63results about How to "Compact and inexpensive" patented technology

The invention provides a biometric authentication apparatus made compact and inexpensive while retaining convenience of use, and also a biometric authentication apparatus capable of preventing mutual interference of plural different authenticating methods thereby attaining a high authenticating precision. The invention provides a biometrics authentication apparatus for executing different plural biometric authentications including first image acquisition means; second image acquisition means; control means for controlling operations of the first and second image acquisition means, and an authentication part which executes an authentication utilizing image data obtained from the image acquisition parts. In at least a part of the authentication part, a common transfer path is provided for the image data obtained from the first image acquisition means and the image data obtained from the second image acquisition means.

A bicycle operating component includes an electrical shift control switch. The electrical shift control switch includes a mounting portion and an operating member. The operating member is movably coupled to the mounting portion. The operating member is arranged to move relative to the mounting portion in an actuating direction from an original position. The electrical shift control switch is configured to operate a bicycle shift mechanism in a first direction when the operating member is moved from the original position in the actuating direction and also to operate the bicycle shift mechanism in a second direction when the operating member is moved from the original position in the actuating direction. Preferably, a controller is operatively coupled to the electrical shift control switch in order to actuate the bicycle shift mechanism depending on the stroke of the operating member or the amount of time moved in the actuating direction.

A position sensor for the inductive detection of a position of a first component comprising a reference coil with respect to a second component comprising a reference body. A control and processing unit of the position sensor is coupled to the reference coil and is designed for issuing an output signal generating a current impulse in the reference coil. In addition, the control and processing unit is designed for evaluation of an oscillation generated by the current impulse in the reference coil as an input signal indicating the position of the reference body.

An image display device has three reflective image display elements for red, green and blue to form an optical image according to a video signal from light output from a light source, and an optical system to supply light onto the display elements and to combine and output the light reflected from the display elements. The image display device includes a first polarity converting unit to convert luminous flux from the light source to S polarized light, a first polarized beam splitter, and second polarized beam splitter. The reflective image display element for green is provided in a vicinity of the first polarized beam splitter, and the light reflected by the first polarized beam splitter and input to the reflective image display element for green is S polarized light. The light output from the reflective image display element for green permeates the first and second polarized beam splitters.

In order to realize an autonomous mobile device which is compact and inexpensive and which is capable of almost simultaneously detecting (i) an obstacle present ahead of the autonomous moving device and (ii) a difference in level of a floor surface, an autonomous mobile device (1) of the present invention is an autonomous mobile device (1) which moves while detecting (i) an obstacle present ahead of the autonomous mobile device (1) and (ii) a difference in level of a floor surface, including: a laser range finder (21) which measures a distance to an object present in a scan area by scanning the scan area while emitting a laser beam in parallel to the floor surface; and mirrors (22a, 22b) each of which is provided within the scan area scanned by the laser range finder (21) and each of which reflects part of the laser beam to the floor surface.

An apparatus is provided for feeding and slitting mattress covers, quilts and other soft goods supported on a table. The apparatus has a first slitting wheel rotatable by a motor. A second slitting wheel is rotatable by the motor and contacts the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action. The apparatus further includes a conveyor operable by the motor for conveying the soft goods past the slitting wheels, and a compression assembly having an actuator, a swing arm, and wheels for compressing the soft goods and holding the soft goods against the conveyor to preventing slippage or twisting.

A compact and inexpensive laser apparatus capable of obtaining laser beams of multiple wavelengths from a single solid crystal at the same time and excelling in reliability and efficiency is to be provided. A laser apparatus 1 uses a solid crystal consisting of a Raman effect substance as a laser medium 10, and is equipped with a laser oscillator 12 for exciting the laser medium 10 to generate laser beams, a reflector 16, a laser output mirror 18, for resonating the laser beam generated from the laser medium 10 and a harmonic element 22 for enabling by angle adjustment a single wavelength to be extracted out of multiple oscillation wavelengths.

The invention relates to a measuring device for detecting amounts of hydrocarbon in gases, and comprising—a first sensor (22) for determining the amount of hydrocarbon in a first measurement gas flow (38) and for producing a corresponding first measurement result,—a second sensor (24) for determining the amount of hydrocarbon in a second measurement gas flow (39) and for producing a corresponding second measurement result, and—an evaluation unit for evaluating the measurement results of the two sensors (22, 24),—the first sensor (22) being a metal oxide semiconductor gas sensor and carrying out measurements continuously, and—the second sensor (24) being a photoionisation sensor and carrying out measurements intermittently. (FIG. 1) The invention also relates to a method for recording the amount of hydrocarbon in a gas flow.

An image pickup device includes a photographing optical system having a central optical system disposed at a central region and a circular optical system disposed at an outer portion of the central optical system which are arranged along the same optical axis, a directional sensor having plural pixels including two-dimensionally arranged photoelectric conversion elements, the directional sensor including plural pixels for selectively receiving light beams of light fluxes which are incident via the central optical system and the circular optical system by applying pupil division, an image readout device that acquires from the directional sensor each of an image signal representing a first image received via the central optical system and an image signal representing a second image received via the circular optical system.

A coordinates measuring head unit is provided, which is compact, inexpensive, and capable of performing high-precision measurements at high speeds, and facilitates, for example, measurements conducted on machine tools or in-situ measurements on transport lines. The head unit includes: drive means (an X-axis drive section, a Y-axis drive section, and a Z-axis drive section), an integrated housing for accommodating the drive means, and fixture means (fixture surface). The drive means allows a probe to be moved by computer numerical control along a plurality of drive axis, which are orthogonal to each other, and abut against a measuring target to measure the dimensions of the measuring target. The fixture means is provided on one of side surfaces of the housing to attach one of the drive means to a support (a support on a stand secured to a base).

A conveying roller and a paper expelling roller provided upstream and downstream, respectively, of a recording portion in a conveyance direction are connected via an idler gear so as to be able to perform drive transmission, a rotation drive amount of the idler gear is detected, ends of a recording medium in the conveyance direction are detected, driving of a conveying motor is controlled based on detection signals of the rotation drive amount of the idler gear and the ends of the recording medium, and a control constant is made variable according to a position of the recording medium in the conveyance direction.

Embodiments generally describe systems, devices, and methods for focusing and calibrating beam profilers. A test object is provided that may include an internal housing rotatable within an external housing. The internal housing may house a light source, a collimator, a filter, and/or a diffuser. A plate may be mounted to the internal housing and may include a plurality of markings. In some embodiments, to focus a beam profiler, the test object may be positioned adjacent the converter plate of a beam profiler. Marker images may be captured and a focus quality may be assessed therefrom. A position of the converter, objective, and/or camera of the beam profiler may be adjusted based on the focus quality. To calibrate, images of the markings in several rotational positions may be captured and used for calibration. The markings may be rotated to several positions by rotating the internal housing relative to the external housing.

An IC tag unit has an IC unit for storing unique identification information, a first coil operable to produce a first induction current by electromagnetic induction resulting from movement relative to a magnetic field in which north and south poles are separated by a specific distance, a first rectifier operable to produce a first rectified current by rectifying the first induction current, and a regulator operable to generate a specific voltage from the first rectified current and supplying the voltage to the IC unit.

The invention relates to a portable electronic device capable of displaying information, attached to the wrist and including:

• • a bracelet formed by a flexible element,
  • an electronic assembly,
  • display means,
  • an energy source.

According to the invention, the device includes control means including at least one strain gauge, capable, by the application of pressure to the strain gauge, of generating a control signal which is applied to said electronic assembly, the direction and the position of the pressure on said strain gauge permitting the display of information and/or activation of a predetermined function.

A filtering flow box for receiving a supply of plastic pellets from a bottom-unloading tower silo and removing undesirable plastic strands (“angel hair”) from the pellets before they are processed for manufacturing. The box has an angled entry wall for laterally channeling pellets to an angled filter. The pellets pass through the filter and angel hair collects on the filter's upstream surface. The filter can be removed from the box at an angle having a vertical component for cleaning, thus allowing any pellets that have accumulated on top of the filter to fall back into the box.

Disclosed is an electrode member which has spherical sections, each of which configures a part of a sphere, and a plurality of spherical electrode sections wherein the radiuses of the spherical sections are different from each other. The spherical electrode sections are disposed in a state wherein the center points of the respective spheres match each other and the spherical electrode sections are insulated from each other such that voltages can be independently applied thereto. Electron-passing openings for straightly taking out electrons, which are moving from the center point, to the outside of the electrode are formed at positions where the spherical electrode sections and a plurality of straight lines radially extending from the center point intersect each other.

A window play toy for cats and pets has a plastic housing with an elongated curvilinear interior space. The plastic housing has a number of openings. A first pinching slot is attached to the first end of the plastic housing and a second pinching slot is attached to the second end of the plastic housing. A pair of suction cups engage the pair of pinching slots. A ball engages the curvilinear interior space and is trapped between the window and the plastic housing. In one case, the housing is attached to window using an adhesive tape and in this case no pinching slots are required.