Abstract: Method for fabricating an undercoated chip electrically interconnected to a substrate. The method includes the initial step of depositing a predetermined quantity of a liquid undercoat material onto the chip or the substrate. The method continues with the step of interconnecting the chip to the substrate so as to form an electrical interconnection bond therebetween. Finally, the method concludes with the step of heating, reflowing and curing the undercoat material during or after the step of electrically interconnecting the chip to the substrate.

Abstract: A boron nitride ceramic is used as a high temperature gasket material to prevent gas leakage between an exhaust gas oxygen sensor and the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for obtaining an inferred soak time suitable for inferring exhaust system and other temperatures with sufficient accuracy to permit control of at least one feature of an internal combustion engine to be based thereon. In this way, soak time strategy can be inexpensively incorporated into an engine control system not based on soak time or soak timer hardware can be replaced in control systems with soak time strategy. The temperature of the engine and of the charging air supplied to the engine are measured at the time the engine is turned off and when the engine is restarted. The measured temperature of the engine and of the charging air at the time the engine is turned off is stored in a computer memory. The inferred soak time is obtained using the measured temperature of the engine and of the charging air stored at the time the engine is turned off and measured at the time the engine is restarted.

Abstract: An exhaust gas flow path for an internal combustion engine includes a vaporizer positioned upstream of an exhaust gas oxygen sensor. The vaporizer dissipates any liquid in the exhaust gas stream thus protecting the exhaust gas oxygen sensor from thermal shock.

Abstract: A mass air flow sensor housing for reducing backflow includes a U-shaped air flow path having an elliptical inlet and an outlet. A mass air flow sensor is positioned in the U-shaped air flow path. A converging ellipse inlet to the U-shaped air flow path reduces turbulent air flow. A deflecting wedge positioned upstream of the outlet creates a low pressure area adjacent the outlet for promoting air flow through the U-shaped bypass.

Abstract: A technique for estimating a traction characteristic of a surface under a moving vehicle, such as the coefficient of friction of the surface. The traction characteristic can be estimated by generating a torque signal representative of at least an estimate of the amount of torque applied to the driven wheels of the vehicle. A load signal representative of at least an estimate of the load or weight applied to the driven wheels also is generated. The value of the torque signal is divided by the value of the load signal in order to generate a characteristic signal. Depending on the amount of slippage between the driven and non-driven wheels of the vehicle, the characteristic signal can be stored in order to provide an estimate of the traction characteristic of the surface in real time.

Abstract: A VRS sensor detects the angular rotation of a variable position camshaft which rotates in a variable relationship to a crankshaft, and transmits a Variable Cam Timing/Cylinder IDentification signal, representative of the position of the angular rotation of the camshaft, to an electronic engine controller (EEC). A profile ignition pickup (PIP) sensor detects the rotation of the crankshaft and transmits a PIP signal, representative of the rotation of the crankshaft to the EEC. The EEC receives the VCT/CID signal and the PIP signal and identifies the position of a first firing cylinder in a predetermined sequence of cylinder firing and determines the angular position of the camshaft in relation to the crankshaft by detecting the varying time duration between VCT/CID signals and PIP signals.

Abstract: A method and system for generating electronic fuel injection pulse waveforms to achieve an accurate air/fuel ratio control during transient conditions. Sensors are provided for sensing a plurality of engine parameters. An electronic engine controller is provided for performing a plurality of steps associated with the method. The method includes storing calibration data and sensing the engine parameters. A leading edge of the fuel pulse waveform is calculated based on the stored calibration data and the sensed engine parameters. The leading edge of the fuel pulse waveform is generated, thereby triggering an interrupt. Next, a trailing edge of the fuel pulse waveform is calculated based on current fuel mass requirements determined during the duration of the fuel pulse. The method concludes with the step of generating the trailing edge of the fuel pulse waveform.

Abstract: A housing structure for mass air flow sensors includes an auxiliary passage way, internal to the structure, that diverts a portion of the main air flow towards sensing elements. The sensing elements are shielded from the main air flow, so the contaminants separate from the diverted air at the point of diversion and continue downstream in the main air flow. The decontaminated, diverted air passes over the sensing elements and out of the housing structure through two exit openings located in the rear of the structure. The housing structure, by locating the sensing elements within itself, away from the main air flow, and locating exit openings for the diverted air behind a blocking wall, is also able to eliminate the effect of backflow air over the mass air flow sensing elements.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an on-board diagnostic system for detecting malfunctioning fuel injectors in an internal combustion engine during engine operation. A fuel injector control means is provided for individually actuating fuel injectors operatively connected to a fuel rail. Pressure sensor means are mounted to the fuel rail for sensing transient fuel pressure waves resulting from actuation of the individual fuel injectors and for generating a pressure signal in response thereto. Signal processing means are provided for processing pressure signals from the pressure sensor means and for generating an output signal upon detecting delayed opening or delayed closing of one or more injectors.

Abstract: A knock control system for internal combustion engines comprising a knock sensor and a knock detection circuit that uses an electronic engine controller. The knock sensor creates an electrical output signal indicating the presence of engine structure vibrations resulting from engine combustion characteristics. The circuit filters the knock sensor signal, time gated at independent crankshaft angles, and transfers it to a noise channel and to a knock channel. A comparator distinguishes between background vibration and vibrations during the combustion event that are due to knock. The knock detection function, along with the crankshaft angle position reference signal, develops time gated "snapshot" signals indicating the magnitudes for both the background noise and the vibrations created by denotation and distinguishes between them.

Abstract: A non-catalytic metal is used as an inner electrode of a heated exhaust gas oxygen sensor to eliminate the negative shift produced in the sensor emf when rich exhaust leaks into the reference compartment.

Abstract: A method and system for determining steady state and real time engine oil consumption of an automotive engine which generates exhaust gases containing oil and fuel having a known sulphur content. The system includes an exhaust gas conditioner coupled to the exhaust manifold of the engine for extracting an exhaust gas sample and converting the exhaust sample into a combustion product. The system also includes a high temperature sampler for automatically regulating the amount of the combustion product independent of changes in back pressure of the engine. The system further includes a fluorescent detector for generating a sulphur dioxide content signal having a value corresponding to the sulphur dioxide contained in the regulated combustion product.

Abstract: An integrated power module combining drivers and power devices includes a diagnosis module integrated with or connected to the integrated power module. That includes protectors. The protectors provides protection against power device failure, transistor stack failure, gate drive failure, power failure, and other conditions. In a first level of diagnosis and protection, a gate driver is responsive to hard faults, such as short circuit and under voltage conditions, to disenable the power devices, for example, switching transistors of an inverter. In addition, the first level of protection includes soft faults, such as detection of overcurrent and over temperature in the power device, conditions that are merely reported to the controller, whereby the number and frequency of the events can be monitored. The second level of protection also provided by the diagnostic module may include power interlock to ensure that full power is being delivered to the integrated power module.

Abstract: An electronic engine controller (EEC) controls the delivery of fuel to an internal combustion engine via one or more fuel injectors by executing a background routine to measure a plurality of system conditions including airflow and engine temperature. A response value is generated as a function of an aircharge value, the temperature value and a valve effect value. The EEC detects an interrupt which occurs prior to combustion of an air/fuel mixture within each combustion chamber of said engine, and in response to the interrupt execution of the background routine is halted and a foreground routine is executed in which the airflow is measured, an updated aircharge value is generated and the response value is updated as a function of the difference in aircharge values and a predetermined response alteration value. The aircharge value is replaced with the updated aircharge value.

Abstract: An aged exhaust gas oxygen sensor (EGO) simulator is inserted between an exhaust gas oxygen sensor and an electronic control module for testing the response of fuel control and emission systems to various amounts of exhaust gas oxygen sensor aging/degrading. The sensor signal is input to a summing amplifier where a delay signal is added. Positive and negative summing amplifier outputs go through vernier and decade controls, which add delay, and then to a variable gain inverter. The difference signal is integrated and output to the summing amplifier as the delay signal and output to a ground offset control for shifting the waveform up and down before going out to the control module. The vernier and decade controls add delays to mimic an aged/degraded exhaust gas oxygen sensor.

Abstract: An electronic driveline controller and traction control method for an engine driven vehicle wherein the tractive effort of the driving wheels is controlled to avoid excess slip of the traction wheels relative to the vehicle road surface, the traction control being achieved by total powertrain torque management whereby the torque delivered to the driving wheels is a control parameter that depends upon the magnitude of sensed operating variables for the vehicle driveline.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a wiper for a vehicle window on a lift gate. The control system and method include an ignition switch (12), lift gate position switch (14), window position switch (16), washer switch (18) and wiper switch (20) for generating (42) multiple input signals. The control system and method also include a microprocessor (24) for processing (44) the input signals to determine wiper operations, and an output driver (26) for generating (46) an output signal to control the wiper in response to the wiper operations determined.

Abstract: A control for electrically heated catalysts in a motor vehicle catalytic converter governs a switch for alternatively coupling an alternator output to the motor vehicle battery and a heating element of the catalytic converter. The control monitors electrical power delivered to the catalytic converter, preferably as a function of engine speed, field current and alternator output voltage, to infer actual temperature and compare it with the desired temperature at which the electrically heated catalyst is intended to operate. The control also preferably includes a field current adjuster to improve the power output to the catalytic converter when the switch couples the alternator output to the electrically heated catalyst. A switch actuator responsive to detection of the power delivered to the catalytic converter at a predetermined threshold actuates a switch to return the alternator to a charging connection with the vehicle battery.

Abstract: Parameters for operation of a number of vehicle operating subsystems are stored in a vehicle controller and selected to control and configure the operating subsystems. Control and configuration can be based on individual recognized operators of the vehicle or an operating mode can be selected for the vehicle. For example, sport, cruise, luxury, off-road or other performance modes can be set up and selected. If a vehicle is to be operated by an authorized person who is not a recognized operator or is not authorized to select a mode of operation, default operating characteristic parameters are stored and selected. If the authorized person is to be restricted in the possible operation of the vehicle, a further set of limited operating characteristic parameters are stored and selected, preferably by entry of control signals corresponding to a security code. For example, if a valet is parking the vehicle, the limited operating parameters are selected.