Abstract: A combination meter has an indicator for radiating light having entered from an entrance portion thereof and a display panel having a displaying portion illuminated by light passing through such portion. A cylindrical body is inserted into a panel-side opening of the display panel. The cylindrical body has a body-side supporting portion so as to hold the display panel between the body-side supporting portion and a housing-side supporting portion. An outer peripheral reflecting portion formed in the cylindrical body reflects light toward a housing-side reflecting portion of a housing. Light emitted from a light source not only illuminates the indicator but also is reflected by the respective reflecting portions to illuminate the displaying portion.

Abstract: A core of an excitation light source is spliced with a first optical fiber to which no laser activation material is added, so that the light output from the first optical fiber is injected to a second optical fiber to a core of which the laser activation material is added.

Abstract: Light from a first excitation light source is incident on one facet of a first optical fiber. A core is doped with a first rare earth substance. A resonant section induces light resonance in the core to generate resonant light, thereby providing selected light at the other facet of the first optical fiber. An optical multi/demultiplexer reflects the light of the selected wavelength in a direction different from that of the first optical fiber. A second excitation light source supplies light to the resonant section of the first optical fiber via the optical multi/demultiplexer and the other facet of the first optical fiber. A second optical fiber guides the light of the selected wavelength from the optical multi/demultiplexer to an exterior.

Abstract: A laser light output apparatus comprises a semiconductor laser which has a suitable operating temperature, a driving section which supplies a driving current to the semiconductor laser, a temperature sensing section which senses the temperature of the semiconductor laser, an electronic temperature control section which controls the temperature of the semiconductor laser to the suitable operating temperature on the basis of the temperature sensed by the temperature sensing section in a state where at least the semiconductor laser is being driven, and a driving current control section which sets the driving current to an initial value smaller than a steady value at the suitable operating temperature at the start time of the driving of the semiconductor laser and changes the driving current to the steady value as the temperature of the semiconductor laser changes to the suitable operating temperature under the control of the electronic temperature control section.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser module comprising, a semiconductor laser element, an electronic cooling element configured to allow heat from the semiconductor laser element to be transmitted thereto, a heat sink configured to allow the heat which is transmitted to the electronic cooling element to be released, an optical system configured to conduct a laser beam which is emitted from the semiconductor laser element to an optical fiber cable, and a heat resistance section configured to transmit the heat of the optical system to the electronic cooling element, having a heat resistance greater than a heat resistance when the heat of the semiconductor laser element is transmitted to the electronic cooling element.

Abstract: A core of an excitation light source is spliced with a first optical fiber to which no laser activation material is added, so that the light output from the first optical fiber is injected to a second optical fiber to a core of which the laser activation material is added.

Abstract: Light from a first excitation light source is incident on one facet of a first optical fiber. A core is doped with a first rare earth substance. A resonant section induces light resonance in the core to generate resonant light, thereby providing selected light at the other facet of the first optical fiber. An optical multi/demultiplexer reflects the light of the selected wavelength in a direction different from that of the first optical fiber. A second excitation light source supplies light to the resonant section of the first optical fiber via the optical multi/demultiplexer and the other facet of the first optical fiber. A second optical fiber guides the light of the selected wavelength from the optical multi/demultiplexer to an exterior.

Abstract: An optical fiber, having a fiber cladding and a fiber core doped with laser active material, is embedded in an optical waveguide core having a refractive index almost equal to that of the optical fiber cladding, and pumping light is guided, in a side pumping manner, from the semiconductor laser via the light-guiding section. The guided pumping light is absorbed by the laser active material, as it propagates and moves around in the optical waveguide core in a fixed direction. Because the optical waveguide core is ring-shaped and enclosed by the optical waveguide cladding having a low refractive index, the rest of the guided pumping light propagates and moves around in the optical waveguide core again. Therefore, a laser active material in the optical fiber core can be pumped efficiently.

Abstract: A three-dimensional image display apparatus of the invention can be easily operated by the operator while a three-dimensional image created by the apparatus is observed by him. A depth information maximum value acquisition circuit acquires depth information contained in a first image signal. A parallax control circuit controls the parallax amount of a second image signal on the basis of depth information contained in the first and second image signals such that an image corresponding to the second image signal can be three-dimensionally displayed in front of an image corresponding to the first image signal. A three-dimensional image synthesizer synthesizes the first and second image signals which has been controlled by the parallax control circuit, on the basis of the parallax amount of each image signal, such that images correspond to that the first and second image signals in the three-dimensional display space.

Abstract: A letterbox image detection apparatus for detecting a letterbox image by detecting a boundary of an image area and a non-image area, so as to display the image area on a full screen according to the detection result but not to display the non-image area. The apparatus includes timing pulse generator for generating a timing pulse for splitting one screen image into N columns (N is an integer of 2 or more), image property calculator for calculating the image property of the N horizontal sections (hereinafter referred to as columns) split by the timing pulse generator, inter-line difference calculator for calculating the inter-line difference of the N image properties, edge detector for comparing the inter-line difference with a predetermined upper first threshold th1 and for detecting the edge, and edge position data holder for holding the vertical position data of the in-column edge detected by the edge determinator.

Abstract: A stereoscopic image display device for providing a stereoscopic image by displaying images with a parallax on a viewer's left and right eyes is disclosed. The display device comprises the following. (1) A light source with selectively variable light-emitting regions for emitting light, wherein the light-emitting regions are disposed at various positions from a center of the light source. (2) An optical element having an optical axis extending through the center of the light source for condensing light emitted from the light source to each of the viewer's left and right eyes. (3) Spatial modulation means, disposed on an optical path from the light source to the viewer, for spatially modulating the light emitted from the light source.

Abstract: An image signal processor for processing a received image signal. The received image signal can be at least one of an analog image signal and a digital image signal. The processor converts the analog image signal into first digital image data and converts the digital image signal to second digital image data. The processor selects at least one of the first and second digital image data as input image data. The input image data is then decode-processed based upon a selected at least one of a plurality of processing programs. The selected at least one processing program corresponds to the selected at least one of the first and second digital image data.