Abstract: An ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls a plug-in hybrid vehicle starts an engine when a required power as a value obtained by subtracting a required discharge amount from a drive power is larger than a threshold during intermittent control in a CD (Charge Depletion) mode, and stops the engine when the required power is smaller than a threshold. When intermittent control is being performed in the CD mode, the ECU limits the required discharge amount Pout to a relatively small value in a range where an engine coolant temperature is low, and sets the required discharge amount relatively large instead of imposing a limit thereon in a range where the engine coolant temperature is high.

Abstract: An industrial robot includes a hand on which a workpiece is placed, an arm that takes out the hand from a predetermined position of the workpiece and supplies the hand, an up-down moving mechanism connected to the arm by a support member, a pedestal provided at a lower portion of the up-down moving mechanism, and a pendulum stopper provided on a base on which the pedestal turns.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an operation unit, a movement amount correction unit, and a display control unit. The operation unit is configured to acquire a drag operation on a display unit. The movement amount correction unit is configured to increase a movement amount of the drag operation. The display control unit is configured to control the display unit according to the increased movement amount.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a tap operation detecting unit configured to detect the number of tap operations for tapping a housing and a tapped position of the housing, a storage unit storing a plurality of application programs, an activated application table storing an application program to be activated in association with the tapped position of the housing and the number of tap operations, and a control unit configured to detect an application program corresponding to the tapped position and the number of tap operations with reference to the activated application table on the basis of the tapped position and the number of tap operations detected by the tap operation detecting unit, to read out the detected application program from the storage unit, and to activate the detected application program.

Abstract: An ECU that controls a plug-in hybrid vehicle starts an engine when a required power as a value obtained by subtracting a required discharge amount from a drive power is larger than a threshold during intermittent control in a CD mode, and stops the engine when the required power is smaller than a threshold. When intermittent control is being performed in the CD mode, the ECU limits the required discharge amount Pout to a relatively small value in a range where an engine coolant temperature is low, and sets the required discharge amount relatively large instead of imposing a limit thereon in a range where the engine coolant temperature is high.

Abstract: An ECU executes a program including the steps of: when a switching valve is controlled to be closed, comparing exhaust gas's temperature, as detected, with a map value; if the exhaust gas's temperature is larger than the map value, determining that the switching valve normally operates; and if the exhaust gas's temperature is smaller than the map value, determining that the switching valve has abnormality.

Abstract: An industrial robot includes a hand on which a workpiece is placed, an arm that takes out the hand from a predetermined position of the workpiece and supplies the hand, an up-down moving mechanism connected to the arm by a support member, a pedestal provided at a lower portion of the up-down moving mechanism, and a pendulum stopper provided on a base on which the pedestal turns.

Abstract: A signal processing device includes a memory which stores correction data in advance. The signal processing device modifies the correction data stored in the memory on the basis of an image sensing signal obtained by causing an image sensing unit to perform image sensing operation in a non-exposure state. The signal processing device corrects by using the modified correction data an image sensing signal obtained by causing the image sensing unit to perform image sensing operation in an exposure state.

Abstract: A fuel supply system includes a first non-return valve for a low-pressure delivery connection pipe and a second non-return valve for a pump supply pipe. The former non-return pipe does not allow fuel to flow from the low-pressure delivery pipe to the low-pressure supply pipe. The second non-return valve does not allow fuel to flow from pump supply pipe to the low-pressure supply pipe. Upon determining that air purging is necessary, an engine ECU operates a feed pump for approximately one second and then opens, for dummy injection, an in-cylinder injector and an intake manifold injector.

Abstract: A detection error of foreign substance due to the presence of a newly generated defective pixel can be considerably prevented. An image pickup apparatus includes a foreign substance detector detecting foreign substance adhering to an optical member arranged on a light axis for image capturing in accordance with an image signal obtained by the image pickup device, a defective pixel position detector detecting a position of a defective pixel in the image pickup device in accordance with an image signal obtained by the image pickup device, a storage unit storing position information detected by the defective pixel position detector, and a controller controlling processing so that the foreign substance detector detects the foreign substance after the defective pixel position detector detects the position of the defective pixel.

Abstract: In an engine 5 including an in-cylinder injector, the valve timing of an intake valve is retarded by VVT (Variable Valve Timing) controlled by an engine ECU to decompress in a combustion chamber at engine startup. In accordance with a configuration in which the valve timing of intake valve is advanced in a stepped manner from an initial set value, fuel injection from in-cylinder injector is inhibited during the time when the advance is equal to or below a predetermined standard value, and fuel injection from in-cylinder injector is allowed when exceeding the predetermined standard value, whereby degradation in the exhaust emission level in accordance with start time decompression control can be suppressed.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle is equipped with an engine and a motor generator (MG2) serving as a power source for driving the vehicle. A catalytic converter is provided in an exhaust pipe of the engine. An HV-ECU estimates a possible EV-running distance based on an SOC of a power storage device for comparison with a traveling distance (L) to a destination set by a navigation device. When the possible EV-running distance is longer than the traveling distance (L), the HV-ECU outputs a control signal (CTL2) instructing prohibition of warm-up of the catalytic converter, to an EG-ECU.

Abstract: A hybrid ECU executes a program including the steps of: calculating an SOC of a battery when turn-on of pre-air-conditioning is requested; prohibiting pre-air-conditioning when the SOC does not satisfy a condition that the SOC is greater than an SOC (Y %) necessary for warm-up and running; and notifying a driver of prohibition of pre-air-conditioning.

Abstract: Engine misfire is detected by using threshold values that vary depending on whether damping control is executed. First threshold values are adopted at the setting of a gearshift position to a drive position or a park position where damping control is performed to reduce the vibration of an engine. Second threshold values are adopted at the setting of the gearshift position to a neutral position where the damping control is not performed, the second threshold values being greater than the first threshold values. Engine misfire detection is carried out by processing using the first and second threshold values.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a tap operation detecting unit configured to detect the number of tap operations for tapping a housing and a tapped position of the housing, a storage unit storing a plurality of application programs, an activated application table storing an application program to be activated in association with the tapped position of the housing and the number of tap operations, and a control unit configured to detect an application program corresponding to the tapped position and the number of tap operations with reference to the activated application table on the basis of the tapped position and the number of tap operations detected by the tap operation detecting unit, to read out the detected application program from the storage unit, and to activate the detected application program.

Abstract: A fuel supply system includes a first non-return valve for a low-pressure delivery connection pipe and a second non-return valve for a pump supply pipe. The former non-return pipe does not allow fuel to flow from the low-pressure delivery pipe to the low-pressure supply pipe. The second non-return valve does not allow fuel to flow from pump supply pipe to the low-pressure supply pipe. Upon determining that air purging is necessary, an engine ECU operates a feed pump for approximately one second and then opens, for dummy injection, an in-cylinder injector and an intake manifold injector.

Abstract: The technique of the invention determines whether input data for driving and controlling a cooling fan have any abnormality (steps S100 and S110), sets an actual drive level F* of the cooling fan to a high level (Hi) in the event of detection of any abnormality (step S130), and controls a fan motor to drive the cooling fan at the set drive level F* (step S140). This arrangement effectively prevents a temperature rise to an abnormally high level in any of an engine and motors even in the event of any abnormality arising in the input data.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit which converts an optical image of an object into an electrical signal, and an optical member arranged on the object side of the image capturing unit. The image capturing apparatus also includes an alien substance removing unit configured to execute an alien substance removal operation to remove alien substances adhering to the surface of the optical member, an environmental condition detection unit configured to detect the environmental condition around the image capturing unit or around the optical member, and a control unit configured to control the alien substance removal operation on the basis of the detected environmental condition.

Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle of the invention, the control procedure corrects an idling intake air flow Qidl to enable an engine immediately after its start to generate an output power Pe that is substantially equivalent to an engine power demand Pe*. After the correction, the control procedure controls the engine to have an intake air flow Qe with reflection of an intake air flow correction value Qec and controls a motor MG1 to generate electric power by using the output power Pe of the engine and to charge a battery with the generated electric power within an input limit Win of the battery. The control of the invention ensures that the output power Pe of the engine does not exceed the engine power demand Pe* in restriction of the charge level of the battery. This arrangement effectively prevents the state of charge SOC of the battery, which is charged with the electric power generated by the motor MG1, from exceeding the input limit Win.

Abstract: A control method of a vehicle includes a step of running the vehicle in an EV running mode in accordance with an operation of a driver, a step of performing a warming-up running, when it is determined that warming up is required, and a step of prohibiting the EV running mode such that the warming up running can be performed.