Abstract: An imaging system with brightness control includes an image capture subsystem and an image control block and is adapted for use in conjunction with an image processing application. The image capture subsystem receives an image and converts this image into digital image data. The digital signal is then stored in a video buffer for access by the image control block. The image control block provides brightness control of an image sensor in the image control subsystem to optimize the brightness of the desired area of interest in the image relative to the background. In one application, the imaging system is used in conjunction with a lane tracking system image processing application to detect roadway lane markings from a moving vehicle.

Abstract: A brake unit having a brake disc of ceramic and a hub of a different material, which radially overlap one another with their mutually facing rims and are mechanically joined by a wreath-type rim of mounting bolts that axially penetrate the overlapping rims. The mounting bolts are uniformly included in the transmission of torque. Entrainment bores or slots provided in the brake disc are plastically lined with a metal or plastic sleeve, or the disc material is formed specifically to certain areas in this region as a plastically deformable C/C structure. A method is disclosed for manufacturing a partially ceramized molded article, in particular a brake disc having a C/C structure in the area of the entrainment bores or slots. A completely non-metallic brake unit and a method for its manufacture are also disclosed.

Abstract: A device for detection of trapping in a power-operated closing element with a switching element, which is arranged along a first closing edge within an elastic hollow section. The hollow section includes a central area extending longitudinally, in which an active area of the switching element is arranged, and at least one side area extending longitudinally, in which a non-active edge area of the switching element is arranged. The side area has a higher deformability on the side of the hollow section facing the first closing edge than on the central area. The device has a force transmitter extending longitudinally, which transmits a trapping force from the side facing away from the first closing edge to the side area of the hollow section.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing heteroepitaxial diamond layers on Si-substrates by means of CVD and standard process gases, in which (a) during the nucleation phase a negative bias voltage is applied to the Si-substrate and (b) following the nucleation phase diamond deposition takes place.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of a thermo-mechanically stable thermal insulating layer, in which a ceramic thermal insulating layer is applied to a metallic component by thermal spraying and the thermal insulating layer is shot peened during and/or after its application in order to reduce sintering effects. The ceramic thermal insulating layer has a porous structure which is opened up by the formation of microscopic fissures formed near the surface of the layer by the shot peening.

Abstract: Manufactured articles obtainable from a composition consisting of:1) 100 phr of a fluorinated thermoplastic elastomer having a block structure with at least a fluorinated polymeric segment of B type having elastomeric properties and at least a fluorinated polymeric segment of A type having plastomeric properties,2) from 0.1 to 40 phr of a crosslinking agent able to give peroxidic crosslinking of fluoroelastomers;and subsequent irradiation of the manufactured article by GAMMA or BETA radiations.

Abstract: A vehicle, especially a minivan, having at least one rear seat located behind the front seat as viewed in the direction of travel. The seat has a seat back that can be pivoted onto a seat part. A floor pan is located in front of the rear seat in the vehicle floor for accommodating lowering of the rear seat. A folding mechanism pivots the rear seat, folded together by folding the seat back onto the seat part, into the floor pan. To achieve a limited floor pan thickness while retaining a seat height of the seat part of the rear seat that is determined by seating comfort, the folding mechanism has two front and two rear supports, each of the supports being pivotable around a pivot axis aligned transversely to the lengthwise direction of the vehicle and secured to the seat part. The supports hold the rear seat in its operating position at a predetermined seat height above the vehicle floor.

Abstract: A cover of an openable motor vehicle roof includes a cover plate which is surrounded by a plastic frame formed by foaming or injection, and which connects at least one attachment part to the cover plate. The plastic frame includes at least one sensor element which is located on one wall of the attachment part and which signals pinching of a body part or article when the closes on an object by partial deformation of the plastic frame.

Abstract: In a safety device of a fuel system for an internal combustion engine including a fuel filter with a venting nozzle adapted to prevent the discharge of fuel through the venting nozzle of the fuel filter which is connected to a pump line, the safety device which is mounted on the vent nozzle of the fuel filter includes in its housing a semi-permeable foil which is gas permeable but not liquid permeable. The semi-permeable foil extends across the vent nozzle passage and a non-return valve is disposed in the vent nozzle passage for closing the vent nozzle passage if the semi-permeable foil ruptures.

Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer has an ionization chamber, drift chamber, and a system for generating an electrical field in the drift chamber. The system for generating the electrical field comprises a plurality of capacitors that are connected together in parallel for charging and are connected in series for generating a high-voltage.

Abstract: A pneumatic drive unit is provided for partially opening a vehicle body part such as a trunk lid. The pneumatic drive unit includes a working chamber which in use applies pressure to move a control member which engages a contact surface of the vehicle body part. A vent channel is provided which selectively connects the working chamber with the atmosphere as a function of the position of a movable closing element of the drive unit element and contact of the control member with the vehicle body part such that when the body part is closed after a partial opening, the drive unit is ready for another control operation.

Abstract: A photodetector which can be operated in two wavelength ranges and is comprised of two detectors (A, B) arranged one on top of the other. A Si Schottky diode forms detector A which absorbs light in a region .lambda.<0.9 .mu.m. Longer-waved light (1 .mu.m<.lambda.<2 .mu.m) is absorbed in detector B which is comprised of an Si/SiGe pn-diode. To increase the efficiency, detector B is made with an integrated resonator. A further increase of the efficiency of the photodetector is accomplished through the mounting of a Bragg reflector on the absorbing layer of detector B.

Abstract: The proposed method for generating descriptors for the classification of texts provides a breakdown of more complex word forms by way of matching with the entirety of word forms occurring within a compilation of training texts. No morphological or linguistic knowledge base is necessary for the preferably cyclically continued breakdown, nor for the accompanying drawing up of stop word prefix and suffix lists. Simple morphological knowledge is provided by prescribing minimum requirements with respect to the form of descriptors and text sections. The method is particularly flexible and can be easily adapted to new applications. The method is also very error-tolerant and thus particularly suited for the classification of digitized texts which are produced from written texts by means of character recognition methods or from spoken texts by means of language recognition methods.

Abstract: In a speech recognition method for word sequences that are combined in sentences with defined syntax, syntax information is integrated into a speech model so as to unambiguously identify recurring words through indexing. As a result, the recognition process can be carried out in a manner similar to the situation without integration of the syntax information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for operating a purification device, to a purification device and to the use of same. To reduce the emission of pollutants, a filter body through which a fluid can flow and comprising a catalyst, is exposed to a stream of gas which is to be purified. Before the gas enters the catalyst, a reducing agent is added in the flow direction of the gas, and after a certain treatment point, during which the gas, which is to be purified, is flowing in the catalyst, reducing agent is added once more to the flowing gas by a feeding mechanism and contact with the catalyst is maintained.

Abstract: An automatically controlled clutch is arranged between the engine and the driving wheels in the transmission line of a motor vehicle having a transmission which can be shifted manually in an arbitrary manner between idling and driving positions. A control device used for operating the clutch constantly determines the operating performance of the clutch and stores correspondingly adapted characteristic values.

Abstract: In a method of providing an ignitable fuel/air mixture in the combustion chambers of the various cylinders of an internal combustion engine with direct fuel injection wherein fuel is injected into the combustion chambers by way of injectors including injection nozzles with valve members for controllably opening and closing the injection nozzles, the valve member opening strokes and the valve member opening times are variably adjusted depending on specific engine operating conditions.

Abstract: A motor vehicle steering apparatus contains a user-operated steering angle input system with corresponding steering shaft as well as a piston-and-cylinder unit for coupling a steering angle setting system to the steering angle input system. The hydraulic unit comprises a piston-and-cylinder unit which is disposed with its longitudinal axis running transversely of the steering shaft, and its axially moving piston is coupled mechanically with the rotatory steering shaft and divides the cylinder into two working chambers. The two cylinder halves forming working chambers are disposed on opposite sides of the steering shaft. The piston is configured as a dual piston and is coupled to the steering shaft by a coupling section lying between its ends defining the working chambers. Thereby, a steering apparatus with a compact hydraulic coupling between the steering angle input system and the steering angle setting system is provided, with the ability to rotate the steering angle input system.

Abstract: A method selects one of several equivalent operating elements for controlling the lengthwise and/or transverse dynamics of a motor vehicle. Inadvertent control of the lengthwise and/or transverse dynamics of the motor vehicle is prevented and manual switching between various operating elements is allowed without a transition to be safely feasible for the participants even while driving. The selected operating element is activated simultaneously when the previous operating element is deactivated, after activation of the selected operating element has been made possible by a selector switch. The method therefore takes place in two steps, with activation of an operating element first being made possible by activating a selector switch. The actual activation takes place at a later point in time, namely when the operating element to be activated is in fact actuated to control the lengthwise and/or transverse movement of the vehicle.