Abstract: In a method for controlling a reversible seatbelt pretensioner of a vehicle, characteristic variables of the accelerator pedal and brake are acquired and monitored with respect to a reaction of the driver to a critical situation in the form of release of the accelerator pedal and subsequent actuation of the brake. When a reaction of a driver to a critical situation is identified, the seatbelt pretensioner is activated.

Abstract: A clutch device for a motor vehicle has friction elements around which coolant flows and which, by way of a piston, can be pressed against one another for torque transmission. The first piston side is acted on with operating pressure, and the second piston side is acted on with coolant pressure. A valve, by which the operating pressure can be set, and a device which makes a reaction of the coolant pressure on the operating pressure possible are provided. The device is designed as a hydraulic resistance cascade and is connected between coolant supply and coolant return lines of the friction elements. A return pressure line branches off in the center of the hydraulic resistance cascade and is connected to the valve.

Abstract: A motor vehicle door comprises an outer module and an inner module, with the inner module having an inside door lining which is fitted onto a supporting surface of the inner module. The inner module has a supporting structure which comprises a metallic frame which in turn is joined to a plastic base support so as to form a metal-plastic hybrid component. The hybrid component at the same time forms the supporting surface of the inside door lining.

Abstract: A method and a bit stream decoding unit for bit stream decoding has a bit stream comprising a number of consecutive samples. In order to provide for rapid and, in particular, reliable decoding of the bit stream, a detection window comprising a number of samples is defined and the detection window is positioned at certain positions on the bit stream in order to comprise certain samples with respective sample values. A majority voting is applied to the sample values in the detection window and, in dependence on the result of the majority voting, the bit stream is decoded and respective bit values are generated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the unreleasable fastening of at least one component to a basic component with the aid of a bolt projecting through a bore in the component or components, first the bolt being welded electrically with one end face on the surface of the basic component and subsequently being deformed plastically. So that components consisting of any desired materials can be used, it is proposed, according to the invention, that the shank of the bolt, which has a head, be upset, until the underside of the head lies in regions on the surface of the component. Furthermore, an unreleasable connection of one or more components to a basic component is proposed.

Abstract: In a method for operating a measuring probe for measuring a gas concentration in a measuring gas with the aid of a solid electrolyte which conducts oxygen ions and has a measurement cavity for holding the measuring gas, a measuring electrode and an external electrode, a pumping current flowing between the measuring electrode and external electrode transporting oxygen ions from the measuring electrode to the external electrode, the measuring electrode being checked by determining the electrode area effectively available for oxygen diffusion.

Abstract: A steering column arrangement has a steering column tube unit which is fastened to a vehicle body via a bracket and can be adjusted for comfort purposes. The bracket has two limbs. The steering column tube unit is arranged with a clamping apparatus between the two limbs. In order to adjust the clamping apparatus simply, the limbs are configured with different rigidities.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for controlling air flow in the interior of a motor vehicle, when a threshold speed is exceeded, storage of an error message in an air conditioning control appliance is prevented. For this purpose, the device has corresponding sensor systems in order to define parameters which are used for determining the threshold speed.

Abstract: In a device and a method for removing nitrogen oxides from the exhaust of an internal combustion engine which is operated predominantly with an excess of air, the internal combustion engine is assigned an exhaust system having a nitrogen oxide reduction catalytic converter which comprises two catalytic converter parts, whose reducing agent filling levels can be determined. Metering of a reducing-agent-containing additive into the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine takes place as a function of the reducing agent filling level of the first catalytic converter part and/or of the second catalytic converter part.

Abstract: The invention relates to a computer-based diagnostic tester which can exchange information with the control devices installed in the motor vehicle using a diagnostic program via a diagnostic interface and via data lines. A method for improved checking of repairs is also presented with the diagnostic tester. The motor vehicle-mounted control devices have program routines for self-diagnostics of the control devices and are capable of storing identified faults in the form of fault codes in reserved memory areas. The diagnostic program which is implemented in the diagnostic tester reads the fault codes out from the reserved memory areas, interprets the fault codes and displays them on a display together with the interpretations. In order to check to what extent repairs which have been performed have been successfully concluded, status polling is carried out using the diagnostic program implemented in the diagnostic tester.

Abstract: A control system for a motor vehicle having a manual actuating device with a plurality of degrees of freedom of adjustment for selecting and/or activating entries from a menu structure and a screen display (2) having a plurality of display areas (210 to 250) for displaying the menu structure, the display areas (210 to 250) each comprising at least one field for displaying one of the entries. In an activated display area (210 to 250) in at least one menu level, a first and/or a second of the plurality of degrees of freedom of adjustment of the manual actuating means for selecting and/or activating one of the entries corresponds to an orientation of the displayed entries, and a third and/or fourth degree of freedom of adjustment of the manual actuating device for exiting the active display area (210 to 250) is respectively orthogonal to the orientation of the displayed entries.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for actuating the valves in the three-way thermostat and in the heating cut-off valve of a cooling system. The valve setting in the cooling system is in this case selected such that during the warm-up phase of the engine, until the latter has reached its operating temperature, the coolant in the cooling ducts is brought to rest until the coolant temperature exceeds a predefined reference value.

Abstract: In a method for operating an electrically adjustable vehicle seat which has at least one electrically adjustable upholstered seat element and a sitting weight measuring device for sensing the weight of a vehicle occupant sitting on the vehicle seat, prior to an initial sensing of the weight by the sitting weight measuring device, the upholstered seat element is automatically moved into a measuring position. An adjustment range of the upholstered seat element is predefined as a function of the current sensed weight value.

Abstract: A control system for a motor vehicle, including a manual actuating means with a number of degrees of freedom for selecting and/or activating entries in a menu structure and a screen display with display areas for displaying the menu structure. At least two degrees of freedom of the manual actuating means move a cursor for selecting and/or activating one of the entries in an active display area. A first degree of freedom corresponds to a turning movement, and in a clockwise direction about a z-axis a second degree of freedom corresponds to a turning movement in a counterclockwise direction about a z-axis. In addition, cursor movement in the active display area is effected by the first and/or second degree of freedom, depending on the orientation of the displayed entries.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for applying a wear-resistant tribological coating to a sliding region of a synchronizer ring in which a thermally sprayed coating contains a maximum of approximately 40% by weight of solid lubricant, as well as to a synchronizer ring sliding region having a coating applied by such a process.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine with exhaust gas aftertreatment and method for the operation thereof are provided. The internal combustion engine includes at least one first and one second group of one or more combustion chambers, in which the one or more combustion chambers of the first group may be supplied with fuel independently of the one or more combustion chambers of the second group, an exhaust system having a first exhaust branch line which leads away from the first combustion chamber group, and a second exhaust branch line which leads away from the second combustion chamber group, and at least one exhaust gas aftertreatment unit which, at the inlet side, is connected to the first and second exhaust branch lines. Also, a bypass line, which leads away from the second exhaust branch line, for bypassing the exhaust gas aftertreatment unit is provided.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an occupant protection device in a motor vehicle, including an apparatus for classifying an object and/or occupant on a motor vehicle seat is provided. The control apparatus includes a capacitive force sensor for recording a weight force acting on the motor vehicle seat, which is realized as a measurement capacitor which has at least one elastic, and therefore deformable, plate. The sensor signal is supplied to a control and evaluation circuit which allows the sensor signal to be classified, according to the weight or according to the weight distribution and therefore according to the position of the occupant and/or of the object on the motor vehicle seat, and controls the occupant protection device as a function of the classification. This provides a very robust control apparatus which is of straightforward design and permits very reliable classification and accordingly ensures reliable control of the occupant protection device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for energy management, whereby large variations in current draw in the loom are reduced, in particular current draw spikes, caused by very high making currents for electric actuators and solenoid valves, which are more evenly distributed over time. The above is achieved, by means of a predictive working of said method for energy management, by determination of both energy available in the subsequent period and the energy requirement, based on switch-on requests and selects users for switching on, according to the priority thereof and an actual tolerance time, within which a user must be switched on at the latest, following the declaration of a switching-on request for the same. The tolerance time is continuously updated.

Abstract: A stop device is provided for a spindle drive which consists of a threaded spindle and a spindle nut with a stop. The stop device includes a limit stop and also a faceplate arranged between the stop of the spindle nut and the limit stop. The limit stop and the stop of the spindle nut are offset in relation to one another and are able to act upon the faceplate such that a bending moment can be applied to the faceplate when the threaded spindle and spindle nut of the spindle drive are in a limit stop position relative to one another.

Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle with rear seats (3), the seat bench (5) and backrests (6) of which may be placed in a first position in which passengers sit in the direction of travel and into a second position in which the load area of the luggage compartment (4) is increased. The seat bench (5) and the backrests (6) may each be pivoted about a horizontal pivot axis (7, 7?) for adjustment from the first to the second position, whereby locking devices (10) are provided on at least the backrests (6), which fix the backrests (6) to the position when locked. According to the invention, a controller (13) is provided which forcibly couples the locking devices (10) for the backrests (6) to the position of the seat bench (5), such that the backrests (6) can only be adjusted from the first position to the second position thereof, when the seat bench (5) is in the second position thereof.