Abstract: By a QTL analysis and so forth using 4-HPPD inhibitor-susceptible rice and 4-HPPD inhibitor-resistant rice, a hypothetical gene (HIS1 gene) of an iron/ascorbate-dependent oxidoreductase gene located on a short arm of chromosome 2 of rice has been identified as a 4-HPPD inhibitor-resistance gene. Further, it has also been revealed that a homologous gene (HSL1 gene) of the HIS1 gene is located on chromosome 6 of rice. Furthermore, it has been found out that utilizations of these genes make it possible to efficiently produce a plant having increased resistance or susceptibility to a 4-HPPD inhibitor and to efficiently determine whether a plant has resistance or susceptibility to a 4-HPPD inhibitor.

Abstract: When a brake is turned on during travel of a hybrid vehicle, a required braking force required for a drive shaft is set based on a brake depression amount, a base rotation speed of an engine is set based on the required braking force, a shift stage is set based on the base rotation speed and a vehicle speed, a target rotation speed of the engine is set based on the shift stage and the vehicle speed, and the engine, the first motor, and the second motor are controlled such that the engine operates at the target rotation speed and the required braking force acts on the drive shaft.

Abstract: An electronic control unit sets a drivability target engine speed, sets upper limit engine power on the basis of the drivability target engine speed, and sets upper limit drive power by dividing the upper limit engine power by a rotational speed of a driveshaft. Then, the electronic control unit compares accelerator requested drive power with the upper limit drive power, sets target engine power such that lower one of the accelerator requested drive power and the upper limit drive power is output to the driveshaft, and controls an engine, a first motor, and a second motor such that the target engine power is output from the engine. In this way, a driver can receive further favorable drive feeling.

Abstract: When a brake is turned on during travel of a hybrid vehicle, a required braking force required for a drive shaft is set based on a brake depression amount, a base rotation speed of an engine is set based on the required braking force, a shift stage is set based on the base rotation speed and a vehicle speed, a target rotation speed of the engine is set based on the shift stage and the vehicle speed, and the engine, the first motor, and the second motor are controlled such that the engine operates at the target rotation speed and the required braking force acts on the drive shaft.

Abstract: An electronic control unit sets a drivability target engine speed, sets upper limit engine power on the basis of the drivability target engine speed, and sets upper limit drive power by dividing the upper limit engine power by a rotational speed of a driveshaft. Then, the electronic control unit compares accelerator requested drive power with the upper limit drive power, sets target engine power such that lower one of the accelerator requested drive power and the upper limit drive power is output to the driveshaft, and controls an engine, a first motor, and a second motor such that the target engine power is output from the engine. In this way, a driver can receive further favorable drive feeling.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine executes EGR and controls the air-fuel ratio based on a detected oxygen concentration in the exhaust. An electronic control unit controls the engine such that the detected value for the air-fuel ratio upstream from a front catalyst provided in an exhaust pipe reaches a value indicating a leaner air-fuel ratio when EGR is being executed than when not executed. Therefore, the controlled air-fuel ratio follows shifting of a window to the leaner side in response to execution of EGR, so that the air-fuel ratio is controlled more precisely in response to the execution of EGR.

Abstract: When an engine is to be started, operation of the engine is started with injection of fuel from a port fuel injection valve, without injecting fuel from an in-cylinder fuel injection valve (S100). If a gear rattling noise is produced (S110), the engine is operated with fuel injection, from the in-cylinder fuel injection valve, without injecting fuel from the port fuel injection valve (S120). This restrains occurrence of a gear rattling noise.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle including an engine having a catalyst in an exhaust passage, first and second motor generators, a battery and a power transmission mechanism coupling a drive shaft, the engine and the motor generators by a gear mechanism such that torque is transmittable, and its control method, are provided. When a coolant temperature is a threshold or below, catalyst warm-up operation for starting the engine and retarding an ignition timing by a retardation amount is executed. When a battery level is a threshold or below, forced charging operation for starting the engine and charging the battery by driving the first motor generator is executed. During the forced charging operation, an engine load is changed on the basis of the battery level. When the catalyst warm-up operation is executed during the forced charging operation, the retardation amount for facilitating warm-up of the catalyst is reduced as the engine load increases.

Abstract: When an engine is to be started, operation of the engine is started with injection of fuel from a port fuel injection valve, without injecting fuel from an in-cylinder fuel injection valve (S100). If a gear rattling noise is produced (S110), the engine is operated with fuel injection, from the in-cylinder fuel injection valve, without injecting fuel from the port fuel injection valve (S120). This restrains occurrence of a gear rattling noise.

Abstract: A controller for internal combustion engine includes a rotation number detecting section to detect engine rotation number and an air-fuel ratio detecting section to detect an air-fuel ratio (A/F) of air-fuel mixture and is configured to perform leaning control of the A/F. The controller further includes a rotation number difference calculating section to calculate a difference between a rotation number variation value of a worst cylinder specified as having largest rotation number variation based on the detected rotation number detected and an average value of rotation number variation values of remaining cylinders other than the worst cylinder; an estimated imbalance rate calculating section to calculate an estimated imbalance rate based on the A/F detected by the air-fuel ratio detecting section; and a lean abnormality detecting section to detect lean imbalance abnormality in a specific cylinder based on the calculated rotation number difference and the calculated estimated imbalance rate.

Abstract: An ECU performs a failure diagnosis for a thermostat valve after starting of an engine based on an output of an engine-side coolant water temperature sensor and an output of a radiator-side coolant water temperature sensor. When an electric pump operates in accordance with a heating request or the like of an air-conditioning device during stopping of the engine, the thermostat valve attains a closed state. When the electric pump operates during stopping of the engine before the current starting of the engine, starting of the failure diagnosis performed after starting of the engine is delayed as compared to the case where the electric pump does not operate during stopping of the engine. Consequently, erroneous determination can be suppressed in the failure diagnosis for the thermostat valve.

Abstract: By a QTL analysis and so forth using 4-HPPD inhibitor-susceptible rice and 4-HPPD inhibitor-resistant rice, a hypothetical gene (HIS1 gene) of an iron/ascorbate-dependent oxidoreductase gene located on a short arm of chromosome 2 of rice has been identified as a 4-HPPD inhibitor-resistance gene. Further, it has also been revealed that a homologous gene (HSL1 gene) of the HIS1 gene is located on chromosome 6 of rice. Furthermore, it has been found out that utilizations of these genes make it possible to efficiently produce a plant having increased resistance or susceptibility to a 4-HPPD inhibitor and to efficiently determine whether a plant has resistance or susceptibility to a 4-HPPD inhibitor.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle including an engine having a catalyst in an exhaust passage, first and second motor generators, a battery and a power transmission mechanism coupling a drive shaft, the engine and the motor generators by a gear mechanism such that torque is transmittable, and its control method, are provided. When a coolant temperature is a threshold or below, catalyst warm-up operation for starting the engine and retarding an ignition timing by a retardation amount is executed. When a battery level is a threshold or below, forced charging operation for starting the engine and charging the battery by driving the first motor generator is executed. During the forced charging operation, an engine load is changed on the basis of the battery level. When the catalyst warm-up operation is executed during the forced charging operation, the retardation amount for facilitating warm-up of the catalyst is reduced as the engine load increases.

Abstract: A controller for internal combustion engine includes a rotation number detecting section to detect engine rotation number and an air-fuel ratio detecting section to detect an air-fuel ratio (A/F) of air-fuel mixture and is configured to perform leaning control of the A/F. The controller further includes a rotation number difference calculating section to calculate a difference between a rotation number variation value of a worst cylinder specified as having largest rotation number variation based on the detected rotation number detected and an average value of rotation number variation values of remaining cylinders other than the worst cylinder; an estimated imbalance rate calculating section to calculate an estimated imbalance rate based on the A/F detected by the air-fuel ratio detecting section; and a lean abnormality detecting section to detect lean imbalance abnormality in a specific cylinder based on the calculated rotation number difference and the calculated estimated imbalance rate.

Abstract: A controller includes an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system for performing EGR control, the system including an EGR passage for recirculating exhaust gas per cylinder and an EGR device for controlling a flow rate of the exhaust gas to be recirculated. The controller is arranged to perform internal combustion engine by learning control of an air-fuel ratio (A/F) during the EGR control. This controller includes a blocking determination section including first and second determination sections to determine blocking of the EGR passage in a specified cylinder. The blocking determination section is configured so that the first determination section makes preliminary determination of blocking of the EGR passage and the second determination section makes main determination of blocking of the EGR passage.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine executes EGR and controls the air-fuel ratio based on a detected oxygen concentration in the exhaust. An electronic control unit controls the engine such that the detected value for the air-fuel ratio upstream from a front catalyst provided in an exhaust pipe reaches a value indicating a leaner air-fuel ratio when EGR is being executed than when not executed. Therefore, the controlled air-fuel ratio follows shifting of a window to the leaner side in response to execution of EGR, so that the air-fuel ratio is controlled more precisely in response to the execution of EGR.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine apparatus provided with an internal combustion engine in which ignition timing can be adjusted and which has attached thereto an exhaust gas recirculation device that recirculates exhaust gas to an intake side, a control method for the internal combustion engine apparatus, and a hybrid vehicle are provided.

Abstract: On a restart of an engine accompanied with a change from a motor drive of a hybrid vehicle to a hybrid drive, when a temperature of a catalyst in a catalytic converter located in an exhaust pipe of the engine decreases below a preset reference temperature to be out of a specific temperature range of ensuring sufficient catalyst performance, a power restriction value is set according to the catalyst temperature and an EV drive time representing a time duration of the motor drive. An engine power demand to be output from the engine is set under output restriction with this power restriction value. The engine and two motors are then controlled with the set engine power demand. This arrangement effectively prevents poor emission and ensures good driving performance of the vehicle even in the event of a temperature decrease of the catalyst by the motor drive of the vehicle.

Abstract: The internal combustion engine control apparatus of the invention starts gradually delaying an ignition timing ? for catalyst warm-up, immediately after a start of an internal combustion engine. When the ignition timing ? is delayed to or below a preset reference timing ?ref, a fuel amount increase flag F1 is set to 1 to start increase correction of a fuel injection amount. The internal combustion engine control apparatus then starts gradually increasing a throttle opening TH to a preset target opening THset. The increase correction of the fuel injection amount is terminated after elapse of a preset time t3 since the increase of the throttle opening TH to the preset target opening THset. This arrangement enables the increase correction of the fuel injection amount according to the requirement, thus improving the fuel economy and the emission.

Abstract: On the occasion of a cutoff of fuel supply to an engine in an accelerator-off state, the invention expands a throttle opening over a specific throttle opening set in the state of idling of the engine at the reference rotation speed. On resumption of fuel injection to the engine, the invention reduces the throttle opening to the specific throttle opening set in the state of idling of the engine at the reference rotation speed. Under no control of lowering the rotation speed of the engine by a motor or under the condition of low vehicle speed with control of lowering the rotation speed of the engine by the motor, the invention resumes fuel injection to the engine resumed with setting of a smaller correction amount to a fuel increase correction amount.