Abstract: A vehicle is retrofitted with a secondary power generation system having a Mechanical Power Transfer System (MPTS) and an electrical generator. The MPTS transfers power from an engine crankshaft within an engine compartment to a generator shaft of the electrical generator disposed outside of the engine compartment. Retrofitting the vehicle with the MPTS allows the electrical generator to be attached to a portion of a chassis of the vehicle that is outside of the engine compartment. Attachment of the electrical generator outside the engine compartment avoids the tight space constraints and harsh operating conditions (high operating temperatures) within the engine compartment. Thus a larger, more powerful generator that requires less maintenance is realized.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for connecting electrical units including determining that a first electrical connection is mated with a first electrical receptacle at a first point of connection; determining that a second electrical connection is mated with a second electrical receptacle at a second point of connection, wherein the first second point of connection and the second point of connection are at opposite ends of an electrical cable; initiating delivery of voltage through the electrical cable; monitoring the voltage level of a source that outputs the delivery of the voltage; and comparing the voltage level of the source with a predetermined value to generate a comparison value.

Abstract: A vehicle is retrofitted with a secondary power generation system having a Mechanical Power Transfer System (MPTS) and an electrical generator. The MPTS transfers power from an engine crankshaft within an engine compartment to a generator shaft of the electrical generator disposed outside of the engine compartment. Retrofitting the vehicle with the MPTS allows the electrical generator to be attached to a portion of a chassis of the vehicle that is outside of the engine compartment. Attachment of the electrical generator outside the engine compartment avoids the tight space constraints and harsh operating conditions (high operating temperatures) within the engine compartment. Thus a larger, more powerful generator that requires less maintenance is realized.

Abstract: A vehicle is retrofitted with a secondary power generation system having a Mechanical Power Transfer System (MPTS) and an electrical generator. The MPTS transfers power from an engine crankshaft within an engine compartment to a generator shaft of the electrical generator disposed outside of the engine compartment. Retrofitting the vehicle with the MPTS allows the electrical generator to be attached to a portion of a chassis of the vehicle that is outside of the engine compartment. Attachment of the electrical generator outside the engine compartment avoids the tight space constraints and harsh operating conditions (high operating temperatures) within the engine compartment. Thus a larger, more powerful generator that requires less maintenance is realized.

Abstract: A system is described for controlling the flow of electrical power between two sources. The system includes a circuit coupled between a first source and a second source and a controller subsystem coupled to the circuit. The circuit is capable of transitioning, in a continuous manner, between a first direction wherein electrical power flows from the first source to the second source and a second direction wherein electrical power flows from the second source to the first source. The control subsystem generates control signals to selectively activate switching elements of the circuit to control the direction and the amount of electrical power flowing through the circuit between the first and second sources.

Abstract: A power generation system is described for supplying electrical power to a load from at least one of a generator and a battery. The power generation system includes a power bus coupled to the generator and a bi-directional conversion unit coupled between the power bus and the battery. The bi-directional conversion unit is capable of transitioning between a first direction wherein electrical power flows from the power bus to the battery and a second direction wherein electrical power flows from the battery to the power bus.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator composed of: an armature movable along a linear path between first and second end positions; electromagnets positioned and operative for selectively moving the armature to either one of the first and second end positions; and a mechanical holding element operative in response to movement of the armature to either one of the end positions for holding the armature in the end position to which the armature has moved until an appropriate one of the electromagnets is operated to move the armature to the other one of the end positions.

Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders and an engine control module is disclosed. Each cylinder has at least one intake valve and one exhaust valve. Each valve is actuated by an electromagnetic valve actuator. The servo control system includes a control module and a power module. The control module includes an electronic control unit coupled to the engine control module for receiving engine sensor information, a servo board coupled to the electronic control unit for receiving a command signal and sending delay feedback signals to the electronic control unit, and a demodulation board coupled to the servo board for sending a voltage signal proportional to the valve position to the servo board. The power module is coupled to the electromagnetic valve actuator and the control module and provides current output to the electromagnetic valve actuator and sends a current monitor signal proportional to the current output back to the control module of the control system.

Abstract: A power generator system, including an inductive generator for producing a generator electrical signal. The inductive generator contains electrically conductive stator field coil windings and an electrically conductive ferromagnetic disk-shaped rotor. The inductive generator is configured for under-the-hood installation and includes an input crankshaft for being externally driven by a motor vehicle engine. The generator is electrically coupled to an electronic control unit which responds to amplitude and frequency variation of the electrical signal, due to fluctuations in vehicle engine speed, and produces an output power signal having substantially constant voltage, substantially constant frequency, and at least one phase.

Abstract: An electromagnetic valve actuator is disclosed.

Abstract: The spectral range of a stochastic time series of information, including unvoiced speech is reduced to allow transmission over a substantially narrowed frequency band. Sets of autoregressive (AR) parameters are identified for successive time windows of the original time series and of subsequent stages of subsampled reduced-spectrum models of each window of the original time series are used. The AR parameters are transmitted together with subsampled windows of the original data. These AR parameters are used to reconstruct a least square stochastic estimate of the transmitted subsampled time series in a backwards manner from the most subsampled spectrum back to the original spectrum using a sequence of predictive feedback algorithms. Past prediction outputs are feedback for prediction whenever samples are missing. This process yields a high quality reconstructed signal that preserves not only speech parameters and intelligibility, but also near-natural speaker identifiability.

Abstract: A novel duel directional electromagnetic actuator includes a case, a core, an electrical current conductive coil and a field coil. The case includes a first case end, a second case end, and an interior wall extending between the first and second case ends. A chamber is defined by the interior wall. An electrical current conductive coil is disposed in the chamber coextensively adjacent the interior wall. The conductive coil has a first coil end disposed proximate the first case end, a second coil end disposed proximate the second case end, and a midpoint. The core has a first core end, a second core end, and an exterior wall extending between the first and second core ends. The exterior wall has a first region adjacent the first core end and a second region spaced from the first region and adjacent the second core end.

Abstract: The input signal is filtered by bandpass filters having different passbands. These filtered signals are input to power detectors that average the power present in each band. A comparator compares each power level signal to a predetermined power threshold to determine if information is present in any of the bands. If information is present in the upper bands, the information is transformed by a discrete wavelet transform and is thresholded and then shifted to the lower bands. The process by which the shifting operation was accomplished is stored in a code book band. An inverse wavelet transform generates the compressed signal by transforming the signals from the wavelet domain to the time domain. If the signal was compressed, the code book signal is transmitted with the compressed signal to a receiving unit for decompression. If the signal was not compressed, the code book signal and the original input signal is transmitted to the receiving unit.

Abstract: A video display system having an electrically insulative substrate with a top surface, a bottom surface, and an M.times.N array of holes between the top and bottom surfaces. The M.times.N array of holes corresponds to an M.times.N array of pixels. The system further includes piezoelectric members, each piezoelectric member disposed on the top surface adjacent to each of the holes. Each of the piezoelectric members has two metallized faces and a mirror mounted to the member. An integrated circuit electronic switch matrix is mounted to the bottom surface of the substrate. One of the metallized faces is electrically connected through the holes to the piezoelectric members. The other metallized face is electrically connected to ground. The switch matrix develops electrical signals, with each signal corresponding to an intensity of one of the pixels.

Abstract: A voice coil actuator is disclosed having a housing, a pole piece, a magnet structure and a coil. The housing is cylindrical and defines a vertical axis. The housing further defines a base portion, an outer wall extending axially from the base portion and a top plate extending radially inward from the outer wall. The base portion defines an annular channel coaxial within the base portion. The pole piece is coaxially disposed within the housing. A gap is defined between the top plate and the pole piece. The coil is moveably suspended coaxially within the gap. The magnet structure is fabricated from rectangular shaped radially magnetized permanent magnets. The magnets are arranged in a polygonal shape and disposed in the channel.

Abstract: An electromagnetically actuator is disclosed having an electromagnet, a core element, the core element having a normally biased initial spaced apart first position distal from the electromagnet when the electromagnet is off and a second stop position proximal from the electromagnet when the electromagnet is on, a first resilient member adapted to bias said core element in the normally biased first position, and a second resilient member adapted to bias the electromagnet away from the core. The first resilient member is more resilient than the second resilient member. Therefore, the core approaches the electromagnet when the electromagnet is on until the core reaches the fixed stop position, and the electromagnet subsequently approaches the core to the fixed stop position. The actuator may further include an adjustment member that engages the electromagnet so as to control the pressure of the electromagnet against the second resilient member, whereby the axial position of the electromagnet is controlled.

Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrating device is disclosed. The device includes a case having a first compartment with a first compartment height. A bender element, fabricated from an piezoelectric material, is disposed within the first compartment. A motion limiter is disposed within the case for preventing damage to the bender. The motion limiter has a first portion that abuts against the case to prevent the first compartment height from compressing beyond a predetermined first compartment minimal height. The device further includes electronic controls for providing a signal to the bender element. The electronic controls further include an optimal wave form signal generator. The wave form may also be a square wave, pulse train, truncated wave or other type of wave depending on each particular application.

Abstract: An electromagnetically actuated valve is disclosed. The valve includes an upper electromagnetic element and a lower electromagnetic element in a mirrored and facing relationship to each other. The electromagnetic elements define a central channel that surrounds a vertical axis. The valve further includes an armature element that is disposed intermediate the upper and lower electromagnets. The armature element is pivotally mounted to an armature shaft. The armature shaft is perpendicular to the vertical axis. The valve further includes a coil disposed within the central channel of each of the electromagnetic elements.