Abstract: The invention is aimed that the soundness (degree of deterioration) of a tunnel can be inspected according to each span. The image synthesis processing is performed to obtain the image showing both sides of the tunnel lining surface according to the each span of the tunnel lining surface, by comparing the first image photographied by the photography means, showing one side face in both side faces of the tunnel lining surface, while the photography means is fixed to the first photography position, and the second image photographied by the photography means, showing the other side face in both side faces of the tunnel lining surface, while the photography means is fixed to the second photography position, and indicating the portions forming the identical span of the tunnel lining surface.

Abstract: The present invention is capable of inspecting with high accuracy the shape of a road travel surface when travelling at a low speed, and even when acceleration, deceleration, or stoppages occur frequently, and generates a highly reproducible road surface longitudinal profile. A photograph is taken along the longitudinal direction of a travel path by a photography means in a light section method via a travel surface photography means (21). Corrected image information, in which a tilt in photographic image information has been corrected using inclination information, is generated on the basis of the photographic image information, the inclination information, and movement information via a road surface profile generation means (7), and thereafter the corrected image information is arranged using the movement information. Vertical motion information pertaining to the travel surface photography means is specified from image contents of overlapped regions.

Abstract: The tunnel lining surface inspection system capable of measuring the three dimensional shape of the surface of the tunnel lining surface to precisely determine whether cracking has a risk of leading to flaking, by the light section method using the photography means and the slit laser beam projecting means, mounted in the vehicle, while the vehicle is traveling in the tunnel, and the vehicle used in the system are proposed. Image processing is performed to obtain the image used for inspecting the tunnel lining surface, by using the result of the three dimensional shape measurement of one side face of the tunnel lining surface, measured while the photography means/slit laser beam projecting means arrangement means is fixed to the first measurement position, and the result of the three dimensional shape measurement of the other side face of the tunnel lining surface, measured while the photography means/slit laser beam projecting means arrangement means is fixed to the second measurement position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for obtaining an accurate detected value of a similarity, such as an hitting sound.

Abstract: The tunnel lining surface inspection system capable of measuring the three dimensional shape of the surface of the tunnel lining surface to precisely determine whether cracking has a risk of leading to flaking, by the light section method using the photography means and the slit laser beam projecting means, mounted in the vehicle, while the vehicle is traveling in the tunnel, and the vehicle used in the system are proposed. Image processing is performed to obtain the image used for inspecting the tunnel lining surface, by using the result of the three dimensional shape measurement of one side face of the tunnel lining surface, measured while the photography means/slit laser beam projecting means arrangement means is fixed to the first measurement position, and the result of the three dimensional shape measurement of the other side face of the tunnel lining surface, measured while the photography means/slit laser beam projecting means arrangement means is fixed to the second measurement position.

Abstract: The invention is aimed that the soundness (degree of deterioration) of a tunnel can be inspected according to each span. The image synthesis processing is performed to obtain the image showing both sides of the tunnel lining surface according to the each span of the tunnel lining surface, by comparing the first image photographied by the photography means, showing one side face in both side faces of the tunnel lining surface, while the photography means is fixed to the first photography position, and the second image photographied by the photography means, showing the other side face in both side faces of the tunnel lining surface, while the photography means is fixed to the second photography position, and indicating the portions forming the identical span of the tunnel lining surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for obtaining an accurate detected value of a similarity, such as an hitting sound.

Abstract: The present invention is capable of inspecting with high accuracy the shape of a road travel surface when travelling at a low speed, and even when acceleration, deceleration, or stoppages occur frequently, and generates a highly reproducible road surface longitudinal profile. A photograph is taken along the longitudinal direction of a travel path by a photography means in a light section method via a travel surface photography means (21). Corrected image information, in which a tilt in photographic image information has been corrected using inclination information, is generated on the basis of the photographic image information, the inclination information, and movement information via a road surface profile generation means (7), and thereafter the corrected image information is arranged using the movement information. Vertical motion information pertaining to the travel surface photography means is specified from image contents of overlapped regions.

Abstract: A correlation is preliminarily obtained between a depth of damage and a ratio between a temperature gradient in temperature distribution on a surface of an area containing the damage and a temperature difference between a maximum temperature and a minimum temperature in the temperature distribution. The temperature distribution on the surface of the area containing the damage in the structure is then measured. Once the temperature distribution on the structure surface is obtained, attention is focused on temperature distribution between two points including the damaged area, so that a temperature difference between a maximum temperature and a minimum temperature in the distribution is obtained, and further a temperature gradient of an interval exhibiting temperature variation equal to or higher than a predetermined level is obtained.

Abstract: A test specimen having a to-be-photographed surface and an attachment surface which is a back side thereof is produced, and attached to a structure. An artificial abnormal portion is provided between a to-be-inspected surface of the structure and the to-be-photographed surface of the test specimen. The to-be-photographed surface of the test specimen is photographed by the infrared camera. When a surface temperature difference between the abnormal and the sound portions increases to a certain level on the to-be-photographed surface, it is capable of discriminating between the abnormal and the sound portions by an infrared thermal image of the test specimen. In a time zone in which discriminating between the abnormal and the sound portions is capable, the to-be-inspected surface of the structure is photographed by the infrared camera. If there is a damage in the surface layer of the structure, a damaged position can be discriminated by an infrared thermal image.

Abstract: The IR camera (10) takes an IR thermal image of a surface of the structure (40). In the IR thermal image, temperature gradient is superposed besides temperature difference between non-defective and defective regions of the structure. The image processing unit (21) of the analysis unit (20) produces an image indicating distribution of a temperature variation other than a temperature gradient by extracting the distribution of the temperature variation from the IR thermal image. The image display unit (30) displays the image produced by the image processing unit (21). Since the distribution of the temperature variation other than the temperature gradient is extracted from the IR thermal image, a temperature difference between defective and non-defective regions in the structure (40) can be clearly displayed. Therefore, even if there exists a temperature gradient on the structure surface, the defect location in the structure can be easily determined.

Abstract: A correlation is preliminarily obtained between a depth of damage and a ratio between a temperature gradient in temperature distribution on a surface of an area containing the damage and a temperature difference between a maximum temperature and a minimum temperature in the temperature distribution. The temperature distribution on the surface of the area containing the damage in the structure is then measured. Once the temperature distribution on the structure surface is obtained, attention is focused on temperature distribution between two points including the damaged area, so that a temperature difference between a maximum temperature and a minimum temperature in the distribution is obtained, and further a temperature gradient of an interval exhibiting temperature variation equal to or higher than a predetermined level is obtained.

Abstract: A test specimen having a to-be-photographed surface and an attachment surface which is a back side thereof is produced, and attached to a structure. An artificial abnormal portion is provided between a to-be-inspected surface of the structure and the to-be-photographed surface of the test specimen. The to-be-photographed surface of the test specimen is photographed by the infrared camera. When a surface temperature difference between the abnormal and the sound portions increases to a certain level on the to-be-photographed surface, it is capable of discriminating between the abnormal and the sound portions by an infrared thermal image of the test specimen. In a time zone in which discriminating between the abnormal and the sound portions is capable, the to-be-inspected surface of the structure is photographed by the infrared camera. If there is a damage in the surface layer of the structure, a damaged position can be discriminated by an infrared thermal image.

Abstract: The IR camera (10) takes an IR thermal image of a surface of the structure (40). In the IR thermal image, temperature gradient is superposed besides temperature difference between non-defective and defective regions of the structure. The image processing unit (21) of the analysis unit (20) produces an image indicating distribution of a temperature variation other than a temperature gradient by extracting the distribution of the temperature variation from the IR thermal image. The image display unit (30) displays the image produced by the image processing unit (21). Since the distribution of the temperature variation other than the temperature gradient is extracted from the IR thermal image, a temperature difference between defective and non-defective regions in the structure (40) can be clearly displayed. Therefore, even if there exists a temperature gradient on the structure surface, the defect location in the structure can be easily determined.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for extracting power from and controlling temperature of a fluorescent lamp. The apparatus includes a magnetic structure having a magnetic core and a power extraction winding disposed at least partially around the magnetic core. The magnetic core is sized and configured to surround at least a portion of the fluorescent lamp having plasma current passing therethrough when the fluorescent lamp is powered ON. When the fluorescent lamp is powered ON, with the magnetic core surrounding the portion of the fluorescent lamp, plasma current of the fluorescent lamp forms a primary winding of a transformer defined by the magnetic structure and plasma current of the fluorescent lamp passing therethrough. Power is magnetically coupled via the transformer from the plasma current of the fluorescent lamp to the power extraction winding of the magnetic structure for use in powering a device to be coupled thereto.

Abstract: In an illumination control method of the present invention, illumination of an appreciation space is controlled in association with an image displayed on an image display device so that a realism of the image displayed on a screen of the image display device can be enhanced, where an appreciator appreciating the image is in the appreciation space. More specifically, one or more light sources provided in the appreciation space is controlled so that at least one parameter of a level, a light color, a luminous intensity distribution, and a direction of illumination to the appreciation space is made substantially coincident with a corresponding parameter of a virtual image space imaginarily created from the image displayed on the image display device.

Abstract: In a light irradiation method, a main irradiation section forming a target and a sub irradiation section for providing sub illumination light to or from at least one of a background and a neighborhood of the target are provided, and a perceived brightness of the target is varied by performing time-wise control of an intensity of the sub illumination light emitted by the sub irradiation section. When applied to an illumination system wherein the main irradiation section is an illumination source, or to an indication system wherein the main irradiation section is an indication lamp, a perceived brightness of the illumination source or the indication lamp is decreased by increasing the intensity of the sub illumination light, while increased by decreasing the intensity of the sub illumination light.

Abstract: A luminaire used in a room is provided with a brightness effect to avoid giving glare directly to people in the room, to give a desired illuminance on a working surface, and to give a high brightness sensation in the overall room. One or more sparkling regions are provided in which the luminance L (cd/m.sup.2) is in a range of 3.3.ltoreq.log L.ltoreq.-0.3 log w+2.63, when seen from any position in the room between a perpendicular angle of 60 degrees to less than 90 degrees, with the direction immediately beneath the center of the luminaire being 0 degrees. The apparent size of the sparkling region is the solid angle w (steradian (sr)).

Abstract: A refrigerator having functions to improve visibility in a space inside the refrigerator 1 and to have foods inside the refrigerator looking appetizing. Conventional refrigerators have only one, or at the most 2 lamps on an innermost wall surface of a refrigerator chamber, which makes it difficult to see foods and indications on the foods. The refrigerator of the invention overcomes this problem by providing interconnection-type lamps 6 on a front end of a refrigerator ceiling surface 4 and/or a front end of an under surface of a tray 5 over the entire width of the ceiling or the tray, and a reflection/shielding plates on front sides of the lamps 6. This arrangement offers enhanced utility of household and industrial refrigerators.