Showing papers by "Toyota published in 2005"

Online convex optimization in the bandit setting: gradient descent without a gradient

Abstract: We study a general online convex optimization problem. We have a convex set S and an unknown sequence of cost functions c1, c2,..., and in each period, we choose a feasible point xt in S, and learn the cost ct(xt). If the function ct is also revealed after each period then, as Zinkevich shows in [25], gradient descent can be used on these functions to get regret bounds of O(√n). That is, after n rounds, the total cost incurred will be O(√n) more than the cost of the best single feasible decision chosen with the benefit of hindsight, minx Σ ct(x).We extend this to the "bandit" setting, where, in each period, only the cost ct(xt) is revealed, and bound the expected regret as O(n3/4).Our approach uses a simple approximation of the gradient that is computed from evaluating ct at a single (random) point. We show that this biased estimate is sufficient to approximate gradient descent on the sequence of functions. In other words, it is possible to use gradient descent without seeing anything more than the value of the functions at a single point. The guarantees hold even in the most general case: online against an adaptive adversary.For the online linear optimization problem [15], algorithms with low regrets in the bandit setting have recently been given against oblivious [1] and adaptive adversaries [19]. In contrast to these algorithms, which distinguish between explicit explore and exploit periods, our algorithm can be interpreted as doing a small amount of exploration in each period.

Organic electroluminescent device

Abstract: The organic EL device of the present invention includes a plurality of organic compound-containing layers provided between a cathode and an anode. Of two of the organic compound-containing layers adjacent to each other, one layer positioned nearer the anode has electron mobility lower than that of the other layer positioned nearer the cathode. Accordingly, the organic EL device of the present invention has a high luminous efficiency and a long half-life of the initial luminance.

Polymer Clay Nanocomposites

Abstract: The development of polymer-clay nanocomposite materials, in which nanometer-thick layers ofclay are dispersed in polymers, was first achieved about 15 years ago. Since then, the materialshave gradually become more widely used in applications such as automotive production. The first practicalnylon-clay nanocomposite was synthesized by a monomer intercalation technique; however, the productionprocess has been further developed and a compound technique is currently widely used. A polyolefinnanocomposite has been produced by the compound method and is now in practical use at small volumelevels. In this review, which focuses on nylon- and polyolefin-nanocomposites, detailed explanationsof production methods and material properties are described. This article contains mainly the authors’work, but aims to provide the reader with a comprehensive review that covers the works of otherlaboratories too. Lastly, the challenges and directions for future studies are included.

Development of Traction Drive Motors for the Toyota Hybrid System

Abstract: Toyota Motor Corporation developed in 2005 a new hybrid system for a large SUV. This system included the new development of a high-speed traction drive motor achieving a significant increase in power weight ratio. This paper provides an overview of the hybrid system, discusses the characteristics required of a traction drive motor, and presents the technologies employed in the developed motor.

Improving automotive safety by pairing driver emotion and car voice emotion

Abstract: This study examines whether characteristics of a car voice can affect driver performance and affect. In a 2 (driver emotion: happy or upset) x 2 (car voice emotion: energetic vs. subdued) experimental study, participants (N=40) had emotion induced through watching one of two sets of 5-minute video clips. Participants then spent 20 minutes in a driving simulator where a voice in the car spoke 36 questions (e.g., "How do you think that the car is performing?") and comments ("My favorite part of this drive is the lighthouse.") in either an energetic or subdued voice. Participants were invited to interact with the car voice. When user emotion matched car voice emotion (happy/energetic and upset/subdued), drivers had fewer accidents, attended more to the road (actual and perceived), and spoke more to the car. Implications for car design and voice user interface design are discussed.

Webbing take-up device

Abstract: A clutch 100 of the present webbing retractor has a gear wheel 116 and spring claws 182 , and has peripheral direction load receiving portions 120 at the gear wheel 116 , and load from the spring claws 182 is applied along a peripheral direction via the peripheral direction load receiving portions 120 . Therefore, compactness and weight reduction of the clutch 100 can be aimed for. Further, the clutch 100 has a ring 176 , and the ring 176 integrally has a cover portion 178 holding respective clutch structural members at predetermined assembly positions, and the spring claws 182 , and is held integrally with a rotor 124 by elastic forces of the spring claws 182 . In this way, the respective clutch structural members can be temporarily held (sub-assembled) integrally.

Ad hoc peer-to-peer network architecture for vehicle safety communications

Abstract: This article addresses the design of an architecture for ad hoc peer-to-peer networking of neighboring vehicles to help achieve near-instantaneous communication for safety applications such as collision avoidance warnings. We propose a local peer group (LPG) architecture to organize neighboring vehicles that have frequently changing neighbors and have no inherent relationships with one another. We study two architectural alternatives for LPG in this article, and consider areas of improvement for ad hoc vehicle networking protocols to support safety communications including multihop throughput, connection setup time, and configuration.

Direct Observation of Hydrogen Molecules Adsorbed onto a Microporous Coordination Polymer

Abstract: design and synthesis of high-performance hydrogenstorage materials. Although the weakest X-ray scattering amplitude of hydrogen made it difficult to determine their structure, we have succeeded in the first direct observation of elusive H2 molecules adsorbed in the nano-channels of a metal-organic porous material by the in situ synchrotron powder diffraction experiment of gas adsorption and by MEM (maximum entropy method)/Rietveld charge-density analysis [4]. The sample used in this study is microporous coordination polymer 1 with a pillared layer structure (CPL-1) with uniform ordered nano-channels of 4 Å × 6 Å. The in situ synchrotron powder diffraction experiment for hydrogen gas adsorption was carried out using the large Debye-Scherrer camera installed at beamline BL02B2. The hydrogen gas was dosed into the capillary sample through a stainless steel tube connected to the gas-handling system. The amount of adsorbed gas was controlled by adjusting the sample temperature under a constant hydrogen gas pressure of 102 kPa. The structure was investigated by MEM/Rietveld analysis [5]. The amount of H2 molecules adsorbed in CPL-1 at 90 K at 102 kPa was determined to be 0.3 molecules per Cu atom from the hydrogen adsorption isotherm. The reliability (R) factors based on the powder profile RWP and the Bragg integrated intensities RI were 2.45% and 3.33%, respectively. The cell parameters for CPL-1 with H2 gas were determined as a = 4.7101(1) Å, b = 20.0289(2) Å, c = 10.7704(1) Å, and β = 95.472(2)° (space group P21/c). The R factor based on the structure factors in the final MEM analysis RF was 1.86%. In the MEM charge density of CPL-1 without H2 molecules shown in Fig. 1(a), only the nano-channel structure was clearly seen and no electron density was observed in the nano-channels, even at lower electron-density levels. On the other hand, in the MEM charge density of CPL-1 with H2 molecules (Fig. 1(b)), the small peak maxima of the electron densities with an elongated shape distribution, which are due to the adsorbed H2 molecules, were observed in the nano-channels. It should be noted that the posit ion and orientation of the H2 molecules are mean values obtained by statistical analysis. The

Exhaust Gas Control Apparatus for Internal Combustion Engine

Abstract: A first cylinder and a second cylinder are provided. A first exhaust pipe is connected to the first cylinder and a second exhaust pipe is connected to the second cylinder. A communicating pipe connects together an intermediate portion of the first exhaust pipe with an intermediate portion of the second exhaust pipe. An exhaust gas control catalyst is arranged in the second exhaust pipe downstream of the portion to which the communicating pipe is connected. Exhaust gas amount reducing devices are provided which reduce the amount of exhaust gas that flows from the first exhaust pipe into the second exhaust pipe through the communicating pipe during execution of rich/lean burn control which performs combustion with an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture that is richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio in one of the first cylinder and second cylinder and performs combustion with an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture that is leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio in the other cylinder.

Structural and material changes in the aging thorax and their role in crash protection for older occupants

Abstract: The human body undergoes a variety of changes as it ages through adulthood. These include both morphological (structural) changes (e.g., increased thoracic kyphosis) and material changes (e.g., osteoporosis). The purpose of this study is to evaluate structural changes that occur in the aging bony thorax and to assess the importance of these changes relative to the well-established material changes. The study involved two primary components. First, full-thorax computed tomography (CT) scans of 161 patients, age 18 to 89 years, were analyzed to quantify the angle of the ribs in the sagittal plane. A significant association between the angle of the ribs and age was identified, with the ribs becoming more perpendicular to the spine as age increased (0.08 degrees/year, p=0.012). Next, a finite element model of the thorax was used to evaluate the importance of this rib angle change relative to other factors associated with aging. A three-factor, two-level factorial design was used to assess the relative importance of rib cage morphology ("young" and "old" rib angle), thickness of the cortical shell (thick = "young" and thin = "old"), and the bone material properties ("young" and "old") on the force-deflection response and injury tolerance of the thorax. The simulations showed that the structural and material changes played approximately equal roles in modulating the force-deflection response of the thorax. Changing the rib angle to be more perpendicular to the spine increased the effective thoracic stiffness, while the "old" material properties and the thin cortical shell decreased the effective stiffness. The offsetting effects of these traits resulted in similar effective thoracic stiffness for the "elderly" and baseline thoracic models, which is consistent with cadaver data available in the literature. All three effects tended to decrease chest deflection tolerance for rib fractures, though the material changes dominated (a four- to six-fold increase in elements eliminated using a maximum strain criterion). The primary conclusion, therefore, is that an older person's thorax, relative to a younger, does not necessarily deform more in response to an applied force. The tolerable sternal deflection level is, however, much less.

A Multi-channel VANET Providing Concurrent Safety and Commercial Services

Abstract: One of the key goals of a vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET) is providing sufficient quality of service (QoS) for real-time safety applications while concurrently supporting commercial services. This paper proposes a multi-channel wireless communication architecture and protocol for the scenario where commercial services are provided by roadside infrastructure. This solution extends the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN protocol to schedule periodic safety messages in a safety channel . It explicitly supports concurrent non-time-critical communications in separate, non-safety service channels . Further, it is shown that this arrangement maximizes service channel access time while maintaining the requisite QoS for safety applications. This paper concludes with simulations that confirm the attractive properties of this architecture and protocol.

Efficient production of L-Lactic acid by metabolically engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a genome-integrated L-lactate dehydrogenase gene.

Abstract: We developed a metabolically engineered yeast which produces lactic acid efficiently. In this recombinant strain, the coding region for pyruvate decarboxylase 1 (PDC1) on chromosome XII is substituted for that of the l-lactate dehydrogenase gene (LDH) through homologous recombination. The expression of mRNA for the genome-integrated LDH is regulated under the control of the native PDC1 promoter, while PDC1 is completely disrupted. Using this method, we constructed a diploid yeast transformant, with each haploid genome having a single insertion of bovine LDH. Yeast cells expressing LDH were observed to convert glucose to both lactate (55.6 g/liter) and ethanol (16.9 g/liter), with up to 62.2% of the glucose being transformed into lactic acid under neutralizing conditions. This transgenic strain, which expresses bovine LDH under the control of the PDC1 promoter, also showed high lactic acid production (50.2 g/liter) under nonneutralizing conditions. The differences in lactic acid production were compared among four different recombinants expressing a heterologous LDH gene (i.e., either the bovine LDH gene or the Bifidobacterium longum LDH gene): two transgenic strains with 2μm plasmid-based vectors and two genome-integrated strains.

A multi-channel VANET providing concurrent safety and commercial services

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a medium access control (MAC) protocol to support the multi-channel operation for dedicated short range communication (DSRC). In particular, we focus on the challenge of providing potentially high-bandwidth for non-safety applications provided by roadside infrastructure, without compromising safety communication occurring in a separate channel. In our architecture, when a vehicle approaches a DSRC service hot-spot, it switches from the ad-hoc mode to the coordinated mode (and switches back to ad-hoc as it leaves the hotspot's range). This coordinated mode is a variant of IEEE 802.11 PCF, modified for multi-channel operation. The coordinated mode maximizes utilization of the DSRC "service channels" in the DSRC hot-spots while allowing safety-message broadcasts to be received with high probability in a distinct "safety channel". When a vehicle is not within the range of a DSRC hot-spot, the vehicle can use any of the previously-proposed ad-hoc protocols. Our approach can use any of these ad-hoc protocols for its ad-hoc mode. The MAC protocol is simulated with realistic mobility trace, and verified that it meets our safety and service objectives.

Destabilization of LiBH4 by mixing with LiNH2

Abstract: It was revealed that LiBH4 is destabilized by mixing with LiNH2 and the mixture desorbs a large amount of hydrogen. First-principles calculations predicted that the enthalpies of dehydrogenation for LiBH4 alone and the mixture of LiBH4 + 2 LiNH2 are 75 kJ/molH2 and 23 kJ/molH2, respectively. Motivated by this prediction, we experimentally examined the dehydrogenation properties for LiBH4 and the mixture under hydrogen pressure. The amounts of desorbed hydrogen from LiBH4 and the mixture at 703 K and 522 K were 10.6 mass % and 7.8 mass %, respectively. The dehydrogenation pressure of the mixture was much higher than that of LiBH4 alone, although the mixture was measured at approximately 180 K lower temperature. This result suggests that the mixture is much unstable as compared with LiBH4 alone.

Exhaust gas purifying device for engine

Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying device for an engine comprises a catalyst arranged in the exhaust passage for purifying the exhaust gas, the catalyst having an oxidizing ability. An amount of sulfate adsorbed in the catalyst is obtained. When the adsorbed sulfate amount becomes larger than a predetermined amount, a reducing agent is fed to the catalyst temporarily to desorb the adsorbed sulfate from the catalyst and reduce the sulfate. At this time, the amount of the reducing agent is set to make the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the catalyst rich.

Determination of dispersion of precious metals on CeO2-containing supports

Abstract: Precious metal (PM) dispersions on CeO 2 -containing supports were examined. When dispersions were evaluated by the H 2 –O 2 titration method, the CeO 2 -containing supports hide the true redox of PM because of the large oxygen storage-reduction capacity of the oxide, resulting in higher apparent dispersions than the exact values. When Pt dispersions on the CeO 2 support were evaluated by the ordinary CO pulse method, CO was adsorbed on the CeO 2 support as carbonate species accompanying the oxidation with lattice oxygen. Therefore, the dispersions estimated from the CO uptake were also higher than the exact value. Infrared spectra also clearly evidenced the presence of carbonate species after CO adsorption. To prevent the CO adsorption on CeO 2 as the carbonate species, we treated Pt/CeO 2 with CO 2 before CO adsorption. The strong bands arising from carbonate species on CeO 2 were observed in the infrared spectra. When CO was adsorbed on CO 2 -terated Pt/CeO 2 , CO was selectively adsorbed on the surface atoms of Pt particles. By the O 2 –CO 2 –H 2 –CO pulse method, the amount of CO adsorbed on surface atoms of the Pt particles could be separated, and a precise dispersion was determined.

1H-1,2,4-Triazole: An Effective Solvent for Proton-Conducting Electrolytes

Abstract: We report 1H-1,2,4-triazole as an actived group to enhance proton conduction in liquid electrolytes and in polymer electrolyte membreanes (PEMs) 1H-1,2,4-triazole and PEMs containing 1H-1,2,4-triazole are stable in a wide potential range, implying excellent electrochemical stability under fuel cell operating conditions

Hydrolysis of sugars catalyzed by water-tolerant sulfonated mesoporous silicas

Abstract: Mesoporous silicas are modified with sulfonic acid groups either by one-pot or by grafting method. In the hydrolysis of sucrose and starch, the sulfonated mesoporous silicas work as water-tolerant recyclable solid acid catalysts, showing higher conversion and turnover frequency than conventional Amberlyst-15, Nafion-silica and HZSM-5 catalysts.

Exhaust gas purification device of internal combustion engine

Abstract: A catalyst (22) suitable for reduction of the NOx in an exhaust gas by ammonia in the presence of excess oxygen is arranged in the exhaust passage (18, 21) of an internal combustion engine. An aqueous urea solution is fed through a flow control valve (33) to the inside of the exhaust passage (21) upstream of the catalyst (22). When the temperature of the catalyst (22) is low, a large amount of the aqueous urea solution is fed to make the urea contained in the aqueous urea solution be stored in the catalyst (22). When the engine is accelerated and the temperature of the catalyst (22) rises, ammonia is released at a little at a time from the inside of the catalyst (22) and the NOx in the exhaust gas is reduced by the released ammonia.

Development and testing of the torque control for the permanent-magnet synchronous motor

Abstract: Hybrid electrical vehicles and electrical vehicles are being actively developed. A hybrid electric vehicle motor design requires high efficiency, high power/weight ratio, and reliability from low rotor speed to high rotor speed. The permanent-magnet synchronous motor is used in order to fulfill these requirements. The purpose of this paper is to develop a permanent-magnet synchronous motor control method for all rotor speeds. This method increases the torque and the efficiency at high speed when compared to the ordinary current error feedback method. A method composed of two compensators is proposed to achieve this objective. One of the compensators controls the torque using the voltage phases. The other one is the ordinary current error feedback. Several correcting methods for the voltage phase compensator have been proposed for the compensator for many control demands. The validity of the proposed method was confirmed using simulation and experimental evaluations.

Belt-type continuously variable transmission

Abstract: In a belt type continuously variable transmission in which a pulley shaft (SP) is supported by bearings (31, 32) provided at two positions that are apart from each other in an axial direction of the pulley shaft (SP) and a supply oil passage for supplying hydraulic fluid to a pulley hydraulic chamber (40A, 40B) includes a radial direction oil passage (SPB) that is formed in the pulley shaft (SP,), the radial direction oil passage (SPB) is formed on an outside of an area between the above-mentioned two positions. Also, one of the bearings (32) is provided near the radial direction oil passage (SPB) and on an outer surface side of a cylinder member (70) whose inner surface side forms the pulley hydraulic chamber (40B) for a movable sheave (38) that is fixed to the pulley shaft (SP). With this structure, concentration of stress on the radial direction oil passage can be avoided, and therefore strength of the pulley shaft can be secured.

Genetically Engineered Wine Yeast Produces a High Concentration of l-Lactic Acid of Extremely High Optical Purity

Abstract: For mass production of lactic acid, we newly constructed a transgenic wine yeast strain that included six copies of the bovine L-lactate dehydrogenase gene on the genome. On fermentation in inexpensive cane juice-based medium, L-lactate production of this recombinant reached 122 g/liter and the optical purity was 99.9% or higher.

A Mixed-Time-Scale SGS Model With Fixed Model-Parameters for Practical LES

Abstract: A new subgrid-scale (SGS) model for practical large eddy simulation (LES) is proposed. The model is constructed with the concept of mixed (or hybrid) time scale, which makes it possible to use consistent model parameters and to dispense with the distance from the wall. The model performance is tested in plane channel flows, and the results show that this model is able to account for near-wall turbulence without an explicit damping function as in the dynamic Smagorinsky model. The model is also applied to the backward-facing step flow examined by Kasagi and Matsunaga (1995) experimentally. The calculated results show good agreement with experimental data, while the results obtained using the dynamic Smagorinsky model show less accuracy and less computational stability. To confirm the validity of the present model in practical applications, the three-dimensional complex flow around a bluff body ( Ahmed, 1984 ) is also calculated with the model. The agreement between the calculated results and the experimental data is quite satisfactory. These results suggest that the present model is a refined SGS model suited for practical LES to compute flows in a complicated geometry.

Achieving Lower Exhaust Emissions and Better Performance in an HSDI Diesel Engine with Multiple Injection

Abstract: The effects of multiple-injection on exhaust emissions and performance in a small HSDI (High Speed Direct Injection) Diesel engine were examined The causes for the improvement were investigated using both in-cylinder observation and three-dimensional numerical analysis methods It is possible to increase the maximum torque, which is limited by the exhaust smoke number, while decreasing the combustion noise under low speed and full load conditions by advancing the timing of the pilot injection Dividing this early-timed pilot injection into two with a small fuel amount is effective for further decreasing the noise while suppressing the increase in HC emission and fuel consumption This is realized by the reduced amount of adhered fuel to the cylinder wall At light loads, the amount of pilot injection fuel must be reduced, and the injection must be timed just prior to the main injection in order to suppress a possible increase in smoke and HC After-injection, which injects a small amount of fuel immediately after the end of the main injection, reduces smoke, HC and fuel consumption This is because the jet flame of the after-injection carries the remaining soot of the main injection to the squish area, and then oxidizes that together with the soot which previously existed in the squish area by promoted atmospheric temperature and enhanced mixing with fresh air

Preparation and Characterization of Novel Mesoporous Ceria−Titania

Abstract: Synthesis of a novel thermally stable mesoporous ceria−titania phase using a neutral templating route is reported. The as-made inorganic-template hybrid mesostructured matrix showed a broad low-angle XRD peak characteristic of mesoporous materials. Careful thermal treatment of the matrix allowed the subsequent densification (of the pore walls) of the inorganic component and removal of the organic component so that a high-quality mesoporous ceria−titania was formed as observed by TEM analysis. The calcined material showed the formation of fluorite type structure of CeO2 but no crystalline titania phase was observed. The mesoporous structure remained even after high-temperature treatment. The material had high surface area after calcination up to the temperature of 973 K, with well-dispersed ceria and titania components and negligible bulk oxide formation (from XRD, UV−vis, and XPS analysis). These novel mesoporous ceria−titania materials showed high performance for the removal of volatile organic compound ...