Abstract: A control method can stop motor operation reliably when a mirror rotator is mechanically locked at a driven end of the mirror rotator. The control method operates a motor 18 according to battery voltage. The motor 18 is operated with an operating time set and is stopped after a lapse of the set operating time, where the operating time is a time required for the motor 18 to drive the mirror rotator 14 from the retracted position or the working position to the working position or the retracted position at which the mirror rotator 14 is locked by a stopper. The control method detects the battery voltage, and decreases the set operating time of the motor 18 when the detected battery voltage is high or increases the set operating time of the motor 18 when the detected battery voltage is low.

Abstract: In a mirror device with an antenna of the present invention the antenna is placed in a mirror housing where a mirror configured to reflect a rear of a vehicle is attached, a grounding portion at least part of which is composed of a conductive material is provided in the mirror housing, and the antenna is electrically connected to the conductive material of the grounding portion.

Abstract: A control method can stop motor operation reliably when a mirror rotator is mechanically locked at a driven end of the mirror rotator. The control method operates a motor 18 according to battery voltage. The motor 18 is operated with an operating time set and is stopped after a lapse of the set operating time, where the operating time is a time required for the motor 18 to drive the mirror rotator 14 from the retracted position or the working position to the working position or the retracted position at which the mirror rotator 14 is locked by a stopper. The control method detects the battery voltage, and decreases the set operating time of the motor 18 when the detected battery voltage is high or increases the set operating time of the motor 18 when the detected battery voltage is low.

Abstract: In a mirror device with an antenna of the present invention the antenna is placed in a mirror housing where a mirror configured to reflect a rear of a vehicle is attached, a grounding portion at least part of which is composed of a conductive material is provided in the mirror housing, and the antenna is electrically connected to the conductive material of the grounding portion.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which is equipped in a vehicle includes an infrared light emitter, an infrared camera and an infrared light sensor. The infrared light emitter irradiates an infrared light towards a surrounding area of the vehicle. The infrared camera performs an image pickup by receiving a reflected infrared light, which is emitted from the infrared light emitter and is reflected by an obstacle present in the surrounding area. The infrared light sensor detects a pulse light ranging from near-infrared region to infrared region, which is irradiated from an oncoming vehicle. The infrared camera delays performing the image pickup when the infrared light sensor detects the pulse light.

Abstract: When a signal level of a motor brush switching signal is low and thus dropouts or omission of the pulse signals converted by a waveform shaping part take place, so that an interval between a pulse signal to be currently counted and an immediately preceding pulse signal thereof becomes longer than a predetermined average interval, a pulse signal counter makes a correction of the number of counts by adding one pulse to the pulse to be counted. Therefore, even if the signal level of the motor brush switching signals generated from a vertical motion motor M2 is low for some reasons, accurate control can be exercised over the number of rotations of the vertical motion motor M2.

Abstract: An RF converter circuit 11 that constitutes a video signal superposing/power deriving unit 100 converts video signals generated from images taken by a surveillance camera 10, which derives a direct current voltage as a driving power from an antenna lead-in wire 6 through a filter circuit (LPF circuit 12), to radio-frequency signals. The radio-frequency signals are transmitted through the antenna lead-in wire 6 to a television receiver 2. Images taken by the surveillance camera 1 can be viewed on the television receiver 2 only by selecting the channel assigned to the surveillance camera 1. Accordingly, the driving power for the surveillance camera 1 is not relied upon a solar battery or secondary batteries, and wiring work therefor may be simplified.

Abstract: A control unit for an electrically retractable door mirror includes a motor to drive rotationally a door mirror to a stored position or a normal position, a change-over switch, and first and second control circuits. The first and second control circuits include electronic switches respectively that are capable of switching on/off depending on the polarity of an electrical signal switched by the change-over switch. Excess current detecting devices, whose electrical resistances grow with an increase in a current, are connected to the electronic switches in series respectively. And, shutoff switches switch off the electronic switches respectively when a voltage generated in the excess current detecting devices exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: When a signal level of a motor brush switching signal is low and thus dropouts or omission of the pulse signals converted by a waveform shaping part take place, so that an interval between a pulse signal to be currently counted and an immediately preceding pulse signal thereof becomes longer than a predetermined average interval, a pulse signal counter makes a correction of the number of counts by adding one pulse to the pulse to be counted. Therefore, even if the signal level of the motor brush switching signals generated from a vertical motion motor M2 is low for some reasons, accurate control can be exercised over the number of rotations of the vertical motion motor M2.

Abstract: An RF converter circuit 11 that constitutes a video signal superposing/power deriving unit 100 converts video signals generated from images taken by a surveillance camera 10, which derives a direct current voltage as a driving power from an antenna lead-in wire 6 through a filter circuit (LPF circuit 12), to radio-frequency signals. The radio-frequency signals are transmitted through the antenna lead-in wire 6 to a television receiver 2. Images taken by the surveillance camera 1 can be viewed on the television receiver 2 only by selecting the channel assigned to the surveillance camera 1. Accordingly, the driving power for the surveillance camera 1 is not relied upon a solar battery or secondary batteries, and wiring work therefor may be simplified.

Abstract: An RF converter circuit 11 that constitutes a video signal superposing/power deriving unit 100 converts video signals generated from images taken by a surveillance camera 10, which derives a direct current voltage as a driving power from an antenna lead-in wire 6 through a filter circuit (LPF circuit 12), to radio-frequency signals. The radio-frequency signals are transmitted through the antenna lead-in wire 6 to a television receiver 2. Images taken by the surveillance camera 1 can be viewed on the television receiver 2 only by selecting the channel assigned to the surveillance camera 1. Accordingly, the driving power for the surveillance camera 1 is not relied upon a solar battery or secondary batteries, and wiring work therefor may be simplified.

Abstract: A mirror assembly 3 is detachably attached to an open side 2a of a mirror housing 2 in an exterior rearview mirror system (exterior mirror) 1 that is mounted outside a vehicle body. A mirror 4 in the mirror assembly 3 is comprised of a transparent glass plate 5 with a reflective coating 6 spread over a back surface of the transparent glass plate 5, through which reflective coating 6 electric current passes to produce an antiglare effect. The electric current passing through the reflective coating 6 is controlled using a sensors 8, 9 that detect intensity of light from surroundings and rearward of the vehicle body, and an electronic control circuit 10 that compares intensity of light detected in each sensor 8, 9 to automatically adjust an antiglare level of reflection in the reflective coating 6. A battery 11 that is connected with the electronic control circuit 10 and supplies electric current into the reflective coating 6 is provided in the mirror housing 2.

Abstract: A control unit for an electrically retractable door mirror 10, including: a motor M1 to drive rotationally a door mirror to a stored position or a normal position; a change-over switch SW1; and a first and second control circuits 11 and 12, wherein the first and second control circuits 11 and 12 include electronic switches 14 and 17 respectively which are capable of switching on/off depending on the polarity of an electrical signal switched by the change-over switch SW1, excess current detecting means 15 and 18 whose electrical resistances grow with an increase in a current and which are connected to the electronic switches 14 and 17 in series respectively, and shutoff switches 16 and 19 which switch off the electronic switches 14 and 17 respectively when a voltage generated in the excess current detecting means 15 and 18 exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, which is equipped in a vehicle and is used for obtaining an image of the surrounding area by performing the image pickup.

Abstract: A mirror assembly 3 is detachably attached to an open side 2a of a mirror housing 2 in an exterior rearview mirror system (exterior mirror) 1 that is mounted outside a vehicle body. A mirror 4 in the mirror assembly 3 is comprised of a transparent glass plate 5 with a reflective coating 6 spread over a back surface of the transparent glass plate 5, through which reflective coating 6 electric current passes to produce an antiglare effect. The electric current passing through the reflective coating 6 is controlled using a sensors 8, 9 that detect intensity of light from surroundings and rearward of the vehicle body, and an electronic control circuit 10 that compares intensity of light detected in each sensor 8, 9 to automatically adjust an antiglare level of reflection in the reflective coating 6. A battery 11 that is connected with the electronic control circuit 10 and supplies electric current into the reflective coating 6 is provided in the mirror housing 2.

Abstract: A back mirror 1 comprising an automatic glare-proof function of the present invention includes a battery E1, a daytime/nighttime deciding circuit 3 for deciding whether the current time is daytime or nighttime, an integrating circuit 4, an electronic switch FET1, a glare-proof/glare-non-proof deciding circuit 5 for deciding whether an EC mirror 2 is set to a glare-proof state or a glare-non-proof state, and a driving circuit 6 for applying a DC voltage to the EC mirror 2. The daytime/nighttime deciding circuit 3 is being constantly applied with a DC voltage from the battery E1. When the daytime/nighttime deciding circuit 3 has decided that the current time is daytime, the electronic switch FET1 is turned off, and when the daytime/nighttime deciding circuit 3 has decided that the current time is nighttime, the electronic switch FET1 is turned on.

Abstract: An EC panel drive unit for a rear-view mirror comprising a timer circuit 2 in which a drive signal is output for a fixed period of time when either a colored state switch SW1 or a colorless state switch SW2 is in the ON position; a D-type flip-flop circuit 9 that sends different output signals, depending on whether the colored state switch SW1 is in the ON position or the colorless state switch SW2 is in the ON position, and a colored/colorless state switching circuit 6 which switches the polarity of DC voltage that is output from a lithium battery based on the output from the D-type flip-flop circuit 9 and then applies the voltage to input terminals Ta and Tb of the EC panel 7. A contact SW2-3 is installed between the two input terminals, Ta and Tb, of the EC panel 7 for providing a short circuit between the two terminals when the colorless state switch SW2 is turned to the ON position.

Abstract: In a device for diving an EC dimming mirror, an oscillation circuit generates pulse signals which change in the duty factor in accordance with quantity of surrounding light and quantity of rear light. An integration circuit integrates these pulse signals and outputs DC voltage corresponding to the duty factor. The DC voltage produced by the integration circuit is subjected to a processing for shifting a sensitivity curve in parallel by a voltage operation circuit, is limited in upper and lower limit values by a voltage limiting circuit and then is applied to an EC element through a drive circuit (28) to control the amount of coloration of the EC element.

Abstract: In a control device for quick angle adjustment of a rearview mirror for a vehicle of the present invention, a reversible switch is connected in the forward direction only when an operational switch for quick angle adjustment is operated after a shift lever is displaced to a reverse gear position. This rotates a quick angle adjusting motor to tilt a mirror angle of the mirror assembly to a reverse position. The mirror angle does not change automatically to the reverse position when the reverse gear is selected merely to reverse a vehicle. Accordingly, change of the mirror angle against the driver's intention can be avoided. When a tilt angle of the mirror is at the reverse position, the reversible switch can be connected in the reverse direction by means of displacing the shift lever from the reverse gear position to any other position or by means of turning OFF the operational switch for quick angle adjustment, which enables the mirror to return to its normal position easily, positively and radically.

Abstract: An automatic anti-glare rearview mirror system includes an anti-glare rearview mirror, a rearview mirror drive circuit, a backward light level sensing device, an ambient light level sensing device, a backward and ambient light level comparison circuit, and an enforced DAY level control device or an enforced DAY level setting device for controlling an anti-glare mode of the mirror according to the ambient light level. The enforced DAY level control device varies the ambient light level to operated an enforced DAY generation circuit by informations from a clock circuit other than a photo-sensor, any time operable switches and variable controller or a light switch ON of an automobile of itself.