Abstract: An electronic odometer employing a non-volatile memory is used to indicate the total distance traveled by a vehicle such as an automobile. The total distance traveled by the vehicle, calculated by an arithmetic unit 3 from signals from a pulse generator 1, is written piece-by-piece sequentially into a non-volatile memory 7 which has N locations for storing the data on total distance. To read the data, the maximum value of the total distance data is found from the N locations storing total distance data of the non-volatile memory 7. When the difference between the maximum value and the data item written immediately before the maximum value is equal to a preset distance, the maximum value is indicated as the total distance traveled on digital display unit 8.

Abstract: A display apparatus for a vehicle comprising arithmetic unit for processing outputs of different sensors in accordance with a given process program so as to provide display signals adapted to be displayed on different display units, a memory for storing predetermined process programs corresponding to different display standards, and a program selecting device for selecting one of the process programs stored in the memory in accordance with a desired one of the display standards and supplying the selected process program to the arithmetic unit, whereby the display units can display signals to meet any one of the different display standards.

Abstract: A chopper controller for a D.C. motor controls currents flowing in an armature winding and a field winding of the D.C. motor by controlling an armature chopper and a field chopper in accordance with a command from a command generator such as an accelerator pedal. The armature chopper and the field chopper are controlled by chopper control signals from an armature chopper control circuit and a field chopper control circuit, respectively. Those chopper control signals are in a predetermined phase relationship and an interruption request signal is issued in phase-synchronism with one of the chopper control signals. In response to the interruption request signal, computing means computes an armature chopper duty factor and a field chopper duty factor in accordance with the command from the command generator and supplies them to the chopper control circuits.

Abstract: A vehicle trip computer for detecting the distance traveled by a vehicle and the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank and computing and displaying the capable travel distance of the vehicle through the desired computational operations in accordance with the detected data. During the initial period following the connection of the trip computer to the power source, the capable travel distance of the vehicle is computed by using a predetermined initial gas mileage in place of the computed gas mileage. Also, the trip computer does not replace the initial gas mileage with the computed actual gas mileage until the distance traveled by the vehicle exceeds a predetermined distance.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a vehicular power source system which uses as its load a memory-arithmetic circuit (5) such as a microcomputer.An electric power is supplied to the load (5) through a diode (6) and a constant voltage circuit (4), when a switch (2) for running the vehicle is open, but a booster (3) is operated to supply the power when the switch (2) is turned on.The voltage drop of a battery (1), which may be caused during the running operation of the vehicle, is not transmitted to the load (5), but a constant voltage is supplied to the load (5) at all times so that the storage data of the memory unit (5) is always held.

Abstract: A control apparatus for electric vehicles by using a chopper circuit which turns on or off a d-c drive motor responsive to the instruction of a microcomputer.The control apparatus of the present invention is characterized by the provision of a protection device. The protection device comprises means for generating a predetermined signal, means for adding the predetermined signal to a signal which varies depending upon the stepped-in amount of the accelerator pedal, means for comparing the added signal with an output signal of a current detector which detects a current that flows into the d-c drive motor, and means which sets the microcomputer when the output signal of the current detector is greater than the added signal and which permits the microcomputer to start again its operation after a predetermined period of time has passed.

Abstract: A skid control device employs a wheel speed sensor and the control circuit which includes a microcomputer. The microcomputer computes wheel speed on the basis of a pulse signal derived from the wheel speed sensor and delivers a break releasing signal when the wheels slip. A brake control apparatus for controlling the pressure of oil for applying the brakes to the wheels responds to the outputs of the microcomputer. The microcomputer contains a free-running counter which counts clock pulses and a memory containing a sequence of storage locations. This sequence of storage locations stores count values of the free-running counter. A pulse signal from the wheel speed sensor is employed to produce an interrupt request for the microcomputer. The contents of successively adjacent locations in memory are employed by the microcomputer for carrying out the necessary calculations and computing wheel speed.

Abstract: A control device for an electromobile provided with a shunt motor includes a pattern generating means for storing, as patterns, armature and field currents capable of generating an output torque with a minimum loss in the driving system of the electromobile to deliver an armature current command and a field current command for generating a specified output torque on the basis of the patterns, an armature control circuit for supplying the shunt motor with an armature current corresponding to the armature current command, and a field control circuit for supplying the shunt motor with a field current corresponding to the field current command. Thus, the torque control of the shunt motor is conducted on the basis of the patterns, and a computer control is applicable to the above control device.

Abstract: There is disclosed a testing device for a voltage regulator incorporated in a generator assembly for controlling the output voltage of the generator assembly to a predetermined value, the generator assembly including an AC generator having a field coil and an armature coil, and a rectifier for rectifying the output of the AC generator. The testing device comprises a DC power source, a variable voltage generator for supplying a variable voltage to the input of the voltage regulator, and a resistor connected between the DC power source and the field coil, whereby presence or absence of failures of the voltage regulator may be judged from a magnitude of the input variable voltage and a change in voltage at a junction between the field coil and the resistor, as the input voltage is gradually increased.

Abstract: A speed control system of traction motors for electric vehicles comprises a traction motor for causing an electric vehicle to run, a D.C. supply source for supplying voltage to the traction motor, a chopper for chopping the voltage fed from the D.C. supply source to the motor, and a chopper control circuit for controlling the operation of the chopper. The chopper control circuit comprises a circuit for producing a saw-tooth wave signal, a comparator which compares an accelerator signal, whose level is varied with the speed control operation by means of an accelerator pedal of the electric vehicle, with a saw-tooth wave signal from the saw-tooth wave signal generator circuit to produce a rectangular wave signal having a width proportional to the accelerator signal, and a circuit for producing pulse signals at the rise of the rectangular wave signal and at the fall thereof, respectively.

Abstract: In cases of subjecting an electric motor operated vehicle to electric braking, regenerative braking is performed during the first stage of the braking operation thereby supplying the armature current to the battery as a load, and a plugging operation is performed during the last stage thereof to complete the braking operation, whereby the efficiency of operation is enhanced by conserving the armature current to extend the traveling distance of the vehicle per charge of the vehicle battery, and the generation of excessive heat in the motor is suppressed.

Abstract: A magnetizing device for a permanent magnet motor used for driving an electric vehicle in which a magnetizing coil is wound around the permanent magnet of the permanent magnet motor, and means are provided for detecting a specific step such as manipulation of the key switch in the electric vehicle in a series of predetermined steps required for the operation of the electric vehicle. In response to the detection of such specific manipulation, magnetizing current is supplied to the magnetizing coil from the battery of the electric vehicle so that the permanent magnet can be automatically magnetized.

Abstract: In a thyristor chopper circuit used for the control of the rotational speed of an electric motor and provided with a protective system for preventing problems caused by a commutation failure in the chopper circuit, the protective system is provided with means for detecting the occurrence of commutation failure and means for certifying the operative condition or validity of the commutation failure detecting means. The operative condition certifying means is provided with means for supplying the commutation failure detecting means with a checking signal corresponding to a signal which is applied to the commutation failure detecting means upon the occurrence of the commutation failure so that whether the protective system is in a normally operative or valid condition can be certified at any time desired.