Abstract: An ECU executes a program including the steps of determining that a change speed solenoid is abnormal when a target speed ratio falls within a predetermined range, an upshift is recognized and the change speed solenoid is abnormal; determining that the change speed solenoid is normal when the change speed solenoid is not abnormal; determining that a belt pinch pressure solenoid is abnormal when the target speed ratio is substantially equal to a speed ratio ?min on a maximum speed-increase side and the target speed ratio is not substantially equal to an actual speed ratio; and determining that the belt pinch pressure solenoid is normal when the target speed ratio is substantially equal to the actual speed ratio.

Abstract: When the vehicle is traveling on an uphill road (step 100: YES), the ECU executes a program in which, if the speed of the vehicle is equal to or higher than Vblt (step 102: NO) and a speed ratio ?(1) required to secure a sufficient climbing capacity of the vehicle is equal to or lower than a speed ratio ?(2) required to secure a sufficient returnability of the belt of the continuously variable transmission (step 106: NO), a belt returnability securing control is executed (step 110), and otherwise (step 102: YES or step 106: YES), a climbing control is executed (step 104 or step 108).

Abstract: A shift control apparatus for vehicular continuously variable transmissions is equipped with a related value calculating portion (102) that calculates a first driving force related value in association with an automatic shift mode in which an automatic shift control portion (92) performs shift control and that calculates a second driving force related value in association with a manual shift mode in which a manual shift control portion (94) performs shift control, and a second changeover portion (108). The first driving force related value and the second driving force related value are set larger as the driving force output from an engine (12) increases. The second changeover portion makes a changeover from the manual shift mode to the automatic shift mode on the basis of a relationship between the first driving force related value and the second driving force related value.

Abstract: A powertrain control apparatus that controls a powertrain including a lock-up clutch, which connects an engine, in which fuel supply may be cut off, directly to an automatic transmission. The control apparatus includes an output unit, a control unit, and a setting unit. The output unit outputs an instruction to lower engagement pressure for the lock-up clutch from a value at which the lock-up clutch is engaged to a value at which the lock-up clutch is disengaged. The control unit resumes the fuel supply to the engine when a predetermined lag time has elapsed since the instruction is output. The setting unit sets the lag time so that the lag time is shorter when a temperature of a combustion chamber of the engine is a first temperature than when the temperature of the combustion chamber of the engine is a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature.

Abstract: An ECT_ECU executes a program including the step of prohibiting a lockup clutch from engaging if the lockup clutch is disengaged and a number of revolutions or speed NE of an input shaft of a torque converter minus a number of revolutions or speed NT of an output shaft of the torque converter is smaller than a threshold value ?N (1).

Abstract: A hologram recording medium includes a first element hologram and a second element hologram. On the first element hologram, main data is recorded such that the main data is converted into a two-dimensional image, object light of the two-dimensional image is interfered with recording reference light, and an interference fringe produced as a result of the interference is recorded on the first element hologram. On the second element hologram, simplified-form data representing the content of the main data using a smaller data size than the data size of the main data is recorded such that the simplified-form data is converted into a two-dimensional image, object light of the two-dimensional image is interfered with recording reference light, and an interference fringe produced as a result of the interference is recorded on the second element hologram.

Abstract: A method for detecting and enhancing edges in an ultrasound image includes the steps of applying an edge detection filter to at least one of a plurality of pixels of an ultrasound image to compute an edge detection value having a magnitude and a direction; and applying either a directional edge enhancement filter or a non-directional smoothing filter to at least one of the plurality of pixels of the ultrasound image.

Abstract: A maximum flow calculating unit calculates a maximum amount of hydraulic fluid that can flow into or out of an input-side hydraulic cylinder when a shift control command signal is set to a reference DUTY value, based on an estimated valve pressure difference calculated by an estimated pressure difference calculating unit, and a post-guard target sheave position setting unit performs a guard process for restricting the amount of change of the sheave position, using a guard value calculated by a guard value calculating unit based on the maximum flow amount, so as to set a post-guard target sheave position. Since the thus set target sheave position does not undergo excessive large changes nor excessively small changes during shifting, a target value for shifting is set so that a feedforward controlled variable determined based on the amount of change of the target sheave position becomes an appropriate value.

Abstract: An ECU executes a program that includes a step of increasing belt squeezing pressure to a value P (ON) greater than a normal value P (OFF) that is set as the belt squeezing pressure when a footbrake switch is off, when the footbrake switch is on and the time elapsed after the footbrake switch was turned on is less than a threshold value T (0); and a step of gradually reducing the belt squeezing pressure to the normal value P (OFF) when the time elapsed after the footbrake switch was turned on is equal to or greater than the threshold value. As a result, a decrease in fuel efficiency of a vehicle in which a continuously variable transmission is mounted, as well as a reduction in the durability of a belt of this continuously variable transmission, can be reduced.

Abstract: A speed-ratio control apparatus for controlling a speed ratio of a continuously variable transmission of a vehicle, such that an actual input speed of the transmission coincides with a target input speed, the apparatus including an acceleration-requirement determining portion operable to determine whether non-rapid acceleration or rapid acceleration of the vehicle is required by a vehicle operator, and a target-input-speed setting portion operable, upon determination of the operator's requirement for the non-rapid acceleration, to implement an instantaneous stepping increase of the target input speed to a first transient target value, (ii) hold the target input speed at the first transient target value in a first portion of a rapid shifting period, (iii) instantaneously reduce, at the end of the first portion of the rapid shifting period, the target input speed to an initial value of a second transient target value which initial value is close to the actual input speed and lower than the first transient targe

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed that examines Doppler spectrum signals output by an ultrasound system when measuring blood flow velocity to determine a proper Doppler gain and to suppress noise manifest in the Doppler spectrum. Noise present in the Doppler spectrum is examined and used as a criterion for optimal gain. If the Doppler gain is too high or too low in accordance with predetermined levels, overall gain is adjusted accordingly.

Abstract: A controlling system for a vehicle with a continuously variable transmission, which can render a sufficient accelerating feeling in responsive to a driver's requirement. A controller, upon judgment of an acceleration requirement, sets a target drive force higher than the target drive force upon normal calculation upon normal operation of an accelerator pedal, and sets a target rotation speed for acceleration higher than the target rotation speed upon the normal operation and increasing with an increase of the vehicle speed by a predetermined gradient. The speed change ratio of the continuously variable transmission and the output torque of the engine are controlled such that the set target drive force is achieved, and an input shaft rotation speed of the continuously variable transmission coincides with the target rotation speed for the set acceleration.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus includes a map data controller adapted to read map information from a map data supply apparatus disposed outside the navigation apparatus and store the map information in the storage unit, and a control unit adapted to control a position measurement unit, a storage unit, and the map data controller. The control unit obtains a current position via the position measurement unit, and detects a unique place reachable from the current position on the basis of information associated with a transport system and the unique place supplied from the map data supply apparatus. The control unit determines map information of an area necessary in providing route guidance to the unique place from the current position, and controls the map data controller so as to read the map information of the area from the map data supply apparatus and store the map information in the storage unit.

Abstract: When the vehicle is traveling on an uphill road (step 100: YES), the ECU executes a program in which, if the speed of the vehicle is equal to or higher than Vblt (step 102: NO) and a speed ratio ?(1) required to secure a sufficient climbing capacity of the vehicle is equal to or lower than a speed ratio ?(2) required to secure a sufficient returnability of the belt of the continuously variable transmission (step 106: NO), a belt returnability securing control is executed (step 110), and otherwise (step 102: YES or step 106: YES), a climbing control is executed (step 104 or step 108).

Abstract: The maximum frequency in a Doppler spectrum is obtained and used as an aliasing detector. When aliasing occurs, frequencies greater than a frequency limit change from one frequency region to another. When aliasing is detected, a zero frequency baseline is shifted to prevent future aliasing.

Abstract: Blood flow information is used to reduce noise manifest in blood vessel ultrasound B-mode images. A blood flow signal is obtained by a flow detector. After wall filtering, only the flow signal power in the blood vessel lumen remains, while signal power from stationary tissue region is suppressed. The flow signal component is used to calculate a flow component parameter that is used to generate a gain control signal ? that reduces noise in a B-mode image.

Abstract: A continuously variable transmission shift control system includes an input rotational speed monitoring unit that determines whether an actual input rotational speed of the CVT reaches the upper limit of a target input rotational speed, an acceleration request determining unit that determines whether a request for acceleration that is equal to or larger than a predetermined value is made, and a shift control inhibiting unit that inhibits shift control for reducing the target input rotational speed even when the actual input rotational speed reaches the upper limit of the target input rotational speed, in the case where the acceleration request determining unit determines that the request for acceleration that is equal to or larger than the predetermined value is made.

Abstract: A method for image processing comprising the steps of processing an image comprising a plurality of pixels each having an intensity to produce an image processed image comprising a plurality of pixels, applying a preservation filter to the image to produce at least one preservation value corresponding to at least one of the plurality of pixels of the image, computing a weight coefficient ?, for each of the at least one preservation values, and using each of the at least one weight coefficients to mix the image with the image processed image to produce an output image comprising a plurality of pixels.

Abstract: A powertrain control apparatus controls a powertrain including a lock-up clutch, and an engine, in which fuel supply is cut off, directly to an automatic transmission. The control apparatus includes a control unit that controls the engine so that fuel supply resumes in the engine and a setting unit that sets a hydraulic-pressure instruction value based on a temperature of a combustion chamber of the engine so that a time required to discharge the lock-up clutch is longer when the temperature of the combustion chamber is a first temperature than when the temperature of the combustion chamber is a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature, when the lock-up clutch is controlled to be brought to the disengaged state from the engaged state and the fuel supply to the engine is resumed. The lock-up clutch is then operated by hydraulic pressure corresponding to the hydraulic-pressure instruction value.

Abstract: A maximum flow calculating unit calculates a maximum amount of hydraulic fluid that can flow into or out of an input-side hydraulic cylinder when a shift control command signal is set to a reference DUTY value, based on an estimated valve pressure difference calculated by an estimated pressure difference calculating unit, and a post-guard target sheave position setting unit performs a guard process for restricting the amount of change of the sheave position, using a guard value calculated by a guard value calculating unit based on the maximum flow amount, so as to set a post-guard target sheave position. Since the thus set target sheave position does not undergo excessive large changes nor excessively small changes during shifting, a target value for shifting is set so that a feedforward controlled variable determined based on the amount of change of the target sheave position becomes an appropriate value.