An electric power-steering device has a speed-reducing mechanism (17) for reducing the speed of an output shaft (16) of an electric motor (15). The speed-reducing mechanism (17) has an internal gear (39) engaged and rotated with the output shaft (16) and an external gear (40) with which the internal gear (39) internally meshes. A drive pulley (41) rotatable together with the external gear (40) and a driven pulley (42) provided so as to surround a steering shaft are connected by an endless belt (43). Speed reduction is obtained by the internal gear (39) and the external gear (40), and the speed-reducing mechanism (17) as a whole achieves a high reduction ratio without greatly reducing the diameter of the drive pulley (41).

Electric power-steering device

A surgical system is provided to remove a predetermined volume of material from a workpiece using a surgical instrument having an energy applicator extending therefrom. The surgical system includes a tool path generator module, a manipulator controller, and a material logger module wherein the tool path generator module modifies a tool path based on an updated solid body model such that the tool path in semi-autonomous mode traverses only areas wherein the predetermined volume of material remains.

Surgical Manipulator Capable of Controlling a Surgical Instrument in Multiple Modes

Information pertaining to a first zone set ahead of a host vehicle and a second zone farther ahead than the first zone is acquired. Based on the information, if a distance between an end point of the first zone and a start point of the second zone is shorter than a distance within which the host vehicle can be slowed at a predetermined deceleration to a second target vehicle speed for traveling the second zone at the start point of the second zone, a second acceleration gear ratio is acquired for accelerating the host vehicle in a second acceleration zone following the second zone. The gear ratio of the host vehicle is set to the second acceleration gear ratio in a first deceleration zone for slowing the host vehicle before reaching the first zone.

Driving support device, driving support method, and driving support program

A medical robotic system has a joint coupled to medical device or a slave manipulator or robotic arm adapted to hold and/or move the medical device for performing a medical procedure, and a control system for controlling movement of the joint according to user manipulation of a master manipulator. The control system includes at least one joint controller having a sliding mode control for reducing stick-slip behavior on its controlled joint during fine motions of the joint. The sliding mode control computes a distance to a sliding surface, computes a reaching law gain, and processes the distance and reaching law gain to generate a sliding mode control action that is in absolute value less that a maximum desired feedback control action. The sliding mode control action is then further processed to generate a feedback torque command for the joint motor.

Medical robotic system with sliding mode control

A CPU measures an actual air-fuel ratio based on the signals detected by the air-fuel ratio sensor. When the difference between the actual air-fuel ratio and a target air-fuel ratio is larger than a predetermined value, the computer determines that a fuel vapor amount purged into the intake passage deviates from a target value due to an incorrectness of a reference flow quantity of the purge valve. The computer calculates an actual reference flow quantity based on a measured actual air-fuel ratio, and rewrites the reference flow quantity corresponding to a current intake pressure into the calculated the reference flow quantity. Thereby, the difference between the actual air-fuel ratio and the target air-fuel ratio can be reduced.

Fuel vapor treatment apparatus

An apparatus for controlling an internal combustion engine calculates a target indicated torque and determines operating degree for engine control actuators such as an air system, a fuel system and an ignition system. The target indicated torque for an idling condition of the engine is calculated based on a constant target indicated power, e.g. the constant target indicated power has a value that corresponds to or slightly overcomes internal and external loss when the engine is in the idling. Although an idling speed control with a feedback control method is inhibited during a transient condition of the engine, the constant target indicated power provides a self-stabilizing to maintain the engine speed constant. As a result, the apparatus maintain the engine speed constant during the idling even external disturbance is applied to the engine.

Apparatus and method for controlling internal combustion engine

Automotive control system designed to control a plurality of controlled elements installed in the vehicle is provided. The control system includes control circuits and a manager circuit. The control circuits are designed to perform given control tasks using pre-defined controlled variables. The manager circuit is designed to determine a target value of a preselected output parameter of at least one of the controlled elements in the form of a second controlled variable different from one of the controlled variables employed in the control circuit for the one of the controlled elements. The control system also includes an adaptor designed to translate the second controlled variable indicative of the target value of the output parameter into a value of the corresponding controlled variable. This allows the control system to be constructed easily without redesigning typical controlled elements.

Automotive integrated control system

An apparatus (30) corrects a position coordinate measured by a GPS receiver (10). Road data representing a position coordinate of a constructed road is included. Locus data representing a plurality of position coordinates of the GPS receiver during a past specified period is generated based on a position coordinate acquired (S210 to S230). A road section traveled by the GPS receiver during the past specified period is estimated based on road data stored and a position coordinate acquired (S240 to S260). A bias error of a position coordinate measured by the GPS receiver is estimated based on position coordinates at a plurality of points in a road section estimated and position coordinates at a plurality of points represented by the locus data (S270 to S290). A position coordinate measured by the GPS receiver is corrected based on a bias error estimated and outputted.

Position correction apparatus

An integrated vehicle control system for integratedly controlling a vehicle drive system transmits a control command from a manager ECU to an engine ECU and an AT ECU. The manager ECU receives characteristic information of an engine and an AT from the engine ECU and the AT ECU. The control commands are set on the basis of the characteristic information. Further, the engine ECU and the AT ECU are provided with a plurality of control rules corresponding to different tuning patterns. The manager ECU retrieves realizable tuning patterns from these ECUs, and selects the optimum tuning pattern corresponding to a use of a vehicle.

Integrated vehicle control system having manager ECU

An apparatus for controlling a dynamic system, for example, a continuously variable transmission for an automotive vehicle which adjusts a gear ratio by bringing a pulley position of a primary pulley into agreement with a target one through a hydraulic system under the feedforward and sliding mode control is provided. The apparatus calculates a feedforward-controlled variable in addition to a feedback-controlled variable and adjusts the pulley position of the primary pulley to a target one using the hydraulic pressure provided based on the sum of the feedforward-controlled variable and the feedback-controlled variable, thereby enhancing the robustness of the sliding mode control without causing the hunting.

Yoshifumi Kato

Papers

Apparatus and method for controlling internal combustion engine

Automotive integrated control system

Position correction apparatus

Integrated vehicle control system having manager ECU

Apparatus for controlling dynamic system in sliding mode and feedforward control