Abstract: In an automotive vehicle, a shift in speed position is suppressed by increasing a hysteresis amount in vehicle speed between an shift-up vehicle speed and a shift-down vehicle speed when a periodic variation in engine output is effected under the control of a slip control unit, or by inhibiting a downshift for a predetermined length of time during the periodic variation in engine output effected under the control of the slip control unit.

Abstract: A user accessible electornic fuel injection system is disclosed which is modifiable to fit a range of engine configurations, preferably with a staged fuel injection curve and with the capability of recording speed, fuel delivery rate and other engine performance parameters. The system includes computer software which directly controls the fuel injection hardware in an automobile. This software contains a serial communication routine which services the external requests of a control program running on a personal computer, plus engine management software which controls timing functions based on engine related information.

Abstract: Apparatus and an associated method are described for an aircraft for providing an auto-changeover procedure from a calibrated airspeed control parameter to a Mach number control parameter when the aircraft is ascending; and, from a Mach number control parameter to a calibrated airspeed parameter when the aircraft is descending. The auto-changeover procedure is responsive to application of preselected calibrated airspeed and Mach number parameters. The data processing unit of the aircraft provides a continually updated prediction of the target parameter that would result should the aircraft execute the auto-changeover under the currently existing conditions. When the predicted value and the preselected value are equal, the changeover procedure is invoked, reducing the transients resulting from overshoot of the target parameter value. Provision is made for the circumstance wherein the changeover is determined by an altitude rather than a target parameter.

Abstract: An improved control system and method for an automatic mechanical transmission system (10) having an operator selectable (44A) cruise control mode of operation is provided. In the cruise control mode of operation, if fueling to the engine is at approximately 100% of full throttle, the cruise control speed error (SE) exceeds a speed error reference (REF-SE) and a time derivative of output shaft speed (dOS/dt) is less than a first reference value REF-1), which reference value has a negative value, then shift decisions will be based on enhanced performance shift profile (E-F-G, U-V-W) similar to "kick-down" shift profiles.

Abstract: A method for generating a stimulus signal for conducting frequency response function calculations maximizes the overall dynamic range of the calculations possible by balancing the requirements for dynamic range between the input channels of a Fourier analyzer used for monitoring the input and output of the system under analysis. A preferred version of the method includes the steps of estimating the frequency response function of the system under analysis, inverting the estimated frequency response function, taking the square root of the inverted estimated frequency response function, randomizing the phase of the inverse square-root estimated frequency response function, converting the phase-randomized inverse square-root estimated frequency response function to a time domain test signal, scaling the time domain test signal as necessary to produce the stimulus signal for conducting frequency response function calculations.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for inspecting electrical wire (10) is provided. A wire respooling machine (22) advances the electrical wire (10) from a take-off spool (12) to a take-up spool (14). An encoder (24) senses the rotation of the calibrated wheel (15) that is rotated by the electrical wire (10) and produces encoded wire length data. A splice detector (20) senses splices and insulation flaws in the wire (10) and produces a pulse for each detected splice and flaw. A controller (26) receives the encoded wire length data and detected splice and flaw pulses and produces splice and flaw location data representing the locations of the detected splices and flaws relative to the leading end of the wire (10). The controller (26) generates report data that includes said wire length data and said splice and flaw location data. A printer (28) prints the report data in a hard copy format.

Abstract: In a drive system including a torque split type multi-cylinder internal combustion engine and an automatic transmission, the magnitude of line pressure for shifting operation is varied in accordance with the number of cylinders disabled by fuel-cut during the shifting operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of compensating time delay of measured data in an electric control unit for an automobile which has a measuring unit for measuring a data value representing at least one state of a controllable device mounted on the automobile and an operation processing unit for calculating at least one control value to be applied to the controllable device on the basis of output data values of the measuring means. Successive output data values of the measuring unit are stored in a memory unit. An estimation value representing the one state of the controllable device at a future time point is calculated at a current time point on the basis of an output data value of the measuring unit at a current time point and at least one output data value previously stored in the memory unit. The operation processing unit calculates the control value on the basis of the estimation value to thereby compensate for a data delay for the measuring unit.

Abstract: The control apparatus eliminates the adverse effects upon a moving vehicle caused by interference between two control operations taking place at the same time. For example, the control of torque applied to the wheels simultaneously subjected to wheel slip control can cause competing contradictory instructions to be issued to control the rotation of the wheel. When a wheel undergoing slip control is instructed by the torque split control to increase torque, the torque split control is cancelled. When the torque split control decreases the torque applied to a wheel and the wheel continues to slip, the wheel is subjected to slip control and the torque applied is reduced to prevent slip. When a wheel undergoing slip control has increased torque applied, the slip of the wheel is monitored and the torque is reudced to bring the slip below a predetermined limit.

Abstract: Vehicle parameters are sensed at each of a plurality of engine speeds and are used to calculate different type vehicle performance signals, which are displayed together in a rectangular coordinate system having an engine speed axis and axes perpendicular thereto, one for each different type of vehicle performance signal, each performance signal being displayed in alphanumeric characters and connected with line segments, to identify the type of performance signal.