Abstract: A vehicle suspension system has at least one leveling device with a leveling sensor. Leveling action is ordinarily initiated when a sensor indicates height out of a dead band around the calibrated level for the sensor; however, such leveling action is prevented when the vehicle is not moving but has moved since the last opening of one or more selected vehicle doors.

Abstract: A pressure sensor comprises a chamber formed from two members micromachined in silicon or a similar substance. The members define a chamber with at least one pressure sensitive membrane and an optic fiber extending through the chamber parallel to the membrane. The membrane has an optical grating formed thereon which may be coated with a surface plasmon supporting substance. Light is injected into the fiber with a wavelength that couples with the grating on the membrane, either in a Bragg relationship or in coupling to a surface plasmon. The coupling, and thus the light lost from the fiber, varies with separation between the membrane and fiber and thus with the pressure outside the chamber. The members may also include a thicker wall which is not pressure sensitive but which couples with an identifiably distinct portion of the light in the optic fiber to provide a temperature compensated reference.

Abstract: A pressure sensor comprises a chamber formed from two members micromachined in silicon or a similar substance. The members define a chamber with at least one pressure sensitive membrane and an optic fiber extending through the chamber parallel to the membrane. The membrane may have an optical grating formed thereon which may be coated with a surface plasmon supporting substance. Light is injected into the fiber with a wavelength that couples with the grating on the membrane, either in a Bragg relationship or in coupling to a surface plasmon. The coupling, and thus the light lost from the fiber, varies with separation between the membrane and fiber and thus with the pressure outside the chamber. The members also include a thicker wall which is not pressure sensitive but which couples with an identifiably distinct portion of the light in the optic fiber to provide a temperature compensated reference.

Abstract: A headlamp system provides for the high beam headlamp filaments to be connected in series across the supply voltage for half voltage energization in daytime running lamp operation when the ignition switch is closed, a DRL enabling switch is open and the headlamp switch is not in a headlamp on condition. In normal high beam headlamp operation, the high beam filaments are connected across the supply voltage in parallel for full voltage energization. The DRL enabling switch may be a park brake switch. The headlamp switch may have a fog lamp energizing condition to energize fog lamps; and the system permits such energization when the headlamps are connected in series but not when they are connected in parallel in normal high beam operation. A circuit is provided to sense when one of the high beam filaments is burned out and latch the daytime running light operation off with a signal to the vehicle operator.

Abstract: A microbend fiber optic pressure sensor includes a short length of sensing fiber comprising a fiber of a transparent dielectric material surrounded by a layer of aluminum or similar metal for which the real part of the complex permittivity is negative over a range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths. The layer of aluminum is hermetically sealed to the transparent material. The sensing fiber receives light in the range of wavelengths and is subjected to microbends on the dielectric/aluminum boundary by pressure responsive mechanical apparatus for a much greater microbend light loss and therefore greater sensitivity than is obtained with similar sensors using an all glass core/cladding boundary. The sensing fiber may be an aluminum coated single mode fiber with a very small core and a large cladding layer in which the cladding modes are used and the core modes ignored or it may comprise a single glass fiber coated with aluminum.

Abstract: A combustion engine has apparatus effective to provide a fuel mixture of one or more liquid fuels such as gasoline of variable aromatic content, normal alcohols, cosolvents, octane improvers and hydrocarbons having different energy contents in an unknown combination and combine it with air in a controlled A/F ratio with an input from a fuel mixture dielectric constant sensor. The sensor comprises a capacitor in the fuel line near the engine so that the dielectric constant of the fuel mixture about to enter the engine determines the capacitance, a resistor in series with the capacitor, an oscillator providing an oscillating voltage across the resistor and capacitor at a high frequency of at least 1 MHz but less than a frequency requiring microwave components, and an electric circuit responsive to a capacitively determined electrical parameter of the capacitor such as the voltage thereacross to determine the capacitance thereof and therefore the dielectric constant of the fuel mixture.

Abstract: A fuel control for an engine using a liquid mixture of two fuels, such as gasoline and methanol, having different volumetric heat contents is responsive to a fuel compostion sensor to update a stored engine fuel control parameter. When a significant change in fuel composition is sensed, the stored engine fuel control parameter is not updated for a fuel transition time duration to allow the unchanged fuel still in the conduit between the sensor and engine to be used with the unchanged stored engine fuel control parameter.

Abstract: An electrically controlled shock absorber includes a pumping unit which provides unidirectional fluid flow through an electrically controlled valve apparatus. The electrically controlled valve apparatus is contained in a housing external to the pumping unit in a housing defining an inlet chamber and a control chamber. A horizontally reciprocable inlet valve member controls fluid flow from the pumping unit into the inlet chamber, from which it can flow unimpeded to a reservoir chamber. The inlet valve member has an inlet orifice therethrough to allow fluid flow into the control chamber, create a pressure drop across the inlet valve member effective to cancel a constant closing bias thereon, and damp inlet valve member movement. An electromagnetically controlled pilot valve in an outlet from the control chamber to the reservoir chamber produces a control pressure in the control chamber as a function of an input electric current.

Abstract: A pair of wiper blades on a vehicle window are oscillated in opposing movement between an overlapping inner wipe arrangement, in which one of the blades overlaps the other, and separated outer wiper positions. In dynamic symmetrical overlap (DSOL) operation, the first blade during each cycle to reach its outer wipe position is brought back first to be overlapped by the other for the start of the next cycle. This will normally produce alternating symmetrical overlap (ASOL) operation with its advantages of lower maximum blade acceleration and stress, since the overlapping blade precedes the other on the way out. However, if the leading blade is occasionally slowed, the other blade will not be forced to wait in its outer wipe position; and the cycle time will be minimized.

Abstract: A pair of wiper blades on a vehicle window are oscillated in opposing movement from an overlapping inner wipe arrangement, with upper and lower overlapped blades, outward to separated outer wipe positions and inward to the overlapping inner wipe arrangement with the positions of the blades reversed. Since the upper blade on the way out becomes the lower blade on the way back, it does not need to pause in its outer wipe position and it thus does not need to be subjected to a large acceleration in maintaining fast wipe cycles on large vehicle windshields. This reduces stress on the arm and blade and blade end whip.

Abstract: An electric circuit board has a current trace thereon and a notch in the edge and an opening therethrough on opposite sides of the trace. A magnetic sensor is retained in the opening; and a flux member retained by the notch and opening forms a magnetic circuit around the current trace to concentrate current induced flux through the magnetic sensor. The flux member is made of a ductile magnetic material and is therefore easy to manufacture and handle without breakage compared to prior art ferrite flux members. It is also resilient so as to permit a "snap-on" design for ease of assembly with positive retention of the flux member on the board and of the magnetic sensor within the opening with minimal series air gap. The flux member further has high internal eddy current and hysteresis losses for inherent high frequency filtering to reduce aliasing distortion in sensor output to digital apparatus when applied to a measurement of PWM motor current.

Abstract: A temperature compensation circuit for a device with a voltage output affected by temperature in a predetermined manner and a null output for which the voltage is zero regardless of temperature comprises a voltage to current converter responsive to the generated voltage to produce a proportional current, a current generator comprising elements responsive to the temperature of the device to generate a pair of compensation currents varying therewith in a predetermined manner so that the ratio of the compensation currents embodies a desired temperature compensation, and a transconductance multiplier effective to multiply the proportional current by the ratio of the compensation currents to generate a compensated output current. It may further comprise a current to voltage converter responsive to the compensated output current to produce a compensated output voltage.

Abstract: A bipolar integrated circuit differential voltage to current converter comprises a current source and a current sink at a lower current with two parallel branches connected therebetween. Each branch comprises, from the current source, a resistor, an input transistor with an emitter connected to the resistor and a mirror transistor with an emitter connected to the current sink. The resistors have equal resistance; the input transistors have bases comprising a differential voltage input; and the mirror transistors are connected in a current mirror arrangement. An output current is taken from the junction the resistor and the emitter of the input transistor connected thereto on the output side of the mirror so as to allow the current mirror to maintain equal currents and thus equal base/emitter voltages in the input transistors.

Abstract: A slot antenna is disclosed for a horizontal dielectric vehicle door in which the ground plane of the antenna sheet does not connect with or overlap the surrounding electrically conducting vehicle body panels but which nevertheless maintains significant RF currents at FM frequencies through the vertical roof pillars of the vehicle. This is accomplished by the formation of a parasitic slot surrounding the antenna slot in the gap between the sheet and the surrounding sheet metal at the trunk opening. The parasitic slot has a first portion of length substantially the same as that of the antenna slot and a similar width and a second portion of a greater width effective to comprise an open circuit for currents. Thus the total effective length of the parasitic slot is equal to that of the antenna slot for similar resulting current flow from the decklid area through the vertical roof pillars; and the desirable FM performance is preserved.

Abstract: A double acting hydraulic actuator in an active vehicle suspension control is connected to the sprung mass through a bushing allowing limited movement therebetween. A piston in a bore within the upper housing of the actuator forms a control chamber with and outlet orifice. The piston has a finger engaging the sprung mass and thus being driven downward with a sharp upward road disturbance that causes compression of the bushing. The increase of pressure in the control chamber due to the flow limiting of the orifice activates a valve which opens the activating chambers of the actuator to each other while the pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure. Thus the hydraulic actuator is quickly unloaded to absorb sudden road disturbances and prevents them from being transmitted directly through the incompressible fluid of the actuator to the sprung mass before the main suspension control can react.

Abstract: An electronic door lock/unlatch control in which the latching mechanisms latch mechanically upon door closing and include electric motor driven unlatching mechanisms but no mechanical locking apparatus. Locking is accomplished electronically for each door by a flip-flop which enables or disables a power MOSFET connected in series with the unlatch motor and unlatch switch for the door and an electric power source. The flip-flop for each door also controls lock status indicating lights. A rear door unlatch disable switch is included additionally in series with the rear door unlatch switch to allow operator disabling of the rear doors.

Abstract: A window wiper control for a motor vehicle in which a relay has an armature connected in series with a motor, an electric power source and a pulse switch through a normally closed contact and further connected in series with the motor, a park switch and source of electric power through a normally open contact. The park switch is responsive to the wiper mechanism to open when the wiper is in a park position and close throughout the rest of the wipe pattern. An electrically controlled switch is connected in series with the relay activating coil and electric power source with a base connected to a capacitor connected to be charged quickly through the park switch and discharged slowly through a resistance.

Abstract: In a vehicle windshield washer and wiper apparatus, the closure of a washer switch activates the washer and wiper and charges a capacitor to a first voltage. When the washer switch is released, the washer is deactivated but the wiper is activated through several more wipe cycles while the capacitor is discharging to a second voltage. The final wipe cycle and wiper parking is to be controlled by a wiper position responsive switch which is closed throughout the wipe pattern except for a speed predetermined angle, the beginning of which defines a desired park position. The improvement of the invention establishes the major discharge path for the capacitor through the wiper position responsive switch to greatly decrease the chance of the capacitor reaching the second voltage while the wiper position responsive switch is open and thereby more consistently park the wiper under the control of the wiper responsive switch in the desired park position.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for indicating useful life of motor vehicle angine oil during engine operation based on engine oil temperature without direct measurement thereof. Following the initiation of engine operation, engine oil temperature is calculated from a warmup equation until calculated engine oil temperature exceeds a warmup reference, whereupon it is calculated from an equilibrium equation, both of which equations being linear combinations of engine operating parameters other than engine oil temperature itself. The warmup equation includes a constant term, a reference temperature term fixed at the begining of engine operation and a term increasing proportionally with the number of engine cylinder firings. The equilibrium equation includes a constant term, an engine temperature term and a term proportional to engine speed and may also include a term proportional to an engine cooling factor.

Abstract: An ignition timing control for an internal combustion engine subjects a combustion pressure signal to multiple switched capacitor bandpass filters with frequencies controlled in phase lock loop from engine speed to generate harmonic wave signals at frequencies which are constant multiples of the varying firing frequency. The phase difference between the peaks of two harmonics such as the second and fourth is used to control ignition timing to a phase difference of zero, in some cases with ignition pulses referenced to the detected peak of the first harmonic (fundamental) rather than a detected crankshaft position. The ratio of peak amplitudes between two harmonics such as the first and fourth is used to control dilution by EGR or variable valve lift to a predetermined ratio and may also be used to retard ignition timing from the normal timing to reduce knock. The ratio of the peak amplitude of subharmonics to the fundamental may be used as a roughness or driveability sensor.