Abstract: The two DC/DC converters perform DC/DC conversion of the power source voltage of the driving battery for supplying power to the motor of the vehicle and supply to an automatic operation load and a general load as electrical components mounted on the vehicle. The control units control the two DC/DC converters. The control units make only one of the two DC/DC converters DC/DC conversion at the start of the DC/DC conversion, and then make both of the two DC/DC converters DC/DC conversion.

Abstract: An electronic component unit includes a heatsink, a substrate on which electronic component is installed, a fixing metal fitting that fixes the electronic component and the substrate to the heatsink, and a fastening member that fixes the fixing metal fitting to the heatsink, and the heatsink includes a body portion, and a fixing portion that is projecting from the body portion toward the substrate side and to which the fixing metal fitting is fixed, and the substrate includes a through-hole that the fixing portion penetrates through, and the fixing metal fitting includes a base portion that contacts the fixing portion and is fixed to the fixing portion by the fastening member, and a pressing portion that extends from one end of the base portion, elastically deforms with respect to the base portion, and presses the electronic component toward the substrate side.

Abstract: The two DC/DC converters perform DC/DC conversion of the power source voltage of the driving battery for supplying power to the motor of the vehicle and supply to an automatic operation load and a general load as electrical components mounted on the vehicle. The control units control the two DC/DC converters. The control units make only one of the two DC/DC converters DC/DC conversion at the start of the DC/DC conversion, and then make both of the two DC/DC converters DC/DC conversion.

Abstract: In a DC/DC converter, when stepping up voltage from an input unit to an output unit or when stepping down voltage from the output unit to the input unit, a second driver IC outputs to a charge pump circuit a control signal for controlling a switching element so as to alternately repeat ON/OFF when a switching element is ON and a switching element is OFF. When stepping up voltage from the output unit to the input unit or when stepping down voltage from the input unit to the output unit, a first driver IC outputs to the charge pump circuit a control signal for controlling the switching element so as to alternately repeat ON/OFF when a switching element is ON and the switching element is OFF. As a result, the DC/DC converter can drive the charge pump circuit without providing an oscillation circuit.

Abstract: In a DC/DC converter, when stepping up voltage from an input unit to an output unit or when stepping down voltage from the output unit to the input unit, a second driver IC outputs to a charge pump circuit a control signal for controlling a switching element so as to alternately repeat ON/OFF when a switching element is ON and a switching element is OFF. When stepping up voltage from the output unit to the input unit or when stepping down voltage from the input unit to the output unit, a first driver IC outputs to the charge pump circuit a control signal for controlling the switching element so as to alternately repeat ON/OFF when a switching element is ON and the switching element is OFF. As a result, the DC/DC converter can drive the charge pump circuit without providing an oscillation circuit.

Abstract: An electronic component unit includes a heatsink, a substrate on which electronic component is installed, a fixing metal fitting that fixes the electronic component and the substrate to the heatsink, and a fastening member that fixes the fixing metal fitting to the heatsink, and the heatsink includes a body portion, and a fixing portion that is projecting from the body portion toward the substrate side and to which the fixing metal fitting is fixed, and the substrate includes a through-hole that the fixing portion penetrates through, and the fixing metal fitting includes a base portion that contacts the fixing portion and is fixed to the fixing portion by the fastening member, and a pressing portion that extends from one end of the base portion, elastically deforms with respect to the base portion, and presses the electronic component toward the substrate side.

Abstract: A battery monitoring unit includes a control IC, a CPU, and a load circuit. In the inside of the battery monitoring unit, the control IC and the CPU each of which is a control circuit are connected to a unit internal ground that is common thereto. The load circuit is connected to a power ground different from the unit internal ground. In the inside of the battery monitoring unit, the power ground and the unit internal ground are connected with each other via a diode. The unit internal ground and the power ground are connected to an external ground that is common thereto via an electric wire extending from a first ground terminal and an electric wire extending from a second ground terminal, respectively.

Abstract: In a self-diagnostic processing performed by a CPU, whether a vehicle is in an idle stop state is determined based on obtained vehicle operation information and engine operation information in order to perform abnormality detection processing. When an engine has stopped in a vehicle equipped with an idle stop function, electric power is supplied to electrical components of the vehicle, which means a battery supplies currents to the electrical components. Consequently, if a current measurement result obtained by measuring a current while the vehicle is stationary and an ignition is ON indicates that the measurement value is equal to or below a prescribed current value, the CPU determines that an abnormality has occurred in a measuring system.

Abstract: A switching power supply includes: a switching type power supply circuit that converts an input voltage to generate an output voltage; and a control IC that executes feedback control that, based on a differential voltage between a target voltage and the output voltage from the power supply circuit, controls a switching element of the power supply circuit and causes the output voltage from the power supply circuit to converge to the target voltage. The control IC sets the target voltage for each predetermined period based on a value obtained by adding a preset value to the output voltage at a time of startup of the power supply circuit. Provided with this operation is a switching power supply that can precisely reduce an overshoot of the output voltage at the time of startup.

Abstract: A switching power supply includes: a switching type power supply circuit that converts an input voltage to generate an output voltage; and a control IC that executes feedback control that, based on a differential voltage between a target voltage and the output voltage from the power supply circuit, controls a switching element of the power supply circuit and causes the output voltage from the power supply circuit to converge to the target voltage. The control IC sets a this-time value of the target voltage based on a value obtained by adding a preset value to a previous value of the target voltage at a time of startup of the power supply circuit. Provided with this operation is a switching power supply that can precisely reduce an overshoot of the output voltage at the time of startup.

Abstract: A switching power supply includes: a switching type power supply circuit that converts an input voltage to generate an output voltage; and a control IC that executes feedback control that, based on a differential voltage between a target voltage and the output voltage from the power supply circuit, controls a switching element of the power supply circuit and causes the output voltage from the power supply circuit to converge to the target voltage. The control IC sets the target voltage for each predetermined period based on a value obtained by adding a preset value to the output voltage at a time of startup of the power supply circuit. Provided with this operation is a switching power supply that can precisely reduce an overshoot of the output voltage at the time of startup.

Abstract: A switching power supply includes: a switching type power supply circuit that converts an input voltage to generate an output voltage; and a control IC that executes feedback control that, based on a differential voltage between a target voltage and the output voltage from the power supply circuit, controls a switching element of the power supply circuit and causes the output voltage from the power supply circuit to converge to the target voltage. The control IC sets a this-time value of the target voltage based on a value obtained by adding a preset value to a previous value of the target voltage at a time of startup of the power supply circuit. Provided with this operation is a switching power supply that can precisely reduce an overshoot of the output voltage at the time of startup.

Abstract: In a self-diagnostic processing performed by a CPU, whether a vehicle is in an idle stop state is determined based on obtained vehicle operation information and engine operation information in order to perform abnormality detection processing. When an engine has stopped in a vehicle equipped with an idle stop function, electric power is supplied to electrical components of the vehicle, which means a battery supplies currents to the electrical components. Consequently, if a current measurement result obtained by measuring a current while the vehicle is stationary and an ignition is ON indicates that the measurement value is equal to or below a prescribed current value, the CPU determines that an abnormality has occurred in a measuring system.

Abstract: A battery monitoring unit includes a control IC, a CPU, and a load circuit. In the inside of the battery monitoring unit, the control IC and the CPU each of which is a control circuit are connected to a unit internal ground that is common thereto. The load circuit is connected to a power ground different from the unit internal ground. In the inside of the battery monitoring unit, the power ground and the unit internal ground are connected with each other via a diode. The unit internal ground and the power ground are connected to an external ground that is common thereto via an electric wire extending from a first ground terminal and an electric wire extending from a second ground terminal, respectively.

Abstract: A remote control apparatus of the invention is a remote control apparatus for operating electronic hardware, including: a remote control main body; a cover covering a front surface of the remote control main body; and a plurality of switches provided on at least one of the remote control main body or the cover and switching by pressing force, the cover being openably attached to the remote control main body and covering the front surface of the remote control main body when closed and exposing the front surface when opened, one part of the cover being pressed to the remote control main body in the closed state of the cover and thereby being displaced to the remote control main body, and by the displacement, the cover or the remote control main body pressing any one of the plurality of switches, and another part of the cover being pressed to the remote control main body in the closed state of the cover and thereby being displaced to the remote control main body, and by the displacement, the cover or the remote

Abstract: A remote control apparatus of the invention is a remote control apparatus for operating electronic hardware, including: a remote control main body; a cover covering a front surface of the remote control main body; and a plurality of switches provided on at least one of the remote control main body or the cover and switching by pressing force, the cover being openably attached to the remote control main body and covering the front surface of the remote control main body when closed and exposing the front surface when opened, one part of the cover being pressed to the remote control main body in the closed state of the cover and thereby being displaced to the remote control main body, and by the displacement, the cover or the remote control main body pressing any one of the plurality of switches, and another part of the cover being pressed to the remote control main body in the closed state of the cover and thereby being displaced to the remote control main body, and by the displacement, the cover or the remote

Abstract: A unit for estimating voltage drop 23a-1 estimates voltage drop of a battery terminal when maximum current is continuously supplied at high rate discharge. A unit for estimating residual discharge capacity 23a-2 estimates residual discharge capacity of the battery for allowing the maximum current to be continuously supplied to a load by subtracting the undischargeable electric charge calculated from the voltage drop estimated by the unit for estimating voltage drop 23a-1 from the dischargeable charge in any state of charge.

Abstract: A microcomputer monitors, on the basis of outputs from a current sensor and voltage sensor, a voltage drop due to an internal resistance when the drop in the terminal voltage due to polarization occurring during the discharge of a battery is saturated, and a dischargeable capacity of the battery corresponding to the value resulting when the saturated voltage drop of the terminal voltage is subtracted from the chargeable capacity of the battery. Such a configuration provide a battery status monitoring device capable of knowing the battery status correctly, a saturation polarization detecting method which is useful to know the charging state of the battery and a dischargeable capacity detecting method.

Abstract: A microcomputer 23 monitors, on the basis of outputs from a current sensor 15 and voltage sensor 17, a voltage drop due to an internal resistance when the drop in the terminal voltage due to polarization occurring during the discharge of a battery is saturated, and a dischargeable capacity of the battery corresponding to the value resulting when the saturated voltage drop of the terminal voltage is subtracted from the chargeable capacity of the battery. Such a configuration provide a battery status monitoring device capable of knowing the battery status correctly, a saturation polarization detecting method which is useful to know the charging state of the battery and a dischargeable capacity detecting method.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for computing a charging state of a battery without being affected by an influence of polarization are provided. First computing means computes a voltage-current characteristic including the influence of the polarization during an decrease of a discharge current of the battery on the basis of a terminal voltage and discharge current measured while the battery carries out a constant load discharge with a current value large enough to cancel a charge-side polarization arisen in the battery at least just before the discharge. A second computing means shifts the voltage-current characteristic to a specific extent in the direction of a voltage coordinate axis. A residual voltage drop value in advance stored by storing means is added to a present estimated voltage value estimated by estimating means on the basis of the shifted voltage-current characteristic, thereby a present open circuit voltage of the battery is computed.