Abstract: A flow-rate measuring apparatus transmits a first measurement signal having at least one first frequency by a first transducer, and receives the first measurement signal by a second transducer through a fluid inside a pipe. The flow-rate measuring apparatus determines a second frequency based on the first measurement signal. The flow-rate measuring apparatus transmits a second measurement signal having the second frequency by a third transducer toward an interface between the pipe and the fluid, and receives the second measurement signal reflected at the interface by a fourth transducer. The flow-rate measuring apparatus calculates a flow rate of the fluid inside the pipe so as to reflect a viscosity of the fluid based on the first and second measurement signals.

Abstract: A flow rate measurement apparatus includes first and second transducers provided at different positions in a longitudinal direction of a pipe, the at least two transducers including first and second transducers. The flow rate measurement apparatus further includes a transmitter and receiver. The transmitter transmits a transmission signal, which is an ultrasonic signal having a band wider than the ultrasonic signal, or a plurality of ultrasonic signals having a plurality of different frequency ranges. The receiver separates a target signal passing through a fluid from the received signal by utilizing that an attenuation rate of the ultrasonic signal in the fluid in a predetermined frequency band is different from an attenuation rate of the ultrasonic signal in the pipe in the frequency band, and measures a flow rate based on a separated target signal.

Abstract: A device determines the propagation time of an acoustic signal by cross-correlation analysis between a transmission signal and a reception signal. The device determines the propagation time by cross-correlation analysis between the transmission signal and the reception signal from which reverberation has yet to be removed, removes, from the reception signal, as the reverberation, a signal component at and after a time point based on the determined propagation time, and redetermines a propagation time by cross-correlation analysis between the transmission signal and the reception signal from which the reverberation has been removed.

Abstract: A flow-rate measuring apparatus transmits and receives a measurement signal between first and second transducers through a fluid inside a pipe, the measurement signal having a plurality of frequencies and a time length. The flow-rate measuring apparatus calculates a correlation coefficient between a reference signal corresponding to the transmitted measurement signal, and the received measurement signal. The flow-rate measuring apparatus calculates a flow rate of the fluid inside the pipe based on the measurement signal, when a peak value of the correlation coefficient is higher than a threshold. The flow-rate measuring apparatus retransmits the measurement signal with changing at least one of the frequency and the time length of the measurement signal, when the peak value of the correlation coefficient is equal to or lower than the threshold.

Abstract: A sensing device detects an object in a blind spot in a surrounding environment of a mobile body. The sensing device includes a distance measurer, a detector, and a controller. The distance measurer acquires distance information indicating a distance from the mobile body to the surrounding environment. The detector detects the object in the blind spot. The controller controls operation of the detector. The controller detects the blind spot in the surrounding environment, based on the distance information acquired by the distance measurer. The controller controls precision at which the detector is caused to detect the object in the blind spot, according to a distance to the blind spot.

Abstract: A device determines a propagation time of an acoustic signal through cross-correlation analysis between a transmission signal and a reception signal. The device generates the transmission signal to satisfy (1) a ratio of a height of a peak other than a maximum peak in an autocorrelation function of the transmission signal to a height of the maximum peak being 0.8 or less and (2) a duration of the transmission signal being at least five times a shortest period of the transmission signal or at least 20 times a half width at half maximum of the autocorrelation function of the transmission signal.

Abstract: A flow-rate measuring apparatus transmits a first measurement signal having at least one first frequency by a first transducer, and receives the first measurement signal by a second transducer through a fluid inside a pipe. The flow-rate measuring apparatus determines a second frequency based on the first measurement signal. The flow-rate measuring apparatus transmits a second measurement signal having the second frequency by a third transducer toward an interface between the pipe and the fluid, and receives the second measurement signal reflected at the interface by a fourth transducer. The flow-rate measuring apparatus calculates a flow rate of the fluid inside the pipe so as to reflect a viscosity of the fluid based on the first and second measurement signals.

Abstract: A sensing device detects an object in a blind spot in a surrounding environment of a mobile body. The sensing device includes a distance measurer, a detector, a controller, and a state receiver. The distance measurer acquires distance information indicating a distance from the mobile body to the surrounding environment. The detector detects the object in the blind spot. The controller controls operation of the detector. The state receiver acquires condition information indicating a state relating to slipperiness of the mobile body on a road surface on which the mobile body travels. The contoller detects the blind spot in the surrounding environment, based on the distance information acquired by the distance measurer. The controller controls precision at which the detector is caused to detect the object in the blind spot, according to the condition information acquired by the state receiver.

Abstract: A flow-rate measuring apparatus transmits and receives a measurement signal between first and second transducers through a fluid inside a pipe, the measurement signal having a plurality of frequencies and a time length. The flow-rate measuring apparatus calculates a correlation coefficient between a reference signal corresponding to the transmitted measurement signal, and the received measurement signal. The flow-rate measuring apparatus calculates a flow rate of the fluid inside the pipe based on the measurement signal, when a peak value of the correlation coefficient is higher than a threshold. The flow-rate measuring apparatus retransmits the measurement signal with changing at least one of the frequency and the time length of the measurement signal, when the peak value of the correlation coefficient is equal to or lower than the threshold.

Abstract: A sensing device detects an object in a blind spot in a surrounding environment of a mobile body. The sensing device includes a distance measurer, a detector, and a controller. The distance measurer acquires distance information indicating a distance from the mobile body to the surrounding environment. The detector detects the object in the blind spot. The controller controls operation of the detector. The controller detects the blind spot in the surrounding environment, based on the distance information acquired by the distance measurer. The controller controls precision at which the detector is caused to detect the object in the blind spot, according to a distance to the blind spot.

Abstract: A flow rate measurement apparatus includes first and second transducers provided at different positions in a longitudinal direction of a pipe, the at least two transducers including first and second transducers. The flow rate measurement apparatus further includes a transmitter and receiver. The transmitter transmits a transmission signal, which is an ultrasonic signal having a band wider than the ultrasonic signal, or a plurality of ultrasonic signals having a plurality of different frequency ranges. The receiver separates a target signal passing through a fluid from the received signal by utilizing that an attenuation rate of the ultrasonic signal in the fluid in a predetermined frequency band is different from an attenuation rate of the ultrasonic signal in the pipe in the frequency band, and measures a flow rate based on a separated target signal.

Abstract: A sensing device senses an object present in a blind spot in the surrounding environment of a moving body. The sensing device is provided with a detection unit, a distance measurement unit, and a control unit. The detection unit radiates a physical signal from the moving body to the surrounding environment, and detects a reflection signal which is a reflection of the radiated physical signal. The distance measurement unit detects distance information indicating the distance from the moving body to the surrounding environment. The control unit analyzes the result of the detection by the detection unit. The control unit: senses, on the basis of the distance information, a blind spot region indicating a blind spot in the surrounding environment, and another moving body travelling in front of the moving body towards the blind spot region; and senses an object in the blind spot region on the basis of a reflected signal reflected by the other moving body, in the result of the detection by the detection unit.

Abstract: A sensing device detects an object in a blind spot in a surrounding environment of a mobile body. The sensing device includes a distance measurer, a detector, a controller, and a state receiver. The distance measurer acquires distance information indicating a distance from the mobile body to the surrounding environment. The detector detects the object in the blind spot. The controller controls operation of the detector. The state receiver acquires condition information indicating a state relating to slipperiness of the mobile body on a road surface on which the mobile body travels. The controller detects the blind spot in the surrounding environment based on the distance information acquired by the distance measurer. The controller controls precision at which the detector is caused to detect the object in the blind spot, according to the condition information acquired by the state receiver.

Abstract: Power consumption of a seismic sensor is suppressed. The seismic sensor is operated in a power-saving mode and a measuring mode in which the power consumption is larger than that of the power-saving mode. The seismic sensor includes: a measuring part configured to measure an acceleration; an index calculator configured to transition from the power-saving mode to the measuring mode to calculate an index value indicating a size of an earthquake when the acceleration measured with the measuring part exceeds a first threshold; and a threshold adjuster configured to change the first threshold so as to increase the first threshold relative to a predetermined reference value when a tendency of the acceleration measured with the measuring part satisfies a predetermined condition.

Abstract: A sensor system has a plurality of sensors and is capable of measuring a plurality of physical quantities. The sensor system includes an operation setting section configured to set operations of the plurality of sensors and an event determining section configured to determine that a prescribed event has occurred when output values of at least a part of the sensors among the plurality of sensors satisfy event conditions corresponding to an occurrence of the prescribed event. When the event determining section determines that the prescribed event has occurred, the operation setting section is configured to change an operational state of a sensor which, among the plurality of sensors, is required to determine an occurrence of an associated event, which is an event that may occur in association with the occurrence of the prescribed event.

Abstract: A sensor system has a plurality of sensors and is capable of measuring a plurality of physical quantities. The sensor system includes an operation setting section configured to set operations of the plurality of sensors and an event determining section configured to determine that a prescribed event has occurred when output values of at least a part of the sensors among the plurality of sensors satisfy event conditions corresponding to an occurrence of the prescribed event. When the event determining section determines that the prescribed event has occurred, the operation setting section is configured to change an operational state of a sensor which, among the plurality of sensors, is required to determine an occurrence of an associated event, which is an event that may occur in association with the occurrence of the prescribed event.

Abstract: Power consumption of a seismic sensor is suppressed. The seismic sensor is operated in a power-saving mode and a measuring mode in which the power consumption is larger than that of the power-saving mode. The seismic sensor includes: a measuring part configured to measure an acceleration; an index calculator configured to transition from the power-saving mode to the measuring mode to calculate an index value indicating a size of an earthquake when the acceleration measured with the measuring part exceeds a first threshold; and a threshold adjuster configured to change the first threshold so as to increase the first threshold relative to a predetermined reference value when a tendency of the acceleration measured with the measuring part satisfies a predetermined condition.

Abstract: A capacitance type vibration sensor has a substrate including a hollow portion, a vibration electrode plate, which is arranged facing the hollow portion at an upper surface side of the substrate and which vibrates by sound pressure, and a fixed electrode plate which is arranged facing the vibration electrode plate and which is opened with a plurality of acoustic perforations passing therethrough in a thickness direction. The capacitance type vibration sensor has an air path, which communicates a space between the vibration electrode plate and the fixed electrode plate to the hollow portion, between an upper surface of the substrate and a lower surface of the vibration electrode plate in at least one part of a periphery of the hollow portion. The capacitance type vibration sensor also has an air escape portion, which is a perforation or a groove formed in the substrate.

Abstract: An acoustic sensor lengthens the portion of the beam portion not fixed with the anchor without lowering the strength of the beam portion and the supporting strength of the diaphragm. On an upper surface of a silicon substrate, a beam portion made of polysilicon is formed through a second sacrifice layer made of silicon dioxide film on an extended portion of a first sacrifice layer made of polysilicon. The extended portion is formed under a region excluding a distal end of the beam portion. The extended portion is removed by etching from a back chamber arranged in the silicon substrate to form a hollow portion in a region excluding the distal end of the lower surface of the beam portion, and then the second sacrifice layer is removed by etching. The second sacrifice layer remaining on the lower surface of the distal end of the beam portion forms an anchor.

Abstract: An electrostatic capacitive vibration sensor has a substrate, a through-hole, a vibrating electrode plate, and a fixed electrode plate opposite the vibrating electrode plate. The fixed electrode plate is subjected to vibration to perform membrane oscillation. Pluralities of acoustic holes are made in the fixed electrode plate. The vibrating and fixed electrode plate are disposed on a surface side of the substrate such that an opening on the surface side of the through-hole is covered. A lower surface of an outer peripheral portion of the vibrating electrode plate is partially fixed to the substrate. A vent hole that communicates a surface side and a rear surface side of the vibrating electrode plate is made between the surface of the substrate and the lower surface of the vibrating electrode plate. In addition, the acoustic hole has a smaller opening area except at the outer peripheral portion.