Abstract: A laser sensor projects laser light in the downward direction. If the laser sensor does not receive any laser light reflected by an obstacle or the ground, it is determined that the obstacle is present in the direction of projection of the laser light. It is thus possible to detect the presence of the obstacle, which will at least affect the opening of the vehicle door.

Abstract: An object detecting apparatus may include a laser sensor and a contamination detection unit. The laser sensor emits a laser beam through an optical window to scan in a plane by changing an emission direction of the laser beam, and receives a reflected beam through the optical window from an object positioned in the plane. The contamination detection unit detects contamination of the optical window by positioning the emission direction of the laser beam in a downward direction towards a pavement surface. The contamination detection unit determines whether or not the optical window is contaminated based on whether the reflected laser beam from the pavement surface is received.

Abstract: An automatic locking system for vehicles includes an electronic control unit. If it is determined that an electronic key is not located in a communication area of an inside-cabin transmitter, the control unit determines whether or not the electronic key is located nearby. As a result, if the electronic key is determined as being located nearby, followed later by a determination that the electronic key is not located nearby, comparison history is stored in a memory. If it is determined that comparison history is stored in the memory and four entry-and-exit doors are closed, the four entry-and-exit doors are locked.

Abstract: A laser sensor projects laser light in the downward direction. If the laser sensor does not receive any laser light reflected by an obstacle or the ground, it is determined that the obstacle is present in the direction of projection of the laser light. It is thus possible to detect the presence of the obstacle, which will at least affect the opening of the vehicle door.

Abstract: A distance measuring sensor is arranged to a vehicle door, and measures a distance to an object in a direction corresponding to a scanning angle. A memory stores a standard angle and a comparison distance corresponding to the scanning angle. A distance-shortest scanning angle is defined by the shortest value of the measured distance. When the distance-shortest scanning angle is different from the standard angle, the scanning angle is corrected. The object is determined to be an obstacle having a possibility to contact with the door, when the measured distance is equal to or shorter than a corrected comparison distance corresponding to the corrected scanning angle.

Abstract: A laser sensor is located close to a rotation axis of a vehicle door and configured to emit a laser beam to a surface of the vehicle door and accept reflected light reflected from an obstacle for scanning a scanning plane shifted in a door-opening direction, in which the vehicle door is openable. A determination section determines whether an obstacle, which is possible to make contact with the vehicle door, exists in the door-opening direction of the vehicle door, based on a result of emission and acceptance of the laser beam of the laser sensor. An opening regulating section regulates an opening of the vehicle door in response to determination of the determination section that the obstacle exists.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention prevent a magnetic head from coming into contact with a protrusion on a magnetic disk. In one embodiment, a head gimbal assembly includes a piezoelectric actuator for changing the flying height of a head/slider assembly. The address of a protrusion on a magnetic disk is preregistered in a nonvolatile memory. When a seek operation or following operation is to be performed, the head/slider assembly flies at a reference flying height. Before the protrusion passes below the head/slider assembly, an operating voltage is applied to the piezoelectric actuator to increase the flying height. After the protrusion passes below the head/slider assembly, the head/slider assembly flies at the reference flying height with operating voltage application stopped.

Abstract: A buckle device that includes a buckle with which a tongue supported by a seat belt becomes engaged, and buckle-moving device which moves the buckle between a storage position at which the buckle is stored when the buckle is not used and a use position at which the buckle is retained in a used state in which the seat belt is fastened. The buckle may be hidden in the vehicle seat at the storage position. The buckle does not obstruct the occupant when the occupant sits on or gets off the vehicle seat, and the occupant can smoothly sit on or get off the vehicle seat.

Abstract: A buckle device that includes a buckle with which a tongue supported by a seat belt becomes engaged, and a buckle-moving device which moves the buckle between a storage position at which the buckle is stored when the buckle is not used and a use position at which the buckle is retained in a used state in which the seat belt is fastened, wherein the buckle-moving device is adapted to move the buckle between the storage position and the use position with a rotational movement, and wherein the buckle device further comprises a buckle-supporting member that is adapted to support the buckle and includes an external-force-reducing mechanism which reduces an external force applied to the buckle-supporting member if the external force is larger than a predetermined force, wherein the external-force-reducing mechanism is a buckle-moving device that allows the buckle to move in a fore-and-aft direction of a vehicle when the external force is applied to at least one of the buckle and the buckle supporting member in the

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention prevent a magnetic head from coming into contact with a protrusion on a magnetic disk. In one embodiment, a head gimbal assembly includes a piezoelectric actuator for changing the flying height of a head/slider assembly. The address of a protrusion on a magnetic disk is preregistered in a nonvolatile memory. When a seek operation or following operation is to be performed, the head/slider assembly flies at a reference flying height. Before the protrusion passes below the head/slider assembly, an operating voltage is applied to the piezoelectric actuator to increase the flying height. After the protrusion passes below the head/slider assembly, the head/slider assembly flies at the reference flying height with operating voltage application stopped.

Abstract: A communication system includes: a server for transmitting a connection request to a cellular phone through a cellular phone network when receiving the connection request from a communication station to the cellular phone; the cellular phone for establishing a Bluetooth communication channel between the cellular phone and a hot spot computer located around the cellular phone in response to the connection request received from the server; and the hot spot computer for transmitting data received from the cellular phone to the server through a network via the Bluetooth communication channel so as to communicate the cellular phone with the communication station. When the communication channel between the cellular phone and the hot spot computer cannot be established, the cellular phone transmits information which represents a reason that the communication channel cannot be established, to the communication station through the server.

Abstract: A tongue cover is attached to a grip of a seatbelt tongue such that the tongue cover covers edges of the grip except for an edge to which a plate is attached. The tongue cover may be formed of synthetic resin or rubber that is softer than a resin mold of the grip. The tongue cover, which acts as a cushion, prevents the grip from directly impacting the trim on the inner side wall of a vehicle, thereby substantially reducing the likelihood that the trim will be scratched and/or dented. Moreover, the tongue cover also substantially reduces and/or eliminates noise that is typically caused when a tongue directly impacts trim on the inner side of a vehicle, in the absence of such a tongue cover.

Abstract: A buckle device that includes a buckle with which a tongue supported by a seat belt becomes engaged, and buckle-moving device which moves the buckle between a storage position at which the buckle is stored when the buckle is not used and a use position at which the buckle is retained in a used state in which the seat belt is fastened. The buckle may be hidden in the vehicle seat at the storage position. The buckle does not obstruct the occupant when the occupant sits on or gets off the vehicle seat, and the occupant can smoothly sit on or get off the vehicle seat.

Abstract: A communication system includes: a server for transmitting a connection request to a cellular phone through a cellular phone network when receiving the connection request from a communication station to the cellular phone; the cellular phone for establishing a Bluetooth communication channel between the cellular phone and a hot spot computer located around the cellular phone in response to the connection request received from the server; and the hot spot computer for transmitting data received from the cellular phone to the server through a network via the Bluetooth communication channel so as to communicate the cellular phone with the communication station. When the communication channel between the cellular phone and the hot spot computer cannot be established, the cellular phone transmits information which represents a reason that the communication channel cannot be established, to the communication station through the server.

Abstract: There is provided a construction for attaching an adjuster in which even if adjuster body attaching bolts are not sub-assembled, an adjuster body can be fixed temporarily to a pillar without the contact of a lock pin, which is provided at the tip end of an operating knob, with the pillar. The construction is such that a crank-shaped locking portion is provided at the intermediate portion of the adjuster body.

Abstract: In an inscribed meshing planetary gear construction provided with a carrier pin (a carrier member) 116, rigidity and stability are improved and its entire length is shortened, resulting in that in particular, the connection between an input shaft 101 and an eccentric body 103 can be improved so as to reduce the number of component parts and the number of assembling steps. In order to realize this object, a flange part 114 of an output shaft 102, a carrier pin 116 and a support ring 117 are supported at both ends by a pair of bearings 115a and 115b, and then a reduction gear mechanism is disposed between bearings 115a and 115b. The input shaft 101 is formed with a D-cut part of cross section by cutting a part of its outer circumference in parallel with its axial direction. This cut part is utilized so as to set a circumferential position (a stop of rotation) between the input shaft 101 and an eccentric body 103.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a container for an integrated circuit wafer comprising a tray-shaped member having a recess and a complimentary sheet member sized to attach to and cover said recess, at least one of said members being made from a material selected from the group consisting of a single layer of a high nitrile resin, and a laminated layer of a high nitrile resin, a polyvinylidene chloride resin, an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer or a polyvinyl alcohol resin, and a method for storing the wafer.