Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080257037 | Humidity sensor - A capacitive humidity sensor includes: a humidity sensing element with a humidity sensitive film and electrodes; and a processing circuit. The film has a dielectric constant variable in accordance with moisture. The electrodes detect capacitance of the film and outputs a signal corresponding to the capacitance. The processing circuit processes the signal. The film is made of inorganic material having fine pores for adsorbing the moisture. A diameter of the fine pores is set to be a predetermined diameter so that capillary tube aggregation phenomenon occurs at a predetermined relative humidity. The capacitance of the film has a change rate with respect to the relative humidity. The change rate in case of the relative humidity higher than the predetermined relative humidity is larger than that in case of the relative humidity lower than the predetermined relative humidity. | 10-23-2008 |
20090135672 | Direction detecting device and direction detecting system - In a direction detecting device, a transmitting wave generator encodes a transmitting signal with a code having a high autocorrelation so as to generate a transmitting wave. A transmitter transmits the transmitting wave and a plurality of receiver elements receives a reflected wave reflected by an object. A direction calculating unit calculates a direction of the object based on a phase difference between a correlation value calculated based on the reflected wave received by one of the receiver elements and a correlation value calculated based on the reflected wave received by another one of the receiver elements, a distance between the one of the receiver elements and the another one of the receiver elements, and a wavelength of the transmitting wave. | 05-28-2009 |
20090250533 | WASHER NOZZLE-EQUIPPED CAMERA APPARATUS AND WASHER NOZZLE - A washer nozzle-equipped camera apparatus includes a camera and a washer nozzle. The washer nozzle has a window spray outlet for spraying a washer fluid, supplied from a supply unit such as a pump, on a window of a vehicle. The washer nozzle further has a window duct for carrying the washer fluid to the window spray outlet. The washer nozzle further has a camera spray outlet for spraying the washer fluid on a lens of the camera. The washer nozzle further has a camera duct for carrying the washer fluid to the camera spray outlet. | 10-08-2009 |
20090260422 | Ultrasonic sensor - An ultrasonic sensor includes a transmitting device, a receiving device, and a circuit device. The circuit device determines that the receiving device receives an ultrasonic wave reflected from an object, when an output voltage of the receiving device is equal to or greater than a first threshold. The circuit device includes a humidity detection section configured to detect an ambient humidity of the transmitting and receiving devices and a threshold adjustment section configured to calculate, based on the detected ambient humidity, a sound pressure of the ultrasonic wave that is received by the receiving device after propagating over a round-trip distance between the ultrasonic sensor and the object. The threshold adjustment section reduces the first threshold, when the output voltage corresponding to the calculated sound pressure is less than a second threshold that is greater the first threshold. | 10-22-2009 |
20100024557 | Ultrasonic device for detecting direction to object - A ultrasonic device detecting a direction to an object includes: a transmitting element of a ultrasonic wave; first and second receiving elements; a diffraction wave phase detector; an initial phase memory for an initial phase of a diffraction wave; a sound speed detector; a phase correction amount calculator calculating a phase shift caused by a sound speed change and calculating a phase correction amount based on the phase of the diffraction wave, the initial phase and the phase shift; a phase correction element correcting a phase of the reflection wave based on the phase correction amount; and a direction detector for detecting the direction to the object based on a difference between corrected phases of the reflection wave received by the first and second receiving elements, a distance between the first and second receiving elements, and a wavelength of the transmission ultrasonic wave corresponding to a sound speed. | 02-04-2010 |
20100053637 | Location detection apparatus - A location detection apparatus is disclosed that includes: a light source; a light output side reflector having a reflecting surface for reflecting light from the light source to a space; a rotation mechanism for rotating the light output side reflector; a first light receiving element for receiving the light reflected from an object existing in the space; a light reception side reflector for reflecting the light from the object to the first light receiving element; a second light receiving element for receiving the light from the light output side reflector; a light conductor for conducting the light reflected from or transmitted through the reflecting surface toward the second light receiving element when the light output side reflector is in a predetermined position; and a rotational position detector that detects rotational position of the light output side reflector based on a detection result of the second light receiving element. | 03-04-2010 |
20100076651 | VEHICLE DOOR CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLE DOOR - A laser sensor is located close to a rotation axis of a vehicle door and configured to emit a laser beam to a surface of the vehicle door and accept reflected light reflected from an obstacle for scanning a scanning plane shifted in a door-opening direction, in which the vehicle door is openable. A determination section determines whether an obstacle, which is possible to make contact with the vehicle door, exists in the door-opening direction of the vehicle door, based on a result of emission and acceptance of the laser beam of the laser sensor. An opening regulating section regulates an opening of the vehicle door in response to determination of the determination section that the obstacle exists. | 03-25-2010 |
20100220551 | Physical object detection system - In an obstacle detection system, a wave transmitted by a transmitting element and received by receiving elements as a receiving wave includes extraneous waves, which are reflection waves from other than an obstacle, and obstacle reflection waves from an obstacle. It is determined that, an obstacle is present, if the reflection waves are detected as having an amplitude (voltage) greater than a threshold level and a reception time difference between time points at which the amplitude exceeds threshold level at the receiving elements is less than a predetermined time. | 09-02-2010 |
20110181725 | OPTICAL SENSOR DEVICE FOR VEHICLE - A camera unit is provided in a hollow portion of an electric motor. A rotor is rotatably arranged at an outer periphery of a stator. A cylindrical motor casing is attached to the rotor. A lens cover is attached to the motor casing at a position of a front side of a lens of the camera unit. The lens cover is rotated together with the motor casing and the rotor, so that attachment adhered to an outer surface of the lens cover is removed by centrifugal force. | 07-28-2011 |
20110316388 | ULTRASONIC SENSOR - An ultrasonic sensor is disclosed. The ultrasonic sensor includes a piezoelectric element and an acoustic matching member. The piezoelectric element is configured to detect ultrasonic wave transmitted from a transmitter and reflected by a detection target object located in a detection target space. The acoustic matching member is configured to conduct the received ultrasonic wave to the piezoelectric element. The piezo electric element is covered with the acoustic matching member including a principal oscillation portion and a supplement oscillation portion. Thickness of a part of the supplement oscillation portion, the part covering the piezoelectric element, is smaller than a predetermined thickness threshold. | 12-29-2011 |
20120174673 | ULTRASONIC SENSOR - An ultrasonic sensor includes a transmitting device, a receiving device, and a circuit device. The circuit device determines that the receiving device receives an ultrasonic wave reflected from an object, when an output voltage of the receiving device is equal to or greater than a first threshold. The circuit device includes a humidity detection section configured to detect an ambient humidity of the transmitting and receiving devices and a threshold adjustment section configured to calculate, based on the detected ambient humidity, a sound pressure of the ultrasonic wave that is received by the receiving device after propagating over a round-trip distance between the ultrasonic sensor and the object. The threshold adjustment section reduces the first threshold, when the output voltage corresponding to the calculated sound pressure is less than a second threshold that is greater the first threshold. | 07-12-2012 |