Abstract: An inductor includes a core including a columnar shaft and a support on an end portion of the shaft, a terminal electrode disposed on the support, and a wire wound around the shaft and having an end portion connected to the terminal electrode. The terminal electrode includes a bottom surface electrode on a bottom surface of the support and an end surface electrode on an end surface of the support. The end surface electrode includes an end portion in a width direction of the end surface and a central portion in the width direction of the end surface. The central portion is positioned higher than the end portion.

Abstract: An inductor includes a core including a columnar shaft and a support on an end portion of the shaft, a terminal electrode disposed on the support, and a wire wound around the shaft and having an end portion connected to the terminal electrode. The terminal electrode includes a bottom surface electrode on a bottom surface of the support and an end surface electrode on an end surface of the support. The end surface electrode includes an end portion in a width direction of the end surface and a central portion in the width direction of the end surface. The central portion is positioned higher than the end portion.

Abstract: A control system calculates inputs to a control target that has m inputs and n outputs (m=n, each of m and n is a natural number that is more than one), while designating a plurality of combinations of the inputs and the outputs. A feedback controller calculates, with respect to each designated combination, a control input to a non-interference controller based on a difference between a target value and a current value of the control quantity to make the current value follow the target value. The non-interference controller executes, with respect to each designated combination, a non-interference control to reduce influence due to mutual interference between n control quantities. This reduces the number of combinations of the inputs and the outputs, the combinations whose mutual interference needs considering; thereby, the non-interference control may be easily achieved.

Abstract: A multilayer ceramic electronic component that has a multilayer portion having an outer layer portion adjacent region including an area in contact with an outer layer portion that forms a thermal-shock absorbing portion that includes curved ceramic layers and inner electrode layers smoothly varying in thickness from point to point. A region to an inside of the thermal-shock absorbing portion forms a normal multilayer portion that includes ceramic layers with less curvature than the ceramic layers in the thermal-shock absorbing portion and inner electrode layers with less variation in thickness from point to point in a direction along a principal surface of the outer layer portion than the inner electrode layers in the thermal-shock absorbing portion.

Abstract: An inductor including: a core having a winding core portion for winding a winding wire and two flange portions disposed on both ends of the winding core portion; and a winding wire wound around the winding core portion for multiple layers, the winding wire including: a forward winding layer having multiple turns on the winding core portion along a forward direction from one of the two flange portions toward the other flange portion; a backward winding layer following the forward winding layer and having at least one turn on the forward winding layer along a backward direction opposite to the forward direction; and a return winding portion following the backward winding layer and passing over the backward winding layer in the forward direction to reach the winding core portion on the forward direction side of the forward winding layer within less than 1/2 turn.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element, which is capable of being driven with a relatively low voltage and obtaining a large displacement amount at a central portion thereof and is not degraded in characteristics over time and is easily mountable on or in a piezoelectric device, includes a piezoelectric body including a plurality of laminated piezoelectric layers, ground electrodes, central electrodes, and peripheral electrodes. A surface of the piezoelectric body includes first to fifth terminals. The extraction of the ground terminals, the central electrodes, and the peripheral electrodes to the first to fifth terminals is configured to connect one terminal of an alternating-current power supply to the third terminal and connect the other terminal of the alternating-current power supply to the first terminal and the second terminal.

Abstract: An inductor including: a core having a winding core portion for winding a winding wire and two flange portions disposed on both ends of the winding core portion; and a winding wire wound around the winding core portion for multiple layers, the winding wire including: a forward winding layer having multiple turns on the winding core portion along a forward direction from one of the two flange portions toward the other flange portion; a backward winding layer following the forward winding layer and having at least one turn on the forward winding layer along a backward direction opposite to the forward direction; and a return winding portion following the backward winding layer and passing over the backward winding layer in the forward direction to reach the winding core portion on the forward direction side of the forward winding layer within less than 1/2 turn.

Abstract: A control system calculates inputs to a control target that has m inputs and n outputs (m=n, each of m and n is a natural number that is more than one), while designating a plurality of combinations of the inputs and the outputs. A feedback controller calculates, with respect to each designated combination, a control input to a non-interference controller based on a difference between a target value and a current value of the control quantity to make the current value follow the target value. The non-interference controller executes, with respect to each designated combination, a non-interference control to reduce influence due to mutual interference between n control quantities. This reduces the number of combinations of the inputs and the outputs, the combinations whose mutual interference needs considering; thereby, the non-interference control may be easily achieved.

Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a transfer function of at target object having divided systems is disclosed. The apparatus acquires an estimation equation to estimate the transfer function of the target object, and determines, for each arithmetic operation in the estimation equation, whether the arithmetic operation is an addition or a multiplication. For the multiplication, the apparatus performs the multiplication of frequency response characteristics in the frequency domain. For addition, the apparatus converts the frequency response characteristics into time response characteristics, performs the addition of the time response characteristics in the time domain, and reconverts a result of the addition into the frequency domain.

Abstract: A laminated ceramic capacitor including a laminated body having a plurality of stacked ceramic layers and internal electrodes located between the ceramic layers. The internal electrodes have a plurality of ceramic columnar members formed therein, which project into the internal electrodes from interfaces between the ceramic layers and the internal electrodes, but do not penetrate in the thickness direction of the internal electrodes.

Abstract: A multilayer ceramic electronic component that has a multilayer portion having an outer layer portion adjacent region including an area in contact with an outer layer portion that forms a thermal-shock absorbing portion that includes curved ceramic layers and inner electrode layers smoothly varying in thickness from point to point. A region to an inside of the thermal-shock absorbing portion forms a normal multilayer portion that includes ceramic layers with less curvature than the ceramic layers in the thermal-shock absorbing portion and inner electrode layers with less variation in thickness from point to point in a direction along a principal surface of the outer layer portion than the inner electrode layers in the thermal-shock absorbing portion.

Abstract: A control system calculates inputs to a control target that has m inputs and n outputs (m=n, each of m and n is a natural number that is more than one), while designating a plurality of combinations of the inputs and the outputs. A feedback controller calculates, with respect to each designated combination, a control input to a non-interference controller based on a difference between a target value and a current value of the control quantity to make the current value follow the target value. The non-interference controller executes, with respect to each designated combination, a non-interference control to reduce influence due to mutual interference between n control quantities. This reduces the number of combinations of the inputs and the outputs, the combinations whose mutual interference needs considering; thereby, the non-interference control may be easily achieved.

Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a transfer function of at target object having divided systems is disclosed. The apparatus acquires an estimation equation to estimate the transfer function of the target object, and determines, for each arithmetic operation in the estimation equation, whether the arithmetic operation is an addition or a multiplication. For the multiplication, the apparatus performs the multiplication of frequency response characteristics in the frequency domain. For addition, the apparatus converts the frequency response characteristics into time response characteristics, performs the addition of the time response characteristics in the time domain, and reconverts a result of the addition into the frequency domain.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element, which is capable of being driven with a relatively low voltage and obtaining a large displacement amount at a central portion thereof and is not degraded in characteristics over time and is easily mountable on or in a piezoelectric device, includes a piezoelectric body including a plurality of laminated piezoelectric layers, ground electrodes, central electrodes, and peripheral electrodes. A surface of the piezoelectric body includes first to fifth terminals. The extraction of the ground terminals, the central electrodes, and the peripheral electrodes to the first to fifth terminals is configured to connect one terminal of an alternating-current power supply to the third terminal and connect the other terminal of the alternating-current power supply to the first terminal and the second terminal.

Abstract: There is provided a control apparatus that controls a motor of an electric power steering system to assist a steering effort of an operator. The control apparatus includes a sensor, a parameter computer, a difference computer, a target torque computer, and a motor driver. The parameter computer computes a current value of one of physical parameters of one of constituents of the electric power steering system based on a steering parameter determined by the sensor referring to an equation of motion. The difference computer computes a difference between the current value of the one of the physical parameters computed by the parameter computer and a predetermined value of the one of the physical parameters. The target torque computer computes a target torque of the motor which compensates for the difference between the current value and the predetermined value of the one of the physical parameters.

Abstract: In a steering system having a variable gear transmission system and an electrical power steering system, respective compensation amounts for first and second electric motors are produced by a first mathematical model. The compensation amounts are added to command values (v1, v2) to generate final command signals (igref, ipref) to the respective electric motors. According to the above structure and operation, a mutual interference between two control systems can be suppressed.

Abstract: There is provided a control apparatus that controls a motor of an electric power steering system to assist a steering effort of an operator. The control apparatus includes a sensor, a parameter computer, a difference computer, a target torque computer, and a motor driver. The parameter computer computes a current value of one of physical parameters of one of constituents of the electric power steering system based on a steering parameter determined by the sensor referring to an equation of motion. The difference computer computes a difference between the current value of the one of the physical parameters computed by the parameter computer and a predetermined value of the one of the physical parameters. The target torque computer computes a target torque of the motor which compensates for the difference between the current value and the predetermined value of the one of the physical parameters.

Abstract: In a steering system having a variable gear transmission system and an electrical power steering system, respective compensation amounts for first and second electric motors are produced by a first mathematical model. The compensation amounts are added to command values (v1, v2) to generate final command signals (igref, ipref) to the respective electric motors. According to the above structure and operation, a mutual interference between two control systems can be suppressed.

Abstract: A holder for electroless plating to hold a plurality of ceramic elements for ceramic electronic parts during electroless plating treatment, each surface of said ceramic elements being to be electroless plated, said holder comprising a plurality of cells to house each of said plurality of ceramic elements separately, and each of said cells having such a structure as to permit the flow communication of a plating solution into the cell.

Abstract: A holder for electroless plating to hold a plurality of ceramic elements for ceramic electronic parts during electroless plating treatment, each surface of said ceramic elements being to be electroless plated, said holder comprising a plurality of cells to house each of said plurality of ceramic elements separately, and each of said cells having such a structure as to permit the flow communication of a plating solution into the cell.