Abstract: A diffractive head up display device that includes a projection unit that uses a display to project an image through a projection window of an image mask, and towards a diffractive combiner. The display and the mask are moveable at right angles to the axis of the projection light beam, so that the adjustment of the position of the virtual image in the field of view of the observer, for example the driver of a vehicle, is obtained by translation of the display and of the mask.

Abstract: A vehicle lane departure warning system and method are provided having a trailer mode. The system includes an imager capturing images of a roadway forward of a vehicle and an input receiving a towing signal indicative of whether the vehicle is towing a trailer. The system also includes a processor for processing the captured images and determining whether the vehicle or trailer is expected to be departing from a lane on the roadway based on the captured images and a threshold width value. The processor selects the threshold width value based on the input towing signal such that an enhanced threshold width value is employed when the vehicle is towing a trailer. An output is provided for outputting a lane departure warning signal based on the processed images and selected threshold width value.

Abstract: A control methodology for a two-stage PWM DC-DC conversion system, with transformer-isolation, in which the converter circuit input voltage is compared to a set voltage calibrated as a function of the desired output voltage and the maximum voltage conversion ratio provided by the second-stage converter. When the input voltage is above the set voltage, the second-stage converter is controlled to provide both output voltage regulation during normal operation and output current limiting during over-current conditions. However, when the input voltage is below the set voltage, the first-stage converter is controlled to provide output voltage regulation with minor output current limiting, and the second-stage converter is controlled to provide extended output current limiting independent of the input voltage.

Abstract: A transmission clutch position sensor includes two Hall sensors located at opposite ends of a flux concentrator outside the casing of the transmission to sense a magnetic field generated by a magnet attached to the clutch piston. To reduce sensitivity to magnet-to-sensor gap tolerances, a ratio of the voltage of one Hall sensor to the sum of the voltages from both Hall sensors is used to correlate to the piston and, hence, clutch position.

Abstract: A dual view display system that includes a display device and a first louver device. The display device is configured to display a first image at a display location to a first person at a first location and display a second image at the display location to a second person at a second location. The first louver device configured to substantially restrict a first field of view of the first image to the first person. The system may also include a second louver device configured to substantially restrict a second field of view of the second image to the second person. Such an arrangement restricts the fields of view so that, for example, a vehicle driver can not lean over and view something intended only for a vehicle passenger, such as a movie.

Abstract: A printed circuit board supported over the top surface of a multi-cell battery module for battery cell voltage and temperature monitoring has an array of openings in alignment with selected battery cells for receiving temperature-sensing units that electrically couple with contacts formed on the printed circuit board and resiliently engage the cases of the selected battery cells. Each such temperature-sensing unit includes a printed circuit board mountable lamp socket and a lamp socket insert including a thermistor and a compressible element that maintains the thermistor in thermal proximity to the battery cell case when the temperature-sensing unit is installed in a respective printed circuit board opening.

Abstract: A dual view or two-sided display system to display two different images in substantially opposite direction using a single transparent display to time-multiplex the images and two shutter devices to alternately block each side from being viewed according to the image being displayed. The system includes reflective devices between each side of the transparent display and the two shutter devices so light can be reflected from one side of the transparent display to the other side of the transparent display in order to supplement the light intensity of the image being displayed.

Abstract: A system and method to display a plurality of different images at multiple distinct locations using a single image projector and an image propagation control means to control a propagation pathway from the projector to a display at each location.

Abstract: A variable displacement compressor with a discharge pressure compensated suction shutoff valve (SSV). The SSV prevents noise generated at low refrigerant flow rates by a suction valve from propagating out of the compressor and to an air conditioner evaporator by variably restricting a fluid communication with the suction valve. The SSV is configured so the variable restriction is increased correspondingly with the discharge pressure if the discharge pressure is less than a threshold that is an indicator of low refrigerant flow rates, and the restriction is decreased if the discharge pressure is greater than the threshold.

Abstract: A vehicle entertainment system and method that alternately configures an input of the entertainment system as a differential input that is decoupled from a ground point, or as ground referenced input that is coupled to a ground point. A noise detector determines a noise signal value for a ground switch module that alternately changes a switch state between a coupled state that couples the common connection to the ground point, and a decoupled state that decouples the common connection from the ground point, based upon the noise signal value being greater than a threshold.

Abstract: A vehicle pre-impact sensing system is provided that includes an array of energy signal transmitters mounted on a vehicle for transmitting signals within multiple transmit zones spaced from the vehicle and an array of receiver elements mounted on the vehicle for receiving signals reflected from an object located in one or more multiple receive zones indicative of the object being in certain one or more zones. A processor processes the received reflected signals and determines range, location, speed and direction of the object, determines whether the object is expected to impact the vehicle as a function of the determined range, location, speed and direction of the object, and generates an output signal indicative of a pre-impact event. The system may detect one or more features of a target object, such as a front end of a vehicle. Additionally, the system may modulate the transmit beams. Further, the system may perform a terrain normalization to remove stationary items.

Abstract: An occupant detection system includes an electrode in communication with a detector circuit that detects the impedance of the electrode and compensates for environmental conditions, such as humidity or moisture, based on the impedance measurement. Such environmental conditions may interfere with the occupant detection system's ability to detect the presence and/or size of an occupant. Typically, environmental conditions change the impedance of the electrode. The impedance is determined by measuring a frequency response of the electrode. The measured frequency response is compared to predetermined frequency response values that correspond to known environmental conditions. The environmental condition may be detected by matching the peak frequency response or average frequency response to in a lookup table.

Abstract: A compact disc player and a method and an article of manufacture for controlling ejection of a compact disc are provided. The compact disc player includes a temperature sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a temperature of the compact disc player utilizing a temperature sensor. The compact disc player further includes a controller operably communicating with the temperature sensor. The controller is configured to determine an ejection time interval value based on the signal. The controller is further configured to energize a motor coupled to a drive mechanism for a time internal corresponding to the ejection time interval value to induce the drive mechanism to move a compact disc to a predetermined position outwardly from a housing.

Abstract: An occupant detection system with noise reduction, a controller having noise reduction for an occupant detection system and a method for reducing noise in an occupant detection system. A high order digital filter is used to filter harmonics of a noise signal from an electrode signal used to determine an occupant presence or absence of the occupant. A way of sampling the electrode signal and the implementation of the high order digital filter cooperate such that the signal processing can be performed by a lower cost general purpose microprocessor as opposed to using a higher cost digital signal processor.

Abstract: A test apparatus and method are provided for testing interoperability of a first device to communicate with a second device via wireless communication. The test apparatus includes a wireless interface configured to interface via wireless communication with devices. The test apparatus also includes a processor, memory and logic stored in memory and executed by the processor. The logic causes the test apparatus to sequence through a plurality of wireless communication actions to communicate with a first device, monitor behavior of the first device during the actions, and store characteristics of the monitored behavior in memory so that the test apparatus may be used to emulate the first device when wirelessly communicating with a second device.

Abstract: A capacitor exhibiting a benign failure mode has a first electrode layer, a first ceramic dielectric layer deposited on a surface of the first electrode, and a second electrode layer disposed on the ceramic dielectric layer, wherein selected areas of the ceramic dielectric layer have additional dielectric material of sufficient thickness to exhibit a higher dielectric breakdown voltage than the remaining majority of the dielectric layer. The added thickness of the dielectric layer in selected areas allows lead connections to be made at the selected areas of greater dielectric thickness while substantially eliminating a risk of dielectric breakdown and failure at the lead connections, whereby the benign failure mode is preserved.

Abstract: A technique of realizing a termination circuit using coupled resonators in stripline configuration of a circuit presented. The circuit absorbs RF energy incident on its input over a frequency band of interest, and dissipates it in to the dielectric substrate, thereby acting like an effective termination in the frequency band. The resonant elements may be constructed in edge-coupled or broad-side coupled stripline configuration. The technique may be extended to build microstrip line termination with edge-coupled resonators. The technique may further be extended to realize attenuators over a narrow band.

Abstract: A safety belt warning system for vehicles comprises a sensor mat for the detection of a force acting on its surface, which includes, for the formation of two electrical capacitors, two dielectric layers which are located one above the other in sandwich fashion and arranged in each case between electrically conductive coats, and which have different compressibility at least in the direction of loading due to force, so that the capacitances of the two capacitors vary differently with a load on the sensor mat.

Abstract: Bright spots imaged by a forward-looking monochrome video camera during night-time operation of a host vehicle are detected and classified to determine the presence of leading and on-coming vehicles. A specified region-of-interest in each image frame is globally scanned to adaptively detect the bright spot contours, and search windows bounding the larger bright spot contours are locally scanned to adaptively detect individual bright spot contours that were fused in the global scan. A sensitive area within the region-of-interest is locally scanned to adaptively detect dim taillights of a leading vehicle, and path prediction of the host vehicle is used for frame-to-frame tracking of detected spots. Detected spots are classified depending on their location and frame-to-frame movement within the region-of-interest and their glare and pairing characteristics.

Abstract: A telematics system and method is provided, wherein the telematics system includes a processor having a core, a cell in communication with the core, and an applications processor in communication with the mobile processor. The system further includes at least one communication channel in communication between the mobile processor and the applications processor, wherein the mobile processor and the applications processor communicate data over the at least one communication channel during normal operation of a telematics system, and the mobile processor and applications processor communicate data over the at least one communication channel when the telematics system is at least one of being developed and manufactured.