Abstract: A position sensor arrangement and method for determining the position of a movable device, such as an electronic gear shifter for vehicle. According to one embodiment, the position sensor arrangement is arranged in a skewed or offset fashion, with respect to the shifting pattern of the electronic gear shifter, such that movement of the gear shifter from one discrete position to an adjacent discrete position causes a change in both an x-axis coordinate and a y-axis coordinate.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 29, 2009
Date of Patent:
August 23, 2011
Assignee:
GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Inventors:
Orson S. Wang, John N. Stockbridge, Jonathon K. Ho
Abstract: When a friction stir weld tool penetrates the interface of two workpieces of dissimilar metal alloy materials, the resultant weld of the different alloy materials may produce a weak weld joint. Such weak joints are often experienced, for example, when attempting to form spot welds or other friction stir welds between a magnesium alloy sheet or strip and an aluminum alloy sheet or strip. It is discovered that suitable coating compositions including an adhesive placed at the interface of assembled workpieces can alter the composition of the friction stir weld material and strengthen the resulting bond. In the example of friction stir welds between magnesium alloy and aluminum alloy workpieces, it is found that combinations of an adhesive with copper, tin, zinc, and/or other powders can strengthen the magnesium-containing and aluminum-containing friction stir weld material.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 6, 2009
Date of Patent:
August 16, 2011
Assignee:
GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Inventors:
Robert T. Szymanski, Sri Krishna Chimbli, Mark T. Hall, Yen-Lung Chen
Abstract: An electrochromic assembly 32 is disclosed. The assembly comprises: first and second electrodes 22, 24, at least one electrode being transparent; a porous membrane 10 defining a plurality of pores, the membrane having a first refractive index and located between the electrodes 22, 24; an electrolyte filling the pores, the electrolyte having a second refractive index substantially matching the first refractive index, the electrolyte and membrane together forming a substantially transparent electrolytic layer; and at least one electrochromic layer 18 covering at part of the first electrode 22. The membrane 10 is flexible and the spacing between the electrodes 22, 24 is held substantially constant by the membrane 10. The membrane is sealed with sealant 42.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 30, 2006
Date of Patent:
August 16, 2011
Assignee:
SMR Patents S.a.r.l.
Inventors:
Jakub Henryk Mazurkiewicz, Gordon George Wallace, Charles Peter Innis, Scott A. Edwards, Peter J. Murphy, Colin Hall, Rick Fabretto
Abstract: A roof assembly for a vehicle that includes a center roof panel made from a lightweight material like aluminum, a surrounding attachment flange made from a more formable and stronger material like steel, and a junction that connects the roof panel and the attachment flange together. The aluminum-based roof panel may reduce the overall weight of the assembly, while the steel-based attachment flange may improve its metal forming and attachment capabilities.
Abstract: A compound archery bow includes a handle having projecting limbs, and first and second pulleys mounted on the limbs for rotation around respective axes. At least a first of the pulleys includes a flat base with a bowstring let-out groove on the base and a bowstring anchor adjacent to the bowstring let-out groove. A draw module is disposed on the base, a cable groove extends along the draw module, and first and second cable anchors are disposed on the base adjacent to respective ends of the cable groove. The cable groove on the draw module is continuous in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the first pulley. A bow cable arrangement includes a bowstring cable extending from the bowstring anchor on the first pulley around the bowstring let-out groove and then toward the second pulley. A first cable extends from the first anchor on the first pulley through a portion of the cable groove on the module and then toward the second pulley. A second cable extends from the second anchor toward the second pulley.
Abstract: A method for a predictive interactive voice recognition system includes receiving a voice call, associating said voice call with a behavioral pattern, and invoking a service context responsive to said behavioral pattern. The system provides advantages of improved voice recognition and more efficient use of the voice user interface to obtain services.
Abstract: In substantial volume production operations involving hot blow forming or hot stamping of aluminum alloy sheet workpieces, debris largely comprised of particles of aluminum alloy material adheres to critical forming surfaces of the heated steel tools. This debris mars forming surfaces and causes defects in aluminum alloy parts formed against them. Such aluminum-rich debris may be reactively transformed to change its adherent properties and removed from tool surfaces without removing the heated tool from production. In one embodiment, a hot sacrificial magnesium sheet may be formed on the tool(s) to alloy with aluminum debris and carry it from the forming surface.
Abstract: There is provided an exemplary tire pressure monitoring (TPM) system that can use a half-duplex wireless link to communicate between one or more wheel-mounted sensor units and a vehicle-mounted transceiver unit. The half-duplex wireless link enables the sensor units to report sensor readings to the transceiver unit, and it enables the transceiver unit to make configuration changes to the sensor units for improved communication. Some examples of wireless settings that can be modified include modulation settings, data encoding/decoding settings, error correction settings, and transmission power settings.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 10, 2008
Date of Patent:
August 9, 2011
Assignee:
GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Inventors:
Vikas Kukshya, Hyok J. Song, Hui-Pin Hsu, Richard W. Wiese
Abstract: A membrane-electrode assembly in a polymer electrolyte/proton exchange membrane fuel cell includes the electrodes (anode and cathode), with a thin layer of catalyzed conductive support particles bonded to either side of the membrane. Where the polymer membrane comprises pendant chains of fluorinated carbon atoms with mobile proton containing terminal groups, proton conductivity with the catalyst particles is improved by chemically attaching like pendant chains to carbon atoms at surfaces of carbon particles. In certain implementations, an amino aryl perfluorinated sulfonic acid precursor is prepared. This precursor is converted to an aryl diazonium cation in the presence of carbon particles. The diazonium cation is reduced to the aryl radical which reacts with carbon atoms of the carbon substrate.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 10, 2007
Date of Patent:
August 9, 2011
Assignee:
GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Inventors:
Tina T. Salguero, Elena Sherman, Ping Liu
Abstract: A reaction vessel that integrates and balances an endothermic process with at least one exothermic process of the fuel cell system. Preferably the exothermic process is conducted in stages to provide more uniform and/or controllable heat generation and exchange, and to produce a uniform and/or controllable temperature profile in the endothermic reaction process. The invention allows for the elimination of the working fluid loop of prior art systems that had unsatisfactory response times at startup, and during transient conditions, and also added to the overall mass and volume of the fuel cell system.
Abstract: An external weld bead is removed and processed from a welded pipe traveling in a downstream direction. The weld bead is separated from the pipe, allowed to flow in a downstream direction, and is guided downstream and cut into chips at a location downstream of where the weld bead is separated from the pipe.
Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a simulated hair article such as a wig or other hairpiece. In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a housing, an ozone generator, an ultraviolet light source, and a gas recirculation structure. The apparatus reduces or eliminates microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, molds, and fungi from the simulated hair article, and also eliminates odors therefrom.
Abstract: A method for providing a context specific speaker adaptation user interface is disclosed. The method allows a specific user of a voice activated system to train a voice recognition system to understand specific uttered commands by receiving a training sequence initiation input, sending at least one command to be trained, receiving a selection input, prompting a verbal input, recording the verbal input, and linking a voice input with an instruction corresponding with the command input.
Abstract: A sand core is prepared for use in defining a surface of a cast metal article. The core is formed of sand particles bonded with a polyurethane resin, preferably a polyol moiety-containing polyurethane resin. An alkali metal hydroxide, and optionally a glycol, is mixed with precursors of the polyurethane before they are mixed with sand particles for molding and curing the core. The hydroxide and glycol may be encapsulated to prevent interference with core molding. The hydroxide and glycol is distributed in the polyurethane binder resin and used to reduce the decomposition temperature of the core binder during casting. This practice is particularly useful in removing core sand from castings of light metal, lower casting temperature metal alloys.
Abstract: A sampling-rate-independent method of automated speech recognition (ASR). Speech energies of a plurality of codebooks generated from training data created at an ASR sampling rate are compared to speech energies in a current frame of acoustic data generated from received audio created at an audio sampling rate below the ASR sampling rate. A codebook is selected from the plurality of codebooks, and has speech energies that correspond to speech energies in the current frame over a spectral range corresponding to the audio sampling rate. Speech energies above the spectral range are copied from the selected codebook and appended to the current frame.
Abstract: A method for establishing communication with a mobile vehicle includes determining whether the mobile vehicle is within a predetermined geographic region and initiating a time trigger based on the determination. The method further includes initiating communication between the mobile vehicle and a central node via a wireless connection based on the time trigger.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 24, 2005
Date of Patent:
July 19, 2011
Assignee:
General Motors LLC
Inventors:
Christopher L. Oesterling, Nathan D. Ampunan
Abstract: A ring seal includes a body portion and a tail portion extending from the body portion. The body portion has, when viewed in cross-section and in an uncompressed state, an axially outboard surface and an axially inboard surface. The outboard surface defines a first sealing lobe, and the inboard surface defines a second sealing lobe that shares an axial centerline with the first sealing lobe.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 29, 2007
Date of Patent:
July 12, 2011
Assignee:
TI Group Automotive Systems, L.L.C.
Inventors:
William J. Laule, James R. Osborne, Michael R. Rivenburgh