A sensor support portion supports a physical quantity sensor. A flow path housing portion forms a measurement flow path, which accommodates a support tip end portion of the sensor support portion. The sensor support portion includes a support front surface, which includes a front fixed portion away from the support tip end portion and fixed to an inner surface of the flow path housing portion. The physical quantity sensor includes a sensor exposure surface exposed from the support front surface. A separation distance between an end portion of the front fixed portion and an end portion of the sensor exposure surface is smaller than a separation distance between the end portion of the sensor exposure surface and the support tip end portion.

Provided is a vehicle-mounted system capable of transmitting a command to a first system from a second system during a period in which the first system communicates with the second system according to a unidirectional communication protocol. A vehicle-mounted system 100 includes a sensor 10 (first system) and an ECU (second system). The sensor 10 outputs a message signal including a pause pulse to the communication line DATA according to SENT (a unidirectional communication protocol). The ECU 20 is connected to the communication line DATA, and transmits a command to the sensor 10 using the falling period of the pause pulse.

The Method and Apparatus of Predicting MAF Sensor Information includes training multiple candidate Artificial Neural Network (ANN) architectures using training data, and then selecting an ANN architecture from the candidates using an automated ANN architecture selection algorithm and testing data. An intelligent engine intake MAF prediction or estimation system using the selected ANN architecture then provides an engine intake Mass Air Flow (MAF) output variable, which is used along with the output of a hot-wire type engine intake MAF sensor. The system is deployed into the engine controller. The training and testing sets of data include input variables from engine sensors and/or actuators that relate to engine intake MAF, and may be acquired by testing a target engine. Selecting the optimal ANN architecture may be based on Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) analysis using the automated ANN architecture algorithm and the training set of data.

A method and system for operating a vehicle that includes an integrated starter/generator and a driveline disconnect clutch is described. In one example, the method estimates engine torque as a function of engine temperature during cold engine starts so that if an estimate of engine torque is in error, the integrated starter/generator may still successfully start the engine.

An outlet of a sub passage that returns measured gas, which has passed through a flow sensor, from the sub passage to a main passage opens on an outer wall of a housing toward a downstream side in a reference direction. The outer wall of the housing includes a protrusion on the downstream side of the outlet. When the outlet and the protrusion are projected onto a projection plane perpendicular to the reference direction, the outlet and the protrusion partly overlap with each other on the projection plane. A relationship of θ1<θ2<90° is satisfied, where: θ1 is assumed to be an angle formed between a direction from an upstream end to a top, and the reference direction; and θ2 is assumed to be an angle formed between a direction from a downstream end to the top, and the reference direction.

The present invention discloses a method of introducing fuel into a diesel engine for combustion within the engine. A natural gas in liquid form is injected into the engine for combustion therein with diesel fuel so as to maintain a natural gas concentration derived from the liquid in the range of greater than 0.6% to 3.0% of air intake by volume of natural gas. Suitable gases include natural gas, methane or substantially methane gas mixtures and substitute natural gas such as propane air mixtures providing a mixture with similar combustion properties to methane/natural gas.

There is provided a thermal-type airflow meter that reduces the number of output signals of the sensor circuit and that can suppress the accuracy of flow rate detection from being deteriorated because due to a nonlinear sensor output characteristic and a response delay in the output signal, the output signal shifts toward the positive side or the negative side. A thermal-type airflow meter outputs one or both of a positive-side comparison signal that is at the positive side of a comparison threshold value and a negative-side comparison signal that is at the negative side of the comparison threshold value, outputs a coefficient multiplication signal obtained by multiplying an average signal acquired by averaging the comparison signal by an adjustment coefficient, and outputs, as a flow rate signal, a value obtained by applying the coefficient multiplication signal to increase correction or decrease correction of the amplitude increase signal.

The present invention provides a thermal flow meter 300 which reduces a stress applied from a fixing portion 3721, which is used to hold and fix a circuit package 400 with respect to a housing 302, to the circuit package 400 and has high reliability. In the thermal flow meter of the invention, the circuit package 400 embedded with a flow rate measurement circuit is formed through a first resin molding process, the fixing portion 3721 is formed along with the housing 302 through a second resin molding process, and the circuit package 400 is enveloped by the fixing portion 3721, whereby the circuit package 400 is held by and fixed to the housing 302. In order to reduce the influence of a stress, generated based on a temperature change of the fixing portion 3721, on the circuit package 400, the fixing portion 3721 is constituted of a thick portion 4714 and a thin portion 4710. Since thickness of a resin of the thin portion 4710 is small, the stress to be generated is small, and a force applied to the circuit package 400 can be reduced.

Provided is a thermal flow meter to improve the measurement accuracy of a temperature detector provided in a thermal flow meter. The thermal flow meter includes a bypass passage through which a measurement target gas 30 flowing through a main passage flows, and a circuit package 400 which includes a measurement circuit for measuring a flow rate of the measurement target gas 30 flowing through the bypass passage and a temperature detecting portion 452 for detecting a temperature of the measurement target gas. The circuit package 400 includes a circuit package body which is molded by a resin to internally envelope the measurement circuit and a protrusion 424 molded by the resin. The temperature detecting portion 452 is provided in the leading end portion of the protrusion 424, and at least the leading end portion of the protrusion protrudes to the outside from a housing 302.

A method and system for operating a vehicle that includes an integrated starter/generator and a driveline disconnect clutch is described. In one example, the method estimates engine torque as a function of engine temperature during cold engine starts so that if an estimate of engine torque is in error, the integrated starter/generator may still successfully start the engine.