Ablic Inc.

The Ritsumeikan Trust

Seiko Instruments Inc

Sii Semiconductor Corporation

Ami Tanaka

Takakuni Douseki

Fumiyasu Utsunomiya

Shiyuya Imoto

Shunta Furumura

Yasuhiro Hiraga

Ryoma Furumori

Ryota Suematsu

Syuuichi Okamoto

Hiroya Sakamoto

A power generation sensor includes: a housing body in which a module receiving a generated power is housed; a module with a first connector electrode disposed on a front face; a second connector electrode disposed on an inner face of the housing body connected to the first connector electrode; and a power generation electrode connected to the second connector electrode.

Power generation sensor

An electronic device including a boost circuit includes a first boost circuit, a first output circuit, a load, a first storage capacitor, a second storage capacitor, and an input terminal, wherein the input terminal is connected to the first storage capacitor and the first boost circuit, the second storage capacitor is connected to the first boost circuit and the first output circuit, and the load is connected to the first output circuit.

Electronic device including boost circuit

An electronic device with a boost circuit includes: a first capacitor including a first terminal connected to an input terminal and a second terminal connected to a reference potential terminal; a first rectification element; a second capacitor including a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the first capacitor through the first rectification element and a second terminal connected to the reference potential terminal; a voltage detection circuit including a voltage detection terminal connected to the first terminal of the second capacitor and a detection signal output terminal; and a boost circuit including a detection signal input terminal connected to the detection signal output terminal, a boost power input terminal connected to the first terminal of the first capacitor, and a boost power output terminal connected to a node between the first terminal of the second capacitor and the voltage detection terminal.

A power generation sensor, generating electric power using a liquid, includes: a base; a positive electrode for power generation disposed in a first direction of the base and containing a first material; a negative electrode for power generation disposed in the first direction and containing a second material; a first connector electrode connected to a one-side end of the positive electrode in the first direction and to a sensor module; and a second connector electrode connected to a one-side end of the negative electrode in the first direction and to the sensor module. The first connector electrode contains the first material and has a larger width in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction than the positive electrode in the second direction. The second connector electrode contains the second material and has a larger width in the second direction than the negative electrode in the second direction.

Provided is a battery-less sensor circuit including a power generation element, a first switching element, a voltage control circuit, a first storage capacitor, a sensor circuit, and a load. The power generation element is connected to the first storage capacitor via the first switching element. A power supply terminal of the sensor circuit is connected to an input terminal of the first switching element. The voltage control circuit is configured to control a current passing through the first switching element through reception of a voltage of the input terminal of the first switching element. The load is connected to the first storage capacitor and the sensor circuit.

Battery-less sensor circuit

This replacement necessity assessment apparatus for an absorbent member includes: a power generator which is configured to generate power as a result of contact with liquid absorbed in the absorbent member, and of which power generation amount changes in accordance with an amount of the liquid; a signal output unit configured to output a detection signal according to the power generation amount; and a processing unit configured to acquire a parameter regarding the amount of the liquid based on the detection signal, the processing unit configured to determine, based on the parameter, whether or not replacement of the absorbent member is necessary.

Device for assessing need to replace absorbent member

Provided is an optical sensor including: a first photodetector including a first photodiode and having a first wavelength sensitivity characteristic; a first resistor having one end connected to a cathode of the first photodiode, and another end connected to a ground point; a second photodetector including a second photodiode and having a second wavelength sensitivity characteristic; a second resistor having one end connected to a cathode of the second photodiode, and another end connected to the ground point; and an amplifier circuit having a first input terminal connected to the first photodiode, a second input terminal connected to the second photodiode, and an output terminal configured to output a potential based on a potential of the first input terminal and a potential of the second input terminal, and using, as an operating power supply, electric power generated by electromotive force of the first photodetector and the second photodetector.

Optical sensor

A plant cultivation system includes: a first sensor configured to output a sensor signal corresponding to an amount of water in a plant; a second sensor configured to output a sensor signal corresponding to a measurement value of an environment condition; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to, by using a sensor signal from the first sensor obtained by the first sensor measuring a plant to be cultivated and a sensor signal from the second sensor obtained by the second sensor measuring an environment for cultivating the plant to be cultivated, control a specific environment parameter corresponding to the environment condition and measured by the second sensor, in a cultivation environment for the plant to be cultivated.

Plant cultivation system, controller, and plant cultivation method

A signal detection circuit includes: a power terminal; a first current limitation circuit; a second current limitation circuit; a current-voltage conversion circuit; a first p-channel MOS transistor including a source, a gat, and a drain; a first n-channel MOS transistor including a drain, a gate, and a source; and a second n-channel MOS transistor in which a drain is connected to a first connection point connecting the resistor with the drain of the first n-channel MOS transistor, a gate is connected to a second connection point connecting the drain of the first p-channel MOS transistor with the current-voltage conversion circuit, and a source is grounded.

Signal detection circuit and signal detection method

A power source device has: a storage unit configured to receive a generated power and store as a storage power; a boost unit configured to generate, from a storage power supplied from the storage unit, a boosted power having a higher voltage than a voltage of the storage power, and supply the boosted power to a load; and a voltage detection unit configured to output a boost operation permission signal permitting a boost operation of the boost unit to the boost unit when the storage voltage of the boost unit increases to become a voltage equal to or higher than a minimum operation voltage of the boost unit. The boost unit is configured to start the boost operation by the storage power supplied from the storage unit and operates on the boosted power generated by the boost operation as an operation power source when the boost operation permission signal is output from the voltage detection unit.

Power source device

A power source device includes a storage capacitor, a voltage detection circuit, input terminals, and output terminals, further includes: a boost circuit which converts a storage power provided to the input terminals to a boosted power under the condition that a stored voltage becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined voltage, and outputs the boosted power from the output terminals; and a MOS transistor which controls a supply of the boosted power to a load. One of the input terminals is connected to a gate terminal of the MOS transistor, and one of the output terminals is connected to a source terminal of the MOS transistor. The MOS transistor turns on to convert the storage power to the boosted power in the boost circuit, while the MOS transistor turns off not to convert the storage power to the boosted power in the boost circuit.

Power source device including voltage boost circuit

A boost DC-DC converter includes: an input terminal; an output terminal; a first boost circuit configured to generate, from an input power to the input terminal, a first boosted power having a higher voltage than a voltage of the input power, and outputs the generated first boosted power from the output terminal; a second boost circuit configured to generate, from the input power, a second boosted power having a higher voltage than the voltage of the input power; and a storage capacitor configured to store the second boosted power as a storage power, and supply the storage power to the first boost circuit as an operation power source. The first boost circuit is configured to start a boost operation with the storage power when a voltage of the storage power is equal to or higher than a minimum operation voltage of the first boost circuit.

Boost DC-DC converter including a switching element

An electronic device includes: a light detection circuit having a first light sensor and a second light sensor each generating a photocurrent by photoelectric conversion, a resistive element which allows a difference between the photocurrents generated by the first light sensor and the second light sensor to flow, and a voltage detection circuit which detects a voltage generated by the flow of the differential photocurrent through the resistive element, said electronic device being controlled in operation by an output signal of the light detection circuit; a storing unit charged each time the electronic device is operated; and a rectifying element provided between the storing unit and the resistive element. A current with which the storing unit is charged is made to flow to the resistive element through the rectifying element.

Electronic device

Provided is an electronic device capable of supplying desired electric power to a load so as to operate the load even in a case where charged power is minute and a voltage increase rate of a capacitor, which increases by charge, is low. The electronic device includes: a power source which has supply power less than consumption power of the load; a capacitor to be charged with the supply power; and a charge/discharge control circuit which controls charging of the capacitor and consumption of charged power of the capacitor by the load, and the charge/discharge control circuit includes: a first node to which the supply power of the power source is supplied; and a circuit which charges the capacitor with the supply power from the first node.

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Kusatsu, Japan

Ami Tanaka