. The charging is carried out by controlling power of a charging element to a predetermined value using an output signal of the integrator and at a time near the completion of the charging, the charging element is controlled by constant-voltage-control-circuit so as to charge the capacitor up to a predetermined voltage. Consequently, the maximum temperature inside the charging element is reduced, thereby providing a charging apparatus with high reliability.

Abstract: A power supply device is used for an apparatus which includes a power generator and a parallel assembly including a main power supply and a load. The power supply device includes a input port connected to an output terminal of the power generator, an output port connected to the parallel assembly, an electric storage element charged with electric power generated by the power generator, a switching unit, a current switcher for restricting a current flowing from the main power supply to the electric storage element, a controller for controlling the power generator such that the voltage of the output port becomes a predetermined voltage. The switching unit is connected to the first input port, the output port, and the electric storage element. The switching unit connects the electric storage element, the power generator, and the parallel assembly in parallel to each other when the electric storage element is charged with the electric power generated by the power generator.

Abstract: Electric storage device is provided which is capable of smoothly charging storage elements and reliably detecting an overvoltage of each of the storage elements. Electric storage device includes charging/discharging limiting circuit. Charging/discharging limiting circuit includes charge element, discharge, control unit, charging current detection unit, voltage detection unit, valuable reference voltage source, and voltage comparison unit. A magnitude of valuable reference voltage source that is connected to an input terminal on a first side of voltage comparison unit is adjusted by charging current detection unit. Detection signal from the voltage detection unit is given to an input terminal on a second side of voltage comparison unit.

Abstract: A vehicle power supply device has a capacitor unit including capacitors storing auxiliary power; a temperature sensor; a charge circuit; a capacitor-unit current detector; a capacitor-unit voltage detector; a controller; a storage; and a determination unit. The determination unit determines the degradation level of the capacitor unit based on at least one of an internal resistance standard value and a corrected calculated value of capacitance. This structure determines degradation of the vehicle power supply device more accurately than ever, so that the device can be used until the end of the actual life.

Abstract: Provided are a novel method and novel apparatus for manufacturing a silicon ingot that make it possible to reduce manufacturing steps and also reduce required electric power. A method for manufacturing a silicon ingot, including the step of heating and melting, in a crucible, an element which can undergo eutectic reaction with silicon and has a lower eutectic point than the melting point of silicon when made into silicon alloy, and a metallic silicon, thereby generating an alloy melt, and the step of using the eutectic reaction for the alloy melt to subject the silicon to low-temperature solidification refinement, and further producing the silicon ingot from the alloy melt by a pulling method is provided.

Abstract: DC blocking capacitor and resistor are coupled in series with electricity storing section at its both ends, and ON/OFF circuit is coupled in parallel with resistor. Peak voltage holding circuit is coupled in parallel with ON/OFF circuit, and current sensing section is coupled in series with storing section, and an output from current sensing section is supplied to peak current holding circuit. In the structure of the storage device discussed above, a flowing direction of an electric current from a positive electrode to a negative electrode of storing section is referred to as a positive direction. ON/OFF circuit is controlled such that circuit is turned on when the current flows in a negative direction, and such that it is turned off when the current flows in the positive direction. An internal resistor of storing section can be found based on a peak voltage resulting from the control and held by circuit and a peak current resulting from the control and held by circuit.

Abstract: An electric storage device is disclosed, this device can balance voltages across each one of energy storage devices with each other in a short time even if the voltages disperse in a wide range, and also it can reduce needless power consumption. This device includes the energy storage devices and an equalizing voltage circuit coupled in parallel with the energy storage devices. The equalizing voltage circuit includes a balancing resistor, a balancing switch coupled between respective energy storage devices and respective balancing resistors, a discharging resistor coupled in parallel with the respective energy storage devices and having a smaller resistance value than the balancing resistor, and a discharging switch coupled between the respective energy storage devices and the respective discharging resistors.

Abstract: The A/D conversion apparatus and the vehicle power-supply device using the apparatus calculate errors at a plurality of reference voltages and reference errors prior to error correction. Each reference error is applied to a digital-output range that is divided by digital output corresponding to the reference voltages. In the calculation, when the errors obtained at adjacent reference voltages have same signs, the reference error is determined as an average of the errors obtained at adjacent reference voltages; on the other hand, when the errors obtained at adjacent reference voltages have different signs, the reference error is determined to be zero. The apparatus provides a corrected digital output by subtracting the reference error—which is applied to the digital-output range including the digital output—from the digital output corresponding to analog input voltage.

Abstract: A vehicle power supply device has a capacitor unit including capacitors storing auxiliary power; a temperature sensor; a charge circuit; a capacitor-unit current detector; a capacitor-unit voltage detector; a controller; a storage; and a determination unit. The determination unit determines the degradation level of the capacitor unit based on at least one of an internal resistance standard value and a corrected calculated value of capacitance. This structure determines degradation of the vehicle power supply device more accurately than ever, so that the device can be used until the end of the actual life.

Abstract: Electric storage device is provided which is capable of smoothly charging storage elements and reliably detecting an overvoltage of each of the storage elements. Electric storage device includes charging/discharging limiting circuit. Charging/discharging limiting circuit includes charge element, discharge element, control unit, charging current detection unit, voltage detection unit, valuable reference voltage source, and voltage comparison unit. A magnitude of valuable reference voltage source that is connected to an input terminal on a first side of voltage comparison unit is adjusted by charging current detection unit. Detection signal from the voltage detection unit is given to an input terminal on a second side of voltage comparison unit.

Abstract: According to the configuration and the manufacturing method of forming a moisture proof agent on both surfaces of a circuit substrate after soldering a capacitor connection pin in a vertical direction to the circuit substrate, and electrically connecting the capacitor so as to be in a perpendicular direction to the length direction of the capacitor connection pin at the upper space of the circuit substrate, the possibility of the moisture proof agent attaching to the capacitor is eliminated, the productivity enhances since the moisture proof agent can be easily formed on both surfaces of the circuit substrate, and a capacitor unit of miniaturized and low height configuration is realized since the capacitor is mounted in the horizontal direction in the upper space with respect to the circuit substrate.