Abstract: In a method and the arrangement for operating an electric seat heating apparatus of a vehicle, it is provided, with a view to optimizing the heat-up behavior, that the given heat-up time or temperature, respectively, being reached, the heating power is preset by a microprocessor as a function of a field of characteristic curves or tables stored in a non-volatile memory such that for seats that differ in size, upholstery, and surface quality, the optimally to be supplied heating power or heating time, respectively, is empirically detected as a function of the desired seat temperature on the surface of the seating face or the rear and is stored in the non-volatile memory in the form of curves or tables, that a curve or table is selected from the field of characteristic curves or tables, respectively, by the microprocessor as a function of a coding recorded by the microprocessor, of the respective seat to the heated, and that then the power supply to the respective seat to be actually heated takes place in accor

Abstract: The invention is directed to a receiver for receiving information transmitted without the use of wires, in particular by infrared light signals. The information is transmitted by a battery-operated transmitter provided with a display unit which delivers an appropriate signal depending on the completeness of the information (FIG. 1).

Abstract: An arrangement monitors a consumer in combination with an internal combustion engine or motor vehicle especially for monitoring an electric drive which is driven by an output stage in the form of a bridge circuit. Potentials are compared in the area of the consumer or of the output stage to pregiven threshold values derived from the normal operation. From this comparison, an alarm signal is generated in a time-delayed manner with the time delay being dependent upon the magnitude of the drive signal.

Abstract: The method of controlling the modulation pressure in an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle engine includes determining which of n types of engines is being controlled, converting a digitized measured engine load value to one of eight scaled binary values, converting a digitized measured engine speed value signal to one of 32 scaled binary values, combining the scaled binary values of both engine speed and load into an address word for addressing one of n.times.256 storage locations of a data storage device containing reference control data, addressing the storage location corresponding to the address word and transferring the contents of the storage location so addressed to a microprocessor, which generates a current controlling a modulation pressure valve connected to the transmission according to the predetermined engine speed and load dependent data.

Abstract: An electrical switching and control device comprising a plurality of heat-emitting electronic components arranged on a hybrid plate, and a plurality of plug-in contacts having surface areas contacting a surface area of the hybrid plate for dissipating heat from the electronic components, and end portions directly connected with connection elements of the hybrid plate.

Abstract: A microcomputer (10) in a motor vehicle is supplied with regulated operating voltage through a regulator (12) and a semiconductor (11) for the microcomputer is supplied with voltage from the same vehicle battery, through a voltage divider including a Zener diode, for its chip-select input (CSA) which feeds in through a Schmitt trigger circuit such as to enable writing into the memory (11) when the voltage at that chip-select input lies between upper and lower threshold values. Capacitances connected in parallel to ground where these voltages are respectively connected to the microcomputer and semiconductor memory are so dimensioned that any data statement transfer, begun before the longest delay the microcomputer might have in detecting the voltage drop-off, can be completed in the semiconductor memory before its chip-select input disables any further writing in. In order to keep the stabilizing capacitor (C.sub.

Abstract: An electrical switching device includes a hermetically sealed housing enclosing at least one power switching component mounted on a cooling plate and a plurality of connector parts which are guided out of the housing. In order to eliminate heat generated by the switching component, portions of the connector parts within the housing are embedded in a heat conducting, electrically insulating material which is in contact with the cooling plate such that the heat is abducted via the cooling plate, the heat conducting material and the connector parts by a heat conducting and electrically insulating foil.

Abstract: A modular, space-saving vehicle data acquisition and dashboard display system, comprising analog and/or digital sensors (30, 31, 32) connected to a central control logic (14) which is in turn connected over a single digital data line to a plurality of control modules (26) including microprocessors (28) and connected to individual display elements (29) such as liquid-crystal displays. The system includes a travel data read-out (21) which can be interrogated using a keyboard (27).

Abstract: To provide for optical indication of output values relating to the operating conditions, or other parameters for display on the dashboard of a display panel, for example on automotive vehicles, a display panel (10) has a plurality of indicating blocks (15a . . . 15k) distributed thereover. A logic circuit, for example provided by a micro-processor (12) supplies data over data busses (21, 41) to the respective indicating blocks, which can be connected in series (FIGS. 2, 4) or in parallel (FIGS. 5-7). The logic circuit is connected through suitable connecting lines (13) with sensor inputs, providing ambiant, or operation or operating data. The logic circuit, additionally, generates data of its own, for example time outputs.

Abstract: To provide operating energy to an ignition instant control circuit, for example a microprocessor (22) which controls operation of a semiconductor switching stage (20) without detracting from the energy output of the magneto coil (14), the energy in the voltage half-wave (negative) which does not supply ignition energy is used to charge a storage capacitor (24) to a charging network (25, 26), with a limit being determined by a Zener diode (29); the ignition instant is calculated by the control circuit, typically a microprocessor (22), which receives operating energy from across the capacitor, and a control input at a control terminal (30) which is connected to an insulated gate semiconductor switch, typically an MOS-FET (31) having its drain (D) connected to the control terminal (30) of the microprocessor and through a coupling capacitor to the output terminal (24a) of the energy supply circuit; its source (S) connected to that one of the ignition winding terminals (14a) which is common to the energy supply ci

Abstract: To provide for uniform timing of program control cycles in which different control cycles have different cycling time, the control cycles being connected in parallel to a program control arrangement, timing elements are connected in the respective signal paths controlling the respective cycles and adding time increments to the signals coursing in the respective paths between the input and the output to at least approximate the coursing time of all signal paths to a uniform time duration; if the coursing time periods of the signals through the respective paths do not differ substantially, a fixed delay can be added to all the coursing times so that the percentage variation between the coursing time of different cycles, considering the overall time, is small.

Abstract: To eliminate separate clock, control, and acknowledgment communication lines in a ring-connected remote-control operating system, for example a system applied to a vehicle in which switches (29) or command signals derived from a central station (10) generate code signals to which receivers (11, 12) are responsive to carry out commands, such as energization of a relay (18), a lamp (17), a motor (16, 20) or the like, or cause retransmission to the central station of a sensed operating signal, for example fuel level, for display on a display unit (28), only a single communication line (8), preferably in form of a light guide (15), is provided coupled to the central station (10) and to the respective receivers. The coding is effected by applying to the single line (15) cyclical pulse sequences.

Abstract: The current consumption of a microprocessor is decreased by a switch which connects it to the electrical supply only when a control signal is received which indicates that the microprocessor is to execute a program. Specifically, an electronic switch such as a transistor is switched to the nonconductive state unless a control signal is received. For programs whose execution time is greater than the duration of the control signal, the microprocessor supplies a signal to the switch keeping it in the conductive state until the program has been fully executed.

Abstract: In order to mount the control circuit for the ignition system at a location remote from the spark plug and ignition coil, i.e. at a location not subject to electromagnetic or electrical interference, photoconductors are used to interconnect the control circuit with the final output stage. Photoconductors are also used to interconnect the basic synchronization unit, that is the unit which furnishes a pulse for each rotation of a shaft of the engine, to the input of the control circuit. A theft prevention device is also incorporated. Specifically, the control circuit compares a sequence stored in a microprocessor to the on/off pattern of a received light pulse sequence. The latter is applied from a light emitter through a convex lens and a photoconductor to a second input of the control unit. Only if the stored pattern corresponds to the received light pattern can control signals initiating a spark be generated.

Abstract: In an ignition system for an internal combustion engine, a digital system for computing the timing advance is provided. Constants approximating the curve of timing advance v. engine speed are stored in a microprocessor. The positive half waves of primary current in the magneto generate the ignition energy and also generate a reference signal for controlling the actual ignition time. The sequence of reference signals is also used to generate a digital value indicative of engine speed. The latter is used to address the read only memory in which the constants for approximating the timing advance curve are stored. After each reference signal, the value read out from the read only memory is counted down by a counter. When the counter reaches the value of zero, ignition is started.

Abstract: In an ignition system for internal combustion engines, reference mark signals are furnished during the rotation of a shaft of an engine. These signals are also used to compute engine speed. The microcomputer contains a storage (ROM) in which the constants required to approximate one or at the most two characteristic curves of ignition timing advance angle v. engine speed are stored. Interpolation between the one stored curve and a fixed ignition timing angle or by interpolation between the two stored characteristic curves, a family of other characteristic curves can be generated without requiring any further storage locations. The values required for the other characteristic curves are arrived at by interpolation and, preferably, by division or multiplication by factors of 2 which are accomplished by shifting numbers in a register. After the required values have been computed, they are counted down in a counter which, when it reaches a reference value causes the ignition timing signal to be generated.

Abstract: Clock pulses are counted to provide a count indicative of speed in a counter that is reset with every revolution of a reference mark. The difference between successive counts is multiplied by a fractional factor, which is not necessarily the same for acceleration and deceleration, then added algebraically to the current count value. The acceleration-corrected speed value is then multiplied by a parameter-dependent digital value obtained from a summing circuit to which various engine condition parameters are supplied and the output of the last-mentioned multiplier is supplied to a comparator to which the current count of clock pulses beginning with the reference mark passage is compared. When the comparator finds the match, spark ignition takes place. Another counter counts the clock pulses following each reference mark for sequencing multiplexers that enable some components to serve in more than one operation, in effect controlling the flow of digital values around various loops in the circuit.

Abstract: A disk mounted on a rotating shaft of an internal combustion engine has a signal generating segment which causes generation of a pickup signal having a leading and a trailing edge. The two different edges control different processes, as for example ignition processes of different ignition coils, fuel injection processes, or ignition processes during normal and starting operation. A basic counting value is counted down between two sequential edge signals in a counter. This is a speed-dependent value from which different countdown values for the next cycle are computed. To allow adjustment of the angle at which one process takes place without simultaneous adjustment of the angle at which the other process takes place, one or both of the edges of the segment from which the control signals are derived have slanted portions, so that movement of the pickup relative to the slanted portions will effectively cause a change in the angle at which a process is initiated.

Abstract: A microprocessor has a first and second set of output terminals, the second set also being utilized as input terminals. A matrix is provided which has a first set of lines connected to the first set of output terminals and a second set of lines connected to the second set of output terminals. A switch-diode combination is connected at selected points of intersection of the two sets of lines. For data input, each input signal to be entered into the microprocessor is applied to close a respective one of the switches. Lines connected to the first set of terminals are then interrogated individually, by application of an "O" signal on the line. This is transferred to the corresponding one of the second set of lines only when the associated switch is closed. The so-transferred "O" signals are stored in a register in the microprocessor which is assigned to the interrogated line. For data output, all lines connected to the first set of outputs carry a "1" signal.

Abstract: In order to permit alternate transfer of different sets of data to a microprocessor over the same input/output lines, a coupling-decoupling circuit includes series-connected diodes and inverters. The input/output lines are coupled to a diode matrix which is scanned line-by-line and determines the transfer of a set of primary data in a first time interval during which the admission of supplementary data from secondary data lines is blocked. In a second time interval, the rows of the diode matrix are all placed in the same logical state while the supplementary data is admitted by the coupling-decoupling circuit to the same input/output lines which received the primary data.