Abstract: An optical droplet sensor can include a light emitter, a light receiver and a light guide, and can be adhered onto an inner surface of a windshield via a light transmissive adhesive layer. The light guide can include a light entry surface and a light exit surface formed of respective convex-shaped arbitrary curved surfaces, a light entry/exit surface formed of a flat plane, and a reflecting surface that can be made of a metal film. The light emitted from the light emitter is given an optimized light distribution at the light entry surface and introduced into the light guide. The light is then reflected from the metal film-applied reflecting surface toward an outer surface of the windshield. The light totally reflected at the outer surface returns to the light exit surface and is given an optimized light distribution at the light exit surface. The light is then externally transmitted/released from the light guide and collected on a light-receiving surface of the light receiver.

Abstract: An exterior element sensor can include an optical element mounted on a window. The optical element can include a cylindrical lens having both ends shaped spherically and a central portion that exerts little or no influence on exterior element detection (such as rain, snow, ice, water, liquid, debris, or other materials) when visible light transmits therethrough. In addition, infrared or other light can be used to detect exterior elements located on the window. A black filter can be employed, if desired, which blocks visible light and transmits infrared light therethrough to separate visible light from infrared light, thereby allowing the exterior element sensor to be used together with an exterior light sensor without losing accuracy.

Abstract: A capacitive lock can include various circuits that allow it to operate more efficiently and with greater accuracy. For example, when a user continuously touches a door handle for a certain time duration, a sensor can be configured to retain a variation in capacitance. When the door handle is continuously touched, a time constant circuit (timer) can be provided inside the entry system and measures the contact time and unlocks a door on the assumption that the user has a will to unlock and/or operate the vehicle or other apparatus.

Abstract: An optical droplet sensor can include a light emitter, a light receiver and a light guide, and can be adhered onto an inner surface of a windshield via a light transmissive adhesive layer. The light guide can include a light entry surface and a light exit surface formed of respective convex-shaped arbitrary curved surfaces, a light entry/exit surface formed of a flat plane, and a reflecting surface that can be made of a metal film. The light emitted from the light emitter is given an optimized light distribution at the light entry surface and introduced into the light guide. The light is then reflected from the metal film-applied reflecting surface toward an outer surface of the windshield. The light totally reflected at the outer surface returns to the light exit surface and is given an optimized light distribution at the light exit surface. The light is then externally transmitted/released from the light guide and collected on a light-receiving surface of the light receiver.

Abstract: An exterior element sensor can include an optical element mounted on a window. The optical element can include a cylindrical lens having both ends shaped spherically and a central portion that exerts little or no influence on exterior element detection (such as rain, snow, ice, water, liquid, debris, or other materials) when visible light transmits therethrough. In addition, infrared or other light can be used to detect exterior elements located on the window. A black filter can be employed, if desired, which blocks visible light and transmits infrared light therethrough to separate visible light from infrared light, thereby allowing the exterior element sensor to be used together with an exterior light sensor without losing accuracy.

Abstract: A vehicle outer handle system includes a handle main body formed from a synthetic resin and having a hollow grip part, and an electrode for detecting a change in capacitance. One end of the handle main body is swingably supported in a door outer panel, and the electrode is housed within the grip part. A grounded electrostatic shield plate is disposed with the grip part outwardly of the electrode, thereby preventing an erroneous determination of a user's intention of opening the door.

Abstract: A vehicle outer handle system includes a handle main body formed from a synthetic resin and having a hollow grip part, and an electrode for detecting a change in capacitance. One end of the handle main body is swingably supported in a door outer panel, and the electrode is housed within the grip part. A grounded electrostatic shield plate is disposed with the grip part outwardly of the electrode, thereby preventing an erroneous determination of a user's intention of opening the door.

Abstract: Here is disclosed an optical gauging apparatus utilizing light reflected on an object to be gauged and being useful for gauging of, for example, car level, spring deflection and photographic distance. Light emitted from a single light source is split into a pair of light components propagated along a pair of optical paths, respectively, the light components thus split are projected along different optical path lengths onto the object, at least one of the light components is intermittently shielded and the light components reflected on the object are photoelectrically converted to the corresponding photoelectric conversion signals which are then time-division processed so as to provide a desired gauging information.

Abstract: A vehicle braking action alarming apparatus includes: a general stop-lamp or high-mount stop-lamp having a light emitting element which includes a light emitting diode; an oscillator for generating a signal at a predetermined frequency; a driver for driving and illuminating the stop-lamp; a controller for applying an output from the oscillator to the driver when a brake switch of the vehicle is turned on; a photosensor mounted at the front of the vehicle for receiving light from the stop-lamp of another preceding vehicle; and a processor/driver unit for processing a signal from the photosensor which received the light from the preceding vehicle, and for driving a sound source for generating an audible alarm sound warning of a braking action in the preceding vehicle. The oscillator is timed so as to operate only during a brief initial period following the actuation of the brake switch, which period can be moderately prolonged for the audible alarm in the receiving processor/driver.

Abstract: An optical gauging apparatus utilizing a light projected toward an object to be gauged and reflected on the object to gauge a distance to the object or an amount of change occurring in the object. The gauging apparatus includes light projecting elements adapted to project two light beams from first and second light sources or split from the light of a single light source toward the object so that these two light beams provide the object with respective different luminance characteristics thereon, a light receiving member adapted to receive the light reflected on the object, and a signal processor adapted to calculate a ratio of different luminances for the two light beams from the ouptut of the light receiving member and thereby to output an information on the gauged result.

Abstract: Here is disclosed a photoelectric detector comprising first and second light sources respectively having different light emitting areas, a photoelectric transducer member adapted to receive the light emitted from these light sources and then reflected on an object to be detected, and a signal processing circuit functioning to separate electric signals corresponding to the first and second light sources from an output of the photoelectric transducer member and to compare these separated two electric signals to each other so that presence or absence and a position of the object are detected on the basis of such comparison of the two electric signals.

Abstract: The detection system for obstruction to vehicle according to the invention comprises a plurality of light emitting elements disposed in the rear of a car, a modulation for emitting modulation lights from the light emitting elements, light receiving elements for receiving the reflected light that the modulation light comes in contact with an external obstruction to reflection, a detection circuit for detecting output signals of the light receiving elements, thus detecting the obstruction from an output of the detection circuit, and a rearward obstruction can be detected securely particularly when the car moves backward, a new light source for obstruction detecting is not particularly required, and thus no area must be prepared for installation.

Abstract: The present invention concerning the Optical Identification Card System is provided with an individual card which emits infrared light modulated by the individual code and a detector which receives this infrared modulated light and detects the individual code. When a request signal is radiated from this detector as infrared light from the above within the prescribed light-emitting area, the said infrared modulated light is radiated from the individual card within the light-emitting area and thus the individual code is detected by the detector. Then the detected individual code is identified by the identifier, and on the basis of this identification result, the terminal equipment related to the holder of the individual card is actuated, thereby automatically locking and unlocking the door.