Abstract: An optical sensor comprises a light-emitting element configured to emit light in a region where an object is present; a light-receiving element configured to receive reflected light from the object; a generation unit configured to generate a histogram indicating a relationship between a time from emission of the light by the light-emitting element to reception of the reflected light by the light-receiving element and an intensity of the reflected light received by the light-receiving element; a first calculation unit configured to calculate skewness of the histogram; and a second calculation unit configured to calculate a distance between the optical sensor and the object with reference to the histogram and the skewness.

Abstract: A ToF distance sensor comprises a light-emitting element configured to emit pulsed light; a first light collector configured to collect the pulsed light emitted from the light-emitting element; a light-receiving element; and a cover provided with a first region configured to output the pulsed light collected by the first light collector to an outside, and a second region configured to cause the pulsed light reflected by a target measurement object to be incident toward the light-receiving element, wherein the first region is a scattering region configured to scatter the pulsed light.

Abstract: An optical encoder includes first, second, and third light receiving elements (A, B, C) that are sequentially disposed and adjacent to each other; and a detection signal generation unit (50) that outputs a detection trigger (Ts) when an output level of the second light receiving element (B) that receives incident light after the first light receiving element (A) is higher than an output level of the first light receiving element A, and outputs a non-detection trigger (Te) when an output level of the third light receiving element (C) that receives incident light after the second light receiving element (B) is higher than the output level of the second light receiving element (B).

Abstract: A power supply controlling apparatus includes a first power supply unit that supplies DC power to a load using power supplied from a commercial power supply, a power detecting unit that detects an input voltage and an input current input from the commercial power supply to the first power supply unit, and a control unit that controls the input current to be a constant current having an upper limit current value in response to the input voltage by controlling DC power supplied to the load from the first power supply unit based on the input voltage and the input current which are detected by the power detecting unit.

Abstract: A power supply controlling apparatus includes a first power supply unit that supplies DC power to a load using power supplied from a commercial power supply, a power detecting unit that detects an input voltage and an input current input from the commercial power supply to the first power supply unit, and a control unit that controls the input current to be a constant current having an upper limit current value in response to the input voltage by controlling DC power supplied to the load from the first power supply unit based on the input voltage and the input current which are detected by the power detecting unit.

Abstract: An optical sensor includes a light-emitting element unit that emits a signal beam having a predetermined spread centered at a direction of emission and a light-detecting element unit that receives a signal beam reflected by an object to be measured. The light-emitting element unit has a plurality of light-emitting spots including a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element that are different in angle of beam spread of the signal beam from each other. Of these light-emitting elements, the second light-emitting element emits a second signal beam that is narrower in angle of beam spread than the first light-emitting element. The optical sensor combines these first and second light-emitting elements to detect the distance to the object to be measured on the basis of a signal beam received by the light-detecting element unit.

Abstract: An optical reflection sensor includes a light emitting element that irradiates a distance measuring target with light, a light receiving optical system that condenses reflected light from the distance measuring target, a light receiving element that receives light condensed by the light receiving optical system and outputs a photoelectric current signal corresponding to a light receiving position, and a signal processing circuit that obtains light receiving position information on the light receiving element and time-of-flight information of the light, which is a duration from when the light is emitted by the light emitting element to when the light is reflected by the distance measuring target and received by the light receiving element, on the basis of the photoelectric current signal output from the light receiving element.

Abstract: An electric power supplying device includes a main power supply that supplies electric power to each component of an apparatus, an auxiliary power supply that supplies electric power to an assisted component in the apparatus, the assisted component requiring power supply during start-up time of the apparatus and having a whose start-up time being equal to or longer than a predetermined period of time, a discharging control circuit that controls the auxiliary power supply to cause the auxiliary power supply to output a voltage, the output voltage being lower than a voltage output by the main power supply and being equal to or more than a lower limit voltage of a voltage range that the assisted component is operable, and a power supply prevention circuit that prevents the auxiliary power supply from supplying power to a component other than the assisted component in the apparatus.

Abstract: A light receiving sensor (1) includes: a photodiode (PD) which generates a photocurrent (Ipd) upon receipt of light; a transistor (Tr11) through which the photocurrent (Ipd) flows; a transistor (Tr12) which forms, together with the transistor (Tr11), a first current mirror circuit (CM1); a transistor (Tr9) whose channel type is different from that of the transistor (Tr11), and a resistor (R10) which converts, to a voltage, a current flowing through the transistors (Tr11 and Tr12). The first current mirror circuit (CM1) amplifies the photocurrent (Ipd), the transistor (Tr11) has a source connected with a gate of a MOS transistor (Tr9), and the MOS transistor (Tr9) has a threshold voltage that is set to be equal to or above a threshold voltage of the transistor (Tr11). This decreases a capacity of the photodiode (PD) and therefore allows the light receiving sensor (1) to operate at a high speed while the photodiode (PD) is biased.

Abstract: A light-receiving sensor (1) includes: a photodiode (PD) for generating a photocurrent by use of a light input; and a first current source (CS), provided in parallel to the photodiode (PD), for generating a first auxiliary current by being driven by a voltage between terminals, which are a terminal (T1) and a terminal (T2). The first current source (CS) is also driven by the voltage between the terminals which voltage is obtained when no light is inputted.

Abstract: An optical encoder includes first, second, and third light receiving elements (A, B, C) that are sequentially disposed and adjacent to each other; and a detection signal generation unit (50) that outputs a detection trigger (Ts) when an output level of the second light receiving element (B) that receives incident light after the first light receiving element (A) is higher than an output level of the first light receiving element A, and outputs a non-detection trigger (Te) when an output level of the third light receiving element (C) that receives incident light after the second light receiving element (B) is higher than the output level of the second light receiving element (B).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device to fix an image on a recording medium by heating the recording medium, multiple heat storing devices to store heat generated at the fixing device, an electric generating element to generate power by converting the heat into power, and a switch to switch connection and disconnection between the electric generating element and at least one of the multiple heat storing devices.

Abstract: An electric power supplying device includes a main power supply that supplies electric power to each component of an apparatus, an auxiliary power supply that supplies electric power to an assisted component in the apparatus, the assisted component requiring power supply during start-up time of the apparatus and having a whose start-up time being equal to or longer than a predetermined period of time, a discharging control circuit that controls the auxiliary power supply to cause the auxiliary power supply to output a voltage, the output voltage being lower than a voltage output by the main power supply and being equal to or more than a lower limit voltage of a voltage range that the assisted component is operable, and a power supply prevention circuit that prevents the auxiliary power supply from supplying power to a component other than the assisted component in the apparatus.

Abstract: A commercial AC power shutdown detecting apparatus includes a photocoupler including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, a lighting circuit that flows a pulsating current through the light-emitting element of the photocoupler to turn on and off light of the light-emitting element, a charging-discharging circuit including a capacitor and a resistor that charges the capacitor via the resistor when the light-emitting element is turned off, and discharges the capacitor via the light-receiving element and the a resistor when the light-emitting element is turned on, and a comparing circuit that compares a voltage value between capacitor terminals with a predetermined voltage value intermediate between a maximum voltage value between the capacitor terminals when the light-emitting element repeats turning light on and off and the consistent DC voltage value, and outputs a shutdown detection signal if the voltage value between the capacitor terminals exceeds the predetermined voltage value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heat-generating component, a power generation device including a thermoelectric element, a heat radiation device, a cooling device, a temperature detector that detects a temperature increase of the heat-generating component, and a controller. The heat radiation device includes a first radiator plate interposed between the heat-generating component and a surface of the thermoelectric element and a second radiator plate attached to another surface of the thermoelectric element. The cooling device cools the first radiator plate. The controller controls operations of the cooling device and the power generation device by operating the cooling device if the detected temperature increase reaches at least a predetermined threshold value, and causing the power generation device to generate power without operating the cooling device to cool the first radiator plate passively if the detected temperature increase falls below the predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heat generator configured to generate heat in the image forming apparatus; a converter including a capacitor to convert AC power supplied from an external power supply into DC power for a load unit; a thermoelectric transducer configured to convert the generated heat into DC power for the load unit; a detector configured to detect a voltage of the AC power; and a controller configured to cause the converter to continue supplying the DC power to the load unit when a first elapsed time elapsed since the detected voltage drops below a rated voltage is shorter than a first time period shorter than an upper limit of a period of time over which the capacitor is dischargeable, and cause the thermoelectric transducer to supply the DC power to the load unit when the first elapsed time exceeds the first time period.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device to fix an image on a recording medium by heating the recording medium, multiple heat storing devices to store heat generated at the fixing device, an electric generating element to generate power by converting the heat into power, and a switch to switch connection and disconnection between the electric generating element and at least one of the multiple heat storing devices.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heat generator configured to generate heat in the image forming apparatus; a converter including a capacitor to convert AC power supplied from an external power supply into DC power for a load unit; a thermoelectric transducer configured to convert the generated heat into DC power for the load unit; a detector configured to detect a voltage of the AC power; and a controller configured to cause the converter to continue supplying the DC power to the load unit when a first elapsed time elapsed since the detected voltage drops below a rated voltage is shorter than a first time period shorter than an upper limit of a period of time over which the capacitor is dischargeable, and cause the thermoelectric transducer to supply the DC power to the load unit when the first elapsed time exceeds the first time period.

Abstract: When no light enters a photodiode, a second current mirror circuit operates. Consequently, a current that decreases a potential difference between two terminals of a light-receiving element flows into a transistor of the second current mirror circuit and an output of an optical sensor becomes low. Meanwhile, when light enters the photodiode, a transistor of the light-receiving element is turned on and the second current mirror circuit stops operating. Consequently, the current that decreases the potential difference between the two terminals of the light-receiving element is stopped in the transistor of the second current mirror circuit and the output of the optical sensor becomes high. This makes it possible to provide an optical sensor that has a circuit in which an output of a light-receiving element does not depend on a photocurrent and that is capable of operating at a high speed.

Abstract: A light-receiving sensor (1) includes: a photodiode (PD) for generating a photocurrent by use of a light input; and a first current source (CS), provided in parallel to the photodiode (PD), for generating a first auxiliary current by being driven by a voltage between terminals, which are a terminal (T1) and a terminal (T2). The first current source (CS) is also driven by the voltage between the terminals which voltage is obtained when no light is inputted.