Abstract: An image-forming apparatus, a fixing unit and a heat circulation system are equipped with a heat circulator capable of being fabricated at low costs and ensuring high heat exchange efficiency. The heat circulator includes two tabular metal members that come into contact with an intermediate transfer member at positions upstream and downstream of a simultaneous transfer and fixing zone, and plural heat pipes that transfer the heat of the first metal member to the second metal member.

Abstract: A solid state image pickup device has: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements for generating and accumulating electric charges corresponding to an amount of incidence light; color filters of a plurality of colors disposed on the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; a control signal generating unit for independently setting for each color a charge storage time of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements formed with color filters and generating for each color a read control signal of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; a reading member for reading electric charges from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements for each color in response to each read control signal; a transfer member for transferring electric charges read by the reading member; and an output member for outputting electric charges transferred by the transfer member to an output circuit.

Abstract: A charge transfer device whose output end is electrically connected to a charge detector circuit is driven by negative pulse voltage trains to reduce power consumption of the charge detector circuit.

Abstract: A method and system for dyeing a plastic lens by printing a colored layer (2) on a print base body (3) with a dyeing solvent by using a printer (5) electrically controlled, the dyeing solvent containing a dissolved or fine-grained dispersed sublimatable dye, then, placing the print base body having the colored layer in a position where the colored layer faces a plastic lens (14) to be dyed without contact therewith, and heating the print base body in a vacuum to sublimate the dye from the colored layer and deposit the sublimated dye on the lens.

Abstract: A humidity sensor comprising an insulating substrate, a detection electrodes and a moisture-sensitive layer, wherein the moisture-sensitive layer is a porous layer and has a thickness not greater than 200 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A pit (52) is formed in a substrate comprising a silicon wafer (51) on a surface of which a silicon oxide thin layer (53) is formed. A sandwich structure (60) comprising a piezoelectric layer (62) and lower and upper electrodes (61, 63) joined to both surfaces of the piezoelectric layer is disposed so as to stride over the pit (52). The upper surface of the lower electrode (61) and the lower surface of the piezoelectric layer (62) joined to the upper surface of the lower electrode are treated so that the RMS variation of the height thereof is equal to 25 nm or less. The thickness of the lower electrode (61) is set to 150 nm or less. According to such a structure, there is provided a high-performance thin film bulk acoustic resonator which are excellent in electromechanical coupling coefficient and acoustic quality factor.

Abstract: In the obtainment of image signals by receiving emitted light, generated by a stimulable phosphor sheet due to irradiation thereof by an excitation light, at the light receiving surfaces of photoelectric conversion elements, then obtaining an electrical image signal based on the charges stored in the photoelectric conversion elements by an image signal obtainment means comprising a charge transfer path and an output circuit, the area surrounding the light receiving surfaces of the photoelectric conversion elements have been covered by a filter that absorbs only blue light, and the emitted light is received.

Abstract: The charge read out efficiency of a line sensor utilizing a large photodiode is improved. A line sensor formed of a photoelectric converting portion utilizing a photodiode divided into a plurality of regions and having a potential inclination configuration wherein the potential wells thereof become deeper the closer the position thereof is to a readout gate is provided.

Abstract: A radiation-image data readout apparatus in which the charge transferring time occurring during a readout operation utilizing a line sensor having a broad-width light-receiving portion is shortened is provided. A line sensor having two photodiode portions, each having a width of 100 um, disposed adjacently with a microscopic gap therebetween, and a charge transferring device corresponding to each photodiode portion provided on the exterior side in the width direction of each corresponding photodiode portion, are provided.

Abstract: A charge read-out method and a solid-state imaging device capable of shortening a read-out time of charges stored in a plurality of light receiving units arranged linearly are provided. The charge read-out method includes the steps of moving the charges, which are generated and stored in the plurality of light receiving units linearly arranged by receiving light, to charge transfer paths disposed along a row of the light receiving units on both sides thereof, transferring the charges along the charge transfer paths to an output unit, and calculating a sum of converted values based on amounts of the charges transferred from the charge transfer paths for outputting.

Abstract: A color shooting solid state image pickup apparatus is composed by using a solid state image pickup device having a number of color pixels disposed in a plurality of rows and columns in a pixel shift layout with distributing at least one color-type color pixels in a square lattice pattern aligned in row and column directions and by using a video signal proceeding unit being able to perform interpolation processes using color information obtained from pixel signals output from the solid state image pickup device excepting one piece of color information obtained from pixel signals of the color pixels distributed in a square lattice pattern. A moving image having a smooth motion can be reproduced on a monitor even if the process performance of the video signal proceeding unit is not improved so much.

Abstract: A linear image sensor chip is manufactured by forming an image pickup section, peripheral circuit sections, a plurality of bonding pads, and a light-suppressing layer on a semiconductor substrate having an elongated shape. In this case, each of the bonding pads is formed outer than photodiode groups in the image pickup section along a longitudinal direction of the semiconductor substrate. Even if the dynamic range of an image reader utilizing such a linear image sensor chip is broadened, it is possible to suppress generation of noises without lowering the sensitivity.

Abstract: A drain region is formed along a horizontal charge transfer channel constituting a horizontal charge transfer element, and a barrier region for charges is formed between the horizontal charge transfer channel and drain region. A two-electrode element is formed by using the horizontal charge transfer channel, barrier region and drain region. A solid state image pickup device can be manufactured with high productivity, which device can drain charges in the horizontal charge transfer element at high speed.

Abstract: A humidity sensor including an insulating substrate, and a lower electrode formed from a noble metal, a moisture sensitive layer formed of a porous body predominantly containing alumina and containing predetermined amounts of TiO2 and SnO2 and an upper electrode formed of a noble metal porous body successively formed on the insulating substrate. The upper electrode is connected to the moisture sensitive layer and a portion of the insulating substrate. Preferably, the lower electrode is formed of a porous body. More preferably, the lower and upper electrodes are formed from Pt. Furthermore, preferably, a heater and a temperature measurement resistor are provided in the insulating substrate and are located directly below the moisture sensitive layer.

Abstract: A vehicle lamp fixture is disclosed in which a truncated bowl-shaped reflector 6 is formed as a single unit in front of each respective LED 5. Each reflector is formed from a transparent substance and has an aperture in the front surface. Each reflector also has a reflective surface 6b that totally reflects light from the LED 5 and a light conductive member 6c that conducts at least a portion of light reflected by the reflective surface toward the front of the light fixture. A transparent front lens can thereby be used that does not include light-distributing facets.

Abstract: In a CCD image sensor, a CCD line memory is disposed between each vertical charge transfer device and a horizontal charge transfer device to selectively transfer charges from each vertical charge transfer device to the horizontal charge transfer device. A discharge drain is disposed along the horizontal charge transfer device to selectively discharge charges from vertical charge transfer devices via the horizontal charge transfer device to the discharge drain. Therefore, image data in which the numbers respectively of the vertical and horizontal pixels are reduced can be generated.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus, a fixing unit and a heat circulation system are equipped with a heat circulator capable of being fabricated at low costs and ensuring high heat exchange efficiency. The heat circulator includes two tabular metal members that come into contact with an intermediate transfer member at positions upstream and downstream of a simultaneous transfer and fixing zone, and plural heat pipes that transfer the heat of the first metal member to the second metal member.

Abstract: A gas sensor comprises a first pump cell 6 including first internal and external electrodes 10 and 11 so formed as to face from inside and outside a first flow passage 2, respectively, for pumping oxygen out from, and into, the first flow passage, and a second pump cell 8 including second internal and external electrodes 14 and 15 so formed as to face from inside and outside a second flow passage 4 communicating with the first flow passage through a diffusion resistance, wherein a measurement gas component undergoes reaction inside the second flow passage 4 and a current corresponding to the concentration of the measurement gas component flows between the electrodes 14 and 15 through the oxygen ion conductor. At least a part of the first internal electrode 10 contains a platinum group element and Cu.

Abstract: A vehicle lamp is disclosed that includes plural light sources located on a printed wiring board. A first reflection structure reflects light from the light sources to a light emitting surface, and a second reflection structure reflects light reflected from the first reflection structure in an illuminating direction of the vehicle lamp. The construction of the lamp's first and the second reflection structures permits the light emitting surface of the vehicle lamp to shine uniformly. Accordingly, the number of the light sources required is minimized.

Abstract: An electronic filing system which can record an image reproduced from a photographed image of a developed film together with a photographic information pertaining thereto on a recording medium such as an optical disk. The system includes a device for reproducing an image from the photographed image of the film, a reading device for reading the photographic information recorded on the film, and a writing device for writing the reproduced image and photographic information on the recording medium.