| DENSO CORPORATION Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20120130634 | ROAD ESTIMATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING ROAD - A road estimation device receives data including core points assigned along a road and assigned with attributes for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links in a unit of a divided region being one of divided areas. When the core points cross a boundary of an indicated divided region to be indicated, a selection unit selects a processing object core point inside the indicated divided region from the core points in the map data. An extraction unit extracts candidate links being candidate of a road represented by the processing object core point from the map data according to attributes of the links and the attribute of the processing object core point for estimating the road on a map. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120130597 | CONTROL APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE - A control apparatus for a vehicle that is capable of enhancing fuel efficiency of an internal-combustion engine. The vehicle is provided with at least one electronically controllable vehicle-mounted accessory that can be driven by the engine, and energy storage means for storing energy generated by the at least one vehicle-mounted accessory being driven by the engine. The apparatus includes regenerative control means for performing regenerative control during deceleration of the vehicle according to a deceleration instruction from a driver, and drive-control means for performing drive-control of the at least one vehicle-mounted accessory during a vehicle running period other than a regenerative control period so that the energy storage means has a margin in energy storage capacity for storing energy to be generated by the at least one vehicle-mounted accessory being driven by the engine during the regenerative control. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120130596 | FUEL VAPOR TREATMENT APPARATUS - A fuel vapor treatment apparatus includes a fuel tank, a canister, a passage forming member, a pressure-regulating valve, an acceleration detector, and a controller. The fuel tank is for a storage of fuel to be supplied to an internal combustion engine for a vehicle. The canister recovers fuel evaporated from the fuel tank. The passage forming member defines a passage through which the fuel tank and the canister communicate with each other. The pressure-regulating valve is provided in the passage forming member to connect or disconnect the fuel tank and the canister. The acceleration detector detects an acceleration value of the vehicle, and the controller controls the pressure-regulating valve based on the acceleration value detected by the acceleration detector. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120129689 | PEROVSKITE CATALYST AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A method of manufacturing a perovskite catalyst composed of perovskite oxide includes mixing step, firing step and acid-treating step. In the mixing step, an A-site material and a B-site material are mixed at a stoichiometric ratio such that the A-site is increased, compared to that of a theoretical composition ABO | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120129439 | AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE - An air conditioning system for a vehicle includes a seat part having a seating surface and an air flow passage, an air conditioning unit, and a blower. The passage includes a suction port on the seating surface and an air outlet at a region of the seat part other than the seating surface. The unit includes a face air outlet and a lower air outlet through which conditioned air from the unit is blown out toward the seating surface. The blower forms a flow of air in the passage from the suction port toward the air outlet. At time of cooling vehicle interior by the unit, the conditioned air blown out of the lower outlet is suctioned from the seating surface, and air that has passed through the passage is blown out of the region of the seat part other than the seating surface. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120128217 | ROAD ESTIMATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING ROAD - A road estimation device receives data including a core point being assigned along a road and being assigned with attributes including at least a shape-relevant attribute being relevant to a road shape for identifying the road. A map data input unit inputs map data including links having attributes. A link narrowing down unit sets a search area for the core point in a map and extracts links in the search area from the map data, according to the attributes of the link and the shape-relevant attribute of the core point. The link narrowing down unit further narrows down the extracted links into a candidate link being candidate of the road represented by the core point for estimating the road on a map, according to parallel road information being the shape-relevant attribute. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120128216 | ROAD ESTIMATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING ROAD - A road estimation device receives data including a core point being assigned along a road and assigned with attributes for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links having attributes corresponding to the attributes of the core point. An extraction unit first narrows down links into candidate links each having an attribute corresponding to a non-shape-relevant attribute of the core point. The extraction unit subsequently narrows down the candidate links into a candidate link having an attribute corresponding to a shape-relevant attribute of the core point, thereby to extract the candidate link pertinent to the road represented by the core point from the map data for estimating the road on a map. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120128215 | ROAD ESTIMATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING ROAD - A road estimation device receives data including core points assigned along a road and assigned with attributes for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links in a unit of a divided region. Each link has a termination point in a boundary of the divided region. The links have attributes corresponding to attributes of the core points. When the core points exist beyond a boundary of the divided region, a generation unit generates a virtual core point on the boundary in the inputted map data and assigns an attribute to the virtual core point based on the attributes of the core points. An extraction unit extracts a candidate link being candidate of the road from the map data according to the attributes of the links, the core points, and the virtual core point. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120128214 | ROAD ESTIMATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING ROAD - A road estimation device receives data including core points assigned along a road and assigned with attributes for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links in a unit of a divided region being one of divided areas. When the core points cross a boundary of an indicated divided region to be indicated, a selection unit selects a processing object core point inside the indicated divided region from the core points in the map data. An extraction unit extracts candidate links being candidate of a road represented by the processing object core point from the map data according to attributes of the links and the attribute of the processing object core point for estimating the road on a map. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120128213 | ROAD ESTIMATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING ROAD - A road estimation device receives data including a core point assigned along a road and assigned with an attribute for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links each having an attribute corresponding to the attribute of the core point. A search region set unit sets a search region by using the core point as a reference point. An extraction unit extracts a link included in the search region from the links of the inputted map data. An estimation unit estimates the road represented by the core point according to an attribute of the extracted link and the attribute of the core point on a map. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127482 | FABRY-PEROT INTERFEROMETER - A Fabry-Perot interferometer includes a fixed mirror structure and a movable mirror structure. The fixed mirror structure has a fixed mirror in a spectral region. The movable mirror structure includes a membrane spaced from the fixed mirror structure. The membrane has a movable mirror in the spectral region and multiple springs arranged one inside the other around the spectral region. A spring constant of the inner spring is less than a spring constant of the outer spring. One of the fixed mirror structure and the membrane has multiple electrodes, and the other of the fixed mirror structure and the membrane has at least one electrode that is paired with the electrodes to form opposing electrode pairs arranged one inside the other around the spectral region. The number of the opposing electrode pairs is equal to the number of the springs. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127016 | RADAR DEVICE - A signal processing unit in a radar device calculates a change amount Y (=log(P)−log(Pb)) between a power P of a current arrival echo and a power of a previous arrival echo arrived before an observation period T | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120126965 | Information presentation apparatus and system - An information presentation apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a stimulator device located on a steering wheel of the vehicle and configured to generate stimulation at multiple sites on the steering wheel to provide skin sensation to a driver gripping the steering wheel; a direction information acquisition device configured to acquire direction information; and a controller configured to cause, in accordance with the acquired direction information, the stimulator device to successively generate the stimulation through the plurality of sites on the steering wheel to invoke an apparent movement that appears to the driver as if the skin sensation moves in a way indicative of a direction according to the direction information. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120126859 | LOAD DRIVER WITH CONSTANT CURRENT VARIABLE STRUCTURE - A load driver includes a switching element connected to a load, a constant current generator that generates a constant current, and a driver circuit that turns on the switching element for an on-period, which depends on a value of the constant current and is shortened with an increase in the value of the constant current. The constant current generator supplies a first constant current having a first current value to the driver circuit during the on-period, and supplies a second constant current having a second current value smaller than the first current value after the on-period has elapsed and the switching element reaches an on state. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120126858 | LOAD DRIVING APPARATUS - A load driving apparatus for driving a load with a constant current includes a shunt resistor and a driver circuit. A shunt current corresponding to the constant current flows though the shunt resistor. The driver circuit is connected to a first end of the shunt resistor to supply the constant current corresponding to the shunt current to the load. The driver circuit includes a reference voltage source for generating a predetermined reference voltage. The driver circuit adjusts the magnitude of the constant current by performing a feedback-control of the magnitude of the shunt current in such a manner that a first voltage corresponding to the reference voltage and a second voltage corresponding to a voltage at the first end of the shunt resistor become equal to each other. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120126835 | FUEL SENSOR - An outer electrode projects from an opening, which is formed in an upper inner wall of a fuel passage, into the fuel passage. The fuel passage is adapted to conduct fuel generally in a horizontal direction. The outer electrode includes a fuel chamber in an inside of the outer electrode. An inner electrode is placed in the fuel chamber. A sensing circuit senses an alcohol concentration of the fuel based on an electrical property between the outer electrode and the inner electrode and a fuel temperature, which is sensed with a thermistor. The outer electrode includes a blocking portion and communication holes. The blocking portion limits intrusion of air bubbles, which flow along the upper inner wall of the fuel passage, into the communication holes. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120126158 | OIL PRESSURE REGULATION VALVE - An oil pressure regulation valve includes a spool supported in a sleeve to be slidable in an axial direction, a solenoid actuator disposed to generate an electromagnetic force for driving the spool to one axial end side, and a biasing portion configured to bias the spool to the other axial end side. The sleeve is provided with an input chamber to which an oil pressure input port is open, and an output chamber to which an oil pressure output port is open. The spool includes a land portion that is exposed to the output chamber to be biased to the one axial end side by using oil pressure in the output chamber, and the spool is movable to the one axial end side when the land portion is biased to the one axial end side by using the oil pressure in the output chamber. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120125593 | COOLING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE - A cooler cools electric parts of a vehicle using heat medium. A radiator emits heat of the heat medium to air, and a valve changes a flow of the heat medium based on a temperature of the heat medium. The valve controls the heat medium to bypass the radiator when the temperature of the heat medium is lower than a first predetermined value. The valve controls the heat medium to flow through the radiator when the temperature of the heat medium is higher than or equal to the first predetermined value. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120125295 | ENGINE CONTROLLER - An ECU detects a shaft torque in a specified torque detection range defined for each cylinder. The shaft torque is generated due to a combustion of the fuel and is applied to a crankshaft of the engine. The ECU computes a crank angle position as an actual peak position at which a combustion torque is peak. The ECU stores a previously determined maximum torque position which corresponds to a crank angle position at which a combustion torque becomes peak. Based on the actual peak position and the previously stored maximum torque position, an igniter controls an ignition timing. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120125105 | ACCELERATION AND ANGULAR VELOCITY DETECTION DEVICE - An acceleration and angular velocity detection device includes a first oscillation element and a second oscillation element that are movable in a direction along a first axis and a direction along a second axis, an oscillating portion oscillating the first and second oscillation elements in opposite directions along the first axis, a first detection capacitance element and a second detection capacitance element whose capacitances change in a complementary way in accordance with a displacement of the first oscillation element, a third detection capacitance element and a fourth detection capacitance element whose capacitances change in a complementary way in accordance with a displacement of the second oscillation element, a charge amplifier having a fully differential structure, and a detecting portion detecting an acceleration and an angular velocity of a rotation. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120123657 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM - A subject vehicle runs under a fixed speed travel at a target speed by an auto-cruise system. When it is determined that the subject vehicle cannot arrive at a destination using a present residual fuel quantity, a navigation apparatus is caused to retrieve an eco-route. It is then determined whether the subject vehicle can arrive at the destination by running the eco-route at a fuel-efficient speed which can consume fuel efficiently using the present residual fuel quantity. When it is determined that the subject vehicle can arrive, the fuel-efficient speed is presented as a recommended speed. Thus, a driver of the subject vehicle is urged to designate the fuel-efficient speed as a new target speed for the auto-cruise control. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120123653 | SHIFT-BY-WIRE SYSTEM - When a vehicle electric power source is turned on, and when a target mode position is other than a P-mode position and a D-mode position or the target mode position is unfixed, an SBW-ECU does not drive the actuator so that the current actual mode position is maintained. The SBW-ECU accepts only the driver's requirement for changing the mode position to the P-mode position or the D-mode position. When it is required to change the mode position to the P-mode position, a first position learning portion learns a first reference position. When it is required to change the mode position to the D-mode position, a second position learning portion learns a second reference position. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120123636 | OPERATION INPUT DEVICE FOR VEHICLE - An operation input device for a vehicle includes: a first operation unit for executing an operation of an in-vehicle device on the vehicle; and a second operation unit for executing a negative operation of the in-vehicle device so that the operation of the in-vehicle device is cancelled. An operation direction of the second operation unit has a directional component. The directional component of the operation direction of the second operation unit is opposite to an extending direction of an arm of a user, who sits down on a predetermined seat. The user extends the arm along with the extending direction in order to touch the operation input device. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120123634 | CONTROL APPARATUS - A control apparatus for vehicles including a first vehicle compatible with an airbag-linked emergency and a second vehicle incompatible with the airbag-linked emergency is provided. The control apparatus includes: a receiver section for receiving an airbag signal from an airbag apparatus; an abnormality determination section for determining that the airbag apparatus is abnormal when the receiver section does not receive the airbag signal from the airbag apparatus; and a control section for activating the abnormality determination section when the control apparatus is mounted to the first vehicle, and for deactivating the abnormality determination section when the control apparatus is mounted to the second vehicle. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120610 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - An electric device includes: a first electric element; a second electric element capable of flowing large current therethrough so that heat is generated in the second electric element; a heat sink; and a first wiring board and a second wiring board, which are disposed on one side of the heat sink. The large current in the second electric element is larger than that in the first electric element. The first wiring board and the second wiring board are separated each other. The first electric element is disposed on the first wiring board, and the second electric element is disposed on the second wiring board. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119940 | RADAR APPARATUS WITH MULTI-RECEIVER CHANNEL - In a radar apparatus, a signal processor successively selects outputs of a plurality of receiving channels at time intervals and repeat, at a sampling cycle, a sequence of the successive selections of the outputs of the plurality of receiving channels, thus sampling values of a beat signal. The signal processor changes a value of the time interval for a current sequence of the successive selections of the outputs of the plurality of receiving channels so that the value of the time interval for the current sequence of the successive selections of the outputs of the plurality of receiving channels is different from a value of the time interval for a previous sequence of the successive selections of the outputs of the plurality of receiving channels. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119939 | RADAR APPARATUS - A radar apparatus includes a transmitter, a receiver, and a signal processor. The transmitter outputs a radar wave. The receiver includes a plurality of receiving antennas and a plurality of receiving devices. Each of the receiving devices mixes a reception signal from the corresponding receiving antenna with a local signal and outputs a beat signal. The signal processor samples the beat signal while selecting one of the receiving devices in order with a selecting period that is less than a half of a sampling period. The signal processor samples the beat signal with the sampling period and derives position information of a target by pair matching of peaks of a rising-modulation signal and a falling-modulation signal of the beat signal. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119938 | FMCW RADAR APPARATUS HAVING PLURALITY OF PROCESSOR CORES USED FOR SIGNAL PROCESSING - A FMCW radar apparatus obtaining information about a target object includes: a transmitter generating a transmission signal of which frequency is modulated based on the FMCW method, the receiver receiving the radar waves reflected at the object, a mixer that generates a beat signal from a mixed signal of the received signal and the transmission signal, and a signal processing unit processing the beat signal to obtain the information including a distance between the own vehicle and the target object, and a relative velocity of the target object. The signal processing unit includes first calculating means and second calculating means, which operate in parallel each other to calculate the information about the object based on the beat signal from an upward-modulation period when the frequency is modulated to be increased and from a downward-modulation period when the frequency is modulated to be decreased respectively. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119713 | DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING POWER GENERATION OF ON-VEHICLE POWER GENERATOR - A device for controlling an on-vehicle power generator is provided with switching means, detecting means, voltage control means, startup control means and normal state control means. The voltage control means controls the output voltage of the power generator together with the switching means. The detecting means detects state of the power generation including a startup state where the engine is in startup condition and a normal state where normal power generation has been performed. The startup control means controls the voltage control means to start/stop of the power generation based on the frequency of the phase voltage of the power generator in the startup state. The normal state control means controls the voltage control means in the normal state such that the normal state control means controls the voltage control means to continue the power generation or stops the power generation based on the frequency of the phase voltage. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119689 | MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM - An amount of a rotational angle corresponding to a half of a play (included in an insert-fit coupling device having a maximum production tolerance) is set as a correction amount. When a shift range is changed to a target range, a target rotational angle for an output shaft corresponding to such target range is calculated. The target rotational angle is corrected to get a virtual rotational angle for the output shaft, so that the output shaft may be further rotated by the correction amount in addition to the target rotational angle. A control error for a stop position of a roller is controlled within a half of the play. According to the invention, it is not necessary to carry out a learning process for the play. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119649 | PLASMA GENERATING APPARATUS - A plasma generating apparatus includes: a power supply one of whose electrodes is connected to vacuum chamber walls of N vacuum chambers; an oscillator which outputs a pulse signal at every predetermined period; N pulse amplifying circuits which are connected in parallel to the oscillator as well as to the other electrode of the power supply, and each of which amplifies the pulse signal and supplies the amplified pulse signal to a corresponding one of N electrodes disposed in the N vacuum chambers; and at least (N−1) timing generating circuits which are connected between the oscillator and at least (N−1) pulse amplifying circuits, and which delay the pulse signal by respectively different delay times so that at any specific time, the pulse signal is supplied to only one of the pulse amplifying circuits. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119497 | Starting Device for Engines - An electromagnetic switch unit comprises a solenoid device that pushes out a pinion gear to a ring gear side of an engine, and an electromagnetic switch that opens and closes a main point of contact of a motor circuit. The solenoid device and the electromagnetic switch are arranged in series in an axial direction, while a magnetic plate that forms a part of magnetic circuit between a first coil used for the solenoid device and a second coil used for the electromagnetic switch is shared by the solenoid device and the electromagnetic switch. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119347 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device comprises at least a semiconductor module including a semiconductor chip, a heat sink thermally connected to the semiconductor chip and a seal member for covering and sealing the semiconductor chip and the heat sink in such a manner as to expose the heat radiation surface of the heat sink. The radiation surface is cooled by a refrigerant. An opening is formed in a part of the seal member as a refrigerant path through which the refrigerant flows. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119318 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH LATERAL ELEMENT - In a semiconductor device in which a first electrode and a second electrode are disposed on a surface of a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer of a semiconductor substrate and a lateral element is formed to cause an electric current between the first electrode and the second electrode, a scroll-shaped resistive field plate is disposed on the semiconductor layer across an insulation film. The resistive field plate extends toward the second electrode while surrounding a periphery of the first electrode in a scroll shape. A resistance value of a total resistance of the resistive field plate is in a range between 90 kΩ and 90 MΩ. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120118543 | HEAT EXCHANGER - Tubes extend in a first direction and are stacked in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. A side plate is located on an outer side of the tubes in the second direction. A core plate extends in the second direction, and longitudinal end portions of the tubes are joined to the core plate. A through-hole extends through a bent portion of a holding claw of the core plate. A projection is formed in a side plate end portion of the side plate to project in the first direction. The projection is inserted through the through-hole of the holding claw. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120118046 | EVAPORATION LEAK CHECK SYSTEM - A pump characteristics expression of a pump is developed based on a closed-state pressure detected when the pump is driven while a space between a pump passage and a first passage is closed, an open-time pressure detected immediately after the space is opened while the pump is operated, and a flow rate characteristics expression of the pump passage. A reference pressure is determined by an intersection point between the pump characteristics expression of the pump and a flow rate characteristics expression of an orifice having a predetermined passage area. A leak check portion determines whether a leak of fuel evaporation generated from a fuel tank is within an allowable range by comparing the reference pressure and a pressure detected when the pump is operated for a predetermined period while the space is opened. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120117745 | ON-BOARD OPTICAL SENSOR COVER AND ON-BOARD OPTICAL SENSOR APPARATUS - An on-board optical sensor cover includes a holder and a washer nozzle. The holder holds an optical sensor. The optical sensor has a lens and is mounted above a window of a vehicle outside the vehicle. The washer nozzle performs a washing operation to wash a lens surface of the lens of the optical sensor held in the holder or a glass surface of a cover glass located facing the lens if the cover glass exists by spraying a washer fluid, supplied from a washer fluid tank, onto the lens surface or the glass surface. The optical sensor cover is located above the window outside the vehicle so that the washer fluid spayed from the washer nozzle flows to a window surface of the window after washing the lens surface or the glass surface. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120117287 | COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, MASTER NODE, AND SLAVE NODE - In a communication system, a bus allows information to be communicated thereon as signals. Each of the signals has an electrical dominant level thereon and an electrical recessive level thereon. The electrical dominant level is asserted on the bus in priority to the electrical recessive level. Each of a master node and at least one autonomous communicating slave node detects that the bus is in an idle state when the electrical recessive level on the bus is continued for a predetermined period or more, transmits a corresponding header via the bus after detection of the bus being in the idle state, and performs arbitration on the bus based on the corresponding header. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120116717 | ROTATION ANGLE DETECTION DEVICE AND ELECTRIC POWER STEERING APPARATUS USING SAME - A rotation angle detection device uses a control unit to acquire output signals Vx | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120113122 | SOUND FIELD VISUALIZATION SYSTEM - A sound field visualization system includes a sound field display unit, a trigger signal generation section, and a control section. The sound field display unit includes a plurality of sound pressure display sections. Each sound pressure display section includes a sound pressure signal generation portion, a sampling portion, and a display portion. The sound signal generation portion generates a sound pressure signal in accordance with a sound pressure. The sampling portion samples the sound pressure signal based on a trigger signal that is generated by the trigger signal generation section and is supplied from the control section. The display portion creates a display based on the sound pressure signal sampled by the sampling portion. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120112955 | METHOD OF DETERMINING THRESHOLD FOR DETECTION OF PEAK FREQUENCY IN RADAR AND OBJECT INFORMATION PRODUCING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A peak detecting threshold determining method is provided which determines a peak detecting threshold which is used by an FMCW radar in detecting a peak frequency component which appears as representing a target object in a frequency spectrum. A CW radar wave is transmitted to produce a CW noise spectrum. An offset is added to frequency components in a high-frequency region of the CW noise spectrum to define a first distribution as a value of the peak detecting threshold. This enables the value of the peak detecting threshold in the high-frequency region to be determined with high precision by reflecting a receiver noise containing a leakage noise. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120112945 | A/D CONVERSION APPARATUS - An A/D conversion apparatus includes an N-stage pulse circulating circuit including N (N is a natural number, N≧3) inverting circuits connected in a ring shape, the inverting circuits delaying an input pulse signal by a delay time corresponding to an amplitude of a separately input analog input signal, and outputting inverted pulse signals obtained by inverting the pulse signal, a counter unit that counts a number of circulations by which the pulse signal has circulated in the pulse circulating circuit within a predetermined time based on the inverted pulse signal output from one of the N inverting circuits, and a switching unit that switches an output destination of the inverted pulse signal, which is output from an inverting circuit of an M | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120112802 | DRIVING TRANSISTOR CONTROL CIRCUIT - A control circuit controls a driving transistor connected in series with an electrical load between a power supply voltage and a ground. The control circuit includes a pull-up resistor connected at one end to a power supply voltage side of the driving transistor, a current detection resistor for detecting an electric current flowing from the driving transistor to the ground, a current mirror circuit including a starting transistor connected between the pull-up transistor and the current detection resistor. The current mirror circuit supplies a mirror current of the electric current. The control circuit further includes a current source circuit for supplying a driving current to a control terminal of the driving transistor in accordance with the mirror current to turn ON the driving transistor in response to an external control signal. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120112785 | VOLTAGE DETECTION DEVICE AND SYSTEM - A voltage detection device including a multiplexer provided with a plurality of input channels connected to respective battery cells and an output channel connected to an analog-to-digital (AD) converter. The multiplexer is further provided with an additional input channel that is connected to a voltage source that supplies a fault detection voltage. A multiplexer controller is triggered by an input trigger signal to instruct the multiplexer to sequentially connect the input channels and the additional input channel to the output channel according to a predetermined voltage detection sequence. An abnormality detector determines that there exists an abnormality in the multiplexer controller on the basis of an output of the AD converter when the AD converter detects the fault detection voltage at a timing different from a normal timing defined by the voltage detection sequence. This enables the voltage detection device to self-diagnose the multiplexer controller. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120112754 | APPARATUS QUANTIFYING STATE-OF-CHARGE OF VEHICLE-MOUNTED RECHARGEABLE BATTERY - A rechargeable battery state-of-charge quantifying apparatus for use in a vehicle equipped with an electric motor and a rechargeable battery which supplies electric power to the motor to produce a driving torque. The apparatus quantifies a state-of-charge of the rechargeable battery and defines a minimum value of a state-of-charge of the rechargeable battery at which the rechargeable battery is permitted to produce a degree of electric power required to run the vehicle as a lower limit. The lower limit is increased as the rechargeable battery ages, thereby ensuring the stability in supplying the amount of electric power to the motor which is required to run the vehicle regardless of aging of the battery. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120112600 | STATOR FOR ELECTRIC ROTATING MACHINE - A stator includes a stator core and a multi-phase stator coil distributedly wound on the stator core. The stator core includes a plurality of teeth and a yoke having a plurality of grooves. Each of the teeth has a press-fit portion, which is press-fitted in a corresponding one of the grooves of the yoke, and a main body portion extending from the press-fit portion in a direction away from the corresponding groove. The press-fit portion has a pair of contact surfaces which are both in contact with a bottom surface of the corresponding groove and away from each other in a width direction of the tooth. Further, (a+b)≦e/2, where a and b respectively represent widths of the contact surfaces of the press-fit portion, and e represents a width of the main body portion at a press-fit portion-side end of the main body portion. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120112530 | DRIVING APPARATUS FOR A POWER CONVERSION CIRCUIT - A driving apparatus is provided which drives a power conversion circuit including series-connected units of high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements. The apparatus includes driving circuits provided to the respective switching elements. The power conversion circuit configures a high-voltage system insulated from a low-voltage system. Each of the driving circuits outputs a fail signal indicating abnormality of at least one of the switching elements, which is driven by the driving circuit, and the driving circuit itself, to the primary side of a fail insulating unit. The secondary sides of the fail insulating units, to which the fail signal is outputted by the respective driving circuits, are connected to each other in series. The switching elements are arranged on a substrate in two rows. The fail insulating units connected to each other in series are arranged between the switching elements arranged in the two rows on the substrate. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120112273 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a vertical type trench gate MOS transistor; a Schottky barrier diode; multiple trenches having a stripe pattern to divide an inner region into first and second separation regions; and a poly silicon film in each trench. The first separation region includes a first conductive type region for providing a source and a second conductive type layer for providing a channel region. The first conductive type region is adjacent to a first trench. The poly silicon film in the first trench is coupled with a gate wiring. A second trench is not adjacent to the first conductive type region. The poly silicon film in the second trench is coupled with a source or gate wiring. The substrate in the second separation region is coupled with the source wiring for providing a Schottky barrier. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120111658 | VEHICULAR STEERING CONTROL APPARATUS - A vehicular steering control apparatus has a steering direction control device and a reaction force application device. The steering direction control device controls a steering angle of steered wheels by controlling a steering direction control motor based on a steering wheel angle. The reaction force application unit is provided more closer to a steering wheel than the steering direction control device is and has a differential reduction unit and a reaction force application motor. The differential reduction unit transfers rotation of an input shaft to an output shaft. The reaction force application motor drives the differential reduction unit. The steering wheel and the steered wheels are normally linked mechanically, so that no fail-safe device is needed. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120111549 | HEAT TRANSPORT FLUID PASSAGE DEVICE WITH HYDROPHOBIC MEMBRANE - A heat transport fluid passage device for a heat transport circuit has a wall defining a passage through which a heat transport fluid flows. The heat transport fluid contains a solvent made of water or an organic substance and fine particles dispersed in the solvent. A hydrophobic membrane is formed on a surface of the wall. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120111301 | SPARK IGNITION INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - A spark ignition internal combustion engine is equipped with a fuel pressure sensor for detecting a viscosity of fuel supplied to a fuel injector based on a variation in a fuel pressure. In a case of stratified combustion by a spray guided injection, an ECU advances a fuel injection start timing of the fuel injector 4 according to the detected viscosity of the fuel. Thus, even if the viscosity of the fuel is significantly high, the fuel-rich area is well formed at a vicinity of the discharge electrode so that a preferable combustion condition can be maintained. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120111161 | PIERCING APPARATUS AND PIERCING METHOD - The present invention relates to a piercing apparatus and a piercing method which drive a punch. The piercing apparatus includes a local heating device for heating part of the workpiece in a temperature range less than a melting point of the workpiece and a punch driving device for driving the punch toward the part of the workpiece which was heated by the local heating device. The piercing method includes a local heating step for heating part of the workpiece in a temperature range less than a melting point of the workpiece and a stamping step for driving the punch toward the part of the workpiece which was heated in the local heating step. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120111108 | LIQUID LEVEL DETECTING DEVICE - One end of a float arm is connected to a float and the other end thereof is rotatably supported by a housing made of insulating resin material. An electrically conductive portion, which is for example made of conducting resin material, is integrally formed with the housing and electrically connecting the other end of the float arm to a ground terminal which is fixed to the housing. A detecting circuit is accommodated in the housing. Electric charge generated at the float due to friction between the float and fuel is grounded to the earth via the float arm, the electrically conductive portion and the ground terminal, so that an adverse effect of the electric charge to the detecting circuit can be avoided. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120111100 | DETERIORATION DETERMINATION APPARATUS FOR AIRFLOW METER AND DETERIORATION DETERMINATION METHOD - When a deterioration determination apparatus determines a degree of deterioration in characteristics of an airflow meter, a driving condition of an engine is maintained at a specified condition in which intake air flow rate is greater than a specified value. A measurement error of the airflow meter is computed based on an intake air flow rate measured with the airflow meter. The degree of deterioration due to stain is determined based on the measurement error. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120110296 | ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A diagnostic tool sends a request format designating a virtual address, which is different from a real address for an EEPROM. When a microcomputer determines that an address designated by the received request format is a virtual address assigned to the EEPROM, the microcomputer executes a process, which is designated by the received request format, with respect to the virtual address assigned to the EEPROM. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120109517 | MOBILE OBJECT POSITIONING DEVICE AND NAVIGATION APPARATUS - A GPS receiver is used to receive a signal from GPS satellites, and a current vehicle position is detected based on the received signal. A control unit estimates the current vehicle position based on a travel speed of a vehicle from a vehicle speed sensor and a travel direction of the vehicle from a direction sensor. After correcting the estimated current vehicle position based on the current vehicle position from the GPS receiver, a power supply to the GPS receiver is turned off, and thereafter an error of the estimated current vehicle position is calculated based on an error accumulated for a certain time period regarding the speed and the direction. When the error of the estimated current vehicle position exceeds an error tolerance, the power supply for the GPS receiver is restarted to correct the estimated current vehicle position. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120109493 | EGR CONTROLLER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - By means of an air model, an estimated quantity of an exhaust gas flowing into a cylinder and a target quantity of the exhaust gas are computed. A deviation between the estimated quantity and the target quantity is multiplied by a feedback gain to obtain a feedback correction quantity. A reference opening degree of an EGR valve is defined according to an engine driving condition and the feedback correction quantity is added to the reference opening degree to obtain a command opening degree of the EGR valve. According to the engine driving condition and the deviation between the estimated quantity and the target quantity, a feedback gain is established so that control accuracy and control stability of a feedback control can be ensured. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120109464 | MOMENTUM CONTROL APPARATUS - The momentum control apparatus includes: an optimal feedback gain obtaining part for obtaining a plurality of optimal feedback gains used when each of the plurality of actuators is independently actuated to feedback control the momentum of the controlled object; and a feedback gain setting part for extracting a minimum feedback gain out of the plurality of optimal feedback gains obtained by the optimal feedback gain obtaining part as a feedback gain of a control system. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120109461 | LATERAL MOTION CONTROL APPARATUS FOR A VEHICLE - A lateral motion control apparatus includes a target value obtaining unit, a control amount calculation unit, a steering intent determination unit that determines whether a driver of the vehicle is steering with intent, and a control object control unit that controls the control object so as to control the control object based on the control amount when the driver is not steering with intent, and to stop the control of the control object when the driver is steering with intent. The steering intent determination unit includes a steering operation amount obtaining unit and a threshold value setting unit that sets a threshold value for the steering operation amount based on the target value, and determines whether or not the driver is steering with intent by comparing the magnitude of the steering operation amount with the threshold value. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120109460 | VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL APPARATUS AND VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL SYSTEM USING THE SAME - A vehicle dynamic control apparatus is designed to control a plurality of controlled objects according to a request value of a first parameter from an application associated with motion of a vehicle in a same direction to fulfill the request value of the first parameter. An availability obtainer obtains an availability corresponding to a controllable range of a second parameter of each of the plurality of controlled objects, the second parameter being associated with motion of the vehicle in the same direction. A selector determines an order of the plurality of controlled objects to be controlled based on the availability of the second parameter of each of the plurality of controlled objects, and selects at least one of the plurality of controlled objects to be controlled in accordance with the determined order. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120109422 | Keyless entry system for vehicle - In a keyless entry system, when at least one proper portable unit is detected outside of a passenger compartment and the one is not detected inside of the passenger compartment, a door lock control is performed. Then, when it is determined that another proper portable unit is inside of the passenger compartment, the another proper portable unit is assigned to an unavailable proper portable unit. Further, it is determined whether at least one proper portable unit is inside of the passenger compartment while excluding the unavailable proper portable unit in response to an operation starting instruction to start an operation of a power source for driving the vehicle. When it is determined that no proper potable unit is inside of the passenger compartment, it is prohibited to start the operation of the power source. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120109416 | LATERAL MOTION CONTROL APPARATUS FOR A VEHICLE - The lateral motion control apparatus calculates lateral motion control amounts for a plurality of control targets that operate cooperatively in order to change the lateral motion amount of the vehicle based on a target value for the lateral motion amount of the vehicle, and control the plurality of control targets based on the calculated lateral motion control amounts. Meanwhile, it is determined whether or not the control of the plurality of control targets is to be stopped. When it has been determined that the control of the plurality of control targets is to be stopped, lateral motion degeneration control amounts are determined for each of the plurality of control targets so that the lateral motion control amounts of the plurality of control targets degenerate starting at that time, and the plurality of control targets are controlled based on the determined lateral motion degeneration control amounts. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120109415 | LATERAL MOTION CONTROL APPARATUS FOR A VEHICLE - A lateral motion control apparatus for a vehicle includes a control stop determination unit that determines whether or not to stop the control for the control target by the control target control unit based on a steering operation amount inputted by a driver of the vehicle, and a degeneration control amount determination unit that determines a degeneration control amount for the control target such that the control amount for the control target degenerates after the time when the control stop determination unit has determined that the control for the control target is to be stopped. When the control stop determination unit has determined that the control for the control target is to be stopped, the control target control unit controls the control target based on the degeneration control amount determined by the degeneration control amount determination unit. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120109414 | VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL PLATFORM BETWEEN APPLICATION AND CONTROLLED OBJECT - In a vehicle dynamic control platform arranged between a controlled object and an application, an availability obtainer obtains an availability corresponding to a controllable range of a second parameter of the controlled object, and outputs the availability of the second parameter of the controlled object to the application. The application is programmed to output the target value of the first parameter based on the availability of the second parameter of the controlled object. A comparator compares the target value of the first parameter with the availability of the second parameter when the target value of the first parameter is outputted from the application, and determines, based on a result of the comparison, whether to perform dynamic control of the vehicle by controlling the controlled object. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120109412 | VEHICLE MOVEMENT CONTROL APPARATUS AND VEHICLE MOVEMENT CONTROL METHOD - A vehicle movement control apparatus for setting control requirement values for a plurality of control objects controlling movement of a vehicle, if control target values for movement of the vehicle are input, the apparatus includes: a first requirement value setting unit setting a first control requirement value for a first control object; a first estimating unit acquiring a first movement estimated value if the first control object is activated based on the first control requirement value; a calculating unit calculating an estimated delay amount which is a shortage amount generated based on response delay of the first control object; a second requirement value setting unit setting a second control requirement value for a second control object, based on the result of the calculation; and a second estimating unit acquiring a second movement estimated value if the second control object is activated based on the second control requirement value. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120109411 | VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL APPARATUS AND VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL SYSTEM USING THE SAME - A vehicle dynamic control apparatus is designed to control a plurality of controlled objects based on a first parameter associated with a motion of a vehicle in a same direction to fulfill a request value of a second parameter associated with the motion of the vehicle in the same direction and outputted from a control requester. The vehicle dynamic control apparatus includes an availability obtainer configured to obtain an availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects, and to output the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects to the control requester. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120109410 | VEHICLE MOTION CONTROL APPARATUS - A vehicle motion control apparatus configured to control a plurality of control objects in a same direction of vehicle motion control to achieve a requested control amount is provided. The vehicle motion control apparatus includes a control object selection unit which is configured to determine priority of the control objects used for the vehicle motion control based on a priority determination condition, to select a control object from among the plurality of control objects. The control object selection unit includes a control object selection timing determination section configured to detect a change in the priority determination condition, and cause the control object selection unit to reselect a control object at a timing of the change detection as a selection timing. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120107994 | MANUFACTURING METHOD OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - In a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, a substrate including single crystalline silicon is prepared, a reformed layer that continuously extends is formed in the substrate, and the reformed layer is removed by etching. The forming the reformed layer includes polycrystallizing a portion of the single crystalline silicon by irradiating the substrate with a pulsed laser beam while moving a focal point of the laser beam in the substrate. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120107557 | MANUFACTURING METHOD OF PIEZOELECTRIC-BODY FILM, AND PIEZOELECTRIC-BODY FILM MANUFACTURED BY THE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric thin film including an aluminum nitride thin film containing scandium on a substrate, the method includes: sputtering step for sputtering aluminum and scandium under an atmosphere containing at least a nitrogen gas. In the sputtering step in the method according to the present invention, a scandium content rate falls within the range from 0.5% by atom to 50% by atom when a temperature of the substrate falls within the range from 5° C. to 450° C. during the sputtering step. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120107164 | VARIABLE DISPLACEMENT SCROLL COMPRESSOR - A stationary base plate includes a sub-bypass hole, which communicates between a suction chamber and a first compression chamber, and a main bypass hole, which communicates between the suction chamber and a second compression chamber. A rotational center of the orbiting scroll and the sub-bypass hole are located along a first imaginary line. The rotational center of the orbiting scroll is also located along a second imaginary line, which is perpendicular to the first imaginary line. The main bypass hole opens at a location of the stationary base plate, which is on a side of the second imaginary line where the sub-bypass hole is located, so that timing of communicating between the suction chamber and the first compression chamber with each other is deviated from timing of communicating between the suction chamber and the second compression chamber with each other. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120106221 | ELECTRIC POWER CONVERTER APPARATUS - An electric power converter apparatus includes an inverter circuit having a plurality of upper arm elements and a plurality of lower arm elements, a feedback controlling module calculating a voltage command value in order to control an output from the inverter circuit in a feedback control manner and a compensating module compensating the voltage command value with a compensation amount and outputting a compensated voltage command value. Each of the plurality of upper arm elements and the plurality of lower arm elements is operated to switch over based on a control signal that is set according to the compensated voltage command value and a dead time. The compensation amount is set by the compensating module in order to compensate a fluctuation in the output current due to the dead time. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120106220 | SWITCHING MODULE - A switching module includes a series-connected unit of a first flowing restriction element and a second flowing restriction element, the first flowing restriction element having an opening and closing function of opening and closing a flowing path of current, and the second flowing restriction element having at least one of a rectifying function of restricting the direction in which current flows and the opening and closing function, and a snubber circuit connected to the series-connected unit in parallel. A first wiring line connecting between the first flowing restriction element and the snubber circuit, a second wiring line connecting between the second flowing restriction element and the snubber circuit, a third wiring line connecting between the first flowing restriction element and the second flowing restriction element, the first flowing restriction element, the second flowing restriction element, and the snubber circuit are formed substantially integrally with each other by using an insulator. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105694 | TIME AD CONVERTER AND SOLID STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - Disclosed is a time AD converter which is provided with an annular delay circuit, a digital signal generation unit, and an annular delay circuit control unit. The annular delay circuit has n delay units (where n is a natural number equal to or larger than 2). The digital signal generation unit generates a digital signal corresponding to an analog signal by using an output of the annular delay circuit. The annular delay circuit control unit controls a current which is input to the n delay units in accordance with an external environmental signal. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105300 | Radome incorporating partition wall for enhancing isolation between transmitted and received radar waves of radar apparatus - A radome covers an antenna substrate of a millimeter-band radar apparatus, with a partition wall formed integrally in the radome separating the internal space of the radome into a first internal space, located in correspondence with a transmitting antenna section, and a second internal space, located in correspondence with a receiving antenna section. Increased isolation between transmission and reception is achieved thereby, by reducing the amount of transmitted radar waves which directly reach the receiving antenna section. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105271 | SATELLITE SIGNAL DETERMINATION APPARATUS - A vehicle direction estimation section estimates an absolute direction of a heading direction of a vehicle based on GPS information and vehicle information. A satellite direction estimation section estimates an absolute direction of a target satellite of several satellites for positioning based on corresponding GPS information, and estimates a relative direction of the target satellite with respect to the heading direction based on the estimated absolute direction of the heading direction and the estimated absolute direction of the target satellite. A shield determination section determines a shielded state of the target satellite by determining whether a signal strength of a satellite signal from the target satellite is greater than a threshold value relative to a target partition of several partitions into which a three-dimensional sphere with respect to the heading direction is divided, the target partition which the calculated relative direction of the target satellite belongs to. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105270 | Observation signal processing apparatus - An observation signal processing apparatus transmits a pulse signal as a search signal, generates an observation value based on a reflected signal against a target and a delay modulation pulse signal, and performs coherent integration on the observation value to output an integration value. The apparatus includes a section for determining a coherent integration count, a section for transmitting pulse signals equivalent to the coherent integration count, a section for calculating a phase correction amount based on an estimated relative speed, and a section for performing phase-weighted coherent integration on observation values for the number of times equivalent to the coherent integration count based on the phase correction amount. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105198 | IN-VEHICLE DEVICE CONTROLLER - An in-vehicle device controller includes: an in-vehicle unit for controlling an in-vehicle device; and a portable device. The in-vehicle unit includes a request signal transmitter for transmitting a request signal including random information to the portable device. The portable device transmits a response signal in response to the request signal at multiple frequencies according to a switching pattern corresponding to a part of the random information. The in-vehicle unit further includes: a frequency specifying device for specifying the switching pattern based on the part of the random information; and a reception determination device for executing a reception determination process of the response signal based on a specified switching pattern. The in-vehicle device identifies the portable device according to the reception determination process, and controls the in-vehicle device according to an identification of the portable device. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105196 | Vehicular keyless entry system and portable device therefor - A vehicular keyless entry system is formed of an in-vehicle device and a plurality of portable devices. The portable device stores received checkup area identification information in a memory circuit. The portable device transmits a response signal including the stored checkup area information and portable device identification information, when a request signal is received from an in-vehicle device. The in-vehicle device checks up a plurality of portable devices based on the portable device identification information included in the response signal, and determines locations of the plurality of portable devices based on the checkup area identification information included in the response signal. The in-vehicle device performs vehicle door locking control operation based on a determination result. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105179 | ELECTROMAGNETIC SWITCH - An electromagnetic switch includes an electromagnetic coil, a fixed core, a movable core, and a diode. The electromagnetic coil is configured to form an electromagnet when energized. The fixed core is arranged to be magnetized by the electromagnet. The movable core is arranged to be attracted by the magnetized fixed core to move in a movement direction toward the fixed core. The diode is electrically connected in parallel with the electromagnetic coil. The diode includes a main body and has a pair of leads respectively extending from a pair of ends of the main body which are opposite to each other in a lead arrangement direction of the diode. The lead arrangement direction of the diode is parallel to the movement direction of the movable contact. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105178 | ELECTROMAGNETIC SOLENOID - An electromagnetic solenoid having an electromagnetic coil, a fixed iron core, a movable iron core, and a spring coil. The spring coil, arranged between the fixed and the movable iron core, supplies a spring force to the movable iron core toward an opposite direction of the fixed iron core along the axial direction. A magnetic attraction surface and a fitting part are formed in at least one of the fixed iron core and the movable iron core. The magnetic attraction surface is contacted with the fixed iron core when the movable iron core reaches the fixed iron core. An outer peripheral surface of the fitting part, apart from the magnetic attraction surface by a predetermined distance along the axial direction, is engaged with the spring coil. The most outer peripheral part of the magnetic attraction surface is positioned inside rather than the most outer peripheral part of the fitting part. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120104888 | DRAIN STRUCTURE OF ELECTRIC ROTATING MACHINE - An electric rotating machine includes a casing having a through-hole and a drain member for draining water from the casing. The drain member has a mounting portion that includes hooks each having a proximal part and a distal part. The proximal part extends in the penetration direction of the through-hole. The distal part has a distal end that makes up an insertion end. The mounting portion is mounted to the through-hole by inserting the hooks into the through-hole from the insertion ends. The proximal parts of the hooks have flexibility so as to flex in a flexural direction perpendicular to the penetration direction during the insertion of the hooks into the through-hole. Each of the hooks also has a protrusion that protrudes from the outer surface of the proximal part toward the inner wall of the through-hole to restrict movement of the hook with respect to the through-hole. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120103086 | FLOW MEASURING DEVICE - A flow measuring device includes a housing, a support, and a flow measurement element. The housing defines a passage therein and includes a passage narrowing part, which reduces a cross-sectional area of the passage, in a predetermined part of the passage. The support has a platy shape and is disposed along a flow direction of fluid flowing in the passage. The flow measurement element is located inside the passage narrowing part and is disposed on a surface of the support. The flow measurement element detects a flow rate of fluid flowing in the passage. The passage narrowing part has an inner wall surface that gradually reduces a width of the passage from a center side to both end sides of the passage in a height direction of the passage, which is perpendicular to a direction of the width of the passage. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120103084 | AIR FLOW MEASURING DEVICE - An air flow measuring device includes a passage forming housing, a sensor housing, and a sensor part. An inner wall surface of the passage forming housing defines a measured passage. The passage forming housing includes a sensor attaching part. Measured air flows through the measured passage. The sensor housing is attached to the sensor attaching part. The sensor part is disposed on the sensor housing and measures a flow rate of the measured air flowing through the passage. The passage forming housing includes a guiding device for guiding the measured air, which flows along the inner wall surface of the passage forming housing on an upstream side of the sensor attaching part in a measured air flow direction, further toward a center of the passage than the inner wall surface of the passage forming housing on a downstream side of the sensor attaching part in the flow direction. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120103059 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING PARTICULATE MATTER CONTAINED IN A GAS TO BE MEASURED - A particulate matter detection element includes a capacitance component disposed in parallel with a detected resistance R | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120103058 | PARTICULATE MATTER DETECTION ELEMENT - A shielding part is formed on a detection part in a particulate matter detection element. The detection part has a pair of detection electrodes formed in a comb structure. A shielding layer is made of heat insulating material and formed on the detection part in order to shield a predetermined area having non-uniform electric field intensity. An area having uniform electric field intensity on the detection part is exposed only to exhaust gas as target detection gas when a predetermined voltage is supplied between the detection electrodes in order to detect electric characteristics of the detection part. This structure prevents the area other than the area having the uniform electric field intensity on the detection part from being exposed to the exhaust gas. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120103057 | PARTICULATE MATTER DETECTION SENSOR - In a PM detection sensor, a gas introduction hole is formed in a cover unit which surrounds a PM detection element. The gas introduction hole faces a detection part having detection electrodes of a comb structure. A projected part generated when an opening part of the gas introduction hole is projected on the detection part is within an inside area of the detection part. The projected area of the opening part of the gas introduction hole is positioned within the inside area having a uniform electric field intensity between the detection electrodes. The target detection gas is directly introduced through the gas introduction hole to the area having the uniform electric field intensity generated on the detection part. PM contained in the target detection gas is captured and accumulated on the area having the uniform electric field intensity but not on the area having non-uniform electric field intensity. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120103007 | Receiver and receiver-integrated condenser - A receiver includes a cylindrical main tank; a cylindrical internal thread component having an internal thread; a cap having a male thread threaded with the internal thread; a sealing attached to the cap; and a filter portion arranged in the cap. The internal thread component is coaxially arranged to an inner circumference face of the tank. The filter portion includes an internal passage extending inside of the cap, and a net that collects a foreign matter contained in refrigerant flowing through the internal passage. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120102974 | Air conditioner for vehicle - In a vehicle air conditioner, a heating heat exchanger is disposed in an air passage of a casing to heat air to be blown toward a vehicle compartment by performing heat exchange between air and a heating fluid, a heat radiation portion is disposed to radiate heat to the heating fluid before being heat-exchanged in the heating heat exchanger, a heat absorption portion is disposed to absorb heat from the heating fluid after being heat-exchanged in the heating heat exchanger, and a Peltier element is disposed between the heat radiation portion and the heat absorption portion to pump heat from the heat absorption portion to the heat radiation portion. Furthermore, the heat radiation portion is disposed in the air passage of the casing, in which the heating heat exchanger is disposed. Thus, heat discharged from the Peltier element can be effectively used. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120101821 | SPEECH RECOGNITION APPARATUS - A speech recognition apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus converts a speech signal into a digitalized speech data, and performs speech recognition based on the speech data. The apparatus makes a comparison between the speech data inputted the last time and the speech data inputted the time before the last time in response to a user's indication that the speech recognition results in erroneous recognition multiple times in a row. When the speech data inputted the last time is determined to substantially match the speech data inputted the time before the last time, the apparatus outputs a guidance prompting the user to utter an input target by calling it by another name. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120101755 | VEHICULAR BATTERY PACK - A battery pack includes a battery module that charges and discharges electricity to be used to drive a vehicle, and a monitoring controller for monitoring charge of the battery module. The monitoring controller stores past charge records and past discharge records in a charge-discharge history. Based on an analysis of learning data of a charge-discharge cycle in the charge-discharge history, the monitoring controller determines a charge operation, which may either be a normal charge or a quick charge, for charging the battery. The normal charge provides a charging electric current per unit time that is less than the charging current per unit time of the quick charge. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120101745 | FLOW MEASURING DEVICE - A flow measuring device includes a flow rate detecting part, an analog/digital conversion part, and a signal processing part. The flow rate detecting part detects a flow rate of air flowing through the passage, and outputs a flow voltage signal, which is a voltage in accordance with the flow rate. The analog/digital conversion part converts the flow voltage signal from the flow rate detecting part into digital data, which is flow digital data. The signal processing part performs calculation processing upon the flow digital data, which includes averaging of a predetermined number of consecutive pieces of the flow digital data, and outputs the averaged flow digital data as a flow rate signal. The predetermined number is equal to or larger than two. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120101660 | NON-MANIPULATION OPERATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREPARING FOR NON-MANIPULATION OPERATION OF VEHICLE - A notification unit causes a notification device to notify that a consent input person has whereabouts of a responsibility related to a non-manipulation operation to operate a vehicle without manipulation of an occupant of the vehicle. An information acquisition unit obtains consent-input person information for identifying the consent input person who inputs a consent into an operation unit, after the notification unit notifies the whereabouts of the responsibility. A record unit associates consent information on the inputted consent with the obtained consent-input person information to cause a storage unit to store the associated information. A control unit starts the non-manipulation operation of the vehicle, in response to input of the consent, after the notification unit notifies the whereabouts of the responsibility. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120099348 | POWER CONVERTER WITH HIGH EFFICIENCY IN OPERATION - A power converter includes a main switch to which a capacitor is connected through a sub-diode. A primary coil of a transformer and a sub-switch are joined parallel to the capacitor. A main diode is coupled in series with the main switch. A sub-diode and a secondary coil of the transformer are connected parallel to the main diode. The rate of a rise in voltage across the main switch when turned off is suppressed by the rate of charging of the capacitor. Subsequently, by turning on the sub-switch, the current flowing through the main diode to be delivered to the transformer, thereby causing the current flowing through the main switch when turned on to be decreased by the sub-inductor. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120099032 | HEAD-UP DISPLAY DEVICE FOR PROJECTING IMAGE ON SCREEN - A head-up display device for projecting an image on a display screen includes: a liquid crystal display element for generating an original image; a light source for emitting light toward the liquid crystal display element; a reflection mirror for reflecting a light image of the original image passing through the liquid crystal display element and for projecting the light image on the display screen; and a concave cylindrical lens having a concave surface and disposed between the liquid crystal display element and the reflection mirror. The concave surface has a curved shape along with x axis of three-dimensional coordinates of the concave cylindrical lens. The concave surface extends along with y axis. The concave surface is rotated around the x axis so that z axis of the concave surface is tilted from an optical axis from the light source to the reflection mirror. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120098548 | OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR TESTING APPARATUS AND METHOD - A testing apparatus for testing whether an occupant detection sensor normally operates is disclosed. The testing apparatus includes: a ground that is an electrically-conductive structural member of the seat; an electrode plate that is electrically-conductive and is on the seat at a time of testing; multiple capacitors that are electrically connected between the electrode plate and the ground and are different in electrostatic capacity from each other; a switch mechanism that selects and switches one capacitor of the multiple capacitors; and a determination result check portion that determines, while switching the one capacitor by the switch mechanism, whether a signal outputted from the occupant detection sensor is a determination result corresponding to the switched one capacitor. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120098503 | ELECTRIC ROTATING MACHINE FOR VEHICLE - A generator has a field coil of a rotor, an armature coil of a stator, a control device supplying an exciting current to the field coil when detecting rotation of the rotor, and a control circuit alternately setting an upper arm transistor and a lower arm transistor in on state in a rectifier module to generate a phase voltage. The control device detects the rotation from a periodic change in a sign of the difference between the phase voltage and a reference voltage. When the rectifier module is overheated, the control circuit sets the upper arm transistor in the off state and sets the lower arm transistor in the on state to almost fix the phase voltage, the control device detects no rotation and stops supplying the exciting current, and the rectifier module generates no phase voltage to decrease temperature of the rectifier module. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120098470 | ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT INCLUDING DISCHARGING CIRCUIT WITH PLURALITY OF RESISTORS CONNECTED IN SERIES - An electronic control unit mounted on a vehicle includes: a capacitor that smoothes voltage of a DC power source electrically isolated from a body of the vehicle; a resistor circuit including a plurality of resistors connected in series, which is connected in parallel to the capacitor to discharge electric charge stored in the capacitor; and a fault judging circuit that judges whether or not the resistor circuit is in a fault condition by comparing the voltage across the resistor included in the resistor circuit with a fault threshold value. The fault judging circuit is adapted to change the fault threshold value based on the voltage of the DC power source. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120098391 | DRIVE APPARATUS - An electronic control unit ( | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120097875 | ELECTROMAGNETIC VALVE - An electromagnetic valve includes a valve case, a covering member, a valve member, an urging device, and an electromagnetic driving unit. The case includes a side wall; a bottom wall; an opening; a peripheral end face; a valve accommodating part eccentrically relative to a central axis of the opening; and a first port. The covering member includes a top plate part welded on the end face to cover the opening; a second port; a cylindrical part; and a valve seat on an end face of the cylindrical part. The valve member is accommodated in the accommodating part, and engaged with/disengaged from the valve seat to close/open a flow passage of fluid between the first and second ports. The case includes an auxiliary wall symmetrically to the side wall located closer to a valve axis with respect to a shorter symmetry plane. The plate part is welded on an opening-side end face of the auxiliary wall. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120095669 | FAIL-SAFE CONTROLLER FOR DIRECT INJECTION ENGINE - A fuel pressure varies according to whether a fuel pressure sensor and a high-pressure pump have a malfunction or not. In view of this, a first threshold Perr | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120095632 | START SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR ELECTROMOTIVE VEHICLE - A start support apparatus to be disposed in an electromotive vehicle includes a requested driving force calculation portion, the startable driving force calculation portion, and an indication portion. The requested driving force calculation portion calculates a requested driving force that is generated at a motor based on operation by a driver of the electromotive vehicle. The startable driving force calculation portion calculates a startable driving force that is required to be generated at the motor for starting the electromotive vehicle. The indication portion shows a degree of gap between the requested driving force and the startable driving force. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120095358 | LIVING BODY STATE MONITOR APPARATUS - A living body state monitor apparatus includes: a living body information acquisition device to acquire living body information containing an electrocardiography waveform and a pulse waveform from a user; an irregular heartbeat detection section to detect an irregular heartbeat from the electrocardiography waveform; and a pulse wave feature quantity extraction section to extract a pulse wave feature quantity from a pulse wave corresponding to the irregular heartbeat. Further, a living body state determination section is included to determine a danger degree on user's living body state using both of (A) information on kind and/or continued time period of an irregular heartbeat detected by the irregular heartbeat detection section, and (B) a pulse wave feature quantity extracted by the pulse wave feature quantity extraction section, and/or a variation of the extracted pulse wave feature quantity. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120093664 | CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION APPARATUS AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAVING THE SAME - A continuously variable transmission apparatus includes an input shaft, an output shaft, a continuously variable transmission mechanism, a differential gear mechanism and a bypass shaft. The continuously variable transmission mechanism is placed between the input shaft and the output shaft and is adapted to conduct rotation of the input shaft to the differential gear mechanism after changing a speed of the rotation. The bypass shaft is placed coaxially with the input shaft and the output shaft and is adapted to conduct the rotation of the input shaft to the differential gear mechanism while bypassing the continuously variable transmission mechanism. The differential gear mechanism is adapted to conduct the rotation from the continuously variable transmission mechanism and the bypass shaft to the output shaft. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120092185 | VEHICULAR ANNUNICIATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR NOTIFYING PROXIMITY OF VEHICLE - An electromagnetic alarm device includes a current interrupter to interrupt an electricity supply to a coil on application of a self-excited voltage to oscillate a diaphragm with a moving core to generate a first alarm sound including a fundamental tone at a first predetermined frequency, when a switch is manipulated by an occupant. A proximity notification device includes an ultrasonic speaker to emit an ultrasonic wave, which is generated by implementing ultrasonic modulation on a proximity notification sound, to an outside of the vehicle for notifying a pedestrian of proximity of the vehicle, according to a traveling state of the vehicle and/or when a sensor detects a pedestrian. The ultrasonic speaker emits an ultrasonic wave, which is generated by implementing ultrasonic modulation on a second alarm sound including a fundamental tone at a second frequency, when the switch is manipulated. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120091995 | CURRENT DETECTION DEVICE - In a wiring pattern formed on a printed circuit board, a current detection pattern having a predetermined area is formed in the wiring pattern for detecting a current, which flows to a subject body for current measurement, based on magnetic flux density generated by the current. The current detection pattern is formed of a same material as the wiring pattern. An excitation current is supplied to the current detection pattern for detecting the magnetic flux density. An output voltage outputted from the current detection pattern in correspondence to the excitation current and the magnetic flux density is measured. The current flowing to the subject body is calculated based on the magnetic flux density calculated from the excitation current and the output voltage. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120091973 | VEHICLE-USE ELECTRIC ROTATING MACHINE - A vehicle generator includes armature windings, rectifier module groups, an upper MOS on-timing determining section, a lower MOS on-timing determining section, a rotational speed calculating section, a target electrical angle setting section for setting a value of a target electrical angle, an upper MOS off-timing determining section, a lower MOS off-timing determining section, and drivers for driving high-side and low-side MOS transistors constituting upper and lower arms. The target electrical angle represents a margin period between when the low-side MOS transistor was turned off a half cycle ago and the moment when the lower arm on-period has ended. The upper MOS off-timing determining section and the lower MOS off-timing determining section set off timings of the MOS transistors such that the margin period is equivalent to the set value of the target electrical angle. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120091940 | AC MOTOR AND CONTROL APPARATUS FOR THE SAME - An AC motor is provided. In the AC motor, there are M pieces (M is an integer of 3 or more) of stator pole groups SPG are arranged in a rotor axis direction, where each of the stator poles groups is composed of a plurality of stator poles which are for the same phase and arranged in a circumferential direction of the motor. Between the stator pole groups SPG, “M−1” pieces of annular windings WR are arranged which allow one-way current to flow therethrough. The windings WR are arranged such that the directions of current passing therethrough are reversed in turn in the rotor axis direction. The stator pole groups SPG are excited to generate magnetic fluxes φG directed in a one way. The excited directions of the magnetic fluxes φG are reversed in turn in the rotor axis direction. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120091933 | CONTROL APPARATUS FOR POWER CONVERSION SYSTEM INCLUDING DC/AC CONVERTER CONNECTED BETWEEN ELECTRIC ROTATING MACHINE AND DC POWER SOURCE - A control apparatus is for use in a power conversion system including a DC/AC converter circuit connected to an electric rotating machine at output terminals thereof and to a DC power source at input terminals thereof through a switching means, a capacitor being connected across the input terminals of the DC/AC converter circuit. The control apparatus includes a current supply means configured to perform current supply control to supply a current to the electric rotating machine in order to discharge the capacitor by manipulating the DC/AC converter circuit in a state where the switching means is set open, and a speed lowering means configured to apply a brake force to a rotating shaft of the electric rotating machine to reduce a rotational speed of the electric rotating machine prior to the current supply control being performed by the current supply means if the rotational speed exceeds a specified speed. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120089929 | COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM, APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING OPERATION SCREEN DESIGN - A UI specification creating apparatus displays a format that allows information relevant to a condition of an element displayed on an operation screen of a user interface to be activated and information concerning content of process that the element operates to be described in a given form and receives descriptions relevant to specifications of the element based on the format. The UI specification creating apparatus then displays the operation screen of the user interface and carries out a simulation of an operation of the element displayed on the operation screen of the user interface based on the information relevant to the condition of the element to be activated and the information concerning the content of process that the element operates received. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120088921 | COMPOUND, ORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A compound is represented by the following formula: | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086698 | SWITCH APPARATUS - A switch apparatus includes multiple operation switches and a display controller. Each of the operation switches has a display unit constructed of electronic paper that can rewrite a display image in a condition of being supplied with electric power and retain a rewritten display image after electric power supply is terminated. The display controller performs a display image rewriting processing that permits electric power supply to a target display unit, instructs the target display unit to rewrite a display image, and terminates electric power supply to the target display unit after instructing the target display unit to rewrite the display image. The display controller performs the display image rewriting processing successively to any of the display units whose display image is to be rewritten. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086567 | Vehicular control system and in-vehicle apparatus - An in-vehicle apparatus operates on a second frequency by a second vibrator while wirelessly receiving from a portable apparatus a wireless signal on a first frequency by a first vibrator along with information on temperature of the portable apparatus. The in-vehicle apparatus previously stores a data map of a frequency and temperature characteristic of the first vibrator and second vibrator while measuring own temperature. The in-vehicle apparatus has an amendment device that acquires an offset value for the second vibrator based on the data map and information on temperatures of the in-vehicle apparatus and portable terminal. The acquired offset value is added to the second vibrator to thereby cause the second frequency to approach the first frequency of the first vibrator. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086496 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH SWITCHING ELEMENT DRIVEN BY CONTROL VOLTAGE - In an electronic device with a switching element, a control circuit controls the voltage at the control terminal of the switching element and drives the switching element, by controlling an ON-drive switching element and an OFF-drive switching element based on an inputted drive signal to the control circuit. The control circuit is configured to turn OFF a switching element using a switching circuit other than the OFF-drive switching element after an elapse of a predetermined period of time from a timing at which the drive signal switches from an ON instruction thereof to an OFF instruction thereof, the ON instruction giving an instruction to turn ON the switching element, the OFF instruction giving an instruction to turn OFF the switching element. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086397 | POWER EXCHANGE SYSTEM - A power exchange system for exchanging power between a power supply system of an installation and a battery of a vehicle includes an installation-side charger/discharger, a vehicle-side charger/discharger coupled to the installation-side charger/discharger to exchange the power, and a vehicle-side controller having a determination section and a setting section. The determination section determines whether the installation is equipped with an installation-side controller that controls power distribution in the power supply system. The setting section sets one of the installation-side controller and the vehicle-side controller as a power command center based on a result of determination by the determination section. The power command center commands one of the installation-side charger/discharger and the vehicle-side charger/discharger to charge/discharge the battery based on information of the battery and information of the power supply system. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086371 | ROTARY ELECTRIC MACHINE FOR VEHICLES - In a vehicular rotary electric machine, a switching section includes a bridge circuit having plurality of upper arms and plurality of lower arms. The arms include switching elements. A diode is connected in parallel to each switching element. One end of the switching element of each of the upper arms is connected to a positive terminal of a battery and one end of the switching element of each of the lower arms is connected to a negative terminal of the battery via a vehicle body. The switching section rectifies induced phase voltage of an armature winding. A section sets ON-timing of the switching elements. A section sets OFF-timing of the switching elements. When the switching element of each lower arm is OFF, a detector detects an energization period in which current flows to the diode. A calculator calculates a rotation frequency based on the detected energization period. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086288 | ELECTRIC ROTATING MACHINE - An electric rotating machine includes a stator, a rotor, and a plurality of magnetic shields. The stator includes a stator core and a stator coil wound on the stator core. The stator core has a plurality of stator teeth arranged in the circumferential direction of the stator core. The rotor includes a rotor core that has a plurality of magnetic salient poles formed therein. The magnetic salient poles face the stator teeth through an air gap formed therebetween. Each of the magnetic shields is provided, either on the forward side of a corresponding one of the stator teeth or on the backward side of a corresponding one of the magnetic salient poles with respect to the rotational direction of the rotor, to create a magnetic flux which suppresses generation of a negative electromagnetic force that hinders rotation of the rotor. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120085196 | ACCELERATOR APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE - A friction plate is slidably clamped between a base and a rotor and is enabled to make relative slide movement relative to the base within a predetermined range. The rotor and the friction plate form a first contact arrangement, at which the rotor and the friction plate contact with each other. The base and the friction plate form a second contact arrangement, at which the base and the friction plate contact with each other. A friction coefficient of the first contact arrangement is larger than a friction coefficient of the second contact arrangement. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120085163 | FLOW QUANTITY MEASURING APPARATUS - A first conductive line, through which a midpoint electric potential of a first series circuit of a bridge circuit is outputted, is branched from a first midpoint connection on a sensor chip. A second conductive line, through which a midpoint electric potential of a second series circuit of the bridge circuit is outputted, is branched from a second midpoint connection on the sensor chip. The output point of the midpoint electric potential of the first series circuit is provided at a midpoint between two temperature sensor resistors, and the first midpoint connection is provided on a center line of a heater resistor. The output point of the midpoint electric potential of the second series circuit is provided at a midpoint between two temperature sensor resistors, and the second midpoint connection is provided on the center line of the heater resistor. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120085146 | PARTICULATE MATTER DETECTION SENSOR - A PM-sensor having a sensor element is provided to an exhaust pipe. The sensor element has a concaved chamber on a particulate matter detection surface of an insulating substrate body, and a detection electrode formed on a bottom surface of the chamber. An insulating protecting layer covers an upper opening of the concaved chamber. The insulating protecting layer has a plurality of penetrating holes through which only particulate matter to be detected can passes. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120084378 | Communication system, master node, and slave node - A slave node communicably coupled to a master node via a bus determines determine whether an active communication mode or a passive communication mode is started based on a header transmitted from the master node. The slave node transmits the header and an ID subsequent to the header when it is determined that the active communication mode is started based on the received header. The ID requests active transmission of a response required to be transmitted in the active communication mode upon the slave node having the response. The slave node monitors arbitration on a bus, and transmits the response subsequent to the ID when the slave node wins the arbitration on the bus between the ID transmitted from the slave node and another information transmitted from another slave node communicably coupled to the master node via the bus based on a result of the monitor. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120084002 | MAP DATA, METHOD FOR PREPARING THE SAME, DATA PRODUCT CONTAINING THE SAME, STORAGE MEDIUM CONTAINING THE SAME, AND NAVIGATION APPARATUS USING THE SAME - Map data define a road in units of links, and a multilink as links connected consecutively with an identical attribute while containing: a road management information list storing fixed-length road management information elements, each indicating the number of links in each multilink; a lower level link information list storing fixed-length link information elements, each indicating the number of coordinate points in each link, in an order in which corresponding road management information elements are arrayed in the road management information list; a higher level link information list storing fixed-length link information elements, each indicating a multilink as a higher level link; and a higher level link ID list storing fixed-length information elements, each indicating a storage array position in the higher level link information list with respect to a multilink, in an order in which corresponding lower link information elements are arrayed in the lower level link information list. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120084001 | COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND MOVABLE TERMINAL - A movable terminal stores previously a travel time schedule in a regular travel state of a public transportation. The movable terminal executes a route retrieval from candidates containing route sections traveled by using the public transportation and route sections traveled by using different transportation (i.e., foot, vehicle) other than the public transportation. As a result of the route retrieval, when it is determined that the route using the public transportation is more suitable, a request for a multi-modal retrieval based on actual present travel state of the public transportation is transmitted to a center. A center route received thereafter from the center is recorded as a guidance route used for executing route guidance. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120083994 | CONTROLLER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - A multicylinder engine is provided with a fuel injector for each cylinder. An ECU defines a fuel injection condition of the fuel injector based on an engine driving condition and executes a fuel injection control for each cylinder based on the defined fuel injection condition. The ECU computes an engine speed with respect to each cylinder. While the engine is running, the fuel injection condition is operated in an operation cylinder. A fuel property is determined based on the engine speed of the operation cylinder and an engine speed of a non-operation cylinder. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120083389 | CONTROL APPARATUS FOR IDLE-STOP SYSTEM MOUNTED ON VEHICLE WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION - A control apparatus for an idle-stop system mounted on a manual-transmission-vehicle includes a restart unit performing a restart operation of the engine such that the restart unit drives a starter to restart the engine when a predetermined restart condition is met. The restart condition includes a condition where a clutch member is operated to allow the motive force to be transmitted between the output shaft of the engine and the driving wheel of the vehicle while the motive force has been blocked by the clutch, and a condition where the brake member is operated to stop applying the braking force to the wheel while the motive force has been blocked by the clutch. A forced stopping means is adapted to stop the wheels by forcibly applying the braking force to the wheels by operating a brake actuator during a predetermined period since the restart condition is met | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120081193 | BAND ELIMINATION FILTER PROVIDING ATTENUATION WITHIN WIDE RANGE OF FREQUENCIES - In a band elimination filter, a plurality of capacitors are connected in parallel between first and second terminals of an electromagnetic noise source which generates voltage fluctuations in a connecting lead connected to the first terminal, with the capacitors being connected to the connecting lead at respectively corresponding branch points. For each capacitor, the total series inductance of a first circuit path is made less than that of a second circuit path, where the first circuit path extends from the corresponding branch point to the second terminal via the capacitor, and the second circuit path extended from that branch point to the first terminal of the electromagnetic noise source. A resistor is connected in series with at least one of the capacitors, for damping parallel resonance caused by inductance components of an adjacent pair of capacitors. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120081083 | ROTARY ELECTRIC MACHINE FOR RELIABLY DETECTING OFF TIMING OF SWITCHING ELEMENT - In a rotary electric machine, an on-timing setter sets on-timings of each of a high-side switching element and a low-side switching element for each of at least two-phase stator windings. An off-timing setter sets off-timings of each of the high-side switching element and the low-side switching element. An off-timing fault determiner determines a fault of an off-timing of a target switching element as one of the high-side switching element and the low-side switching element set by the off-timing setter when a time interval from the off-timing of the target switching element set by the off-timing setter to time when a phase voltage corresponding to the target switching element reaches a threshold after the off-timing thereof is shorter than a preset value. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120081071 | POWER SUPPLY APPARATUS - In a power supply apparatus, a power source generates electric power at a predetermined source voltage. The first converter circuit converts the source voltage into a first voltage or a second voltage. The secondary battery is charged with electric power at the first voltage when the first converter circuit outputs electric power at the first voltage. The second converter circuit converts the first voltage of the electric power outputted from the first converter circuit or the secondary battery into the second voltage. The electric load device is supplied with electric power at the second voltage outputted from the second converter circuit. The direct power supply circuit directly supplies electric power at the second voltage outputted from the first converter circuit to the electric load device without passing through the second converter circuit when the first converter circuit outputs the electric power at the second voltage. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120080977 | MULTI-GAP ELECTRIC ROTATING MACHINE - In a multi-gap electric rotating machine, a stator core has a radially outer portion, a radially inner portion and a connecting portion. The radially outer portion is located radially outside of a rotor core with a radially outer magnetic gap formed therebetween. The radially inner portion is located radially inside of the rotor core with a radially inner magnetic gap formed therebetween. The connecting portion radially extends to connect the radially outer and inner portions and is located on one axial side of the rotor core with an axial magnetic gap formed therebetween. A stator coil is formed of electric wires mounted on the stator core. Each of the electric wires has radially-outer in-slot portions, radially-inner in-slot portions and radially-intermediate in-slot portions, which are respectively received in slots of the radially outer portion, slots of the radially inner portion and slots of the connecting portion of the stator core. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120080772 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first single conductor, a single insulator, and a second single conductor. The substrate includes first and second regions located adjacent to each other. The first region has blind holes, each of which has an opening on a front surface of the substrate. The second region has a through hole penetrating the substrate. A width of each blind hole is less than a width of the through hole. The first single conductor is formed on the front surface of the substrate in such a manner that an inner surface of each blind hole and an inner surface of the through hole are covered with the first single conductor. The single insulator is formed on the first single conductor. The second single conductor is formed on the single insulator and electrically insulated form the first single conductor. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120080728 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH JUNCTION FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTOR AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF THE SAME - A semiconductor device with a JFET is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a trench and a contact embedded layer formed in the trench. A gate wire is connected to the contact embedded layer, so that the gate wire is connected to an embedded gate layer via the contact embedded layer. In this configuration, it is possible to downsize a contact structure between the embedded gate layer and the gate wire. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120080542 | FUEL INJECTION VALVE - A movable core includes a through-hole, which receives a main body of a needle therethrough, and a receiving recess, which is axially recessed in a stationary core side end surface of the movable core. The receiving recess is configured into an annular form and radially outwardly extends from the through-hole to receive a flange of the needle. A movable plate is placed on an axial side of the movable core, which is opposite from the nozzle. An axial length of the flange is smaller than an axial distance between a contact surface of the movable plate, which is contactable with the needle, and a bottom wall of the receiving recess in a contact state where the movable core and the movable plate contact with each other. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120080001 | ENGINE CONTROL APPARATUS - An engine control apparatus is configured to perform engine automatic stop to automatically stop an engine when predetermined engine stop conditions are satisfied and automatically restart the engine when predetermined engine restart conditions are satisfied. The stop conditions including that a vehicle speed decreases below a predetermined stop permission speed. The engine control apparatus includes a variation amount detection means for detecting a variation amount of a brake operation being performed by the vehicle driver during a deceleration period from when the vehicle has started to decelerate to when the vehicle speed has decreased below the stop permission speed, and a stop determination means for determining whether the engine automatic stop should be performed when the engine stop conditions are satisfied based on the variation amount detected by the variation amount detection means. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120079889 | AIR FLOW QUANTITY MEASURING APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - A flow meter outputs a frequency signal, which corresponds to an air flow quantity of intake air to be supplied to an engine. In an engine control unit, when a sensed value of the air flow quantity, which is obtained based on the frequency signal, is within an estimated air flow quantity range, which is estimated based on an operational state of the engine, the sensed value of the air flow quantity is determined as a measurement value of the flow meter. In contrast, when the sensed value of the air flow quantity is out of the estimated air flow quantity range, a median of the estimated air flow quantity range is determined as the measurement value of the flow meter. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120078560 | Rotation angle detection device and electric power steering system using the same - A bridge circuit includes a plurality of half-bridges formed of sensor elements, which change impedance in accordance with a rotation angle of a detection target. A control circuit acquires output signals of the half-bridges and calculates a phase correction value for correcting a phase deviation. A memory circuit stores the phase correction value. The control circuit corrects a pre-correction rotation angle by the phase correction value. Since the pre-correction rotation angle is corrected by the phase correction value, a rotation angle of the detection target is detected with high accuracy even if the sensor elements are assembled with some positional deviations. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120078458 | VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL APPARATUS - A drive condition, which is used to determine a SOC management plan, is collected from each of road sections and is cumulatively memorized in a durable memory medium. When a remaining charge amount of a battery reaches a lower limit standard value or an upper limit standard value at a certain location, a candidate control section is defined around and includes such point. The candidate control section is defined to extend a predetermined distance forward and backward from such point. The drive conditions stored for the candidate control section are used to determine the SOC management plan that controls the remaining charge amount of the battery to be controlled within a standard range. When the vehicle enters the candidate control section, the drive control of a power source in the vehicle is performed according to the SOC management plan for the candidate control section. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120078444 | PREVENTION SYSTEM AGAINST INVALID USE OF STOLEN BATTERY - A system has a server and an on-vehicle unit. The on-vehicle unit verifies whether a battery currently mounted in the vehicle is valid based on identification information given to the battery. The on-vehicle unit transmits to the server a request for verifying the identification information with a data base when it is verified that the battery currently mounted in the vehicle is invalid. The server searches the data base as to whether there is identification information in question which matches data in the data base, and notifies the on-vehicle unit of information showing that the identification information in question matches a stolen battery when a search result reveals that the identification information in question matches the data. The on-vehicle unit limits use of the unauthorized battery, that is, use of the vehicle when it is notified by the server that the identification information in question matches the stolen battery. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120078439 | VEHICLE INFORMATION STORING APPARATUS - A vehicle information storing apparatus stores a camera image, acceleration or the like, which a user selected from vehicle information stored in a RAM, and an intersection, a curve or the like of navigation information into a flash memory under a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition may include that a user performed a vehicle information selection operation for selecting the camera image or acceleration, the user performed a specific item selection operation for setting the intersection or curve, a vehicle enters within a predetermined distance range from a set location and navigation information received from a navigation device satisfies a predetermined condition. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120078384 | SWITCH SUPERVISION DEVICE, CONTROL SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD - A control system has an instruction path of which an object section connects a microcomputer, a switch and a switch supervisory device with one another. The switch sets the path in conductive or non-conductive state on the low side of the microcomputer. An instruction signal is sent to the microcomputer through the conductive path to set the microcomputer in an operation state. When the device judges based on the operation state of the microcomputer that the switch has set the path in a conductive state, the device sends a first signal of first voltage, causing the signal to have current strength equal to or higher than predetermined value in the path, to the object section. When the device judges that the switch has set the path in a non-conductive state, the device sends a second signal of second voltage lower than first voltage to the object section. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120078123 | PULSE WAVE ANALYZER AND BLOOD PRESSURE ESTIMATOR USING THE SAME - In a pulse wave analyzer, an ECG signal and a pulse wave signal are detected from an object to be analyzed. A plurality of feature points are extracting from the acquired ECG signal, the feature points appearing in a waveform of the ECG signal. The acquired pulse wave signal is segmented into a plurality of pulse wave signal pieces based on times at which the feature points appear. Each of the pulse wave signal pieces is segmented every heart beat. A reference pulse wave is calculated based on the plurality of pulse wave signal pieces, by multiplying the pulse wave signal pieces by coefficients and averaging the pulse wave signal pieces multiplied by the coefficients. The reference pulse wave is used to estimate the blood pressure of the object. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120077640 | ENGINE CONTROL APPARATUS - An engine control apparatus capable of performing engine automatic stop includes an engine automatic stop inhibition means configured to inhibit the engine automatic stop after engine restart conditions are satisfied and the engine is restarted until a vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined speed, a brake operation detection means configured to detect a presence of increase of the amount of a brake operation in a state of the brake operation being performed after the vehicle has been stopped, and an engine stop control means configured to release inhibition of the engine automatic stop to allow the engine to be automatically stopped, if the brake operation detection means detects presence of increase of the amount of the brake operation while the engine automatic stop is inhibited by the engine automatic stop inhibition means. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120077471 | COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION DEVICE MOUNTED IN VEHICLE, AND SWITCHING APPARATUS - In a communication system for conducting wireless communication between communication units mounted in vehicles, workload information indicating a workload of a driver of each vehicle is generated. When a communication request for requesting communication is transmitted from the communication unit of a first vehicle, it is determined whether the workload of a driver of the first vehicle and the workload of a driver of a second vehicle are lower than a predetermined level. When the workload of the driver of the first vehicle and the workload of the driver of the second vehicle are determined lower than the predetermined level, an incoming call is notified to the driver of the second vehicle. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120076699 | HONEYCOMB STRUCTURAL BODY AND ELECTRICAL HEATED CATALYST DEVICE - A honeycomb structural body has a honeycomb body and an electrode pair. The honeycomb body has a cell formation part and an outer skin part of a cylindrical-hollow shape. The electrodes are formed on an outer peripheral surface of the outer skin part so that the electrodes face to each other in a diameter direction of the honeycomb body. Each electrode has a reference electrode part formed at a central part of the electrode and one or more outside electrode parts formed at both ends of the reference electrode part. An electrode terminal is formed at the central part of each electrode. The reference electrode parts of the electrodes face to each other. The outside electrode parts of the electrodes face to each other. A thickness of each electrode is gradually decreased from the central part toward the outside of the electrode along the circumferential direction of the honeycomb body. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120076698 | HONEYCOMB STRUCTURAL BODY AND ELECTRICAL HEATED CATALYST DEVICE - A honeycomb structural body has a honeycomb body and a pair of electrodes. The honeycomb body has a cell formation part and an outer skin part of a cylindrical hollow shape. The electrodes are formed on an outer peripheral surface of the outer skin part so that the electrodes face to each other in a diameter direction of the honeycomb body. Each of the electrodes has a reference electrode part formed at a central part of the electrode and one or more outside electrode parts formed at both ends of the reference electrode part. The reference electrode parts of the electrode face to each other. The outside electrode parts of the electrodes face to each other. An electrical resistivity of the reference electrode part is smaller than an electrical resistivity of each of the outside electrode parts in each of the electrodes. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120075761 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE - An electronic device that is capable of detecting an abnormal state such that a switching element is unable to be turned off in spite of a drive signal instructing turn-off of the switching element. The device includes a switching element that is driven by controlling a voltage on its control terminal, a drive circuit that controls the voltage on the control terminal of the switching element on the basis on an inputted drive signal to drive the switching element. In cases where there exists a current flowing through the switching element in spite of the drive signal instructing turn-off of the switching element, the drive circuit determines that the switching element is in an abnormal state, and cuts off supply of voltage from a drive power supply circuit to the control terminal of the switching element to thereby turn off the switching element. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120075753 | ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR CONVERTING DC VOLTAGE INTO AC VOLTAGE - An electronic system has IGBT, on driving FET and off driving FET connected with the gate of the IGBT, and a control circuit. The on driving FET in an on state supplies electric charge to the IGBT gate. The off driving FET in an on state releases the charge from the GET gate. The control circuit controls each of the on FETs according to a driving signal to be set in the on and off states every switching period of time and to control the voltage at the IGBT gate. When on-failure occurs in the on driving FET set in the on state so as to keep the on driving FET in the on state in spite of control of the control circuit, the control circuit controls a controlled element other than the off driving FET to set the IGBT in the off state. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120075733 | Light collector and light collecting device - A light collector includes a light guide having a refractive index larger than a refractive index of air and a reflecting surface configured to reflect light output from a conic surface of the light guide back to the light guide. The light guide is made of transparent material through which light passes. The light guide has an entering portion from which light enters and an exiting portion from which the light exits. The light guide has a circular cone shape and has a cross-sectional area that decreases in a direction from the entering portion to the exiting portion. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120075137 | A/D CONVERTER CIRCUIT - An A/D converter circuit includes first to fourth pulse circulation circuits and first and second counters and configured to provide high conversion accuracy irrespective of a temperature change. The first pulse circulation circuit operates with a difference voltage of a specified voltage and an analog input voltage. The first counter outputs a difference of the number of pulse circulation in the first and the second pulse circulation circuits. The third pulse circulation circuit operates with a difference voltage of the specified voltage and a set voltage. The fourth pulse circulation circuit operates with the set voltage. The second counter outputs a difference of the number of pulse circulation in the third and the fourth pulse circulation circuits. When an output value of the second counter reaches a specified value, an output value of the first counter at that time is outputted as A/D conversion data. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120075136 | A/D CONVERSION DEVICE - An A/D conversion device has first to third pulse delay circuits, first to third pulse passage stage detection circuits, a time output circuit, and an output circuit. Each of the first to third pulse delay circuit has multiple stages of delay units which are connected together and delay a first to a third pulse signals, respectively. Each of the first to third pulse passage stage detection circuit detects a first to a third number of stages, respectively. The time output circuit outputs a time signal. The output circuit outputs the digital value corresponding to the third number of stages. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120074914 | VEHICLE-USE ELECTRIC ROTATING MACHINE - A vehicle-use electric rotating machine includes a switching section having upper and lower arms each constituted of a switching element parallel-connected with a diode to rectify an AC voltage induced in each phase winding of the electric rotating machine, an on-timing setting section for setting an on timing of each of the switching elements, an off-timing setting section for setting an off timing of each of the switching elements such that, when a time period from when a phase voltage of the phase winding reaches a first threshold value to when the phase voltage reaches a second threshold value different from the first threshold value is referred to as a conduction period, a time period in electrical angle from when the switching element is turned off to when the conduction period ends is equal to a target electrical angle set depending on the rotational speed of the electric rotating machine. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120074871 | Apparatus for controlling power supplied to discharge lamp in response to command supplied from outside the apparatus - There is provided a discharge lamp controlling apparatus mounted on vehicles or others. The apparatus includes a discharge lamp, a power control section, a signal inputting section, and a storage which are united with each other. The signal inputting section allows a power command signal to be inputted from the outside of the apparatus, the power command signal being for commanding the value of power supplied to the discharge lamp, and extracts from the inputted power command signal commanded power values which command the value of the power. The storage section stores therein, at least, the newest commanded power value among the extracted commanded power values. The power control section controls the power supplied to the discharge lamp based on the newest command values stored in the storage section. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120074842 | ROADSIDE-VEHICLE COOPERATIVE ILLUMINATION SYSTEM - A roadside-vehicle cooperative illumination system in which a headlight of a vehicle and a road illumination lamp can be controlled cooperatively through communications between an in-vehicle apparatus and a roadside apparatus. For example, when power consumption of the headlight has to be reduced, an in-vehicle apparatus side arbiter transmits a request to the roadside apparatus for increase illumination of the road illumination lamp. A roadside apparatus side arbiter determines whether or not to accept the request from the in-vehicle apparatus, and a roadside apparatus side controller controls the road illumination lamp according to the determination of the roadside apparatus side arbiter. This enables the road illumination lamp to be controlled cooperatively so that illumination of the road illumination lamp can compensate for deficiencies in illumination of the headlight, which leads to enhancement of vehicle driver's convenience and ensuring of safety. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120073979 | Plating apparatus and plating method - [Problem] To provide a plating method and apparatus which do not require preparation of a separate treatment tank for each treatment step and therefore enable the facility to be reduced in size and, further, which can reduce the amounts of use of the treatment solutions. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120073796 | ALUMINUM ALLOY FOR DIE CASTINGS AND PRODUCTION PROCESS OF ALUMINUM ALLOY CASTINGS - The present invention provides an aluminum alloy for die castings that has superior castability and corrosion resistance. The amounts of Mn, Fe and Cu contained in the aluminum alloy components for die castings were determined to have a considerable effect on the corrosion resistance of the aluminum alloy. Therefore, the aluminum alloy for die castings of the present invention contains 9.0 to 12.0% by weight of Si, 0.20 to 0.80% by weight of Mg, and 0.7 to 1.1% by weight of Mn+Fe, the Mn/Fe ratio is 1.5 or more, the amount of Cu as impurity is controlled to 0.5% by weight or less, and the remainder is composed of aluminum and unavoidable impurities. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120073546 | Cleaning a pressure control function valve - A system and method cleans a fuel pump pressure control function valve having (i) an orifice linking a first region (e.g., a high pressure region) and a second region (e.g., a low pressure region) and (ii) a closing member biased to close the orifice when fuel pressure in the first region is below a threshold pressure. Cleaning the valve may include increasing the pressure in the first region to an overpressure condition, thereby causing the closing member to be moved to open the orifice such that a rapid flow of fuel occurs from the first region to the second region. A pressure control function valve can therefore be conveniently cleaned without requiring engine disassembly or adding additional physical elements. The fuel pump pressure control function valve may be part of safety or check valve of a fuel pump. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120073531 | VARIABLE VALVE TIMING CONTROL APPARATUS FOR ENGINE - When a variable valve timing device controls an oil pressure control valve in a manner that a VCT phase is locked at a middle lock phase, an advance chamber and a retard chamber are made to communicate with each other, so that oil is filled into both of the advance chamber and the retard chamber when the oil pressure control valve supplies oil to one of the advance chamber and the retard chamber in an oil filling mode. An oil pump supplies oil to the oil pressure control valve, and is controlled to have an oil flow rate that is equal to or larger than a predetermined value in the oil filling mode. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120073495 | MANUFACTURING METHOD OF SILICON CARBIDE SINGLE CRYSTAL - In a manufacturing method of a silicon carbide single crystal, a seed crystal made of silicon carbide is prepared. The seed crystal has a growth surface and a stacking fault generation region and includes a threading dislocation that reaches the growth surface. The growth surface is inclined at a predetermined angle from a (0001) plane. The stacking fault generation region is configured to cause a stacking fault in the silicon carbide single crystal when the silicon carbide single crystal is grown. The stacking fault generation region is located at an end portion of the growth surface in an offset direction that is a direction of a vector defined by projecting a normal vector of the (0001) plane onto the growth surface. The seed crystal is joined to a pedestal, and the silicon carbide single crystal is grown on the growth surface of the seed crystal. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120072134 | FUEL-INJECTION CONDITION DETECTOR - A fuel-injection condition detector includes a first approximate portion which approximates a plurality of fuel pressure values representing the descent pressure waveform or the ascent pressure waveform into a least-squares approximate line by least-squares method; and a weighting portion which applies a weight to the fuel pressure value. The weight is set greater as a difference between the fuel pressure and the least-squares approximate line is larger. Then, the weighted values are approximated into a weighted approximate line by the least-squares method. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120072069 | COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE - A communication system for a vehicle includes: a plurality of controllers mounted on the vehicle; a data communication network for coupling the plurality of controllers with each other so that the controllers transmit data to and receive data from each other via the data communication network; a failure diagnosis device for diagnosing whether each controller is normal; a failure diagnosis activation device for activating the failure diagnosis device; and an avoiding condition setting device for setting an avoiding condition, which provides to avoid execution of the failure diagnosis when the failure diagnosis device is activated. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120071298 | DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING AUTOMATIC START OF ENGINE MOUNTED ON VEHICLE WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION - A device for controlling an automatic start of the engine mounted on a vehicle which includes a clutch to transmit/block motive power between an output shaft of the engine and the driving wheel of the vehicle. The automatic start control device includes an automatic restart processing in which a starter is driven to crank the engine when predetermined restart conditions are met thereby restarting the engine. The automatic start control device detects a state of the clutch being either transmitting or blocking and detects whether or not a transition lo of the state occurs during the cranking of the engine in the automatic restart processing. The control device forcibly stops driving of the starter when the transition of the state occurs. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120071097 | In-vehicle apparatus - A control circuit of an the in-vehicle apparatus repeatedly performs a Bluetooth connection operation to connect to both of registered cellular phones and registered portable AV players in such a manner that, if an HFP connection has already been established to a cellular phone prior to an AVP connection to a portable AV player, the control circuit performs one round of AVP connection attempts to all of the registered portable AV players according to a priority order, prior to performing connection attempts to connect other data communication type profile to the cellular phone. By using such a profile connection scheme, the AVP connection attempt will not be delayed until after a connection attempt of the other data communication type profile. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120071096 | In-vehicle apparatus - When connecting a multi-profile device by Bluetooth, an in-vehicle apparatus performs a MAP connection establishment process in succession to an HFP connection establishment process to have a MAP connection established earlier than a conventional timing, thereby reducing a waiting period before receiving a new message arrival notification from the multi-profile device through the MAP connection. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120070711 | BATTERY PACK WITH COOLING PASSAGE - A battery pack includes battery modules each having a battery cell and a battery case housing the battery cell therein. The battery modules are stacked in a stacking direction so that a cooling passage for allowing a cooling medium to flow is defined between opposed surfaces of adjacent battery cases. One of the opposed surfaces has first ribs projecting toward the other of the opposed surfaces and extending parallel to each other along the one. The other of the opposed surfaces has second ribs projecting toward the one of the opposed surfaces and extending parallel to each other along the other. In the cooling passage, the first ribs and the second ribs intersect each other and end portions of the first ribs and end portions of the second ribs are in contact with each other in the stacking direction. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120070222 | SHAFT COUPLING APPARATUS - A shaft coupling apparatus is provided in which a cylindrically-shaped hole is provided on a leading end surface of a shaft, the hole having a central axis that is different from a rotational central axis of the shaft, and a cylindrically-shaped hole is provided on a leading end surface of a shaft, the hole having a central axis that is different from a rotational central axis of the shaft. The shafts are coupled by pressure fitting a cross-sectionally circular pin in the hole and by loosely fitting the pin in the hole, the pin corresponding to an inner diameter of the hole and the hole. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120070005 | STEREOPHONIC SOUND REPRODUCTION SYSTEM - A stereophonic sound production system is provided which outputs audio signals in the form of sound through, for example, speakers to create virtual sound sources at desired locations in a three-dimensional space around a listener to develop a three-dimensional sound field. The virtual sound sources includes a direct sound source which produce a direct sound heard directly by the listener and N | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069604 | COMPACT POWER CONVERTER WITH HIGH EFFICIENCY IN OPERATION - A power converter including a main circuit and a sub-circuit. The main circuit serves as a step-up/down chopper circuit including a series-connected assembly of main switches, an inductor coupled to a joint of the main switches, and a capacitor connected in parallel to the series-connected assembly. The sub-circuit is designed to establish the soft-switching and includes a snubber capacitor, a first sub-switch coupled to the joint of the series-connected assembly and a negative terminal of the snubber capacitor, a second sub-switch coupled to the joint and a positive terminal of the snubber capacitor, a third sub-switch coupled to the positive terminal of the snubber capacitor and a high-potential terminal of the main circuit, and a fourth sub-switch coupled to the negative terminal of the snubber capacitor and a low-potential terminal of the main circuit. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120068671 | ROTARY ELECTRIC MACHINE FOR VEHICLE - A rotary electric machine for a vehicle that is capable of starting synchronous rectification through switching elements after having ensured absence of a short circuit fault. The rotary electric machine includes a multi-phase armature winding, a switching element set that includes a plurality of pairs of upper-arm and lower-arm switching elements to form a bridge rectification circuit together with the armature winding, an on/off-timing setter that sets on/off-timing of each switching element, a switching element driver that drives each switching element at the on/off-timing set by the on/off-timing setter; and a synchronous control start determiner that determines timing when an energization period for the upper-arm switching element and an energization period for the lower-arm switching element occur alternately as start timing of the synchronous rectification. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120068645 | CONTROL APPARATUS FOR ROTARY ELECTRIC MACHINES - In a control apparatus for a rotary electric machine receiving power from a DC power supply, a DC-AC converting circuit is provided with serially connected circuits each having high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements. When a short-circuit occurs at the switching elements, all the switching elements are turned OFF for failsafe and a path connecting the machine and the battery is opened. In such a case, a switching element belonging to part of the switching elements is turned ON, with potential at all the terminals of the rotary electric machine being the same. A location of the short-circuit occurs is identified, based on changes in current passing through the machine and being detected in response to turning ON the switching element. The changes are at least one of a reduction change in deviation of the current from a zero point and a reduction change in an absolute value of the current. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120068644 | CONTROL APPARATUS FOR ROTARY ELECTRIC MACHINES - A control apparatus for a rotary electric machine has a DC-AC converting circuit with high- and low-potential-side switching elements to compose an inverter. In this apparatus, a connecting/disconnecting circuit is arranged to be electrically opened and closed between the DC-AC converting circuit and a power supply. A determining member determines whether or not the high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements have a malfunction. A failsafe performing element opens the connecting/disconnecting circuit and turns on both the high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements residing in a part of the inverter, when it is determined that there is caused a malfunction in the switching elements. The turned-on high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements realizes a short-circuit state therein. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120068641 | CONTROL DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC ROTATING MACHINE - A control device has a predicting unit for predicting a first current flowing through a motor in a next control period, at a predicting time during a predetermined period after a change of switching state in an inverter by using a current detected before the change and for predicting a second current of a control period later than the next control period by one control period by using the predicted first current, a determining unit for determining a next operating state of the inverter by using the predicted second current and an instructed value so as to reduce a change of switching state in the change of the operating state, and a control unit for controlling the inverter to be set in the determined operating state in the next control period and controlling the current of the motor depending on the operating state of the inverter. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120068559 | ROTATING SHAFT SUPPORT APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC MOTOR HAVING THE SAME - A apparatus is provided in which, in a state before being assembled to a drive target, one end of a rotating shaft is not supported by a bearing, and in this state, the rotating shaft is pressed to the side of a bracket by coil springs and thus centering of the rotating shaft is maintained. In this way, axial run-out of the rotating shaft before a magnetic motor is assembled to the drive target is inhibited. Thus, damage and deterioration in assembly efficiency as a result of axial run-out of the rotating shaft can be inhibited, such as deterioration in assembly efficiency caused by adhesion between a magnet and coils wound on an armature core, for example. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120068298 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING SUPER JUNCTION STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A semiconductor device having a super junction structure includes: multiple first columns extending in a current flowing direction; and multiple second columns extending in the current flowing direction. The first and second columns are alternately arranged in an alternating direction. Each first column provides a drift layer. The first and second columns have a boundary therebetween, from which a depletion layer expands in case of an off-state. At least one of the first columns and the second columns have an impurity dose, which is inhomogeneous by location with respect to the alternating direction. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120067077 | Torque estimating divice for compressor - A torque estimating device of a compressor for an ejector-type refrigerant cycle device includes a high pressure detector disposed to detect a physical amount having a relation with a high-pressure side refrigerant pressure of a refrigerant cycle, an evaporation pressure detector disposed to detect a physical amount having a relation with a refrigerant evaporation pressure in a suction side evaporator, a pressurizing estimating portion for estimating a pressurizing amount in a pressure increasing portion of an ejector to be increased in accordance with an increase of a pressure difference between the high-pressure side refrigerant pressure and the refrigerant evaporation pressure, and a suction pressure estimating portion for estimating a suction refrigerant pressure of the compressor by using the pressurizing amount estimated by the pressurizing estimating portion. Thus, a drive torque of the compressor can be accurately estimated in the ejector-type refrigerant cycle device. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120065845 | Sensor detection controller and occupant detection apparatus having the same - A sensor detection controller is used in combination with a capacitive sensor that is mounted on a seat of a vehicle in such a manner that a capacitance of the capacitive sensor changes according to whether the seat is occupied. The sensor detection controller has a fault detection mode and a normal detection mode. The sensor detection controller includes a signal source for applying an amplitude signal to the capacitive sensor, a switch for switching a signal path, through which the amplitude signal is applied, between the fault detection mode and the normal detection mode, a signal detector for detecting a change in a voltage or a current of the amplitude signal when the amplitude signal is applied, and an impedance member connected to the signal path. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120065823 | ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT FOR VEHICLES - An electronic control apparatus is provided to control an output of a main engine mounted on a vehicle. The apparatus has first and second processor and first and second monitors. The first processor performs calculation for controlling the output of the main engine, while the second processor performs calculation for monitoring operations of the first processor. The first monitor monitors whether or not the first processor is malfunctioning, while the second monitor monitors whether or not the second processor is malfunctioning. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120065811 | MAP DATA UPDATE SYSTEM, MAP DATA UPDATE METHOD, COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM STORING MAP DATA UPDATE PROGRAM - A map data update system includes a first storage portion that stores road network data that describes a road in terms of a connection relationship between a node and a link; an update portion that receives update data and updates the road network data based on the update data; a data obtaining portion that obtains additional data by a means that differs from a means that receives the update data; a second storage portion that stores the additional data including association information that indicates association between the additional data and the link; and a correcting portion that, when update processing of the road network data is executed by the update portion, the association information in the additional data that is associated with the link that is changed by the update processing. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120064830 | In-vehicle apparatus - A frequency switching terminal is provided to input a signal for switching frequencies of a reception circuit. A smart ECU is connected to the frequency switching terminal via a connection cable. When the signal for switching the frequencies is inputted into an external input terminal of the reception circuit from the smart ECU via the frequency switching terminal, the reception circuit receives a first electric wave transmitted from a portable terminal for smart entry. In contrast, when the signal for switching the frequencies is not inputted into the external input terminal of the reception circuit from the smart ECU via the frequency switching terminal, the reception circuit receives a second electric wave transmitted from a tire sensor. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120064391 | SEALED BATTERY - In a sealed battery, an outer case made of metal has a flange part and a concave part. An electric power generating element has an electrode body and electrolyte stored in the concave part. The electrode body has positive and negative electrodes connected to corresponding electrode leads, respectively. The flange part extends from the outer periphery of the outer case to the outside. The concave part is covered and sealed by a metal plate. The metal plate and one surface of the flange part are thermally bonded together through a metal-adhesive resin film. The metal plate projects toward the outside of the flange part. This projected part of the metal part is bent with the metal adhesive resin film toward the other surface of the flange part. The bent metal part and the other surface of the flange part are thermally bonded with the metal adhesive resin film. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063938 | FUEL FEED APPARATUS - A reservoir is in a bottomed tubular shape and located in a fuel tank. A lid member closes an opening of the reservoir. A pump unit discharges fuel stored in the reservoir to an exterior of the fuel tank. The pump unit is supported by a holding portion of the lid member. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062347 | TRANSFORMER - A transformer has primary coils and secondary coils that are arranged in a laminated manner in a direction of a winding axis and are mutually insulated. The secondary coils are composed of conducting plates in a plurality of layers arranged in the laminated manner in the direction of the winding axis, and the conducting plates are electrically connected in series. Connecting portions between the each conducting plates are arranged in an inner space of the primary coils. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062218 | ROTATION ANGLE DETECTING UNIT - A rotation angle detecting unit includes an IC package having a magnetism detecting element, a sealing body, and leads; and a covering member having a fixing part and a supporting part, which are integrally formed from resin. The element outputs a signal according to change of a magnetic field generated upon rotation of a magnetism generating device attached to a detection object. The sealing body covers the element. The leads are connected to the element, and project from the sealing body. The fixing part is fixed to a supporting body so that the covering member is attached to the supporting body. The supporting part supports the package such that the element can output the signal. The package is press-fitted into the supporting part after its formation, so that the package is supported by the supporting part with a predetermined pressure applied to part of an outer wall of the sealing body. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062163 | WIPER CONTROL APPARATUS - In a wiper control apparatus, a water drop detector outputs an output signal in accordance with water drops adhering to a windshield of a vehicle. When a traveling determination portion determines that the vehicle is traveling, a first level setting portion sets a sensitivity for detecting the output signal to a first sensitivity. When the traveling determination portion determines the vehicle is not traveling, a second level setting portion sets the sensitivity for detecting the output signal to a second sensitivity that is larger than the first sensitivity. A water drop adhesion determination portion determines that water drops adhere to the windshield when a determination waiting time elapses in a state where detection of the output signal continues. A driving control portion controls a wiper driving portion to drive the wiper when the water drop adhesion determination portion determines that water drops adhere to the windshield. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062158 | ELECTRONIC CONTROL APPARATUS FOR A VEHICLE - An electronic control apparatus for a vehicle, which operates a power conversion circuit connected to a rotating machine used as an in-vehicle traction unit to control controlled variables of the rotating machine, includes a controlling arithmetic processing unit which performs arithmetic processing to control the controlled variables of the rotating machine, and a monitoring arithmetic processing unit which monitors the controlling arithmetic processing unit. The monitoring arithmetic processing unit includes an on-monitoring prohibition unit which prohibits outputting an operation signal from the controlling arithmetic processing unit to the power conversion circuit until the controlling arithmetic processing unit is confirmed to be in a normal condition. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062117 | Headlamp for vehicle - A headlamp for a vehicle includes: a housing having a front opening; a lens cover arranged to cover the front opening of the housing; a lamp chamber defined by the housing and the lens cover; a light source provided in the lamp chamber; a lighting control circuit that controls lighting of the light source; and a heat dissipating member arranged in the lamp chamber. Further, the lighting control circuit is formed on a substrate. The heat dissipating member has a pillar portion and a plurality of heat dissipating fins. The pillar portion has the light source mounted thereto. The heat dissipating fins are provided on an outer periphery of the pillar portion so as to be spaced from one another. The pillar portion also has a recess formed therein. The substrate is received in the recess of the pillar portion. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062064 | ELECTRIC ROTATING MACHINE - An electric rotating machine includes a multi-phase stator coil that is wound on a stator core in a distributed winding manner. Each of phase windings of the stator coil is formed of an electric wire bundle which includes a plurality of insulation-coated electric wires that are electrically connected to one another. Each of the electric wire bundles forming the phase windings has in-slot portions, which are respectively received in corresponding slots of the stator core, and turn portions that are located outside the slots of the stator core to connect adjacent pairs of the in-slot portions. Each of the electric wire bundles further includes a plurality of insulating layers that are respectively formed at predetermined positions, at which the turn portions of the electric wire bundle overlap those of the other electric wire bundles, so as to surround the electric wires of the electric wire bundle. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120061726 | LATERAL INSULATED-GATE BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR - A N-channel lateral insulated-gate bipolar transistor includes a semiconductor substrate, a drift layer, a collector region, a channel layer, an emitter region, a gate insulation film, a gate electrode, a collector electrode, an emitter electrode. The collector region includes a high impurity concentration region having a high impurity concentration and a low impurity concentration region having a lower impurity concentration than the high impurity concentration region. The collector electrode is in ohmic contact with the high impurity concentration region and in schottky contact with the low impurity concentration region. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120061682 | SIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A SiC semiconductor device includes: a substrate, a drift layer, and a base region stacked in this order; first and second source regions and a contact layer in the base region; a trench penetrating the source and base regions; a gate electrode in the trench; an interlayer insulation film with a contact hole covering the gate electrode; a source electrode coupling with the source region and the contact layer via the contact hole; a drain electrode on the substrate; and a metal silicide film. The high concentration second source region is shallower than the low concentration first source region, and has a part covered with the interlayer insulation film, which includes a low concentration first portion near a surface and a high concentration second portion deeper than the first portion. The metal silicide film on the second part has a thickness larger than the first portion. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120061365 | Radiation heating system for vehicle - A radiation heating system for a vehicle includes a heating device and an exterior member. The heating device serves as a heat source and is for generating radiation heat to warm up an interior of the vehicle. The exterior member is disposed on a vehicle interior-side of the heating device. Given that: thermal transmittance of the exterior member is K′ [W/(m | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120061231 | GAS SENSOR ELEMENT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A gas sensor element includes a solid electrolyte body having oxygen ion conductivity and electrode layers formed on both surfaces of the solid electrolyte body configuring a pair of electrodes. The gas sensor element detects concentration of a selected component included in a measured gas. In the gas sensor element, closed pores having an average pore diameter of 5 nm or more and 120 nm or less are dispersed in the electrode layers, porosity measured by cross-sectional observation of the electrode layers is 1% or more and 18% or less, and 90% or more of the closed pores is dispersed within metal grains forming the electrode layers. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120061067 | Heat sink - A heat sink includes a pillar member, to which a device that generates heat is to be mounted, and a plurality of heat-dissipating fins arranged on a side surface of the pillar member to dissipate the heat generated by the device. The heat sink further includes a ring-shaped holding member that has a plurality of grooves formed therein. The holding member is mounted to a longitudinal end of the pillar member and has each of the heat-dissipating fins inserted in a corresponding one of the grooves of the holding member, thereby holding the heat-dissipating fins to the pillar member. Each of the heat-dissipating fins has a detachment prevention portion that prevents the heat-dissipating fin from being detached from the pillar member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pillar member. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120060950 | FUEL FEED APPARATUS - A reservoir is located in a fuel tank. The reservoir is in a bottomed tubular shape having a periphery defining an opening, A lid member is located in the fuel tank and mounted to the periphery of the reservoir to close the opening. A pump unit is partially accommodated in the reservoir to discharge fuel stored in the reservoir to an exterior of the fuel tank. The pump unit is located at a position offset from a center axis of the lid member. The pump unit has a projection projected from the lid member to an exterior of the reservoir. A remaining quantity detector is configured to detect a quantity of fuel in the fuel tank. The remaining quantity detector is located at a remaining space remaining in the fuel tank. The remaining space is located on the lid member and located around the projection. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120060949 | FUEL FEED APPARATUS - A fuel pump has a pump chamber accommodating a rotor member. The rotor member is rotatable to supply fuel to from a tank to an exterior of the tank. A case is supported in the tank. The case accommodates a part of the fuel pump. A pump bracket is located in the tank. The pump bracket is in a tubular bottomed shape having a sidewall portion in which a remaining portion of the fuel pump is inserted such that the sidewall portion surrounds a radially outside of the pump chamber of the remaining portion. The pump bracket is joined with the case to define a gap therebetween in a radial direction of the rotor member such that the pump bracket is movable relative to the case. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120060948 | FUEL SUPPLY APPARATUS - A support shaft connects between a flange and a pump unit. An intermediate member, which connects between the support shaft and pump unit, enables a relative positional change between the support shaft and the pump unit in an axial direction of the support shaft. The intermediate member limits a relative positional change between the support shaft and the pump unit in a circumferential direction of the support shaft. A resilient member is received in the support shaft and exerts a restoring force in an axial direction of the support shaft to urge the pump unit, which is movable relative to the support shaft in the axial direction, toward a bottom portion of the fuel tank. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120060751 | MANUFACTURING METHOD OF SILICON CARBIDE SINGLE CRYSTAL - A manufacturing method of a SiC single crystal includes growing a SiC single crystal on a surface of a SiC seed crystal, which satisfies following conditions: (i) the SiC seed crystal includes a main growth surface composed of a plurality of sub-growth surfaces; (ii) among directions from an uppermost portion of a {0001} plane on the main growth surface to portions on a periphery of the main growth surface, the SiC seed crystal has a main direction in which a plurality of sub-growth surfaces is arranged; and (iii) an offset angle θ | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120060638 | ACCELERATOR APPARATUS - A limiting portion of a support member, which rotatably supports an accelerator pedal, forms a gap between a contacting portion of the accelerator pedal and the limiting portion in a state where the accelerator pedal is rotated in a depressing direction. A cover member is provided to one of the support member and the accelerator pedal and covers the gap at any rotational position of the accelerator pedal within a rotatable range of the accelerator pedal. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120060494 | EXHAUST GAS CONTROL APPARATUS FOR ENGINE - A flow rate control valve and a waste-gate valve are operatively linked to a common cam plate, which is driven by an actuator. The cam plate has a first driving portion for rotating the flow rate control valve in a synchronized manner with rotation of the cam plate. The cam plate has a second driving portion for rotating the waste-gate valve in accordance with the rotation of the cam plate, wherein an operational pattern for the waste-gate valve is different from that for the flow rate control valve. As above, two valves are operated by one actuator so as to move independently from each other. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120059541 | Start control system for vehicle - A start control system for an automotive vehicle equipped with an electric motor working as a drive source. The start control system includes an accelerator limiter which limits an operating range of an accelerator of the vehicle to disable the electric motor and a limitation cancelling request receiver that receives a limitation cancelling request from a vehicle operator to cancel the limitation of the operating range of the accelerator. When the vehicle operator makes a start request mistakenly, so that the condition where the electric motor is set ready to start coincides with the condition where a brake of the vehicle is not operated, which will cause the vehicle to start upon the movement of the accelerator, the vehicle is inhibited from running unless the limitation cancelling request receiver receives the limitation cancelling request, thus minimizing the possibility of an error in starting the vehicle. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120058724 | In-vehicle apparatus - An in-vehicle apparatus for performing a short range communication with a road side apparatus, which performs a hybrid communication including a broadcast communication and a point-to-point communication, is disclosed. The in-vehicle apparatus includes a communication unit and a retry count determination unit that determines whether a count of failure to establish the communication in an activation channel in the communication unit reaches a preset retry count. The in-vehicle apparatus re-selects a communication frequency when the retry count determination unit determines that the count of failure to establish the communication in the activation channel reaches the preset retry count. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057971 | Centrifugal blower - A centrifugal blower provided with a spiral shaped scroll chamber where a bottom part of the scroll chamber gradually expands downward in the axial direction of the fan well along with expansion of the spiral and where a flow area gradually expands toward an air outlet from a spiral start part of the casing, the centrifugal blower having an initial slant angle θ | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057365 | Vehicle headlight - The vehicle head light is provided with a heat radiating member including a pillar member provided to extend from a bottom wall of a housing, on which a light source is mounted, a heat radiating fins fixed radially to the outer periphery of the pillar member, and a guide wall provided surrounding sides of the heat radiating fins. The guide wall is sloped with respect to bottom wall of the housing so that spaces each formed by adjacent two of the heat radiating fins and the guide wall become narrower with increasing distance from the lower end of the guide wall. The guide wall is formed with slits to make air communication between the light chamber and each of the spaces, the slits being shaped to be narrower with increasing distance from the lower end of the guide wall. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057318 | Electronic control unit - A resin board is fixed to a plate member made of metal by a fixing member. A semi-conductor module and a capacitor are mounted on a first surface of the resin board. A first ground pattern is formed on the fist surface and electrically connected to the plate member by means of the fixing member. A connector is also provided on the first surface such that the first ground pattern is interposed between the semi-conductor module and the connector. The heat from the semi-conductor module and the capacitor is transmitted to the plate member via the first ground pattern and the fixing member. | 03-08-2012 |
