Abstract: In fuse program circuits, fuse element FS is implemented using metal interconnect at third or higher layer of multilayer metal interconnect. In each fuse program circuit, program information and fuse select information are sequentially transferred using a scan flip-flops, and fuses are selectively and electrically blown one by one. The fuse program circuit provided with fuse elements that can be programmed even after packaging is implemented with low power consumption and a low occupation area.

Abstract: In a hydraulic actuator control device, a changing tendency of responsiveness of a hydraulic actuator to changes in the oil control valve (OCV) drive duty of a virtual OCV is stored as model control characteristics. The ratio of an actual OCV dead zone width to a virtual OCV dead zone width is calculated as an OCV variation correction coefficient. A basic control amount is calculated based on a deviation between an operating amount and a target operating amount of the hydraulic actuator. An actual OCV in-dead-zone control amount is obtained by correcting a virtual OCV in-dead-zone control amount with the OCV variation correction coefficient, and an actual OCV out-of-dead-zone control amount is calculated based on a virtual OCV out-of-dead-zone control amount. The actual OCV control amount is the sum of the actual OCV in-dead-zone control amount and the actual OCV out-of-dead-zone control amount.

Abstract: An electronic controller integrates a rate of progress dK of thermal degradation of exhaust purifying catalyst at every predetermined time period, to calculate degree of thermal degradation K of the exhaust purifying catalyst, when the state of thermal degradation of the exhaust purifying catalyst is to be detected. By comparing the degree of thermal degradation K with a defect determining value S, whether the exhaust purifying catalyst is defective because of thermal degradation or not is determined. In calculating the degree of thermal degradation K, the electronic controller calculates the rate of progress dK of thermal degradation in the predetermined time period based on the integrated value of rate of progress dK of thermal degradation up to the last time (degree of thermal degradation K) and on the temperature T of exhaust purifying catalyst at that time, and adds the same to the integrated value up to the last time.

Abstract: An evaporative fuel treatment apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: a communication portion that communicates a plurality of branch passages with one another at positions downstream of the plurality of throttle valves; a purge passage that introduces purge gas, containing evaporative fuel, to the communication portion; an air supply passage that flows dilution air, which is used to dilute the evaporative fuel, into the purge passage; a first flow rate changing portion that is provided in the air supply passage and that is able to change the inflow of the dilution air; and a control unit that controls the first flow rate changing portion.

Abstract: To provide an apparatus for evaluating the deterioration condition of a catalyst of an internal combustion engine that can improve the accuracy of an evaluation of the deterioration condition of a catalyst and can suppress a worsening of emissions. The apparatus forcedly sets the air/fuel ratio upstream of a catalyst provided in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine at a rich condition or a lean condition on the basis of a detected value of a sub O2 sensor downstream of the catalyst in the internal combustion engine and evaluates the deterioration condition of the catalyst.

Abstract: A fuel pump control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a plurality of fuel pumps that discharge fuel so that the discharged fuel is supplied to the internal combustion engine; and a controller that determines whether to supply the fuel discharged from one of the plurality of fuel pumps to the internal combustion engine, or to supply all the fuel discharged from the plurality of fuel pumps together to the internal combustion engine, based on the operating condition of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: In fuse program circuits, fuse element FS is implemented using metal interconnect at third or higher layer of multilayer metal interconnect. In each fuse program circuit, program information and fuse select information are sequentially transferred using a scan flip-flops, and fuses are selectively and electrically blown one by one. The fuse program circuit provided with fuse elements that can be programmed even after packaging is implemented with low power consumption and a low occupation area.

Abstract: During sulfur release control in an internal combustion engine, a rich period and a lean period are alternately repeated. The air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas is controlled toward a target air-fuel ratio (14.3) by adding fuel from a fuel adding valve in the rich period. An ECU determines whether the actual air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas detected by an air-fuel ratio sensor has reached a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio each time the rich period ends at which addition of fuel from the fuel adding valve is stopped. A counter counts the number of times the ECU has determined that the actual air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas has not reached the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. When the value of the counter becomes greater than or equal to a permissible value, the ECU determines that there is an abnormality in the sulfur release control.

Abstract: A method for producing an epoxy resin composition for semiconductor encapsulation, which does not cause void generation and the like and is excellent in reliability. A method for producing an epoxy resin composition for semiconductor encapsulation, which contains the following components (A) to (C): (A) an epoxy resin, (B) a phenol resin, and (C) a hardening accelerator, which comprises mixing the whole or a part of the components excluding the component (A) among the components containing the components (A) to (C) in advance under a reduced pressure of from 1.333 to 66.65 kPa and under a heating condition of from 100 to 230° C., and then mixing the component (A) and remaining components with the resulting mixture.

Abstract: An epoxy resin composition for semiconductor encapsulation capable of giving semiconductor devices of high reliability that do not cause short circuits even in pitch reduction in the interconnection electrode distance or the conductor wire distance therein as well as a semiconductor device using the same. The epoxy resin composition for semiconductor encapsulation, which comprises the following components (A) to (C): (A) an epoxy resin, (B) a phenolic resin, and (C) an inorganic filler for preventing semiconductors from short-circuiting in a step of semiconductor encapsulation.

Abstract: An upstream side catalyst and a downstream side catalyst are disposed in an exhaust passage. A first oxygen sensor is disposed between these two catalysts and a second oxygen sensor is disposed downstream of the downstream side catalyst. The air-fuel ratio is forcibly oscillated and the oxygen storage capacity of the upstream side catalyst is detected. Deterioration of the upstream side catalyst is then detected based on whether this oxygen storage capacity is larger than a predetermined value. The forced oscillation of the air-fuel ratio is performed only when the oxygen storage state of the downstream side catalyst is appropriate.

Abstract: To provide an apparatus for evaluating the deterioration condition of a catalyst of an internal combustion engine that can improve the accuracy of an evaluation of the deterioration condition of a catalyst and can suppress a worsening of emissions. The apparatus forcedly sets the air/fuel ratio upstream of a catalyst provided in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine at a rich condition or a lean condition on the basis of a detected value of a sub O2 sensor downstream of the catalyst in the internal combustion engine and evaluates the deterioration condition of the catalyst.

Abstract: A catalyst degradation determining method includes the steps of: controlling an upstream-of-catalyst air-fuel ratio occurring upstream of a first catalyst to an air-fuel ratio that is rich of a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio so that first and second catalysts store oxygen up to a maximum storage amount of oxygen. The method then includes the steps of controlling the upstream-of-catalyst air-fuel ratio to a first lean air-fuel ratio until an output of a downstream-of-first-catalyst sensor indicates a lean air-fuel ratio, and then to a second lean air-fuel ratio and that has a value that is determined in accordance with an oxidizing-reducing capability index value, until a time point when an output of a downstream-of-second-catalyst air-fuel ratio sensor indicates an air-fuel ratio that is lean.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control apparatus estimates, on the basis of an exhaust air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into an exhaust purifying catalyst unit disposed in an exhaust passage of an engine, an emission of at least one specific component contained in exhaust gas flowing out of the exhaust purifying catalyst unit. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus performs the estimation by use of a model, and controls the air-fuel ratio in such a manner that the estimation value reaches a target state. The model is previously determined in consideration of the mass balance of the specific component.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting deterioration of a catalyst in an internal combustion engine initially biases an air/fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture supplied to the internal combustion engine to a rich amount so that an amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is substantially zero. Then, the apparatus detects deterioration of the catalyst by alternating the air/fuel ratio lean or rich based on an amount of oxygen given to the catalyst. If the catalyst has deteriorated, a bias amount of the air/fuel ratio is set so that the amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is substantially saturated. If the catalyst is normal, a bias amount of the air/fuel ratio is set so that the amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is not saturated.

Abstract: An electronic controller integrates a rate of progress dK of thermal degradation of exhaust purifying catalyst at every predetermined time period, to calculate degree of thermal degradation K of the exhaust purifying catalyst, when the state of thermal degradation of the exhaust purifying catalyst is to be detected. By comparing the degree of thermal degradation K with a defect determining value S, whether the exhaust purifying catalyst is defective because of thermal degradation or not is determined. In calculating the degree of thermal degradation K, the electronic controller calculates the rate of progress dK of thermal degradation in the predetermined time period based on the integrated value of rate of progress dK of thermal degradation up to the last time (degree of thermal degradation K) and on the temperature T of exhaust purifying catalyst at that time, and adds the same to the integrated value up to the last time.

Abstract: A catalyst degradation determining method includes the steps of: controlling an upstream-of-catalyst air-fuel ratio occurring upstream of a first catalyst to an air-fuel ratio that is rich of a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio so that first and second catalysts store oxygen up to a maximum storage amount of oxygen. The method then includes the steps of controlling the upstream-of-catalyst air-fuel ratio to a first lean air-fuel ratio until an output of a downstream-of-first-catalyst sensor indicates a lean air-fuel ratio, and then to a second lean air-fuel ratio and that has a value that is determined in accordance with an oxidizing-reducing capability index value, until a time point when an output of a downstream-of-second-catalyst air-fuel ratio sensor indicates an air-fuel ratio that is lean.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an amino acid-containing drink and a method for reducing the bitterness of amino acids. The bitterness of an amino acid can be reduced by adding ornithine to the amino acid. Further, an amino acid-containing composition with reduced bitterness can be prepared by having ornithine contained in the composition.

Abstract: During sulfur release control in an internal combustion engine, a rich period and a lean period are alternately repeated. The air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas is controlled toward a target air-fuel ratio (14.3) by adding fuel from a fuel adding valve in the rich period. An ECU determines whether the actual air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas detected by an air-fuel ratio sensor has reached a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio each time the rich period ends at which addition of fuel from the fuel adding valve is stopped. A counter counts the number of times the ECU has determined that the actual air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas has not reached the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. When the value of the counter becomes greater than or equal to a permissible value, the ECU determines that there is an abnormality in the sulfur release control.

Abstract: A catalyst degradation determining method includes the steps of: controlling an upstream-of-catalyst air-fuel ratio occurring upstream of a first catalyst to an air-fuel ratio that is rich of a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio so that first and second catalysts store oxygen up to a maximum storage amount of oxygen. The method then includes the steps of controlling the upstream-of-catalyst air-fuel ratio to a first lean air-fuel ratio until an output of a downstream-of-first-catalyst sensor indicates a lean air-fuel ratio, and then to a second lean air-fuel ratio and that has a value that is determined in accordance with an oxidizing-reducing capability index value, until a time point when an output of a downstream-of-second-catalyst air-fuel ratio sensor indicates an air-fuel ratio that is lean.