Abstract: Provided is a bidirectional converter which has flexibility to be applicable in various conditions and performs stable switching of operation mode at high efficiency. An electronic device which supplies power in various conditions and operates with excellent efficiency is also provided. An electronic device is provided with a bidirectional converter, which has a reactor and four switches between power supply input terminals and a secondary battery, and a system circuit is supplied with an operation voltage through the bidirectional converter. A status signal indicating the operation status of the system circuit is transmitted to a microcomputer of the bidirectional converter, and based on the status signal, switching of operation mode of the bidirectional converter is controlled.

Abstract: To prevent two contacts that have different heights, share at least one interlayer insulating film and are disposed close to each other from being short-circuited to each other due to misalignment thereof, a semiconductor device according to the invention has a recess in an interlayer insulating film in which a first contact hiving a lower height, the recess being formed by the upper surface of the first contact, and a silicon nitride sidewall is formed in the recess to extend from the upper surface of the first contact and along the side surface of the recess.

Abstract: When a horizontal skipping operation is performed in a solid-state imaging apparatus that includes an A/D converting circuit in each column and that applies an arithmetic operation process to a digitalized signal and an arithmetic operation is performed with signals held by a plurality of register circuits, A/D converters and register circuits in columns in which signals are skipped, or not read out, are not involved in the operations. A more consideration is needed in terms of the use efficiency of circuits. A unit for connecting a register circuit of a certain column and a register circuit of a different column is arranged.

Abstract: There is provided a charging power source apparatus by which quick charging can be carried out within a required range without imposing a burden on a secondary battery or a charging circuit. The charging power source apparatus is equipped with a plurality of control modes (e.g. normal charging mode and quick charging mode) for operating respectively with a plurality of output characteristics where the magnitudes of output currents being limited are different, and a detecting circuit for detecting a voltage appearing between the output terminals, and is configured such that one of the plurality of control modes is selected based on detection result from the detection circuit to perform an output operation.

Abstract: An apparatus according to the present invention in which a first substrate including a photoelectric conversion element and a gate electrode of a transistor, and a second substrate including a peripheral circuit portion are placed upon each other. The first substrate does not include a high-melting-metal compound layer, and the second substrate includes a high-melting-metal compound layer.

Abstract: A charge and discharge circuit and a battery pack, both capable of voluntarily perform proper switching between a charge operation and a discharge operation of a secondary battery according to various situations, are provided. The charge and discharge circuit of a secondary battery is one capable of charging the secondary battery E2 by a power source voltage and of supplying power from the secondary battery E2 to an external device 3.

Abstract: To prevent such a situation that a signal from a pixel in a dark state is output at a level shifted from an originally set level to deteriorate an image quality, and to improve the image quality.

Abstract: The invention offers an electrode member for a cold cathode fluorescent lamp, the member having excellent ability to attain intimate contact between the lead portion and glass, and a production method thereof. The electrode member 10 has an electrode portion 11, a lead portion 12, and a glass portion 13. The lead portion 12 is formed such that at least its surface side is composed of an iron-containing metal. The lead portion 12 has on its surface an oxide film 12s at the place covered by the glass portion 13. The oxide film 12s contains FeO. In comparison with an oxide film composed of Fe2O3 and Fe3O4, the oxide film 12s containing FeO tends to have great ability to attain intimate contact with glass. Consequently, the electrode member 10 can bring the lead portion 12 into sufficient intimate contact with the glass portion 13, enabling the constituting members from the lead portion 12 to the glass tube of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp to attain sufficient intimate contact between them.

Abstract: A spark plug comprising: a cylindrical metal shell; a cylindrical insulator provided in an inner hole of said metal shell; a center electrode provided in a leading end side inner hole of said insulator; and a ground electrode having one end bonded to a leading end side of said metal shell and having another end face forming a spark discharge gap with said center electrode, wherein said ground electrode comprises an electrode material containing from 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Si, from 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Al, from 0.02 to 1.0 wt. % of at least one of Ti, V, Zr, Nb and Hf, from 0.03 to 0.09 wt. % of C and 95.5 wt. % or more of Ni, and having a specific resistance at 20° C. of 25 tincm or less.

Abstract: Provided is a bidirectional converter which has flexibility to be applicable in various conditions and performs stable switching of operation mode at high efficiency. An electronic device which supplies power in various conditions and operates with excellent efficiency is also provided. An electronic device is provided with a bidirectional converter, which has a reactor and four switches between power supply input terminals and a secondary battery, and a system circuit is supplied with an operation voltage through the bidirectional converter. A status signal indicating the operation status of the system circuit is transmitted to a microcomputer of the bidirectional converter, and based on the status signal, switching of operation mode of the bidirectional converter is controlled.

Abstract: Provided is an electronic system wherein power is accurately supplied even with a power delivery line resistance and a connector contact resistance, and furthermore, a plurality of electronic devices having requiring different power supply voltages can be handled with one power supply device. The electronic system is provided with an electronic device (50), and a power supply device (10) which is arranged to be connected/removed to and from the electronic device (50) and supplies power through a cable when connected. The electronic device (50) is provided with a first detection circuit (51) for performing detection relating to the supply amount of the power supply and outputting a first detection signal, and a control signal terminal.

Abstract: To reduce power loss during standby. In a switching power supply device using a first power supply circuit (11) having a small output and a second power supply circuit (12) having a large output, the first power supply circuit (11) is continuously kept in an operating state and the second power supply circuit (12) is started by using an electric power generated in the first power supply circuit (11).

Abstract: A spark plug comprising: a cylindrical metal shell; a cylindrical insulator provided in an inner hole of said metal shell; a center electrode provided in a leading end side inner hole of said insulator; and a ground electrode having one end bonded to a leading end side of said metal shell and having another end face forming a spark discharge gap with said center electrode, wherein said ground electrode comprises an electrode material containing from 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Si, from 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Al, from 0.02 to 1.0 wt. % of at least one of Ti, V, Zr, Nb and Hf, from 0.03 to 0.09 wt. % of C and 95.5 wt. % or more of Ni, and having a specific resistance at 20° C. of 25 ??cm or less.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device may include, but is not limited to the following processes. A mask layer is formed over a gate electrode portion and a wiring portion adjacent to the gate electrode portion. The mask layer includes a first portion covering the wiring portion. Then, at least a part of the first portion is removed.

Abstract: A pixel space is narrowed without increasing PN junction capacitance. A photoelectric conversion device includes a plurality of pixels arranged therein, each including a first impurity region of a first conductivity type forming a photoelectric conversion region, a second impurity region of a second conductivity type forming a signal acquisition region arranged in the first impurity region, a third impurity region of the first conductivity type and a fourth impurity region of the first conductivity type are arranged in a periphery of each pixel for isolating the each pixel, the fourth impurity region is disposed between adjacent pixels, and an impurity concentration of the fourth impurity region is smaller than an impurity concentration of the third impurity region.

Abstract: The present invention provides a highly safe charging circuit with which overcharge of a secondary battery will never occur even when a failure occurs in a transistor or the like that controls the charging voltage or charging current or when a protection circuit does not operate normally. In a secondary battery charging circuit 4 that charges a secondary battery E2 with an input power source voltage, the power source voltage is set to a voltage (e.g. 4.0 V) that is lower than the full-charge voltage (e.g. 4.2 V) of the secondary battery. When the voltage of the secondary battery E2 is lower than the power source voltage, a constant current circuit operates to perform constant current charging without voltage step-up, and when the voltage of the secondary battery E2 is higher than the power source voltage and lower than the full-charge voltage, a voltage step-up circuit operates to perform constant current charging with voltage step-up.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a solid-state imaging apparatus that outputs digital signals at high speed. A solid-state imaging apparatus is provided that includes plural analog-to-digital converters that convert analog signals obtained by photoelectric conversion into digital signals, plural digital memories that store the digital signals converted by the analog-to-digital converters, plural block digital output lines that are provided to correspond to blocks of the plural digital memories and to which the digital signals stored in the plural digital memories included in the blocks are output, a common digital output line that outputs the digital signals output from the plural block digital output lines, buffer circuits that buffer the digital signals output from the block digital output lines, and block selecting units that can switch the block digital output lines electrically connected to the common digital output line.

Abstract: To reduce power loss during standby. In a switching power supply device using a first power supply circuit (11) having a small output and a second power supply circuit (12) having a large output, the first power supply circuit (11) is continuously kept in an operating state and the second power supply circuit (12) is started by using an electric power generated in the first power supply circuit (11).

Abstract: Disclosed is a power source apparatus including: a connector for outputting electric power, wherein the apparatus performs power output through a cable connected to the connector, a power source circuit capable of changing an output thereof; a control circuit to perform output control of the power source circuit; and a first detection circuit including an input terminal for detection connected to wiring on a side of a tip of the cable to perform detection pertaining to an output quantity of electric power, wherein the output control is performed based on a detection signal of the first detection circuit, the detection signal fed back to the control circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a pixel array in which pixels for outputting an analog signal are arranged in a matrix, vertical output lines each of which is connected to pixels in a same column, A/D conversion units, which are individually connected to the vertical output lines, for converting the analog signal into a digital signal, and a constant current supply unit for supplying a constant current to the A/D conversion units. Each of the A/D conversion units includes an integration unit for integrating the constant current, a comparison unit for comparing the integrated constant current with the analog signal and outputting a comparison signal, and a digital signal storage unit for storing a digital signal corresponding to the comparison signal. The integration unit includes an input capacitor for receiving the constant current. The comparison unit is connected to the constant current supply unit via the input capacitor.