Abstract: A fuel reformer includes a reforming-fuel injection valve and a fuel reformer catalyst disposed in an EGR pipe and performs a catalyst recovery control when a preset fuel cut execution condition is satisfied. In the catalyst recovery control, a fuel reforming capacity of the fuel reformer catalyst is recovered by stopping an injection of a main fuel and an injection of a reforming-fuel, while supplying additional air to the catalyst by maintaining both of an EGR valve and a throttle valve in a valve open state. Further, in the catalyst recovery control, temperature and a carbon deposit amount of the fuel reformer catalyst are estimated or detected based on which of an opening of the EGR valve and an opening of the throttle valve are adjusted. As a result, fuel reforming capacity is recovered without decreasing a fuel consumption rate improvement effect and a worsening of exhaust emission or drivability.

Abstract: A fuel reformer includes a reforming-fuel injection valve and a fuel reformer catalyst disposed in an EGR pipe and performs a catalyst recovery control when a preset fuel cut execution condition is satisfied. In the catalyst recovery control, a fuel reforming capacity of the fuel reformer catalyst is recovered by stopping an injection of a main fuel and an injection of a reforming-fuel, while supplying additional air to the catalyst by maintaining both of an EGR valve and a throttle valve in a valve open state. Further, in the catalyst recovery control, temperature and a carbon deposit amount of the fuel reformer catalyst are estimated or detected based on which of an opening of the EGR valve and an opening of the throttle valve are adjusted. As a result, fuel reforming capacity is recovered without decreasing a fuel consumption rate improvement effect and a worsening of exhaust emission or drivability.

Abstract: In a reforming driving mode, while the EGR valve is opened to recirculate a part of exhaust gas into the intake pipe, a reforming-fuel injector injects a reforming-fuel into an exhaust gas flowing through an EGR pipe. The injected reforming-fuel is vaporized and flows into the fuel-reforming catalyst. The fuel-reforming catalyst reforms the fuel in the exhaust gas into the fuel having high combustibility. In the reforming driving mode, the computer determines whether an air-fuel ratio within the normal range. Based on this result, the computer determines whether the reforming-fuel injector has a malfunction. When the reforming-fuel injector has a malfunction, a fail-safe processing is conducted to prohibit the reforming-fuel injector from injecting the reforming-fuel.

Abstract: A battery monitoring and charging system includes a charging equipment and a motor-driven vehicle. The motor-driven vehicle includes a battery, a charger that charges the battery by power supplied from the charging equipment, a charging control device that controls operations of the charger, a communication device that communicates with the charging equipment, a voltage detecting device that monitors voltage of the battery and an activation control device that generates a first control signal if the monitored voltage falls below a threshold value when the charging control device is in off state. When the activation control device generates the first control signal, the charging control device is activated, generating to the charging equipment through the communication device a second control signal that is indicative of a need that the charging equipment should supply power to the motor-driven vehicle and causing the charger to start operation of the charger.

Abstract: In a reforming driving mode, while the EGR valve is opened to recirculate a part of exhaust gas into the intake pipe, a reforming-fuel injector injects a reforming-fuel into an exhaust gas flowing through an EGR pipe. The injected reforming-fuel is vaporized and flows into the fuel-reforming catalyst. The fuel-reforming catalyst reforms the fuel in the exhaust gas into the fuel having high combustibility. In the reforming driving mode, the computer determines whether an air-fuel ratio within the normal range. Based on this result, the computer determines whether the reforming-fuel injector has a malfunction. When the reforming-fuel injector has a malfunction, a fail-safe processing is conducted to prohibit the reforming-fuel injector from injecting the reforming-fuel.

Abstract: A diagnostic apparatus for a catalyst in a fuel-property reforming system includes an inlet-side temperature sensor disposed upstream of the fuel-reforming catalyst and an outlet-side temperature sensor disposed downstream of the fuel-reforming catalyst. In a reforming driving mode, while the EGR valve is opened to recirculate a part of exhaust gas into the intake pipe, a reforming-fuel injector injects a reforming fuel into the EGR gas. A fuel-reforming catalyst reforms the fuel into a fuel having high-combustibility. A differential temperature between a temperature detected by the inlet-side temperature sensor and a temperature detected by the outlet-side temperature sensor is compared with a deterioration-determination threshold, whereby a computer determines whether the fuel-reforming catalyst is deteriorated.

Abstract: An ECU computes a quantity of reforming-fuel which the reforming-fuel injector injects based on an engine driving condition and an EGR quantity. The injecting quantity of the reforming-fuel is properly adjusted according to an EGR gas temperature or an alcohol concentration of the reforming-fuel, whereby it can be restricted that temperature of a fuel-reforming catalyst and the EGR gas temperature are decreased due to a vaporization heat of the reforming-fuel. Also, an injecting time period of the reforming-fuel is properly adjusted, so that a maldistribution of the reforming-fuel is restricted. Furthermore, an injection cycle of the reforming-fuel is varies according to an engine speed, so that a supplied quantity of the reforming-fuel is made uniform for each cylinder.

Abstract: A catalyst warming-up controller executes a catalyst warming-up control in which an ignition timing is retarded to warm-up a catalyst and performs a compression-stroke injection in which a fuel is injected into a cylinder in a compression stroke. While the catalyst warming-up control is executed, a variable valve timing controller controls a valve timing of an intake valve and/or an exhaust valve to establish a negative-valve-overlap period in which both of the exhaust valve and the intake valve are closed. A fuel injector injects the fuel into a cylinder in this period and a quantity of the compression-stroke injection is decreasingly corrected according to the injection quantity in the above period.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device which comprises a matrix of memory cells of the floating gate type is provided in which the silicon nitride layer is deposited as an etching stop layer on a control gate electrode for bottom borderless contact process with the threshold voltage of transistor arrangements being controlled not to change so that the productivity can remain not declined. In particular, the silicon nitride layer (115) is deposited as an etching stop layer on the control gate electrode (105) for bottom borderless contact process so that the concentration of hydrogen (H2) therein stays in a range from 1.5×1021 to 2.6×1021 atoms/cm3. Also, the silicon nitride layer (115) is deposited at a temperature of not higher than 700° C. by a low pressure CVD technique.

Abstract: A wireless packet stores a plurality of coded words. Each coded word includes user data and an error correction code. Coded word number information indicating the number of coded words stored in the wireless packet, and coding parameter information indicating the coding method used when a coded word is generated are set in the header of the packet.

Abstract: When a multiplier receives data transmitted from a transmitting equipment in a spread spectrum communications system, it multiplies the received data by the periodic wave output from a crystal oscillator. The output data from the multiplier is filtered by a low-pass filter, and then binarized by a limiter. The multiplier and a delay circuit differential-decodes the binarized data. A correlation circuit obtains correlation between the decoded data and the PN code generated by the PN code generation circuit, and outputs the data as transfer data when the correlation is obtained. In another aspect, an input signal is divided, and then one is multiplied by an I-phase wave. Similarly, another is multiplied by a Q-phase wave. Each signal is individually processed and input to a correlation value/data value determination circuit.

Abstract: An input data obtained by differential-decoding a signal transmitted from a transmitting equipment is input to a DMF. The DMF obtains a correlation value, and outputs the correlation value and data value to a maximum value detection unit. The maximum value detection unit extracts the maximum value from the correlation values output at the sampling timing, and outputs the position of the maximum correlation value (synchronous point signal) and the data value corresponding to the maximum correlation value. The synchronous point comparison unit monitors a synchronous point signal, detects whether or not a synchronous point deviates, and resets a counter based on the deviation of the synchronous point. A counter reset determination unit also monitors the synchronous point signal, and resets the counter so that the apparent position of the synchronous point can be around the center of the window when the counter value indicating the synchronous point is not in a predetermined range.