Abstract: The present invention relates to conjugates of a lipid, substrate peptide of an enzyme secreted from the cells of mammals, including humans, and a water-soluble polymer that can be used as colloidal carriers and the like of tissue-specific drug delivery systems, methods of producing these conjugates, peptide-water-soluble polymer conjugates optionally having protective groups that are useful as the intermediates of these conjugates, colloidal carriers made from these conjugates, and tissue-specific drug delivery systems that use these colloidal carriers.

Abstract: A plurality of nozzles forms the first row of nozzles, the second row of nozzles, the third row of nozzles and the fourth row of nozzles, which extend in parallel with a sub scanning direction. A black ink is adapted to be supplied to one row of nozzles. Color inks are adapted to be supplied to the other rows of nozzles, the color inks being different for each of the other rows of nozzles. Positions of the second row of nozzles to the fourth row of nozzles are shifted by ? or ? of an arrangement pitch of the nozzles, in the sub scanning direction, for each of the rows of nozzles, with respect to positions of the first row of nozzles. In a high-speed black mode, the color inks are ejected from corresponding nozzles, in connection with ink ejection of the black ink from corresponding nozzles.

Abstract: A manual valve is provided between a mechanical oil pump and a clutch of an automatic transmission device for connecting an engine with the automatic transmission device, a first check valve is provided in a passage connecting the mechanical oil pump with the manual valve, and an electric oil pump is provided in parallel with the mechanical oil pump, wherein the electric oil pump is operated during an idling stop of the engine and an output side of the electric oil pump is connected to the passage between the first check valve and the manual valve so that the working fluid from the electric oil pump is supplied to the clutch of the automatic transmission device through the manual valve. Accordingly, the electric oil pump can be made smaller and the supply of the working fluid from the electric oil pump to the clutch can be prevented when it is not necessary.

Abstract: An apparatus for protecting an occupant in a vehicle includes a pair of image sensors for taking images of an area on a seat in the vehicle. Transverse-direction shifts between corresponding portions of the images are calculated. Longitudinal-direction positions of objects whose images are in the portions of the images taken by the image sensors are measured in response to the calculated transverse-direction shifts. A longitudinal-direction position of an occupant on the seat is decided in response to the measured longitudinal-direction positions of the objects. Occupant protecting operation at a time of occurrence of a collision of the vehicle is changed in response to the decided longitudinal-direction position of the occupant. From the measured longitudinal-direction positions of the objects, one corresponding to a highest position with respect to the vehicle and being in front of the seat is selected as a longitudinal-direction position of a head of the occupant.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to determine a kind of a passenger, e.g., adult or child, without executing a complicated image processing, thereby controlling an unfolding of an air bag. The safety apparatus for an automobile crash extracts a head ellipse from an image outputted from an area sensor. The apparatus stores beforehand reference head ellipses of every possible kind of passenger's heads. The extracted head ellipse of the present passenger is selected among the references. Then, a region including the extracted head ellipse is designated to a future processing region for searching the same passenger's head at a time to come. Thus, the passenger's head is recognized simply and rapidly, even when the passenger has moved outside the future processing region.

Abstract: An automatic transmission controller has an electronic control circuit, an electromagnetic valve, and a pressure control valve. The electronic control circuit generates a control current. The electromagnetic valve regulates a command pressure in accordance with the control current. The pressure control valve has a spool and is formed with a spool hole. The spool reciprocates in the spool hole in accordance with the command pressure to regulate a pressure supplied to a friction element of an automatic transmission. In a standby state, when the friction element is in a disengaged state, the electronic control circuit generates an oscillating current as the control current so that the electromagnetic valve generates a standby command pressure that makes the spool reciprocate in a range in which no pressure is supplied to the friction element.

Abstract: A slider of a moving portion slides on a sliding surface of a guide portion according to selected range of an automatic transmission. A plurality of through holes is provided on the sliding surface. A detecting portion detects the range of the transmission based on the position of the moving portion. Particles on the sliding surface are scraped by a slider of the moving portion. The scraped particles drop into the holes to prevent a slider from being stuck.

Abstract: A control method for an automatic transmission is capable of quickly determining whether gear shifting is permissive. The control method varies the command value input to an engaging-side electromagnetic valve that adjusts a hydraulic pressure applied to a frictional element to be engaged in a target gear in a specific time period, then determines a time variation in another time period of the hydraulic pressure applied to the frictional element that is adjusted by the engaging-side electromagnetic valve according to the input command value and detected by a detecting means. Determination of whether gear shifting is permissive or not on the basis of the time variation is thus determined.

Abstract: A position sensor for an automatic transmission has multiple switches, each of which generates “ON” or “OFF” signal depending on a selected position of a shift lever. Signal patterns (“ON” and “OFF” signals) of the normal operation are memorized as a map of signal patterns in a first memory portion. A second memory portion memorizes the respective signal patterns at the respective selected positions of the shift lever. The signal pattern and the change of the signal patterns in the second memory portion are compared with those memorized as the map of the signal pattern in the first memory portion, and determines that a malfunction has occurred in the position sensor, if at least one of the signal patterns and the changes of the signal patterns does not coincide with any of those memorized the map of the signal pattern. The malfunction of the position sensor can be surely detected at an earlier stage of operation of the shift lever for the automatic transmission.

Abstract: In an automatic transmission having multiple oil pressure control valves for controlling friction engagement elements, a first and second pressure modulating valves are provided between an oil pressure generating means (pump) and the oil pressure control valves. A switching valve is further provided between the pressure modulating valves and the oil pressure control valves. In case that one of the pressure modulating valves becomes out of order, the oil pressure of a working oil is supplied to the oil pressure control valves from the other pressure modulating valve, so that the automatic transmission can be continuously operated even in the case that one of the pressure modulating valves becomes out of order.

Abstract: A drive unit for an automatic transmission has a hydraulic circuit changing device for changing a hydraulic circuit so that one of the hydraulic control portions (hydraulic gear change portions) is selectively communicated with an oil pressure source, a position detecting device for continuously detecting a position of one of moving members of the hydraulic circuit changing device and for outputting a detection signal corresponding to the position of the moving member, and a pressure regulating device provided between the hydraulic circuit changing device and the hydraulic control portions for regulating a control pressure to be applied to the hydraulic control portions. In the above drive unit, an electronic control unit calculates a rate of changes in the detection signals from the position detecting device and controls the pressure regulating device in accordance with the rate of the changes in the detection signals.

Abstract: An automatic transmission control apparatus controls a gear position by engaging and disengaging multiple frictional elements. A hydraulic pressure detecting means detects hydraulic pressure applied to the frictional elements. A failure determining means determines a failure, i.e., a dual-engagement of the frictional elements in accordance with detection signals of the hydraulic pressure detecting means. The hydraulic pressure detecting means detects first and second hydraulic pressure applied to the plurality of frictional elements. The second hydraulic pressure is greater than the first hydraulic pressure. The failure determining means determines a failure in accordance with a detection signals of the first and second hydraulic pressure detected by the hydraulic pressure detecting means.

Abstract: A control apparatus includes a body, a fixation plate and a control circuit arrangement. The body includes first and second fluid passages, which conduct fluid. The fixation plate is installed to the body on one side of the body and includes a third fluid passage, which has a first end connected to the first fluid passage and a second end connected to the second fluid passage. The third fluid passage conducts the fluid from the first fluid passage to the second fluid passage. The control circuit arrangement includes a board and a plurality of on-board devices. The board is installed to a surface of the fixation plate, which is located on one side of the fixation plate that is opposite from the body. The on-board devices are arranged on one side of the board, which is opposite from the fixation plate.

Abstract: A plurality of nozzles forms the first row of nozzles, the second row of nozzles, the third row of nozzles and the fourth row of nozzles, which extend in parallel with a sub scanning direction. A black ink is adapted to be supplied to one row of nozzles. Color inks are adapted to be supplied to the other rows of nozzles, the color inks being different for each of the other rows of nozzles. Positions of the second row of nozzles to the fourth row of nozzles are shifted by ? or ? of an arrangement pitch of the nozzles, in the sub scanning direction, for each of the rows of nozzles, with respect to positions of the first row of nozzles. In a high-speed black mode, the color inks are ejected from corresponding nozzles, in connection with ink ejection of the black ink from corresponding nozzles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to sustained-release pharmaceutical compositions for ionic pharmaceutically active substances containing ionic compounds having opposite charges to those of ionic prostanoic acid derivatives and increasing hydrophobicity of the active substances. More specifically, the invention relates to sustained-release pharmaceutical compositions comprising the ionic prostanoic acid derivatives and the ionic compounds having opposite charges to those of the prostanoic acid derivatives and increasing hydrophobicity of these derivatives that contain hydrophobic groups in the molecule thereof. The pharmaceutical composition of the invention can exhibit excellent sustained release effect of the ionic prostanoic acid derivatives, irrespective of water solubility possessed by the ionic prostanoic acid derivatives.

Abstract: An automatic transmission control system equipped with a shift lever position sensor which includes a plurality of switches which output binary signals following a shifting motion of a gear shift lever. Patterns of combinations of the switch outputs are preselected so as to represent positions to which the gear shift lever is manually shiftable. The switches are broken down into two groups each of which produces a binary code carrying information about the position of the gear shift lever to monitor a failure in operation of the shift lever position sensor. The control system also works to perform a deemed D-position hydraulic transmission control to ensure the running of the vehicle even if the shift lever position sensor is failing.

Abstract: An automatic transmission control device adjusts a hydraulic pressure of a working fluid to generate pressures applied to a plurality of friction elements of an automatic transmission to control the engagement or disengagement of the friction elements. The control device includes a plurality of electromagnetic valves, a plurality of application pressure control valves, a selector, and a line pressure control valve. The application pressure control valves control pressures applied to the friction elements according to the output pressures of the electromagnetic valves. The selector selects the maximum pressure from the output pressures of the electromagnetic valves. The line pressure control valve controls a line pressure according to the output pressure selected by the selector.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a change-over means is provided between a mechanical oil pump and a clutch of an automatic transmission device for connecting an engine with the automatic transmission device, a first check valve is provided in a passage connecting the mechanical oil pump with the change-over means so that it allows the flow of working fluid discharged from the mechanical oil pump to the change-over means, and an electric oil pump is provided in parallel with the mechanical oil pump, wherein the electric oil pump is operated during an idling stop of the engine and an output side of the electric oil pump is connected to the passage between the first check valve and the change-over means so that the working fluid from the electric oil pump is supplied to the clutch of the automatic transmission device through the change-over means.

Abstract: The present invention relates to conjugates of a lipid, substrate peptide of an enzyme secreted from the cells of mammals, including humans, and a water-soluble polymer that can be used as colloidal carriers and the like of tissue-specific drug delivery systems, methods of producing these conjugates, peptide-water-soluble polymer conjugates optionally having protective groups that are useful as the intermediates of these conjugates, colloidal carriers made from these conjugates, and tissue-specific drug delivery systems that use these colloidal carriers.

Abstract: An automatic transmission is controlled by using a hydraulic circuit employing a mechanical pump driven by an engine, a motor pump, and oil passages to which the mechanical pump and the motor pump supply a fluid. More specifically, when a change of state in the automatic transmission and the hydraulic circuit is detected, while the engine is revolving without any aid of a starter so that the mechanical pump supplies the fluid to the oil passages, the motor pump is driven.