Abstract: A method for battery charge scheduling for an electric vehicle including a position confirming step for confirming a position of the vehicle, a candidate station obtaining step for obtaining information on position of the candidate battery charge station, a waiting time and a battery charge cost, a candidate battery charge station displaying step for displaying the information of the candidate battery charge stations, a candidate battery charge station selecting step for selecting a candidate battery charge station at which a battery charge is desired to be carried out and a battery charge reserving step for reserving the battery charge at the candidate battery charge station through the station control network based on a setting at the candidate battery charge station selecting step through the in-vehicle information device. By this method, user convenience is improved and actual risks and mental anxieties derived from low battery charge can be relieved or removed.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor provided at a flip-up back door that opens and closes via a pivot shaft provided at a rear top of a vehicle, the ultrasonic sensor detecting an object in a vicinity of the vehicle by intermittently transmitting an ultrasonic wave, which hits the object to thereby generate a reflected wave as a reflection of the ultrasonic wave, the ultrasonic sensor including a sensor head provided at the back door and including a transmitter transmitting the ultrasonic wave and a receiver receiving the reflected wave, wherein the sensor head is provided at a position in a vicinity of a centerline of the vehicle in a width direction thereof and where a distance from a corner of an edge portion of the back door to the sensor head is shorter than a distance from the sensor head to a small aboveground structure provided on the ground.

Abstract: An object detecting apparatus detecting an object position based on a reflected wave generated by reflection of a transmitted ultrasonic wave from the object includes a transmitting portion transmitting the ultrasonic wave, a receiving portion receiving the ultrasonic waves as received signals, a detecting position detecting an envelope and an operation portion detecting a peak of each envelope and obtaining an approximate line with a maximum change amount of the envelope in a change amount increasing period set to a gradient of the approximate line, provided that the change amount increasing period is defined as a period that an amount of change per a predetermined unit time of the envelope, heading to the peak, continues to increase, the operation portion obtaining a time that a voltage value of the approximate line equals a reference value as a receipt time and detecting the object position based on the receipt time.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor provided at a flip-up back door that opens and closes via a pivot shaft provided at a rear top of a vehicle, the ultrasonic sensor detecting an object in a vicinity of the vehicle by intermittently transmitting an ultrasonic wave, which hits the object to thereby generate a reflected wave as a reflection of the ultrasonic wave, the ultrasonic sensor including a sensor head provided at the back door and including a transmitter transmitting the ultrasonic wave and a receiver receiving the reflected wave, wherein the sensor head is provided at a position in a vicinity of a centerline of the vehicle in a width direction thereof and where a distance from a corner of an edge portion of the back door to the sensor head is shorter than a distance from the sensor head to a small aboveground structure provided on the ground.

Abstract: An object detecting apparatus detecting an object position based on a reflected wave generated by reflection of a transmitted ultrasonic wave from the object includes a transmitting portion transmitting the ultrasonic wave, a receiving portion receiving the ultrasonic waves as received signals, a detecting position detecting an envelope and an operation portion detecting a peak of each envelope and obtaining an approximate line with a maximum change amount of the envelope in a change amount increasing period set to a gradient of the approximate line, provided that the change amount increasing period is defined as a period that an amount of change per a predetermined unit time of the envelope, heading to the peak, continues to increase, the operation portion obtaining a time that a voltage value of the approximate line equals a reference value as a receipt time and detecting the object position based on the receipt time.

Abstract: A microwave oscillating portion 30 has an output oscillator function that is capable of adjusting automatically a frequency of microwaves radiated from an electrically conductive member made of an outer panel 11-14 as an antenna at a specific frequency of a sufficiently short wavelength in relation to a size of the electrically conductive member made of the outer panel 11-14. The microwave oscillating portion 30 can detect a human and an object of a detection object 27 in a detection area 11A-14A set at an outside of the outer panel 11-14 that is integrally or separably mounted on a vehicle 1.

Abstract: An obstacle detecting system for a vehicle, which includes an ultrasonic sensor provided at a vehicle body for detecting obstacles surrounding the vehicle. A central axis in a transmitting direction of an ultrasonic wave from the ultrasonic sensor is arranged to approximately follow a surface of the vehicle body.

Abstract: An obstacle detection device includes a transmitting portion for sending ultrasonic wave, a plurality of receiving portions provided at different positions and receiving reflected waves of the ultrasonic wave, a plurality of envelope wave acquiring portions for acquiring envelope waves corresponding to the reflected waves, on the basis of the reflected waves received by the receiving portions, determining portions for determining a peak of each of the envelope waves, storing portions for storing a partial data of the each of the envelope waves, whose peak is determined by the determining portions, estimating portions for estimating a starting point of the each of the envelope waves by using the partial and location determining portions for determining a location of an obstacle on the basis of the starting point of the each of the envelope waves.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring surroundings of a vehicle includes an imaging apparatus provided at the vehicle, a plurality of ultrasonic sensors provided around the imaging apparatus as a unit with the imaging apparatus, an object-position-detecting apparatus for detecting a position of an object appearing within an imaging range of the imaging apparatus on the basis of outputs of the plurality of the ultrasonic sensors and a display-controlling apparatus for performing a predetermined image processing for an image obtained by the imaging apparatus at a position corresponding to the position of the object detected by the object-position-detecting apparatus.

Abstract: A door handle apparatus for a vehicle, which is provided at a vehicle door and is operated when a user of the vehicle conducts opening/closing operation to the vehicle door, includes a piezoelectric element converting an electric signal into an oscillation signal of an ultrasonic wave and converting the oscillation signal of the ultrasonic wave into the electric signal, a resonating member resonating having the piezoelectric element at an inner side thereof, the resonating member being resonated with the piezoelectric element, and a vibration absorbing means provided at an outer side of the resonating member.

Abstract: An obstacle detection device includes a transmitting portion for sending ultrasonic wave, a plurality of receiving portions provided at different positions and receiving reflected waves of the ultrasonic wave, a plurality of envelope wave acquiring portions for acquiring envelope waves corresponding to the reflected waves, on the basis of the reflected waves received by the receiving portions, determining portions for determining a peak of each of the envelope waves, storing portions for storing a partial data of the each of the envelope waves, whose peak is determined by the determining portions, estimating portions for estimating a starting point of the each of the envelope waves by using the partial and location determining portions for determining a location of an obstacle on the basis of the starting point of the each of the envelope waves.

Abstract: A microwave oscillating portion 30 has an output oscillator function that is capable of adjusting automatically a frequency of microwaves radiated from an electrically conductive member made of an outer panel 11-14 as an antenna at a specific frequency of a sufficiently short wavelength in relation to a size of the electrically conductive member made of the outer panel 11-14. The microwave oscillating portion 30 can detect a human and an object of a detection object 27 in a detection area 11A-14A set at an outside of the outer panel 11-14 that is integrally or separably mounted on a vehicle 1.

Abstract: The invention provides a condition detecting sensor capable of measuring the distance between two members moving toward and away from each other without using changes in capacitance, as well as a condition detecting sensor capable of reliably sensing objects located between these two members regardless of their permittivity. The sensor comprises a first antenna FANT and a second antenna MANT arranged, respectively, on each of the two members moving toward and away from each other, a generator SOSC generating signal waves that can be transmitted by the first antenna FANT, and a mixer MIX connected to the first and second antennas FANT, MANT and mixing signals, and senses the distance between the two members moving toward and away from each other, as well as the presence of objects between the two members, by sensing the standing wave ratio between the first and second antennas FANT, MANT using a band-pass filter BPF and an S-meter SM.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring surroundings of a vehicle includes an imaging apparatus provided at the vehicle, a plurality of ultrasonic sensors provided around the imaging apparatus as a unit with the imaging apparatus, an object-position-detecting apparatus for detecting a position of an object appearing within an imaging range of the imaging apparatus on the basis of outputs of the plurality of the ultrasonic sensors and a display-controlling apparatus for performing a predetermined image processing for an image obtained by the imaging apparatus at a position corresponding to the position of the object detected by the object-position-detecting apparatus.

Abstract: An obstacle detecting system for a vehicle, which includes an ultrasonic sensor provided at a vehicle body for detecting obstacles surrounding the vehicle. A central axis in a transmitting direction of an ultrasonic wave from the ultrasonic sensor is arranged to approximately follow a surface of the vehicle body.

Abstract: A closed space monitor system monitors the closed space by detecting a change in the air flow and the volume change of the closed space. The closed space monitor system includes a transmitter for generating and transmitting a compression wave of gas, a receiver for receiving the compression wave of gas, a inverting amplifier for amplifying the signal from the receiver via an electric current-voltage conversion portion, and automatic gain control portion. The amplified signal from the receiver is transmitted from the transmitter for generating the stationary wave in the closed space.

Abstract: A closed space monitor system monitors the closed space by detecting a change in the air flow and the volume change of the closed space. The closed space monitor system includes a transmitter for generating and transmitting a compression wave of gas, a receiver for receiving the compression wave of gas, a inverting amplifier for amplifying the signal from the receiver via an electric current-voltage conversion portion, and automatic gain control portion. The amplified signal from the receiver is transmitted from the transmitter for generating the stationary wave in the closed space.

Abstract: The micro-machined surface structure includes a substrate 1, a circuit 10 comprising an n-layer or a p-layer diffused after ion implantation of impurities onto the substrate, an oxide film 5 for protecting the circuit 10 and a nitride film 6 formed on the oxide film. A circuit connection portion 11 is electrically connected with the circuit 10 and a structural body comprising polysilicon is formed on the circuit connection portion 11 and on the nitride film 6 in which the nitride film is formed between the oxide film 5 and the circuit connection portion 11 on the substrate.

Abstract: An angular rate sensor has a pair of masses located symmetrically with respect to a point on the xy-plane, a support beam connected to each of the masses so as to be substantially movable in a direction, a center anchor supporting the support beam at the point, a floating body having a plurality of slits and located symmetrically with respect to the point, and a pair of displacement detecting elements located in the slits to detect rotational vibration about the point when an angular rate occurs. A connecting beam is located symmetrically with respect to the point, and driving electrodes vibrate in an anti-phase manner.

Abstract: An angular velocity sensor includes coupling beams supported afloat by highly flexible support beams so as to be movable relative to a substrate, with the support beams being flexible in the x-axis and a y-axis directions and being symmetrical with respect to the center of the sensor. A first vibrator and a second vibrator are supported by respective coupling beams through spring beams that are highly flexible in the x-direction, with the spring beams being symmetrical with respect to the x-axis passing through the center symmetrical to each other with respect to the y-axis passing through the center. Drive electrodes drive at least one of the first vibrator and the second vibrator to vibrate in the x-direction. First displacement detection electrodes detect a y-directional vibration of the first vibrator and second displacement detection electrodes detect a y-directional vibration of the second vibrator.