Abstract: A solenoid device includes: at least one electromagnetic coil that generates a magnetic flux when the electromagnetic coil is energized; a yoke made of soft magnetic material, in which the magnetic flux flows; and a plurality of plungers, each of which includes at least a part made of soft magnetic material, and reciprocates when the electromagnetic coil is switched between energization and interruption of energization. The number of the plurality of plungers is larger than the number of the electromagnetic coil. The plurality of plungers reciprocate independently from each other.

Abstract: In a laser ignition apparatus, a focusing optical element is configured to focus a pulsed laser light to a predetermined focal point in a combustion chamber of an engine. An optical window member is arranged on the combustion chamber side of the focusing optical element so as to separate the focusing optical element from the combustion chamber. A catoptric-light focal point, at which a catoptric light is to be focused, is positioned on the anti-combustion chamber side of a combustion chamber-side end surface of the optical window member. The catoptric light results from the reflection of the pulsed laser light by a pseudo mirror that is formed by the optical window member when the combustion chamber-side end surface thereof is fouled with contaminants. Further, the catoptric-light focal point falls in a region where no solid material forming either the focusing optical element or the optical window member exists.

Abstract: A coil unit performs at least one of transmission and reception of electric power using electromagnetic resonance between the coil unit and a primary resonance coil disposed to face the coil unit. The coil unit includes a secondary resonance coil that includes a plurality of coils, and that electromagnetically resonates with the primary resonance coil. A first coil among the plurality of coils is disposed in a manner such that a magnetic field generated by the first coil has a phase opposite to a phase of a magnetic field generated by at least one coil other than the first coil among the plurality of coils, with respect to a plane that faces the primary resonance coil.

Abstract: In a light chamber formed in a housing case and a lens cover placed at a front part of the housing case in a headlamp assembly, a projection lens, a shade and a light source are arranged in line from the front side of the light chamber along an optical axis of the light source. A radiating member has radiating fins of a plate shape vertically placed in the light chamber, and radiates heat energy generated by the light source to surrounding air. A slit composed of a vertical slit part and an inclined-slit part is formed in each of the radiating fins. The formation of the slit generates a change of heat capacity and a temperature difference at upper and bottom parts of each of the radiating fins. The incline-slit part is extended from the top of the vertical slit part to the upper part of the radiating fin.

Abstract: A valve timing controller includes a lock mechanism that locks a rotation phase at a main lock phase when an internal combustion engine is started with an ambient temperature more than or equal to a preset temperature. The main lock phase represents a rotation phase set for closing an intake valve at a later timing later than a timing when a piston reaches a bottom dead center of a cylinder in the internal combustion engine. The lock mechanism locks the rotation phase at a sub lock phase representing a rotation phase advanced rather than the main lock phase in the internal combustion engine when the internal combustion engine is started with an ambient temperature lower than the present temperature.

Abstract: A transmission and reception device is located at a predetermined height on a movable object and directed toward an outside. The transmission and reception device includes a transmission unit for repeatedly transmitting sensing waves at a predetermined interval and a reception unit for receiving reflective waves of the sensing waves from a detected object. A peak value detecting unit detects peak values of the received reflective waves and stores the detected peak values. A difference arithmetic unit calculates a difference in the detected peak values with movement of the movable object closer to the detected object. An object determination unit determines the detected object to be a near-road-surface obstacle, which is close to a road surface, when the difference is a negative value. The object determination unit determines the detected object to be an other obstacle than the near-road-surface obstacle when the difference is a positive value.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus that for automatic steering control that reduces occupant discomfort and stress is provided. A lane width of a subject lane and a current in-lane ratio are detected. If an off-lane obstacle which may place stress on the occupant is present within a prescribed area, a relative position between each off-lane obstacle and the vehicle is determined. A target in-lane ratio is determined based on the relative position. Specifically, when the off-lane obstacles are present on both the left and right sides of the subject lane, the target in-lane ratio is such that lateral distances to both off-lane obstacles are equal. When the off-lane obstacle is present on only one of either the left or right of the subject lane, the target in-lane ratio is set such that a lateral position away from the off-lane obstacle by a lateral distance set in advance is the target lateral position.

Abstract: A first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus are capable of wireless communication with each other. The first communication apparatus has a normal operation mode and a tuning mode that differs from the normal operation mode and allows a variable matching portion to adjust a matching state. When the tuning mode is selected, the first transmission portion transmits an operation mode transition request signal to the second communication apparatus. A first reception portion receives a tuning reference signal transmitted from the second communication apparatus in response to the operation mode transition request signal. A reception signal intensity measurement portion measures a reception signal intensity of the received tuning reference signal. The variable matching portion adjusts a matching state based on the measured reception signal intensity of the tuning reference signal.

Abstract: A laser ignition system that is mounted on an internal combustion engine and that condenses a laser beam oscillated from a laser oscillator into an engine combustion chamber by using a condenser lens to generate a flame kernel with high energy and to perform ignition includes at least a highly-refractive optical element that refracts optical axes OPX1 to OPXn of plural laser beams oscillated from plural semiconductor lasers 5-1 to 5-n through a resonator to change traveling directions of the laser beams and a condenser device that condenses the laser beams refracted by the highly-refractive optical element on plural positions FP1 to FPn in the engine combustion chamber.

Abstract: A first resilient member generates a resilient force to urge a valve portion in a valve-closing direction. A second resilient member generates a resilient force against the resilient force of the first resilient member. The resilient force of the first resilient member and the resilient force of the second resilient member are set to be balanced with each other when the valve portion is placed in a lift position that is between a full-closing position of the valve portion, in which the valve portion is seated against a valve seat to fully close a fluid passage, and a full-opening position of the valve portion, in which the valve portion is fully lifted away from the valve seat to fully open the fluid passage.

Abstract: In a wireless communication system, a portable device transmits a first signal spread based on a reference period indicated by a synchronization signal transmitted from an in-vehicle device and transmits a second signal spread based on an operation by a user. The in-vehicle device sets a search period based on a variation range in a delay time from when the synchronization signal is transmitted to when the spread first signal is transmitted and sets a residual period that starts at an ending point of the search period and ends at an ending point of the reference period when a starting point of the reference period is set at a starting point of the search period. When the in-vehicle device fails in a synchronous acquisition for the search period, the in-vehicle device performs a synchronous acquisition process for the residual period.

Abstract: An ON-ignition signal is outputted from an ignition control portion in a period from a posterior time point of the power stroke to an valve opening timing of an exhaust valve so that a capacitor is charged. Then, when it is determined that the maximum value of an ion-output value detected during a negative valve overlap period becomes greater than or equal to a threshold, it is determined that the applied voltage between an center electrode and a ground electrode of a spark plug is dropped. The ON-ignition signal is outputted again to charge the capacitor before the intake valve is opened.

Abstract: When a driver of a vehicle brings his/her detection part close to a case, a sensor detects a pulse of the driver at the detection part with an optical method, and takes an image of the detection part. An individual certification means determines whether the driver of the vehicle is an authorized person or not based on the image of the detection part taken by the sensor. An alcohol concentration determiner calculates an index value of a blood alcohol concentration of the driver based on the pulse detected at the detection part by the sensor, and determines whether the index value exceeds a criterial value of a drinking assessment. When it is determined that the driver of the vehicle is an authorized person and the index value does not exceed the criterial value of the drinking assessment, a permission means permits the driver to start an engine of the vehicle.

Abstract: The vehicle head light is provided with a heat radiating member including a pillar member provided to extend from a bottom wall of a housing, on which a light source is mounted, a heat radiating fins fixed radially to the outer periphery of the pillar member, and a guide wall provided surrounding sides of the heat radiating fins. The guide wall is sloped with respect to bottom wall of the housing so that spaces each formed by adjacent two of the heat radiating fins and the guide wall become narrower with increasing distance from the lower end of the guide wall. The guide wall is formed with slits to make air communication between the light chamber and each of the spaces, the slits being shaped to be narrower with increasing distance from the lower end of the guide wall.

Abstract: When a pulley and an armature are coupled with each other, first and second permanent magnets place the movable member at a location where a magnetic resistance of an attracting magnetic circuit, which generates an attracting magnetic force to couple between the pulley and the armature, is reduced. In contrast, when the pulley and the armature are decoupled from each other, the movable member is placed at a location where the magnetic resistance of the attracting magnetic circuit is increased, and a magnetic resistance of a non-attracting magnetic circuit is reduced. Thereby, a coupled state or a decoupled state of the pulley and the armature can be maintained without an erroneous operation.

Abstract: A torsion bar has first and second end portions that are fixed to input and output shafts, respectively, to coaxially connect between the input and output shafts. A multipolar magnet is fixed to the input shaft. First and second magnetic yokes are fixed to the output shaft. Magnetic sensors are held between magnetic flux collecting portions of first and second magnetic flux collecting rings, which are magnetically coupled to the first and second magnetic yokes, respectively. In each of the magnetic flux collecting portion, a connecting section and a mounting section are configured such that a width of the connecting section is smaller than a width of the mounting section.

Abstract: A spark plug for internal-combustion engines includes a housing, an insulator, a center electrode, and an earth electrode. A gas guiding sections equipped with slopes that slope inwardly as they approach toward a tip side from a circumference surface of the housing and guide surfaces that are disposed on both sides in a circumferential direction of the slopes are formed in a tip part of the housing. The gas guiding sections are formed in the circumferential direction within a 90-degree range measured relative to the center of the earth joint section, which is a junction of the housing and the earth electrode, in the circumferential direction. When the spark plug is mounted to the engine, it is constituted so that the gas guiding sections are projected into a combustion chamber.

Abstract: In a wireless communication apparatus, when a first switch electrically connects a second antenna to an impedance matching circuit and a second switch electrically connects a first antenna to a reception circuit, a frequency signal output from an oscillator of the reception circuit is received by the second antenna and applied to the impedance matching circuit. Then, a controller controls the impedance of the impedance matching circuit so as to bring a RSSI voltage output from a signal strength detection circuit of the reception circuit into agreement with a reference RSSI voltage, thereby bringing the reference frequency of the first antenna into agreement with a reference frequency.

Abstract: A method for calibrating vehicle cameras is simplified by providing painted patterns on a road surface and by capturing those patterns by the cameras to be calibrated. According to a predefined positional relationship of the cameras with the painted patterns, captured images of the painted patterns are bird's-eye converted and matched with reference to calculate camera positions in a vehicle, thereby enabling an automatic calibration of camera directions and the like.

Abstract: An information providing apparatus includes a tactile information provider and a controller. The tactile information provider is arranged within a rim portion of a steering wheel of a vehicle and provides a tactile sense to a driver. The controller controls the tactile information provider to provide support information to the driver. The support information is defined as information that supports a driving of the vehicle. The tactile information provider includes a trench arranged in a circumferential direction of the rim portion, a ring-shaped ring portion, and a driving portion. The ring portion is rotatably arranged in the trench and has an exposed surface such that the exposed surface contacts with at least one hand of the driver. The driving portion is controlled by the controller to drive the ring potion rotate in the circumferential direction to provide the support information to the driver.