Abstract: A control valve system includes a housing having an inlet port, a first output port, a second output port, and a valve chamber. A primary spool and a secondary spool are independently slidable in the valve chamber. The secondary spool has a first end for abutting against the primary spool and has a second end with a working surface area greater than the working surface areas at the ends of the primary spool. A solenoid valve assembly controllably connects the inlet port to the second end of the secondary spool. A biaser provides a biasing force to the primary spool. A first fluid passage through the primary spool provides fluid communication between the first output port and a second end of the primary spool for displacing the primary spool relative to the secondary spool in an energy saving mode, thereby regulating a pressure at the first output relative to the predetermined magnitude of the biasing force.

Abstract: A monitored fluid control valve is provided having a valve body with an elongated bore. A movable valve element is slidably received in the bore. A switch assembly has an aperture aligned with the bore. The switch assembly includes an electrical switch having a switch arm operatively connected to switch contacts for driving the switch contacts between an open state and a closed state. The switch arm is linked to the movable valve element so that the switch arm is directly driven to match linear reciprocation of the movable valve element.

Abstract: A solderless method for assembling a semiconductor electronic flip-chip device to an electrical interconnecting substrate including the steps of forming a plurality of raised electrical contacts and plurality of contact pads. The pads correspond in number and physical location with the electrical contacts. The pads and contact mate when brought together. A quantity of plastic material is interposed between the electrical device and substrate. The plastic material is heated so that it softens and flows. The electronic device and substrate are urged together. The urging step displaces the molten plastic material from between the contacts and pads. The contacts and pads are jointed directly without any adhesive, solder or conducive filler therebetween to electrically interconnect the electronic device and substrate. The plastic material is allowed to cool whereby the electronic device and substrate are adhesively bonded together and electrically interconnected.

Abstract: An interposer 10 for electrically coupling a semiconductor die 50 to a substrate 70, comprising: an interposer body 12 made of a dielectric material and having a contact surface 14 and an opposed bonding surface 16; a plurality of contact pads 18 arranged about the periphery of the contact surface 14; a plurality of bonding pads 20 arranged across generally the entire area of the bonding surface 16; and a plurality of electrically conductive conduits 22 disposed generally within the interposer body, such that each conduit 22 connects a respective one of the contact pads 18 with a respective one of the bonding pads 20.

Abstract: A regulated voltage supply contains a zener diode controlled by a constant current generator to maintain the zener voltage at a constant level regardless of the swings of the voltage input to the diode. A current amplifier responds to the constant current generator to maintain the output voltage of the regulated voltage supply at the value of the zener voltage regardless of the demands of the load. A low voltage inhibit circuit responds to the magnitude of the input voltage and the magnitude of the voltage on the zener diode to generate a binary voltage signal for inhibiting the operation of a load such as a microcomputer when the voltage regulator is below the zener voltage level and the input is below the desired voltage.

Abstract: An electrical connector 100 for drop-in connection of an electronic module 50 (such as an audio speaker assembly) having at least two lead wires 52, to a flex circuit 70 having a like number of circuit traces 72 arranged on a mounting surface 60, comprising: (1) an electrically insulative body 10 having generally opposed first and second major surfaces 12/14; and (2) at least two electrically conductive, generally elongate biasing members 20 disposed within the body, each biasing member having first and second ends 22/24 and a contact region 26 proximate the second end, wherein each first end 22 is exposed through the first major surface 12 and is adapted for attachment to one of the lead wires 52, and wherein each contact region 26 extends outward from the second major surface 14 such that each contact region may be resiliently deflected inward toward the second major surface.

Abstract: A digital signal processing architecture for an audio system combines multiple functions in programmable and reconfigurable blocks to achieve an efficient use of hardware and chip area. AM, FM, and audio functions can be performed using the same reconfigurable hardware while taking into account the different sample rates and processing functions required for each.

Abstract: A method which utilizes flip chip technology to provide interconnection between printed circuit boards and integrated circuits is disclosed. The method involves metallization of the bond pad and multiple, novel bump compositions and coating compositions to provide an interconnection which is reliable and which withstands differences in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the silicon device and the bump material.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system and method indicates highly recognizable information relating to the next intersection to be turned at for a vehicle operator. The system and method determine a route between the present position and the destination, identify a next intersection to be turned at in the map data, counts a number of intersections to be passed between the present position specified by the positioning device and the next intersection to be turned at, and indicates a number relating to the counted number.

Abstract: A method of enhanced compression rate for a multi-disc CD player includes the step of determining a last data position on a CD being played by the CD player. The method also includes the steps of determining a last playable data position and whether the last playable data position is being played. The method further includes the steps of storing data in a buffer memory at a compressed rate if the last playable data position is being played and playing the data from the buffer memory while transitioning to a next CD to be played.

Abstract: A pump (10) has a housing containing an internal pumping chamber (30). A fluid inlet (32) and a fluid outlet (34) are spaced arcuately apart about an axis (12), and an impeller (20) within the housing rotates about the axis to pump fluid from the inlet to the outlet. The impeller has mutually parallel opposite faces (40, 42) circumferentially bounded by a vaned periphery (38). The impeller has a pattern of through-holes (46) extending between its faces and the one face that confronts a wall surface of the housing to which the inlet is proximate has, in association with each through-hole, a groove (44) that adjoins and tails circumferentially away from the respective through-hole in a sense opposite the sense in which the impeller rotates to pump fluid from the inlet to the outlet. The groove inclines and provides a reaction surface against which fluid exerts a lifting force to aid in force-balancing the impeller.

Abstract: A rotary position sensor having redundant sensing including a base (20) upon which a plurality of radially extending magnetic sensing elements (22) are mounted to form two sets (74, 76) of sensors. Interleaved with the sensing elements (22) are a plurality of uniformly spaced magnetic concentrators (30). The sensor assembly (18) is placed in a uniform magnetic field created, for example, by a flat plate magnet (432) mounted adjacent the sensor assembly, and rotatable relative to it. The relative rotary position of the sensor assembly to the magnetic field is determined by comparing the relative values of the sensor elements (22) in the array to each other. Also, failure of the sensor assembly is determined by comparing the rotary position calculated for the first set 74 to the rotary position calculated for the second set 76.

Abstract: An FM radio receiver predicts the onset of a multipath event based on a derivative of a noise detection signal and then further monitors the multipath event as it progresses. During multipath, an audio output pans between a normal signal path and a multipath smoothed signal path which includes a multipath smoothing filter. If multipath distortion is present long enough, the mixer pans completely over to the smoothing filter path. If the event is weak, only partial panning takes place and mixing is restored to the normal signal path.

Abstract: An audio device 1 is installed in a motor vehicle with a vehicle security system 2, 3, 4. The radio 1 has circuitry 21 to detect a connection to the vehicle power supply, a microprocessor 11 to inhibit the operation of the radio after an interruption of the connection, an interface 6 and a connection to a bus 9, 10 for communicating data between the radio 1 and the vehicle security system 2, 3, 4, and a data verification unit 15 with a non-volatile memory 13 for verifying data communicated to the radio. Following an interruption of the connection the radio is automatically reset to operational if the data are communicated and verified, and if the data are not communicated or not verified the radio may only be reset manually.

Abstract: A multilayer, monolithic electrical interconnection device includes a substrate and a plurality of overlaying, alternating conducting and insulating layers deposited atop the substrate and one another. The layers are deposited by thermal spraying of respective insulating or conducting material through defined apertures in respective spray masks. Interlayer electrical connections are intrinsically formed by direct metallurgical bonding between the conducting material of an overlaying layer and the conducting material of a previously sprayed layer.

Abstract: A security system for an automotive vehicle including a positioning device which, in cooperation with a Global Positioning System ("GPS") satellite network provides location information regarding the vehicle's position. The security system further includes a passive operator identification device having a first security code and a theft control unit including memory storing a second security code. The passive operator identification device and the theft control unit work together to ensure the vehicle operator is authorized to operate the vehicle. An event detector communicates with the theft control unit to provide an event signal associated with the vehicle such as vehicle movement. If an event signal is received by the theft control unit, and the first and second security codes are not equal, the theft control unit communicates the vehicle position as determined by the position detector to a monitoring station.

Abstract: A space diversity, multiple-tuner radio receiver obtains substantially noise free reception under most signal conditions. The tuner outputs are mixed in proportion with the signal quality as determined by detecting noise in each tuner output signal. Long-time-delay multipath distortion, adjacent channel interference, and co-channel interference are reduced by selecting predetermined antenna pattern combinations in response to high noise levels being present from both tuners.

Abstract: An audio system for a vehicle comprises an audio amplifier 14 and a manually adjustable volume control 18 for setting the output level of the sound generated by a loudspeaker 20 connected to the output of the amplifier 14. The amplifier 14 includes distortion sensing means for detecting when the level of distortion of the output signal of the amplifier 14 exceeds a reference threshold and a control circuit 16 reduces the sound output level of the amplifier in response to a signal from the distortion sensing means. The reference threshold of the distortion sensing means 14 is varied in dependence upon the output level setting of the volume control 18 so that the allowable output distortion can be varied based upon user input.

Abstract: An infinite impulse response (IIR) lowpass filter is placed in the audio path of an audio system wherein the upper cutoff frequency of the filter is adaptively controlled based on a comparison between the average audio signal entering the filter and the average audio signal leaving the filter. An adaptive LMS process is used to control the filter bandwidth so that the average output signal reaches a predefined percentage of the average input signal. An adaptation rate is selected depending on whether the filter bandwidth needs to increase or decrease. Adaptation is fastest for increasing bandwidth and slowest for decreasing filter bandwidth to prevent audible breathing and loss of high frequency information on sudden signal transients. Adaptation is disabled (at least to the extent that decreasing of the filter bandwidth is disabled) whenever low signal modulation is detected.

Abstract: A vehicle immobilization system has an electronically controlled locking mechanism which requires interconnection with an electrical supply for it to be switched between a locked state and an unlocked state. The locking mechanism remains in the state to which it is switched when disconnected from the electrical supply. The immobilization system includes control means which operates to connect the locking mechanism to the electrical supply to switch it from one state to the other, and to disconnect the locking mechanism from the electrical supply when the vehicle engine is running or the vehicle is moving. The immobilization system also includes means to prevent cranking of the engine when the locking mechanism is in it's locked state.