Abstract: A damper assembly is provided including a linear to rotary motion conversion mechanism having an outer tube member. An inner tube member is reciprocally movable and at least partially disposed within the outer tube member. The inner tube member is adapted for linear translation in a first and a second direction. A rotatable shaft is disposed within the inner tube member. The translation of the inner tube member produces a rotation of the shaft. Also included within the damper assembly is a damping mechanism having a rotor fixed to the shaft. A coil is configured to generate an electromagnetic field in response to an applied current. A magneto-rheological fluid is in contact with the rotor, and has a variable viscosity in the presence of the electromagnetic field that, in turn, provides variable resistance to rotation of the rotor and translation of the inner tube member within the outer tube member.

Abstract: A magneto-rheological coupling (MRC) is provided having an input assembly operable to receive a torque input and an output member operable to selectively transmit torque to a driveshaft. A magneto-rheological fluid, or MRF, having a variable viscosity in response to a magnetic flux field is operable to vary the torque transmitted from the input assembly to the output member. At least one annular lip forming a magneto-rheological fluid retention pocket is provided on at least one of the input assembly and the output member of the MRC. The annular lip is operable to direct MRF away from a roller bearing, thereby reducing the likelihood of MRF fluid incursion within the roller bearing. Additionally, a labyrinth seal may be employed to provide additional protection to the bearing. The labyrinth seal may have an annular bushing disposed therein to reduce the clearances of the labyrinth seal.

Abstract: A magneto-rheological coupling (MRC) having an input assembly and an output member. The output member includes a generally cylindrical drum portion and a hub portion extending radially inwardly therefrom. The generally cylindrical drum portion has a low magnetically permeable region having a plurality of passages defined therein. Additionally, a plurality of apertures are defined by the hub portion. The plurality of passages and apertures enhance the flow of magneto-rheological fluid (MRF) within the MRC. The drum portion has a surface treatment of tungsten-carbide to enhance wear resistance. Additionally, the drum portion has an average roughness, or Ra value, of between 10 and 250 microns.

Abstract: A method of controlling a magneto-rheological power steering coupling is provided. The method is to be employed by a controller and is initiated upon engine start-up. The method includes initializing calibration parameters and reading a plurality of input values. Subsequently, a hand wheel angle rate value is calculated from one of said plurality of input values. A pump speed command value is calculated as a function of at least the hand wheel angle rate value. A pump speed error value is then calculated, and a proportional-integral-derivative calculation is performed acting on the pump speed error value to determine a pulse width modulation duty cycle value. The duty cycle value is then output to a power driver to provide a control signal to the magneto-rheological power steering coupling. Also provided is control system and apparatus operable to perform the functions described hereinabove.

Abstract: Systems, methods and devices are described for controlling a vehicle electrical generator. A regulator for controlling a generator in response to an input signal received from a control module suitably includes a discriminator module, a processing module and a switching circuit. The discriminator determines whether the regulator is operating in voltage or torque control mode. If the input signal is a voltage control, the output generator produces a modulation signal to produce a desired voltage between two battery terminals. If the input signal is a torque control, the output generator produces one or more modulation signals (e.g. pulse width modulation signals) to control the torque of the generator. The modulation signals are applied across a field coil or other controllable element of the generator by a switching circuit that applies positive and/or negative voltage from the battery terminals as appropriate.

Abstract: A microprocessor capable of predicting program branches includes a fetching unit, a branch prediction unit, and a decode unit. The fetching unit is configured to retrieve program instructions, including macro branch instructions. The branch prediction unit is configured to receive the program instructions from the fetching unit, analyze the program instructions to identify the macro branch instructions, determine a first branch prediction for each of the macro branch instructions, and direct the fetching unit to retrieve the program instructions in an order corresponding to the first branch predictions.

Abstract: A microprocessor capable of renaming a numeric register and a segment register includes a plurality of general registers and a data dependency unit. The data dependency unit is configured to receive instructions to be executed, wherein the instructions include accessing the numeric register and accessing the segment register. The data dependency unit renames the numeric register as one of the plurality of general registers for each of the instructions accessing said numeric register, renames the segment register as one of the plurality of general registers for each of the instructions accessing the segment register, and generates a dependency vector for each of the instructions. The microprocessor may include a scheduler configured to receive the instructions and dependency vector and schedule the instructions for execution based on the dependency vector, and an execution engine adapted to receive the instructions from the scheduler and execute the instructions.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining the length of an instruction being processed by a computer system when instructions vary in length and appear sequentially in an instruction stream without differentiation between instructions including apparatus for providing an end bit for each predesignated length of an instruction to indicate that the instruction ends at that point in its length, apparatus for setting the end bit at the particular predesignated length of the instruction which is the actual end of the instruction, a first channel for processing a first instruction in sequence, a second channel for processing an instruction next following the first instruction, and apparatus for looking at the end bits of an instruction being processed by the first channel to determine the end point of that instruction and the beginning of the next instruction from the stream of instructions.

Abstract: The specification discloses a method and apparatus for determining the length of variable-length instructions that appear sequentially in an instruction stream without differentiation. The apparatus may be used to facilitate parallel processing of such variable-length instructions by a computer system.