Abstract: An underwater detection apparatus is provided. The underwater detection apparatus includes a transmitter, a receiver, and a hardware processor. The transmitter transmits a transmission wave. The receiver obtains a receive signal based on a reflection of the transmission wave. The hardware processor is programmed to at least detect an underwater target object based at least in part on the receive signal, estimate a density index value of objects within a given area in a vicinity of the underwater target object, and calculate a size index value of the underwater target object based at least in part on the density index value and a target object signal intensity representing a maximum intensity of the receive signal corresponding to the underwater target object.

Abstract: An underwater detection apparatus is provided. The underwater detection apparatus includes a transmitter, a receiver, and a hardware processor. The transmitter transmits a transmission wave. The receiver obtains a receive signal based on a reflection of the transmission wave. The hardware processor is programmed to at least detect an underwater target object based at least in part on the receive signal, estimate a density index value of objects within a given area in a vicinity of the underwater target object, and calculate a size index value of the underwater target object based at least in part on the density index value and a target object signal intensity representing a maximum intensity of the receive signal corresponding to the underwater target object.

Abstract: Communication processing is performed so as to correspond to multiple types of contactless IC cards having different specifications, such as command classes and security algorithms. Without performing a process for a command or response result communicated with an IC card, a reading device encapsulates the command or result into a command that is called a through command and that is independent of the type of IC card and delegates the process to a controller module. Thus, the reading device is independent of the type of IC card. A command and a process procedure which depend on the type of IC card are taken care of by a replaceable software module that is provided in the controller module and that corresponds to the card.

Abstract: A reader/writer that reads or writes information from or in an Integrated Circuit (IC) module, in which one or more applications are loaded, in response to an instruction issued from a controller in which counter-applications compatible with the applications are loaded. The reader/writer includes a memory in which one or more pieces of IC access authentication information that are associated with the applications in the IC module and that are used to authenticate the associated applications respectively are stored. The memory also stores pieces of group authentication information. A control unit authenticates a counter-application using group authentication information and, if the authentication succeeds, permits the counter-application to use IC access authentication information belonging to a group identified with the group authentication information.

Abstract: A reader/writer that reads or writes information from or in an Integrated Circuit (IC) module, in which one or more applications are loaded, in response to an instruction issued from a controller in which counter-applications compatible with the applications are loaded. The reader/writer includes a memory in which one or more pieces of IC access authentication information that are associated with the applications in the IC module and that are used to authenticate the associated applications respectively are stored. The memory also stores pieces of group authentication information. A control unit authenticates a counter-application using group authentication information and, if the authentication succeeds, permits the counter-application to use IC access authentication information belonging to a group identified with the group authentication information.

Abstract: A reader/writer that reads or writes information from or in an Integrated Circuit (IC) module, in which one or more applications are loaded, in response to an instruction issued from a controller in which counter-applications compatible with the applications are loaded. The reader/writer includes a memory in which one or more pieces of IC access authentication information that are associated with the applications in the IC module and that are used to authenticate the associated applications respectively are stored. The memory also stores pieces of group authentication information. A control unit authenticates a counter-application using group authentication information and, if the authentication succeeds, permits the counter-application to use IC access authentication information belonging to a group identified with the group authentication information.

Abstract: A reader/writer apparatus to communicate with an external radio communication apparatus in accordance with instructions from a controller apparatus is provided. The reader/writer apparatus includes a storage unit including one or more key storing segments to store access keys that enable communication with the radio communication apparatus; an access key searching unit configured to search for an access key stored in one of the key storing segments on the basis of key-associated information that is received from the controller apparatus and that can uniquely specify the access key; and a communication unit configured to receive instructions from the controller apparatus, generate a command corresponding to the instructions, and transmit the command to the radio communication apparatus by using the access key obtained by the access key searching unit.

Abstract: An ultrasonic apparatus is disclosed that includes a transducer having a plurality of transducer elements, a controller operatively connected to the transducer and driving the transducer elements to produce a first ultrasonic transmitting beam having a first frequency and a second ultrasonic transmitting beam having a second frequency; and a processor operatively connected to said transducer for forming and moving reception beams to receive echo signals and extracting frequency components corresponding to said first ultrasonic transmitting beam and said second ultrasonic transmitting beam.

Abstract: Disclosed is a reader/writer that reads or writes information from or in an IC module, in which one or more applications are loaded, in response to an instruction issued from a controller in which counter-applications compatible with the applications are loaded includes: a memory in which one or more pieces of IC access authentication information that are associated with the applications in the IC module and that are used to authenticate the associated applications respectively are stored and in which pieces of group authentication information are stored in association with groups into which the pieces of IC access authentication information are sorted according to the applications; and a control unit that authenticates a counter-application using group authentication information and that, if the authentication succeeds, permits the counter-application to use IC access authentication information belonging to a group identified with the group authentication information used for the successful authentication.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transmitter generates a reference signal based on a clock signal of a specific frequency and a control signal made up of binary values 0 and 1 for controlling how the level (High or Low) of a carrier drive signal should change, and generates an analog signal constituting the carrier drive signal by pulse-duration-modulating the reference signal. Produced from the carrier drive signal, a driving pulse signal is shaped into a curved waveform having a gradually rising leading edge and a gradually falling trailing edge as the amplitude of the carrier drive signal is gradually increased and decreased based on the control signal.

Abstract: A reader/writer apparatus to communicate with an external radio communication apparatus in accordance with instructions from a controller apparatus is provided. The reader/writer apparatus includes a storage unit including one or more key storing segments to store access keys that enable communication with the radio communication apparatus; an access key searching unit configured to search for an access key stored in one of the key storing segments on the basis of key-associated information that is received from the controller apparatus and that can uniquely specify the access key; and a communication unit configured to receive instructions from the controller apparatus, generate a command corresponding to the instructions, and transmit the command to the radio communication apparatus by using the access key obtained by the access key searching unit.

Abstract: Communication processing is performed so as to correspond to multiple types of contactless IC cards having different specifications, such as command classes and security algorithms. Without performing a process for a command or response result communicated with an IC card, a reading device encapsulates the command or result into a command that is called a through command and that is independent of the type of IC card and delegates the process to a controller module. Thus, the reading device is independent of the type of IC card. A command and a process procedure which depend on the type of IC card are taken care of by a replaceable software module that is provided in the controller module and that corresponds to the card.

Abstract: An ultrasonic apparatus is disclosed that includes a transducer having a plurality of transducer elements, a controller operatively connected to the transducer and driving the transducer elements to produce a first ultrasonic transmitting beam having a first frequency and a second ultrasonic transmitting beam having a second frequency; and a processor operatively connected to said transducer for forming and moving reception beams to receive echo signals and extracting frequency components corresponding to said first ultrasonic transmitting beam and said second ultrasonic transmitting beam.

Abstract: A receiving beam is formed using 60 elements arranged in a 90° sector area of a cylindrical receiving array. Receiving beam 0 is formed with elements 0-59 divided into two (front and rear) groups. Specifically, the elements 0-59 are divided into rear group 1 (elements 0-8, 51-59) and front group 2 (elements 9-50) in the beam direction, and the receiving beam is formed by using sample data obtained from the transducer elements 0-8, 51-59 of group 1 in a current scanning cycle as well as sample data obtained from the transducer elements 9-50 of group 2 in a preceding scanning cycle. This approach makes it possible to form the receiving beam such that incoming waves of a short-pulse signal would simultaneously hit the relevant transducer elements of the receiving array and thereby improve directivity and sensitivity of the receiving beam for the reception of short-pulse waves.

Abstract: A received beam-forming apparatus is disclosed is which echo signals received by multiple ultrasonic transducer elements arranged in a linear form are sampled at a specific scanning frequency to obtain sample data. A receiving beam-forming apparatus includes a memory which stores the sample data derived from multiple scanning cycles; and a beamformer which divides the multiple ultrasonic transducer elements into multiple blocks, reads out the sample data derived from different scanning cycles for the individual blocks from said memory, and forms a receiving beam in a specific direction using the individual sample data which have been read out. A sonar system using the receiving-beam forming apparatus is also disclosed as is a matched filter which selects an arc-shaped part of an ultrasonic transducer element array.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transmitter generates a reference signal based on a clock signal of a specific frequency and a control signal made up of binary values 0 and 1 for controlling how the level (High or Low) of a carrier drive signal should change, and generates an analog signal constituting the carrier drive signal by pulse-duration-modulating the reference signal. Produced from the carrier drive signal, a driving pulse signal is shaped into a curved waveform having a gradually rising leading edge and a gradually falling trailing edge as the amplitude of the carrier drive signal is gradually increased and decreased based on the control signal.

Abstract: A receiving beam is formed using 60 elements arranged in a 90° sector area of a cylindrical receiving array. Receiving beam 0 is formed with elements 0-59 divided into two (front and rear) groups. Specifically, the elements 0-59 are divided into rear group 1 (elements 0-8, 51-59) and front group 2 (elements 9-50) in the beam direction, and the receiving beam is formed by using sample data obtained from the transducer elements 0-8, 51-59 of group 1 in a current scanning cycle as well as sample data obtained from the transducer elements 9-50 of group 2 in a preceding scanning cycle. This approach makes it possible to form the receiving beam such that incoming waves of a short-pulse signal would simultaneously hit the relevant transducer elements of the receiving array and thereby improve directivity and sensitivity of the receiving beam for the reception of short-pulse waves.

Abstract: Signals entered from receiving transducer elements of 160 channels are multiplexed into 10 signal lines by 10 multiplexers. Each of 10 A/D converters converts the signals of 16 channels from analog from into digital form. The multiplexers are switched with synchronized switching timing to produce 10 pieces of sample data strings with the same timing. 160 pieces of sample data sampled in a steplike form are shifted in phase according to an oblique-line sampling scheme. The signal of the same channel is sampled twice with a phase delay of 90° so that the signal can be converted into complex-valued sample data without increasing the number of processing circuits.

Abstract: Block copolymers of a vinyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon and a conjugated diene, having alkali metal atoms linked to at least one terminal of the polymer chain are obtained by polymerizing vinyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon and conjugated diene monomers with use of an alkali metal or organo alkali metal initiator. The block copolymer thus obtained is treated with a polar reactant to introduce polar groups into the polymer chain terminal.Compositions for paints and printing inks are prepared by incorporating inorganic pigments into the block copolymer having the terminal polar group.

Abstract: A stable and non-polar solvent soluble alpha-methylstyrene-conjugated diene oligomer dilithium as a polymerization initiator is obtained by preparing a dilithium initiator solution by reacting lithium metal with alpha-methylstyrene in a polar solvent at low temperature, thereafter adding gradually a small amount of a conjugated diene to the dilithium initiator solution to consume completely the alpha-methylstyrene, and then adding additional conjugated diene in a certain amount so as to prepare the stable and non-polar solvent soluble alpha-methylstyrene-conjugated diene oligomer dilithium.