Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor is provided with an ultrasonic element that converts between an electrical signal and an ultrasonic vibration and an element accommodating case having a bottomed cylindrical shape and accommodating the ultrasonic element inside thereof. The element accommodating case includes a side plate portion formed in a cylindrical shape that surrounds a directional center axis, and a bottom plate portion that closes one end side of the side plate portion in an axial direction which is parallel to the directional center axis. The ultrasonic element is attached to the bottom plate portion. The bottom plate portion includes at least one protrusion. The protrusions vibrate together with the bottom plate portion when the bottom plate portion vibrates as an ultrasonic vibration.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes a magnetic substance, a diaphragm, and an electromagnetic transducer. The electromagnetic transducer is disposed opposing the magnetic substance across an outer plate of a vehicle. The diaphragm has the shape of a thin film with a film thickness direction along an axial direction parallel to a directional axis. The diaphragm is able to ultrasonically oscillate by being joined to an outer surface of the outer plate at an outer edge in a radial direction crossing the directional axis. With the outer edge of the diaphragm joined to the outer surface of the outer plate, an internal space that expands and contracts along the axial direction in response to ultrasonic oscillation of the diaphragm is formed between the diaphragm and the outer surface of the outer plate.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor installable to a vehicle includes a shield section, a vibration conversion section, and an electric circuit section. The shield section includes a conductive layer. The conductive layer is bonded to an outer plate, which is a body part formed of non-conductive material, on an inner surface side of the outer plate. A vibration conversion section, which has a function of converting ultrasonic vibration and electrical signals, is bonded to the shield section to enable ultrasonic vibration together with the outer plate. An electric circuit section is electrically connected to the vibration conversion section to enable the transfer of the electric signals to and from the vibration conversion section. The shield section is electrically short-circuited to a ground side line electrically connected to the electric circuit section to shield the vibration conversion section.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor installable to a vehicle includes a magnetic body capable of ultrasonic vibration and an electric-magnetic converter having a conversion function between an oscillating magnetic field corresponding to the ultrasonic vibration of the magnetic body and an electric signal. The magnetic body is located on an outer surface side of an outer plate of the vehicle, which is the surface facing an external space of the vehicle. The electric-magnetic converter is located to face the magnetic body with the outer plate interposed therebetween on an inner surface side, which is a back surface of the outer surface of the outer plate.

Abstract: An object detection device that detects a corner of an object includes: a transmitter that transmits a search wave; receivers that receive a reflected wave reflected off the corner. The device determines a first path length of the search wave from the transmitter to a first receiver, and uses the positions of the transmitter and the first receiver as focal points to find a first ellipse whose distances from the transmitter and the first receiver add up to the first path length. The device determines a second path length of the search wave from the transmitter to a second receiver, and uses the positions of the transmitter and the second receiver as focal points to find a second ellipse whose distances from the transmitter and the second receiver add up to the second path length. The device finds an intersection point between the first and second ellipses as the corner.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer includes a transducer case and an ultrasonic element. The transducer case is formed into a bottomed, cylindrical shape having a side plate portion and a bottom plate portion that seals one end side of the side plate portion in an axial direction to configure a diaphragm. The ultrasonic element is fixedly supported to the bottom plate portion to face an interior space surrounded by the side plate portion and the bottom plate portion. The ultrasonic element is arranged in a position being offset in an in-plane direction orthogonal to the axial direction relative to a center position of the diaphragm in the in-plane direction to be capable of generating a first transmission wave having first directivity characteristics and a second transmission wave having second directivity characteristics that are directivity characteristics differing from the first directivity characteristics and in which sound pressure in the axial direction is decreased.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes an adhesion sensor detecting adhesion of a foreign substance to a first surface of a bottom of a microphone housing. The adhesion sensor includes: a plurality of variable capacitances defined between a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on the first surface of the bottom, each of the variable capacitances having a capacitance value which changes in response to adhesion of a foreign substance to the first surface; and an adhesion detection unit configured to measure an individual capacitance value which is a capacitance value of each of the variable capacitances and a total capacitance value which is a total of capacitance values of all the variable capacitances to determine, based on the individual capacitance value and the total capacitance value, whether a foreign substance adheres to the first surface, and, when it is determined that a foreign substance adheres, specify a type of the foreign sub stance.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes an adhesion sensor including a variable capacitance and a fixed capacitance. The variable capacitance includes a sensor electrode provided on a first surface of a bottom having a microphone installed thereon and a capacitance value thereof changes in accordance with adhesion of foreign matter on the first surface. The fixed capacitance includes a first electrode connected to the sensor electrode, and a second electrode provided on a member different from a microphone housing and disposed facing the first electrode. The adhesion sensor further includes an adhesion detecting section that is connected to the sensor electrode via the fixed capacitance and detects adhesion of foreign matter to the first surface by supplying an alternating-current signal to the fixed capacitance and the variable capacitance.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor is provided with an ultrasonic element that converts between an electrical signal and an ultrasonic vibration and an element accommodating case having a bottomed cylindrical shape and accommodating the ultrasonic element inside thereof. The element accommodating case includes a side plate portion formed in a cylindrical shape that surrounds a directional center axis, and a bottom plate portion that closes one end side of the side plate portion in an axial direction which is parallel to the directional center axis. The ultrasonic element is attached to the bottom plate portion. The bottom plate portion includes at least one protrusion. The protrusions vibrate together with the bottom plate portion when the bottom plate portion vibrates as an ultrasonic vibration.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor comprises: an ultrasonic element that converts between an electric signal and ultrasonic vibration; and an element housing case having a bottomed tubular shape and housing the ultrasonic element therein. The element housing case includes a side plate portion having a tubular shape surrounding a directivity central axis, and a bottom plate portion that closes one end of the side plate portion in an axial direction parallel to the directivity central axis. The ultrasonic element is attached to the bottom plate portion. A part of the bottom plate portion inside an outline of the ultrasonic element when viewed along the directivity central axis includes a space formed due to a part of the part inside the outline being separated from the ultrasonic element.

Abstract: A jet flow generation device includes: a discharge electrode; a reference electrode that is disposed away from the discharge electrode; a power supply circuit that generates an output voltage to control a potential difference between the discharge electrode and the reference electrode; a controller that switches the output voltage of the power supply circuit between a first voltage that does not induce corona discharge between the discharge electrode and the reference electrode and a second voltage that induces corona discharge between the discharge electrode and the reference electrode; and a case housing at least the reference electrode has an injection port that injects an ion wind of ions generated by the corona discharge.

Abstract: A jet flow generation device includes: a discharge electrode; a reference electrode that is disposed away from the discharge electrode; a power supply circuit that generates an output voltage to control a potential difference between the discharge electrode and the reference electrode; a controller that switches the output voltage of the power supply circuit between a first voltage that does not induce corona discharge between the discharge electrode and the reference electrode and a second voltage that induces corona discharge between the discharge electrode and the reference electrode; and a case housing at least the reference electrode has an injection port that injects an ion wind of ions generated by the corona discharge.

Abstract: In a receiver circuit, a binary signal is generated based on a signal level of a received signal that has been received via a transmission line from a driver of a transmitter circuit. Then, a first stable state and a second stable state are detected based on a reference signal whose signal level changes in accordance with the received signal. In the first stable state, the received signal is stable at a first signal level. In the second stable state, the received signal is stable at a second signal level. When the first stable state is detected and the received signal is changed from the first signal level into the second signal level, the generated binary signal is retained at a signal level corresponding to the second signal level, until the second stable state is detected.

Abstract: A control circuit identifies whether an occupant on a seat is an adult or a child based on a first capacitance between a first sensing electrode and a ground and a second capacitance between a second sensing electrode and the ground. The first capacitance is computed based on a value of an electric current, which is supplied to the first sensing electrode at the time of applying an oscillation signal from a signal application circuit to the first sensing electrode. The second capacitance is computed based on a value of an electric current, which is supplied to the second sensing electrode at the time of applying an oscillation signal from the signal application circuit to the second sensing electrode.

Abstract: A capacitive occupant detection apparatus comprising a sensor unit and a control unit is disclosed. The sensor unit includes a detection electrode and a periphery guard electrode. The control unit includes: a signal application circuit for applying an oscillation signal to the detection electrode; an operational amplifier for applying to the guard electrode a signal having the same phase and potential as the oscillation signal applied to the detection electrode; and a control circuit for receiving current and voltage values supplied to the detection and for determining a mounting state on a seat based on the inputted current and voltage values (including phase information). The periphery guard electrode is located to surround the detection electrode when viewed from an upper side of the detection electrode.

Abstract: In a receiver circuit, a binary signal is generated based on a signal level of a received signal that has been received via a transmission line from a driver of a transmitter circuit. Then, a first stable state and a second stable state are detected based on a reference signal whose signal level changes in accordance with the received signal. In the first stable state, the received signal is stable at a first signal level. In the second stable state, the received signal is stable at a second signal level. When the first stable state is detected and the received signal is changed from the first signal level into the second signal level, the generated binary signal is retained at a signal level corresponding to the second signal level, until the second stable state is detected.

Abstract: A capacitance-type occupant detection sensor of the present disclosure detects a vehicle occupant on a seat based on a difference of capacitance between a sensor body and a reference electric potential. The sensor body includes a main electrode and a parallel electrode. The parallel electrode is disposed in parallel with the main electrode with a gap interposed therebetween and has a detection voltage applied thereto. The main electrode and the parallel electrode each have a base material, a first electrode member disposed on the base material, and a second electrode member disposed on the base material to cover the first electrode member, where the second electrode member has an electric conductivity that is lower than the first electrode member. The first electrode member is disposed on a lateral perimeter of the second electrode member to surround a center of the second electrode member.

Abstract: A capacitance type sensor includes a detection electrode, a reference electrode, and a sub-reference electrode for distinguishingly detecting a detection object. The sub-reference electrode has a reference voltage applied thereto and is displaceable relative to the detection electrode due to a pressure exerted from the detection object. A voltage application device applies a detection voltage to form an electric field in a space defined with the reference electrode device. A capacitance detector of the sensor detects a first capacitance and a second capacitance, and a detection unit of the sensor distinguishingly detects the detection object based on the first capacitance and the second capacitance. The first capacitance is measured between the detection electrode and the reference electrode, and the second capacitance is measured between the detection electrode and the sub-reference electrode.

Abstract: A capacitance type sensor includes a sensor body part having a first detection electrode and a second detection electrode, which are arranged to face a detection object. The first detection electrode and the second detection electrode are arranged in a partially overlapping manner to form an overlap section. An area size of the overlap section between the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode decreases when the sensor body part deforms from a pressure exerted onto the sensor body part, in comparison to the area size of the overlap section when the sensor body part is in a normal state without deformation.

Abstract: A sensor detection controller is used in combination with a capacitive sensor that is mounted on a seat of a vehicle in such a manner that a capacitance of the capacitive sensor changes according to whether the seat is occupied. The sensor detection controller has a fault detection mode and a normal detection mode. The sensor detection controller includes a signal source for applying an amplitude signal to the capacitive sensor, a switch for switching a signal path, through which the amplitude signal is applied, between the fault detection mode and the normal detection mode, a signal detector for detecting a change in a voltage or a current of the amplitude signal when the amplitude signal is applied, and an impedance member connected to the signal path.