Abstract: An image sensor has a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a photoelectric converter and a pixel circuit for processing signals from the photoelectric converter and outputting processed signals and a scanning circuit, disposed between the photoelectric converters, included in each of at least two adjacent pixels among a plurality of pixels aligned in a single direction. An edge pixel accommodates, in order from an edge of the image sensor toward an interior, a predetermined empty region, a photoelectric converter and a pixel circuit. There is at least one position at which two adjacent pixels, the first of the two pixels accommodating, in order, a pixel circuit, a photoelectric converter and predetermined empty region, the second accommodating, in order, a predetermined empty region, a photoelectric converter and a pixel circuit. The scanning circuit is disposed in the predetermined empty region between the two adjacent pixels.

Abstract: A route search system for simply searching for a guidance route for participating in one of the events of the same kind held within time zones at places. The route search system comprises route search network data for searching for a route on foot and by public transportation, route searching means, network data editing means, and event data including the event holding place and the event holding time. The network data editing means connects the event holding place as an event site node involving position information to the route search network data, registers the event as an event virtual node not involving any position information, and connects the event site node to the event virtual node through links according to the different event holding times.

Abstract: Even if a detailed map being displayed is continuously scrolled, the place of the detailed map being displayed is kept to a wide-area map. A map display system having a map display for displaying a plurality of maps and an information distribution server which is connected to the map display through a communication means and distributes map data to the map display comprises a display means for displaying a first map capable of being scrolled and a second map including the scope of the first map, a scroll control means for scrolling the first map, a condition judging means for judging whether or not to control the display form of the second map according to the result of the scroll of the first map by the scroll control means and a condition for controlling the display form of the second map set in advance, and a reduced scale control means for controlling the display form of the second map.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a solid-state imaging apparatus capable of providing a high S/N ratio in a plurality of operation modes, and a method for driving the same. Provided is a solid-state imaging apparatus including: a plurality of pixels (1), each of the pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit for generating a charge by photoelectric conversion and accumulating the charge; and an amplifier 2 connected to a plurality of the pixels, to amplify the charge generated by the pixels, wherein the amplifier 2 includes an offset voltage setting unit (SW1) for setting at least two offset voltages.

Abstract: A public wireless LAN accessible area collection system includes a mobile terminal device having GPS means, wireless LAN communication means, and data communication means and a server which has storage means and accessible area map generation means and performs data communication with the mobile terminal device. When the wireless LAN communication means recognizes that the mobile terminal device exists in the area in which the mobile terminal device can be connected to the public wireless LAN, it obtains access information in the area. The data communication means transmits location information and access information to the server. The server associates the location information with the access information that are received from the mobile terminal device and stores them in the storage means.

Abstract: An unoccupied route search system for efficiently searching for a route (transportation means used) to the destination according to presence/absence of an unoccupied set of transportation means. An unoccupied seat route searching system (10) comprises an operation data DB (52) storing operation data on operation of transportation means, a search operation data DB (37) storing operation data for search, reservation information collecting means (35) for collecting reservation information on transportation means, condition input means (22) for inputting route search conditions including a seat condition, route search means (36) for searching transportation means constituting the route according to the reservation information collected by the reservation information collecting means (22) under the route search condition while referencing the search operation data DB (37), and output means (23) for outputting the results of the route search.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus includes: a route acquiring unit that acquires a route that connects a departure place and a destination, the route including a plurality of section routes for which different kinds of transportations are used; a guiding unit that performs a guidance based on the route acquire by the route acquiring unit; and a guidance controller that receives an instruction whether to perform the guidance for each of the section routes, and controls the guiding unit to perform the guidance for a section route for which an instruction to perform the guidance is received.

Abstract: In a solid-state image pickup device which has means of adding signals from a plurality of pixels, the present invention achieves a high S/N, and achieves a solid-state image pickup device suitable for both of static image pickup and moving image pickup. The solid-state image pickup device is a solid-state image pickup device which has a pixel unit has a plurality of pixels which are arranged two-dimensionally and output pixel signals derived by a photoelectric conversion, and is provided with a first mode of reading a pixel signal every pixel, and a second mode of adding and reading a plurality of pixel signals, having a variable gain column amplifier for performing readout at different gains in the first mode and second mode. The solid-state image pickup device has a plurality of output lines where output signals from a plurality of pixels arranged in one line are outputted respectively, and at least one of the variable gain amplifier is connected to each of the plurality of output lines.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes an adder adding signals from pixels to achieve a high S/N, while performing both static image and moving image pickup. The device has a pixel unit having pixels arranged two-dimensionally and outputs pixel signals derived by photoelectric conversion. The device operates in a first mode of reading a pixel signal of every pixel, and a second mode of adding and reading a plurality of pixel signals. Variable gain column amplifiers perform readout at different gains in the first and second modes. The device also has output lines where output signals from the pixels arranged in one line are outputted respectively, and at least one of the variable gain amplifier is connected to each of the output lines. The gain at the time of readout in the second mode is higher than the gain at the time of readout in the first mode.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device that reduces the number of necessary sampling and holding capacitors has signal lines to which photoreceiving elements are connected, a clamp circuit having clamp capacitors in which one terminal is connected to the signal lines and the other terminals are short-circuited and a switch applying a reference voltage to the other terminals by the clamping operation and adding signals from the photoreceiving elements provided in the row direction along with the clamping operation, an adder which is connected to the other terminals of the clamp capacitors, adds addition signals of the respective photoreceiving element rows outputted from the other terminals and adds the signals of the plurality of photoreceiving elements provided in the column direction, an amplifier connected to the adder, a switch resetting the input side of the amplifier, and a circuit for outputting an offset of the amplifier and the signal from the amplifier.

Abstract: A multilayer thin film formation method and a multilayer thin film formation apparatus that improve dielectric characteristics and piezoelectric characteristics of a thin film formed from a lead-based perovskite complex oxide. The multilayer thin film formation method includes formation of a lower electrode layer (32b) containing a noble metal above a substrate (S) by sputtering a lower electrode layer target (TG2), and superposing a lead-based complex oxide layer (33) on the lower electrode layer (32b) by sputtering an oxide layer target (TG3) containing lead. The lower electrode layer (32b) has a thickness restricted to 10 to 30 nm, and the lead-based complex oxide layer (33) has a thickness restricted to 0.2 and 5.0 ?m.

Abstract: A method for forming a chalcogenide film within a contact hole formed in an insulating layer on a substrate, includes: preparing a target having a composition the same as that of the chalcogenide film; setting a ratio L/T of a distance L with respect to a diameter T of the target to a value not less than 0.5 and not more than 1.5, where the diameter of the target is T (m) and the distance between the target and the substrate is L (m); and forming a chalcogenide film within the contact hole by a sputtering process in which a bias electric power is applied to the substrate and a sputtering electric power is applied to the target.

Abstract: The map-display-area determining unit determines an area in which a map is to be displayed. The road-information obtaining unit obtains, from map data transmitted from a map-data distributing server, curved-point coordinate information and name information of a traffic route. A map-display-data generating unit determines a display position for each of a character or symbol included in a character/symbol string in the name information so that the character or symbol is positioned along the traffic route without interfering with another character or symbol, and generates map display data for displaying the character or symbol at the determined display position.

Abstract: A film forming method in which a crystalline film having PZT (111) as a principal component thereof is laminated on a foundation film having a (111) oriented noble metal as a principal component thereof, the method including the steps of: forming an oxide film whose interplanar spacing is closer to the PZT (111) than to the noble metal, on a surface of the foundation film; and forming the crystalline film on the surface of the foundation film by an MOCVD method.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus comprises a transfer block including a first transfer unit and a second transfer unit, wherein the first transfer unit includes a first impedance converter which transfers a first signal to the output unit, and the first transfer unit transfers, as a third signal, a difference signal between a first offset of the first impedance converter and a signal obtained by superimposing the first offset on the first signal, the second transfer unit includes a second impedance converter which transfers a second signal to the output unit, and the second transfer unit transfers, as a fourth signal, a difference signal between a second offset of the second impedance converter and a signal obtained by superimposing the second offset on the second signal, and the output unit calculates a difference between the third signal and the fourth signal, generating and outputting an image signal.

Abstract: A film forming method in which crystalline film having PZT (001) or PZT (100) as a principal component thereof is laminated on a foundation film having a (111) oriented noble metal as a principal component thereof, the method including the steps of: performing reduction treatment on a surface of the foundation film; and forming the crystalline film by an MOCVD method on the surface of the foundation film.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus comprises first accumulation units, of which number is n, holding a digital value of n-bits output from a counter, second accumulation units, of which number is n, holding the digital value of n-bits transferred from the first accumulation units, of which number is n, and an A/D converter writing the digital value of n-bits from the counter based on an image signal generated by pixels into the first accumulation units, of which number is n, wherein correspondingly to each column of the pixels, the first accumulation unit of m-th bit (1?m?n) and the second accumulation unit of m-th bit (1?m?n) are arranged and paired, and the pairs of which number is n are arranged in a direction along the column of pixels.

Abstract: The number of necessary sampling and holding capacitors is reduced.

Abstract: A multilayer film formation method enables the formation of a multilayer including a complex oxide layer and having the desired shape of an element without performing an etching process. The method positions a first mask (30A) above a substrate (S), forms an adhesion layer (36) and a lower electrode layer (37) on the substrate with the first mask by sputtering an adhesion layer target (T1) and a lower electrode layer target (T2), positions a second mask (30B) formed from a ceramic material above the lower electrode layer, superimposes a complex oxide layer (38) on the lower electrode layer with the second mask by sputtering an oxide layer target (T3), positions a third mask (30C) above the complex oxide layer, and superimposes an upper electrode layer (39) on the complex oxide layer with the third mask by sputtering an upper electrode layer target (T4).

Abstract: Guide points can be grasped by use of a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal comprises search condition transmitting means (KC16A) for transmitting data of route searching conditions to a server; searching result receiving means (KC1A) for receiving, from the server, route data produced by the server in accordance with the route searching conditions; map request information transmitting means (KC16B) for transmitting, to the server, map data transmission request information for requesting a transmission of map data; map data receiving means (KC1B) for receiving the map data transmitted from the server; route image producing means (KC7) for producing a route image based on a range in which to display on the information display screen (11) and based on the route data; and guide map image producing means (KC8) for producing a route guidance map image by combining, based on the map data, a map image and the route image.