Abstract: A traction control of an automobile with a continuously variable transmission is provided. According to this control, in order to improve start-up ability of the vehicle on a road surface with a low friction coefficient, a wheel acceleration is derived and when the wheel acceleration is greater than a predetermined value, the tendency of the transmission to upshift is increased.

Abstract: In a closed type thermal power generation plant, the fuel is supplied in the combustor and burnt therein in the presence of oxygen, instead of air. The combustion gas mainly including water component and carbon dioxide is delivered from the combustor into the turbine. The generator is driven by the driving of the turbine with the combustion gas as a turbine working fluid. A turbine exhaust gas is fed into the waste heat boiler to carry out heat exchanging operation therein and an exhaust gas mainly including water component and carbon dioxide from the waste heat boiler is fed into the condenser. The gas component mainly including the carbon dioxide is separated from the condensate in the water-gas separator and recovered without emitting the same in the atmosphere. The separated gas component mainly including the carbon dioxide may be fed into the combustor in a compressed state, or the separated gas component may be recovered externally to the plant without emitting the same in the atmosphere.

Abstract: A suspension control system for controlling a suspension having a shock absorber provided for a wheel of a vehicle includes a damping force detector which generates a damping force detection signal which indicates a change of a damping force of the shock absorber based on a condition of a road surface on which the vehicle is running. The system also includes a sprung resonance component extraction unit which extracts a sprung resonance component signal from the damping force detection signal. The sprung resonance component signal includes components having frequencies around a sprung resonance frequency of the shock absorber. Further, the system includes a determining part which determines whether or not the sprung resonance component signal exceeds a first level range provided for detecting a sign of the occurrence of a long-term vehicle vibration and which outputs a determination result.

Abstract: An adaptive control of a lock-up clutch is disclosed. An initial value of an operating signal on which an electric actuator for the lock-up clutch operates is modified based on a deviation of a lag or delay from a target timer interval such that the initial value is increased when the lag is longer than the target time interval, while it is decreased when the lag is shorter than the target time interval.

Abstract: A lock-up control for smooth start-up of a motor vehicle is disclosed. A target engine revolution speed is set as a function of a load on an engine of the vehicle, and an operating signal on which an electric actuator for a lock-up control operates is modified in such a direction as to bring an actual engine revolution speed into agreement with the target engine revolution speed until the lock-up clutch is completely engaged.

Abstract: A lock-up clutch control in which an operating signal is adaptively corrected to compensate for a product to product variablity is disclosed. A feedback gain of the operating signal on which an electric actuator for the lock-up clutch operates is modified in such a direction as to decrease a deviation of a total shift time from a target time interval toward zero.

Abstract: A digital telephone set includes a digital telephone circuit and an emergency analog circuit. Normally, the digital telephone circuit is made active so that a handset provided in common therewith is connected to a digital transmission line. In an emergency, the emergency analog circuit is made active instead of the digital telephone circuit so that the handset is connected to an analog transmission line. A dial key pad unit and a speaker are provided in common with the digital telephone circuit and the emergency analog circuit.

Abstract: A suspension control system for controlling a suspension having a shock absorber provided for a wheel of a vehicle includes a damping force change rate detector which detects a damping force change rate indicating a rate of change of a damping force of the shock absorber, and a damping force controller which alters the setting of the damping force on the basis of the relationship between the damping force change rate and an adjustment reference value. The system also includes a road surface condition detector which detects, for every first period, the condition of a road surface on which the vehicle is running on the basis of a change of the damping force of the shock absorber, and a damping force adjustment correcting unit which corrects the adjustment reference value by learning, for every second period, the adjustment reference value on the basis of a parameter related to the damping force of the shock absorber which reflects the condition of the road surface.

Abstract: The expanding/contracting accelerations of shock absorbers on a motor vehicle are detected and compared with preset accelerations, respectively, by an electronic controller, which individually varies the damping forces of the shock absorbers as a result of the comparison. The electronic controller corrects the preset accelerations so that the damping forces of the shock absorbers will be switched over at a uniform frequency or the damping forces of the front left and rear left shock absorbers and the damping forces of the front right and rear right shock absorbers will be switched over at a constant frequency.

Abstract: A shock absorber control system having shock absorbers provided respectively between wheels of a vehicle and a body thereof includes road surface condition detecting units provided for the respective shock absorbers, and damping force characteristic alteration units provided for the respective shock absorbers. The shock absorber control system also includes a correction unit for separately generating signals indicative of detection characteristics of the road surface condition detecting units provided for the respective shock absorbers on the basis of road surface condition detection signals generated by the road surface condition detecting units and for separately correcting either reference values used for determining whether or not the road surface is rough by the damping force characteristic alteration units or the road surface condition detection signals on the basis of the detection characteristics of the road surface condition detecting units provided for the respective shock absorbers.

Abstract: A variable-damping-force shock absorber includes a piezoelectric actuator for producing a displacement, a hydraulic pressure chamber filled with a working oil and having a volume variable in response to the displacement produced by said piezoelectric actuator, and a plunger slidably disposed in a sleeve and reciprocally movable in response to a change in the volume of said hydraulic pressure chamber. The sleeve and said plunger define therebetween a gap communicating with said hydraulic pressure chamber. A supply passage for supplying a working oil from an external working oil source into said hydraulic pressure chamber extends through the gap. A leakage of the working oil from the hydraulic pressure chamber through the gap can automatically be compensated for by working oil supplied through the supply passage. Since the working oil leaks from and is supplied into the hydraulic pressure chamber through the gap, the leakage and supply of the working oil are kept in equilibrium.

Abstract: When the load on the engine of an engine/transmission system reduces suddenly, the sudden reduction is used as a trigger to delay the reduction of the line pressure which is supplied to the friction elements of the transmission in a predetermined manner which allows for engine speed/torque output to actually drop to the same level as the load.

Abstract: A damping force detecting apparatus for detecting a damping force of a variable damping force type shock absorber including a cylinder and a piston slidably inserted thereinto. The damping force detecting apparatus comprises a piezoelectric element assembly for generating a charge corresponding to a pressure applied thereto and a pressurizing device for pressurizing the piezoelectric element assembly. The piezoelectric element assembly has a diameter smaller than a cylindrical piston rod fixedly secured to the piston and is housed therein. The pressurizing device is screwed into the piston rod so as to be in contact relation to the piezoelectric element assembly for pressurizing the piezoelectric element assembly in correspondance with a distortion of the piston rod generated in the sliding directions of the piston with respect to the cylinder due to expanding and contracting action of the shock absorber.

Abstract: A shock absorber system for controlling the damping forces of shock absorbers comprising a drive apparatus for operating a piezo-actuator which is constructed by laminating a plurality of piezoelectric elements. The drive apparatus comprises a high-voltage generation circuit for generating a high voltage and a charging and discharging circuit for applying the high voltage, generated by the high-voltage generation circuit, to the piezo-actuator and for discharging an electric charge charged in the piezo-actuator due to the application of the high voltage thereto, the charging and discharging results in expansion and contraction of the piezo-actuator. Also included in the drive apparatus is an abnormality detection circuit for detecting a charging current or a discharging current passing through a charging or discharging current passage coupled to the piezo-actuator at the time of charging or discharging by the charging and discharging circuit.

Abstract: A flow restricting structure is defined by a conduit which fluidly connects a friction element and a hydraulic pressure source. A flow control device is incorporated with the flow restricting structure in a manner to control the flow rate of hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pressure toward the friction element. An electric control unit is employed for controlling the flow control device in a manner to keep the flow rate at a maximum until a given period of time passes following a N-D select. The given period of time is variable in accordance with operation modes of an engine. The electric control unit may be so arranged as to make the flow restricting structure substantially inoperative for a first given period of time following the N-D select and to make the flow restricting structure gradually operative for a second given period of time following the first period of time.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a damping force of a shock absorber provided between a wheel of a vehicle and a body thereof includes a road surface condition detecting unit for detecting a roughness of a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling, and a damping force characteristic alteration unit for altering the setting of the damping force of the shock absorber on the basis of the roughness of the road surface detected by the road surface condition detecting unit. The apparatus also includes a damping force detecting unit, for detecting a magnitude of the damping force of the shock absorber, and an alteration speed control unit for controlling, on the basis of the magnitude of the damping force detected by the damping force detecting unit, an alteration speed at which the setting of the damping force is altered so that the alteration speed decreases as the magnitude of the damping force increases.

Abstract: According to a ratio control system for a continuously variable transmission, proportional and feedback gains are variable with a first time derivative of a target reduction ratio that is determined in response to throttle opening degree and a vehicle speed. These gains are proportional to the first time derivative of the target reduction ratio.

Abstract: According to a ratio control system for a continuously variable transmission, when a ratio deviation is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, a feedback control on the ratio deviation is effected, while, when the ratio deviation is less than the predetermined value, a feedback control on an input revolution speed deviation is effected.

Abstract: A suspension control system controls suspensions provided for wheels of a vehicle includes a driving condition detecting part for detecting a driving condition of the vehicle, and a determination part for determining whether or not the driving condition detected by the driving condition detecting part coincides with a predetermined driving condition. The suspensions are grouped into a plurality of groups. Also the system includes a control part for separately controlling the suspensions on the basis of the driving condition when the determination part determines that the driving condition does not coincide with the predetermined driving condition and for controlling the suspensions for each of the groups so that the suspensions in an identical group are set to an identical condition when the determination part determines that the driving condition coincides with the predetermined driving condition.

Abstract: According to a control system for a continuously variable transmission, a spool of a shift command valve is held within an overstroke range next adjacent to a normal stroke range in order to disconnect a lock-up control valve from an electromagnetically operated valve. The spool of the shift command valve is held within the overstroke range until a vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined vehicle speed value after a driver's demand for moving a motor vehicle from a standstill. Thus, the vehicle can start moving even if the electromagnetically operated valve fails to operate normally since the lock-up control valve is kept at a lock-up release position when the spool of the shift command valve is in the overstroke range.