Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.

Hitachi-lg Data Storage, Inc.

Junichi Ishii

Toshimichi Minowa

Mitsuo Kayano

Hiroshi Katayama

Yoshiyuki Yoshida

Shigeki Morinaga

Kenichiro Kurata

Nobuo Kurihara

Satoshi Kuragaki

Takashi Hoshino

Matsuo Amano

Tetsuya Ikeda

Takeshi Atago

Mitsuru Watabe

Shoji Sasaki

Hiroshi Ohnishi

Tetsuya Ichihashi

Masayuki Kume

Takashi Shiraishi

Minoru Ohsuga

Satoshi Tanaka

Hiroshi Kimura

Hiroshi Kuroiwa

Hiroshi Kuroda

Atsushi Saito

Masahiko Ibamoto

Yutaka Nishimura

Kiyoshi Miura

Sadayasu Ueno

Nobuo Sato

Yoshishige Ohyama

Naoyuki Ozaki

Atsushi Kanke

Yasunori Mouri

Masayoshi Kaneyasu

Hiroatsu Tokuda

Masahide Sakamoto

Masahiro Komachiya

Kiyoshi Horibe

Kenji Akahoshi

Michimasa Horiuchi

Mitsuhiro Masuda

Shigeru Horikoshi

Junichi Makino

Kazuto Kinoshita

Soji Sasaki

Makoto Nihei

Jun Kubota

A vehicle control unit includes interface software memory means storing an interface software program for connecting an application software program with an OS (operating system) in an internal ROM, a CPU (central processing unit) for performing computation for the application software program and the interface software program, a RAM (erasable memory) storing data such as the result of computation, an I/O unit for extending the control unit, and extending means for communicating memory data through a bus or a LAN. A single-chip micro-computer used in vehicle control permits an increase in input/output points or the addition of functionality, in which case an application software program can continue to be used simply by rewriting the interface software program, without further remanufacturing of the core unit.

Control unit for vehicle and total control system therefor

Laser light irradiation can be performed on a recordable surface in a defocused state with a high-power laser beam with safety without incurring data destruction due to erroneous data recording or overwrite recording even in the recording on an eccentric disk or regardless of occurrence of wobbling of the disk surface. Laser irradiation is performed after moving an objective lens radially inwardly beyond a PCA located at an inner peripheral portion of the disk (or radially outwardly beyond the PCA located at an outer peripheral portion of the disk) by using a tracking coil.

Apparatus and method for calibrating laser power in an optical disk apparatus

An object of the present invention is to provide a control unit for vehicle where increase in number of input/output and upgrading of function can easily be performed and, in addition to this, changing of a program in a control unit can easily be performed even when a single-chip micro-computer is used. In order to cope with an increase in input/output points and addition of function, a control unit is constructed such as to comprise interface software memory means storing an interface software program for connecting an application software program with an OS (operating system) in an internal ROM, a CPU (central processing unity for performing computation of the application software program and the interface software program, a RAM (erasable memory) storing data such as the result of computation, an I/O unit for extending the control unit, and extending means for communicating memory data through a bus or a LAN. A single-chip micro-computer used in vehicle control can easily cope with increase in input/output points or addition of function, and an application software program can continuously be used only by rewriting an interface software program, and further re-manufacturing of a core unit is unnecessary. Therefore, development of a control unit including programs becomes easy.

An object of the present invention is to provide a control unit for vehicle where increase in number of input/output and upgrading of function can easily be performed and, in addition to this, changing of a program in a control unit can easily be performed even when a single-chip micro-computer is used. In order to cope with an increase in input/output points and addition of function, a control unit is constructed such as to comprise interface software memory means storing an interface software program for connecting an application software program with an OS (operating system) in an internal ROM, a CPU (central processing unit) for performing computation of the application software program and the interface software program, a RAM (erasable memory) storing data such as the result of computation, an I/O unit for extending the control unit, and extending means for communicating memory data through a bus or a LAN. A single-chip micro-computer used in vehicle control can easily cope with increase in input/output points or addition of function, and an application software program can continuously be used only by rewriting an interface software program, and further re-manufacturing of a core unit is unnecessary. Therefore, development of a control unit including programs becomes easy.

A control device and a control method capable of eliminating a torque variation in changing an air/fuel ratio and establishing a compatibility of promotion in fuel economy with promotion in drivability is provided. The device includes an outer environment detector for detecting an outer environment in running a vehicle, a running environment determining device for predicting a current running environment in accordance with the outer environment, a data storage device for storing data for changing a driving characteristic, a selecting device for selecting the data, a control quantity calculator for calculating a control quantity based on the data, and a control actuator for controlling a control object. The engine output is efficiently utilized since the air/fuel ratio is changed in accordance with the change in the running environment, and the fuel cost reduction and the promotion of the drivability can be achieved since the selecting of the air/fuel ratio is performed in accordance with the running environment.

Control apparatus and a control method for a vehicle

A vehicle which includes a plurality of peripheral systems has a plurality of control units which transmit data to each other via a local area network, and which control the peripheral systems in response to sensor signals received from vehicle operating parameter sensors. A first control unit has a memory which stores a first interface software program which receives input signals from sensors and processes such signals for controlling at least one peripheral system of the vehicle, by means of an application software program and first and second interface software programs. A second control unit has a memory which stores an application software program for processing input signals for controlling at least one other peripheral system of the vehicle via a third interface software program. The second control unit receives input data from the first control unit via the local area network.

A vehicle control unit comprises an interface software memory for storing an interface software program for connecting an application software program with an operating system in an internal ROM, a central processing unit for performing computation of the application software program and the interface software program, an erasable memory for storing data such as the result of computation, an I/O unit for extending the control unit, and extending means for communicating memory data through a bus or a LAN. A single-chip micro-computer is used in vehicle control.

A control processor has an output pattern generating circuit operating in cooperation with a free running timer, and a virtual OCR program for virtually realizing a large number of timer outputs by use of the output pattern generating circuit. Because more timer outputs than the actually incorporated timers are handled, the function of timer outputs is implemented with a higher degree of freedom and in a wider range of applications. For its enhanced function and availability, the control processor costs less.

Single-chip microcomputer for control

A vehicle control system provided with a plurality of sensors for detecting the condition of the vehicle, a vehicle control unit including a multiplexer, a programmable input signal matching module and a processor, and actuators for operating each part of the vehicle. The multiplexer and matching module are selected and switched in accordance with a sensor signal to be inputted. A plurality of sensor signals can be inputted through the switched multiplexer and matching module to the processor. Furthermore, the processor determines controls of vehicle operation on the basis of the inputted sensor signals and controls actuators in accordance with the determined controls.

Vehicle control method and system therefor

A method and apparatus to estimate slopes accurately, as well as to eliminate slope estimation errors, taking error generating conditions into account. The slope on which the vehicle is running is estimated from the vehicle speed and the engine rpm value. The result is entered to the slope estimation unit through a low pass filter, then to the navigation unit. A noise eliminator is provided to the output of the slope estimation unit so that noises can be eliminated, for example, during gear-shifting or for a certain time after the gear shifting is completed by obtaining the 'gear shifting' information from the automatic transmission control. The preceding estimated slope value is held during the noise elimination period.

Method and apparatus for eliminating noise in a slope estimation

A power train controller and control method are provided for a passenger car driven by a combustion engine and an automatic gear changing transmission. Control sensors detect a current operating state of the passenger car. Three different modes of operation, including sports mode, economy mode, and comfortable mode are selected by the driver. Depending on the selected mode, the automobile transmission is controlled in different shifting patterns as a function of the sensed vehicle operating conditions.

Power train controller and control method

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Katsuta, Japan

Junichi Ishii