Abstract: A vehicle-mounted electronic control apparatus can automatically adjust an amount of checksum calculation to be executed at the time of each periodic processing. A checksum calculation processing section (20) for calculating the value of a checksum in a memory (4) in a divided manner at each timing (Ta) of execution of periodic processing executes one checksum calculation processing operation of a fixed number of bytes, makes a comparison between a current time (Tc) and a processing end limit time (Tb) at which the execution of the periodic processing should be ended, after execution of the checksum calculation processing operation, executes the checksum calculation processing again when a period of time from the current time (Tc) to the processing end limit time (Tb) has a margin greater than or equal to a predetermined time (Tr), and interrupts the checksum calculation processing operation when there is no sufficient margin.

Abstract: A misfire detecting device for an internal combustion engine including an ion current detecting means for detecting ion currents generated between electrodes of spark plugs; an ion current judging means for judging whether or not the ion current exists at each ignition cycle based on the ion current signal; a misfire judging means judging when no ion current is judged to exist based on an ion current judgment signal; an ignition coil; an ignition coil signal judging means for judging whether or not the ignition coil signal generated in synchronism with an ignition timing exists; and a failure judging means for judging whether or not an failure of the ion current detecting means occurs based on a result from the ignition coil signal judging means when the ion current signal is not detected.

Abstract: A misfire detecting device for an internal combustion engine including an ion current detecting means for detecting ion currents generated between electrodes of spark plugs; an ion current judging means for judging whether or not the ion current exists at each ignition cycle based on the ion current signal; a misfire judging means judging when no ion current is judged to exist based on an ion current judgment signal; an ignition coil; an ignition coil signal judging means for judging whether or not the ignition coil signal generated in synchronism with an ignition timing exists; and a failure judging means for judging whether or not an failure of the ion current detecting means occurs based on a result from the ignition coil signal judging means when the ion current signal is not detected.

Abstract: The contents of a ROM are highly reliably changed while the ROM is attached to a substrate. A vehicle control device has an electrically programmable nonvolatile memory storing a vehicle control program. A ROM update process includes a collation in which a check is made to determine whether the updating of the ROM was correctly executed. An abnormal process ensures an output from the control device clearly is an abnormal control amount under even ordinary vehicle drive conditions.

Abstract: A vehicle control device has an PROM with a first and second memory area. The contents of the PROM are updated by erasing locations for a vehicle control program, writing part of the vehicle control program into the PROM, checking for abnormalities in the writing process, and then writing the remaining part of the vehicle control program into the PROM only when the result of writing the part first is determined not to have been abnormal. This determination may be based on a checksum, of the program codes that were expected to have been written into the first memory area as the first part of the vehicle control program, compared with the checksum of the program codes actually written. In the event of an abnormality, only the part of the vehicle control program first written is in the PROM, and the area in which the remaining part of the vehicle control program would have been written remains erased.

Abstract: A titanium oxide photocatalyst having metal ions of one or more metals incorporated therein selected from the group consisting of Cr, V, Cu, Fe, Mg, Ag, Pd, Ni, Mn and Pt, wherein the metal ions are implanted from the surface to deep inside of the bulk of the photocatalyst in an amount of at least 1.times.10.sup.15 ions per g of the titanium oxide; a process for producing the photocatalyst; and a photocatalytic reaction method using the photocatalyst.

Abstract: A throttle valve full-closure detecting system for an internal combustion engine which is capable of surely detecting a fully closed state of a throttle valve and further of preventing the occurrence of troubles when an accelerator pedal is released from the state where the driver lightly places his foot thereon. The throttle valve full-closure detecting system comprises a full-closure detecting unit 6 for detecting the fully closed state of the throttle valve 1, and a throttle sensor 5 for sensing a throttle opening degree .theta. of the throttle valve 1.

Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus for an internal combustion engine capable of making correctly or properly decision as to acceleration and deceleration of engine without fail on the basis of magnitude of change in the intake air quantity while excluding erroneous deceleration or acceleration decision due to overshoot or undershoot in the intake air quantity to thereby allow the exhaust gas air-fuel ratio to be maintained at least close to a stoichiometric ratio. The apparatus includes an electronic control unit comprised of a throttle-acceleration decision module, a fuel injection decreasing module and a fuel injection increasing module.

Abstract: A common type engine controller controlling an automotive engine in accordance with the kind of the associated transmission (i.e., automatic or manual) includes an electronic control unit 54 consisting of a microcomputer. When used with an automatic transmission, the power supply circuit includes a neutral switch 53 inserted between the starter switch 51 of the vehicle and the magnet coil 52 controlling the current supply to the starter motor, wherein the starter signal S.sub.T is supplied to the electronic control unit 54 from the junction between the neutral switch 53 and the magnet coil 52, the neutral signal N.sub.T being supplied from the junction between the starter switch 51 and the magnet coil 52 (FIG. 2 ). When used with a manual transmission, on the other hand, the starter signal S.sub.T is supplied from the junction between the starter switch 51 and the magnet coil 52, and the neutral signal N.sub.T is grounded. Upon detecting the high level of the starter signal S.sub.

Abstract: A method for the cultivation of bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas capable of producing nitrile hydratase is disclosed. The method involves adding a water soluble copper compound in an amount of about 0.5 to 5.0 mg/l as calculated in terms of copper to a culture medium in the preparation of cells of the bacteria under shear force supplied by stirring blades, wherein the circumferential speed of the edges of the stirring blades exceeds about 2.5 m/sec. The water soluble copper compound is preferrably copper chloride, copper sulfate, copper nitrate, copper acetate, copper tartrate, copper (II) acetylacetonate or copper (II) ETDA.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the idling rotation of an engine comprises a generator driven by the engine for charging a battery for supplying DC power to electrical loads, a switching circuit for controlling an exciting current flowing through a field coil of the generator to keep the voltage of the battery substantially constant, and a control circuit for controlling an amount of suction air sucked into the engine. The control circuit includes a detection circuit for detecting a total excitation period C.sub.pr of the field coil in every predetermined crank angle cycle and a computer for computing a correction amount P.sub.E of air sucked in the engine in response to the detected total excitation period C.sub.pr.

Abstract: A misfire sensing apparatus for an internal combustion engine can determine an occurrence of misfiring in any of engine cylinders as well as which cylinder is misfiring with improved accuracy and reliability. A crank angle sensor 11 generates an output signal at predetermined crank angles of the engine. A control unit 20 identifies operating states of the cylinders based on the output signal from the crank angle sensor. It successively senses misfire information in the form of the number of revolutions per minute of the engine at the predetermined crank angles, and determines possible misfiring in a cylinder when a difference between the current misfire information and the previous one is greater than a predetermined level.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an engine idling rate comprises first correction means for correcting the engine idling rate according to the excitation period in each predetermined cranking period for driving a generator of the engine. A second correction means corrects the predetermined cranking period according to the engine idling rate, and suppresses variations of the engine idling rate.

Abstract: An idling engine speed controlling apparatus for an engine having a generator driven by an engine to charge a battery, a switching means for controlling the supply and interruption of an exciting current to a field winding for the generator so that a voltage generated from the generator or a voltage of a battery becomes a predetermined level, a continuous detecting means for detecting a total excitation time of the field winding during each rotational time period, and a regulator means having a control unit responsive to an output of continuous detecting means for adjusting a quantity of intake air supplied to the engine by detecting an excitation time of the field winding for each time period of the engine.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio controller which detects oxygen content of the engine exhaust gases, compares the detected value with an objective oxygen content corresponding to an objective air-fuel ratio and integrates the deviation therebetween, smoothes the integrated values to absorb errors in control caused by variations in an injector or the like, and controls the air-fuel ratio in accordance with such integrated and smoothed values. The air-fuel ratio controller always controls the air-fuel ratio properly by stopping the smoothing of the integrated values when, for example, the detected oxygen content is disordered, and the detected values do not vary remarkably for more than a predetermined period.

Abstract: A fuel controller for an internal combustion engine senses misfiring in an engine cylinder by sensing changes in the rotational speed of the engine between prescribed crankshaft angles due to a reduction in torque when misfiring occurs. When misfiring occurs, the supply of fuel to the misfiring cylinder is cut off for a prescribed number of engine rotations and then the supply of fuel is restarted. A warning indicator is turned on as long as misfiring is detected by the misfiring sensor.

Abstract: A fuel controller for an internal combustion engine has a crank angle sensor which generates a cylinder recognition signal corresponding to a prescribed cylinder of the engine. If a microcomputer 12 determines that the cylinder recognition signal has not changed during the occurrence of a prescribed number of changes in the level of a crank angle signal, the cylinder recognition signal is determined to be abnormal and fuel injectors of the engine are not actuated if the engine has been running for at least a prescribed length of time, thereby cutting off the supply of fuel to the engine.

Abstract: An engine control method for a vehicle is disclosed in which operation of an engine is optimally controlled in an entire operating range thereof without causing any undesirable delay in control operation. To this end, operating conditions of the engine are sensed through the use of various sensors and control signals are calculated based on the sensed engine operating conditions in a plurality of steps through the use of a microcomputer so that the operation of the engine is optimized by the use of the control signals thus calculated. In one embodiment, a first step and a second step of the plurality of steps are alternately calculated and omitted every other time the control signals are calculated while an operating parameter of the engine operates in a specified operating range in which variations in the sensed operating conditions of the engine are limited.

Abstract: A fuel control system for an internal combustion engine for controlling fuel supply rate on the basis of the output signal of a vortex flowmeter having variable-frequency filter means, capable of accurately measuring intake air flow to control the fuel supply rate accurately avoiding the erroneous measurement of noises generated during the rapid deceleration of the engine in which the throttle valve is shut. The fuel supply system has operating mode detecting means for detecting the operating mode of the engine, and passband fixing means for fixing the passband of the variable-frequency filter means at a predetermined passband when the operating mode detecting means detects that the engine is in a predetermined deceleration mode.

Abstract: An engine control apparatus comprises a cylinder discrimination sensor for generating cylinder discrimination signal, a crank angle sensor for generating crank angle signal, a fuel injection valve provided in each cylinder of the engine, an ignition coil provided in correspondence to each and every cylinder, a flip-flop circuit for detecting a state of misfire in each cylinder on the basis of a state of signal of said ignition coil, and a micro-computer for receiving the cylinder discrimination signal, the crank angle signal and the output signal of the flip-flop circuit to detect that a state of misfiring has occured continuously at the same cylinder and for closing the fuel injection valve corresponding to the cylinder where the misfiring has occured.