Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090151338 | Method for controlling glow plug ignition in a preheater of a hydrocarbon reformer - A method for controlling a glow plug at a desired temperature. In a glow plug off state, the glow plug temperature status is monitored to prepare for the next combustion event. When ignition is requested, a determination is made as to how long full voltage can be applied to bring the glow plug to ignition temperature. A resistance/temperature map is provided to determine the resistance as a function of temperature. Another map is provided of temperature as a function of powering time at a full battery voltage in a First Heating Phase to ensure that the surface temperature of the glow plug will reach a predetermined temperature required to start combustion of an air/fuel mixture. A third map is provided of a PWM duty cycle for a Second Heating Phase to maintain the temperature of the glow plug to ensure flame propagation without damage to the glow plug. | 06-18-2009 |
20100146940 | ACTIVE BUOYANT UREA HEATER - A variable buoyancy heater is provided. It comprises variable buoyancy float that includes a variable volume element. A first fluid is contained within the variable volume element and a heating element that is integral with the variable buoyancy float is provided. The heater is arranged to heat the first fluid wherein the variable volume element expands based on a temperature increase from the heating element, such that the variable buoyancy float becomes positively buoyant when the variable volume element expands and negatively buoyant when the heating element is off. | 06-17-2010 |
20110138791 | Liquid Reductant Dosing Module with Heating Device - A liquid reductant dosing module for a combustion exhaust system is disclosed comprising an enclosed reservoir comprising a top, a bottom, one or more sides, an inlet, and an outlet. A resistive wire rod heater is disposed in that reservoir, comprising a hollow member extending along a first axis between the bottom of the reservoir and the top of the reservoir. Along that member there is disposed resistive metal wire such that when electric current is applied to the resistive metal wire, a greater portion of electric power is distributed as heat proximate to the bottom of the reservoir than is distributed as heat proximate to the top of the reservoir. | 06-16-2011 |
20140170513 | ANODE PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR SHUTDOWN OF SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL SYSTEM - An Anode Protection Systems for a SOFC system, having a Reductant Supply and safety subsystem, a SOFC anode protection subsystem, and a Post Combustion and slip stream control subsystem. The Reductant Supply and safety subsystem includes means for generating a reducing gas or vapor to prevent re-oxidation of the Ni in the anode layer during the course of shut down of the SOFC stack. The underlying ammonia or hydrogen based material used to generate a reducing gas or vapor to prevent the re-oxidation of the Ni can be in either a solid or liquid stored inside a portable container. The SOFC anode protection subsystem provides an internal pressure of 0.2 to 10 kPa to prevent air from entering into the SOFC system. The Post Combustion and slip stream control subsystem provides a catalyst converter configured to treat any residual reducing gas in the slip stream gas exiting from SOFC stack. | 06-19-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100212819 | HIDDEN LAMP MANUFACTURE PROCESS - A method for making a vehicle interior panel including positioning a slipsheet on a film or fabric liner. The liner is placed on a substrate board. The liner and substrate board are formed into an interior panel. A cavity is formed by removing a portion of the substrate board from the interior panel adjacent to the slipsheet position. A lamp is positioned in the cavity. | 08-26-2010 |
20100214798 | AUTOMOTIVE INTERIOR HIDDEN SWITCHING - A vehicle interior panel having a substrate with a receiving slot. A support lens is disposed in the receiving slot and includes a light source. A sensor is operably connected to the light source and disposed proximate the support lens. A connector operably links the sensor to the light source through the support lens. A decorative layer extends over the support lens and the sensor. | 08-26-2010 |
20110048658 | CARGO SHADE FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE - A cargo shade for an automotive vehicle includes a shade storage device contained within a cargo area trim panel, and a retractable shade attached to the storage device. One end of the retractable shade is attached to a liftgate, such that opening the liftgate will cause the shade to be selectively elevated, to permit access to the cargo area without the necessity of retracting the shade. | 03-03-2011 |
20110163568 | Sun Visor - A sun visor assembly includes a sun visor in which the corners associated with one of the longer edges are rotatably mounted to an automotive vehicle, one corner of which is fixed and the other corner being removable from a mount affixed to the vehicle. The removable corner has a cutout with a cylindrical pin coupled to the cutout at both ends of the pin. The mount has an arcuate cradle to engage the pin over less than half of its circumference. The opening to gain access to the cradle faces generally downward when installed and the pin is held in the mount by magnetic attraction. | 07-07-2011 |
20110274921 | TRIM COMPONENT AND METHOD OF EDGE FOLDING - A trim component and method of manufacture. The trim component has thermoplastic adhesive disposed proximate an edge portion of the trim component. The adhesive melts at a higher temperature than a curing temperature of a thermoset material of the trim component. | 11-10-2011 |
20110285178 | ACOUSTICALLY ABSORPTIVE VEHICLE HEADLINER - A vehicle headliner includes an air permeable foam having open cells and a surface cover adhered to one side of the foam core. An air permeable hydrophobic layer is adhered to the opposite side of the foam core. The hydrophobic layer restricts liquid penetration and allows air permeation into the headliner for acoustic dampening. | 11-24-2011 |
20110305032 | VEHICLE VANITY AND LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND VISOR HAVING VANITY AND DOME LIGHTING - A vehicle sun visor is provided that includes a visor body having a first side and a second side, and a vanity and lighting assembly located on the visor body. The assembly includes a lighting device located on the visor body. The lighting device is configured to provide a vanity light for a vanity mirror and is further configured to provide a dome light. | 12-15-2011 |
20120080903 | MOLDED VANITY ASSEMBLY AND METHOD - A vanity mirror and light assembly is provided for use on a vehicle visor. The vanity assembly includes a clear frame molded to a reflective film to define a reflector portion and a partially transmissive portion. The assembly also includes a lighting device located behind the partially transmissive portion of the reflective film to provide a vanity light passing through the partially transmissive portion. A method of forming the vanity assembly in a mold is also provided. | 04-05-2012 |
20120119474 | Headliner Mounted Tunable Directional Guide for Curtain Airbag Deployment - An airbag assembly in a vehicle including at least one structural support is provided that includes an airbag configured to inflate and an airbag deployment guide. The airbag deployment guide includes a deformable headliner operably associated with the airbag, wherein the deformable headliner is configured to deform based upon an applied force from the inflating airbag and at least one tunable connector operably connecting the deformable headliner to the at least one structural support of the vehicle, wherein the at least one tunable connector is configured to reduce a deformation of the deformable headliner when the inflating airbag contacts the deformable headliner until a threshold force applied to the deformable headliner and the tunable connector by the at least one inflating airbag is exceeded. | 05-17-2012 |
20120213399 | VEHICLE MICROPHONE ASSEMBLY IN TRIM PANEL - A vehicle trim and microphone assembly includes a headliner having a substrate, a foam layer, and a surface cover covering the substrate and foam layer. The substrate has a hole that is covered by the surface cover. A bracket is secured to the substrate and a microphone installed in the bracket so that acoustic sound waves pass through the surface cover within the hole to be detected by the microphone. | 08-23-2012 |
20120327674 | VEHICLE VISOR HAVING HIDDEN LIGHT ASSEMBLY - A vehicle visor is provided that includes a visor body having a first side, a second side, and a light transmissive cover material. The vehicle visor further includes a hidden light assembly located in the visor body arranged to provide light illumination through the light transmissive cover material on the first and second sides of the visor body. | 12-27-2012 |
20130016429 | VEHICLE VISOR HAVING MIRROR ASSEMBLYAANM Li; ChiAACI Farmington HillsAAST MIAACO USAAGP Li; Chi Farmington Hills MI USAANM Stakoe; John AndrewAACI Bloomfield HillsAAST MIAACO USAAGP Stakoe; John Andrew Bloomfield Hills MI USAANM Chen; ChanghongAACI CantonAAST MIAACO USAAGP Chen; Changhong Canton MI USAANM Wang; HaiboAACI WindsorAACO CAAAGP Wang; Haibo Windsor CA - A vehicle visor is provided that includes a mirror assembly. The visor body has a first side and a second side and pivots between a stowed position and a downward use position. The visor body further includes a mirror assembly located on the visor body. The mirror assembly includes a conversation mirror that is extendable from a first side of the visor body for viewing from the first side of the visor body, and is stowable within the visor body for viewing through an aperture from the second side of the visor body. The mirror may serve as a vanity mirror. | 01-17-2013 |
20130135884 | MODULAR GRAB HANDLE WITH INTEGRAL LAMP ATTACHING SYSTEM - An interior grab handle and lamp assembly for a vehicle including a bracket configured for attachment by fasteners to a structural roof member. The bracket is disposed on an back side surface of a headliner. An elongate handle is operably connected to the bracket via first and second mounting members disposed on an visible surface of the headliner. A light source is operably connected with an intermediate portion of the bracket. The light source is disposed on the visible surface of the headliner between the first and second mounting members. | 05-30-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080229832 | AUTOMATIC TIME-OF-FLIGHT SELECTION FOR ULTRASOUND TOMOGRAPHY - Ultrasound sound-speed tomography requires accurate picks of time-of-flights (TOFs) of transmitted ultrasound signals, however, manual picking on large datasets is time-consuming. An improved automatic TOF picker is taught based on the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and multi-model inference (model averaging), based on the calculated AIC values, to improve the accuracy of TOF picks. The automatic TOF picker of the present invention can accurately pick TOFs in the presence of random noise with average absolute amplitude of up to 80% of the maximum absolute synthetic signal amplitude. The inventive method is applied to clinical ultrasound breast data, and compared with manual picks and amplitude threshold picking. Test results indicate that the inventive TOF picker is much less sensitive to data signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), and performs more consistently for different datasets in relation to manual picking. The technique provides noticeably improved image reconstruction accuracy. | 09-25-2008 |
20120283566 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMAGING A VOLUME OF TISSUE - The system of one embodiment for imaging tissue includes ultrasound emitters configured to surround and emit acoustic waveforms toward the tissue, ultrasound receivers configured to surround and receive acoustic waveforms scattered by the tissue, and a processor configured for determining an observed differential time-of-flight (ToF) dataset and generating an acoustic speed rendering of the tissue based on the observed differential ToF dataset. The method of one embodiment for imaging tissue includes receiving data representative of acoustic waveforms scattered by the tissue, determining an observed differential ToF dataset, performing forward modeling to generate a calculated differential ToF dataset based on an acoustic speed model, performing inverse modeling to generate an acoustic speed model based on the observed and calculated differential ToF datasets, iteratively repeating forward modeling and inverse modeling until convergence is met with a final acoustic speed model, and generating an acoustic speed rendering from the final acoustic speed model. | 11-08-2012 |
20130041260 | METHOD FOR IMAGING A VOLUME OF TISSUE - A method for imaging a volume of tissue in a scan region, including: emitting, from transmitting transducers, acoustic waveforms toward the volume of tissue; detecting, with detecting transducers, a plurality acoustic signals derived from acoustic waveforms interacting with the volume of tissue; generating from the detected acoustic signals a plurality of variable attenuation maps, in which each variable attenuation map corresponds to acoustic signals detected by a respective detecting transducer and includes a plurality of variable attenuation coefficients mapped to the scan region; modifying at least a portion of the detected acoustic signals based on one or more variable attenuation maps; and generating a reflection rendering of the volume of tissue based on the modified acoustic signals. | 02-14-2013 |
20130041261 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MULTI-GRID TOMOGRAPHIC INVERSION TISSUE IMAGING - The method of one embodiment for multi-grid tomographic inversion tissue imaging comprises receiving acoustic waveform data characterizing a volume of tissue, determining and refining models of the distributions of a first and second acoustomechanical parameter within the volume of tissue using a series of grids with progressively finer discretization levels, and generating an image based on at least one of the refined models of the first and second acoustomechanical parameters. The system of one embodiment for multi-grid tomographic inversion tissue imaging comprises ultrasound emitters configured to surround and emit acoustic waveforms toward a volume of tissue, ultrasound receivers configured to surround tissue and receive acoustic waveforms, and a processor configured to determine and refine models of the distributions of a first and second acoustomechanical parameter within a volume of tissue, and generate an image based on at least one of the refined models of the first and second acoustomechanical parameters. | 02-14-2013 |
20130204136 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMAGING A VOLUME OF TISSUE - A system and method for imaging a volume of tissue comprising: a modular transducer array, configured to substantially surround the volume of tissue, emit acoustic waveforms toward the volume of tissue, and receive acoustic waveforms scattered by the volume of tissue, comprising a first and a second modular transducer subarray configured to couple to one another; a controller configured to control acoustic signals emitted by the first and the second modular transducer subarrays; an electronic subsystem, coupled to the modular transducer array, comprising a multiplexor and beam-forming elements and configured to receive a set of acoustic data from the first and the second modular transducer subarrays; and a processor configured to analyze the set of acoustic data, determine the distribution of at least one acoustomechanical parameter within the volume of tissue, and render an image of the volume of tissue based on the acoustomechanical parameter. | 08-08-2013 |
20130204137 | Method and System for Denoising Acoustic Travel Times and Imaging a Volume of Tissue - A method and system for denoising acoustic travel times and imaging a volume of tissue comprising receiving a dataset representative of acoustic waveforms originating from an array of ultrasound emitters and received with an array of ultrasound receivers; for each ultrasound emitter in the array of ultrasound emitters, forming an empirical relative travel time matrix, from the dataset, including a set of relative empirical travel times, each relative empirical travel time corresponding to a pair of ultrasound receivers receiving an acoustic waveform, generating a denoised empirical relative travel time matrix, and extracting a set of denoised absolute travel times from the denoised empirical relative travel time matrix; and rendering an image of the volume of tissue based on an acoustomechanical parameter and the set of denoised absolute travel times corresponding to each ultrasound emitter in the array of ultrasound emitters. | 08-08-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120078475 | METHOD FOR DETECTING POWERTRAIN TORQUE OUTPUT - A powertrain includes a transmission coupled to a driveline. A method for monitoring torque of the driveline includes monitoring signals from first and second rotational sensors located at respective first and second rotationally-coupled positions of the driveline separated by a distance along the driveline, determining rotation of the driveline at the first and second rotationally-coupled positions from said signals, determining a twist angle derived from a difference between the rotations of the driveline at the first and second rotationally-coupled positions, calculating a driveline torque corresponding to the twist angle, and controlling operation of the powertrain in response to the driveline torque. | 03-29-2012 |
20120078476 | METHOD TO DETERMINE TORQUE - A powertrain includes a transmission coupled to a driveline. A method for monitoring torque in the powertrain includes monitoring signal outputs from a first rotational sensor and a second rotational sensor configured to monitor respective rotational positions of first and second locations of a driveline, determining a positional relationship between the first and second locations using positional identifiers of the first and second rotational sensors, deriving a twist angle from the positional relationship between the first and second rotational sensors, calculating a magnitude of driveline torque corresponding to the twist angle, and controlling the vehicular powertrain according to the calculated magnitude of driveline torque. | 03-29-2012 |
20120090416 | MICRO-ELECTRO-MECHANICAL-SYSTEMS BASED HYDRAULIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A WET DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION - A wet dual clutch transmission includes at least one hydraulic component and a pilot valve operably connected to the hydraulic component to actuate the hydraulic component. The pilot valve includes a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) based pressure differential actuator valve. The hydraulic component may include but is not limited to a first clutch and a second clutch of the wet dual clutch transmission, a lube regulator valve, an on/off solenoid, a synchronizing shift fork or a line pressure control valve. | 04-19-2012 |
20120090426 | MICRO ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SYSTEM (MEMS) BASED HYDRAULIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR FULL HYBRID VEHICLES - A powertrain system in a hybrid vehicle includes a hydraulic device, a pilot valve, and a regulator valve. The pilot valve is operably connected to the hydraulic device and configured to actuate. The pilot valve includes at least one micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based device. The regulator valve is operably connected to the pilot valve and the hydraulic device. The regulator valve is configured to direct fluid to the hydraulic device based on the actuation of the pilot valve. | 04-19-2012 |
20120090427 | MICRO-ELECTRO-MECHANICAL-SYSTEM (MEMS) BASED HYDRAULIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MILD HYBRID VEHICLES - A powertrain system in a mild hybrid vehicle includes a hydraulic device, a pilot valve, and a regulator valve. The pilot valve is operably connected to the hydraulic device and configured to actuate. The pilot valve includes at least one micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based device. The regulator valve is operably connected to the pilot valve and the hydraulic device. The regulator valve is configured to direct fluid to the hydraulic device based on the actuation of the pilot valve. | 04-19-2012 |
20120090703 | POWERTRAIN PRESSURE AND FLOW CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS - A pressure and flow control system includes a hydraulically-controlled component, a pilot valve, and a regulating valve. The pilot valve is configured to produce a pilot signal and includes a first valve, which is a MEMS microvalve. The regulating valve is in fluid communication with the pilot valve, and is configured to receive the pilot signal. The regulating valve is further configured to output a control signal, which controls the hydraulically-controlled component. | 04-19-2012 |
20120090935 | MICRO-ELECTRO-MECHANICAL-SYSTEMS BASED HYDRAULIC CONTROL FOR A POWERTRAIN - An automatic transmission for a vehicle includes a hydraulically-controlled component and a pilot valve. The pilot valve includes at least one micro-electrical-mechanical-systems (MEMS) based device. The pilot valve is operably connected to and is configured for actuating the hydraulically-controlled component. The pilot valve additionally includes a regulating valve operably connected to the pilot valve and to the hydraulically-controlled component. The regulating valve is configured to direct fluid to the hydraulically-controlled component when actuated by the pilot valve. | 04-19-2012 |
20120090937 | MICRO-ELECTRO-MECHANICAL-SYSTEMS BASED HYDRAULIC CONTROL FOR A POWERTRAIN - A continuously variable transmission (CVT) for a vehicle includes a hydraulically-controlled component and a pilot valve. The pilot valve includes at least one micro-electrical-mechanical-systems (MEMS) based device. The pilot valve is operably connected to and is configured for actuating the hydraulically-controlled component. The pilot valve additionally includes a regulating valve operably connected to the pilot valve and to the hydraulically-controlled component. The regulating valve is configured to direct fluid to the hydraulically-controlled component when actuated by the pilot valve. | 04-19-2012 |
20120090940 | MICRO-ELECTRO-MECHANICAL-SYSTEMS BASED HYDRAULIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A DRY DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION - A dry dual clutch transmission includes at least one hydraulic component and a pilot valve operably connected to the hydraulic component to actuate the hydraulic component. The pilot valve includes a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) based pressure differential actuator valve. The hydraulic component may include but is not limited to a first clutch and a second clutch of the dry dual clutch transmission, an on/off solenoid, a line pressure control valve or a synchronizing shift fork. | 04-19-2012 |
20120090944 | MICRO ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SYSTEM (MEMS) BASED HYDRAULIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS - An automated manual transmission includes a hydraulic device, a pilot valve, and a regulating valve. The pilot valve is operably connected to the hydraulic device and configured to actuate. The pilot valve includes at least one micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based device. The regulating valve is operably connected to the pilot valve and the hydraulic device. The regulating valve is configured to direct fluid to the hydraulic device based on the actuation of the pilot valve. | 04-19-2012 |
20120090945 | POWERTRAIN PRESSURE AND FLOW CONTROL SYSTEM FOR DOG CLUTCHES - A pressure and flow control system for a dog clutch includes a pilot valve, a regulating valve, and a selector. The pilot valve is configured to produce a pilot signal and includes a first valve, which is a MEMS microvalve. The regulating valve is in fluid communication with the pilot valve, and is configured to receive the pilot signal. The regulating valve is further configured to output a control signal. The selector is configured to engage and disengage the dog clutch in response to the control signal. | 04-19-2012 |
20120090946 | POWERTRAIN PRESSURE CONTROL SYSTEM - A pressure control system includes a hydraulically-controlled component, a pilot valve, and a regulating valve. The pilot valve is configured to produce a pilot signal and includes a first valve, which is a MEMS microvalve. The regulating valve is in fluid communication with the pilot valve, and is configured to receive the pilot signal. The regulating valve is further configured to output a control signal, which controls the hydraulically-controlled component. | 04-19-2012 |
20120090947 | POWERTRAIN PRESSURE AND FLOW CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH - A pressure and flow control system for a torque converter clutch includes a pilot valve, a regulating valve, and a torque converter control valve. The pilot valve is configured to produce a pilot signal and includes a first valve, which is a MEMS microvalve. The regulating valve is in fluid communication with the pilot valve, and is configured to receive the pilot signal. The regulating valve is further configured to output a control signal. The torque converter control valve is configured to engage and disengage the torque converter clutch in response to the control signal. | 04-19-2012 |
20120090948 | POWERTRAIN PRESSURE CONTROL SYSTEM - A clutch includes a pilot valve, a regulating valve, and a clutch control valve. The pilot valve is configured to produce a pilot signal and includes a first valve, which is a MEMS microvalve. The regulating valve is in fluid communication with the pilot valve, and is configured to receive the pilot signal. The regulating valve is further configured to output a control signal. The clutch control valve is configured to engage and disengage the clutch in response to the control signal. The clutch may be configured as one of a wet clutch and a dry clutch. | 04-19-2012 |
20120090952 | POWERTRAIN PRESSURE CONTROL SYSTEM - A pressure control system configured to control a selectable one-way clutch (SOWC) includes a pilot valve and a SOWC actuator. The pilot valve is configured to produce a pilot signal and includes a first valve, which is a MEMS microvalve. The pressure control system may further include a regulating valve in fluid communication with the pilot valve and configured to receive the pilot signal. The regulating valve is further configured to output a control signal. The SOWC actuator is configured to select between operating modes of the selectable one-way clutch in response to one of the pilot signal and the control signal. | 04-19-2012 |
20130124056 | DRIVEN WHEEL TORQUE ESTIMATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS - A wheel position determination module determines first and second wheel positions based on first and second signals generated using first and second wheel speed sensors. The first and second wheel speed sensors generate the first and second signals based on rotation of driven wheels of the vehicle, respectively. The wheel position determination module determines third and fourth wheel positions based on third and fourth signals generated using third and fourth wheel speed sensors. The third and fourth wheel speed sensors generate the third and fourth signals based on rotation of other wheels of the vehicle, respectively. A first average determination module determines a first average of the first and second wheel positions. A second average determination module determines a second average of the third and fourth wheel positions. An estimation module selectively generates an estimate of torque at the driven wheels based on the first and second averages. | 05-16-2013 |
20130218426 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO DETERMINE TORQUE IN A POWERTRAIN SYSTEM - A method for monitoring torque in a gear train includes coincidentally determining angles of rotation of first and second rotationally coupled members of the gear train. Each of the members employs a respective rotational position sensor. Each of said angles of rotation are determined based upon times corresponding to a last signal pulse, a next-to-last signal pulse, and a total quantity of signal pulses generated by the respective rotational position sensor during a current sampling interval. A twist angle corresponding to a difference between the angles of rotation of the first and second rotationally coupled members of the gear train is determined, and torque corresponding to the twist angle is calculated. | 08-22-2013 |
20140299441 | DRY DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION ACTUATION SYSTEM USING ELECTRICAL MOTOR WITH FORCE AIDED LEVER - An actuation system for actuating a clutch piston of a transmission includes an actuator and a lever. A first end of the lever is attached to the actuator. The lever is pivotable about a lever connection location. Movement of the actuator rotates the lever about the lever connection location. A spring assembly is pivotable about a spring connection location, and pivotably connected to the lever at a second end of the lever. When the actuator is disposed in an un-actuated position, the spring assembly is positioned such that a pre-loaded spring force is directed along a zero moment path to generate a zero moment in the lever. When the actuator is disposed in an actuated position, the spring assembly is rotated so that the spring force is directed along a moment generating path in order to generate a moment in the lever to rotate the lever. | 10-09-2014 |
20140309894 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING LASH IN A TRANSMISSION AND CONTROLLING AN ENGINE AND/OR A MOTOR BASED ON LASH DETECTIONS - A control system for a transmission of a vehicle includes a first angular rotation module, a second angular rotation module, and a lash module. The first angular rotation module determines a first angular rotation of a first shaft during a first predetermined period based on a first signal generated by a first shaft sensor. The second angular rotation module determines a second angular rotation of a second shaft during the first predetermined period based on a second signal generated by a second shaft sensor. The lash module selectively detects lash between gears of the transmission based on the first angular rotation and the second angular rotation. | 10-16-2014 |
20140309899 | CLUTCH SLIP IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS - A control system for a transmission of a vehicle includes a first angular rotation module, a second angular rotation module, and a slip module. The first angular rotation module determines a first angular rotation of a first component of the transmission during a predetermined period based on a first signal generated by a first sensor. The second angular rotation module determines a second angular rotation of a second component of the vehicle during the predetermined period based on a second signal generated by a second sensor. The slip module selectively indicates that a clutch of the transmission is slipping based on the first angular rotation and the second angular rotation. | 10-16-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130275015 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING TORQUE IN A POWERTRAIN - A vehicle includes a powertrain having first and second rotatable members, speed sensors, and a controller. The speed sensors generate output signals encoding the speeds of the respective first and second rotatable members. The controller calculates a rotation angle of the members using the output signals and estimates a torque value in the powertrain as a function of the rotation angles. The sensors may count the teeth of respective first and second toothed gear elements and encode the count as the output signals. The controller may estimate the torque value as a function of a linear coefficient and the present gear ratio of the sensors. The controller may also detect a commanded upshift of the transmission and detect a fill event of an oncoming clutch of the transmission as a function of the corresponding rotation angles for the rotatable members. The members may be input, output, or intermediate members. | 10-17-2013 |
20140142822 | GPS-BASED PREDICTIVE SHIFT SCHEDULE FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - A method for modifying a default transmission shift schedule for a vehicle includes monitoring current vehicle parameters and determining future roadway information at a predetermined distance in front of the vehicle. Future vehicle parameters are predicted based on the determined future roadway information. The default transmission shift schedule is modified based on the current vehicle parameters and the predicted future vehicle parameters. | 05-22-2014 |
20140162843 | TRANSMISSION WITH MEMS-BASED HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT - A vehicle includes an engine, torque converter assembly, and transmission. The torque converter assembly includes a torque converter clutch (TCC). The transmission is connected to the engine via the torque converter assembly, and includes rotating and braking clutches, a pump, and a valve body assembly (VBA). The VBA includes Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) pressure sensors and high-flow, hybrid MEMS flow control valves. Each MEMS pressure sensor and each MEMS control valve is in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the TCC, the rotating, and the braking clutches. The VBA includes first and second low-flow, fully MEMS valves which control line pressure to the VBA and fluid pressure to the TCC, respectively. The VBA delivers fluid pressure to the clutches, alone or in different combinations, to establish at least six different forward drive states of the transmission. | 06-12-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100131140 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMPENSATING SENSOR SIGNALS - A system and method for compensating sensor signals. The system includes a first sensor, a second sensor, a fuzzy logic module, and a Kalman filter module. The first sensor is configured to generate a first signal corresponding to a first condition of a vehicle. The second sensor is configured to generate a second signal corresponding to a second condition of the vehicle. The fuzzy logic module is configured to output a first set of values based on a signal stability of at least the second signal. The Kalman filter module is configured to receive the first set of values and the first signal and estimate a sensor compensation signal based on at least the first set of values and the first signal. | 05-27-2010 |
20100318255 | DETERMINING LOW-SPEED DRIVING DIRECTION IN A VEHICLE - A method and a system of determining a driving direction of a vehicle traveling at a low speed. The method includes determining whether the vehicle is in one of three states: (1) an uphill state in which the vehicle is located on an upward sloping surface, (2) a downhill state in which the vehicle is located on a downward sloping surface, and (3) a flat surface state in which the vehicle is located on a flat surface. The method also includes obtaining information from a plurality of vehicle sensors and determining a direction of movement of the vehicle based upon the determined state of the vehicle and information from the plurality of vehicle sensors. | 12-16-2010 |
20100332094 | COOPERATIVE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM USING DUAL SLIP CONTROLLERS - A cooperative traction control system that integrates throttle control and torque distribution. The system also uses dual slip controllers and methods that involve controlling the distribution of torque between wheels in the front and rear axles of a vehicle and a relatively small or no adjustment of the engine throttle (or, more generally, engine torque output) to reduce wheel slip. The control is cooperative in the sense that two controllers—a front axle torque controller and a rear axle torque controller—work together (or are controlled together) to reduce wheel slip and thereby achieve improved straight-line movement of a vehicle from a standstill. | 12-30-2010 |
20120253627 | VEHICLE SPEED ESTIMATION FOR 4WD VEHICLES UNDER WHEEL-SPINNING SITUATIONS - Systems and methods for detecting wheel-spinning situations of a vehicle. One system includes a controller. The controller is configured to determine a speed of each wheel of the vehicle based on information received from a plurality of wheel speed sensors, to identify a second slowest wheel of the vehicle based on the speed of each wheel, to calculate a vehicle acceleration torque based on an acceleration of the second slowest wheel of the vehicle and a mass of the vehicle, to calculate a torque ratio based on the vehicle acceleration torque and a wheel drive torque, and to activate a traction control system when the torque ratio is greater than a predetermined threshold. | 10-04-2012 |
20150081182 | HILL ROLLBACK SPEED CONTROL - A hill rollback control system and method for controlling a rollback speed of a motor vehicle with wheel brakes. Upon ascertaining that the vehicle is rolling back, the system and method determine, based on a grade angle of the terrain that the vehicle is traveling on and a temperature of a transmission, a target rollback speed for the vehicle. The target rollback speed is lower when the grade of the terrain is above a threshold value. Also, the target rollback speed is lower when the temperature of the transmission is above a threshold value. The actual rollback speed of the vehicle is set and maintained at the target rollback speed by applying the vehicle's wheel brakes. | 03-19-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080261027 | ENGINEERED SELF HEALING CEMENTITIOUS COMPOSITES - Cementitious composites engineered for self-healing, combining self-controlled tight crack width and extreme tensile ductility. Self-healing takes place automatically at cracked locations without external intervention. In the exemplary embodiment, fiber-reinforced cementitious composites with self-controlled tight crack width less than 50 μm and tensile ductility more than 2% are prepared. Self-healing in terms of mechanical and transport properties recovery of pre-damaged (by pre-cracking) composite is revealed in a variety of environmental exposures, include wetting and drying cycles, water permeation, and chloride submersion. | 10-23-2008 |
20090035459 | COATED PIPE AND METHOD USING STRAIN-HARDENING BRITTLE MATRIX COMPOSITES - Pipe cladding is based upon a fiber-reinforced brittle matrix composite material. The coating is isotropic, demonstrating pseudo-strain hardening behavior in uniaxial tension, and damage tolerance by design, not relying on stratified layers of reinforcing mesh embedded within concrete or other brittle cementitious matrices for impact resistance, fracture toughness, or crack width control. The fiber reinforced brittle matrix composite cladding protects both the pipe and inner thin, anti-corrosion layer (if present) from impact or abrasion damage while permitting bending of coated and clad pipe. The finished composite clad can be in a simple circular form alone the pipe or in some complex form providing an integrated housing for electrical or optical fiber cables, or optical sensing sensors for continuous or intermittent sensing of pipeline leakage or failure. | 02-05-2009 |
20090075076 | IMPACT RESISTANT STRAIN HARDENING BRITTLE MATRIX COMPOSITE FOR PROTECTIVE STRUCTURES - An extremely ductile fiber reinforced brittle matrix composite is of great value to protective structures that may be subjected to dynamic and/or impact loading. Infrastructures such as homes, buildings, and bridges may experience such loads due to hurricane lifted objects, bombs, and other projectiles. Compared to normal concrete and fiber reinforced concrete, the invented composite has substantially improved tensile strain capacity with strain hardening behavior, several hundred times higher than that of conventional concrete and fiber reinforced concrete even when subjected to impact loading. The brittle matrix may be a hydraulic cement or an inorganic polymer. In an exemplary embodiment of the teachings, the composites are prepared by incorporating pozzolanic admixtures, lightweight filler, and fine aggregates in Engineered Cementitious Composite fresh mixture, to form the resulting mixtures, then placing the resulting mixtures into molds, and curing the resulting mixtures. | 03-19-2009 |
20100012742 | RAILWAY TIE USING STRAIN-HARDENING BRITTLE MATRIX COMPOSITES - Railway tie is based upon a fiber-reinforced brittle matrix composite material. The composite material is isotropic, demonstrating pseudo-strain hardening behavior in uniaxial tension, and material ductility by design, not relying on reinforcing bars or mesh embedded within concrete or other brittle cementitious matrices for durability, abrasion resistance, or crack width control. Reinforcing bars or mesh, pretensioned or otherwise, may be used within the tie to control the load capacity and load-deformation response. The properties of this fiber-reinforced brittle matrix composite material are adjusted to preferably work with casting, injection molding, or extrusion manufacturing methods. | 01-21-2010 |
20130012625 | STRAIN HARDENING BRITTLE MATRIX COMPOSITES WITH HIGH STRENGTH AND HIGH TENSILE DUCTILITY - A new class of ultra-high performance concrete with very high strength and very high tensile ductility (High Strength High Ductility Concrete) is provided that represents the culmination of two high performance cement-based composite systems, namely those of very high strength, and those of very high tensile ductility into a single composite system. The integration of high strength and ductility has been attained via the adoption of micromechanical analysis and design of fiber reinforced brittle matrix composites. In doing so, the new High Strength High Ductility Concrete material dramatically increases the energy absorption capabilities of structural systems employing this material, making it a very good candidate material where hurricanes, earthquake, impact and blast loads are a concern. | 01-10-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120059107 | COATING COMPOSITION - The instant invention is a coating system, a coating composition, a coating layer, a coated substrate, a method for producing a coating composition, a method for forming a coating layer, a method for making a coated substrate, and a method for healing a coated substrate. The coating system according to the present invention comprises (a) one or more natural oil derived polyols having an average of 3 or more hydroxyl groups per molecule, a number average molecular weight in the range of 300 to 3000 Daltons, a T | 03-08-2012 |
20120269977 | TWO-COMPONENT MOISTURE CURABLE COATING COMPOSITIONS - A two-package moisture curable composition is provided. The composition comprises a first part comprising at least one silane terminated polyurethane and a second part comprising at least one silanol terminated polysiloxane; wherein the silane terminated polyurethane based polymer has at least one end group of the general formula: -A-(CH | 10-25-2012 |
20140088219 | MOISTURE CURABLE COMPOSITIONS AND LOW SURFACE ENERGY COATING COMPOSITIONS MADE THEREFROM - A one-package moisture curable composition is provided. The composition comprises, by weight percentage based on the dry weight of the composition, from 10 to 99% at least one silane terminated polyurethane and from 1 to 90% at least one silane terminated polysiloxane; and the composition, after moisture cured, forms a surface whose water contact angle is larger than 101°. The composition is suitable for applications in coatings which afford low surface energy surface and improved mechanical performance, such as marine antifouling coating, anti-icing coating, anti-stain coating, self-cleaning coating, and non-sticky coating. | 03-27-2014 |
20140186621 | SILOXANE-URETHANE FOUL RELEASE COATINGS - A two-part moisture curable coating compositions capable of forming polyurethane-polysiloxane networks is provided. The coating compositions which are useful in marine antifouling coatings provide a two-part moisture curable composition comprising: (a) a first part comprising at least one multifunctional polyol; (b) a second part comprising: (i) at least one polysiloxane polymer with at least two isocyanate or mercapto functional groups and (ii) at least one isocyanate functional organic compound; and (c) solvent. Also provided are methods of coating substrates with the curable composition and articles produced from such coated substrates. | 07-03-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120009220 | Low Antigen-dose Immunization for Maximizing T-helper Cell 1 (Th1) Immunity Against a Pathogen - Disclosed are compositions, kits, and methods for inducing an immune response against disease. The dosage of antigen contained or utilized in the presently disclosed compositions, kits, and methods is substantially lower than dosages conventionally used in the field. The compositions, kits, and methods may be utilized to induce a cell-mediated response, such as a T-helper cell response, and/or a humoral response against a pathogen or a disease. In some embodiments, the compositions, kits, and methods may be utilized to induce preferentially a Th1 response versus other types of immune responses such as a Th2 response. | 01-12-2012 |
20120328644 | Low Antigen-dose Immunization for Maximizing T-helper Cell 1 (Th1) Immunity Against a Pathogen - Disclosed are compositions, kits, and methods for inducing an immune response against disease. The dosage of antigen contained or utilized in the presently disclosed compositions, kits, and methods is substantially lower than dosages conventionally used in the field. The compositions, kits, and methods may be utilized to induce a cell-mediated response, such as a T-helper cell response, and/or a humoral response against a pathogen or a disease. In some embodiments, the compositions, kits, and methods may be utilized to induce preferentially a Th1 response versus other types of immune responses such as a Th2 response. | 12-27-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120179435 | Method For Determining A Power Capability For A Battery - A method for determining a power capability for a battery includes the step of defining at least one equation based on a circuit model for the behavior of the battery. The equation includes a plurality of battery parameters, including a battery current. The value of at least one of the battery parameters is measured, and the battery current is solved-for from the at least one equation. A limiting battery current is defined based at least in part on the battery current. A limiting battery voltage is determined, and the power capability of the battery is determined based on the limiting battery current and the limiting battery voltage. | 07-12-2012 |
20130006454 | Nonlinear Adaptive Observation Approach to Battery State of Charge Estimation - A method of controlling an electric vehicle including an internal combustion engine, a battery having a state of charge (SOC) and an open circuit voltage (OCV), includes establishing a system for estimating battery SOC. The system includes (i) a parameter estimation subsystem including a recursive parameter estimator for identifying battery parameters and (ii) an OCV estimation subsystem including a nonlinear adaptive observer for estimating battery OCV. Estimated battery OCV is related to estimated battery SOC by a mapping. An output is generated based on the estimated battery SOC. | 01-03-2013 |
20130006455 | NONLINEAR OBSERVER FOR BATTERY STATE OF CHARGE ESTIMATION - A method of controlling an electric vehicle including an internal combustion engine, a battery having a state of charge (SOC) and an open circuit voltage (OCV), is provided. The method includes establishing a system for estimating battery SOC. The system includes an OCV estimation subsystem including an adaptive observer for estimating battery OCV. Estimated battery OCV is related to estimated battery SOC by a nonlinear mapping. An output is generated based on the estimated battery SOC. | 01-03-2013 |
20130278223 | Battery Controller with Monitoring Logic for Model-Based Battery Control - A battery controller with monitoring logic for a model-based battery control of a battery performs battery current characterizing, parameter and state variable abnormality detection, and bound checking of error signals between measured and predicted output variables to generate an output. Switching between closed-loop operation (i.e., the model-based battery control) and open-loop operation (i.e., a traditional battery control) is done based on the output of the monitoring logic such that closed-loop stability and performance are reasonably guaranteed. | 10-24-2013 |
20140034741 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REGULATING ENGINE TEMPERATURE - A system and method for operating a device at a desired temperature is described. In one example, current supplied to a heater that melts a wax medium or material controlling flow through a valve is adjusted to reduce valve opening and closing delay. The system and method may improve device temperature control, thereby reducing device emissions, enhancing device performance, and improving device durability. | 02-06-2014 |
20140058595 | ONLINE BATTERY CAPACITY ESTIMATION - An electric vehicle includes a controller configured to estimate battery capacity in accordance with a first state of charge estimation, a charge integration, and a second state of charge estimation. The first and second state of charge estimations are in accordance with time and temperature constraints and are such that the estimated battery capacity has limited uncertainty. The controller is further configured to generate an output based on the estimated battery capacity. | 02-27-2014 |
20140149010 | Environment-Aware Regenerative Braking Energy Calculation Method - A method of operating a vehicle includes implementing regenerative braking of the vehicle using discounted regeneration energy based on physical route conditions and base regenerative braking parameters for the vehicle. | 05-29-2014 |
20140214268 | TEMPERATURE COMPENSATED BATTERY PARAMETER ESTIMATION - A vehicle is provided with a vehicle system having an electric machine and a battery. The electric machine is configured to provide drive torque and the battery supplies power to the electric machine. The vehicle also includes a controller that is configured to generate output indicative of at least one of a battery power capability and a battery state of charge using a filter having a variable EKF gain factor based on battery temperature. | 07-31-2014 |
20140249708 | ONLINE BATTERY CAPACITY ESTIMATION - An electric vehicle includes a controller configured to estimate battery capacity in accordance with a first state of charge estimation, a charge integration, and a second state of charge estimation. The first and second state of charge estimations are in accordance with time and temperature constraints and are such that the estimated battery capacity has limited uncertainty. The controller is further configured to generate an output based on the estimated battery capacity. | 09-04-2014 |
20140266059 | SELECTIVE UPDATING OF BATTERY PARAMETER ESTIMATIONS - A vehicle is provided with an electric machine that is configured to provide drive torque, and a battery for supplying power to the electric machine. The vehicle also includes a controller that is configured to estimate present battery parameters based on input indicative of the power supplied by the battery. The controller is also configured to generate output indicative of battery power capability based on the input and prior battery parameters in response to a rate of change of a component of the power being less than a lower boundary. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277866 | REDUCED CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT LOAD AND MEMORY USAGE BATTERY STATE OF CHARGE CALCULATION - A vehicle having a battery pack with cells grouped into subsets and at least one controller programmed to charge and discharge the battery pack is disclosed. A control output is generated based on a pack state of charge derived from each cell's initial state of charge at vehicle activation and an electric charge accumulated or spent by less than all of the cells of each of the subsets since vehicle activation. A method of estimating battery pack state of charge is disclosed in which a pack state of charge is calculated by identifying subsets of cells having similar properties and calculating an electric charge accumulated or spent for fewer than all of the cells of each subset. A cell state of charge is calculated for all cells based on an average electric charge accumulated or spent. The pack state of charge is based on all the cell states of charge. | 09-18-2014 |
20140361743 | Detection of Imbalance Across Multiple Battery Cells Measured by the Same Voltage Sensor - A vehicle having a battery pack with cells arranged in at least groups of two cells in series is disclosed. A controller balances the cells based on a change in voltage across the cells being different than an expected change in voltage. The expected value is based on a current and a time associated with charging or discharging the cells. A controller is disclosed that commands charging and discharging of the battery cells based on a difference between a voltage across the group and the expected value for the group. A method for charging and discharging a battery pack is disclosed. The voltage across a group of cells is measured and compared to an expected value. An imbalance in a cell attribute is estimated according to a difference between the measured voltage and the expected voltage. The voltage across each battery cell is not required. | 12-11-2014 |
20150064510 | Battery Power Capability Estimation at Vehicle Start - A vehicle is disclosed comprising a battery and a controller. Projected battery impedance parameters are calculated based on predetermined parameter values and historical parameter values generated by a battery parameter estimation model. The values may be weighted according to time data associated with the historical impedance parameter values and a temperature of the battery. Recent historical impedance parameter values may affect the projected battery impedance parameter values more than older historical impedance parameter values. The model is initialized with projected parameter values at vehicle initialization. Battery power capability is calculated using the projected parameter values for a period of time following vehicle initialization. After the period of time following vehicle initialization, battery power capability is calculated using impedance parameters generated by the model. The period of time following vehicle initialization may end when the model output has converged to a stable solution. | 03-05-2015 |
20150066405 | PARAMETER AND STATE LIMITING IN MODEL BASED BATTERY CONTROL - A method of determining battery power capability may include: determining a circuit model for a battery, including a first resistance (r | 03-05-2015 |
20150083079 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SELECTIVE ENGINE STARTING - Systems and methods for starting an engine are described. In one example, engine cranking speed for an engine of a hybrid vehicle is adjusted in response to operating conditions. The engine cranking speed may be reduced when capability of a battery that supplies power to rotate the engine is less than an amount of power to rotate the engine at a higher speed. | 03-26-2015 |