Abstract: A laser alignment control system comprises a method and apparatus wherein a rotating member such as a spindle can be properly aligned with a workpiece for manufacturing operations thereon. The system comprises a laser whose beam impinges on a target with the laser and target being interchangeably mounted on a spindle and a "master part". Information from the target is fed through interface circuitry to a computer which calculates an "effective target" relative to the shim feet under the movable master part or spindle. This "effective target" gives the system capability for aligning the operating member both as to coincidence of location and appropriate incident angle with points within the workpiece which are physically inaccessible. The computer outputs information onto a multiplicity of display screens wherein an operator can align the spindle with the "master part" axis by a series of shimming movements.

Abstract: An engine control system for controlling an engine in response to an output from a temperature sensor for detecting a coolant temperature of the engine, comprising temperature sensor output monitoring device for monitoring an output of the temperature sensor during operation of the engine, temperature sensor fail judging device for judging the temperature sensor to be failed when the temperature sensor output monitoring device does not detect for a predetermined length of time a change in output of the temperature sensor corresponding to an increase in coolant temperature while the temperature sensor is outputting a signal corresponding to the coolant temperature during the operation of the engine, and dummy signal outputting device for outputting a dummy signal corresponding to a predetermined temperature in place of an output signal from the temperature sensor when the temperature sensor is judged as failed by the temperature sensor fail judging device, which, in addition to engine control with a normal tem

Abstract: The system of the present invention uses the importance of a piece of malfunctioning equipment, the severity and the confidence level in a diagnosis to determine repair priority of the equipment by obtaining the product (46) of the confidence level (CF), importance (IMP) and severity (SEV). The these variables are determined by expert system rules. The severity is the reciprocal (88) of the time to failure. The importance (44) is the cost to repair the maximum damage when the malfunction continues. A malfunction can affect several pieces of equipment in combination, the severity and importance associated with each piece is combined (70) with the confidence and used to determine the repair priority. When the diagnosis of a malfunction is by malfunctioning sensors, the expected equipment life (40) and the availability (86) of sensors that provide a partial backup are considered in prioritizing sensor as well as equipment repair.

Abstract: A clutch engaging torque which will be required by a hydraulically operated clutch to be engaged for a gearshift is preset. A hydraulic pressure required to obtain the clutch engaging torque while the hydraulically operated clutch is at rest is calculated. Then, a corrective action is effected by, for example, subtracting from the hydraulic pressure a centrifugal hydraulic pressure which will be developed in the hydraulically operated clutch by the rotation thereof in the gearshift, thus determining a hydraulic pressure to operate the hydraulically operated clutch.

Abstract: A franking machine module is provided with one or more selectively operated mail item feed modules to feed items such as envelopes or labels from hoppers in the feed modules to the franking module. The modules are constructed with common interfaces whereby a number of feed modules may be arranged side by side such that mechanical and electrical drive is transmitted from one module to its adjacent module and feed paths of the modules are co-planar to permit items to be fed into and along a common feed path.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for marking and identifying a commutator hook of an electric motor are povided. A preselected commutator hook is marked by deforming the hook while the armature is in a winding machine, with a known angular position. The marked hook is identified by apparatus which determines whether or not the hook has been deformed while in the winding machine, and thereby recognizing the hook.

Abstract: In a system for controlling active suspensions of a motor vehicle, having fluid suspensions for the respective wheels, a longitudinal acceleration sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, control valves for the respective suspensions, and a controller for producing a control quantity to adjust the control valves to charge and discharge fluid into and out of the fluid suspensions so as to control the vehicle attitude, the reaction force of each suspension is detected and a mean value of the suspension reaction force is calculated to determine the loading condition of the vehicle while the vehicle is driven straight ahead at a constant speed. The control quantity is corrected by a correcting circuit so as to match the loading condition of the vehicle whereby the vehicle attitude is precisely controlled so as to match the vehicle weight even in such a transient state as acceleration, deceleration and turning. The internal pressure of each suspension may be detected as the reaction force.

Abstract: A device for simulating a moving test object sensing transducer uses a plurality of individual transducers which are stationary relative to each other (for example eddy-current based surface transducers), and a selector unit. The individual transducers are, for example, mounted in a plane parallel to the surface of the test object to be sensed and scan the test object with respect to a characteristic, for example a crack. The resultant simulated transducer signal is signal processed by means of, for example, automatic compensation and vector transformation techniques.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an inverter including a filter consisting of a reactor and a capacitor, connected to the output terminal thereof is operative to compute such a voltage correction value to cancel a voltage difference between the reference voltage and the output voltage to add, to the voltage correction value, a value obtained by delaying the voltage correction value by one period of the inverter output voltage to prepare a reference correction value to correct the reference voltage by the reference correction value, thus to prepare a volatge command for control of the inverter. The voltage control based on the reference correction value is carried out in a feed-forward manner, thus making it possible to effectively eliminate voltage distortion appearing periodically in synchronization with the output voltage.

Abstract: A monitoring device for an electronic control system in a motor vehicle is advantageously integrated with a digital signal processing device (43) of the system. Economy in terms of components and greater operational reliability safety are attained in that the monitoring of a circuit arrangement of the system is performed sequential plausibility tests of signals that are retrievable at various times from fixed points of one and the same circuit arrangement, which is alternated by the digital signal processing device between an operating state and a test state.

Abstract: A method facilitates the display of a filtered signal which represents the variation of light intensity in a processing chamber over time. The filtered signal filters out the effects of a magnetic field which causes plasma within the processing chamber to rotate. The magnetic field is generated by a signal with a period T. Light intensity within the process chamber is detected to produce a voltage signal with a voltage amplitude which varies based on the light intensity within the process chamber. The voltage amplitude of the voltage signal is digitally sampled at a sampling interval to obtain sample values. Running averages of a preselected number of sample values are calculated. The period T is set equal to the preselected number of sample values times the sampling interval times an integer. For each newly displayed running average, a rectangular box may be superimposed over a graph of the running averages in order to graphically display changes in slope.

Abstract: A system for automatically controlling a motor vehicle drive unit, which system comprises a hydraulic actuating unit for actuating a control member controlling selection and engagement of the gears on the vehicle transmission; a hydraulic actuator for actuating a control member controlling the clutch; and an electronic control system for processing input signals relative to operating parameters of the drive unit and vehicle in general, and for controlling the actuators to varying degrees of automation. In particular, the control system produces variable control signals for respective porportional solenoid valves controlling the actuators, so as to vary hydraulic supply to the actuators and consequently the actuating force of the same, for simulating operation by a skilled driver; the aforementioned control system also providing, when shifting gear, for controlling the speed of the engine so as to minimize slippage of the clutch.

Abstract: A printed circuit board inspecting apparatus, in which image data of a packaged circuit board under inspection obtained by picking up the image of the circuit board are processed through predetermined processing procedure for examining packaged states of parts mounted on the packaged cicuit board. The apparatus comprises an imaging unit for picking up the image of a packaged circuit board, a decision unit for deciding the state of the parts mounted on the packaged circuit board, and a visualizing unit for displaying visibly the result of the decision and position of the relevant part in correspondence with each other. The apparatus can further include a land extracting unit for extracting lands from the image obtained through the imaging of the packaged circuit board under inspection, an alarm condition setting unit for setting the condition for generating an alarm, and an alarm generating unit for generating the alarm when the alarm condition is met by the result of decision made by the decision unit.

Abstract: An oil pressure control system for an automatic transmission employed in a vehicle comprises a device for producing line pressure, a device for supplying engaging friction elements in the automatic transmission with operating oil pressure obtained from the line pressure, a device for determining a pressure control variable based on operating condition of an engine with which the automatic transmission is coupled, a device for determining a supplemental control variable based on a duration of speed change or a state of speed change in the automatic transmission, a device for revising the supplemental control variable in accordance with the operating condition of the engine to produce a revised supplemental control variable, a device for revising the pressure control variable in accordance with the revised supplemental control variable to produce a revised pressure control variable, and a control device operative to control the line pressure in accordance with the revised pressure control variable when a specif

Abstract: A control system for a vehicle engine coupled with an automatic transmission, which comprises a detecting portion for detecting a condition of speed change operation in the automatic transmission, a speed sensor for detecting engine speed or turbine speed in the automatic transmission, a first period determining portion for determing a first period of time, in which the speed change operation is to be carried out, by calculation based on the speed detected by the speed sensor, a second period determining portion for determining a second period of time, in which the speed change operation is to be carried out, in accordance with a predetermined lapse of time after the condition of the speed change operation is selected, and a torque control portion operative to vary torque produced by the vehicle engine to suppress torque shock resulting from the speed change operation during the first period of time when a condition of shifting-up operation is detected by the detecting portion and to vary the torque so as to

Abstract: There is proved a driving force control system which comprises device for measuring operating state of the vehicle brake system and generating an output signal, and device for controlling a driving force upon a predetermined condition being fulfilled after the output signal has indicated a predetermined operating state of the vehicle brake system.

Abstract: An auxiliary steering control system in connection with an anti-skid control system for use in a motor vehicle with two parts of left and right wheels, the anti-skid control system being adapted to independently control braking pressures for at least one pair of left and right wheels and including a braking actuator for adjusting braking pressures to be applied to the pair of left and right wheels. The braking actuator is controlled so that the braking pressures therefor approach the target braking forces determined on the basis of the rotational speeds of the wheels. The steering control device includes a steering actuator for adjusting steering angles of the pair of left and right wheels in response to steering control signals from a steering angle control unit.

Abstract: A process control system is disclosed in which process variables are treated as mapped in n-dimensional space, where n is the number of orthogonal directions. Three functions, set, check, and term, provide the link between expected and actual conditions. The check and term functions operate on orthogonal coordinates. Each parameter has a guard band to provide a soft boundary for the parameter.

Abstract: A height control system utilizing at least first and second mutually different target height ranges for selectively using in vehicular height control. The first target height range is utilized for detecting the height adjustment initiating timing and the second target height range is utilized for detecting the height adjustment terminating timing. The first and second target height ranges are variable depending upon the vehicle driving condition, such as vehicle driving speed, road surface condition and so forth.

Abstract: A temperature reference jacket includes an optical absorber for executing calorimetric measurement of optical power to be measured, a heater, a cooler, and a temperature sensor. The monitor monitors the optical power to be measured. A shutter selectively transmists/shields the optical power to be measured with respect to the optical absorber. A memory stores a first control amount for the cooler corresponding to the optical power to be measured and second and third control amounts for the heater in advance. A controller controls opening/closing of the shutter, reads out the first and second control amounts from the memory in accordance with the monitoring result from the monitor while the shutter is closed, and reading out the first and third control amounts from the memory while the shutter is open. The controller finely adjusts a voltage for the heater so that the temperature reference jacket and the optical absorber are set in an isothermal state while the shutter is closed and open, respectively.