Abstract: A motor driven power door control system for a vehicle door includes a door position sensor that generates a door position signal for each predetermined distance of door movement so that the period of the door position signal is a measure of door speed. The motor control voltage is variably controlled to a controlled value to establish the door speed at a desired speed value. A door position signal period stall time is determined that is a predetermined function of the controlled value of the motor control voltage so that the stall time is adapted to the motor torque. An obstructive load is indicated when the period of the door position signal exceeds the stall time.

Abstract: A water cooling system for a locomotive engine that enables the engine to operate at a maximum power level that generates a maximum permissible engine cooling water temperature corresponding to a particular ambient air temperature. The water cooling system can be either an open-loop or a closed-loop controlled system. In the open-loop control system, an ambient air temperature sensor measures the ambient air temperature. When the ambient air temperature exceeds a predetermined value, a signal from the temperature sensor to a signal processor automatically causes the engine power to derate in accordance with the temperature such that the heat generated by the engine maintains the water temperature of the cooling water constant. An ambient pressure sensor senses ambient pressure such that a correction factor is supplied to correct for cooling losses at higher altitude.

Abstract: An electric braking system controls the vehicle brake torque based on the pressure applied by the vehicle operator to the vehicle brake pedal and a moving vehicle brake system gain to provide normal power assisted braking while the vehicle is moving. The deviation of the vehicle braking condition from a level incline and lowest vehicle weight (LVW) is determined based upon a determined percent difference between the actual vehicle deceleration while the vehicle is being braked to a stop and an expected deceleration that would result from the total brake torque, a level road surface, and the vehicle weight at LVW. The expected deceleration is determined by determining the total vehicle brake torque represented by the sum of the brake torques applied by the individual wheel brakes and dividing by the LVW of the vehicle.

Abstract: An electrically controlled fluid displacement piston positioned in a bore modulates braking pressure at a wheel brake for antilock controlled braking by modulating the position of the piston in the bore. At a fully extended home position, a check valve is unseated by the piston to hydraulically couple the brake system master cylinder to the wheel brake. To minimize the occurrences of the condition where the check valve is opened during ABS controlled braking, the piston is initialized prior to entry into antilock controlled braking at a position away from the check valve resulting in a greater volume of fluid being trapped upon entry into antilock controlled braking when a hydraulic passage in parallel with the check valve is closed in response to a detected incipient wheel lock condition. This permits the antilock brake system to apply a controlled brake pressure greater than the pressure initially trapped in the closed system.

Abstract: A vehicle accelerometer measures vehicle acceleration and provides acceleration data subject to contamination by noise signals. The acceleration data is filtered by a filter. A predetermined function of the noise level in the acceleration data is compared with the filter error which is the difference between raw acceleration data and the filtered value of acceleration. When the filter error is less than the noise level, the filter time constant is set to establish a low cutoff frequency so that the filter rejects the noise like a conventional low pass filter. When the filter error becomes greater than the predetermined function of the noise level, the filter time constant is set to establish a higher cutoff frequency so that the filtered value of acceleration converges to the ideal value faster than would occur with the filter having the lower cutoff frequency.

Abstract: The profile of a tool or other object having a flat reference plane is illuminated by interfering beams of coherent light to generate a striped light pattern which at any point deviates from straight lines as a function of the surface spacing from the reference plane. A camera image of the pattern taken at an angle to the beams is processed by an image analysis program which converts the stripes to lines corresponding to light peaks and valleys of the pattern. Tool wear or object profile is determined from the deviation of lines from straight reference lines. The program includes algorithms for identifying peak and valley line segments, determining the segments which are neighbors of other segments, and connecting lines according to a set of rules and constraints which use the data on neighbor segments and the proximity of segment end points.

Abstract: A motor is controlled to regulate the speed of a vehicle sliding door whose movement and speed are monitored. The motor control voltage is incrementally adjusted in direction to reduce a sensed speed error only if the door has moved a required distance while the door speed has been continuously outside of the desired speed range since the last incremental adjustment to the control voltage.

Abstract: A fuel vapor canister is purged by admitting fuel vapor from the canister to the vehicle engine under control of a solenoid valve, the duty cycle of the valve being controlled to optimize the purge rate. Closed loop fuel correction and block learn fuel correction factors developed by the fuel control system are used to update a learned purge duty cycle which is stored in a keep-alive memory.

Abstract: Engine combustion malfunctions are detected and the responsible cylinder identified by an approach appropriate to the engine operating point by monitoring change in engine speed in a manner insensitive to engine output shaft tooth-to-tooth spacing variations, substantially linear changes in engine speed, and driveline ringing, such as from rough roads or a previously detected misfire. Multiple misfires may be detected in a single engine cycle.

Abstract: A gas vapor sensor indicates the relative concentrations and flow rate of a gas mixture. Acoustic noise is generated within a closed chamber by the gas mixture flowing therethrough or by ambient noise sources. The chamber has a fundamental resonant frequency which varies with the vapor concentration. Acoustic frequency components of the noise corresponding to the resonant frequency of the chamber are sharply reinforced and dominate the acoustic spectrum within the chamber. The spectrum is detected and frequency filtered by a pair of dissimilar parallel filters to produce two attenuated outputs. The difference between the attenuated outputs indicates the resonant frequency and is a measure of the vapor concentration. The strength of the acoustic spectrum together with the measured vapor concentration indicates the flow rate of the mixture.

Abstract: Closed-loop control of current through a load through pulse-width modulated application of a substantially constant supply voltage across the load, wherein a duty cycle turn-on time is adjusted according to the result of a comparison between a commanded minimum current level and a sensed minimum current through the load during a cycle.

Abstract: The absolute angular position of an internal combustion engine is determined by monitoring engine intake manifold pressure at a strategic position in the manifold affected most significantly by the intake event of a predetermined cylinder. A significant or maximum depression in manifold pressure over each engine cycle then is indicative of the intake stroke of the predetermined cylinder.

Abstract: A multi-phased electrically commutated brushless DC motor driven brake pressure modulator includes a pressure actuator the position of which is controlled by the motor to establish the desired brake pressure. The movement of the actuator is determined by monitoring the motor rotation as represented by the output of the rotor position sensors used in commutation of the motor windings. The position of the actuator is represented by a counter value which is incremented or decremented in response to the output of the rotor position sensors and the direction of motor rotation. The counter value is related to the actuator position by presetting the counter value when the actuator in a known position such as a mechanical limit position. The known position is established by causing the motor to rotate in a direction to position the actuator toward the limit position until further outputs of the rotor position sensor are not sensed indicating the actuator is at its mechanical limit position.

Abstract: The onset of an excessive slip condition in a slip controller is determined so that it is adaptable to the actual drive torque conditions between the driven wheel and the road surface so as to achieve the desired acceleration or braking characteristics for all vehicle driving conditions including while the vehicle is traveling on a curved road surface. At low vehicle speeds, slip control is enabled when the value of a predetermined function of the difference in speeds of the driven and undriven wheels exceeds a threshold that is a function of the vehicle turn radius and at high vehicle speeds when the value of a predetermined function of a wheel slip ratio exceeds the threshold that is a function of the vehicle turn radius. The vehicle speed below which slip control is enabled based on a wheel speed function and above which traction control is enabled based on the wheel slip function increases with an increasing vehicle steering angle.

Abstract: An antilock brake control system having independently controlled left and right brakes has a control program effective at the onset of antilock operation for sensing when the vehicle is braking on a split coefficient surface and for preventing excessive yaw rate by assessing the yaw rate tendency, and when the tendency is excessive, dumping the pressure on the high coefficient side wheel and forcing that wheel into antilock modulation, thereby initializing the system to contain the yaw rate to an acceptable value.

Abstract: A vehicle antilock brake system provides an adaptive apply bump period at the beginning of the apply phase of a antilock brake pressure cycle that provides rapid recovery of the correct amount of pressure for all braking conditions. The apply bump period is established based upon the wheel acceleration and the peak acceleration attained by the wheel during recovery from an incipient wheel lock condition. In particular, the apply bump is initiated when recovery from an incipient wheel lock condition is first sensed and thereafter terminated when the wheel acceleration decreases to below a threshold value that is a predetermined function of the peak acceleration of the wheel during recovery from an incipient wheel lock condition in the ABS pressure cycle.

Abstract: A recognition algorithm in automotive vehicles having electronic throttle control interprets a combination of operator commands including braking and acceleration commands and imposes a restriction on vehicle motion until a predetermined combination of operator commands are detected.

Abstract: A wheel slip control system for the left and right wheels common to an axle of a vehicle establishes a desired turning radius by controlling the wheel slip limit so as to establish the outer to inner wheel speed ratio .omega..sub.o /.omega..sub.i to a desired value (R.sub.d +d)/(R.sub.d -d) where Rd is the desired turning radius and 2d is the distance between the wheels. The desired steering radius is based upon the operator steering input and a desired understeer value.

Abstract: An automated generative gear design process, which designs parallel axis gearsets to meet constraints and performance goals. The process uses state space searches, generate and test, and other knowledge based techniques to automatically generate gearset designs and recommend cutting and inspection tools. Specific knowledge applied includes standard gear and gearset equations and conditions for use, standard and specially developed gearset design methodologies, models of generic gears and gearsets, the specific limitations of geometry of various gears and gearsets, the ability to evaluate designs based on performance relative to goals, characteristics of available cutting and inspection tools, lubricants, and materials.

Abstract: A front seat assembly for mounting to a floor pan of a two-door automobile vehicle and being movable for access to a rear seat. The front seat has a seat bottom. A power operated longitudinal seat adjuster mechanism is carried between and slideably and constantly engageably connects the seat bottom portion to the floor pan for adjustable positioning the seat bottom between a forward position and a rearward position. A power operated reclining mechanism connects a seat back to the seat bottom for positioning and constantly retaining the seat back in positions between a forward tilt position and a rearward reclined position. A three point restraint system is mounted to the seat bottom and the seat back for retaining a front seat occupant. A switch mounted to the seat back of the seat assembly accessible to a rear seat occupant enables simultaneous movement of the seat bottom and the seat back either forwardly or rearwardly.