Abstract: A living body information measurement device includes an illuminator that irradiates a living body with illumination light; an imaging unit that images the living body; and a computation unit that computes living body information on the basis of a difference between pixel data in an irradiation area being an area of the living body irradiated with the illumination light and pixel data in a non-irradiation area being an area of the living body not irradiated with the illumination light, included in pixel data associated with each position in an image generated by the imaging of the imaging unit.

Abstract: A method for estimating a physical condition used by a computer includes simultaneously measuring blood flow volumes of at least two body parts of a person and estimating the person's physical condition on the basis of the blood flow volumes of the at least two body parts measured in the simultaneously measuring.

Abstract: An emotion estimating method includes: acquiring first data and second data from the subject, the first data corresponding to physiology data, and the second data corresponding to one of physiology data different from the first data and non-physiology data; calculating a first value and a second value based on the acquired first data and second data, the first value indicating a degree of arousal of the subject and the second value indicating a degree of valence of the subject; estimating the emotion of the subject, by using the calculated first value and second value and based on a predetermined association of people's emotions with a degree of arousal and a degree of valence of the people, the predetermined association being pre-stored in a memory; and outputting information indicating the estimated emotion.

Abstract: In a method for controlling an information display apparatus that displays information on a display seen by a plurality of users, a feeling of a first user among the plurality of users is estimated on the basis of a physical value obtained from a sensor, it is determined, using the obtained physical value or the estimated feeling, whether to display the estimated feeling, and the display is controlled in accordance with a result of the determination.

Abstract: A control method for an information presenting apparatus includes: estimating an emotion felt by a user, based on a physical quantity acquired by a sensor; generating identification information that identifies a cause that causes the user to feel the estimated emotion, based on the physical quantity acquired by the sensor or information that a presenter included in the information presenting apparatus presents to the user; and controlling presentation performed by the information presenting apparatus, by using information obtained by executing predetermined processing using the estimated emotion and the generated identification information.

Abstract: A method for predicting an arousal level used by a computer of an arousal level prediction apparatus that predicts an arousal level of a user includes obtaining current biological information regarding the user detected by a first sensor, calculating a current arousal level of the user on the basis of the current biological information, obtaining current environment information indicating a current environment around the user detected by a second sensor, predicting a future arousal level, which is an arousal level a certain period of time later, on the basis of the current arousal level and the current environment information, and (i) issuing a notification to the user or (ii) controlling another device, on the basis of the future arousal level.

Abstract: A human-state estimating method includes: obtaining a thermal sensation index obtained by indexing, in a specified range, an estimated thermal sensation of a person; determining whether or not the obtained thermal sensation index is in a predetermined range in the specified range; and estimating a human state, which is a state of the person, based on a physiological amount in which an activity of an autonomic nervous system of the person is reflected, the physiological amount being obtained when it is determined that the obtained thermal sensation index is in the predetermined range.

Abstract: The air conditioner includes a thermal image acquirer that acquires a thermal image indicating a temperature distribution inside the air-conditioned space, and a thermal sensation estimator that estimates the thermal sensation of a person in the air-conditioned space based on the thermal image obtained from the thermal image acquirer and a parameter set in the air conditioner, the parameter prescribing at least one of a wind direction, a wind speed, and a wind temperature of wind emitted from the air conditioner.

Abstract: A radiation receiving sensor includes an infrared receiver including a plurality of infrared receiving devices that receive infrared radiation, a lens that allows infrared radiation to enter the infrared receiver, a rotator that rotates the infrared receiver and the lens about a part of the lens, and a cover member that faces the infrared receiver through the lens and that has translucency.

Abstract: A sensor control method that is executed by an air-conditioning apparatus includes: acquiring a first thermal image by scanning an air-conditioned space using the infrared sensor in accordance with a first scanning scheme, the air-conditioning apparatus being placed in the air-conditioned space; extracting a subject thermal image from the first thermal image, based on a difference between a background thermal image of the air-conditioned space when no subject is present therein and the first thermal image; determining a second scanning scheme different from the first scanning scheme, when the subject thermal image has a size smaller than a threshold size; and acquiring a second thermal image by scanning an area corresponding to the subject thermal image of the air-conditioned space using the infrared sensor in accordance with the determined second scanning scheme.

Abstract: An infrared detecting apparatus includes an infrared sensor in which a plurality of infrared detecting elements are placed in a matrix, and also includes a scanner that moves the infrared sensor in a prescribed direction to cause the infrared sensor to scan a detection range. The infrared sensor is placed so that the matrix of the plurality of infrared detecting elements is inclined at a prescribed angle with respect to the prescribed direction.

Abstract: A sensor assembly includes: a sensor including pixels that are aligned in a predetermined direction, the pixels being for detecting an electromagnetic wave; and a lens that forms, in a detector plane on the sensor, an image according to the electromagnetic wave, wherein the lens has an f-number in a first direction and an f-number in a second direction, the f-number in the first direction being different from the f-number in the second direction, the first direction being orthogonal to the predetermined direction in a plane parallel to the detector plane, and the second direction being the predetermined direction. For example, the f-number of the lens in the first direction is smaller than the f-number of the lens in the second direction.

Abstract: An infrared detecting device includes: an infrared sensor that has one or more infrared detection elements arranged in one or more columns; and an IC chip that performs signal processing on a signal output from the infrared sensor. The infrared sensor and the IC chip are generally juxtaposed in a direction along a scan rotation axis of the infrared sensor.

Abstract: A temperature measuring apparatus includes: an infrared measuring unit; a guide light emitting unit; an optical unit that (i) allows the guide light emitted by the guide light emitting unit to travel toward the object, and (ii) allows the infrared radiation radiated from the object to enter the infrared measuring unit; a position adjusting unit that makes a position adjustment of irradiating the measurement target region with the guide light emitted by the guide light emitting unit while keeping within a predetermined range a misalignment between an optical axis of the infrared radiation entering the infrared measuring unit from the measurement target region and an optical axis of the guide light emitted by the guide light emitting unit; and a focusing unit that adjusts a focus of the infrared measuring unit and a focus of the guide light emitting unit.

Abstract: A laundry washing machine includes a wash tub that allows laundry and water to be loaded therein, a holding unit that separates some of the water in the wash tub and holds the some of the water, where the water contains a substance that was attached to the laundry and that is dissolved therein, a detection unit that detects a predetermined substance contained in the some of the water held by the holding unit and outputs information indicating a result of detection, and a laundry detergent dispenser that dispenses a laundry detergent into the wash tub or instructs a user to add the laundry detergent to the wash tub after the some of the water is separated.

Abstract: An infrared detecting apparatus includes an infrared sensor in which a plurality of infrared detecting elements are placed in a matrix, and also includes a scanner that moves the infrared sensor in a prescribed direction to cause the infrared sensor to scan a detection range. The infrared sensor is placed so that the matrix of the plurality of infrared detecting elements is inclined at a prescribed angle with respect to the prescribed direction.

Abstract: A component measuring apparatus includes a plurality of light sources having different Wavelengths. The component measuring apparatus also includes an irradiation unit that applies lights emitted from the plural light sources to a measurement object, and a light receiving unit that receives at least one of light having transmitted through the measurement object and light having been scattered from the measurement object. The component measuring apparatus further includes a measuring unit that measures intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit per wavelength.

Abstract: A substance detection device includes an illuminator that illuminates a monitoring range with light at a first wavelength and light at a second wavelength at different timings, an image capturer that obtains a first actual image by capturing an image of the monitoring range which is illuminated by the light at the first wavelength and obtains a second actual image by capturing an image of the monitoring range which is illuminated by the light at the second wavelength, and an image processor that acquires a difference in lightness of corresponding pixels between the first actual image and the second actual image that are obtained by the image capturer, compares the acquired difference in lightness of the corresponding pixels with a reference value, and detects a specific substance that is present in the monitoring range based on a result of the comparison.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe (102) which has high propagation efficiency of ultrasound and can obtain a high resolution ultrasonic diagnostic image. The ultrasonic probe (102) includes an ultrasonic transducer including: a piezoelectric body (208) which generates ultrasound; and a first matching layer (101) which is disposed in a predetermined direction as seen from the piezoelectric body (208) and is for performing acoustic matching between the piezoelectric body (208) and a subject. The first matching layer (101) includes a plurality of matching regions (101a, 101b, 101c) which have a uniform thickness in the predetermined direction, are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction, and include at least two matching regions having frequency characteristics of ultrasound transmittance that are different from each other.

Abstract: A sensor assembly includes: a sensor including pixels that are aligned in a predetermined direction, the pixels being for detecting an electromagnetic wave; and a lens that forms, in a detector plane on the sensor, an image according to the electromagnetic wave, wherein the lens has an f-number in a first direction and an f-number in a second direction, the f-number in the first direction being different from the f-number in the second direction, the first direction being orthogonal to the predetermined direction in a plane parallel to the detector plane, and the second direction being the predetermined direction. For example, the f-number of the lens in the first direction is smaller than the f-number of the lens in the second direction.