An opening/closing body drive device includes a drive mechanism that moves an opening/closing body between an opening position and a closing position relative to a frame portion having an opening, a control unit for controlling the drive mechanism, a light source unit including a light emitting element emitting a non-visible light and radiating the non-visible light to a detection line formed of a retroreflective material along at least a part of the frame portion, and a camera including an incident lens into which the non-visible light radiated from the light source unit and reflected by the detection line enters. At least of a part of the light source unit is arranged in front of the incident lens when the incident lens is viewed along an optical axis thereof from a side of the opening.

A non-contact obstacle detection (NCOD) system for an opening in a vehicle includes a cover panel, such as a glass pane, slidable between opened and closed positions within the opening. The system includes one or more infrared time-of-flight (IR-TOF) sensors which measure the length of a beam of infrared light by measuring the time that the infrared light in the beam takes to travel the length of the beam and to reflect back to the sensor. The IR-TOF sensors may be configured to provide a beam of light along either the side edge of the frame parallel to the sliding direction or a terminal edge generally transverse to the sliding direction. Methods are provided for detecting obstacles within the opening of the frame by controllers using the lengths of beams from each of those different beam configurations, and for self-calibrating the system.

A vehicle window glass lifting device includes a drive mechanism arranged on a vehicle door to vertically move a window glass, a control unit for controlling the drive mechanism, and a camera for capturing an image of a detection line provided on a vehicle interior side of the window glass, the detection line being along at least a part of an outer edge of the window glass in a state that the door and the window glass are closed. The control unit includes a detection means to detect a blocked state in which at least a part of the detection line is blocked by a foreign object, and a pinching prevention means that causes the drive mechanism to conduct a pinch prevention operation for preventing pinching by the window glass when the blocked state is detected by the detection means while the window glass is moved by the drive mechanism.

An opening/closing body drive device includes a drive mechanism that moves an opening/closing body between an opening position and a closing position relative to a frame portion having an opening, a control unit for controlling the drive mechanism, a light source unit including a light emitting element emitting a non-visible light and radiating the non-visible light to a detection line formed of a retroreflective material along at least a part of the frame portion, and a camera including an incident lens into which the non-visible light radiated from the light source unit and reflected by the detection line enters. The incident lens is formed non-circular by cutting off an end of the incident lens when viewed in an optical axis direction thereof, and at least a part of the light source unit is arranged in a region where the end is cut off.

An opening-closing body drive device includes a motor that opens and closes an opening-closing body; and a controller that controls driving of the motor. The controller recognizes an arrested position of the motor during a closing action as a reference position and performs an entrapment process in a section excluding a mask section from the reference position to a predetermined position toward an opening direction side. The controller updates the reference position when the arrested position of the motor is located toward a closing direction side of a set position, which is set in the mask section, and does not update the reference position when the arrested position of the motor is located toward an opening direction side of the set position.

A window can be used to detect objects located within an opening. A structure can define the opening. The window can be operatively positioned within the opening. The window can be movable to selectively open and close the opening. The window can include an optical grating operatively positioned near a closing edge of the window. A light source configured to emit light toward the optical grating. A detector operatively positioned to acquire spectroscopic data of the light emitted from the light source after the light has interacted with the optical grating. A processor can be operatively connected to the detector. The processor can be configured to: determine a temperature based on the spectroscopic data; determine, based on the temperature, whether an object is located in the opening; and responsive to determining that an object is located in the opening, control a movement of window.

A vehicle window glass raising/lowering device includes a drive mechanism, a control unit for controlling the drive mechanism, a camera for capturing an image of a detection line. The camera includes an optical system. The control unit includes a detection means for detecting a blocked state in which the detection line captured in an image by the camera is at least partially blocked by a foreign object, and a pinching prevention means when the blocked state is detected by the detection means during when the window glass is moved by the drive mechanism. The optical system is arranged at a position corresponding to an opening formed on an upper surface of a door trim so that an optical axis of the optical system passes through the opening.

A vehicle window glass raising/lowering device includes a drive mechanism, a control unit for controlling the drive mechanism, and a camera for capturing an image of a detection line. The camera includes an optical system. The control unit includes a detection means for detecting a blocked state in which the detection line captured in an image by the camera is at least partially blocked by a foreign object, and a pinching prevention means when the blocked state is detected by the detection means during when the window glass is moved by the drive mechanism. The optical system is arranged at a position corresponding to an opening formed on an inner circumferential surface of the frame portion so that an optical axis of the optical system passes through the opening.

A vehicle window glass raising/lowering device includes a drive unit arranged on a vehicle door to move a window glass in a vertical direction, a control unit for controlling the drive unit, a detection line arranged on a vehicle interior side of the window glass and along at least a portion of an outer edge of the window glass, a light source including a light emitting element to emit an invisible light to the detection line, and a camera including a lens on which the invisible light emitted from the light source and reflected by the detection line is incident. The control unit includes a pinching prevention means that causes the drive unit to perform a pinch prevention operation for preventing pinching by the window glass based on an image taken by the camera. The detection line includes a reflection layer to reflect an incident light toward the light source.

An opening/closing body drive device includes a drive mechanism that moves an opening/closing body between an opening position and a closing position relative to a frame portion having an opening, a control unit for controlling the drive mechanism, a light source unit including a light emitting element emitting a non-visible light and radiating the non-visible light to a detection line formed of a retroreflective material along at least a part of the frame portion, and a camera including an incident lens into which the non-visible light radiated from the light source unit and reflected by the detection line enters. The incident lens is formed non-circular by cutting off an end of the incident lens when viewed in an optical axis direction thereof, and at least a part of the light source unit is arranged in a region where the end is cut off.