Abstract: In a vehicular control system, when in the engine ECU, ATECU or brake ECU there occurs important information which requires an urgent response by any of the other ECUs, the important information is transmitted directly to the corresponding ECU through an important information communication line L1 without going through a manager ECU 10. Therefore, a controller in the ECU receives the important information and immediately controls the corresponding component based on the important information.

Abstract: An integrated control system for a vehicle comprises a plurality of system device control units for controlling system devices in a vehicle, and a manager control unit for providing the system device control units with commands serving as operation directives of the system devices. A particular one of the system device control units has a hierarchical layer. If the predetermined operation should be carried out, the particular system device control unit issues a command to the particular system device as an independent operation directive for driving the particular system device to carry out the predetermined operation independently of an operation directive issued by the manager control unit.

Abstract: An integrated vehicle control system for integratedly controlling a vehicle drive system transmits a control command from a manager ECU to an engine ECU and an AT ECU. The manager ECU receives characteristic information of an engine and an AT from the engine ECU and the AT ECU. The control commands are set on the basis of the characteristic information. Further, the engine ECU and the AT ECU are provided with a plurality of control rules corresponding to different tuning patterns. The manager ECU retrieves realizable tuning patterns from these ECUs, and selects the optimum tuning pattern corresponding to a use of a vehicle.

Abstract: In a vehicle control system of this invention, a CVT ECU does not executes the calculations such as a gear ratio, etc., but simply controls the gear ratio of a CVT on the basis of the target gear ratio and a CVT input torque transmitted from a manager ECU by way of a communication line. Accordingly, when mounting a CVT unit constructed with the CVT and the CVT ECU in a vehicle, the vehicle control does not need to tune the CVT ECU one by one, even though the types and engines of vehicles are varied. Therefore, it is possible to configure the CVT unit independently of the types of vehicles, which achieves standardization or generalization of the CVT unit in terms of both the hardware and the software.

Abstract: An improved vehicle driving control device controls a vehicle without giving vehicle occupants a feeling of abnormality during acceleration and deceleration and optimally controls the operating torque of the engine. A vehicle driving control procedure sets the target operation torque of the vehicle and determines a target engine torque and a target engine speed from the target operation torque. Engine control is performed according to the target parameters. To compute each target parameter of the engine, the target output torque of a torque converter is first computed from the target operation torque, to determine the condition of a lockup clutch. Furthermore, each target parameter is computed in accordance with a control law set in accordance with the condition of the lockup clutch.

Abstract: Automotive control system designed to control a plurality of controlled elements installed in the vehicle is provided. The control system includes control circuits and a manager circuit. The control circuits are designed to perform given control tasks using pre-defined controlled variables. The manager circuit is designed to determine a target value of a preselected output parameter of at least one of the controlled elements in the form of a second controlled variable different from one of the controlled variables employed in the control circuit for the one of the controlled elements. The control system also includes an adaptor designed to translate the second controlled variable indicative of the target value of the output parameter into a value of the corresponding controlled variable. This allows the control system to be constructed easily without redesigning typical controlled elements.

Abstract: In a vehicular control system, when in the engine ECU, ATECU or brake ECU there occurs important information which requires an urgent response by any of the other ECUs, the important information is transmitted directly to the corresponding ECU through an important information communication line L1 without going through a manager ECU 10. Therefore, a control means in the ECU receives the important information and immediately controls the corresponding component based on the important information.

Abstract: In a vehicle control system of this invention, a CVT ECU does not executes the calculations such as a gear ratio, etc., but simply controls the gear ratio of a CVT on the basis of the target gear ratio and a CVT input torque transmitted from a manager ECU by way of a communication line. Accordingly, when mounting a CVT unit constructed with the CVT and the CVT ECU in a vehicle, the vehicle control does not need to tune the CVT ECU one by one, even though the types and engines of vehicles are varied. Therefore, it is possible to configure the CVT unit independently of the types of vehicles, which achieves standardization or generalization of the CVT unit in terms of both the hardware and the software.

Abstract: An integrated vehicle control system for integratedly controlling a vehicle drive system transmits a control command from a manager ECU to an engine ECU and an AT ECU. The manager ECU receives characteristic information of an engine and an AT from the engine ECU and the AT ECU. The control commands are set on the basis of the characteristic information. Further, the engine ECU and the AT ECU are provided with a plurality of control rules corresponding to different tuning patterns. The manager ECU retrieves realizable tuning patterns from these ECUs, and selects the optimum tuning pattern corresponding to a use of a vehicle.

Abstract: In a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including a plurality of memory cells each formed by one selection transistor and one memory transistor connected in series, the thickness of a first gate insulating layer of the selection transistor is smaller than the thickness of a second gate insulating layer of the memory transistor.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including a plurality of memory cells connected in parallel with each other, each of which has a memory transistor and a selecting transistor connected in series between a bit line and a source electrode, in such a configuration that information may be, via that bit line, input to and output from any one of the memory cells which is selected by a word line connected to gate electrodes of these two transistors, wherein transistor driving force of one of these two transistors of the memory cell whichever faces the bit line is enhanced. That transistor which faces the bit line is the one which lies on a drain side of the memory cell, that is, a memory transistor.

Abstract: A controller of an automatic transmission having a lockup clutch and a control method of the automatic transmission, in which engine rotational speed is prevented from changing even though turbine rotational speed changes at gear shift and slip control can be carried out without making a driver feel uncomfortable are provided. When a speed change command is detected and it is determined that an inertia phase has not yet started, target engine rotational speed during a replenish period is calculated and the target engine rotational speed control is carried out to have the target engine rotational speed. When it is determined that the control is in the inertia phase, another target engine rotational speed during the inertia phase is calculated. Then, target engine rotational speed control in which the engine rotational speed at the start of the inertia phase is maintained as the target engine rotational speed is carried out.

Abstract: A parallel light receiving OEIC comprising a light receiving OEIC layed out in an array form, the light receiving OEIC having an optical fiber fixing groove, provided on a silicon substrate, for efficiently introducing light from an optical fiber into a photodiode, wherein at least one optical fiber fixing groove is provided between light receiving ICs for respective channels. This constitution enables the substantial distance between channels to be increased without increasing the layout area, resulting in reduced interference of noises generated in respective channels with each other, which markedly reduces the influence of crosstalk without increasing the layout area of the parallel light receiving IC.

Abstract: It is the object of the invention to suppress the leakage current of a semiconductor photodiode. A trench, a side wall of which is covered with and insulating layer, is formed on the surface of a semiconductor substrate of the first conductivity type. Then, an epitaxial layer of the second conductivity type is grown in the trench, where a PN-junction is constructed between the bottom surface of the epitaxial layer and the semiconductor substrate. An impurity diffusion layer of the second conductivity type with higher impurity concentration than that of an internal portion of the epitaxial semiconductor layer is formed over the side surface of the epitaxial layer of the second conductivity type. In the aforementioned structure, when a reverse bias voltage is applied to the PN-junction, a depletion layer does not extend to a neighborhood of the insulating layer, and a leakage current, which flows via surface states near the insulating layer.

Abstract: A vehicle automatic transmission control controls fluid pressure changes applied to a frictional engagement element which is being changed from an engaged state to a disengaged state at a stage before input shaft rotational speed starts to increase from the beginning of a down-shift control. The control instruction value is set to gradually decrease the applied fluid pressure and to increase the ratio of such decrease with elapsed time. Specifically, a solenoid is used to control the fluid pressure applied to a clutch. The duty-cycle instruction for the solenoid is determined based on a quadratic function expressed as: duty cycle value=initial value-at.sup.2.

Abstract: A controller of an automatic transmission having a lockup clutch and a control method of the automatic transmission, in which engine rotational speed is prevented from changing even though turbine rotational speed changes at gear shift and slip control can be carried out without making a driver feel uncomfortable are provided. When a speed change command is detected and it is determined that an inertia phase has not yet started, target engine rotational speed during a replenish period is calculated and the target engine rotational speed control is carried out to have the target engine rotational speed. When it is determined that the control is in the inertia phase, another target engine rotational speed during the inertia phase is calculated. Then, target engine rotational speed control in which the engine rotational speed at the start of the inertia phase is maintained as the target engine rotational speed is carried out.

Abstract: An automotive automatic transmission has an input shaft receiving a rotational force from an engine, an output shaft for outputting a rotational force to a vehicle driving wheel, a frictional engagement device having an adjustable engagement condition, and a transmission device for transmitting a rotational force from the input shaft to the output shaft at a gear speed ratio depending on the engagement condition of the frictional engagement device. A control apparatus for the automotive automatic transmission includes an engagement condition adjusting device for adjusting the engagement condition of the frictional engagement device by feeding a hydraulic pressure thereto in response to an instructed control amount.

Abstract: A photodetection semiconductor device is constructed in such a manner that a photodiode light absorbing layer includes an Si/SiGe super-lattice layer (6), which forms a layer in parallel with the surface of a silicon substrate (1), and upper and lower P type low Ge concentration SiGe epitaxial layers (5) and (7), which sandwich the Si/SiGe super-lattice layer between them and contain Ge lower than a Ge content in the Si/SiGe super-lattice layer, a highly dense P+ type Si contact layer (8) is directly formed on the upper SiGe epitaxial layer (7) and a highly dense N+ type epitaxial layer (2) is formed immediately below the lower SiGe epitaxial layer (5). Preferably, Ge concentration in each of the upper and lower SiGe epitaxial layers (5) and (7) is set to be at least 1% or higher.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device, which is used as an optical detector and has: a photodiode section which has a first silicon layer, a light-absorbing layer and a second silicon layer which are in turn layered on a silicon substrate; wherein the light-absorbing layer is formed as a single silicon-germanium epitaxial layer and the single silicon-germanium epitaxial layer has a germanium concentration distribution which provides germanium concentrations of zero at its interfaces to the first silicon layer and the second silicon layer and provides a triangle-shaped concentration profile that a peak concentration value is provided in the middle of the single silicon-germanium epitaxial layer.

Abstract: An automatic transmission is controlled by the use of estimation of a disturbance so that an input shaft rotates as desired to suppress shock caused during a speed-change transient mode. The disturbance is estimated from an actual rotational speed of an input shaft of the automatic transmission and a control command value to a pressure regulating device based on a predetermined transfer function model. The disturbance may be estimated alternatively by the use of a speed change in the rotational speed of the input shaft.