Abstract: A motor control system designed to monitor a failure in a multi-phase dc motor is provided. The motor control system includes an inverter which controls an operation of the motor, a failure detecting circuit which monitors the voltage appearing at one of terminals of armature windings of the motor every active time when a PWM signal is at an active level to turn on switching elements of the inverter and determines occurrence of the failure based on the monitored voltage, and a switching operation prohibiting circuit which prohibits one of the switching elements connected to the one of the terminals of the windings of the motor from being turned on, thereby avoiding additional damages of the motor control system.

Abstract: A trench-gate type transistor has a gate insulating film formed on an inner wall of a trench. The gate insulating film is composed of a first portion disposed on a side wall portion of the trench and a second portion disposed on upper and bottom portions of the trench. The first portion is composed of a first oxide film, a nitride film, and a second oxide film. The second portion is composed of only an oxide film and has a thickness thicker than that of the first portion. Accordingly, electric field concentration on upper and lower corner portions of the trench can be mitigated, and a decrease in withstand voltage at that portions can be prevented.

Abstract: In an electronic control unit for controlling operation of various devices, a circuit board carrying electronic components thereon and a connector for connecting the control unit to outside devices are electrically connected through a flexible printed-circuit sheet. A casing of the control unit is designed to contain therein a circuit board selected from variously sized circuit boards. The circuit board may be functionally divided into a certain number of circuit boards. Some varieties of each functionally divided circuit board are prepared, and circuit boards meeting a particular requirement are selected from the varieties and used in a control unit. Thus, the electronic control units meeting various requirements are efficiently and economically manufactured.

Abstract: A navigation system, which can detect particular intersection as the intersection to be guided, even if the particular intersection is not judged as the intersection to be guided in a the Following-the-road judgment. A navigation system includes ECU, which mainly performs a following-the-road judgment and a ramp judgment. In the following-the-road judgment, the ECU determines the particular intersection as the intersection to be guided, when a continuity of the travel road is not secured before and after the intersection. In the ramp judgment,the ECU determines the particular intersection as the intersection to be guided, when the particular intersection is a branch point to an off-ramp, and when there is a merge point within a predetermined distance ahead from the branch point, and further when the recommended guidance route is set so that the vehicle keeps on traveling on the main lane.

Abstract: A navigation device provides a driver with proper instructions to which direction to drive when he approaches a junction at which an entering road branches out into two or more outgoing roads. Such instructions are generated not only based on a physical structure of the junction and road names but also based on a customary way of driving. When the entering road name is the same as the outgoing road name toward destination, a driver customarily keeps a through-traffic lane. If the outgoing road toward his destination branches out to a side opposite to the through-traffic lane, he would drive onto a wrong road. Under such situation, the navigation device according to the present invention gives a driver clear instructions to which direction he should drive.

Abstract: A rotary electric machine includes a plurality of permanent magnet main poles disposed on an inner periphery of a yoke and a plurality of auxiliary poles respectively disposed between neighboring two of the main poles via magnet fixing members and a plurality of magnet fixing members. The magnet-fixing member is comprised of a U-bent elastic metal plate having a pair of circumferentially opposite walls that provides a pole space. The opposite walls are respectively bent inward at edges thereof in circumferentially opposite directions to be opposed to each other. The bent edges have and elastic projections and are separated at the axial ends to form an elastic retaining member. The auxiliary pole is inserted into the auxiliary pole space by opening the elastic retaining member.

Abstract: A constant voltage circuit robust to the input voltage lowering is disclosed. The invention is applied to a constant voltage circuit fed with an input voltage through first and second power conductors for transferring the input voltage to a load as an output voltage through an output transistor. An inventive constant voltage circuit is provided with a substitute circuit, responsive to a detection of the lowing of the input voltage to a predetermined voltage, for providing a substitute output path that is connected in parallel with the output transistor. Doing this minimize the degree of lowering of the second voltage due to the lowering of said first voltage. The output transistor may be nay of NPN and PNP transistors and P-type and N-type MOS FETs.

Abstract: In a geared motor, a gear housing that is securely connected to a yoke housing is molded in one piece from a synthetic resin material. The gear housing includes a motor securing segment, a worm housing segment, a wheel housing segment and a reinforcing segment. The reinforcing segment is positioned substantially on an opposite side of the worm housing segment with respect to the wheel housing segment. Furthermore, the reinforcing segment includes an air passage that communicates an interior of the yoke housing to atmosphere.

Abstract: An object in front of a vehicle is detected. At least one of a steering angle of the vehicle and a yaw rate thereof is detected. First curvature data are generated on the basis of at least one of the detected steering angle and the detected yaw rate. The first curvature data represent a course along which the vehicle will travel. A determination is made as to whether or not the detected object is a stationary object. In cases where the detected object is a stationary object, second curvature data are generated on the basis of the stationary object. The second curvature data represent a course along which the vehicle will travel. The first curvature data and the second curvature data are averaged. Third curvature data are generated in response to a result of the averaging. The third curvature data represent a course along which the vehicle will travel.

Abstract: An analog input voltage signal to be A/D-converted is supplied to a ring gate delay circuit including inverting circuits connected in series in a ring as a supply voltage thereto. The interval for which a pulse circulates the ring varies with the analog input voltage signal. The number of times circulation of the pulse and the position of the pulse for a predetermined interval are detected by a counter to provide upper bits and by a pulse position detector to provide lower bits of A/D conversion result of the analog input voltage signal, respectively. The counter and the pulse position detector are included in a coding process block which is driven by a constant voltage which is different from the analog input voltage signal to the ring gate delay circuit.

Abstract: In an LDMOS, an n-type region 6, which is formed to have a concentration higher than that of an n-type substrate 1 and whose concentration gradually increases from the n-type substrate 1 to an n+ type drain region 5, is disposed so as to surround the n+-type drain region 5. Further, a p+-type contact region 9 disposed adjacent to an n+-type source region 8 is formed so as to extend below the n+-type source region 8 so that a parasitic transistor formed by the n+-type source region 8, a p-type base region 7 and the n-type substrate 1 is hardly turned ON.

Abstract: A cylindrical member is placed in a dead-end hole formed in a housing made of a material such as aluminum. A peripheral portion of the hole is pressed down to plastically deform the housing material and to supply the deformed material into a groove formed on an outer periphery of the cylindrical member. The cylindrical member is calked to the housing in this manner. To supply a proper amount of deformed material into the groove for obtaining a quality calking, an inflection point of a calking curve indicating a relation of a calking force and a calking stroke is detected during the calking process. After the inflection point is detected, the calking is performed by giving a predetermined calking stroke or by adding a predetermined calking force.

Abstract: In a motor, an end plate has a pair of internal terminal-holding pedestals and an internal terminal-sandwiching slits. A pedestal-engaging portion is formed on the internal terminal-holding pedestal. An internal power-supply terminal has a holding portion, a concave portion, two insertion strips, and a brush-holding projection. Two holding through-holes are formed in the holding portion. A stopper concave portion is formed on a bottom of the internal terminal-holding pedestal. An inclined convex portion is formed on each of a pair of insertion strips of the internal power-supply terminal.

Abstract: A mobile robot placed on an automatic production line is provided. The mobile robot collects information on operating conditions of other mobile robots placed around it and flow of workpieces on the production line and determines action to be taken next based on the formation. A production system using such a mobile robot and a system inputting an operation program corresponding to a workstation into a mobile robot automatically are also provided. This enables measures to be taken quickly against a change in production, thereby providing a system which achieves high efficiency production.

Abstract: In a sensor chip for forming the light receiving elements of a photo-detection sensor, p-type regions of the photodiodes are formed in a surface portion of an n-type epitaxial layer, and they are respectively contacted with electrodes. A deep n+-region is formed in the part of the n-type epitaxial layer between the adjacent p-type regions so as to reach a buried n+-region. Carriers created with the projection of light in the photodiodes are trapped by the deep n+-region (30). An aluminum film serving as a light shielding film is arranged over the part of a silicon substrate between the regions for forming the photodiodes. Thus, the photodiodes can be operated independently from each other.

Abstract: A refrigerant passage within a main shaft includes an axial refrigerant passage extending in parallel with the main shaft from the end surface thereof, and a radial refrigerant passage communicating with the axial refrigerant passage and extending radially outwardly. The radial refrigerant passage is located between the end surface of the main shaft and a motor rotor. Thus, when the main shaft rotates, suctioned refrigerant is uniformly sprayed toward an entire coil. Further, the refrigerant flows toward a compression mechanism through the electric motor, thereby cooling the electric motor effectively.

Abstract: A display is provided having five light-emitting elements, constituting a first light source, are provided on the surface of a wiring board. These sources illuminate a graduated board and a light-emitting indicator. A single light-emitting element, constituting a second light source, is provided on the surface of the wiring board as an illumination light source for use on the graduated board so as to oppose a concave portion of the light-guiding plate via the opening portion of the holder on an outside of one of the respective light-emitting elements.

Abstract: In an accumulation mode MOSFET, a surface channel layer is disposed on a p− type base region between an n+ type source region and an n− type epi layer. The surface channel layer is composed of an n type channel layer formed on the p− type base region and a p type channel layer formed on the n type channel layer. A gate insulating film is formed on the p type channel layer. A channel is formed in the n type channel layer. Accordingly, channel mobility can be improved and on-resistance can be reduced without being affected by a state of an interface between the gate insulating film and the surface channel layer.

Abstract: A crucible for growing a single crystal therein has a seed crystal attachment portion and a peripheral portion surrounding the seed crystal attachment portion through a gap provided therebetween. The seed crystal attachment portion has a support surface for holding a seed crystal on which the single crystal is to be grown, and the support surface is recessed from a surface of the peripheral portion. The seed crystal is attached to the support surface to cover an entire area of the support surface. Accordingly, no poly crystal is formed on the seed crystal attachment portion, and the single crystal can be grown on the seed crystal with high quality.

Abstract: In a transmission mechanism having a disk shaped output plate having a flat surface and an output shaft, the output plate is provided in a center thereof with a linking portion formed by drawing to axially extend from the flat surface. The linking portion has a shaft receiving hole with a plurality of engaging surfaces extending axially for receiving circumferential rotational driving force. The output shaft is provided at an axial end thereof with a shaft inserting portion fitted to the shaft receiving hole so that the output shaft is connected to the output plate so as to rotate together therewith in a state that an axial length of the shaft inserting portion in contact with each of the engaging surfaces is longer than the thickness of the flat surface.