Abstract: An apparatus which can accurately detect a state in a passenger compartment is provided. On the ceiling of a passenger compartment above the passenger seat, nine LEDs and three photodetectors are aimed downward, and infrared rays emitted from the LEDs are reflected by an object to be sensed and the reflected light beams are received by the photodetectors. A signal at a level corresponding to the distance to the object to be sensed is outputted from the photodetectors. A controller obtains a change with time in output of the photodetectors (i.e., motion speed from a differential value of the sensed distance, a displacement amount total from an integral value of the sensed distance, and a motion frequency), senses movement of the object to be sensed based thereon, determines whether the object to be sensed is a human, an animal, or other, and determines the kind of object.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser having a plurality of semiconductor laser chips laminated by solder layers which cause no interference with laser beams is provided. To this end, each of the semiconductor laser chips has a solder sump recess formed in the surface to be soldered at an end adjacent to a laser beam radiating surface and extending through portions of the chip except an active layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor laser chip stack having active layers formed substantially in the central portion thereof in the stacking direction and a pair of opposed reflecting surfaces formed at both ends of the active layers. A convex lens of a light transmissible material fixedly attached to a partially light transmissible reflecting surface of the pair of reflecting surfaces and adapted for converging a laser beam emitted from the partially light transmissible reflecting surface.

Abstract: A TAB semiconductor device according to the present invention is as follows. One end of each lead whose direction is fixed by a TAB tape is connected to a corresponding electrode on a semiconductor pellet placed at a predetermined position of the TAB tape. The TAB tape is a tape having the thin leads fixed on a film and a portion where the film is removed, i.e., a window portion in a predetermined area. Only the arrangement of the leads is exposed to the window portion. A user arbitrarily cuts the leads in this area in accordance with mounting. The leads have normal signal leads and wider leads together. As for these wider leads, slits are provided to make the lead widths uniform throughout the window portion.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser includes a first one-conductive type clad layer, a first active layer, a second other-conductive type clad layer, a third one-conductive type clad layer, a second active layer, and a fourth other-conductive type clad layer stacked in sequence. Either the second other-conductive type clad layer or the third one-conductive type clad layer has a thickness smaller than the thickness of a depletion layer of the p-n junction grown at the boundary between the second other-conductive type clad layer and the third one-conductive type clad layer when voltage is applied across the first one-conductive type clad layer and the fourth other-conductive type clad layer.

Abstract: A circuit board includes an insulative ceramic substrate, electrode portions and wiring portions formed on the ceramic substrate by selectively removing portions of a conductor layer plated on said ceramic substrate, a resistor layer formed on the ceramic substrate and connected to the electrode portions, and a pair of connecting thick film conductors for electrically connecting the thick film resistor and the conductor layer on both ends of the thick film resistor. The resistor layer includes a thick film resistor which is formed on the ceramic substrate. The conductor layer and the thick film resistor each have an end portion which is formed directly on the same connecting thick film conductor.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine having a sensor which generates a pulse signal, a time period is measured during which the engine rotational speed is larger than a reference speed, and the time period is reset at every rise or fall of the pulse signal. As a result, when the measured time period is larger than a predetermined time period, an abnormal state signal is generated, thereby detecting an abnormal state of the sensor.

Abstract: In measuring and reproducing electric noise applied to an electronic component, the electric noise is envelope-detected and the envelope-detected noise is analog-digitally converted at high speed and stored. With this arrangement, electric noise, complicated and low in reproducibility, is accurately measured and stored. Further, a result obtained by performing a predetermined calculation on the stored value is digital-analog converted at high speed, reproducing the envelope-detected waveform as an analog signal, and a carrier signal having a center frequency of the electric noise is amplitude-modulated by the analog signal. As a consequence, imitation noise determined quantitatively can be accurately and repeatedly generated. Furthermore, when a repeated frequency of the electric noise is counted and stored, the basic frequency components of the electric noise can be measured without use of additional measuring instruments.

Abstract: A sensor failure judgment system includes a plurality of condition sensors and a monitored sensor. A first failure judgment device monitors the condition sensors to determine proper operation thereof. If any condition sensor is not properly operating, its output signal is replaced by a standard value. A second faliure judgment device monitor determines the condition of the monitored sensor based on the output signals of the condition sensors. The monitored sensor is determined as having failed if the output signals of the condition sensors as compared with the output signal of the monitor sensor so indicate. A fail safe device is also provided, which receives the output signals of the condition sensors and determines if any of these output signals are the standard signal. If any of these output signals are the standard signal, the failure judgment is inhibited so that the monitored sensor will not be incorrectly judged as having failed.

Abstract: The invention provides an arrangement for time correlating a computer's internal information with its input and output signals. The internal information is stored in a storage device along with time data indicative of the time at which the internal information was read. This time data is used to correlate the internal information, when read from storage, with the input and output signals. The invention also provides a more general arrangement for producing logic signals. Data for producing logic signals are stored in a memory. This data includes a transition time and a corresponding logic level after the transition. Logic signals are generated and "forced" to the logic level called for by the data read from memory. This allows logic signals to be produced from little data. This general scheme is applied to an arrangement for recording and reproducing digital and analogue signals.

Abstract: A connector comprises a plug and a socket. The plug has a main plug body, a plurality of contact pins projecting from the main plug body and including a contact pin for grounding, and a shielding member surrounding the plurality of contact pins. The socket has a main socket body, a plug receiving part provided on the main socket body for receiving the shielding member, a plurality of contact portions provided within the plug receiving part for making contact with corresponding ones of the plurality of contact pins and including a first contact portion for making contact with the contact pin for grounding, and a second contact portion provided on the main socket body for making contact with the shielding member. The plug is detachably coupled to the socket by inserting the shielding member into the plug receiving part. The first and second contact portions are made of a single contact member.

Abstract: A liquid-cooled motor having cooling liquid passages (26a, 26b, 26c) formed in the laminated core (16) of the stator (14). End plates (20, 22) are applied to the axially opposite end faces of the laminated core (16) of the stator (14), and a compressive force is applied through the end plates to the laminated core (16) by clamping the laminated core (16) with bolts (30) inserted through the end plates (20, 22) and the cooling liquid passages (26a, 26b) of the laminated core (16).

Abstract: An optical transmitting and/or receiving module comprises an optical plug comprising a housing which is provided with at least one ferrule assembly having an optical fiber therein, a main receptacle body connected to the optical plug, and an optical link assembly comprising a substrate. The substrate has at least one optical semiconductor element and circuit elements for signal processing fixed thereon. The optical link assembly is fixed to the main receptacle body so that the at least one optical semiconductor element opposes a tip end of the optical fiber of the optical plug and a surface of the substrate is perpendicular to an optical axis of the optical fiber.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine has an exhaust system and an oxygen sensor fitted to the exhaust system including a sensor element and an electrically powered heater for heating the sensor element. A method is disclosed for controlling the power supplied to the heater by determining a target value therefor according to engine operational parameters, by applying a smoothing correction to the target value to produce an actual value, and by supplying power to the heater in an amount according to this actual power value. The smoothing may be done by time-smoothing, and may be done by performing the calculation repeatedly in a cycle and by setting the actual power value amount equal to a function of this target power value and of values of this actual power value amount determined in previous cycles. This function may take the form of a weighted average, and as a special case such a weighted average may use only the actual power value amount determined in the previous cycle.

Abstract: A liquid-cooled motor with cooling liquid passages (20a to 20d, 22a to 22d) formed in the laminated core (18) of a stator (16) fixedly disposed so as to surround a rotor (14). A plurality of the cooling liquid passages (20a to 22d, 22a to 22d) are formed so as to extend axially, and are distributed symmetrically with respect to the axis of the motor (10) as viewed in cross section of the laminated core (18) perpendicular to the axis. Spaces between the laminations are impregnated with resin to prevent leakage of the cooling fluid.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine has an exhaust system and an oxygen sensor fitted to the exhaust system including a sensor element and an electrically powered heater for heating the sensor element. A method for controlling the electrical power supplied to the heater properly and quickly heats up the sensor element after engine starting from the cold condition. At the time of starting up the engine it is determined whether or not the temperature of the engine is less than a certain value. If so, the heater is provided with electrical power to the maximum practicable amount, for a certain time interval after the engine is started up. Thereby, during engine heating up operation, the temperature of the sensor element is brought up to its minimum proper operating temperature as quickly as practicable, and accordingly it is ensured that engine performance and the quality of exhaust gas emissions at the time of such engine warming up operation are good. A system is also described for implementing this method.

Abstract: The oxygen sensor has a solid electrolytic element made of an oxygen ion-conducting metal oxide. This element is formed in a cup shape, closed at one end and opened at its other end. The outer peripheral surface of the element is exposed to exhaust gas, and the inner peripheral surface of the element is exposed to the atmosphere. A first electrode is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the element, and a second electrode is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the element. An electrically insulating layer is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the element except where the first electrode is disposed. A metal lead of thin film, connected to the first electrode, is formed on the insulating layer. Further, a retaining lead connected to the first electrode is formed on the metal lead. This retaining lead is formed by densely sintering a conductive material and a binding material.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine has an exhaust system and an oxygen sensor fitted to the exhaust system including a sensor element and an electrically powered heater for heating the sensor element. A method is disclosed for controlling the power supplied to said heater by restricting it to be less than a predetermined value. This restriction may be done by controlling the value of a relatively steady current flowing through said heater, or alternatively may be done by supplying an intermittent voltage to said heater and by controlling the duty factor of said intermittent voltage. The power supplied to said heater may be determined by detecting the current flowing through said heater, or may be determined by detecting the voltage across said heater and the current flowing through said heater. Thereby, during engine heating up operation, the temperature of the heater element is raised as quickly as practicable, without any risk of over quick heating of the heater occurring, which might lead to damage thereto.

Abstract: An oxygen sensor according to the present invention comprises a tumbler-shaped solid electrolytic element formed of an oxygen-ion-conductive metal oxide. A first electrode and a lead electrically connected thereto are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the element which is exposed to exhaust gas. A second electrode is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the element which is exposed to the atmosphere. The element is held by a ring-shaped metallic holder. The holder and the first electrode are electrically insulated from each other. A conductive metallic pipe member is disposed between the element and the holder. One end of the pipe member is electrically connected to the lead by means of a conductive metal ring. A partition wall extends integrally from one end of the pipe member, defining between its inner surface and the other peripheral surface of the element a space for housing the conductive metal ring between the pipe member and the lead.

Abstract: A method of detecting the rotational speed of a rotary member, which comprises the steps of detecting, in sequence, a time period indicative of the interval between successive preceding and following angular positions of the rotary member, memorizing in turn from each of the angular positions of the rotary member a series of the time periods detected during one rotation of the rotary member, substituting the foremost time period memorized during one rotation of the rotary member for the foremost time period memorized during the preceding one rotation of the rotary member, and calculating the sum of the substituted time period and the remaining time periods memorized during the preceding one rotation of the rotary member upon detection of each of the angular positions to detect the actual rotational speed of the rotary member.