Abstract: Operability of a heating cooker having a heating unit in a top plate is improved. After power-on, a light emission control unit causes the operation unit light-emitting element of an operable operation inhibition releasing key to be lit so that only the key is displayed and the other keys are less visible. Thus, the heating cooker is changed into a lock state. When the operation inhibition releasing key is operated in the lock state, at least one electrostatic touch key other than the operation inhibition releasing key is made operable and the operation unit light-emitting element is lit. Alternatively, in the above structure, the operation unit light-emitting element of the operable operation unit is lit in a first light-emission color, and the operation unit light-emitting elements of the inoperable operation units are lit in a second light-emission color different from the first light-emission color. Thus effective operation can be guided.

Abstract: An appliance including a top plate has its operability improved and prevents an operation error. The appliance includes electrostatic touch keys provided on a lower surface of the top plate, the electrostatic touch keys including electrodes made of conductive films having predetermined light-blocking property, respectively, operation-unit illuminators emitting light toward the electrodes, which are partially cut, from a direction opposite to the top plate, respectively, and an illumination controller controlling illumination of the operation-unit illuminators. The illumination controller changes the illumination state of the shapes of key indicators above the electrodes to allow a user to identify function and validity of the electrostatic touch keys. The illumination controller controls the illumination state of operation-unit illuminators, such as lighting-on, blinking, lighting-off, and adjusting the brightness, to provide information required for operation.

Abstract: A heating cooker includes a top panel for placing a load thereon and touch operation parts for allowing the user to operate the heating of the heater to heat the load. The operation display parts of the touch operation parts each include display characters disposed under the top panel and a backlight which emits light through the top panel so as to display the display characters in lighting. When not displayed, the operation display parts including the display characters are entirely unlit and made inoperable. This provides a user-friendly heating cooker.

Abstract: Operability of a heating cooker having a heating unit in a top plate is improved. After power-on, a light emission control unit causes the operation unit light-emitting element of an operable operation inhibition releasing key to be lit so that only the key is displayed and the other keys are less visible. Thus, the heating cooker is changed into a lock state. When the operation inhibition releasing key is operated in the lock state, at least one electrostatic touch key other than the operation inhibition releasing key is made operable and the operation unit light-emitting element is lit. Alternatively, in the above structure, the operation unit light-emitting element of the operable operation unit is lit in a first light-emission color, and the operation unit light-emitting elements of the inoperable operation units are lit in a second light-emission color different from the first light-emission color. Thus effective operation can be guided.

Abstract: An appliance including a top plate has its operability improved and prevents an operation error. The appliance includes electrostatic touch keys provided on a lower surface of the top plate, the electrostatic touch keys including electrodes made of conductive films having predetermined light-blocking property, respectively, operation-unit illuminators emitting light toward the electrodes, which are partially cut, from a direction opposite to the top plate, respectively, and an illumination controller controlling illumination of the operation-unit illuminators. The illumination controller changes the illumination state of the shapes of key indicators above the electrodes to allow a user to identify function and validity of the electrostatic touch keys. The illumination controller controls the illumination state of operation-unit illuminators, such as lighting-on, blinking, lighting-off, and adjusting the brightness, to provide information required for operation.

Abstract: A heating cooker includes a top panel for placing a load thereon and touch operation parts for allowing the user to operate the heating of the heater to heat the load. The operation display parts of the touch operation parts each include display characters disposed under the top panel and a backlight which emits light through the top panel so as to display the display characters in lighting. When not displayed, the operation display parts including the display characters are entirely unlit and made inoperable. This provides a user-friendly heating cooker.

Abstract: A control apparatus and method for a hybrid vehicle that judges whether the vehicle is running on a congested road based on an output from a sensor, causes a take-off from a first state where a gear ratio of an automatic transmission is large at a time of taking-off when running on a congested road, causes the take-off from a second state where the gear ratio of the automatic transmission is small at the time of taking-off when not running on the congested road and replenishes, by driving a motor/generator, a part of an under torque of the driving source created by taking-off from a state where the gear ratio of the automatic transmission is large, when a temporary high acceleration take-off request is made while a judgment of congested road running is maintained.

Abstract: A control system for a hybrid vehicle accurately determines the start (i.e. ignition) of an internal combustion engine and suppresses the peak PK in the actual rotational speed. The hybrid vehicle is provided with a motor control unit for, at the time of starting the internal combustion engine, driving the motor to rotate at a target motor rotational speed and with a vehicle control unit for, when the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine has reached a predetermined value, outputting an ignition command to start the internal combustion engine. After the ignition command is output to the internal combustion engine, the vehicle control unit calculates the difference between the target rotational speed of the motor and the actual rotational speed of the motor, and if the difference exceeds a predetermined value, determines that the ignition of the internal combustion engine has been effected. In this manner, the start of the internal combustion engine can be accurately detected.

Abstract: A control apparatus and method for a hybrid vehicle that judges whether the vehicle is running on a congested road based on an output from a sensor, causes a take-off from a first state where a gear ratio of an automatic transmission is large at a time of taking-off when running on the congested road, causes the take-off from a second state where the gear ratio of the automatic transmission is small at the time of taking-off when not running on the congested road and replenishes, by driving a motor/generator, a part of an under torque of the driving source created by taking-off from a state where the gear ratio of the automatic transmission is large, when a temporary high acceleration take-off request is made while a judgment of congested road running is maintained

Abstract: A control system for a hybrid vehicle accurately determines the start (i.e. ignition) of an internal combustion engine and suppresses the peak PK in the actual rotational speed. The hybrid vehicle is provided with a motor control unit for, at the time of starting the internal combustion engine, driving the motor to rotate at a target motor rotational speed and with an internal combustion engine drive control unit for, when the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine has reached a predetermined value, outputting an ignition command to start the internal combustion engine. An ignition determining unit, after the ignition command is output to the internal combustion engine, calculates the difference between the target rotational speed of the motor and the actual rotational speed of the motor, and if the difference exceeds a predetermined value, determines that the ignition of the internal combustion engine has been effected.

Abstract: A range shift display unit including a target range detection device that detects a selected target range and generates a range signal corresponding to the detected target range and a display processing device for driving a display portion corresponding to the target range by a driving method for a predetermined target range. Since the display portion corresponding to the target range is driven by a driving method for a predetermined target range based on the range signal, the driver can identify which range the target range is by seeing the display device.