Abstract: An ultrasound sensor has an ultrasound oscillator which is expandable and contractible in a thickness direction thereof, and a casing which houses therein the ultrasound oscillator. An outer surface of an end portion of the casing is fixed to a mounting member. The side surface of the ultrasound oscillator has at least one of a protrusion portion, a concave portion and an inclined portion, through which one of two end surfaces of the ultrasound oscillator fixedly contacts an inner surface of the end portion of the casing. The side surface of the ultrasound oscillator is substantially parallel with the thickness direction thereof.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor mounting structure includes an ultrasonic sensor and a wall member to which the ultrasonic sensor is mounted. The ultrasonic sensor includes an ultrasonic transducer and a vibrating surface. An inner surface of the wall member has a fixation portion where the ultrasonic sensor is fixed, a touch portion where the ultrasonic transducer touches, and a location mark portion that indicates location of the fixation portion. An outer surface of the wall member has a vibration portion as the vibrating surface of the ultrasonic sensor. The vibration portion is positioned opposite to the touch portion. The ultrasonic sensor can be accurately mounted in a desired location on the wall member without a reduction in a sensor characteristic, because the location mark portion does not overlap the touch portion.

Abstract: When any of obstacle sensors detects an obstacle, a distance to the obstacle may be shorter than a reference distance. In such a case a vehicle outside display system clips a detection area corresponding to the obstacle sensor used for the detection from a photographed image supplied from a camera. The system superimposes a detection position of the obstacle on the clipped image and displays the superimposed image without performing viewpoint transformation. When the distance to the obstacle becomes shorter than the reference distance, the system clips a detection area corresponding to the obstacle sensor used for the detection from the photographed image supplied from the camera. The system applies bird's-eye view transformation to the clipped image. The system superimposes a detection position of the obstacle on the clipped image and displays the superimposed image.

Abstract: An ultrasound sensor has an ultrasound oscillator which is expandable and contractible in a thickness direction thereof, and a casing which houses therein the ultrasound oscillator. An outer surface of an end portion of the casing is fixed to a mounting member. The side surface of the ultrasound oscillator has at least one of a protrusion portion, a concave portion and an inclined portion, through which one of two end surfaces of the ultrasound oscillator fixedly contacts an inner surface of the end portion of the casing. The side surface of the ultrasound oscillator is substantially parallel with the thickness direction thereof.

Abstract: An obstacle detection device has an ultrasonic sensor fixed to a first side of a mount member. The ultrasonic sensor sends/receives ultrasonic wave toward/from a second side of the mount member, which is opposite to the first side thereof. At least one of a mounting surface of the ultrasonic sensor and a mounting surface of the mount member has a protrusion, which protrudes therefrom so that an end surface of the protrusion contacts the other of the mounting surfaces. The mounting surfaces of the mount member and the ultrasonic sensor face each other. The end surface of the protrusion and the mounting surface of the ultrasonic sensor are different from each other in at least one of shape and area thereof.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor mounting structure includes an ultrasonic sensor and a wall member to which the ultrasonic sensor is mounted. The ultrasonic sensor includes an ultrasonic transducer and a vibrating surface. An inner surface of the wall member has a fixation portion where the ultrasonic sensor is fixed, a touch portion where the ultrasonic transducer touches, and a location mark portion that indicates location of the fixation portion. An outer surface of the wall member has a vibration portion as the vibrating surface of the ultrasonic sensor. The vibration portion is positioned opposite to the touch portion. The ultrasonic sensor can be accurately mounted in a desired location on the wall member without a reduction in a sensor characteristic, because the location mark portion does not overlap the touch portion.

Abstract: A display panel driving system, constituted in such a manner that the occurrence of a display irregularity on the display panel can be suppressed without regard to the characteristics or the driving condition of the display panel, is disclosed. An up-counter counts the number of the picture elements which emit light when the EL display panel is horizontally scanned, and the counting result thus obtained is outputted as an addressing signal to an EEPROM. Stored in the EEPROM are data maps MAP, MAP in which pulse width data are written at a plurality of addresses corresponding to the counting ranges of the up-counter. A signal generation means outputs a blank signal BLK which determines the pulse width of a data voltage on the basis of the pulse width data addressed by the up-counter.

Abstract: An electroluminescent display panel having a matrix electrode structure composed of scanning electrodes and data electrodes is driven by supplying scanning voltages either alternately or simultaneously from both sides thereof in order to eliminate uneven luminance along a longitudinal direction of the scanning electrodes. Two scanning electrode driving circuits, each connected to each side of the scanning electrodes, may be used. Since an overall luminance of the electroluminescent display panel is a summation of the luminance obtained by scanning the scanning electrodes from one side and the other side, the luminance along the scanning electrodes becomes uniform by scanning from both sides. The data electrodes may be driven from both sides thereof in the same manner as in the scanning electrodes.

Abstract: A driving apparatus for vehicular display unit which can adequately perform dimming control in both daytime display condition and nighttime display condition. A controller changes a charging time of EL elements by changing a pulse width of a PC bar signal based on a day/night switching signal D/N in a scanning signal generator. When a display condition of El panel is switched from daytime display condition to nighttime display condition, the controller changes a driving frequency in a HSYNC bar signal generator. The controller also changes the driving frequency during the daytime display period when it is required to dim at multi-steps with relatively small changing.

Abstract: Method of driving a matrix-addressed electroluminescent device without deteriorating it. A display data driving voltage is applied to the column electrodes. A line scanning driving voltage is applied to the row electrodes successively. Before the display data driving voltage ceases, the line scanning driving voltage applied to the row electrode acting as a common electrode for all electroluminescent cells in one column is turned off. Thus, these cells are deactivated almost simultaneously. Electric charges remaining on the electro-luminescent cells in this row do not induce spike voltages on other electroluminescent cells. Therefore, deterioration of the electroluminescent cells is prevented. Electric charges produced when the row electrode-driving voltage is turned off flow directly into a power supply for the row electrodes. This power supply is designed to absorb the flowing charges. The potential is prevented from exceeding the power voltage.

Abstract: An EL display includes first and second EL elements each having an EL photoemissive layer and a pair of electrodes provided on opposite surfaces of the EL photoemissive layer. The EL photoemissive layer of each of the first and second EL elements is enabled to emit light when a voltage applied between the electrodes of the EL element is equal to or greater than a given threshold value. A voltage feed circuit serves to apply a first ac voltage between the electrodes of the first EL element. The first ac voltage has a value being equal to or greater than the threshold value. The voltage feed circuit also serves to apply a second ac voltage between the electrodes of the second EL element in cases where photoemission of the second EL element is required. The second ac voltage has a value equal to or greater than the threshold value. The second ac voltage has a phase different from a phase of the first ac voltage.

Abstract: A magnetic detection device including at least one oscillator circuit having a magnetoresistance element which converts a change of magnetism detected into a digital signal and a comparator for comparing the digitalized oscillating frequency of the oscillator circuit with another digitalized oscillating frequency generated from another oscillating circuit by taking a ratio thereof or by detecting a phase difference between the pulse signals. Utilizing the magnetic detection device, the amount of change of magnetism can be stably detected with a high accuracy within a wide range of ambient usage temperatures.Also, a physical quantity detection device including the magnetic detection device which can detect any physical quantity with a high accuracy.

Abstract: An inter-pulse time difference measuring circuit which expands the time difference between a first pulse and a second pulse by a given multiplication factor and measures the expanded time difference, thereby realizing a higher measuring resolution. The circuit can be constructed by using a capacitor charging and discharging circuit connected to a constant current source and such circuit can always expand the time difference by a given multiplication factor even if the voltages and resistance values of the other circuits than the constant current circuit are varied with temperature changes. The circuit can also be realized by a circuit which charges and discharges a capacitor through a pair of transistors having a given current ratio and such circuit can maintain the current ratio of the transistors constant without suffering the effect of temperature changes, thereby always ensuring expansion of the time difference between pulses by a given multiplication factor.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling a headlight of a vehicle, a light from a preceding or oncoming vehicle can be detected without being disturbed by a light reflected on guardrails and the like, or light from a traffic signal, street lights and the like, and the illumination area of the headlight can be suitably adjusted without unnecessary switching of an illumination mode of the headlight. This control is carried out by receiving a light impinging on the front end of the vehicle by a light receiving member divided into a plurality of regions, by carrying out a comparison and discrimination between the light detection signals from the plurality of regions, and based on a result thereof, by selecting an appropriate illumination mode of the headlight.

Abstract: A wiring state detecting device for vehicle has an operation control device for supplying power to apparatuses mounted on a vehicle, and operating the apparatuses, a battery mounted on the vehicle, a power supply line for connecting the operation control device to the battery, a wiring state detecting circuit provided in the operation control device for detecting the variation of electric current of the power supply line, discriminating the wiring state between the apparatuses and the operation control device based on the detected variation of electric current, and superposing the discriminated result on the power supply line as wiring state data, and an indicating device provided in the power supply line for receiving and indicating the wiring state data.

Abstract: A direction detecting system comprises a geomagnetic field sensor for detecting the direction of the earth magnetism by two perpendicular components and a computing circuit for computing a direction and producing a direction signal from the electrical signals associated with the two perpendicular components from the geomagnetic field sensor. The computing circuit detects maximum values of distortions according to the distortion characteristics of the electrical signals associated with the two perpendicular components from the geomagnetic field sensor. Distortion amounts are computed and stored by the maximum distortion values and are used to correct the electrical signals from the geomagnetic field sensor.

Abstract: A method for displaying positional relation between the present running position of an automobile and a destination, on the basis of the wheel rotation signals generated by detecting rotation of left and right wheels of the automobile, setting signals selected at a starting position to represent a distance to the destination from the starting position and a direction of the destination from the starting point, and a direction signal indicating a running direction of the automobile.

Abstract: Disclosed is an information and electrical power transmission system. In this system, when required, i.e., when an ignition keyswitch is in an ON state, a plurality of information and electrical power are transmitted from an electrical power supply side to an electrical power receiving side through a signal line, and, at the same time, a plurality of information can be transmitted through the signal line from the electrical power receiving side to the electrical power supply side. When the ignition keyswitch is in an OFF state, information which is required to be always transmitted can be transmitted with a low power consumption, so that the information and electrical power necessary for a vehicle are suitably transmitted.

Abstract: A device for displaying information concerning the travel route of an automobile vehicle includes a calculation unit for continuously monitoring the changes in the travel direction of the vehicle on the basis of the direction detected by the direction detection unit, and successively storing change signals corresponding to the amount of change in the travel direction of the vehicle, when the amount of change in the vehicle direction exceeds a predetermined amount, and a distance signal corresponding to the change signal, on the outward travel route, and generating a travel direction signal approximately at a predetermined distance on the basis of the stored change signal and the stored distance signal, on the return travel route. The vehicle travel direction, the distance, and the direction toward the destination or the starting point, and the distance toward a vehicle travel direction change point are displayed on fluorescent indicator tubes.

Abstract: In an alarm system for the unexpected release of a foot brake or a hand brake in a vehicle, when the brake is put on, an alarm is generated in response to the speed of the vehicle.