Abstract: A spatial information detection device is provided, which is capable of, even under the condition that an environmental light having intensity fluctuations exists in a target space, projecting a light intensity-modulated with a predetermined modulation signal from a light emitting source into the target space, receiving light from the target space with a photodetector, and detecting spatial information of the target space from a change between the light projected from the light emitting source and the light received by the photodetector. This device has a smoothing unit configured to integrate, over a predetermined integration period, a fluctuation component in a prescribed phase zone of the modulation signal with respect to an electric charge amount generated by receiving the environmental light in the electric charge amount generated at the photodetector by receiving the light from the target space, thereby smoothing the fluctuation component.

Abstract: A light detecting element 1 including an element formation layer 22 which contains a well region 31. A surface electrode 25 is formed on the layer 22 through an insulating layer 24. The region 31 contains an electron holding region 32. The region 32 contains a hole holding region 33. The layer 24 contains a control electrode 26 facing the region 33 through the layer 24. Electrons and holes are generated at the layer 22. There are two selected states. In one state, by controlling each electric potential applied to the electrodes 25, 26, electrons are gathered at the region 32, while holes are held at the region 33. In another state, recombination is stimulated between the electrons and the holes. After the recombination, the remaining electrons are picked out as received light output.

Abstract: The present invention provides a smoke sensor of sound wave type that excels in responsiveness and has a low probability of false detection. The smoke sensor has a sound wave generating unit that provides an ultrasound wave to a monitoring space, a sound wave receiving unit that receives the ultrasound wave from the sound wave generating unit via the monitoring space, and a signal processing unit that detects an abnormality of the monitoring space by using an output of the sound wave receiving unit. The signal processing unit includes a smoke density estimation unit that estimates a smoke density in the monitoring space on the basis of a difference between the output of the sound wave receiving unit and a standard value, and a smoke density determination unit that determines the abnormality of the monitoring space by comparing the smoke density estimated by the smoke density estimation unit with a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A spatial information detection device is provided, which is capable of, even under the condition that an environmental light having intensity fluctuations exists in a target space, projecting a light intensity-modulated with a predetermined modulation signal from a light emitting source into the target space, receiving light from the target space with a photodetector, and detecting spatial information of the target space from a change between the light projected from the light emitting source and the light received by the photodetector. This device has a smoothing unit configured to integrate, over a predetermined integration period, a fluctuation component in a prescribed phase zone of the modulation signal with respect to an electric charge amount generated by receiving the environmental light in the electric charge amount generated at the photodetector by receiving the light from the target space, thereby smoothing the fluctuation component.

Abstract: A spatial information detection system is provided, which is capable of, even when detecting spatial information from a common target space by use of a plurality of detection devices, achieving accurate detection without causing interference between the detection devices. Each of the detection devices has a light emitting source for projecting light intensity-modulated with a modulation period into the target space, a photodetector for receiving light from the target space, and an evaluation portion for detecting the spatial information of the target space from a change between the light projected from the light emitting source and the light received by the photodetector. The system comprises a timing control portion for controlling the timings of projecting the lights from the light emitting sources such that a light projection period of the light emitting source of one of the detection devices does not overlap with the light projection period of the light emitting source of another detection device.

Abstract: In an apparatus using an intensity-modulated light for detection of spatial information based upon light intensity of light reflected from a target space, a timing synchronization circuit is provided to synchronize a phase of the intensity-modulated light from a light-emitting element with a timing of operating a light-receiving element receiving the intensity-modulated light. The light-receiving element is caused to operate for enabling the detection of intensity of the received light for each of a plurality of phase regions within one cycle of the intensity-modulated light. The timing synchronization circuit functions to compare a cyclic variation determining the operation of the light-receiving element with a cyclic variation associated with an output from a light-emitting element driving circuit in order to keep a constant phase difference between these two cyclic variations.

Abstract: A spatial information detecting device is provided, which is capable of reducing the possibility that a saturation phenomenon is caused by the influence of an environmental light. This device includes a photoelectric converting portion for receiving a signal light from a target space to generate electric charges, a charge separating portion for separating electric charges corresponding to a constant amount of a bias component as undesired electric charges from the electric charges generated by the photoelectric converting portion, a charge accumulating portion for accumulating the remaining electric charges as effective electric charges reflecting a fluctuation component of the signal light, a barrier control electrode for forming a potential barrier between the charge separating portion and the charge accumulating portion, and a charge take-out portion for outputting the effective electric charges as an received-light output.

Abstract: A photodetector is provided, which has the capability of preventing a reduction in dynamic range for a signal light even under a plenty of environmental light to stably obtain a received light output. This photodetector has an accumulation electrode and a holding electrode, which are formed on a photoelectric converting portion through an insulating layer, and a control unit for controlling timings of applying voltages to these electrodes and polarities of the voltages. One of electrons and holes generated in the photoelectric converting portion is accumulated in an accumulation region formed by applying the voltage to the accumulation electrode, and the other is accumulated in a holding region formed by applying the voltage to the holding electrode. Then, the electrons and holes accumulated in the accumulation region and the holding region are recombined, so that remaining electrons or holes not recombined are output.

Abstract: An information mediating apparatus has: a mediating condition file in which mediating condition list data describing specific mediating conditions has been stored; and a personal information file in which personal information peculiar to a person, a group, or the like has been stored. A mediation service processing unit reads out the mediating condition list data designated in response to a mediating request from the user from the mediating condition file, notifies a backend server in a service providing server group, collects and selects service information matched with the mediating condition list data, and displays it to the user. The mediating service processing unit is constructed by: a user interface processing unit having an HTML forming function; and a logic processing unit described as an information mediating program.

Abstract: A range image sensor comprising a light source, a light detecting element, a sensor control stage and an image construction stage. The image construction stage calculates a distance value for each image element in a range image based on each electric charge picked up after a specific detection period of different detection periods by the sensor control stage, and then constructs the range image. The specific detection period is one of one or more detection periods during which the light detecting element does not reach saturation, and is one detection period during which a value related to the quantity of light received from the object space becomes maximum of that of the one or more detection periods.

Abstract: A reservation system for an article or a service includes an input module obtaining a weather forecast, a module setting a price of the article or a charge for the service in accordance with the weather forecast obtained, an accept module accepting a reservation for purchasing the article at the set price or a reservation for utilizing the service at the set charge, and a module issuing a reservation number for uniquely identifying the reservation accepted, and identifying a reserver making the reservation from the reservation number when purchasing the article or when utilizing the service.

Abstract: A photodetector is provided, which has the capability of preventing a reduction in dynamic range for a signal light even under a plenty of environmental light to stably obtain a received light output. This photodetector has an accumulation electrode and a holding electrode, which are formed on a photoelectric converting portion through an insulating layer, and a control unit for controlling timings of applying voltages to these electrodes and polarities of the voltages. One of electrons and holes generated in the photoelectric converting portion is accumulated in an accumulation region formed by applying the voltage to the accumulation electrode, and the other is accumulated in a holding region formed by applying the voltage to the holding electrode. Then, the electrons and holes accumulated in the accumulation region and the holding region are recombined, so that remaining electrons or holes not recombined are output.

Abstract: An infrared detecting device for reducing current consumption while maintaining performance is disclosed. The device includes a drive power supply circuit which comprises a current generating circuit and a distribution circuit, and which supplies a drive current to each of signal circuits comprising an I/V conversion circuit, a voltage amplification circuit, a detection circuit and an output circuit. The current generating circuit includes a reference current source, a fixed current source providing a fixed current based on the reference current and a variable current source providing a variable current stepped up or down to any different currents based on the reference current. The distribution circuit distributes the drive current to a part of the signal circuits based on the current from the fixed current source and distributes the drive current to a remaining part of the signal circuits based on the current from the variable current source.

Abstract: An image processing device for generating both of a distance image and a gray image from an electrical output of a light receiving element on the precondition that a light intensity-modulated at a modulation frequency is irradiated into a target space. This device has an image generator for generating the distance image having pixel values, each of which provides a distance value between an object in the target space and the device, in accordance with a phase difference between the irradiated light and the received light, and the gray image having pixel values, each of which provides a gray value of the object, in accordance with an intensity of the received light. By use of an output of the image generator, an outline of the object can be extracted.

Abstract: A wireless sensor device of low energy consumption operates over a prolonged period of time for providing a reliable sensor result. The wireless sensor device includes a sensor configured to sense a target object and provide a sensor signal of varying levels indicative of condition of the target object, a signal processing circuit configured to amplify the sensor signal and give an amplified electric analog signal, and a detection circuit configured to receive the amplified analog signal and provide a detection output when the electric analog signal goes beyond a predetermined detection threshold. Also included in the device is a radio transmitter which transmits a radio detection signal in response to the detection output. Further, the device includes a power supply configured to provide an electric power to the signal processing circuit and the radio transmitter; and a power generating element which converts an external energy into the electric power to be accumulated in the power supply.

Abstract: A variable-length key cryptosystem is provided, in which the amount of parameters for generating a key to be shared is small, security is high, and calculation cost is small. The length of a plain text inputted from a data input part 10 is detected by a data string length detection processing part 20. A variable-length key generation processing part 30 generates an encryption key with a required arbitrary length, using an initial character string and a conversion rule, based on the length of a plain text. A conversion character string generation processing part 32 generates a converted character string from an initial character string by applying a conversion rule of increasing the length of a character string. Conversion is conducted until the length of a plain text is reached. An encryption key is not used twice. Therefore, an unused conversion character string is searched for, and a stream code processing part 40 generates an encrypted text by using a generated encrypted string.

Abstract: A light detecting element 1. The element 1 includes an element formation layer 22 which contains a well region 31. A surface electrode 25 is formed on the layer 22 through an insulating layer 24. The region 31 contains an electron holding region 32. The region 32 contains a hole holding region 33. The layer 24 contains a control electrode 26 facing the region 33 through the layer 24. Electrons and holes are generated at the layer 22. There are two selected states. In one state, by controlling each electric potential applied to the electrodes 25, 26, electrons are gathered at the region 32, while holes are held at the region 33. In another state, recombination is stimulated between the electrons and the holes. After the recombination, the remaining electrons are picked out as received light output.

Abstract: A range image sensor comprising a light source, a light detecting element, a sensor control stage and an image construction stage. The image construction stage calculates a distance value for each image element in a range image based on each electric charge picked up after a specific detection period of different detection periods by the sensor control stage, and then constructs the range image. The specific detection period is one of one or more detection periods during which the light detecting element does not reach saturation, and is one detection period during which a value related to the quantity of light received from the object space becomes maximum of that of the one or more detection periods.

Abstract: An infrared sensor package has a dielectric support which is molded from a plastic material to have a sensor mount for securing a pyroelectric element as well as an IC mount for securing an IC chip that processes a signal from the pyroelectric element. The support is molded over to be integral with metal parts. The metal parts include sensor conductors for interconnection of the pyroelectric element with the IC chip, and I/O conductors for interconnection of the IC chip with I/O pins. The sensor conductors as well as the I/O conductors are both molded into and integrally with the dielectric support.

Abstract: A spatial information detecting apparatus using an intensity-modulated light has a photoelectric converter for receiving a light provided from a space, into which a light intensity-modulated by a predetermined modulation signal is being irradiated, and generating amounts of electric charges corresponding to an intensity of received light; charge discarding portion having an electrode for removing dispensable charges from the electric charges generated by the photoelectric converter according to a voltage applied to the electrode; charge storage portion for storing signal charges from the electric charges generated by the photoelectric converter; control circuit for controlling the voltage applied to the electrode at a timing synchronized with a period of the modulation signal to change a ratio of the signal charges stored in the charge storage portion to the electric charges generated by the photoelectric converter; charge ejector for outputting the signal charges from the charge storage portion; and an analy