Abstract: An optical device includes a light source provided with a plurality of surface-emitting laser elements to emit a laser beam, a scanner to scan the laser beam emitted from the light source, and an optical system disposed in an optical path between the light source and the scanner and to guide the laser beam to the scanner. The optical system includes a first optical element to control a divergence angle of the laser beam emitted from the light source and a second optical element to concentrate the laser beam that has passed through the first optical element onto a to-be-scanned surface of the scanner.

Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus includes a light source to emit light beams, an optical scanner to scan the light beams output from the light source over a predetermined range, a light receiver to receive reflected light obtained as a result of the light beams being reflected by a target object, and to output detection signals, and a control circuit to measure a distance to the target object based on the detection signals. The light source including a plurality of light-emitting device groups that are arranged in a scan direction of a scan performed by the optical scanner, and the control circuit being to make the plurality of light-emitting device groups emit light at respective different timings in a single scan, and to measure the distance to the target object based on a sum of the detection signals.

Abstract: An optical device includes a light source provided with a plurality of surface-emitting laser elements to emit a laser beam, a scanner to scan the laser beam emitted from the light source, and an optical system disposed in an optical path between the light source and the scanner and to guide the laser beam to the scanner. The optical system includes a first optical element to control a divergence angle of the laser beam emitted from the light source and a second optical element to concentrate the laser beam that has passed through the first optical element onto a to-be-scanned surface of the scanner.

Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus includes a light source to emit light beams, an optical scanner to scan the light beams output from the light source over a predetermined range, a light receiver to receive reflected light obtained as a result of the light beams being reflected by a target object, and to output detection signals, and a control circuit to measure a distance to the target object based on the detection signals. The light source including a plurality of light-emitting device groups that are arranged in a scan direction of a scan performed by the optical scanner, and the control circuit being to make the plurality of light-emitting device groups emit light at respective different timings in a single scan, and to measure the distance to the target object based on a sum of the detection signals.

Abstract: An imaging device includes: a filter formed of four different filter regions with four different spectral transmittances that three different spectral transmittances having characteristics of a color matching function and a spectral transmittance for extracting metallic black have been linearly transformed thereinto by a linear transformation matrix; and an imaging unit that takes an image of light which has come out from a subject, and has been collected by an optical system, and then has passed through the filter.

Abstract: An imaging device includes: a filter formed of four different filter regions with four different spectral transmittances that three different spectral transmittances having characteristics of a color matching function and a spectral transmittance for extracting metallic black have been linearly transformed thereinto by a linear transformation matrix; and an imaging unit that takes an image of light which has come out from a subject, and has been collected by an optical system, and then has passed through the filter.

Abstract: A stereo camera apparatus includes a first image capturing unit having first and second lens units, a first light synthesis unit, a first area-divided filter, and a first image capturing element. The first light synthesis unit and the first area-divided filter guide S-polarized and P-polarized light components to the first image capturing element. The second image capturing unit includes third and fourth lens units, a second light synthesis unit, a second area-divided filter, and a second image capturing element. The second light synthesis unit and the second area-divided filter guide S-polarized and P-polarized light components to the second image capturing element. The control unit includes first and second controllers to compute three-dimensional data of object using the S-polarized and P-polarized light component images, respectively.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a three-dimensional structure having a fine three-dimensional shape and a smooth surface is disclosed in which the three-dimensional structure is usable for an optical device. The process method includes depositing a thin layer for absorption of laser light on a flat substrate; depositing a transparent layer on the thin layer for absorption of laser light; and irradiating a process laser light, passing through the transparent layer; in which pulse injection energy of the process laser light is set to be the same as or smaller than the maximum pulse injection energy capable of exposing a surface of the thin layer in front in the incident direction of the process laser light, and to be set the same as or greater than the minimum pulse injection energy capable of removing the transparent layer in rear in the incident direction of the process laser light.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a laser source (11), a spatial phase modulator (13) configured to modulate a phase of a laser beam emitted from the laser source, a synthetic data generator (17) configured to generate synthetic data by combining hologram image data representing a pattern image to be processed with position displacement hologram data for shifting the pattern image to a prescribed position, the synthetic data being input to the spatial phase modulator for the phase modulation of the laser beams, and a focusing optical unit (14) configured to guide the phase-modulated laser beam onto a surface to be processed to reproduce the pattern image on the processed surface.

Abstract: A stereo camera apparatus includes first and second image capturing units and a control unit. The first image capturing unit includes first and second lens units, a first light synthesis unit, a first area-divided filter, and a first image capturing element. The first light synthesis unit and the first area-divided filter guide S-polarized and P-polarized light components to the first image capturing element to detect S-polarized and P-polarized light component images. The second image capturing unit includes third and fourth lens units, a second light synthesis unit, a second area-divided filter, and a second image capturing element. The second light synthesis unit and the second area-divided filter guide S-polarized and P-polarized light components to the second image capturing element to detect S-polarized and P-polarized light component images.

Abstract: A drive recorder stores information regarding a dangerous location where a vehicle collision or a dangerous driving situation occurred in the past. When it is determined that the vehicle approaches the dangerous location based on a position signal from a GPS receiver for detecting the present position of the vehicle, a warning is provided to the vehicle driver. According to the warning, the vehicle driver can recognize that the vehicle is approaching the dangerous location where the vehicle collision or the dangerous driving situation occurred in the past.

Abstract: A warning system warns a driver of a vehicle that a vehicle location in a record of previously detected drive operation that indicates a violation of a safety standard and a current position of the vehicle are determined to be within a predetermined distance from each other based on repeated detections of a current vehicle position by a detector and a detection of the drive operation that indicates the violation of the safety standard transmitted through an interface from a drive recorder. In this manner, the warning system for warning the driver lightens a process load of a unit that performs a position detection process and a unit that performs a record keeping process.

Abstract: A remote control device in a vehicle is provided in proximity of a driver's seat such that an operation unit of the remote control device is manually rotated and pressed by a hand of a driver in a driver's seat. A case of the remote control device contains vibrators to vibrate left and right sides of the remote control device. A navigation device is connected to a control unit of the remote control device. When a position of the vehicle approaches a specified guidance point during route guidance, the navigation device outputs a guidance signal (left-turn or right-turn instruction) to the control unit. When supplied with the guidance signal, the control unit controls driving of the vibrators to vibrate the remote control device based on the guidance signal.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a laser source (11), a spatial phase modulator (13) configured to modulate a phase of a laser beam emitted from the laser source, a synthetic data generator (17) configured to generate synthetic data by combining hologram image data representing a pattern image to be processed with position displacement hologram data for shifting the pattern image to a prescribed position, the synthetic data being input to the spatial phase modulator for the phase modulation of the laser beams, and a focusing optical unit (14) configured to guide the phase-modulated laser beam onto a surface to be processed to reproduce the pattern image on the processed surface.

Abstract: A plurality of configurations is simultaneously formed in a material by a single laser beam having a desired distribution pattern of wavelengths. An input laser beam has an initial wavelength distribution pattern. The initial wavelength distribution pattern is adjusted or modified into a desired final wavelength distribution pattern. For example, the initial wavelength distribution pattern is a wide range of wavelengths in a single bell-curve distribution while the desired final wavelength distribution pattern has a specific number of sharp peaks each over a predetermined narrow range. The laser beam having the desired final wavelength distribution pattern is focused upon on a material. Because of the multiple peaks in the wavelength distribution, the laser beam is focused at a plurality of the focal distances. A number of structures is simultaneously formed in a material at the multiple focal points or at multiple locations/depths when the above laser beam is projected onto the material.

Abstract: A laser processing method where laser beam for processing is irradiated on a processing object and the laser beam for processing directly removes a part of the processing object. The processing object is made of a glass substrate, metal thin film having high absorption to laser beam for processing is formed on a surface of glass substrate, into which laser beam for processing is made incident, the laser beam for processing is irradiated from a surface of metal thin film, and matter is directly removed by irradiation of laser beam onto the processing object in order to form a region finer than an irradiation region of laser beam for processing on the processing object.

Abstract: An administration management system for managing vehicles includes plural vehicle units and plural cellular phones respectively having common codes for correspondence between vehicle units and cellular phones. When the common code matches, the vehicle unit and the cellular phone perform an automatic connection procedure and administration management information acquired by the vehicle unit is transmitted to a center unit through a broad range network from the cellular phone. The cellular phone and the vehicle unit are prevented from being connected with each other in an erroneous manner without undergoing complicated connection procedure so as to establish appropriate communication for transmission of administration management information by using the common code assigned thereto.

Abstract: A mark forming method for a moving body is disclosed. The method includes the steps of forming a second material layer, which scatters second wavelength light by being dispersed a first material that has a light absorbing property for first wavelength light therein, on a moving body; irradiating the first wavelength light on a part of the second material layer, making the first material at the part absorb the first wavelength light, and changing a scattering property of the part of the second material layer; and forming a mark whose scattering property for the second wavelength light is different in the part.

Abstract: A drive recorder stores information regarding a dangerous location where a vehicle collision or a dangerous driving situation occurred in the past. When it is determined that the vehicle approaches the dangerous location based on a position signal from a GPS receiver for detecting the present position of the vehicle, a warning is provided to the vehicle driver. According to the warning, the vehicle driver can recognize that the vehicle is approaching the dangerous location where the vehicle collision or the dangerous driving situation occurred in the past.

Abstract: A warning system warns a driver of a vehicle that a vehicle location in a record of previously detected drive operation that indicates a violation of a safety standard and a current position of the vehicle are determined to be within a predetermined distance from each other based on repeated detections of a current vehicle position by a detector and a detection of the drive operation that indicates the violation of the safety standard transmitted through an interface from a drive recorder. In this manner, the warning system for warning the driver lightens a process load of a unit that performs a position detection process and a unit that performs a record keeping process.