Abstract: An electromagnetic switch is provided which includes: a coil generating magnetomotive force; a frame accommodating the coil and generating a flux path; a resin cover covering an opening of the frame; and a current-supply terminal member energizing the coil. The current-supply terminal member includes: a blade-shaped terminal whose end is connected to the coil and whose another end is drawn out of the resin cover in the axial direction of the electromagnetic switch; and a plate-shaped external connection terminal whose end is joined to an end of the blade-shaped terminal and whose another end is drawn out in the direction intersecting the axial direction. A portion between the ends of the external connection terminal is insert-molded in a terminal anchor block provided with the resin cover. A female terminal of a power supply connector provided at an electric supply line is fitted and electrically connected to the external connection terminal.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ON-ON switching mode liquid crystal display device capable of enabling multi-V-T within a pixel and adequately improving viewing angle properties while adequately preventing any decrease in the liquid crystal molecule rising response rate.

Abstract: An engine start system which may be employed in automotive idle stop systems. To start an engine, the system brings a pinion gear into engagement with a ring gear coupled to the engine and turns on an electric motor to rotate the ring gear through the pinion gear to crank the engine. When it is requested to start the engine during deceleration of the engine before stop thereof, the system thrusts the pinion into engagement with the ring gear and then turns on the motor to rotate the pinion gear, in other words, delays the activation of the motor until after the pinion gear has engaged the ring gear. This minimizes mechanical impact or noise arising from the engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear and improves the reliability in engagement with the ring gear during the deceleration of the engine and durability of the system.

Abstract: A technique is provided that reduces dullness of a potential provided to a line such as gate line on an active-matrix substrate to enable driving the line at high speed and, at the same time, reduces the size of the picture frame region. On an active-matrix substrate (20a) are provided gate lines (13G) and source lines. On the active-matrix substrate (20a) are further provided: gate drivers (11) each including a plurality of switching elements, at least one of which is located in a pixel region, for supplying a scan signal to a gate line (13G); and lines (15L1) each for supplying a control signal to the associated gate driver (11). A control signal is supplied by a display control circuit (4) located outside the display region to the gate drivers (11) via the lines (15L1). In response to a control signal supplied, each gate driver (11) drives the gate line (13G) to which it is connected.

Abstract: An engine starting apparatus including a starter including a motor configured to generate a rotational force, and a pinion configured to transfer the rotational force of the motor to a ring gear. The starter is configured to crank an engine at a specific revolution-speed increase rate to increase a revolution speed of the engine to a predetermined revolution speed equal to or greater than 450 rpm. The apparatus further includes an ignition-timing setter configured to set an ignition timing at which fuel in a combustion chamber of the engine is ignited while the revolution speed of the engine is increased during cranking of the engine by the starter or during coasting of the engine after termination of cranking of the engine by the starter, and an engine-speed predictor configured to predict a revolution speed of the engine at the ignition timing based on the specific revolution-speed increase rate.

Abstract: An engine start system which may be employed in automotive idle stop systems. To start an engine, the system brings a pinion gear into engagement with a ring gear coupled to the engine and turns on an electric motor to rotate the ring gear through the pinion gear to crank the engine. When it is requested to start the engine during deceleration of the engine before stop thereof, the system thrusts the pinion into engagement with the ring gear and then turns on the motor to rotate the pinion gear, in other words, delays the activation of the motor until after the pinion gear has engaged the ring gear. This minimizes mechanical impact or noise arising from the engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear and improves the reliability in engagement with the ring gear during the deceleration of the engine and durability of the system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display panel and a liquid crystal display device each of which exhibits a sufficiently increased transmittance and an excellent response speed in falling, with its three-layered electrode structure that controls the alignment of liquid crystal molecules by an electric field in both rising and falling. The liquid crystal display panel of the present invention includes: a first substrate; a second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates, the first substrate and the second substrate each having an electrode, the first substrate further having a dielectric layer, the electrode of the second substrate including a pair of comb-shaped electrodes and a planar electrode.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device is provided that has favorable display characteristics in a display mode using a vertical electric field and a horizontal electric field. This liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate arranged facing each other, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate. The liquid crystal layer has liquid crystal molecules having a negative dielectric anisotropy, and the first substrate has a plate-shaped first common electrode and a pixel electrode formed in a separate layer from the first common electrode with an insulating film therebetween. The pixel electrode has a comb-shaped structure, and the second substrate has a second common electrode with a liquid crystal orientation structure that is linear in a plan view.

Abstract: An engine starting apparatus includes a starter and a starter control unit configured to control driving of the starter. The starter control unit operates a motor with a pinion engaged with a ring gear to thereby crank an engine, and de-engage the pinion from the ring gear or de-energize the motor to thereby terminate the cranking of the engine. A cranking time from when cranking of the engine is initiated to when a predetermined engine speed equal to or greater than 450 rpm is reached is equal to or less than an acceptable limit of cranking time that does not provide, to a user of a vehicle, noticeable discomfort caused by cranking noise generated during the cranking of the engine.

Abstract: In an engine starting apparatus, a starter control unit is configured to, upon command to start the engine, put a starter in a drive ON state to begin cranking of the engine and then put the starter in a drive OFF state at a predetermined timing. The starter control unit is configured to, when acceleration is requested within a predetermined time period from the command to start the engine, keep the starter in the drive ON state even after the time when the starter would be put in the drive OFF state without the acceleration request within the predetermined time period, and drive the starter to torque-assist the engine, thereby performing an assist mode in which both the engine) and the starter serve as drive sources for driving a vehicle.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display apparatus employing a drive method whereby nonuniform electric field is not generated in pixels. This liquid crystal display apparatus is provided with a first substrate, a first electrode, a second electrode, a second substrate, a common electrode, a counter electrode, a liquid crystal layer, and a drive unit. The drive unit executes drive operations including: operations of setting the potential of the first electrode at a low level, the potential of the second electrode at a high level, and the potential of the counter electrode at the high level; operations of setting the potential at the high level, the potential at the low level, and the potential at the high level; operations of setting the potential at the low level, the potential at the high level, and the potential at the low level; and operations of setting the potential at the high level, the potential at the low level, and the potential at the low level.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device having excellent viewing angle characteristics and high contrast in a display mode using both a vertical electric field and a horizontal electric field. This liquid crystal display device is provided with a first substrate and a second substrate disposed facing each other, and a liquid crystal layer held between said first and second substrates. The liquid crystal layer contains liquid crystal molecules having a negative dielectric anisotropy. The first substrate is provided with a flat plate first electrode, a first insulating layer, and a second electrode provided in a layer other than that of the first electrode and provided separated from the first electrode by the first insulating layer. The second electrode has multiple comb-tooth sections and multiple slits, and the second substrate has a flat plate third electrode.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device having excellent display characteristics in a display mode that uses a vertical electric field and a horizontal electric field. This liquid crystal display device is provided with a first substrate and a second substrate provided facing each other and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates. The liquid crystal layer includes liquid crystal molecules having negative dielectric anisotropy. The first substrate is provided with a plate shaped first common electrode, an insulating film, and pixel electrodes, which are provided in a layer different from the first common electrode via the insulating film, and the pixel electrodes have a comb shaped structure. The second substrate is provided with a plate shaped second common electrode and a film formed by having an alignment treatment applied to a vertical alignment film that aligns the initial orientation of the liquid crystal molecules vertically.

Abstract: Picture element electrodes (30) and common electrodes (36) are provided in one of two substrates facing each other. Each picture element (20) has a plurality of sub picture elements (22). In a range in which a signal voltage of an image signal is low, a display is carried out only in a first sub picture element (22a) having narrower electrode spacing, whereas in a range in which the signal voltage of the image signal is high, a display is carried out in both of the first sub picture element (22a) and a second sub picture element (22b) having wider electrode spacing.

Abstract: Provided are a liquid crystal display device and a liquid crystal driving method which can suitably switch between a driving operation with excellent visibility and a driving operation with an excellent response speed.

Abstract: An engine start system which may be employed in automotive idle stop systems. To start an engine, the system brings a pinion gear into engagement with a ring gear coupled to the engine and turns on an electric motor to rotate the ring gear through the pinion gear to crank the engine. When it is requested to start the engine during deceleration of the engine before stop thereof, the system thrusts the pinion into engagement with the ring gear and then turns on the motor to rotate the pinion gear, in other words, delays the activation of the motor until after the pinion gear has engaged the ring gear. This minimizes mechanical impact or noise arising from the engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear and improves the reliability in engagement with the ring gear during the deceleration of the engine and durability of the system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for driving a liquid crystal and a liquid crystal display device, wherein a high contrast ratio is achieved even at oblique viewing angles while achieving sufficiently high transmittance during white display.

Abstract: The TFT substrate (10) of this liquid crystal display device (100) includes: a TFT (11) which is provided for each pixel; an upper electrode (12) which is electrically connected to the TFT's drain electrode (11d); a lower electrode (13) which is arranged under the upper electrode; and a dielectric layer (14) which is arranged between the upper and lower electrodes. Its counter substrate (20) includes a counter electrode (21) which faces the upper electrode. The upper electrode has first and second regions (R1, R2) which have mutually different electrode structures, and a third region (R3) which electrically connects the first and second regions to the drain electrode. The third region of the upper electrode includes a symmetrical connecting portion (12c) that is a conductive film pattern, of which the shape is substantially symmetrical with respect to a virtual line (L1) that splits each pixel into two adjacent regions in a row direction.

Abstract: An vertical alignment type liquid crystal display element (10) which controls an orientation of liquid crystal molecules (52) in a liquid crystal layer (50) by use of a transverse electric field so as to carry out display. A CF-side first insulating layer (42a) and a CF-side second insulting layer (42b) which have respective different dielectric constants are provided, within a pixel in a planar view, on or above a CF substrate (24) so that a first electric field region (60) and a second electric field region (62) which differ in shapes of equipotential lines are formed in the pixel due to generation of a transverse electric field.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel includes a metal electrode, a transparent electrode, an interlayer insulating film, and a comb-shaped electrode. Distorted horizontal electric fields are generated in order to distort the orientation of liquid crystal molecules. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve a transflective liquid crystal display device that has high transmittance, reflectance, and yield, and that can suppress display defects such as screen burn-in without using a panel gap adjusting structure, a driving method that respectively applies different electric fields to the reflective region and the transmissive region, or a multi-L/S structure.