Abstract: A travel controller detects objects from an environmental image representing surroundings of a vehicle capable of traveling under autonomous driving control satisfying a predetermined safety standard; detects a looking direction of a driver of the vehicle from a face image of the driver; identifies an object in the looking direction of the driver out of the objects; stores the identified object and a situation condition indicating the situation at detection of the identified object in a memory in association with each other when a danger avoidance action performed by the driver is detected during travel of the vehicle; and changes the predetermined safety standard so that the driver can feel safer, in the case where an object stored in the memory is detected during travel of the vehicle under the autonomous driving control and where the situation at detection of the object satisfies the situation condition.

Abstract: An apparatus for emotion estimation sets a face feature threshold based on a plurality of face features indicating a deviation from a reference state of a predetermined part of a face detected from each of a plurality of face images representing a face of a driver of a vehicle generated by a camera mounted on the vehicle in a predetermined time range, specifies face features larger than the face feature threshold among the plurality of face features detected from each of the face images generated by the camera at a time not included in the predetermined time range, and estimates an emotion of the driver by using normalized features obtained by normalizing the specified face features downward.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a driver’s behavior includes a processor configured to detect a looking direction of a driver of a vehicle, based on an image obtained by a camera provided to capture the interior of the vehicle, calculate an angle formed between the looking direction and a normal direction of an operation screen of a portable device in the vehicle, the normal direction being indicated by information received from the portable device via a communication device capable of communicating with the portable device, and determine that the driver is operating the portable device when the angle is within a predetermined angle range.

Abstract: Provided is a brazing filler material for bonding iron-based sintered member that includes a sintered compact containing Cu, Mn, and a remainder of Ni and unavoidable impurities, and an oxide film formed on a surface of the sintered compact. An oxygen concentration may account for not less than 0.1% by mass of a total amount of the brazing filler material. The oxide film may contain Mn.

Abstract: Provided is a brazing filler material for bonding iron-based sintered member that includes a sintered compact containing Cu, Mn, and a remainder of Ni and unavoidable impurities, and an oxide film formed on a surface of the sintered compact. An oxygen concentration may account for not less than 0.1% by mass of a total amount of the brazing filler material. The oxide film may contain Mn.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a first tank and a second tank each accumulating a fuel gas to be supplied to a fuel cell; a heating device disposed in a passage connecting the first tank and the second tank; and a controller configured to bring the heating device into operation so that the fuel gas flowing from one of the first tank and the second tank to the other of the first tank and the second tank through the heating device is heated when a condition for a temperature of the fuel gas in the first tank or a condition for a temperature of the fuel gas in the second tank is satisfied.

Abstract: An Fe-based sintered alloy, essentially consists of, in percentage by mass, Mn: 0.5 to 2.0, Mo: 0.3 to 1.6, Cu: 0.4 to 1.5, C: 0.4 to 0.7 and the balance of Fe plus unavoidable impurities; and has a metallic structure made of 5 to 70% of martensite phase relative to a base material except pore and 25 to 90% of bainite phase relative to the base material except the pore.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a first tank and a second tank each accumulating a fuel gas to be supplied to a fuel cell; a heating device disposed in a passage connecting the first tank and the second tank; and a controller configured to bring the heating device into operation so that the fuel gas flowing from one of the first tank and the second tank to the other of the first tank and the second tank through the heating device is heated when a condition for a temperature of the fuel gas in the first tank or a condition for a temperature of the fuel gas in the second tank is satisfied.

Abstract: An Fe-based sintered alloy, essentially consists of, in percentage by mass, Mn: 0.5 to 2.0, Mo: 0.3 to 1.6, Cu: 0.4 to 1.5, C: 0.4 to 0.7 and the balance of Fe plus unavoidable impurities; and has a metallic structure made of 5 to 70% of martensite phase relative to a base material except pore and 25 to 90% of bainite phase relative to the base material except the pore.

Abstract: An Fe-based sintered alloy, essentially consists of, in percentage by mass, Mn: 0.5 to 2.0, Mo: 0.3 to 1.6, Cu: 0.4 to 1.5, C: 0.4 to 0.7 and the balance of Fe plus unavoidable impurities; and has a metallic structure made of 5 to 70% of martensite phase relative to a base material except pore and 25 to 90% of bainite phase relative to the base material except the pore.

Abstract: An Fe-based sintered alloy, essentially consists of, in percentage by mass, Mn: 0.5 to 2.0, Mo: 0.3 to 1.6, Cu: 0.4 to 1.5, C: 0.4 to 0.7 and the balance of Fe plus unavoidable impurities; and has a metallic structure made of 5 to 70% of martensite phase relative to a base material except pore and 25 to 90% of bainite phase relative to the base material except the pore.

Abstract: The present invention provides an iron-based sintered material in which a rolling contact fatigue strength is improved. In an iron-based sintered material used in such an environment that a lubricating oil is sufficiently fed, a hard carbon coating is provided on a surface of a base material constructed by an iron-based sintered material alloy having a pore via a surface layer hardened by diffusion and an interlayer, and a part of the pore is not covered with the surface layer hardened by diffusion, the interlayer and the hard carbon coating, but is formed in a state of being open to the surface of the surface layer hardened by diffusion.

Abstract: A high-strength sintered compact is produced at low cost using an alloy steel powder for powder metallurgy containing no nickel or copper by compacting the alloy steel powder for powder metallurgy or a mixed powder containing the alloy steel powder at a pressure of 700 MPa or more and sintering the compact at a temperature of 1,150° C. to 1,300° C. The alloy steel powder used contains 0.3% to 0.7% by mass of chromium, 0.1% to 0.5% by mass of manganese, 0.1% to 0.5% by mass of molybdenum, and 0.25% to 0.5% by mass of oxygen, the balance being iron and incidental impurities.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sintered gear composed of a sintered alloy having a metal matrix and pores. The tooth surface (2, 3, 4) of the tooth and the bottom land (5) have a densified layer (11) in which the porosity is reduced to 10% or less from the sintered alloy. The densified layer at the tooth surface is formed with a thickness of 300 to 1,000 microns, and the densified layer at the bottom land is formed with a thickness of 10 to 300 microns. The boundary surface of the densified layer is continuous from the tooth surface side to the bottom land side so as not to have a substantial level difference.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sintered gear composed of a sintered alloy having a metal matrix and pores. The tooth surface (2, 3, 4) of the tooth and the bottom land (5) have a densified layer (11) in which the porosity is reduced to 10% or less from the sintered alloy. The densified layer at the tooth surface is formed with a thickness of 300 to 1,000 microns, and the densified layer at the bottom land is formed with a thickness of 10 to 300 microns. The boundary surface of the densified layer is continuous from the tooth surface side to the bottom land side so as not to have a substantial level difference.

Abstract: The semiconductor device of the present invention includes: a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type; source and drain regions of a second conductivity type, which are formed within the semiconductor layer; a channel region provided between the source and drain regions; and a gate electrode formed over the channel region. The device further includes: a buried region of the first conductivity type, at least part of the buried region being included in the drain region; and a heavily doped region of the second conductivity type. The heavily doped region is provided at least between a surface of the semiconductor layer and the buried region. The concentration of a dopant of the second conductivity type in the heavily doped region is higher than that of the dopant of the second conductivity type in the drain region.

Abstract: The semiconductor device of the present invention includes: a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type; source and drain regions of a second conductivity type, which are formed within the semiconductor layer; a channel region provided between the source and drain regions; and a gate electrode formed over the channel region. The device further includes: a buried region of the first conductivity type, at least part of the buried region being included in the drain region; and a heavily doped region of the second conductivity type. The heavily doped region is provided at least between a surface of the semiconductor layer and the buried region. The concentration of a dopant of the second conductivity type in the heavily doped region is higher than that of the dopant of the second conductivity type in the drain region.

Abstract: A switching power supply of a step-down chopper system, which is capable of reducing power consumption and unused power supply to the output. A voltage supplied to an input main terminal is turned ON/OFF by a switching device controlled by a control circuit, and outputted to an output main terminal through a conversion circuit. An output voltage detecting circuit detects the output voltage at the output main terminal, and according to the state of the output voltage detected, a feedback circuit is controlled, so that the ON/OFF control over the switching device by the control circuit is paused (or stopped). Thus, the switching device oscillates or is paused (stopped) according to the output voltage.

Abstract: A semiconductor device of the present invention includes a comparator including a detection side circuit to which a detection voltage is supplied and a reference side circuit to which a reference voltage is supplied. A detection element for obtaining the detection voltage is provided inside the semiconductor device, and a reference element for obtaining the reference voltage is provided outside the semiconductor device. At least one of the detection side circuit and the reference side circuit includes a temperature dependent adjustment element for reducing a difference between a temperature characteristic of the detection voltage and a temperature characteristic of the reference voltage.

Abstract: An EL driving apparatus is composed of a display portion, a photodiode as changing means for changing a reference voltage for controlling an increased voltage based on ambient brightness and a control portion for controlling the timing of discharging based on the reference voltage. The control portion has a comparator for comparing a specified peak value obtained by reducing the increased voltage generated by voltage increasing means with the reference voltage generated from within. The increased voltage is inputted to the control portion. The increased voltage is reduced to provide a detect voltage that can be inputted to the comparator. The comparator has a positive-phase input terminal for receiving the detect voltage and a negative-phase input terminal for receiving the reference voltage produced at a connection point between a constant current source and a resistor connected in series to each other.