Abstract: An ultrasonic sonar has a transceiver equipped with an ultrasonic oscillator. An ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the transceiver. The ultrasonic wave reflected from an obstacle is received by the ultrasonic oscillator to detect the obstacle. The transmission frequency of the ultrasonic wave is set to be different from the reverberation frequency. When the obstacle is detected, a microcomputer converts the analog signal received by the ultrasonic oscillator into a digital signal, performs a frequency transform of this signal by Fourier transform to extract only the transmission frequency component, and performs an inverse transform.

Abstract: An optical scanner and a two-dimensional scanning device using the same are provided. The optical scanner includes a scanning mechanism and a swing support. The swing support is designed to support the scanning mechanism on a housing so as to allow the scanning mechanism to swing and made up of a plurality of springs. The springs are so constructed so as resist unwanted vibrations acting on the optical scanner in directions different from a scan direction, thereby ensuring a stable scan of a light beam at all the time.

Abstract: In a magnetic switch for a starter motor, a magnetic core member providing a magnetic flux path is composed of separate components: a first core, a cylindrical yoke and a second core, all contained in a cup-shaped frame in close contact to one another. The first core is forcibly inserted into the cup-shaped frame, and the cylindrical yoke formed by rounding a flat plate into a C-shaped body having a small opening is also forcibly inserted in the cup-shaped frame by squeezing the small opening. The separate components are firmly pressed to each other by an axial force generated by caulking an open end of the cup-shaped frame. A switch cover is connected to the magnetic core member not to loosen the axial force connecting the components. Thus, magnetic resistance increase in the magnetic flux path formed by separate components is effectively suppressed.

Abstract: In a geared motor, a worm wheel and an output gear are rotatably supported about and slidably engaged with a center shaft. A transmitting plate connected to the output gear transmits rotation from the worm wheel to the output gear. An O-ring is fitted around the center shaft. The O-ring is sealingly surrounded on four sides in a seal retaining portion defined by an outer peripheral surface of the center shaft, an inner peripheral surface of the transmitting plate, an end surface of an annular protrusion of the worm wheel and one end surface of the output gear.

Abstract: Left and right turn lamps are used as lamps in a daytime travel of a vehicle. When a first daytime turn-on requirement is satisfied, i.e., when an ignition switch is ON, a left-hand contact of a turn switch is OFF, a right-hand contact thereof is off, and the like, a left front turn lamp and a right front turn lamp are turned on as the lamps in the daytime travel, based on signals outputted from first and second AND logic circuits. When the left-hand contact of the turn switch is turned on in this state, the left front turn lamp flashes, based on a signal outputted from a flasher circuit, whereas the right front turn lamp keeps a turn-on state. On the other hand, when the right-hand contact of the turn switch is turned on, the right front-turn lamp flashes, based on a signal outputted from the flasher circuit, whereas the left front turn lamp keeps a turn-on state.

Abstract: The radius of the curvature of the lane on which a subject vehicle is traveling, is calculated in accordance with the turning condition of the subject vehicle and the velocity of the subject vehicle is obtained on the basis of the steering angle, and the yaw rate. An instantaneous probability of the same lane that the recognized object target exists on the same lane is calculated. In this operation, the instantaneous probability is compensated. That is, the road shape is recognized with delineator or the like. The instantaneous probability of the same lane is compensated on the basis of the recognized road shape. The probability of the same lane is calculated after a predetermined filtering process with the compensated instantaneous probability of the same lane. The preceding vehicle is selected on the basis of the probability of the same lane.

Abstract: The clock signal for the sample and hold circuit for sampling the C-V conversion circuit output generated by the control signal generation circuit is different in period from the clock signal for switched capacitor filter circuit for filtering the sample and hold circuit output such that the clock signal for the switched capacitor filter circuit is unchanged in period between the measuring and self-diagnostic modes.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a trench gate type IGBT element, which can sufficiently round off a corner at a bottom of a trench with restricting silicon from being excessively etched. A trench is formed at a surface of a P+-type monocrystalline silicon substrate by conducting an anisotropic etching (STEP 1). A corner portion at a bottom of the trench is formed to a concave shape surface by conducting a concave etching (STEP 2). The concave etching etches the silicon substrate so that a diameter of the trench is gradually reduced as the etching advances. After that, the corner portion at a bottom of the trench is rounded off by conducting an isotropic etching (STEP 3). Since the corner portion is chamfered, a radius of curvature of the corner portion of the bottom of the trench can be increased even if an amount of the etching using the isotropic etching in the STEP 3 is small.

Abstract: A reluctance-type motor include a stator having a plurality of salient stator-poles, a rotor having a plurality of salient rotor-poles, a multi-phase coils mounted in the stator, and a driver circuit for driving said multi-phase coil. The driver circuit starts to supply drive current to the multi-phase coils when the salient rotor-poles and the salient stator-poles come across each other. In other words, the drive current is supplied to the multi-phase coils when the inductance thereof is zero.

Abstract: A clutch includes a stopper secured to a gear housing of a motor. Once the stopper is secured to the gear housing, the stopper restrains axial movement of rolling elements by restraining axial movement of a support member, which rotatably supports the rolling elements, to retain the rolling elements within a collar. A driven-side rotator of the clutch includes reinforcing ribs for reinforcing engaging projections of the driven-side rotator.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device including a gate oxide film formed on a surface channel layer, the gate oxide film is formed by a thermal oxidation treatment that is performed at conditions under which a recrystallization reaction between silicon dioxide (SiO2) and carbon (C) occurs to produce silicon carbide (SiC) with a Gibbs free energy G3 being negative. The recrystallization reaction is expressed by a chemical formula of SiO2+3C→SiC+2CO+G3. Accordingly, residual carbon can be reduced at an interface between the gate oxide film and the surface channel layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device for a load drive circuit includes a main LDMOS device and a sense LDMOS device that are connected to each other in parallel to form a current mirror circuit. The main LDMOS device and the sense LDMOS device have plural drain cells and plural source cells that are arranged to form a generally square shape as a whole. In the plural drain cells, drain cells of the sense LDMOS device are arranged along a diagonal of the generally square shape.

Abstract: A microcomputer has a CPU, a charge and discharge control circuit connected to the CPU, an input/output port, and comparator. A capacitor is connected to the microcomputer through the input/output port. The comparator outputs a high level signal or a low level signal based on a voltage of the capacitor to the CPU. The charge and discharge control circuit is composed of a totem pole structure having a high side and a low side n-channel type MOSFETs whose common drain terminal serves as an output terminal of the circuit. The high side MOSFET charges the capacitor, and the low side MOSFET discharges the capacitor based on signals from the CPU through the input/output port. The high side MOSFET does not have a parasitic diode whose anode is connected to a power supply and cathode is connected to the common drain terminal.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has an element region including MOS structure. A p-well region, a connecting impurity diffused region, and an impurity diffused region for guard ring are formed in an n-type semiconductor layer so as to form a well region, The well region has a step defining a higher portion and a lower portion lower than the higher portion so that the impurity diffused region for guard ring is located at the lower portion. The lower portion is located at a periphery of the element region. In this structure, the impurity diffused region for guard ring is completely depleted while the connecting impurity diffused region is partially depleted so that a portion having carriers remains therein while a depletion layer expands in the connecting impurity diffused region before a breakdown due to a reverse bias occurs in the element region.

Abstract: A navigation system for vehicles has a rewritable memory, which stores data of a plurality of locations, and searches the rewritable memory for a target location for use in guiding a travel route. When a user inputs a new location for registration, data of an input new location is stored in the rewritable memory in addition to original data of the plurality of locations. This data of new location may be stored by updating the original data or by adding separately from the original data. When a user requests a search for the target location by a name of the target location, the navigation system searches it alphabetically by referring to both data of the plurality of locations and the new location. The navigations system may be designed to conduct the location search by a facility type.

Abstract: An infrared sensor includes a concavity made on a side of a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of sensing areas formed in a thin film area on the back side of the bottom of the concavity. Groups of two thermocouples, three thermocouples and four thermocouples reside in a sensing area in the central part of the thin film area, in another sensing area adjacent the central sensing area and in yet other sensing areas adjacent to the central sensing area, respectively, to compensate for the heterogeneity of heat transfer in the thin film area. Therefore, sensitivity loss is suppressed in the sensing area having a boundary with the substrate. More specifically, the difference in sensitivity between the sensing areas is reduced.

Abstract: A stator includes a longitudinal-vibration sensing electrode. The stator also includes a torsional-vibration sensing piezoelectric element and a torsional-vibration sensing electrode plate for sensing torsional vibrations. A voltage signal from the torsional-vibration sensing electrode plate or a voltage signal from the longitudinal-vibration sensing electrode is sensed. Then, a drive voltage signal for driving the stator is generated in a self-excited oscillation drive circuit in such a manner that an actual vibrational frequency of the stator substantially coincides with a resonance frequency. Thereafter, the generated drive voltage signal is applied between a drive electrode and each one of first and second electrode plates.

Abstract: In a refrigerant cycle for a vehicle air conditioner, a compressor is operated by a power from a vehicle engine, a load detecting unit is disposed to detect load of the engine, an electromagnetic clutch is turned off so that a consumed power consumed in the compressor is reduced to zero when the load detected by the load detecting unit is equal to or larger than a first threshold value. In the refrigerant cycle, the first threshold value is set to be changed along a power-cutting curved line in such a manner that an increase rate of the first threshold value relative to the vehicle speed becomes larger as the vehicle speed becomes larger.

Abstract: In a navigation system for vehicles, a type of road a vehicle travels is determined based on a present position of a vehicle and road data, and a change in the type of road is determined. The road type is determined based on the type of link the vehicle travels referring to a table storing a relation between a link type and a road type. A travel distance is accumulated until the travel distance exceeds a predetermined determination reference, when the road type remains unchanged. An instant vehicle speed is calculated each time the vehicle travels the determination reference. An average vehicle speed is calculated by using the instant vehicle speed calculated for each road type. The average vehicle speed is used to notify an estimated time of arrival at a destination or a passing point.

Abstract: In a vehicular navigation system, an electronic control unit uses in its recommended vehicle travel path determination processing restricted-type roads the data of which is less reliable than those of normal roads. A display device indicates the recommended travel path on a road map displayed thereon. When a vehicle travels on the restricted-type road, a travel guidance specific to the restricted-type road is issued to notify a driver of traveling on the restricted-type road and thereby invite the driver to decide himself or herself. The guidance may be in a vocal announcement from a speaker and/or a visual display on the display device.