Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Shuichi Kosuge

Hiroshi Arai

Hisatoshi Ohta

Hiroshi Ogura

In an automatic shift control system for a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission, during the control of the gear ratio of the automatic transmission in accordance with a shift pattern predetermined in accordance with the driving conditions of the vehicle, the shift pattern is corrected in a gear ratio downshifting direction in response to a curved running detection signal detecting the curved running of the vehicle.

Automatic shift control system

A signal proportional to a vehicle speed is applied to one input terminal of a differential amplifier, and the output of the differential amplifier is fed back to the other input terminal of the differential amplifier via a switch the on-time of which is proportional to consumed fuel. Then, the output of the differential amplifier is taken out as a fuel consumption signal for informing a vehicle driver the momentary fuel consumption of the vehicle on a voltmeter or ammeter.

Analog fuel consumption signal generator for vehicles

A method and apparatus for indicating mileage corresponding to remaining fuel for vehicles includes a microprocessor connected to receive input signals respectively indicating a traveled distance and a consumed fuel quantity in a predetermined short period. During such time when quantity of fuel remaining in the tank is above a certain threshold level, the mileage corresponding to the remaining fuel is calculated by multiplying the remaining fuel quantity by a fuel consumption (Km/l) which substantially corresponds to the average fuel consumption during a period between two recent successive fillings of the fuel tank. After the remaining quantity of fuel has reduced below the threshold level, the value of the fuel consumption is updated by increasing the weight of the momentary fuel consumption which reflects the actual running condition. The microprocessor repeatedly calculates the mileage at predetermined intervals and the numerical value of the calculated mileage corresponding to the remaining fuel is displayed on a display unit digitally.

Method and apparatus for indicating mileage corresponding to remaining

An indication apparatus which detects a plurality of abnormal conditions occurring in a motor vehicle particularly in an automobile, and indicates an indicium corresponding to one of the abnormal conditions. When at least one of a plurality of sensors detects the occurrence of the plurality of abnormal conditions, a motor control circuit drives a motor whereby an indication drum coupled with the motor is also rotated so as to be stopped at a location for indicating the indicium corresponding to the detected abnormal condition. In order to investigate whether abnormal conditions other than the detected one have occurred or not, a switch for forcibly rotating the indication drum can be manually actuated so that the indication drum is further rotated so as to be stopped at a location for indicating another indicium corresponding to one of the other abnormal conditions and thus the other abnormal conditions are indicated successively.

Indication apparatus

An indication system for indicating abnormal conditions on an indication drum. A rotary switch having a plurality of stationary contacts connected to a plurality of sensors and a movable contact connected to the indication drum is provided to control the rotation of the indication drum. Receiving an output signal of one of the sensors, the rotary switch rotates together with the indication drum until the movable contact comes into contact with one of the stationary contacts to which the output signal is applied. The indication drum, then, indicates one abnormal condition represented by this output signal. A manually-operated switch is further provided to forcibly rotate the movable contact. When the manually-operated switch is activated, the movable contact is caused to slide over the stationary contacts so as to detect another output signal representing another abnormal condition to be indicated.

Indication system

An indication apparatus indicates a highest priority one of a plurality of simultaneously occurring abnormal states of a vehicle. When one of a plurality of abnormal state sensors is opened, a drive motor coupled to an indication drum starts to rotate and stops when a position on the indication drum indicating above abnormal state sensor is reached. When another sensor having higher priority than the first sensor is also opened, the indication drum rotates to the position corresponding to the second higher priority sensor, but when a sensor having a lower priority is further opened the indication drum remains fixed at the position corresponding to the first sensor.

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Nagoya, Japan

Shuichi Kosuge