Abstract: In a power supply apparatus 40, a power supply circuit is formed by a primary power supply circuit 50 which includes a high-voltage battery 51 and a step-down circuit 55 for stepping down the voltage of the high-voltage battery 51, and a secondary power supply circuit 60 which includes a low-voltage battery 61 and a step-up circuit 70 for stepping up the voltage of the low-voltage battery 61. The primary power supply circuit 50 and the secondary power supply circuit 60 are connected in parallel. An output voltage of the secondary power supply circuit 60 is set to be lower than an output voltage of the primary power supply circuit 50. When the output voltage of the primary power supply circuit 50 becomes lower than a target voltage of the secondary power supply circuit 60, the voltage stepped-up by the step-up circuit 70 is supplied to a motor drive circuit 32. Accordingly, power supply backup of an electric power steering apparatus can be performed as low cost.

Abstract: A power steering apparatus includes a power cylinder including first and second pressure chambers; a reversible pump including a first outlet port and a second outlet port; a first hydraulic passage including a portion made from an elastomer; a second hydraulic passage including a portion made from an elastomer; a motor arranged to drive the reversible pump; a motor control section; a pump reverse rotation judging section configured to judge a reverse rotation state of the reversible pump when an actual rotation direction of the reversible pump does not correspond to a direction in which the motor is rotated by the driving signal from the motor control section; and a damping torque adding section configured to damp a torque generated in the reversible pump when the pump reverse rotation judging section determines the reverse rotation state of the reversible pump.

Abstract: A power steering apparatus includes a power cylinder; a reversible pump; first and second hydraulic passages; a reservoir tank; a first supply passage arranged to supply the hydraulic fluid through the reversible pump to the second hydraulic passage; a first one-way valve provided in the first supply passage; a second supply passage arranged to supply the hydraulic fluid through the reversible pump to the first hydraulic passage; and a second one-way valve provided in the second supply passage. A Reynolds number of a flow in the first one-way valve is equal to or smaller than 2300 when a flow rate per unit time of the flow in the first one-way valve is maximum. A Reynolds number of a flow in the second one-way valve is equal to or smaller than 2300 when a flow rate per unit time of the flow in the second one-way valve is maximum.

Abstract: The scanning operation controller allocates a scanned image memory area of a predetermined document size within a memory, and stores the image data of the scanned document to the scanned image memory area. The image processor eliminates unneeded data from the data in the scanned image memory area of the predetermined document size to thereby produce output image data, based on a document size of the scanned document that is detected after the automatic document feeder has initiated the feed of the document to the image reader.

Abstract: A multifunction printer has a plurality of functions and is configured to perform one of the functions selected as a selected function by a user. The multifunction printer includes a warning display section, a selector and an operation status manager. The warning display section is configured to display warning information of an operation status of each of the functions. The selector is configured to be operated by the user so as to select one of the functions as the selected function. The operation status manager is configured to manage the operation status of each of the functions. The operation status manager is configured to display the warning information on the warning display section caused by the operation status of the selected function only.

Abstract: The CPU calculates axial force matching external force that acts on a rack bar by combining steering torque MT that acts on a steering shaft with assist torque AT generated by an electric motor. The CPU then determines whether a vehicle is running straight based on a steering angle ?, a vehicle speed V, and the axial force F. Thus, even in a state where a control steering angle midpoint is deviated and a driver applies torque so as to return a turning position of a steering wheel to a neutral position, whether the vehicle is running straight can be accurately determined by making a determination by using the axial force F that acts on the rack bar. The CPU can set a considerably accurate control steering angle midpoint by calculating a smoothed steering angle midpoint by using an instantaneous steering angle midpoint in an accurately determined straight-running state.

Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes an electric power supply device that includes a main electric power unit that supplies high-tension electric power and a sub-electric power supply unit that supplies low-tension electric power, the main electric power unit and the sub-electric power supply unit being connected to each other in parallel, and that supplies electric power to the electric motor from one of the main electric power supply unit and the sub-electric power supply unit. An assist ECU calculates a correction coefficient based on which a d-axis target current increases with a decrease in voltage output from the electric power supply device, and calculates a final corrected d-axis target current by multiplying the d-axis target current by the correction coefficient.

Abstract: When it is determined that the torque output from the electric motor abnormally fluctuates or the torque output from the electric motor varies between clockwise and counterclockwise turning operations of the driver's steering wheel, the steering assist control is continued if the vehicle speed v is equal to or lower than the reference speed v0. In this case, the width of the dead band of the steering torque in the assist map used to calculate the target assist torque is increased. Thus, only in a case where the vehicle is moving at a low speed and the driver's steering wheel is operated with a great force, the steering assist torque is produced to alleviate the burden on the driver. In the other cases, the electric motor is stopped to minimize a sense of discomfort in the steering operation.

Abstract: When it is determined that the torque output from the electric motor abnormally fluctuates or the torque output from the electric motor varies between clockwise and counterclockwise turning operations of the driver's steering wheel, the steering assist control is continued if the vehicle speed v is equal to or lower than the reference speed v0. In this case, the width of the dead band of the steering torque in the assist map used to calculate the target assist torque is increased. Thus, only in a case where the vehicle is moving at a low speed and the driver's steering wheel is operated with a great force, the steering assist torque is produced to alleviate the burden on the driver. In the other cases, the electric motor is stopped to minimize a sense of discomfort in the steering operation.

Abstract: When it is determined that a malfunction has occurred in a rotational angle sensor, an electronic control unit changes the control manner from the normal assist control to the sensorless assist control. In the sensorless assist control, an assist stop command unit receives the information concerning the motor rotational angular speed ?m from an angular speed conversion unit. Then, the motor rotational angular speed ?m is compared with the threshold value ?m1. If the motor rotational angular speed ?m is equal to or higher than the threshold value ?m1, an assist enabling signal is transmitted to a PWM voltage production unit to continue the power assist. On the other hand, if the motor rotational angular speed ?m is lower than the threshold value ?m1, a stop command signal is transmitted to the PWM voltage production unit to stop the power assist.

Abstract: A biosignal sensing device (2) includes an electrode section (12) including a pair of electrodes (12a,12b) mounted so that a living body can be in close proximity to or in contact with the electrodes. An oscillation section (11) supplies a high frequency signal to the electrodes. A reflected-wave level from the electrodes receiving the high frequency signal changes according to a change in impedance in the electrodes that are in close proximity to or in contact with the living body. This change in reflected-wave level reflects a change in impedance resulting from body movement of the living body such as respiration and pulsation. A sensing section (13) senses a signal indicating the change in reflected-wave level. Based on this signal, a signal amplifying section (14) calculates a desired biosignal such as pulse rate and respiration rate.

Abstract: The CPU calculates axial force matching external force that acts on a rack bar by combining steering torque MT that acts on a steering shaft with assist torque AT generated by an electric motor. The CUP then determines whether a vehicle is running straight based on a steering angle ?, a vehicle speed V, and the axial force F. Thus, even in a state where a control steering angle midpoint is deviated and a driver applies torque so as to return a turning position of a steering wheel to a neutral position, whether the vehicle is running straight can be accurately determined by making a determination by using the axial force F that acts on the rack bar. The CPU can set a considerably accurate control steering angle midpoint by calculating a smoothed steering angle midpoint by using an instantaneous steering angle midpoint in an accurately determined straight-running state.

Abstract: In operating a massaging machine having massaging members and a motor for causing the massaging members to vibrate to massage a patient, a pulsed driving signal is applied to the motor for repetitively switching on and off the motor for specified time lengths such that the motor is intermittently activated, rather than continuously.

Abstract: A fingerprint identification device judges that the input fingerprint is identical to the fingerprint in the database only when a the touch sensor detects the human finger and a the fingerprint processing unit detects that the input fingerprint is identical to a fingerprint in the database. The touch sensor includes an oscillator that outputs a high frequency signal. An electrode unit applies the high frequency signal to the human finger. A detector unit detects a variation of impedance values varied by the human finger contracting the electrode unit and outputs an output signal based on the variation of impedance values. A discriminator unit determines whether the human finger is in contact with the electrode unit by comparing the output signal from the detector unit with a predetermined reference value.

Abstract: A touch sensor which is able to detect the touch of a finger with reasonable accuracy. In this touch sensor, the oscillator unit supplies a high-frequency signal to the electrode unit. If the item detected is a biological entity of a human body such as a finger, the impedance of the electrode unit will change. The impedance is initially matched to that on the input side of the electrode when the finger is in touch with the electrodes. The reflected wave will be smaller because of the matching of impedance when the finger is in touch with the electrode. By detecting this reflected wave and comparing it with a reference signal in the discriminator unit, it can be determined that the reflection level is lower and so a conclusion can be made that the electrode is touched by a person.

Abstract: In operating a massaging machine having massaging members and a motor for causing the massaging members to vibrate to massage a patient, a pulsed driving signal is applied to the motor for repetitively switching on and off the motor for specified time lengths such that the motor is intermittently activated, rather than continuously.

Abstract: An electric power steering device controls an electric motor through a program processing based on a steering torque detected by a torque sensor and a vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor, and applies a suitable assisting force to rotational motion of a steering handle. Occurrence of an abnormality in the torque sensor and a power circuit is detected through the program processing. The torque sensor is activated upon receipt of a power-supply voltage from the power circuit and detects a steering torque. If a power-supply voltage outputted from the power circuit has dropped, detection of an abnormality in the torque sensor is forbidden. If a power-supply voltage supplied from a battery to the power circuit has dropped, detection of an abnormality in the power circuit is forbidden.

Abstract: A DC motor is connected to diagonal positions of a bridge circuit having of four sides including switching elements and reflux diodes. At least one of two terminals is connected to a power line, and at least the other terminal is grounded. By performing pulse width modulation control of the switching elements, operation of the DC motor is controlled. When the DC motor is in operation, the sum of the terminal voltages of the DC motor is equal to the power voltage. When the DC motor is out of operation, the sum of the voltages is set to a predetermined voltage. If the sum of the voltages has deviated from the power voltage or the predetermined voltage by at least a predetermined value, the occurrence of a malfunction is judged.

Abstract: A sensing device in which a high frequency signal is transmitted from an oscillator to a sensor through a transmission path, a reflection signal generated according to a variation of an impedance of the sensor sensing the presence or absence of an article is detected by a reflected wave sensor, and the presence or absence of the article is detected by the presence or absence of the reflection signal and a level of the signal, whereby the presence or absence of an article other than metal and the kind of the article can be detected regardless of whether a container holding the article is transparent or opaque.

Abstract: An improved body sensing device capable of precisely sensing a living body at a standstill by discriminating the living body from other substances than the living body. An oscillator provided with a detection coil oscillates a high frequency signal. As there is no object or exists baggage or the like near the detection coil, the oscillator oscillates and generates a high frequency signal at a high level to be detected by a detector for turning on a transistor of a controller. As there exists a human body near the oscillator, the oscillation stops and the input signal from the detector to the transistor is extremely lowered, so that the transistor is turned off.