All The Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a bevel gear member, said method comprising the steps of:
a) providing a bevel gear blank;
b) forming gear teeth on said bevel gear blank by simultaneously cutting gear tooth top land, gear tooth side profile and a bottom land to form an unfinished bevel gear member; and
c) machining at least one selected surface of said unfinished bevel gear member using said top lands of said gear teeth as a datum for centering said unfinished bevel gear member.
2. The method for manufacturing the bevel gear member as defined in claim 1, wherein said bevel gear blank is a single-piece, unitary workpiece.
3. The method for manufacturing the bevel gear member as defined in claim 2, wherein said unitary workpiece is formed by one of a forging and casting process.
4. The method for manufacturing a bevel gear member as defined in claim 1, wherein said bevel gear blank has a gearhead and a shaft coaxially extending from said gearhead.
5. The method for manufacturing the bevel gear member as defined in claim 4, wherein the step of providing said bevel gear blank includes the steps of:
forming a bevel gear workpiece having said gearhead and said shaft;
forming said bevel gear blank by machining said shaft of said workpiece using a face angle surface of said gearhead of said workpiece as a locating surface for centering of said workpiece.
6. The method for manufacturing the bevel gear member as defined in claim 5, wherein said bevel gear workpiece is formed by one of a forging and casting process.
7. The method for manufacturing the bevel gear member as defined in claim 1, wherein said bevel gear member is a pinion gear member including a gearhead and a shaft having first bearing seat portion and a second bearing seat portion, and wherein the step of machining at least one selected surface of said unfinished bevel gear member includes the step of machining at least one of said first bearing seat portion and said second bearing seat portion of said pinion gear member.
8. The method for manufacturing the bevel gear member as defined in claim 1, wherein said bevel gear member is a ring gear member having an inner peripheral surface and a rear face surface, and wherein the step of machining at least one selected surface of said unfinished bevel gear member includes the steps of machining at least one of said inner peripheral surface and said rear face surface of said ring gear member.
9. The method for manufacturing the bevel gear member as defined in claim 1, further including the step of hardening said bevel gear member using a heat treating process subsequent to the step (b) of forming gear teeth and prior to the step of (c) of machining at least one selected surface of said unfinished bevel gear member.
10. The method for manufacturing the bevel gear member as defined in claim 1, wherein the step (b) of forming gear teeth is a face hobbing process.
11. The method for manufacturing the bevel gear member as defined in claim 1, wherein the step (b) of forming gear teeth uses gear cutter blades each including a shank and a cutting member having a cutting edge having a first section extending from a distal end of said shank at a given axial pressure angle and dimensioned to cut at least one of side profiles of said gear teeth of said bevel gear blank, and a second section substantially perpendicular to a central axis of said cutter blade and dimensioned to cut at least a substantial portion of a top land of said gear teeth so that each of said gear cutter blades forms at least a substantial portion of said top land of said teeth of said bevel gear member simultaneously with said side profile thereof.

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 vehicle state information transmission apparatus comprising:
operation means actuatable by a driver of a vehicle for operating the vehicle;
a vehicle state detecting device for detecting a state of the vehicle;
warning means for issuing a warning to the driver based on information pertaining to the vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detecting device; and
vehicle state information transmitting means for transmitting the information pertaining to the vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detecting device to the driver,
wherein the vehicle state information transmitting means comprises a tactile device which transmits a change in the vehicle state via the operating means to the driver as tactile information, and the tactile device is operable in conjunction with the warning means.
2. The vehicle state information transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tactile device is capable of producing a movement of the tactility in different patterns that can be varied based on the information pertaining to the vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detecting device.
3. The vehicle state information transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vehicle state detecting device comprises a lane departure sensor for detecting a lane departure of the vehicle, and when the lane departure of the vehicle is detected by the lane departure sensor, the tactile device operates to issue a lane departure warning to the driver by way of the tactile information transmitted via the operation means to the driver.
4. A vehicle state information transmission apparatus comprising:
operation means actuatable by a driver of a vehicle for operating the vehicle;
a vehicle state detecting device for detecting a state of the vehicle; and
vehicle state information transmitting means for transmitting the information pertaining to the vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detecting device to the driver,
wherein the vehicle state detecting device comprises a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle, and
wherein the vehicle state information transmitting means comprises a tactile device which transmits a change in the vehicle state via the operating means to the driver as tactile information, the tactile device having a variable action pattern which is variable with the progress of turning movement of the vehicle on the basis of information pertaining to the steering angle detected by the steering sensor.
5. A vehicle state information transmission apparatus comprising:
operation means actuatable by a driver of a vehicle for operating the vehicle;
a vehicle state detecting device for detecting a state of a vehicle; and
vehicle state information transmitting means for transmitting the information pertaining to the vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detecting device to the driver; and
wherein the vehicle state detecting device comprises a travel direction sensor for detecting a travel direction of the vehicle, and
wherein the vehicle state information transmitting means comprises a tactile device which transmits a change in the vehicle state via the operating means to the driver as tactile information, the tactile device having a variable action pattern which is variable in accordance with the travel direction of the vehicle on the basis of information pertaining to the travel direction detected by the travel direction sensor.
6. A vehicle state information transmission apparatus comprising:
operation means actuatable by a driver of a vehicle for operating the vehicle;
a vehicle state detecting device for detecting a state of the vehicle, the vehicle state detecting device comprising a parked vehicle sensor for detecting the vehicle while being in a parked state; and
vehicle state information transmitting means for transmitting the information pertaining to the vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detecting device to the driver, wherein the vehicle state information transmitting means comprises a tactile device which transmits a change in the vehicle state via the operating means to the driver as tactile information;
adjustment permission means for permitting an operation amount adjustment of the tactile device to start;
adjustment amount input means for inputting an adjustment amount to thereby increase or decrease the operation amount of the tactile device; and
simulation means for, on the basis of information pertaining to the parked vehicle detected by the parked vehicle sensor, information pertaining to the permission provided by the adjustment permission means, and information pertaining to the increasedecrease achieved by the adjustment amount input means, outputting information to activate the tactile device in the same manner as it does during traveling of the vehicle, while the vehicle is in a parked state.
7. The vehicle state information transmission apparatus of claim 4, wherein the operation means comprises a steering wheel of the vehicle, the steering wheel having a grip portion for being gripped by the driver, the tactile device being assembled in the grip portion of the steering wheel, the steering wheel further having a guard protrusion disposed in the grip portion and engageable with a hand of the driver to prevent the tactile device from being subjected to undue stress during steering operation.
8. The vehicle state information transmission apparatus of claim 5, wherein the operation means comprises an accelerator pedal of the vehicle, and the tactile device comprises a vibration generating mechanism assembled with the accelerator pedal.

1-14. (canceled)
15. A method, comprising determining an amount of a first current from an amount of a charge stored in a first capacitor.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining comprises:
charging the first capacitor with the first current; and
measuring the amount of the charge stored in the first capacitor as a result of the charging.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining further comprises determining an amount of charging time, and charging comprises charging the first capacitor for the charging time.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining further comprises disconnecting the first capacitor from the first current at an expiration of the charging time.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein determining further comprises:
charging a second capacitor with a second current;
comparing a voltage across the second capacitor with a reference voltage; and
disconnecting the first capacitor from the first current responsive to the voltage across the second capacitor reaching the reference voltage,
wherein measuring is performed while the first capacitor is disconnected from the first current.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining further comprises fully discharging the second capacitor prior to charging the second capacitor.
21. The method of claim 16, wherein determining further comprises converting the measured amount of the charge stored in the first capacitor into a multi-bit digital value.
22. The method of claim 16, wherein determining further comprises fully discharging the first capacitor.
23. An apparatus for determining an amount of a first current, the apparatus comprising:
a first capacitor;
a first switch;
a control unit configured to control the first switch to selectively connect and disconnect the first capacitor from a first current; and
a measurement unit configured to measure a charge across the first capacitor after the first capacitor is disconnected from the first current and to generate an output signal based on the measured charge.
24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the measurement unit comprises an amplifier having a pair of inputs connected across the capaciator.
25. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:
a second capacitor; and
a second switch, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the second switch to selectively connect and disconnect the second capacitor from the second current, and to control the first switch to disconnect the first capacitor from the first current depending upon a voltage formed across the second capacitor.
26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a comparator configured to compare the voltage across the second capacitor with a reference voltage, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the first switch responsive to an output of the comparator.
27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the first switch to disconnect the first capacitor from the first current responsive to the output of the comparator indicating that the voltage across the second capacitor has reached the reference voltage.
28. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the output signal to a multi-bit digital signal.
29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the control unit is further configured to fully discharge the first capacitor.
30. An apparatus, comprising:
a reference timer circuit configured to generate a first signal indicating an expiration of a time period; and
a sense circuit comprising a first capacitor and configured to sense, responsive to the first signal, a charge stored in the first capacitor, and to generate a second signal representing the sensed charge.
31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising an amplifier configured to amplifier the second signal.
32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the sense circuit comprises:
a second capacitor; and
a comparator having a first input connected to the capacitor and a second input connected to a reference voltage, wherein the comparator is configured to generate the second signal.
33. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising:
a first switch in series with the first capacitor; and
a second switch connected across the first capacitor.
34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising a control circuit configured to control the first and second switches in accordance with the first signal.
35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the first and second switches so that only one of the first and second switches conducts at any given time.
36. An apparatus for determining an amount of a current, comprising:
means for determining a time period;
means for charging a capacitor with a current for the time period; and
means for sensing a charge across the capacitor at an end of the time period.
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 solid-state imaging device comprising:
a plurality of light-receiving elements each of which photoelectrically converts incident light; and
a plurality of dispersive elements disposed on a light-incident side of the light-receiving elements,
wherein each of the dispersive elements includes:
a first light transmissive film material; and
a second light transmissive film material with a property of having a refractive index that is lower than a refractive index of the first light transmissive film material in a first wavelength range of the incident light and higher than the refractive index of the first light transmissive film material in a second wavelength range of the incident light, the second wavelength range being longer in wavelength than the first wavelength range, and
a volume occupation ratio of the first light transmissive film material in the each of the dispersive elements increases from one end of the each of the dispersive elements towards an other end of the each of the dispersive elements in a direction parallel to a light-receiving surface of the light-receiving elements, while a volume occupation ratio of the second light transmissive film material in the each of the dispersive elements increases from the other end towards the one end in the direction, the other end being opposite the one end.
2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,
wherein the dispersive elements include a first dispersive element and a second dispersive element which are adjacent to each other in the direction, and
the first dispersive element and the second dispersive element are arranged to cause (a) a set of the first light transmissive film material and the second light transmissive film material in the first dispersive element and (b) a set of the first light transmissive film material and the second light transmissive film material in the second dispersive element adjacent to the first dispersive element are symmetric with respect to a boundary between the first dispersive element and the second dispersive element, the boundary being a plane including a normal of the light-receiving surface.
3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,
wherein as a wavelength of the incident light is longer, the refractive index of the first light transmissive film material decreases.
4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,
wherein the first light transmissive film material is stacked on a light-incident side of the second light transmissive film material.
5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,
wherein the second light transmissive film material is stacked on a light-incident side of the first light transmissive film material.
6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,
wherein each of the dispersive elements includes a plurality of divided portions each having a width shorter than a wavelength of the incident light, and
the divided portions include:
a first portion comprising the first light transmissive film material; and
a second portion comprising the second light transmissive film material.
7. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,
wherein each of the dispersive elements has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from a normal direction of the light-receiving surface, and
the solid-state imaging device further comprises a microlens disposed for a corresponding one of the dispersive elements, the microlens having a substantially elliptical shape when viewed from the normal direction,
wherein the microlens has a longest diameter equal to a length of a first side of the corresponding one of the dispersive elements, and a shortest diameter equal to a length of a second side of the corresponding one of the dispersive elements, and
the first side is perpendicular to the second side.
8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,
wherein each of the dispersive elements has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from a normal direction of the light-receiving surface, and
the solid-state imaging device further comprises a microlens disposed for a corresponding one of the dispersive elements, the microlens having a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the normal direction.
9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,
wherein the refractive index of the first light transmissive film material is equal to the refractive index of the second light transmissive film material at a wavelength within a range from 490 nm to 580 nm of a wavelength of the incident light.
10. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,
wherein the first light transmissive film material comprises indium tin oxide (ITO), and
the second light transmissive film material comprises aluminum oxide (Al2O3).