Abstract: In a control device for a power supply circuit in which a plurality of high-voltage battery packs are provided, if any one of safety switch is off, the startup state of a high-voltage circuit is totally prevented, even when a careless mistake such as a careless power-on (ON) operation is made, the circuit is prevented from being started, and also the overall power supply is cut off by turning off (OFF) one safety switch, thereby improving the convenience of work. Voltage sensing units (9-1 to 9-n) that sense internal voltages are provided in battery packs (4-1 to 4-n) to detect a voltage change based on the operation of one or more safety switches (8-1 to 8-n) and maintain all relays (5-1 to 5-n) of the plurality of battery packs (4-1 to 4-n) provided in parallel in an open (OPEN) state.

Abstract: A vehicle charger mounting structure has a system circuit, a charger and a relay. The system circuit constitutes a high-voltage circuit and includes an onboard battery. The charger charges the onboard battery with electric power supplied from an exterior. The relay is provided between the onboard battery and the charger. The relay operates and controls to be in an open state except during charging. The relay is provided to be housed in a casing different from the charger. The charger is provided to be housed in a housing space provided in a vehicle body structure part.

Abstract: A vehicle charger mounting structure has a system circuit, a charger and a relay. The system circuit constitutes a high-voltage circuit and includes an onboard battery. The charger charges the onboard battery with electric power supplied from an exterior. The relay is provided between the onboard battery and the charger. The relay operates and controls to be in an open state except during charging. The relay is provided to be housed in a casing different from the charger. The charger is provided to be housed in a housing space provided in a vehicle body structure part.

Abstract: In a control device for a power supply circuit in which a plurality of high-voltage battery packs are provided, if any one of safety switch is off, the startup state of a high-voltage circuit is totally prevented, even when a careless mistake such as a careless power-on (ON) operation is made, the circuit is prevented from being started, and also the overall power supply is cut off by turning off (OFF) one safety switch, thereby improving the convenience of work. Voltage sensing units (9-1 to 9-n) that sense internal voltages are provided in battery packs (4-1 to 4-n) to detect a voltage change based on the operation of one or more safety switches (8-1 to 8-n) and maintain all relays (5-1 to 5-n) of the plurality of battery packs (4-1 to 4-n) provided in parallel in an open (OPEN) state.

Abstract: A combustion pressure sensor suitable for a highly precise combustion control system of an automobile engine and a sensing system using the sensor. The combustion pressure sensor includes a SOI substrate having a three-layered structure of a first silicon plate, a thermal oxide film, and a second silicon plate, wherein a combustion pressure is sensed on the basis of a pressure or a force applied to the first silicon plate.

Abstract: An in-cylinder pressure sensing apparatus for a multi-cylinder engine has a plurality of sensing parts packaged between a cylinder head and a cylinder block of an engine having a plurality of cylinders and being operative to detect a signal indicative of an internal pressure of each of the plurality of cylinders. A detection circuit is provided for connecting the sensing parts in series and for overlapping detection signals obtained from the individual sensing parts to take out a resulting overlapped signal. A reference signal generator operates to supply a reference signal for separating detection signals corresponding to the individual cylinders from the overlapped signal. A unit is also provided for separating the detection signals, detected in accordance with pressures of the individual cylinders, from the overlapped signal on the basis of the reference signal.

Abstract: A physical quantity detecting apparatus comprises at least one optical fiber, at least one light emitting means for emitting an incident light beam on the optical fiber, at least one light receiving means for detecting an outgoing light beam from the optical fiber, physical quantity applied position information generating means for providing information indicative of a position of a portion at which a physical quantity is applied to the optical fiber, and operation means for receiving signals from the light receiving means and physical quantities applied position information generating means and calculating a change with time in physical quantity at respective positions on the optical fiber.

Abstract: A capacitance detector comprises switches for charging and discharging a sensing part, an integrator constituted by a condenser and an operational amplifier for integrating a charging current or a discharging current which is generated according to the charging and discharging the sensing part, a switch for charging an output voltage of the operational amplifier and for feedbacking an electric charge to the integrator, and a condenser. The capacitance detector can be provided by the operational amplifier having a low response performance and a small output current and no hold sample circuit, thereby a circuit scale of the capacitance type sensor can be made small.

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 capacitance type accelerometer, having a fist silicon plate formed a movable electrode which is moved according to acceleration, two second silicon plates which are disposed on both sides of the first silicon plate with a certain separation distance, and thermal oxide films which are respectively disposed between the first silicon plate except the movable electrode and the two second silicon plates and stick the first silicon plate except the movable electrode and the two second silicon plates together.

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 air bag operation device which employs only one CPU module to guarantee sufficient fail-safety in the operation of the air bag without increasing the scale of the hardware. A plurality of crash-discriminating programs of different versions and a plurality of self-diagnosing programs of different versions are executed by a single CPU module, a signal is fed to an air bag igniting device based upon a comparison of the discriminated results by the plurality of crash-discriminating programs, and a signal is fed to an abnormality alarm device based upon comparison of the discriminated results of the plurality of self-diagnosing programs.

Abstract: A semiconductor acceleration sensor is formed by a cantilever having a conductive movable electrode of predetermined mass at one end, at least one pair of fixed conductive electrodes which are stationary with respect to the movable electrode located on opposing sides of the movable electrode, and gaps provided between the movable electrode and the fixed electrodes. To prevent the movable electrode becoming fused to the contacted fixed electrode, in a first aspect of this invention, an insulating layer is provided between the movable electrode and fixed electrodes, the layer being either on the movable electrode or on the fixed electrodes and in a second aspect the movable electrode or, preferably, the fixed electrodes, are formed of a high melting point material. In such a second aspect, to improve adhesion between the high melting point material and a substrate to which the fixed electrodes are mounted, a lower melting point material is firstly coated on the substrates.

Abstract: A capacitance type accelerometer, having a fist silicon plate formed a movable electrode which is moved according to acceleration, two second silicon plates which are disposed on both sides of the first silicon plate with a certain separation distance, and thermal oxide films which are respectively disposed between the first silicon plate except the movable electrode and the two second silicon plates and stick the first silicon plate except the movable electrode and the two second silicon plates together.

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 method of manufacturing structures such as a pressure gauge, an accelerometer and the like with a single crystal material such as silicon uses etching techniques where the shape of a part subjected to stress concentration has a curvature, another part is formed in a plane body and a polyhedron is constituted by combining both.To attain the above constitution, a wafer of single crystal material is formed with a stepped surface having a value corresponding to at least the depth of the curvature in a first anisotropic etching process using a prescribed etching mask, and in a second anisotropic etching process, an etching mask is used by removing at least a part of the etching mask used in the first anisotropic etching process.

Abstract: An electrostatic type micro accelerometer comprising means for preventing permanent sticking between a movable electrode and a stationary electrode due to residual dielectric polarization, resisual electric charges and water adsorption and condensation around possible contacting portions therebetween when the movable electrode excessively displaces. The sticking preventing means is realized by disposing one of electric field reducing means, water adsorption and condensation reducing means and contacting area limiting means around the possible contacting portions.

Abstract: A signal processor (5) is coupled to a detector (6) for detecting a physical quantity. The signal processor has a zero adjustment memory (14) and a sensitivity adjustment memory (16). The zero adjustment memory and the sensitivity adjustment memory have a number of switches (20, 20A, 20', 20"), respectively. These switches are changed over digitally using a zener zapping method or a polysilicon fuse method at each switch to adjust the characteristics of the detector.

Abstract: In a capacitance type accelerometer used for an air bag system etc., a plurality of grooves crossing each other are provided on the surface of a movable electrode which is arranged to face a fixed electrode at a portion having a gap thereinbetween, and end portions of each groove open to an outside space at the portion between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode. The grooves can be provided on surface of the fixed electrodes. Ventilation between inside and outside of the facing portion is improved by opening of the grooves to outside space, and air damping which is caused at operation of the movable electrode at the gap between the electrodes is reduced, and, consequently, response speed of the movable electrode is increased.

Abstract: An air fuel ratio detecting arrangement using a diffusion suppressing type air fuel ratio sensor applicable to an air fuel ratio control unit for an internal combustion engine incorporating an atmospheric air pressure correction circuit in a signal processing and outputting device for correcting an output voltage signal processed therein based on a change in atmospheric air pressure which is detected when a predetermined operating condition of an internal combustion engine is satisfied. A secular change correction circuit included in the signal processing and outputting device detects a change in electromotive force of a concentration cell portion of the air fuel ratio sensor when a predetermined rich air fuel ratio is reached and corrects a reference voltage for the air fuel ratio sensor based on the detected change in electromotive force of the concentration cell portion in addition to an air calibration circuit.