What is claimed is:
1. A method of establishing the rental price of a rentable asset rentable from a rental facility, comprising:
setting a nominal rental price for the asset, based at least on the value or cost of the asset to an entity including the rental facility renting the asset to a customer, the total duration of the rental arrangement, and the nature of the time period of the rental;
initially estimating the density comprising the number of customers per unit of time during selected periods of time during a business day when the facility is renting the assets to customers;
selecting and adjusting a price of rental of the asset during a business day, with respect to the nominal rental price, dependent upon the initial determination of customer density for renting of the asset at the facility, wherein the rental price for renting the asset is adjusted higher when an asset is rented at a time of greater customer density and is adjusted lower when the same asset is rented during a period of lower customer density during a business day at the facility.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically adjusting the rental price for the assets at the facility dependent upon customer density for having a lower rental price for periods of lower density at the facility and a higher rental price for periods of higher density at the facility.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing information over a period of time as to the customer density during periods of a business day at the facility and using the stored information to adjust the rental price based on customer density.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the time at which the rented assets are returned to the rental facility, determining customer density at the times of return of the assets and adjusting the rental prices for the assets additionally based on the densities at the times of return of the assets to the facility, such that when the asset is returned at a time of lower density, the rental price for the asset is lower, and when the asset is returned at a time of higher customer density at the facility, the rental price for the asset is higher.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the nature of the time period of the rental includes a workday, a non-workday, a work period and a non-work period.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rentable assets are cars.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A vibrating gyroscope comprising:
a vibrator including first and second principal surfaces;
a support plate supporting the vibrator;
a joining member arranged to join the vibrator to the support plate; and
a detection circuit arranged to detect when an angular velocity is applied to the vibrator; wherein
the support plate includes a joining portion to which the vibrator is joined by the joining member, an outer frame portion provided on substantially the same plane as the joining portion, and a first support portion arranged to support the joining portion in an air gap portion surrounded by the outer frame portion, the first support portion having a width less than the width of the joining portion; and
the vibrator includes at least one electrode that is electrically connected to the detection circuit and arranged to output signals to the detection circuit which vary when the angular velocity is applied to the vibrator.
2. The vibrating gyroscope according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator includes a vibrating body and an electrode provided on the first principal surface or the second principal surface of the vibrating body, and has a tuning-fork shape including a base and at least two rod-shaped legs that extend substantially parallel to each other from the base.
3. The vibrating gyroscope according to claim 2, wherein a first hollow portion is provided in the outer frame portion at a location corresponding to the at least two legs of the vibrator, and a second support portion arranged to support the first support portion in the outer frame portion is provided so as to extend in a direction intersecting the first support portion.
4. The vibrating gyroscope according to claim 3, wherein second hollow portions having an elongated shape are provided at both sides of the air gap portion and the first hollow portion so as to extend along a direction in which the at least two legs of the vibrator extend, and third support portions arranged to support the second support portion in the outer frame portion are provided so as to extend in a direction intersecting the second support portion.
5. The vibrating gyroscope according to claim 4, wherein third hollow portions are provided at both ends and central portions of the second hollow portions in a longitudinal direction thereof, the third hollow portions extending from the second hollow portions toward sides of the outer frame portion.
6. The vibrating gyroscope according to claim 5, wherein the third support portions include projections that extend into the third hollow portions from the second support portion at the central portions of the second hollow portions in the longitudinal direction thereof.
7. The vibrating gyroscope according to claim 1, wherein conductive adhesive is used as the joining member.
8. The vibrating gyroscope according to claim 1, wherein metal bumps are used as the joining member.
9. The vibrating gyroscope according to claim 1, wherein a metal plate is used as the support plate.
10. The vibrating gyroscope according to claim 1, wherein a multilayer substrate including resin and metal is used as the support plate.
11. The vibrating gyroscope according to claim 1, further comprising:
a circuit board arranged so as to face a principal surface of the support plate that is opposite to a principal surface to which the resonator is joined, the circuit board having a recess in which wiring electrodes are disposed; and
an IC chip arranged so as to be connected to the wiring electrodes in the recess; wherein
the support plate is arranged so as to face the recess and opposing principal surfaces of the circuit board and the support plate are adhered to each other with conductive adhesive, so that the vibrator is electrically connected to the IC chip.