Abstract: Disclosed is a curable composition having a low CTE. In one embodiment, a curable composition is disclosed that comprises (i) a binder comprising at least one epoxy compound of the structure: X—((CH2)m—(N)—((CH2)n-(Z))2)p wherein X is an aromatic ring or a six membered cycloaliphatic ring, m is from about 0 to about 2, n is from about 1 to about 3, Z is an epoxy group of empirical formula: C2H3O, p is a number from about 2 to about 3, and (ii) a cross-linking agent comprising at least one polyamine. This curable composition is characterized by a CTE of no more than 60 ppm/° C. when cured for a time of from about 20 to about 60 minutes at temperature of from about 100 to 240° C. Also disclosed are methods of making integrated circuits and integrated circuits made there from, especially flip chips.

Abstract: A vehicle restraint system has a vision-based occupant classification system for control of airbag deployment during a crash scenario. The classification system utilizes two imaging sensors which together create a stream of paired images received and stored by an occupant classification controller. A computer program product of the controller utilizes the paired images to extract disparity/range features and stereo-vision differential edge density features. Moreover, the controller extracts wavelet features from one of the two paired images. All three features or maps are classified amongst preferably seven classifications by algorithms of the computer program product producing class confidence data fed to a sensor fusion engine of the controller for processing and output of an airbag control signal input into a restraint controller of the vehicle restraint system.

Abstract: A socket connector body includes a shroud adapted to receive a plug connector body, and also includes a lock arm integrally connected to the shroud and having a free end with an inwardly extending lock nib. The socket connector body further includes a transverse hold-down beam integrally connected to the shroud and being adapted to impose a hold-down force on the free end of the lock arm when the lock arm is pivoted from its free state of rest.

Abstract: A flexible circuit includes a plurality of electrical traces and a plurality of probe tips directly formed thereto. The electrical traces are made of a first electrically conductive material and the probe tips are made of a second electrically conductive material that is harder than the first electrically conductive material. The first material is copper or a copper alloy and the second material is nickel or a nickel alloy, where the second material may be plated with gold. Portions of the probe tips are exposed to facilitate electrical contact with contact pads of another electrical circuit. The flexible circuit may also include a ground layer to facilitate electrical correction with another electrical circuit at relatively high frequencies.

Abstract: An anti-coking bushing assembly for sealing a pintle shaft of an EGR control valve, comprising a bushing carrier disposed in the valve body and supportive of close-fitting pintle shaft bushing liners formed of a polyimide such as Vespel. The bushing carrier and bushing liners are installed into a carbon shield extending into the exhaust flow space within the valve. Within the carbon shield, between the gas flow space and the bushing carrier, is a ring seal on the pintle shaft and a gas expansion chamber to cool exhaust gas escaping along the pintle shaft, allowing contaminants in the exhaust gas to precipitate in the gas expansion chamber. The carbon shield, ring seal, bushing carrier, and bushing liners are conveniently pre-assembled as an anti-coking bushing assembly for subsequent installation into a valve body during final valve assembly.

Abstract: An electronic throttle control system and method for detecting a throttle plate obstruction when the ignition key is on and the engine is either not running or running, and for clearing the throttle plate obstruction before a fault setting is set by the ECU.

Abstract: A system, method, and article of manufacture for determining a productivity rate of a manufacturing system are provided. The manufacturing system has a first and second manufacturing cells. The first and second manufacturing cells has first and second machines, respectively. The method includes predicting a first cycle time indicating a time duration that a part is disposed in the first manufacturing cell. The method further includes predicting a second cycle time indicating a time duration that the part is disposed in the second manufacturing cell. The method further includes calculating a productivity rate of the first and second manufacturing system cells based on the first and second cycle times of the first and second manufacturing cells, respectively.

Abstract: A power steering system for a vehicle is described, wherein a magnetic or electromagnetic actuator, which can be acted on via a controller, is associated with a torsion bar connected to a steering wheel, and by which the torsional stiffness of the system is variable in dependence on the vehicle speed, the steering angle speed and/or the transverse acceleration. In this connection, the electrical power supply of the magnetic or electromagnetic actuator taking place via the controller is interrupted or reduced when a steering angle speed of zero is detected or when a steering angle speed of zero and a vehicle speed of zero are detected.

Abstract: The invention relates to design optimization of microprocessors using spare driver outputs for discrete input interfaces. An output driver or pre-FET driver is used to interface a discrete input for a microprocessor. To read the discrete interface, a fault detection mechanism of the pre-FET driver or the output driver is used. Monitoring the fault register of the output driver allows the condition of the external switch to be understood. The circuit is able to read either a switched to battery type interface or a switched to ground type interface, thereby eliminating hardware proliferation. The fault register is read through a serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus, thereby removing the need for a dedicated microprocessor pin required for the interface. Toggling the gate in the pre-FET driver interface permits adding diagnostic capability for the discrete input interface.

Abstract: A lane change assist system and method are provided for assisting the driver of the vehicle in maneuvering a lane change. The system includes a range sensor mounted on a vehicle for sensing range to an object in a side detection zone adjacent to one side of the vehicle. The system also includes a controller for determining when the side detection zone is clear for the vehicle to change lanes based on the sensed range signal. The controller determines whether there is sufficient space to initial a lane change maneuver based on the sensed range signal and generates an output signal indicative thereof. An output is provided to warning lights indicative of the determined state for initiating the lane change maneuver.

Abstract: A technique for reducing excessive motor vehicle roll angle using a feedforward control comprises a number of steps. Initially, a steering angle and a speed of the-motor vehicle are determined. Next, a lateral acceleration of the vehicle is estimated based on the steering angle and the speed. Then, a lateral acceleration proportional and derivative (PD) term of the estimated lateral acceleration is determined and roll angle reduction is implemented when the lateral acceleration PD term exceeds a first threshold. The roll angle reduction may be achieved through application of a braking force to an outside front wheel of the vehicle. A magnitude of the braking force may be proportional to a difference between the lateral acceleration PD term and the first threshold.

Abstract: The invention relates to a drive circuit for an injector arrangement comprising a first fuel injector in parallel with a capacitive component. The drive circuit comprises: a selector means (SQ1, SQ2) and diagnostic means. The selector means (SQ1, SQ2) is operable to select the first fuel injector and/or the capacitive component into the drive circuit and to deselect the first fuel injector and/or the capacitive component from the drive circuit. When the capacitive component is selected and the first fuel injector is deselected, the diagnostic means is operable to sense a current (Isense) through the first fuel injector. When the sensed current (Isense) is at variance from a first threshold current (Ilimit) the diagnostic means is operable to provide a first signal on detection of a stack terminal short circuit fault associated with the first fuel injector. The capacitive component may be a second fuel injector.

Abstract: The present invention involves a method for transmitting data having primary and secondary data. A first transmit signal is transmitted from a first communication satellite wherein the first transmit signal is produced when the transmitter modulates the primary and secondary data on a first carrier wave associated with the first communication satellite, with secondary data having a first polarity. A second transmit signal is transmitted from a second communication satellite wherein said second transmit signal is produced when the transmitter modulates the primary and secondary data on a second carrier wave associated with the second communication satellite with secondary data having a second polarity opposite the first polarity.

Abstract: The invention provides a communications interface module mountable in a vehicle. The communications interface module includes a first electrical interface for electrically communicating with a control system of a vehicle. The communications interface module also includes a second electrical interface spaced from the first electrical interface for being positioned in a passenger compartment of a vehicle. The communications interface module includes a plurality of communication lines extending in parallel between the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface. The plurality of communication lines exchange a plurality of different communication formats between the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface.

Abstract: A system for discrimination of spurious crankshaft encoder signals. A position encoder connected to an engine crankshaft sends a pulsed signal indicative of crankshaft rotational performance to an engine controller. The controller is programmed to trigger an interrupt service routine (ISR) on every falling or rising edge of each pulse. The ISR calculates and stores the period of each pulse and the period of the previous pulse and calculates the rotational speed and instantaneous acceleration or deceleration of the engine at all times. The controller is further programmed with realistic engine acceleration and deceleration limits and recognizes a next signal only within a time window corresponding to those limits and the engine speed. Signals arriving outside the calculated time window are considered spurious and are rejected. The system improves engine performance by preventing loss of synchronization between spark and fuel injection and piston and valve timing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for pyromechanical separation comprising a housing (4) and a conducting rail (2) which is arranged therein and embodied in such a way that it is separable at a separation point (13) by a separating tool (6) which is actuated by a propulsion pyrotechnical charge (12). In order to protect said conducting rail against manipulations and ensure an unequivocal positioning, the conducting rail (2), the propulsion charge (12) and the separating tool (6) are fixed in the housing (4) in an irremovable manner by a latch (5) which is inserted into the housing (4) and are nondetachably fixed thereto. Said latch (5) is also used as a support for the separating tool (6), i.e. it comprises a cutting edge (7) along which said separating tool (7) cuts.

Abstract: An adjustable steering column assembly includes a steering column with an outer jacket moveable along an axis. An instrument panel is coupled to the outer jacket. An instrument panel hood is connected to the instrument panel and the outer jacket. A support bracket includes a pair of support arms including flanges, with a first mounting component and a second mounting component connected to the flanges. The outer jacket is slideably coupled to the first mounting component and the instrument panel is slideably coupled to the second mounting component. The support bracket is pivotable about a pivot axis between an upper limit and a lower limit. A spring is attached to the support bracket for biasing the support bracket toward the upper limit. Coordinated movement between the instrument panel and the outer jacket is possible and the load from the instrument panel is diverted from the outer jacket to the support bracket.

Abstract: A brake-by-wire braking system including a braking unit, an electro-hydraulic actuator in fluid communication with the braking unit by way of a first fluid path, a master cylinder in fluid communication with the braking unit by way of a second fluid path, a normally open solenoid valve operatively associated with the second fluid path, and a control unit adapted to actuate the normally open solenoid valve, wherein actuation of the normally open solenoid valve generally fluidly isolates the master cylinder from the braking unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for detecting a vehicle rollover or dangerous situations that may precede a rollover of a vehicle.

Abstract: The invention provides an energy absorbing apparatus for a steering column. The energy absorbing apparatus includes a first member having a telescoping end and a side wall. The energy absorbing apparatus also includes a second member having a telescoping end and a side wall. The second member is disposed for collapsing telescoping movement with the first member. The energy absorbing apparatus also includes a bushing extending annularly between the first member and the second member. The bushing is fixed to one of the first member and the second member. The energy absorbing apparatus also includes at least one projection integrally formed with the bushing and extending longitudinally and radially along the side wall of the one of the first member and the second member.