Abstract: A vehicle motion control device reduces noise resulting from operation of a vacuum booster when an automatic pressure control is performed by properly controlling the energization of a linear solenoid of a booster actuator. An automatic hydraulic pressure generator is controlled in accordance with the vehicle motion condition and a hydraulic pressure control valve device is controlled to perform the automatic pressure control. A target electric current of the linear solenoid for actuating the vacuum booster is instantaneously increased to a starting target value which corresponds to an electric current value immediately before starting the operation of the vacuum booster and which is less than a maximum value of the target electric current, and then is gradually increased approximately to the maximum value of the target electric current.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus which is compact and structurally simple and allows for prevention of a flicker noise, a method of capturing an image which allows for prevention of a flicker noise, and a mobile terminal using the apparatus and the method, are provided. In the image capture apparatus, a vertical cycle is adjusted so as to maintain 20 fps or 20/2m (m is an integer) fps, thereby to prevent a flicker noise in an image as obtained. To this end, in the image capture apparatus, a frequency fclk of a horizontal transfer clock, a horizontal count level Nh1 and a vertical line count level Nv are adjusted. Further, a fraction count is provided to adjust the length of one vertical cycle. Moreover, the image capture apparatus is incorporated in a mobile terminal.

Abstract: In a vehicle hydraulic brake system of a type adapted to release brake fluid discharged from the wheel cylinders into a reservoir for a master cylinder during pressure reduction phase of antilock brake control or vehicle stability control, the volume of the pressure chamber of the master cylinder can decrease until it becomes impossible to further increase pressure as a result of repeated pressure increase and reduction. An inexpensive solution to this problem is provided. The solution includes means for estimating the amount of pressure increase and/or pressure reduction of the wheel cylinders, and solenoid valves provided in a line connecting a pressure source with the master cylinder pressure chamber and adapted to be opened for a calculated time period.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to measure the precise color characteristic of an image pickup machine and accurately reproduce a subject in an image display unit. A color characteristic measurement apparatus which has a test chart (1) as a subject of an image pickup machine (6), a hole (2) made in the test chart (1), a black box (3) placed on a rear face of the test chart (1) and formed on an inner surface in black, and a light output section (4) placed in the black box (3) at a position where the light output section (4) can be observed through the hole (2) from the outside.

Abstract: An imaging system controller (5) outputs a control signal (VC). The control signal (VC) gives a command to output driving clocks (&phgr;Vn, &phgr;Hm) of an imaging element (1) in a signal transmission period, and a command to suspend output of the clocks (&phgr;Vn, &phgr;Hm) in an idle period subsequent to the signal transmission period. The length of the idle period is a multiple of the length of the signal transmission period by a natural number. The imaging system controller (5) periodically repeats output of the control signal (VC) giving these commands a number of times corresponding to the number of horizontal lines of the imaging element (1). In response to the commands of the control signal (VC), a timing generator (2) generates and outputs the clocks (&phgr;Vn, &phgr;Hm), and suspends generation and output of the same. An imaging device (10) thereby intermittently drives the imaging element (1), to generate and output a picked-up image signal (V2).

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to measure the precise color characteristic of an image pickup machine and accurately reproduce a subject in an image display unit.

Abstract: A hydraulic brake device for applying a braking force to a wheel of a vehicle which can detect an air-containing in a hydraulic circuit. The hydraulic brake device includes a hydraulic pressure generating device for generating and outputting a hydraulic pressure in accordance with a brake operational amount, a wheel cylinder operated by the hydraulic pressure directly or indirectly supplied from the hydraulic pressure generating device for applying a braking force to a vehicle wheel, a brake operational amount detection device for detecting the brake operational amount, a pressure sensor for detecting an output hydraulic pressure outputted from the hydraulic pressure generating device, and a controller for detecting an air-containing in a hydraulic circuit by a response time relating to a rise of the output hydraulic pressure detected by the pressure sensor relative to a start of a rise of the brake operation amount detected by the brake operational amount detection device.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging device having a square row-column pixel matrix, and having units for transferring pixel signals in the row direction and the column direction of the matrix. The rows and columns of the pixel matrix are oriented at angles of forty-five degrees with respect to the vertical axis of the imaging apparatus. After being read from the imaging apparatus in row-column order, the pixel signals are reordered to conform to a scanning sequence with horizontal or vertical scanning lines. Alternatively, the pixel signals are read from the imaging device in this scanning sequence. Improved horizontal and vertical resolution is thereby obtained from an imaging apparatus with a conventional square pixel matrix.

Abstract: A spectroscope (2) spectrally separates a light from a light source (3) and outputs the separated light from an emitting terminal (6) thereof. An image pick-up device (1) having a solid-state image sensor picks-up an image of the emitting terminal (6). First operation means (7) performs a correction to each of plural image signals corresponding to plural pixels that are outputted by the image pick-up device (1) so that a gradation characteristic of the image pick-up device (1) is corrected from non-linearity to one closer to linearity. Second operation means (8) calculates, as a spectral responsivity characteristic for the separated light, a mean value of the plural image signals after the correction by averaging the same over a certain range within the plural pixels. As a result, the spectral responsivity characteristic of the image pick-up device (1) is measured precisely.

Abstract: There are provided a first imaging lens and a second imaging lens whose image picking-up directions are different, a reflecting member for changing an optical path of an image picked up via one imaging lens such that image forming direction of the first imaging lens and the second imaging lens are set in a same direction, an imaging device having imaging surfaces on which images picked up via the first imaging lens and the second imaging lens are formed, a signal processing member for signal-processing an image signal that is converted into an electric signal by the imaging device, a display portion for displaying the image signal which is subjected to the signal processing by the signal processing member, and a selecting member for selecting the image signal corresponding to any one of the first imaging lens and the second imaging lens to display it on the display portion.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus captures an image from a subject without a focus-adjusting mechanism. An image pickup element has opposed first and second surfaces and an image region formed in the first surface. An optical system causes the image light from the subject to form an image on the image region. A supporting member has a first abutment portion that engages the optical system with nothing sandwiched therebetween, and a second abutment portion that engages the image pickup element with nothing sandwiched therebetween, thereby accurately positioning the optical system relative to the image pickup element. The second abutment portion abuts an area on the first surface except for the image region. A circuit board is fixed to the supporting member and electrically connected to the image pickup element. The circuit board has an opening formed therein such that the image region is exposed through the opening.

Abstract: A first LUT composed of table values of brightness of N subjects determined in such a manner that the integrated value is made to be constant and a second LUT composed of table values of N charge storage time periods corresponding to the table values of the brightness of the N subjects are provided. When an image has been picked up with charge storage time at an n-th address in the second LUT, integrated value &Sgr; obtained by the calculating means 6 is divided by the n-th charge storage time S so that the brightness L of the subject is calculated. The charge storage time S corresponding to the calculated brightness L of the subject is selected from the first and second LUT so that exposure is controlled.

Abstract: The image pick-up apparatus is one in which a first image forming lens for forming as an image on a light-receiving surface a light entering from a first direction toward the light-receiving surface of an image pick-up device and a second image forming lens for forming as an image on the light-receiving surface a light entering from a second direction different from the first direction are mounted on a lens mount, and in which optical means for changing a direction of travel of at least one of the lights entering from these different directions to a direction perpendicular to the light-receiving surface is held in the lens mount.

Abstract: A vehicle motion control device reduces noise resulting from operation of a vacuum booster when an automatic pressure control is performed by properly controlling the energization of a linear solenoid of a booster actuator. An automatic hydraulic pressure generator is controlled in accordance with the vehicle motion condition and a hydraulic pressure control valve device is controlled to perform the automatic pressure control. A target electric current of the linear solenoid for actuating the vacuum booster is instantaneously increased to a starting target value which corresponds to an electric current value immediately before starting the operation of the vacuum booster and which is less than a maximum value of the target electric current, and then is gradually increased approximately to the maximum value of the target electric current.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a solid-state imaging device, an accumulating section, first and second imaging parameter setting sections, a calculating section, a flicker detecting section, and a switching section. The accumulating section calculates a projection output value of a predetermined line in a frame. The calculating section calculates inter-frame variations of the projection output values, and calculates a flicker index from the variations of a predetermined number of frames. The flicker detecting section detects the flicker from the index, and controls the switching section in response to the detection result of the flicker, so that the switching section selects either the setting signals from the first imaging parameter setting section or the setting signals from the second imaging parameter setting section.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a brake control system for an electrically operated vehicle, which is adapted to reduce a regenerative braking torque and add a hydraulic braking force. A motor control unit is provided for controlling an electric motor to apply a rotating force to a wheel and apply the regenerative braking torque to the wheel. A pressure control device is provided for controlling a hydraulic braking pressure generated by a pressure generator in response to operation of a manually operated braking member, and supplied to a wheel brake cylinder, which is operatively mounted on the wheel for applying a hydraulic braking force to the wheel. The regenerative braking torque is reduced in response to a braking condition monitored by a monitor. A pressure difference is detected between the hydraulic braking pressure of the brake fluid discharged from the pressure generator and the hydraulic braking pressure in the wheel brake cylinder.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a brake control system for an electrically operated vehicle which is adapted to reduce a regenerative braking torque and add a hydraulic braking force to compensate for lack of the regenerative braking torque, when voltage of a battery exceeds an upper limit. A motor control unit is provided for controlling an electric motor to apply a rotating force to a wheel and apply the regenerative braking torque to the wheel. A pressure control device is provided for supplying pressurized brake fluid to a wheel brake cylinder in response to operation of a manually operated braking member to apply the hydraulic braking force to the wheel. A reducing device is provided for reducing the regenerative braking torque when the voltage of the battery exceeds a predetermined upper limit.

Abstract: In an electrically operated vehicle in which a regenerative braking operation is performed to apply a regenerative braking torque to a wheel, if the regenerative braking torque reaches its maximum value and is insufficient to brake the wheel, a static hydraulic pressure outputted from a master cylinder is supplied to the wheel brake cylinder mounted on the wheel until the brake pedal reaches a retained position. Thereafter, a dynamic hydraulic pressure is supplied to the wheel brake cylinder. While the brake pedal is in movement from the rest position to the retained position, the wheel brake cylinder is supplied with only the static hydraulic pressure and while the brake pedal is being retained at the retained position the wheel brake cylinder is supplied with the static hydraulic pressure and the dynamic hydraulic pressure.

Abstract: A power source circuit includes switch for connecting and disconnecting a power source to and from a circuit proper; stabilizing means for suppressing a variation of an input voltage to stabilize the input voltage; voltage increasing means for increasing the input voltage in amplitude; switching means for controlling a voltage increasing operation; rectifying means for rectifying a switching waveform; smoothing means for smoothing a rectified waveform; and control means for controlling an output voltage to be constant in amplitude. In the power source circuit, the start of operating the power source circuit is delayed behind the start of supplying electric power. Therefore, it is prevent a power source circuit from failing to operate under the condition that a power source of a large internal resistance is coupled thereto, and the rush current, for example, causes the power source voltage drop.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an anti-skid control system for controlling a braking force applied to road wheels including driven wheels of an electrically operated vehicle which has an electrical motor for driving the driven wheels. A hydraulic braking pressure is supplied to each wheel brake cylinder through an actuator. The actuator is controlled by a braking force controller into which output signals of wheel speed sensors are fed. A band-pass filter is provided for passing the wheel speeds of the driven wheels having an oscillation property within a predetermined band of frequencies, out of the wheel speeds detected by the wheel speed sensors. And, a coefficient of friction of a road is estimated to be relatively low when the output of the band-pass filter is in a predetermined range of frequencies.