Abstract: An upper back support in a vehicle seat, with the vehicle seat having a base assembly including a seat support. The seat member is supported on the base assembly and a back frame is pivoted to the base assembly for movement. A back shell is connected to the back frame and an upper back support is coupled to the back shell. The upper back support comprises a panel having a lower portion and an upper portion, with the lower portion flexibly coupled to the back shell of the vehicle seat. A resilient member is coupled to the panel proximate the upper portion and to the back shell of the vehicle seat. An additional resilient member can be coupled to the panel proximate the upper portion and to the back shell of the vehicle seat in a spaced apart relationship to the other resilient member.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for programming and executing a state machine control program represented as a diagram in an HVAC controller. The diagram is converted to tabular data which is entered into one or more spreadsheet pages. The tabular data includes the defined output states, the defined input states and defined transition states, whereby a given output state and a given set of inputs will cause transition to a next output state. The tabular data is translated, through execution of a routine in a macro-instruction language, into a plurality of data structures for downloading into a finite state machine object data structure in the controller, where it will be acted upon by an object-oriented execution module, referred to as a class execute method, which is also present in the controller.

Abstract: A vehicle seating structure allowing the removal of a seat assembly through an opening (72) of a vehicle having a track (26) secured to the body of the vehicle, the track coordinated with the opening such that the seat assembly (10) includes a coupling device (30) which slidably engages the track, thereby allowing the seat assembly to be displaced along the track and pass through the opening.

Abstract: Control of time-dependent states, such motion, is facilitated in a manner that avoids explicit solution to the governing equations, but which permits specification of both an initial and a final acceleration. This permits the operator to restrict jerk by exerting control over the final acceleration (e.g., by setting this equal to the initial acceleration, or constraining it to within an allowed maximum), but without explicitly computing parameter values for jerk. More generally, the approach is useful in controlling any system in which states evolve with respect to a specific parameter (frequently, but not necessarily, time), and whose evolution can be described by a defined set of algebraic equations.

Abstract: A controller for one or more pieces of industrial equipment accommodates multiple sensed conditions--that is, different conditions each associated with a different response, which may be an alarm or a branch control procedure. The controller includes a database of diagnostic templates specifying conditions, and actions or states associated therewith. For example, a template may provide multiple, specified, discrete time spans each reflecting a different machine condition, and each specifying a different action associated with that condition. The templates may be associated with a model of machine behavior, e.g., one based on probabilities, which utilizes the templates and programmed control instructions to simulate machine behavior over time. More broadly, the behavior model may be used to perform a simulated execution of control instructions based on various specified values for limit parameters, which may be provided by the user or computed in accordance with the behavior model (e.g.

Abstract: An integrated control system comprises one or more controllers each equipped to perform a control function and to gather data (ordinarily from sensors or a video camera) relevant to the control functions. Each controller contains computer storage for the relevant data and instructions, associated with the data, for causing a remote computer to generate a visual display incorporating the data in a predetermined format; and a communication module for establishing contact and facilitating data interchange with the remote computer. The remote computer, in turn, also includes a communication module compatible with the controller-borne module, and which enables the remote computer to download the data, including current video information and/or historical and/or reference video information, and associated instructions from one or more controllers. The remote computer also includes a facility for processing the instructions to create a user interface encoded by the instructions, and which incorporates the data.

Abstract: An integrated control system comprises one or more controllers each equipped to perform a control function and to gather data (ordinarily from sensors) relevant to the control function. Each controller contains computer storage means, such as computer memory, for storing the relevant data and instructions, associated with the data, for causing a remote computer to generate a visual display incorporating the data in a predetermined format; and a communication module for establishing contact and facilitating data interchange with the remote computer. The remote computer, in turn, also includes a communication module compatible with the controller-borne module, and which enables the remote computer to download the data and associated instructions from one or more controllers. The remote computer also includes a facility for processing the instructions to create a user interface encoded by the instructions, and which incorporates the data.

Abstract: A controller for one or more pieces of industrial equipment is configured to perform a series of control functions each organized into one or more procedures for performing particular machine actions. The progress of an action, or some parameter of the action-taking machine (which may or may not be associated with an action), is represented by one or more "states." A database associates entries corresponding to the items of an object (including the action(s) and the state(s)), and contains storage locations where the associated procedural instructions and/or data are to be found. The action can be independent of state information, or can instead be executed in a manner responsive to a sensed state. The controller may also include diagnostic capability, as well as accumulation and processing of performance data for subsequent analysis.

Abstract: An integrated control system comprises one or more controllers each equipped to perform a control function and to gather data (ordinarily from sensors) relevant to the control function. Each controller contains computer storage means, such as computer memory, for storing the relevant data and instructions, associated with the data, for causing a remote computer to generate a visual display incorporating the data in a predetermined format; and a communication module for establishing contact and facilitating data interchange with the remote computer. The remote computer, in turn, also includes a communication module compatible with the controller-borne module, and which enables the remote computer to download the data and associated instructions from one or more controllers. The remote computer also includes a facility for processing the instructions to create a user interface encoded by the instructions, and which incorporates the data.

Abstract: A venturi scrubbing system optimized for removing the most optically active sized particles from a gaseous effluent stream is disclosed. Before entering the venturi the effluent stream is subcooled to cause condensation of water vapor and other condensibles, thereby greatly reducing the volume of the effluent stream. In the venturi stage a scrubbing liquid is added in the form of droplets having a median diameter which is optimized to remove the optically active particles. Preferably, the median diameter of the scrubbing liquid droplets is between 10 and 200 microns. A two-fluid nozzle may be used to efficiently form the droplets. After passing through the scrubbing stage, which may also comprise one or more impingement plates, the cleansed effluent may be passed through an afterburner to remove combustible materials such as organic vapors.

Abstract: A Universal Digital Data Copying System for the blind copying of digital information from electromagnetic media such as flexible discs is disclosed. The system provides a master drive and a slave drive by which information is read from the master drive, timed by a phase-locked oscillator, converted by a serial to parallel converter, and controlled by a controller and stored in the high speed memory buffer. The output of the controller is fed to a parallel to serial converter and precompensation circuit. Thereupon the information is written at the slave drive at a fixed clock rate. A verifier to test the quality of the recording is also disclosed. By the addition of other drive units, the system provides for any desired number of copies to be made concurrently from a single master. The invention thus provides a copying system independent of the media employed, format or encoding scheme used.