Abstract: A visible laser beam projector is arranged to provide information to passengers in a vehicle compartment by projecting a visible laser beam onto a portion in the compartment. The visible laser beam projector is arranged in front of an inner mirror of the compartment and projects the visible laser beam to only a front end portion on the upper surface of an instrument panel of the compartment. Thus, the visible laser beam is allowed to be projected in high intensity while suppressing the probability of its adverse effect on eyes of passengers in the compartment.

Abstract: A mount structure for a mobile unit includes a wall member, a sensor device, and a color film. The wall member is provided to the mobile unit, and the wall member has a through hole and an outer surface. The sensor device is mounted on the wall member via the through hole such that a sensing element of the sensor device is able to perform sensing. The sensor device is coupled to the wall member in a state, where the sensor device has a portion that is generally flush with the outer surface of the wall member, and that is provided inside the through hole. The color film is adhered to an entire surface of the outer surface of the wall member, and the entire surface has an opening of the through hole. The sensor device contacts the color film.

Abstract: A projection-type display device includes a shielding unit and image signal correction units that divide the picture plane of the spatial light modulation element into a plurality of areas and perform correction on the image signal applied to the spatial light modulation element according to the current shielding amount of the shielding unit for each of the plurality of areas. Accordingly, appropriate uniformity correction is performed even when there is a change in the angular distribution of light emitted from the spatial light modulation element and reaching the screen.

Abstract: A vehicle-surroundings monitor apparatus according is provided with a sensor having a transmission/reception means for transmitting an ultrasonic wave to surroundings of a vehicle and receiving a reflected ultrasonic wave from the surroundings, a transmission circuit for generating an ultrasonic wave to be transmitted from the transmission/reception means, and a reception-processing means for processing an ultrasonic wave received by the transmission/reception means, and a control means for supplying a power-supply voltage to the sensor. A power-supply voltage supplied by the control means to the sensor is split into a power-supply voltage to be supplied to the transmission circuit and a power-supply voltage to be supplied to the reception-processing means.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor for emitting ultrasonic waves and for receiving the waves reflected from objects is mounted on a mounting member such as a bumper of an automotive vehicle. A through-hole for inserting a front portion of the ultrasonic sensor is formed in the bumper. The ultrasonic sensor is connected to an inner surface of the bumper using a fixing member so that a vibrating front surface of the ultrasonic sensor is exposed to the front side of the bumper. A front periphery of the through-hole which is rough due to machining burrs or the like is covered with a masking member formed separately from the mounting member. Thus, the ultrasonic sensor is easily mounted on a bumper without damaging its ornamental design.

Abstract: An obstacle detection device for a vehicle notifies the driver of an obstacle approaching rapidly in the rear side by sound when a detected velocity of the obstacle relative to the vehicle is larger than a threshold velocity. It does not notify the driver of the obstacle by sound when the detected relative velocity is smaller than the threshold velocity.

Abstract: An obstacle detection system has multiple ultrasonic sonars. When a threshold value used for determining an existence of an obstacle is compared with a receiving signal having been amplified at a predetermined gain, the sonar having a receiving mode is provided with the gain which is higher than that of the sonar having a sending/receiving mode. Thus, the sensitivity of the sonar having the receiving mode can be improved so that a continuous sound field of the sonar is broadened. Accordingly, the distance of the border of the continuous sound field of the obstacle detection system from the vehicle can become substantially even.

Abstract: A projection-type display device includes: a light source 21; a spatial light modulation element 25 which modulates incident light according to an applied image signal and emits the modulated light; an illumination optical system 23 which condenses light from the light source 21 and illuminates the spatial light modulation element 25; a projection lens 27 which projects the light emitted from the spatial light modulation element 25; shielding unit 1, positioned along the path of light on the side of either the illumination optical system 23 or the projection lens 27 with respect to the spatial light modulation element 25, and which can change the amount of shielding of transmitted light; and image signal correction units 3, 4, 5, and 6 which divide the picture plane of the spatial light modulation element 25 into a plurality of areas, and perform correction on the image signal applied to the spatial light modulation element 25 according to the current shielding amount of the shielding unit 1 for each of the p

Abstract: A plurality of ultrasonic sensors is provided in both front and rear bumpers of a vehicle to detect obstacles around the vehicle. Each sensor sets up a transmission frequency of an ultrasonic pulse signal that should be set up in a frequency adjustment circuit and a center frequency in filter processing in a filter circuit in response to a frequency setting frame transmitted from an EMU. The EMU stores a combination of the transmission frequency and the center frequency for each ultrasonic sensor.

Abstract: A device for detecting an obstacle located backward of a vehicle is mounted on a vehicle such as a pickup truck having a rear loading space and a tailgate for closing the loading space. Ultrasonic waves are transmitted backward, and the backward obstacle is detected by receiving ultrasonic waves reflected by the backward obstacle. When the tailgate is open or the load extends backward from the open tailgate, the transmitted waves are reflected by the open tailgate or the extending load. This may cause erroneous detection of the backward obstacle. To avoid the erroneous detection, detection of the reflected waves from the backward obstacle is delayed by a predetermined period when the tailgate is open or the load extends backward.

Abstract: An ultrasound sensor for a vehicle has a housing which is fixedly arranged at a vehicle inner side of a periphery member of the vehicle, an ultrasound vibrator for sending and receiving ultrasound, and an ultrasound transferring member which is constructed of a different material from that of the housing to have an acoustic impedance with a medium value between an acoustic impedance of the ultrasound vibrator and that of the periphery member. The ultrasound vibrator is accommodated in the housing and fixed to an end portion of the housing, which faces the periphery member. The ultrasound transferring member is arranged at the end portion of the housing, and contacts both the ultrasound vibrator and the periphery member of the vehicle.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor mounting structure includes an ultrasonic sensor and a wall member to which the ultrasonic sensor is mounted. The ultrasonic sensor includes an ultrasonic transducer and a vibrating surface. An inner surface of the wall member has a fixation portion where the ultrasonic sensor is fixed, a touch portion where the ultrasonic transducer touches, and a location mark portion that indicates location of the fixation portion. An outer surface of the wall member has a vibration portion as the vibrating surface of the ultrasonic sensor. The vibration portion is positioned opposite to the touch portion. The ultrasonic sensor can be accurately mounted in a desired location on the wall member without a reduction in a sensor characteristic, because the location mark portion does not overlap the touch portion.

Abstract: An object detector capable of reliably detecting objects around a vehicle is mounted on a wall of a bumper of a vehicle. Thicknesses of the bumper and of a bottom surface portion of a housing are less than one-half the wavelength of ultrasonic waves generated by a piezoelectric vibrator. This suppresses the reflection of ultrasonic waves by the bumper and by the bottom surface portion of the housing, and enhances the ultrasonic wave propagation efficiency, making it possible to reliably detect objects positioned around the vehicle.

Abstract: An obstacle detection device for a vehicle includes multiple obstacle detection units which are respectively arranged at predetermined positions of the vehicle, a communication line connected with the obstacle detection units, an informing unit connected with the communication line, and a control unit which is connected with one end of the communication line to receive obstacle detection information sent by the obstacle detection units via the communication line. The control unit controls the informing unit so that the informing unit indicates an obstacle detection when an obstacle has been detected, based on the obstacle detection information. The control unit controls the informing unit via the communication line.

Abstract: A pair of distance measurement sensors provided at different heights measures distances to an obstruction. When the measured distances are shorter than a threshold distance, the height of the vehicle is found based on the measured distances. When the height of the vehicle is found greater than a threshold height, the existence of the obstruction is reported to the driver. When the height of the vehicle is found smaller than the threshold height, on the other hand, a change in obstruction height is found and compared with a threshold. When the change in obstruction height is greater than the threshold, the existence of the obstruction is reported to the driver since the height is determined to be an unreliable result of computation.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor for emitting ultrasonic waves and for receiving the waves reflected from objects is mounted on a mounting member such as a bumper of an automotive vehicle. A through-hole for inserting a front portion of the ultrasonic sensor is formed in the bumper. The ultrasonic sensor is connected to an inner surface of the bumper using a fixing member so that a vibrating front surface of the ultrasonic sensor is exposed to the front side of the bumper. A front periphery of the through-hole which is rough due to machining burrs or the like is covered with a masking member formed separately from the mounting member. Thus, the ultrasonic sensor is easily mounted on a bumper without damaging its ornamental design.

Abstract: An output section, consisting of a pair of loudspeakers disposed adjacently to each other, is installed inside a seatback of a designated seat. Sound output surfaces of respective loudspeakers face a designated person sitting on the designated seat. It is hence easy to secure a required distance for obtaining clear acoustic image localization in accordance with the size of loudspeakers cooperatively constituting the output section.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes an inner case mainly made of plastic and having a shape of a cylinder with a bottom portion. A conductive film is attached to the bottom portion. An electrode formed at a surface of the piezoelectric vibrator is attached to the conductive film to be electrically connected with the conductive film. Therefore, by connecting leads with the conductive film and another electrode at the other side of the piezoelectric vibrator, the electric conduction between an external circuit and both electrodes at both surfaces of the piezoelectric vibrator is ensured.

Abstract: A polarization beam splitter having an enhanced polarization splitting characteristic is disclosed.

Abstract: An obstacle detection device for a vehicle notifies the driver of an obstacle approaching rapidly in the rear side by sound when a detected velocity of the obstacle relative to the vehicle is larger than a threshold velocity. It does not notify the driver of the obstacle by sound when the detected relative velocity is smaller than the threshold velocity.