Abstract: A wheel assembly for a vehicle includes a rim having a noise suppression device. The rim includes an outer radial surface that is concentrically disposed about a central axis. A tire is mounted to the rim to define a tire cavity between the outer radial surface of the rim and an interior surface of the tire. The noise suppression device includes a device wall that defines at least one resonator chamber, and includes a plurality of apertures allowing fluid communication between the tire cavity and the resonator chamber, with each of the plurality of apertures defining an opening area between the range of 0.03 mm2 and 0.8 mm2.

Abstract: A wheel assembly for a vehicle and a method of manufacturing the wheel assembly for the vehicle are disclosed. The wheel assembly includes a rim and a tire. The tire includes a distal wall, a first side wall and a second side wall, with the first and second side walls extending from the distal wall and each of the side walls attached to the rim such that the distal wall is spaced from the rim to define an interior cavity between the tire and the rim. The wheel assembly also includes a resonator defining a hole such that the resonator presents an inner wall defining a boundary of the hole. The hole cooperates with the interior cavity. The resonator includes an insert mounted to the inner wall. The insert defines an aperture in fluid communication with the interior cavity for attenuating sound produced inside the interior cavity.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a process that includes selecting accommodations during a travel reservation is described. The method includes receiving, at a software application that manages travel reservations, input that customizes configurable attributes of software travel objects representing accommodations used in transportation of passengers. The method also includes receiving criteria from a customer specifying preferences that affect a passenger's experience during travel, ranking the received criteria so that one or more criterion are preferred, selecting one or more of the accommodations using an optimization function to compare the ranked criteria to the customized configurable attributes, and outputting the selected one or more accommodations for use by the customer in selecting a first accommodation for the passenger.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a process that includes selecting accommodations during a travel reservation is described. The method includes receiving, at a software application that manages travel reservations, input that customizes configurable attributes of software travel objects representing accommodations used in transportation of passengers. The method also includes receiving criteria from a customer specifying preferences that affect a passenger's experience during travel, ranking the received criteria so that one or more criterion are preferred, selecting one or more of the accommodations using an optimization function to compare the ranked criteria to the customized configurable attributes, and outputting the selected one or more accommodations for use by the customer in selecting a first accommodation for the passenger.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for attenuating vibrations in the header of a vehicle to reduce acoustic noise. The apparatus includes a fluid damper configured to be coupled to a header of a vehicle and an accelerometer for sensing vibrations in the header and providing a signal to adjust the fluid damper thereby attenuating the vibrations. A method is provided which includes receiving a signal indicating a vibration in a header of a vehicle and adjusting a fluid damper coupled to the header in response to the signal thereby attenuating the vibration.

Abstract: A tire assembly includes an acoustic foam core disposed within a cavity of the tire for attenuating noise. The foam core defines an expanding radial force that biases the foam core against an inner surface of the tire to secure a position of the foam core relative to the tire. The foam core may include an annular base having a plurality of nodules disposed on an outer periphery of the annular base for engaging the inner surface of the tire and to position the annular base away from the inner surface of the tire. The foam core may further include a plurality of positioning tabs disposed on opposing axial ends of the annular base for engaging side walls of the tire to position the annular base away from the side walls of the tire.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a process that includes defining software travel objects that are configurable to represent a variety of types of accommodations used in transportation of passengers, associating the software travel objects with configurable properties that specify accommodation attributes that affect a passenger's experience during travel, and receiving, through a user interface, information used to customize the configurable properties during run-time of a software application that manages travel reservations for accommodations. The process also includes outputting the customized configurable properties for use by a user in a selection of one or more of the accommodations during a travel reservation.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a process that includes receiving digital accommodation criteria for an accommodation assignment requested for a passenger and accessing accommodation properties that specify characteristics of accommodations offered on a travel conveyance. A first portion of the accommodation properties are base properties and a second portion of the accommodation properties are derivation properties derived from the base properties during execution of a software program configured to access the accommodation properties. The process also includes assigning weights to the accommodation properties based on a comparison between the accommodation properties and the received accommodation criteria.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a process that includes receiving digital accommodation criteria for an accommodation assignment requested for a passenger and accessing accommodation properties that specify characteristics of accommodations offered on a travel conveyance. A first portion of the accommodation properties are base properties and a second portion of the accommodation properties are derivation properties derived from the base properties during execution of a software program configured to access the accommodation properties. The process also includes assigning weights to the accommodation properties based on a comparison between the accommodation properties and the received accommodation criteria.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a process that includes defining software travel objects that are configurable to represent a variety of types of accommodations used in transportation of passengers, associating the software travel objects with configurable properties that specify accommodation attributes that affect a passenger's experience during travel, and receiving, through a user interface, information used to customize the configurable properties during run-time of a software application that manages travel reservations for accommodations. The process also includes outputting the customized configurable properties for use by a user in a selection of one or more of the accommodations during a travel reservation.