Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Nippon Telephone and Telegraph Corporation

Hiroki Morimura

Satoshi Shigematsu

Katsuyuki Machida

Hakaru Kyuragi

Toshishige Shimamura

Norio Sato

Koji Fujii

Mamoru Nakanishi

Kenichi Matsunaga

Ai-ichiro Sasaki

Akihiko Hirata

Toshihiko Kondo

Shoichi Oshima

Tsutomu Mizota

Namiko Ikeda

Kenichi Saito

Hiroshi Nakashima

Shingo Tsukada

Yukio Okazaki

Takayuki Ogasawara

Takahiro Hatano

Masami Urano

Osamu Kagami

Hiromu Ishii

Hiroki Suto

Rieko Sato

Fumiharu Morisawa

Ahmed Musa

Takuya Adachi

Chikara Yamaguchi

Ai-Ichiro Sasaki

Yukio 0Kazaki

In a sensor relay apparatus (), a storage unit () stores a communication protocol correspondence list (B) in which a sensor terminal (ST) and a communication protocol are registered in association with each other, and a communication format (C) to be used in the communication protocol, a relay processing unit () communicates with the sensor terminal (ST) specified in the communication protocol correspondence list (B) based on the communication protocol associated with the sensor terminal (ST), receives sensor data detected by the sensor terminal (ST), converts the format of the sensor data based on the communication format (C) in association with the communication protocol, and relays and transfers the sensor data to a processing apparatus (), and a relay managing unit () updates the communication protocol correspondence list (B) or the communication format (C) in the storage unit (), based on a communication protocol correspondence list or a communication format newly notified from the processing apparatus ().

Sensor relay apparatus and sensor relay system

In a sensor relay apparatus (), a communication control unit () receives sensor data from a sensor terminal (ST) via a terminal module () when a transmission data amount related to the sensor data to be transmitted from the sensor terminal (ST) is equal to or greater than a determination threshold. This can reduce the overhead time taken at the time of the transmission of the sensor data.

In a sensor data acquisition terminal (), an NTP back-end processing unit () synchronizes a terminal timing with a parent terminal timing by exchanging NTP packets for time synchronization with a parent terminal () based on NTP, and a protocol conversion unit () converts an NTP packet, which is output from the NTP back-end processing unit () and will be transmitted to the parent terminal (), to a TPSN packet based on TPSN, outputs the TPSN packet to a wireless processing unit (), converts a TPSN packet from the parent terminal (), which is output from the wireless processing unit (), to an NTP packet, and outputs the NTP packet to the NTP back-end processing unit ().

Time synchronization method, sensor data acquisition terminal, and sensor network system

Provided is a loop antenna array that can easily create a magnetic field distribution which enables the boundary of a communication area to be clearly set.loop antennae are provided adjacently to one another, where n is a natural number. The directions of currents in adjacent ones of the loop antennae are opposite to each other. For example, in a loop antenna array, two loop antennae are disposed adjacently to each other on an insulator substrate. First feed points energize one loop antenna and second feed points energize the other loop antenna.

Loop antenna array and loop antenna array group

Provided is a loop antenna which can contribute to an increase of an area of a radio system using a magnetic field. The loop antenna includes a main loopwhich is an open loop connected to a signal sourceor a reception circuit; and an amplification loopwhich is a closed loop having the same shape as the main loop. The main loopand the amplification loopare arranged on a same surface of a flat substrate formed of an insulator. A first capacitance is connected to the main loop, and a second capacitance is connected to the amplification loop.

Loop antenna

A main loop is an open loop that is wound on a bar-shaped rod formed of a magnetic body or an insulation body and that has terminals T and T that couple a signal source or a receiving circuit to the main loop. The number of turns is 1 or more. An amplifying loop is wound on a part of the rod that is different from the part on which the main loop is wound. The main loop and the amplifying loop are thus spaced from each other. The amplifying loop is a closed loop including no terminals. The number of turns is 1 or more. The number of turns may be the same as or different from the number of turns of the main loop.

A data conversion/output device includes a number of sensors, voltage-time conversion circuits that are arranged adjacent to respective sensors and change output levels upon the lapse of times corresponding to output voltage values from the sensors after a conversion operation start point in order to convert for voltage outputs of the sensors into times. The device also includes sensed data generation circuits outputting, as digital data, lapse times until the output levels of the voltage-time conversion circuits change after a conversion start point. The sensed data generation circuits include a counter for counting a clock signal. An operation start of the voltage-time conversion circuits and a start of count operation of the counter are staggered.

Data conversion/output apparatus for digitalizing sensor data and outputting through a sensor array

A data conversion/output device includes a number of sensors, voltage-time conversion circuits that are arranged adjacent to respective sensors and change output levels upon the lapse of times corresponding to output voltage values from the sensors after a conversion operation start point in order to convert voltage outputs of the sensors into times. The device also includes sensed data generation circuits for outputting, as digital data, lapse times until the output levels of the voltage-time conversion circuits change after a conversion start point. The sensed data generation circuits include a counter for counting a clock signal. An operation start of the voltage-time conversion circuits and a start of count operation of the counter are staggered.

This invention includes an image quality priority level decision processing unit () which evaluates the magnitude of an image quality of each of a plurality of first image data formed from biometric images associated with the same target on the basis of a specific index having the relationship of a monotone function with authentication accuracy of biometric authentication, and outputs each of the first image data upon adding a priority level thereto on the basis of the evaluation result, a first image storage () unit which stores each of the first image data having a priority level added thereto from the image quality priority level decision processing unit (), a second image storage unit () which stores second image data used for comparison/collation with the first image data, an image collation unit () which compares/collates the second image data stored in the second image storage unit () with the first image data stored in the first image storage unit () and outputs the comparison/collation result, and a control unit () which controls each of the units. The control unit () causes the image collation unit () to compare/collate the second image data stored in the second image storage unit () with the first image data stored in the first image storage unit () in accordance with the priority levels, and outputs the comparison/collation result from the image collation unit ().

Biometric image collation apparatus and collation method therefor

A sensor cell includes a sensor electrode () formed on a substrate (), a signal output unit () which outputs a signal corresponding to a capacitance (Cf) formed between the sensor electrode and the surface of a finger (), a high-sensitivity electrode () formed on the substrate so as to be insulated and isolated from the sensor electrode, and a potential controller () which controls the potential of the finger surface via a capacitance (Cc) formed between the high-sensitivity electrode and the finger surface by controlling the potential of the high-sensitivity electrode. In this arrangement, when the resistance of the finger is high, the potential of the finger surface can be controlled so as not to fluctuate with the potential change of the sensor electrode. This makes it possible to increase the sensitivity of detection of the capacitance formed between the sensor electrode and the finger surface, so ridges and valleys of the finger surface can be clearly discriminated by outputs from a plurality of sensor cells.

Surface shape recognizing sensor device

A response signal generating unit () applies a predetermined supply signal (S) to a detection element () and outputs, as a response signal (S), a signal which has changed in accordance with the impedance of an object () with which the unit is in contact through the detection element (). A waveform information detection unit () detects waveform information corresponding to the impedance of the object () on the basis of the response signal (S) from the response signal generating unit (), and outputs a detection signal (S) representing the waveform information. A biometric recognition unit () determines on the basis of the detection signal (S) from the waveform information detection unit () whether or not the object () is a living body.

Organism recognition system

A detection element (A) having a detection electrode (A) connected to a surface shape detection unit () and a detection electrode (A) connected to a common potential, and a detection element (B) having a detection electrode (B) connected to the surface shape detection unit () and a detection electrode (B) connected to a biometric recognition unit () are arranged. The surface shape detection unit () outputs a signal representing the three-dimensional pattern of the surface shape corresponding to the contact portion to each detection element on the basis of individual capacitances obtained from the detection elements (A,B). The biometric recognition unit () determines whether an object () is a living body, on the basis of a signal corresponding to the impedance of the object () connected between the detection electrode (B) of the detection element (B) and the detection electrode (A) of the detection element (A).

Surface shape recognition sensor device

A row decoding circuit () outputs a select signal to a row set in a row range setting unit () to select a select signal line (), processing results from processing circuits () on this row are output to a data output line (), and a row adder () adds processing results output to a data output line () of a column set in a column range selector ().

Parallel processing device and parallel processing method

A master latch () is formed from a static circuit, and a slave latch () is formed from a dynamic circuit. The number of circuit elements can be smaller as compared to a slave latch formed from a static circuit so that the size and area of a master-slave flip-flop can be reduced. Since the master latch is formed from a static circuit, data can be held stably during the standby time by setting the master latch in a data holding state.

Master-slave flip-flop, trigger flip-flop and counter

A parallel processing logic circuit for sensor signal processing includes sensors and processing units. The sensor and the processing unit are integrated in the same pixel and arranged in a matrix. The processing unit contains a logic structure that consists of a register and a combinational logic function to execute pixel-parallel processing, based on binary data for a sensor, other processing units, and itself. The combinational logic function performs only a predetermined logic function and its dual one exclusively, thereby sharing the circuit resource and reducing the size of the processing unit. The register focusing on compactness also contributes to the small unit.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Hiroki Morimura