Abstract: An inspection device and an inspection method are provided. The inspection device includes: a main body portion, configured to be held by an inspector; a camera portion, disposed on the main body portion and configured to capture an inspected portion of a vehicle; and a guiding portion, configured to guide a camera direction of the camera portion to the inspector, so that an image obtained through the camera portion becomes a prescribed image suitable for inspection.

Abstract: The present invention provides an acoustic characteristic calibration method superior in at least one of improved repeatability of an inspection state, a reduced influence of a noise in calibrating an acoustic characteristic, and a reduced load in FFT arithmetic processing. A reference acoustic signal is output from a sound output unit (10) and input to a sound input unit (20) of a vehicle inspection device (2). The signal input to the sound input unit (20) is subjected to A/D conversion, and then the FFT arithmetic processing is carried out thereby to detect the frequency response characteristic of the sound input unit (20). The frequency response characteristic of the sound input unit (20) and the frequency characteristic of the reference acoustic signal are compared to determine the correction factor at each frequency. Based on the correction factor, the frequency response characteristic of the sound input unit (20) is calibrated.

Abstract: The present invention provides an acoustic characteristic calibration method superior in at least one of improved repeatability of an inspection state, a reduced influence of a noise in calibrating an acoustic characteristic, and a reduced load in FFT arithmetic processing. A reference acoustic signal is output from a sound output unit (10) and input to a sound input unit (20) of a vehicle inspection device (2). The signal input to the sound input unit (20) is subjected to A/D conversion, and then the FFT arithmetic processing is carried out thereby to detect the frequency response characteristic of the sound input unit (20). The frequency response characteristic of the sound input unit (20) and the frequency characteristic of the reference acoustic signal are compared to determine the correction factor at each frequency. Based on the correction factor, the frequency response characteristic of the sound input unit (20) is calibrated.

Abstract: A switching regulator device including a power conversion transformer for converting an input voltage from a power source at a primary side to a predetermined output voltage and outputting the output voltage to a load circuit connected to a secondary side, a power converter circuit that has a primary-side circuit and a secondary-side circuit insulated from each other, and transmits a load driving control signal input to the primary-side circuit through the secondary-side circuit to the load circuit, and a feedback circuit that performs feedback control on the output voltage on the basis of feedback current generated at the primary side of the power conversion transformer, a part of the feedback current of the feedback circuit being consumed in synchronism with the load driving control signal.

Abstract: A switching regulator device including a power conversion transformer for converting an input voltage from a power source at a primary side to a predetermined output voltage and outputting the output voltage to a load circuit connected to a secondary side, a power converter circuit that has a primary-side circuit and a secondary-side circuit insulated from each other, and transmits a load driving control signal input to the primary-side circuit through the secondary-side circuit to the load circuit, and a feedback circuit that performs feedback control on the output voltage on the basis of feedback current generated at the primary side of the power conversion transformer, a part of the feedback current of the feedback circuit being consumed in synchronism with the load driving control signal.

Abstract: An output compensating device of an image sensor using a number of light-sensor circuits, each of which represents a unit pixel and works by producing in a photoelectric converting element a sensor current proportional to a quantity of light falling thereon, converting the current into a voltage signal by using sub-threshold region characteristic of a transistor having a logarithmic output characteristic in a weak inverse state, which enables the image sensor to compensate for variations in each pixel output by using a sensor signal obtainable when changing a gate voltage and drain voltage of the transistor with shut-off light falling on the photoelectric converting element to a value lower than normal voltages of the transistor for taking video. This enables the image sensor to easily compensate for variations in output characteristics of respective light sensor circuits in a pseudo output state created therein with no actual light falling thereon.

Abstract: An optical sensor circuit has a photodiode PD, a MOS transistor Q1, a voltage controller 13 which supplies a gate voltage and a drain voltage to the transistor, etc. The voltage controller includes initial setting means 15. In the initial setting means, an electrostatic capacitance element of the photodiode is charged/discharged while setting a gate voltage of the transistor Q1 to a high gate voltage value VgH, only for a predetermined time period, and setting a drain voltage to a low drain voltage value VdL, only for a predetermined time period. Thereafter, the drain voltage is set to VdH, and, after elapse of a predetermined time period, the gate voltage is set to VgL. VgH, VdH, and VdL satisfy relational expressions of “VgH?VdH<Vth and VgH?VdL>Vth where Vth: a threshold voltage of the MOS transistor Q1”.

Abstract: A scanning circuit of an image sensor using light sensor circuits each representing a unit pixel and producing a sensor signal corresponding to a current flowing in a photoelectric converting element, in which pixel signals are saturated by previously turning on the light sensor circuits and sequentially reading saturated pixel sensor signals, achieving stable and high-speed reading-out of the sensor signals from the image sensor.

Abstract: An image sensor comprising a number of light sensor circuits each representing a unit pixel and capable of outputting a sensor signal corresponding to a photo current produced in a photoelectric converting element in proportion to light falling thereon, which is provided with a way of detecting a period and a phase of flicker in light from a light source and a way of determining timing of obtaining the maximum brightness of the light source based on the flicker detection signal and reading sensor signals from respective pixels at the timing determined. This image sensor can easily prevent the effect of flicker resulting from flicker of the light source to an image taken and displayed by the image sensor with no need for adjusting the time of accumulating a charge in the capacitor in accord with incident light thereon and compensating an image signal to be displayed.

Abstract: An output compensating device capable of effectively correcting pixel signals composing an image taken and output by the image sensor having a wide dynamic range to be adaptively displayed with high quality and high contrast on a viewable screen area by using means for detecting a minimal value and a maximal value of sensor (pixel) signals output from the image sensor to be displayed on the screen area, means for offsetting the detected minimal value of the sensor signal to a lower limit value of the screen area and means for adjusting a gain of the sensor signal in such a way that an output width determined by the detected minimal and maximal values of the sensor signals may be equal to the maximal width or a specified width of the screen area.

Abstract: An optical sensor circuit has a photodiode PD, a MOS transistor Q1, a voltage controller 13 which supplies a gate voltage and a drain voltage to the transistor, etc. The voltage controller includes initial setting means 15. In the initial setting means, an electrostatic capacitance element of the photodiode is charged/discharged while setting a gate voltage of the transistor Q1 to a high gate voltage value VgH, only for a predetermined time period, and setting a drain voltage to a low drain voltage value VdL, only for a predetermined time period. Thereafter, the drain voltage is set to VdH, and, after elapse of a predetermined time period, the gate voltage is set to VgL. VgH, VdH, and VdL satisfy relational expressions of “VgH?VdH<Vth and VgH?VdL>Vth where Vth: a threshold voltage of the MOS transistor Q1”.

Abstract: Disclosed is a light sensor circuit which works by producing in a photoelectric converting element a photo current proportional to a quantity of incident light falling thereon, converting the photo current into a voltage signal by using a threshold region characteristic of a transistor with a logarithmic output characteristic in a weak inverse state and producing a sensor output corresponding to the voltage signal. The light sensor circuit is provided with an initializing means for removing an electric charge remaining in a parasite capacitor of the photoelectric converting element before detecting light by the same element, thereby achieving a wide dynamic range and obtaining a sensor signal with no afterglow even if it works with a small quantity of incident light.

Abstract: An image sensor comprising a matrix of solid-state light sensor elements each representing a unit pixel, which is capable of reading out sensor signals from respective pixels in a time series by sequentially selecting pixels on a line-by-line basis and sequentially selecting pixels in a selected line, wherein each pixel line is divided into a plurality of blocks with each block composed of the same specified number of pixels and a first scanning means sequentially reads pixel sensor signals on the block-by-block basis starting from the first block and a second scanning means reads pixel sensor signals of the readout block. The image sensor thus constructed can achieve high speed scanning of respective pixels with a minimal increase in power consumption.

Abstract: A welding condition monitoring device for monitoring the welding state of a welding work portion by taking an image thereof by an image sensor having a wide dynamic range and capable of taking an image covering a very bright welding portion and relatively dark portion. The monitoring device selectively emphasizes the outputs of the image sensor for any of luminance areas of the image taken by the image sensor using a sensor output characteristic table and can provide an image clearly showing both the very bright welding portion and the dark bead portion with a sufficient contrast allowing an observer to reliably recognize the objects in the image.

Abstract: A welding condition monitoring device for monitoring the welding state of a welding work portion by taking an image thereof by an image sensor having a wide dynamic range and capable of taking an image covering a very bright welding portion and relatively dark portion. The monitoring device selectively emphasizes the outputs of the image sensor for any of luminance areas of the image taken by the image sensor using a sensor output characteristic table and can provide an image clearly showing both the very bright welding portion and the dark bead portion with a sufficient contrast allowing an observer to reliably recognize the objects in the image.

Abstract: A high speed video camera capable of taking video of a high speed phenomena by an image sensor composed of a matrix of MOS type light sensor circuits each representing a unit pixel and having a wide dynamic range with no occurrence of afterglow, recording the video by storing image data output from the image sensor, executing compensation of outputs of the image sensor based on the image data read from the memory at a normal processing speed and displaying the video based on the compensated video data on a display device. Accordingly, with this camera, it is possible for the user to take and record video of a high speed phenomenon at a very high speed while executing compensation for variations in outputs of the image sensor at a normal processing speed based on the video data read from the memory.

Abstract: An image sensor comprising a matrix of solid-state light sensor elements each representing a unit pixel, which is capable of reading out sensor signals from respective pixels in a time series by sequentially selecting pixels on a line-by-line basis and sequentially selecting pixels in a selected line, wherein each pixel line is divided into a plurality of blocks with each block composed of the same specified number of pixels and a first scanning means sequentially reads pixel sensor signals on the block-by-block basis starting from the first block and a second scanning means reads pixel sensor signals of the readout block. The image sensor thus constructed can achieve high speed scanning of respective pixels with a minimal increase in power consumption.

Abstract: An output compensating device capable of optimally compensating output signals of an image sensor composed of a number of light-sensor circuits, each of which represents a unit pixel and is capable of producing in a photoelectric converting element a sensor current proportional to a quantity of light falling thereon, converting the current into a voltage signal by a MOS type transistor with a logarithmic output characteristic in a weak inverse state, initializing itself by removing a charge accumulated in a parasitic capacitor of the photoelectric converting element by changing a drain voltage of the transistor to a value lower than a normal value for a specified time and outputting a pixel signal having a logarithmic characteristic at a large quantity of the sensor current and a pixel signal having a non-logarithmic characteristic at a small quantity of the sensor current.

Abstract: An image processing device for emphasizing a specified luminance area of an image taken by an image sensor. The contrast between a bright portion and a dark portion of an image taken by the image sensor having a wide dynamic range of a logarithmic output characteristic can be increased by selectively emphasizing the image sensor output of any luminance area by using an output characteristic conversion table.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image sensor consisting of light sensor circuits arranged to form an array of pixels, each of which produces in a photoelectric converting element a sensor current proportional to the quantity of light falling thereon and converts the sensor current into a voltage signal by a MOS type transistor with a logarithmic output characteristic in a weak inverse state, wherein a means for changing over a drain voltage of the transistor for each light sensor circuit to a value lower than a normal value for a specified time to remove a charge accumulated in a parasitic capacity of the photoelectric converting element to initialize the circuit before detecting a light signal. The image sensor can obtain a voltage signal corresponding to the quantity of incident light even if the sensor current was rapidly changed, thereby eliminating the possibility of occurrence of afterglow of each pixel even at a small quantity of incident light.