Abstract: A determination device includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire information on a state of a battery mounted on a vehicle, the information including information on a voltage value of the battery, and a determination unit configured to determine that the battery is deteriorated based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, in a case where a frequency of prohibition of control of the vehicle using the battery exceeds a predetermined first threshold value and a voltage of the battery falls below a predetermined second threshold value.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for monitoring passengers in within a cabin of a vehicle and determining whether the passengers are engaging in abnormal behavior. The method and system uses a novel vector to robustly and numerically represent the activity of the passengers in a respective frame, which is referred to herein as an “activity vector.” Additionally, a Gaussian Mixture Model is utilized by the method and system to distinguish between normal and abnormal passenger behavior. Cluster components of the Gaussian Mixture Model are advantageously learned using an unsupervised approach in which training data is not labeled or annotated to indicate normal and abnormal passenger behavior. In this way, the Gaussian Mixture Model can be trained at a very low cost.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for monitoring passengers in within a cabin of a vehicle and determining whether the passengers are engaging in abnormal behavior. The method and system uses a novel vector to robustly and numerically represent the activity of the passengers in a respective frame, which is referred to herein as an “activity vector.” Additionally, a Gaussian Mixture Model is utilized by the method and system to distinguish between normal and abnormal passenger behavior. Cluster components of the Gaussian Mixture Model are advantageously learned using an unsupervised approach in which training data is not labeled or annotated to indicate normal and abnormal passenger behavior. In this way, the Gaussian Mixture Model can be trained at a very low cost.

Abstract: An electronic control unit is a control device for controlling a vehicle including a vehicle speed sensor. The electronic control unit is configured to identify a section from start to stop of the vehicle using a vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor, determine whether the number of times of a low-speed section is more than a prescribed number of times, the low-speed section being the identified section where a representative value of the vehicle speed is less than a prescribed speed, and determine that the vehicle is in a specific situation where low-speed travel is inevitable, when it is determined that the number of times of the low-speed section is more than the prescribed number of times.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for monitoring passengers in within a cabin of a vehicle and determining whether the passengers are engaging in abnormal behavior. The method and system uses a novel vector to robustly and numerically represent the activity of the passengers in a respective frame, which is referred to herein as an “activity vector.” Additionally, a Gaussian Mixture Model is utilized by the method and system to distinguish between normal and abnormal passenger behavior. Cluster components of the Gaussian Mixture Model are advantageously learned using an unsupervised approach in which training data is not labeled or annotated to indicate normal and abnormal passenger behavior. In this way, the Gaussian Mixture Model can be trained at a very low cost.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for monitoring passengers in within a cabin of a vehicle and determining whether the passengers are engaging in abnormal behavior. The method and system uses a novel vector to robustly and numerically represent the activity of the passengers in a respective frame, which is referred to herein as an “activity vector.” Additionally, a Gaussian Mixture Model is utilized by the method and system to distinguish between normal and abnormal passenger behavior. Cluster components of the Gaussian Mixture Model are advantageously learned using an unsupervised approach in which training data is not labeled or annotated to indicate normal and abnormal passenger behavior. In this way, the Gaussian Mixture Model can be trained at a very low cost.

Abstract: A battery management system includes a memory, a current sensor that measures a current flow through a battery to a load, a voltage sensor that measures a voltage level between a first terminal and a second terminal of the battery that are each connected to the load, and the memory, a temperature sensor that measures a temperature level of the battery; and a controller configured to be operatively connected to the current sensor, temperature sensor, and voltage sensor. The controller is configured to receive a measurement of a first current level and a first voltage level and utilize a corrected capacity and corrected open circuit voltage estimate to output an estimated open circuit voltage of the battery as compared to an estimated capacity.

Abstract: The electronic control unit determines whether or not an battery state of charge is equal to or above a first state of charge, and determines, based on the result of a determination, whether or not to allow a next automatic stop of an engine while the engine is driven by automatic restart after each automatic stop of the engine. The electronic control unit allows the next automatic stop of the engine when determining that the battery state of charge is equal to or above the first state of charge, and prohibits automatic stop of the engine until the vehicle starts traveling, when determining that the battery state of charge is less than the first state of charge.

Abstract: The electronic control unit determines whether or not an battery state of charge is equal to or above a first state of charge, and determines, based on the result of a determination, whether or not to allow a next automatic stop of an engine while the engine is driven by automatic restart after each automatic stop of the engine. The electronic control unit allows the next automatic stop of the engine when determining that the battery state of charge is equal to or above the first state of charge, and prohibits automatic stop of the engine until the vehicle starts traveling, when determining that the battery state of charge is less than the first state of charge.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is disclosed, which includes: a sensor that obtains information representing a status of a degradation degree of a battery; a controller that permits at least one of a charge control and an idling stop control such that the degradation degree of the battery does not affect a way of performing the control, until a predetermined parameter that affects a life of the battery meets a control prevention condition, the charge control controlling an alternator according to a travel state of a vehicle, wherein the control prevention condition is varied according to the degradation degree of the battery such that the control prevention condition becomes more difficult to be met as the degradation degree of the battery becomes higher.

Abstract: A starter includes a pinion gear that can be engaged with a ring gear coupled to a crank shaft of an engine, an actuator that moves the pinion gear to a position where the pinion gear is engaged with a ring gear, and a motor that rotates the pinion gear. An ECU stops the engine when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied, and cranks the engine with a motor when a predetermined start condition is satisfied after the engine is stopped. The motor and the actuator are supplied with electric power from a battery. The ECU includes a mode in which the motor is driven prior to driving of the actuator. The ECU restricts a stop of the engine if, of a decreased voltage of the battery after driving the motor and a decreased voltage of the battery after driving the actuator, the lower voltage falls below a threshold value.

Abstract: A starter includes a pinion gear that can be engaged with a ring gear coupled to a crank shaft of an engine, an actuator that moves the pinion gear to a position where the pinion gear is engaged with a ring gear, and a motor that rotates the pinion gear. An ECU stops the engine when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied, and cranks the engine with a motor when a predetermined start condition is satisfied after the engine is stopped. The motor and the actuator are supplied with electric power from a battery. The ECU includes a mode in which the motor is driven prior to driving of the actuator. The ECU restricts a stop of the engine if, of a decreased voltage of the battery after driving the motor and a decreased voltage of the battery after driving the actuator, the lower voltage falls below a threshold value.

Abstract: A hydrogen generator that is able to maintain an ability to supply a reformed gas containing less CO for a long time period while dealing with degradation of a catalytic activity of a shift reaction by a reliable and simple method, an operation method thereof, and a fuel cell system are provided. In a hydrogen generator (50) comprising a reformer (1), a shift converter (6), a water supply device (3A), a material feed device (2A), and a controller (12), the controller (12) is configured to count the number of times of start-up and/or stop of said hydrogen generator (50) and to increase a temperature or a S/C ratio of the reformed gas flowing in said shift converter (6) according to the counted number of times of start-up and/or stop.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a hydrogen generator that generates hydrogen by a reforming reaction using a material and water. A fuel cell generates power by electrochemical reaction using the hydrogen and an oxidizing agent. A cooling water circulation portion circulates water for cooling the fuel cell. A water condenser condenses water discharged from the hydrogen generator or the fuel cell and the condensed water is stored in a water storage portion. A water supply portion moves the water from the water storage portion to the hydrogen generator, the fuel cell, or the cooling water circulation portion. A water replenishment portion replenishes water in the water storage portion from the cooling water circulation portion. A controller discards the water from the water storage portion through a discharge port and the water replenishment portion causes the cooling water circulation portion to replenish the water storage portion.

Abstract: A cell according to the present invention is a fuel cell for generating an electric power by supplying one electrode with a fuel and the other electrode with an oxidant. In the fuel cell, a catalyst layer is formed on at least one surface of at least one of the one electrode and the other electrode. The catalyst layer is a layer including catalyst particles alone, a layer including a mixture of the catalyst particles and other particles, or a layer of a porous film carrying at least the catalyst particles, and a molecule including an ion-conducting functional group serving as an electrolyte is chemically bonded to a surface of at least one selected from the group consisting of the catalyst particles, the other particles and the porous film. At least one of the electrodes has a thin film electrolyte, a catalyst and an electron conducting substance, thereby suppressing the elution of the electrolyte from the catalyst layer in an electrode part and the accompanying voltage drop.

Abstract: Disclosed here is a plasma display unit that employs phosphors having an amount of charge controlled close to zero, by which degradation in luminance, color temperature, and charge characteristics can be minimized. A phosphor bearing positive or negative charge is coated with a compound for controlling the amount of charge of the phosphor through a strong chemical bonding, whereby the amount of charge of a phosphor can be suppressed within ±0.01 ?C/g. Controlling the amount of charge of phosphors close to zero can keep impurity gases away from the phosphor particle when the panel is in operation, suppressing problems critical to driving a plasma display unit, such as luminance degradation of phosphors, improper alignment of color in panel operation, luminance degradation when the panel displays all white.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plasma display panel that suppresses discharge sustain voltage, and reduces brightness degradation of a phosphor. In the plasma display panel, as protective film (14) made of magnesium oxide (MgO) formed on dielectric glass layer (13), protective film (14) made of magnesium oxide (MgO) with oxide added with an electronegativity of 1.4 or higher, is formed to suppress impure gas adsorption by protective film (14), stabilizes discharge sustain voltage, and reduces brightness degradation.

Abstract: A fuel cell system is provided, which is capable of effectively suppressing progress of decay of water with a simple configuration and without energy consumption so as not to substantially cause problems to occur in water supply and water purification functions.

Abstract: A hydrogen generator that is able to maintain an ability to supply a reformed gas containing less CO for a long time period while dealing with degradation of a catalytic activity of a shift reaction by a reliable and simple method, an operation method thereof, and a fuel cell system are provided. In a hydrogen generator (50) comprising a reformer (1), a shift converter (6), a water supply device (3A), a material feed device (2A), and a controller (12), the controller (12) is configured to count the number of times of start-up and/or stop of said hydrogen generator (50) and to increase a temperature or a S/C ratio of the reformed gas flowing in said shift converter (6) according to the counted number of times of start-up and/or stop.

Abstract: Disclosed here is a plasma display unit that employs phosphors having an amount of charge controlled close to zero, by which degradation in luminance, color temperature, and charge characteristics can be minimized. A phosphor bearing positive or negative charge is coated with a compound for controlling the amount of charge of the phosphor through a strong chemical bonding, whereby the amount of charge of a phosphor can be suppressed within ±0.01 ?C/g. Controlling the amount of charge of phosphors close to zero can keep impurity gases away from the phosphor particle when the panel is in operation, suppressing problems critical to driving a plasma display unit, such as luminance degradation of phosphors, improper alignment of color in panel operation, luminance degradation when the panel displays all white.