Fujikura Limited

Takeshi Togura

Yuichiro Yamaguchi

Ning Guan

Hiroshi Chiba

Koji Sakiyama

Hiroiku Tayama

Nobumasa Misaki

Yuki Noguchi

Yusuke Iguchi

Koichi Ichihara

Tetsu Takashima

Shin-ichi Nikaido

Shinsuke Nagahama

Shin-ichi Niimi

A grip detection device comprises an electrostatic capacity sensor mounted on a rim of a steering wheel; and a determination unit that detects gripping of the steering wheel based on a detection result of the electrostatic capacity sensor, a plurality of electrode units of elongated shape configuring the electrostatic capacity sensor extending along a direction in which the rim extends and being provided in parallel along a circumferential direction of the rim, of the plurality of electrode units, at least two electrode units are commonly connected, and at least one electrode unit not commonly connected to the commonly connected two electrode units is disposed between the commonly connected two electrode units, the determination unit determining that a driver has gripped the steering wheel when proximity of a human body has been detected by each of at least two electrode units not commonly connected to each other.

Grip detection device

An occupant position detection device is an occupant position detection device disposed inside a vehicle to detect a position of an occupant, and includes: a detector comprising two or more sensor electrodes disposed forward of a seat and at least one sensor electrode disposed at a position more rearward and higher than these sensor electrodes, the detector respectively outputting a detection signal based on a distance between each of the sensor electrodes and the occupant; and a computation unit inputted with the detection signal to compute an occupant position. The computation unit selects from the detection signals outputted from the detector three or more types of combinations configured from two of the detection signals, calculates a ratio or difference for each of these combinations of detection signals, and computes the occupant position based on the three or more calculated ratios or differences of the detection signals.

Occupant position detection device and airbag deployment control system

A loop antenna in accordance with the present invention has an antenna element having a shape that traces a closed curve, the antenna element including (i) a first projection section which projects from one of two end sections of the antenna element toward an inside of the closed curve and (ii) a second projection section which projects from the other of the two end sections of the antenna element toward the inside of the closed curve, each of the first projection section and the second projection section including a feed point.

Loop antenna

A dipole antenna in accordance with the present invention includes a first antenna element provided in a two-dimensional surface and having a linear shape and a second antenna element provided in the two-dimensional surface and having a spiral shape that circles around the first antenna element.

Dipole antenna

The disclosure has: a detection electrode () that detects an electrostatic capacitance; a shield electrode (); a shield drive circuit () that switches between a first electric potential and a second electric potential to apply the first or second electric potential to the shield electrode; a detection circuit () that outputs a detection signal depending on the electrostatic capacitance detected; and a determination circuit () that obtains a first detection signal and a second detection signal as the basis to determine whether an abnormality of the detection electrode () or the shield electrode is present or absent. The first detection signal depends on the electrostatic capacitance detected when the shield drive means () applies the first electric potential to the shield electrode (). The second detection signal depends on the electrostatic capacitance detected when the shield drive means () applies the second electric potential to the shield electrode.

Electrostatic capacitance sensor and method for determining failure of electrostatic capacitance sensor

A capacitive proximity sensor () comprises a sensor unit () and a sense circuit unit (). The sensor unit () includes a sensor electrode (), a shield electrode () and an auxiliary electrode (). The sensor electrode () is connected to a C-V conversion circuit () and the shield electrode () is connected to a shield drive circuit (). The auxiliary electrode () is connected via a change-over switch () to the C-V conversion circuit () or the shield drive circuit (). The capacitance values (C, C) switched by the change-over switch () and detected at the C-V conversion circuit () are compared to arbitrarily set a range of a sense region on the sensor electrode ().

Capacitive proximity sensor and proximity sensing method

To be configured inexpensively to enable cost reduction and sense sitting posture of an occupant highly accurately, occupant posture sensing apparatusincludes capacitance sensor unitand circuit unit. Capacitance sensor unitincludes first and second sensing electrodesandprovided at portions of vehicle interior ceilingahead of and right above a seatand connected to capacitance sensing circuitof circuit unitand shield-driving circuitthrough selector switches SWand SW. CPUof circuit unitdetermines sitting posture of occupant (human body)sitting on the seatbased on information regarding position of headof the occupantby using capacitance values detected by capacitance sensing circuitbased on capacitances from sensing electrodesandPosture information regarding the determined sitting posture is output to ECU mounted on a vehicleand used for controlling air bag deployment, etc.

Occupant posture sensing apparatus and occupant posture sensing method

To perform highly precise position adjustment for head restraint in short time regardless of distance between head restraint and human body and head shape. Head restraint position adjusting deviceincludes capacitance sensor unitand drive motor unit. Capacitance sensor unitincludes first and third sensing electrodesandand detection circuit. First sensing electrodeis arranged in an upper portion of front portion of head restraintand senses capacitance between itself and vicinity of parietal regionof headof human body. Third sensing electrodeis arranged in lower portion of front portion and senses capacitance between itself and any portion of human bodyother than vicinity of parietal region. When head restraintmoves from initial condition, detection circuitdetects position of parietal regionof head(parietal region position) and determines appropriate position of head restraintfor head, enabling highly precise position adjustment in short time.

Headrest position adjustment device and headrest position adjustment method

To enable position or distance of sensing target making approach, etc. to the range of sensing area to be detected securely with simple configuration at low cost and improve latitude of designing, position detector includes capacitance sensor unit and detecting circuit unit. Capacitance sensor unit includes first and second sensing electrodes and dielectric material therebetween. Dielectric material has range L of sensing area defined on its sensing surface. Detecting circuit unit includes selector switches SWA and SWB, capacitance sensing circuits, A/D converters, and arithmetic processing circuit. Arithmetic processing circuit judges and detects the position of sensing target in range L of sensing area based on detected values of capacitances Cand Csensed by first and second sensing electrodes under switching control on selector switches SWA and SWB.

Position detector

A vehicular illuminator having a design board, behind which a sensing electrode having an aperture is located. Arranged between the design board and the sensing electrode is an LED serving as a light source and a light guide plate to defuse light from the LED. The sensing electrode is connected to an electrostatic capacity detector contained in a controller.

Interior vehicular illuminator having a controllably dimmed light source

A phase difference calculation method, a device ( ), and a system ( ) are disclosed. In an optical fiber ring interference sensor ( ) using a 3&times;3 optical splitting coupler ( ) and an optical splitting coupler ( ), linear sections are determined in advance, where a relationship between a phase difference &thgr; of propagation lights and an intensity Ppdn (n&equals;1, 2, 3) outputted from each photo detector ( ) becomes approximately linear. The intensity Ppdn of an interference light, between propagation lights in CW and CCW directions in an optical fiber loop ( ), having a difference non-reciprocal phase bias is measured not less than two times. A phase difference &thgr; is then calculated based on the intensity Ppdn in the linear sections.

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Sakura, Japan

Takeshi Togura