Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.

Tokyo Electron Limited and Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.

Yoshifumi Watabe

Yoshiaki Honda

Koichi Aizawa

Tsutomu Ichihara

Takuya Komoda

Takashi Hatai

Toru Baba

Nobuyoshi Koshida

Masanori Hayashi

Yoshiyuki Takegawa

Hirotaka Matsunami

Yukihiro Kondo

Yuji Takada

Takayuki Nishikawa

Masao Kirihara

Hiroshi Yamanaka

Koji Tsuji

Takaaki Yoshihara

Kenji Doi

Noriyuki Yamaga

Toru Fujioka

Ryo Arakawa

Takashi Nakagawa

Hirofumi Kubota

Yasushi Yagi

Hiroshi Kawada

Sadayuki Sumi

Yuichi Inaba

Mitsuru Ushijima

Kazuo Sawada

Shigekazu Kusanagi

Hiromichi Goto

Yoichi Nishijima

Ayumu Yasuda

Osamu Akasaka

Naomasa Oka

Atsushi Okita

Keiji Kakite

Kouichi Aizawa

Satoshi Hyodo

Yoshiharu Nagatani

Takahiko Hirai

Takahiro Inoue

Hitoshi Kanagawa

Kousaku Kitada

Sigekazu Kusanagi

Noriyuki Yasuike

Tomoo Ohtsuka

Tomizo Terasawa

Tsuyoshi Kuroda

Junichi Hozumi

Hayashi Masanori

Yoshiaki 42-6 Koaza Sunano Honda

An air conditioning system includes: a sensor; an obtainer that obtains information indicating air quality in an indoor space, which is output by the sensor; and a controller that calculates an air quality index based on the information obtained, and controls a ventilator, based on the air quality index calculated. The air quality index is expressed by f(X)×g(T, H), where f(X) denotes a function with respect to Xthat indicates at least one of a COconcentration, a concentration of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), a concentration of particulate matter (PM), an NOconcentration, an SOconcentration, an Oconcentration, a mold count, or a dust count, and g(T, H) denotes a function with respect to T denoting temperature and H denoting humidity in the indoor space.

Air conditioning system to calculate indoor air quality index to control air ventilation

A water content sensor includes: a light emitter that emits detection light having a first wavelength band and reference light a second wavelength band toward a road surface; a first light receiver that converts the detection light reflected by the road surface to a first electric signal; a second light receiver that converts the reference light reflected by the road surface to a second electric signal; and a computation processor that detects the amount of water based on a signal ratio between the first electric signal and the second electric signal. The computation processor detects the amount of water based on the signal ratio obtained when the signal intensity of at least one of the first electric signal and the second electric signal is within a predetermined range defined relative to a reference value.

Water content sensor and road surface state detection device

A functional water concentration sensor includes: a light source which emits ultraviolet light; a container capable of holding functional water having a pH between 6 and 9, inclusive, and containing hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite dissociated from the hypochlorous acid; a light-receiving element; and a signal processor. The signal processor calculates the concentration of the hypochlorite in the functional water on the basis of the output signal, calculates the percentages of the hypochlorous acid and the hypochlorite in the functional water on the basis of the pH of the functional water and the dissociation constant of the hypochlorous acid, and calculates the concentration of the hypochlorous acid in the functional water on the basis of the calculated hypochlorite concentration and the calculated percentages.

Functional water concentration sensor, and calculation method

A moisture amount detection device includes: a light source that projects light that flickers at a predetermined frequency toward an object; a light receiver that receives the light reflected by the object and outputs a detection signal; an amplifier that outputs an amplified signal obtained by amplifying the detection signal by a predetermined amplification factor; a lock-in amplifier that outputs an extracted signal obtained by extracting a signal of a predetermined frequency from the amplified signal; an A/D converter that performs A/D conversion on the extracted signal, and outputs a digital signal; a second low-pass filter whose passband is changeable, and that allows a signal of a frequency in the passband in the digital signal to pass therethrough; and a controller that performs first control to change the passband according to a signal intensity indicated by the digital signal.

Moisture amount detection device

An infrared detection element includes first and second pyroelectric elements which are arranged in a single pyroelectric substrate. First pyroelectric element includes a first surface electrode, a first back face electrode, and a first portion interposed between first surface and back face electrodes. First portion is provided as part of pyroelectric substrate. Second pyroelectric element includes a second surface electrode, a second back face electrode, and a second portion interposed between second surface and back face electrodes. Second portion is provided as part of pyroelectric substrate. Pyroelectric substrate is provided in part thereof surrounding first pyroelectric element with a slit shaped along an outer periphery of first pyroelectric element. Slit is formed out of regions in which a first surface wiring and a first back face wiring are disposed. Part of pyroelectric substrate surrounding second pyroelectric element is continuously formed over an entire circumference of second portion.

Infrared detection element, infrared detector, and infrared type gas sensor

An infrared radiation element includes: a first insulating layer having heat insulating properties and electrically insulating properties; a heating element layer provided on the first insulating layer and configured to radiate infrared radiation when energized; and a second insulating layer provided on an opposite side of the heating element layer from the first insulating layer and having heat insulating properties and electrically insulating properties. The second insulating layer transmits the infrared radiation radiated from the heating element layer. The heating element layer has such a sheet resistance that impedance of the heating element layer matches impedance of space which is in contact with the second insulating layer.

Infrared radiation element

A fire alarm system, determining existence or nonexistence of a fire by using an ultrasound wave, comprises a sound wave generator and a sound wave detector to detect sound waves propagated through two propagation paths having different lengths each other. The system comprises a calculation means for calculating a pressure ratio between a first sound pressure, which is a sound pressure of a sound wave propagated through a first propagation path, and a second sound pressure, which is a sound pressure of a sound wave propagated through a second propagation path, and a smoke density estimator. The smoke density estimator calculates a change ratio between the pressure ratio calculated by the calculation means and a predetermined standard pressure ratio, and determines a smoke density from the change ratio based on a predetermined relational expression describing the relation between the change ratio and the smoke density, and determines existence of a fire when the smoke density exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Fire alarm system

In an acoustic wave sensor for detecting a distance to an object and an orientation where the object is located with using acoustic waves, an acoustic wave generating device generating an acoustic wave by applying thermal impact to the air with no mechanical vibration is used as a wave transmitting device, and an electric capacitance microphone converting variation of pressure due to acoustic wave to variation of an electric signal is used as each wave receiving device. Therefore, dead zone caused by reverberation component included in the acoustic wave transmitted from the wave transmitting device and dead zone caused by reverberation component included in wave receiving signals outputted from the wave receiving devices can be shortened and angular sensitivity of the acoustic wave sensor can be increased, in comparison with a conventional acoustic wave sensor using piezoelectric devices as the wave transmitting device and the wave receiving devices.

Acoustic wave sensor

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.

Smoke sensor of the sound wave type including a smoke density estimation unit

A pressure wave generator is provided, which has excellent output stability over time. This pressure wave generator comprises a substrate, a heat generating layer, and a heat insulating layer formed between the substrate and the heat generating layer. A pressure wave is generated in a surrounding medium (air) by a change in temperature of the heat generating layer, which is caused upon energization of the heat generating layer. The heat insulating layer comprises a porous layer and a barrier layer formed between the porous layer and the heat generating layer to prevent diffusion of reactive substances such as oxygen and moisture in the air and impurities into the porous layer. By the formation of the barrier layer, it is possible to prevent a reduction in output of the pressure wave generator caused by a change over time of the porous layer.

Pressure wave generator and production method therefor

An infrared sensor unit has a thermal infrared sensor and an associated semiconductor device commonly developed on a semiconductor substrate. A dielectric top layer covers the substrate to conceal the semiconductor device formed in the top surface of the substrate. The thermal infrared sensor carried on a sensor mount which is supported above the semiconductor device by means of a thermal insulation support. The sensor mount and the support are made of a porous material which is superimposed on top of the dielectric top layer.

Infrared sensor unit and process of fabricating the same

In an anodic oxidation apparatus and an anodic oxidation method and a panel for a display device manufactured by them, a large target substrate is treated by a smaller component. The anodic oxidation apparatus includes a lamp which emits light; a treatment bath which has a stage capable of mounting a target substrate thereon with a treatment part thereof directed upward and is provided at a position where the emitted light reaches and a frame located on the stage; a cathode electrode which is provided on the way of the emitted light to reach the mounted target substrate and includes an opening to allow the light to pass therethrough; a seal member which establishes a liquid sealing property between the frame and the mounted target substrate; a conductive contact member which is provided to be contactable with a plurality of electrode patterns formed on the target substrate outside an annular shape of the seal member and moves along side of the target substrate; and a current source which is electrically connected to the contact member and sets an output current value in accordance with the number of electrode patterns of the mounted target substrate in contact as the contact member moves.

Anodic oxidation apparatus

Even when compression stress is generated because a volume of a thermal insulation layeris expanded due to oxidized by oxygen in the air, occurrence of cracks and fractures of the thermal insulation layer and a heating conductorcaused by the cracks are prevented by dispersing the compression stress. A pressure wave generator comprises a substrate, the thermal insulation layerof porous material which is formed on a surface of the substratein thickness direction, and the heating conductorof thin film formed on the thermal insulation layer, and generates pressure waves by heat exchange between the heating conductorand a medium. When a thickness at the center of the thermal insulation layerin width direction W is used as a reference thickness, and it is assumed that distribution of thickness of thermal insulation layer in the width direction is averaged with the reference thickness, porosity in an outer peripheral portion of the thermal insulation layer is made smaller than porosity in the center portion. By making the porosity in the outer peripheral portion of the thermal insulation layersmaller, a number of immovable points on the outer periphery of the thermal insulation layerrestricted by the substrateis increased and the positions of them are dispersed, so that the compression stress compressed in the outer peripheral portion of the thermal insulation layercan be dispersed.

Pressure wave generator and process for manufacturing the same

In a field emission-type electron source (), a strong field drift layer () and a surface electrode () consisting of a gold thin film are provided on an n-type silicon substrate (). An ohmic electrode () is provided on the back surface of the n-type silicon substrate (). A direct current voltage is applied so that the surface electrode () becomes positive in potential relevant to the ohmic electrode (). In this manner, electrons injected from the ohmic electrode () into the strong field drift layer () via the n-type silicon substrate () drift in the strong field drift layer (), and is emitted to the outside via the surface electrode (). The strong field drift layer () has: a number of semiconductor nanocrystals () of nano-meter order formed partly of a semiconductor layer configuring the strong field drift layer (); and a number of insulating films () each of which is formed on the surface of each of the semiconductor nanocrystals () and each having film thickness to an extent such that an electron tunneling phenomenon occurs.

Field emission electron source and production method thereof

Disclosed is a method for the electrochemical oxidation of a semiconductor layer. In an electrochemical oxidation treatment for the production process of an electron source (field-emission type electron source) as one of electronic devices, a control section determines a voltage increment due to the resistance of an electrolytic solution B in advance, based on a detected voltage from a resistance detect section . Then, the control section controls a current source to supply a constant current so as to initiate an oxidation treatment for a semiconductor layer formed on an object . The control section corrects a detected voltage from a voltage detect section by subtracting the voltage increment therefrom. When the corrected voltage reaches a given upper voltage value, the control section is operable to discontinue the output of the current source and terminate the oxidation treatment. The present invention allows electronic devices to be produced with reduced variation in the characteristics thereof.

Method for electrochemical oxidation

Growing community of inventors

Tondabayashi, Japan

Yoshifumi Watabe