Abstract: An end portion structure of a transmission line of the present invention is a structure in which a protective film with a thickness of 0.5 ?m to 3.0 ?m is formed on the end surface of the transmission line in place of an end cap formed in an end portion of a transmission line in the related art, and no adhesive is used in a portion through which light passes. The protective film on the end surface works to suppress a bulge of the core. The thickness of the protective film is significantly thinner than the end cap, and thus waveguides facing each other can be brought close to each other. It is possible to reduce the connection loss between two fibers or waveguides facing each other to be 0.5 dB or less. Since no adhesive is used, there is no loss increase caused by adhesive deterioration.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a substrate processing method is disclosed. The method can include treating a substrate with a first liquid. The substrate has a structural body formed on a major surface of the substrate. The method can include forming a support member supporting the structural body by bringing a second liquid into contact with the substrate wetted by the first liquid, and changing at least a portion of the second liquid into a solid by carrying out at least one of causing the second liquid to react, reducing a quantity of a solvent included in the second liquid, and causing at least a portion of a substance dissolved in the second liquid to be separated. The method can include removing the support member by changing at least a part of the support member from a solid phase to a gaseous phase, without passing through a liquid phase.

Abstract: In a vehicle control apparatus which controls movement of the own vehicle, the control unit obtains data of surroundings of the own vehicle. Then, according to the data of the surroundings, the control unit conducts vehicle control including acceleration/deceleration control representing control related to acceleration/deceleration of the own vehicle, and steering control representing control related to steering of the own vehicle. Upon input of a stop command indicating stop of the vehicle control, a first stop section stops first control which is either of the acceleration/deceleration control and the steering control. Then, a second stop section stops a second control, which is the other of the acceleration/deceleration control and the steering control, at a timing different from the timing to stop the first control (S310).

Abstract: A power plant structure for four wheel drive cars includes an engine part, a clutch part, a transmission part and a transfer part. The clutch part comprises a clutch which is received in a clutch housing. The clutch is coaxially connected to the engine. The transmission part comprises a transmission which is received in a transmission case. The transfer part comprises a transfer and differentials which are received in a transfer case. In order to increase the rigidity of the power plant, the following measures are taken. The transmission part and the transfer part are arranged in parallel with and beside the engine part and the clutch part. The transfer part is located below the transmission part. The clutch housing, the transmission case and the transfer case constitute a monolithic housing construction which is secured to the engine part.

Abstract: A communication system includes a plurality of separate transmission units. A common signal line connects the units. A token is transferred from a first of the units to a second of the units during one sequence. The token is a right to output data to the common signal line. When the token is rejected by the second unit, the token is retransferred from the first unit at maximum a predetermined number of times during that sequence to the second unit. When the retransferred token is rejected by the second unit, the token may be transferred from the first unit to a third of the units during that sequence. In a next sequence, said predetermined maximum number of times said token is retransmitted to said second unit is then reduced.

Abstract: Elements which exhibit good thermal conductivity are disposed in contact with permanent magnets of an electric motor. These elements absorb heat from the magnets and reduce the rate at which the temperature of the magnets increases. The elements can be provided with fins and the like to increase the rate at which heat is released from the elements.

Abstract: A plurality of control units are connected via a common signal line through which they communicate. Each control unit is operative to control an apparatus according to certain information the control unit normally receives directly through an exclusive signal line by operation of a directly-inputting device. A check is made to determine whether the directly-inputting device is operating normally. If not, then the required information is inputted from its source indirectly through another control unit by way of the common signal line.

Abstract: Control units are mutually connected by separate common signal lines. A data link is provided between the control units via a preselected one of the common signal lines. A check is made as to whether the preselected common signal line is operating normally or abnormally. When the preselected common signal line is operating abnormally, the preselected common signal line is replaced by another common signal line in the data link.

Abstract: A plurality of control systems mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, and provided for different controlled objects are respectively made of control computers. These control computers are linked by a common data bus. These computers exclusively execute, for example, an engine control, a transmission control, a brake control, a suspension control, and a auto drive control. The data bus is further connected to a diagnosis computer. Each control computer detects a signal from the sensor provided corresponding to each controlled object, and outputs the detect signal to the data bus. Each control computer executes the logical operation for its control on the basis of its detect signal and various data transferred to the data bus. The diagnosis computer supervises an operating state of each control system on the basis of the data transferred to the data bus. When an abnormality is detected, the diagnosis computer stores this data in a large-capacity memory, and displays the abnormality.

Abstract: A data network system for a vehicle having a plurality of separate and distinct control computers carrying out a predetermined control function of the vehicle and a data communication line for communicating data among the control computers. One of the control computers determines the number of the other computers which are linked with the data communication line, and in response to that number a data transfer rate output from each of the control computers to the data communication line is determined.

Abstract: In order to derive the optimal supercharging pressure, a basic control signal by, which a device which varies the capacity of a turbocharger is controlled, is arranged to increase the supercharge pressure until engine knocking or like undesirable phenomenon occurs, whereafter the throttling provided by the capacity controlling device is incrementally reduced until the phenomenon disappears. Subsequent increases and decreases in the throttling degree holds the supercharge pressure at the optimal level. When acceleration is required, the maximum degree of throttling is induced and held for a time or until an undesirable phenomenon occurs. The hold time may be varied with engine operational parameters such as engine speed.

Abstract: A controller for a variable geometry type turbocharger controls a sectional area of an throttle throat of a turbine through which exhaust gases from an engine is supplied to the turbine on the basis of a engine speed and an amount of air introduced into the engine and includes a bypass path which bypasses the turbine to reduce the exhaust gases supplied to the turbine by controlling the opening and closure of the bypass path on the basis of the engine speed and the amount of air introduced into the engine, thereby preventing the degradation of the supercharged air supplied to the engine and improving torque of the engine in all the operating area of the engine.

Abstract: A controller for a variable geometry type turbocharger controls a sectional area of an throttle throat of a turbine through which exhaust gases from an engine is supplied to the turbine on the basis of a engine speed and an amount of air introduced into the engine and includes a bypass path which bypasses the turbine to reduce the exhaust gases supplied to the turbine by controlling the opening and closure of the bypass path on the basis of the engine speed and the amount of air introduced into the engine, thereby preventing the degradation of the supercharged air supplied to the engine and improving torque of the engine in all the operating area of the engine.

Abstract: Sensors detect parameters. Control units control vehicle equipments in accordance with the detected parameters. In each of the control units, at least one of the detected parameters and internally produced data is converted into serial data as communication data, and serial data is converted into other form data. A transmission medium connects the control units via a serial data link. Serial interfaces are associated with the control units respectively. Each of the serial interfaces includes a connection terminal connected to the transmission medium, an input terminal and an output terminal both connected to the associated control unit. Each of the serial interfaces inputs serial data from the associated control unit via its input terminal and outputs the inputted data to the transmission medium via its connection terminal.

Abstract: A controller for a variable geometry type turbocharger controls a sectional area of an throttle throat of a turbine through which exhaust gases from an engine is supplied to the turbine on the basis of a engine speed and an amount of air introduced into the engine and includes a bypass path which bypasses the turbine to reduce the exhaust gases supplied to the turbine by controlling the opening and closing of the bypass path on the basis of the engine speed and the amount of air introduced into the engine, thereby preventing the degradation of the supercharged air supplied to the engine and improving torque of the engine in all the operating area of the engine.

Abstract: Disclosed is an azimuth determination apparatus attached to a motor vehicle for determinating the forward direction of the vehicle. The azimuth determination apparatus includes an azimuth sensor for generating orthogonal first and second signals indicative of the forward direction of the vehicle. Two azimuth vectors are obtained on the basis of the orthogonal first and second component signals, first components of the two azimuth vectors being maximum and minimum. The determination is made in terms of the fact that the difference between second components of the two azimuth vectors is below a predetermined value. In accordance with the determination, the orthogonal first and second component signals are corrected on the basis of said two azimuth vectors so that the accurate moving direction of the motor vehicle can be obtained irrespective of the remanence of the vehicle.

Abstract: The supercharger pressure control system includes a sensor for detecting the supercharger pressure of the engine and regulates the pressure through a variable geometry device or an exhaust bypass valve. The control for the pressure regulation is carried out by comparing the sensed supercharge pressure with a target value. Any difference determined by this comparison is accumulated by a computer as an error and a basic control value is determined based on the error. Alternatively, a predetermined basic control value for the engine intake air is corrected in accordance with the error and this control value or corrected value is used to control the operation of the supercharge pressure regulator. This causes the regulator to operate in a manner responsive to variations in performance of the engine or turbocharger, thus maintaining the supercharged pressure within a permissible range of a target value.

Abstract: An engine control method and apparatus generally applicable to those control systems of the engine such as an ignition system, fuel injection system, etc., which are controlled to optimum operation in accordance with the engine operating conditions. A plurality of angular pulses are generated during each rotation of the engine and these pulses are counted. In response to each pulse, an angular interrupt request is generated and the interrupt is performed in response thereto. The angular interrupt routines are of the highest priority and are executed irrespective of the execution status of the central processing unit to control an electric device associated with the engine in accordance with control data calculated by the central processing unit. Program interrupt requests are generated during selected angular interrupt routines when the counted number of angular pulses reaches a predetermined value.

Abstract: An engine control method generally applicable to those control systems of the engine such as an ignition system, fuel injection system, etc., which are controlled to optimum operation in accordance with engine operating conditions. Angular pulses are generated each time the output shaft of the engine rotates a predetermined angular amount. These angular pulses are counted from the occurrence of a position pulse which is generated at a predetermined angular position of the output shaft of the engine. A central processor is employed to calculate a first angular position at which an electric device for the engine is to be controlled. The central processor also calculates a time interval between the first angular position and a second angular position at which one of the angular pulses is to be provided just before the first angular position. When the angular pulse counting reaches a value corresponding to the second angular position, fixed frequency clock pulses are then counted.

Abstract: In an air flow control apparatus for controlling an amount of air flow under control of a throttle valve in an engine, a sensor produces a first signal indicative of engine operation, and another sensor produces a second signal indicative of the atmospheric pressure. A microcomputer determines whether or not the first signal indicates an idling condition of the engine. If so, the microcomputer calculates, in dependence upon the first signal, a first parameter indicative of an amount of the air flow necessary for maintaining a desired idling condition of the engine. If not, the microcomputer calculates, in dependence upon the first signal, a second parameter indicative of an amount of the air flow related to loaded condition of the engine.