Abstract: A vehicle battery charger for charging a vehicle that is operable to detect a disengagement of a connecter or a preparing operation of the disengagement of the connector by a change in an electric current value of an electric current output from a terminal of the connecter and to stop charging a storage battery of the vehicle upon the detection includes a charging device configured to charge the vehicle, and a simulation operation device configured to change the electric current value by switching a pathway of the electric current output from the terminal of the connecter in a state that the connecter is in engagement and the preparing operation of the disengagement of the connecter is not carried out so as to cause the vehicle to stop charging the storage battery.

Abstract: A vehicle battery charger for providing a charging current to a rechargeable vehicle battery which stores electric traction power includes a relay for interrupting the charging current, and fault diagnosing means for switching an operating condition of the relay to thereby diagnose a fault in the relay. At a time of starting and/or stopping a supply of the charging current, if a given condition is satisfied, the fault diagnosing means executes a diagnosis of the fault, or if the given condition is not satisfied, the fault diagnosing means does not execute a diagnosis of the fault.

Abstract: A vehicle charging equipment includes a charging equipment main body, a charging cable, a charge connector to be fitted to a vehicle-side connector and having a release button, a release button circuit to which voltage is applied from the vehicle to detect depression of the release button, a winding-up device to wind up the charging cable, a fit determination means for determining the fitting of the charge connector to the vehicle-side connector, and an automatic winding-up controller. The fit determination means includes a voltage detection unit and a fit determination portion, the voltage detection unit detecting voltage applied to the release button circuit to detect depression of the release button, and the fit determination portion determining the fitting of the vehicle-side connector based on the voltage detected. The automatic winding-up controller determines removal of the charge connector from the vehicle-side connector based on the determination by the fit determination means.

Abstract: A vehicle battery charging apparatus includes a charging connector including a charging current output terminal for outputting a charging current to a vehicle having an electric motor as a drive source and a proximity detection terminal for detecting a proximity of the charging connector to a inlet on the vehicle, a voltage output portion that outputs a voltage from the proximity detection terminal via a first resistor, a detection means that can detect a variation in current flowing through the first resistor caused by fitting the charging connector to the vehicle inlet, and a control section that detects the proximity of the charging connector and the vehicle inlet based on the variation in current flowing through the first resistor detected by the detection means, and enables the charging current output terminal to output a charging current when the proximity is detected.

Abstract: A vehicle charging equipment includes a charging equipment main body, a charging cable, a charge connector to be fitted to a vehicle-side connector and having a release button, a release button circuit to which voltage is applied from the vehicle to detect depression of the release button, a winding-up device to wind up the charging cable, a fit determination means for determining the fitting of the charge connector to the vehicle-side connector, and an automatic winding-up controller. The fit determination means includes a voltage detection unit and a fit determination portion, the voltage detection unit detecting voltage applied to the release button circuit to detect depression of the release button, and the fit determination portion determining the fitting of the vehicle-side connector based on the voltage detected. The automatic winding-up controller determines removal of the charge connector from the vehicle-side connector based on the determination by the fit determination means.

Abstract: A vehicle battery charger for providing a charging current to a rechargeable vehicle battery which stores electric traction power includes a relay for interrupting the charging current, and fault diagnosing means for switching an operating condition of the relay to thereby diagnose a fault in the relay. At a time of starting and/or stopping a supply of the charging current, if a given condition is satisfied, the fault diagnosing means executes a diagnosis of the fault, or if the given condition is not satisfied, the fault diagnosing means does not execute a diagnosis of the fault.

Abstract: A vehicle battery charging apparatus includes a charging connector including a charging current output terminal for outputting a charging current to a vehicle having an electric motor as a drive source and a proximity detection terminal for detecting a proximity of the charging connector to a inlet on the vehicle, a voltage output portion that outputs a voltage from the proximity detection terminal via a first resistor, a detection means that can detect a variation in current flowing through the first resistor caused by fitting the charging connector to the vehicle inlet, and a control section that detects the proximity of the charging connector and the vehicle inlet based on the variation in current flowing through the first resistor detected by the detection means, and enables the charging current output terminal to output a charging current when the proximity is detected.

Abstract: An antenna element 1 is installed at a glass part 5 of a vehicle 4. The antennal element 1 has a ground part 3 and a radiating element 2. A metallic part side ground part 3b of the ground part 3 is overlapped with a metallic part 6 of the vehicle 4, while a glass part side ground part 3a of the ground part 3 and the radiating element 2 are not overlapped with the metallic part 6. The ground part 3 is installed such that a ratio of the area of the glass part side ground part 3a to be overlapped with the glass part 5 to the area of the metallic part side ground part 3b to be overlapped with the metallic part 6 is from 1:5 to 1:10.

Abstract: An antenna element 1 is installed at a glass part 5 of a vehicle 4. The antennal element 1 has a ground part 3 and a radiating element 2. A metallic part side ground part 3b of the ground part 3 is overlapped with a metallic part 6 of the vehicle 4, while a glass part side ground part 3a of the ground part 3 and the radiating element 2 are not overlapped with the metallic part 6. The ground part 3 is installed such that a ratio of the area of the glass part side ground part 3a to be overlapped with the glass part 5 to the area of the metallic part side ground part 3b to be overlapped with the metallic part 6 is from 1:5 to 1:10.

Abstract: A system for directly measuring tire grip conditions is provided which can measure a skidding condition with no need of applying a vibration. A tire rotation speed sensor comprising a detection gear and a magnet sensor is mounted to a rotating shaft of a tire. An output of the tire rotation speed sensor is analyzed in time-frequency domain to detect vibrations caused by slips, thereby determining tire grip conditions, such as a slip ratio and a slip angle. By detecting fluctuations in rotation based on the cause-effect relation between the occurrence of tire slips and the occurrence of fluctuations in rotation, the tire slips can be directly detected. Therefore, the tire grip conditions can be confirmed with high accuracy.

Abstract: A magnetic motion sensor has: two magnetic sensors aligned in a direction along which changes in a magnetic field shift for detecting an appearance of the changes; a differential means for taking out a differential signal of output signals from these two magnetic sensors; and a timing detection means for generating a pulse, indicating a timing at which the changes in a magnetic field pass through either of the magnetic sensors, when an output signal of the magnetic sensor in question strides over a threshold value, while generating a pulse, indicating a timing at which the changes in a magnetic field pass through in between the magnetic sensors, when the differential signal strides over the threshold value.

Abstract: A system for directly measuring tire grip conditions is provided which can measure a skidding condition with no need of applying a vibration. A tire rotation speed sensor comprising a detection gear and a magnet sensor is mounted to a rotating shaft of a tire. An output of the tire rotation speed sensor is analyzed in time-frequency domain to detect vibrations caused by slips, thereby determining tire grip conditions, such as a slip ratio and a slip angle. By detecting fluctuations in rotation based on the cause-effect relation between the occurrence of tire slips and the occurrence of fluctuations in rotation, the tire slips can be directly detected. Therefore, the tire grip conditions can be confirmed with high accuracy.

Abstract: A magnetic motion sensor has: two magnetic sensors aligned in a direction along which changes in a magnetic field shift for detecting an appearance of the changes; a differential means for taking out a differential signal of output signals from these two magnetic sensors; and a timing detection means for generating a pulse, indicating a timing at which the changes in a magnetic field pass through either of the magnetic sensors, when an output signal of the magnetic sensor in question strides over a threshold value, while generating a pulse, indicating a timing at which the changes in a magnetic field pass through in between the magnetic sensors, when the differential signal strides over the threshold value.

Abstract: A conversion efficiency of a catalyst is determined by a cross correlation function of a cross-correlation between an output of an oxygen sensor at the upstream of the catalyst and an output of an oxygen sensor at the downstream of the catalyst, to thereby monitor deterioration index of the catalyst. Then, an air and fuel ratio is obtained from at least one of the outputs of the two oxygen sensors, to thereby adjust a fuel supply quantity, so that the fuel supply quantity can be controlled even during a period when the catalyst is being analyzed, without deviating the air and fuel ratio from a target air and fuel ratio.

Abstract: A detector for detecting a physical quantity as a quantity of electricity has a detection portion, a portion for stimulating the detection portion and a signal processing portion, wherein a calibration signal is supplied from the signal processing portion to the detection portion via the stimulating portion so as to measure a specific response of the detection portion, whereby self-calibration and correction of the characteristic of the detector are performed in accordance with an amount of a change in the response.

Abstract: A detector for detecting a physical quantity as a quantity of electricity has a detection portion, a portion for stimulating the detection portion and a signal processing portion, wherein a calibration signal is supplied from the signal processing portion to the detection portion via the stimulating portion so as to measure a specific response of the detection portion, whereby self-calibration and correction of the characteristic of the detector are performed in accordance with an amount of a change in the response.

Abstract: An engine monitoring system and/or emission reduction system is provided for use in conjunction with an internal combustion engine. The system includes a plurality of sensors which detect various engine operating conditions and in which each sensor generates an output signal representative of its particular engine operating condition. At least one of these sensors is a gas sensor associated with the exhaust system which produces an output signal indicative of the concentration of nitric oxides in the exhaust emissions and which has an output which varies as a function of the concentration of such nitric oxides. A central processing unit receives inputs from the various engine sensors and, in accordance with preprogrammed algorithms, monitors the engine for failure and/or deterioration of various components in the emission reduction system as well as the various engine sensors.

Abstract: A detector for detecting a physical quantity as a quantity of electricity has a detection portion, a portion for stimulating the detection portion and a signal processing portion, wherein a calibration signal is supplied from the signal processing portion to the detection portion via the stimulating portion so as to measure a specific response of the detection portion, whereby self-calibration and correction of the characteristic of the detector are performed in accordance with an amount of a change in the response.

Abstract: Knocking detecting in an internal combustion engine uses, a vibration sensor detecting engine vibrations; and insert for taking-in output vibration signals from the vibration sensor in a plurality of intervals in a time sequential manner during every explosion stroke of the internal combustion engine; performing a digital frequency analysis on the taken-in output vibration signals in the respective sequential intervals; setting a main resonance frequency necessary for knocking occurrence judgement based upon the instant operating condition of the internal combustion engine; calculating knocking indexes for the digital frequency-analyzed output vibration signals in the respective sequential intervals based upon the set main resonance frequency component; comparing the largest knocking index calculated with a predetermined threshold value determined by a background vibration level and a slice level thereof to determine occurrence of knocking; and renewing the respective background vibration levels using the cal

Abstract: A conversion efficiency of a catalyst is estimated by a correlation function concerning output signals of upper and down stream side air fuel ratio sensors. The conversion efficiency is measured by comparing the correlation function and a complementary value of the correlation function with a comparing standard value.