Abstract: A data processing device which, even if congestion occurs on a bus circuit of a specific processing circuit in an LSI in which multiple circuit modules are connected by buses, can fully actualize the performance potential of the system on chip. Buses and slave circuits on which accesses concentrate are provided with observation blocks. Each observation block has a mechanism to notify system control circuits such as a clock controller and master circuits such as CPU cores of the acquired status information, and each master circuit further has a mechanism capable of dynamically altering the priority order for notifying the bus circuits and slave circuits of the priority order of processing.

Abstract: The invention is intended to provide a technique regarding sensor nodes for impact detection to enable the intensities of impacts to be determined in a multi-value or analog mode and to reduce the power consumption of sensor nodes. The sensor node is provided with a shock detection sensor comprising a piezoelectric element unit which generates an electric charge corresponding to an external impact, a capacitor which rectifies and accumulates the electric charge so generated, and a voltage detector which operates on the accumulated power and externally outputs a signal when the accumulated voltage reaches a preset level; a stand-by control object section which is caused by the external signal to return from a stand-by state and to operate; and a power supply which feeds power to the stand-by control object section, wherein the operation of the stand-by control object section is triggered by the signal of impact detected by the piezoelectric element unit.

Abstract: The invention is intended to provide a technique regarding sensor nodes for impact detection to enable the intensities of impacts to be determined in a multi-value or analog mode and to reduce the power consumption of sensor nodes. The sensor node is provided with a shock detection sensor comprising a piezoelectric element unit which generates an electric charge corresponding to an external impact, a capacitor which rectifies and accumulates the electric charge so generated, and a voltage detector which operates on the accumulated power and externally outputs a signal when the accumulated voltage reaches a preset level; a stand-by control object section which is caused by the external signal to return from a stand-by state and to operate; and a power supply which feeds power to the stand-by control object section, wherein the operation of the stand-by control object section is triggered by the signal of impact detected by the piezoelectric element unit.

Abstract: A conventional problem with commodity quality control in a traceability system is inability to appropriately change settings for quality measurement according to environmental changes. The present invention provides a system which solves the problem and realizes real-time quality control with low power consumption. In the system for commodity quality control and operations management according to the present invention, an IC tag and a sensor node for quality measurement are attached to each commodity. The system has a mechanism for detecting either one or both of a change in the location of the commodity and a change in the work performed for the commodity. The sensor node for quality measurement can appropriately change settings for quality measurement according to a change in the location of the commodity or in the work performed for the commodity.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is employable for a compact and light-weight sensor system that is free of the need for battery replacement. The semiconductor device has a sensor chip (SCHIP1) comprising sensors (TD1, AS1, PD1, GS1), an A/D conversion circuit (AD1), a microprocessor (CPU1), a memory (MEM1), a transmission circuit (RF1), and a power generation circuit (CM1). The sensors, the A/D conversion circuit, the microprocessor, the memory, and the transmission circuit are formed on one side (SIDE1) of a substrate, while the power generation unit is formed on the other side (SIDE2) of the substrate.

Abstract: In a data processor including a master circuit that issues an access request and slave circuits that perform processing in response to the access request received from the master circuit, the disclosed invention enables the master circuit to access all data areas of the slave circuits even if the master circuit does not have an access command in data size suitable for accessing the slave circuit. An access size control unit that can convert access size input from the master circuit to data size in which the slave circuit accepts access is installed between the master circuit and the slave circuit. The access size control unit retains at least one address for access size setting. As the master circuit accesses the appropriate address for access size setting, the access size conversion procedure can be carried out.

Abstract: An incoming/outgoing goods management system showing the stock status of goods and the details of the incoming/outgoing goods work without delay. The gross weight of goods, and an unopened goods package and open goods package which store the goods measured by a weight sensor, and an ID tag attached to a package and ID tag carried by a worker read by an ID reader, are combined with various information stored by a storage part 145, so the incoming/outgoing goods work situation or inventory status can be appreciated promptly, a detailed check of compliance between plans and achievement can be performed, and required working command and warnings can be given to workers and managers so as to streamline the work.

Abstract: A living tissue transportation method includes the steps of: putting the living tissues in a carrying container for transportation (1) having a first memory storing an identifier and an IC tag (10) having a temperature sensor; putting the carrying container (1) in an individual carrying container (2) having a second memory for storing the identifier and a second IC tag (20) having a temperature sensor; storing a copy of the identifier of the IC tag (10) in the memory of the IC tag (20) and putting the individual carrying container (2) in a transportation container for constant temperature (3). A controller (30) provided in the transportation container (3) communicates with the IC tags (10, 20), and writes information indicating a temperature abnormality to the first and second memories when the temperatures of the carrying container (1) and the individual carrying container (2) are out of a predetermined temperature range.

Abstract: In an LSI system using an on-chip bus, when a transfer on the bus is delayed due to a fully loaded buffer in a destination module, a source module cannot proceed to the next processing. Such an unwanted situation is eliminated by a transferring buffer which is provided on a transfer path in an on-chip bus on the LSI for temporarily storing transfer data. With this transferring buffer, even if a buffer within a slave module, specified as the destination, is fully loaded and cannot accept any more transfer, a bus master can transfer data to the transferring buffer provided on the on-chip bus. Thus, the bus master is not kept waiting for execution of a transfer, irrespective of the state of the buffer within the slave, thereby improving the processing performance of the entire system.

Abstract: In a wireless communication system having a base station and a terminal, it is important to extend the operating life of the terminal in the case of using a battery as the power supply of the terminal. Particularly in the case where a state in which a base station is not present in the range within which the terminal can communicate lasts long, the reduction of the electric power consumption during the standby of the terminal becomes an issue. The terminal monitors the received signal power strength of a signal transmitted by the base station. When the power strength exceeds a prescribed value, it is considered that the base station is present and the base station performs operations for carrying out communication with the base station.

Abstract: A printing system using a thermal printer capable of readily visually discriminating the background data and sales data, saving waste of paper resources and improving the printing speed is provided. When printing basic data and background data in superimposition on each other in a thermal printer having a matrix array of color generation dots, data representing density gradation values are supplied to each color generation dot for printing background data with density lower than the density of the basic data. The direction of the basic data is set to a direction different by 90 degrees, for instance, from the direction of the array of the basic data. The visual discrimination of the two different kinds of data is improved.

Abstract: An intelligent sensor device and a method for controlling an intelligent sensor device are provided. In one example, the sensor device includes a memory; a radio frequency communicator configured to receive signals from and transmit signals to an external device having an external application; a radio frequency controller configured to control the radio frequency communicator; a processor; a process controller configured to instruct the processor to load one or more scripts into the memory; one or more sensors; and a sensor driver controller configured to activate one or more appropriate sensors based on a request received from the external application, wherein the process controller is further configured to instruct the processor to execute an appropriate script based on the request received from the external application.

Abstract: A data processing device which, even if congestion occurs on a bus circuit of a specific processing circuit in an LSI in which multiple circuit modules are connected by buses, can fully actualize the performance potential of the system on chip. Buses and slave circuits on which accesses concentrate are provided with observation blocks. Each observation block has a mechanism to notify system control circuits such as a clock controller and master circuits such as CPU cores of the acquired status information, and each master circuit further has a mechanism capable of dynamically altering the priority order for notifying the bus circuits and slave circuits of the priority order of processing.

Abstract: A low cost system and method are provided for long-term monitoring of the quality of a building structure utilizing a semiconductor integrated circuit device buried in the structure. A monitoring chip includes a sensor, a microprocessor, a memory, a radio interface, an electric power controller and an electric power generator. The monitoring chip intermittently receives power to intermittently monitor information such as whether concrete is adequately cured, whether the quantity of moisture and chloride ions in concrete paste is adequate, or whether a state of stress inside concrete is in question. Temperature sensors, electric resistance sensors and pressure sensors respectively built in the monitoring chip use the built-in electric power generator as a power source, and the system store any abnormal measured values in a built-in memory. Collected quality data is transmitted according to an external request to indicate building structure quality.

Abstract: There is disclosed a sales management system in which customers can intuitively instantly recognize next exchangeable premium from existing accumulated points, and shops can save troubles and expenses for preparing signboards or fliers every time the premiums are changed. The sales management system includes a POS apparatus and a server. The server manageably has customer data which stores accumulated points for each customer ID, and premium data in which premium information and image are associated and stored for each present point range. The POS apparatus 1 has: a barcode scanner; a card reader for reading the customer ID; a control unit which adds up accumulated points of the customer data specified by the customer ID, and points imparted in accordance with a total amount of commodities and which extracts the premium information and image from the premium data based on the point range of the premium data specified by the addition; and a printer which prints the premium information and image on a receipt.

Abstract: In an LSI system using an on-chip bus, when a transfer on the bus is delayed due to a fully loaded buffer in a destination module, a source module cannot proceed to the next processing. Such an unwanted situation is eliminated by a transferring buffer which is provided on a transfer path in an on-chip bus on the LSI for temporarily storing transfer data. With this transferring buffer, even if a buffer within a slave module, specified as the destination, is fully loaded and cannot accept any more transfer, a bus master can transfer data to the transferring buffer provided on the on-chip bus. Thus, the bus master is not kept waiting for execution of a transfer, irrespective of the state of the buffer within the slave, thereby improving the processing performance of the entire system.

Abstract: A memory stores printing data. A CPU reads, from the memory, printing data on a target line to be printed subsequently and printing data on a plurality of immediately preceding lines, performs an arithmetic operation with respect to the read printing data to determine a history pattern, stores the determined history pattern in the memory, reads, from the memory, the history pattern of a history factor which is a dot exerting the influence of heat accumulation on a target dot to be printed subsequently, transmits the read history pattern to a thermal print head interface unit, and transmits a history timer value preliminarily allocated to the history factor to the thermal print head interface unit. The thermal print head interface unit drives a thermal print head based on the history pattern and on the history timer value.

Abstract: A printing system using a thermal printer capable of readily visually discriminating the background data and sales data, saving waste of paper resources and improving the printing speed is provided. When printing basic data and background data in superimposition on each other in a thermal printer having a matrix array of color generation dots, data representing density gradation values are supplied to each color generation dot for printing background data with density lower than the density of the basic data. The direction of the basic data is set to a direction different by 90 degrees, for instance, from the direction of the array of the basic data. The visual discrimination of the two different kinds of data is improved.

Abstract: A module with embedded semiconductor IC of the present invention includes a first resin layer, a second resin layer, post electrodes passing through the first and second resin layers, and a semiconductor IC mounted as embedded between the first resin layer and the second resin layer. Stud bumps are formed on land electrodes of the semiconductor IC and positioned with respect to the post electrodes. Owing to this positioning of the stud bumps formed on the semiconductor IC with respect to the post electrodes, the planar position of the stud bumps is substantially fixed. As a result, it is possible to use a semiconductor IC having a very narrow electrode pitch of 100 ?m or smaller, particularly of around 60 ?m.

Abstract: An intelligent sensor device and a method for controlling an intelligent sensor device are provided. In one example, the sensor device includes a memory; a radio frequency communicator configured to receive signals from and transmit signals to an external device having an external application; a radio frequency controller configured to control the radio frequency communicator; a processor; a process controller configured to instruct the processor to load one or more scripts into the memory; one or more sensors; and a sensor driver controller configured to activate one or more appropriate sensors based on a request received from the external application, wherein the process controller is further configured to instruct the processor to execute an appropriate script based on the request received from the external application.