Abstract: A fuel pump assembly for a fuel injection system comprises a drive shaft, at least two pump heads each of which is axially displaced along the drive shaft, each pump head having a respective plunger for pressurising fuel within a respective pump chamber, and at least two cams provided on the drive shaft, each of which is associated with a respective one of the pump heads Adjacent pump heads are offset angularly from one another by an amount sufficient to allow a region of overlap, in an axial direction along the drive shaft, between said adjacent pump heads.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a magnetic apparatus and a method of manufacturing the magnetic apparatus including a magnet having an outer surface and an inner surface opposing each other with the inner surface having a first portion and a second portion integrally connected to and facing each other and utilizing a fluid and a fixture body defining a hole along a fixture axis and a deflector disposed within the hole. The method includes the steps of installing the magnet on the fixture body and securing the magnet to the fixture body. The method further includes the steps of flowing the fluid through the magnet transverse to the fixture axis to form at least one aperture and intersecting the fluid with the deflector to redirect the fluid generally along the fixture axis.

Abstract: A receiver system with dual tuner diversity for background processing and for reducing multipath distortion. The receiver system provides a plurality of antennas with a dual tuner design. One tuner may be used solely for background processing of a received signal while the other tuner may be simultaneously used to reduce multipath distortion.

Abstract: A system for measuring the awareness of a subject including an imaging device adapted to acquire data representative of an image of the subject, and an awareness processor connected to the imaging device, wherein the awareness processor is adapted to classify the awareness of the subject according to the position of the subject.

Abstract: The present invention involves a method for transmitting data within a specified band of allocated spectrum in a satellite digital transmission system. First a data stream is encoded according to a first encoding scheme, then a second data stream is generated according to a second encoding scheme. The second encoding scheme is incompatible with the first encoding scheme. The first and second data streams are transmitted at predetermined locations within the specified band, such as time slices within a time division multiplexing transmission system. The second data stream is generated by using a more efficient FEC algorithm, including turbo-convolutional, turbo-product, low density parity check, or repeat-accumulate encoders. The inventive receiver has an antenna for receiving RF signals and a demodulator coupled to the antenna for downconverting received RF signals into a data stream. A splitter then separates the data stream into first and second component data streams.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a side airbag device for use in a vehicle, comprising: an inflatable cushion for deployment from an unexpanded state to an expanded state. The inflatable cushion is positioned behind a headliner of the vehicle in an un-inflated state and the inflatable cushion is configured to traverse a side of the vehicle when it is inflated. The inflatable cushion also comprising a deploying edge that defines a portion of a periphery of the inflated cushion, wherein the inflatable cushion is folded in a manner that causes the deploying edge to deploy as a first leading edge as said inflatable cushion is inflated to an expanded state by an inflator wherein the deploying edge is the first portion of the inflatable cushion to expand around the headliner.

Abstract: An integrated circuit package includes a first non-conductive substrate having a first inner surface and a second non-conductive substrate having a second inner surface. A die having a first thickness is disposed between the first and second inner surfaces. A leadframe includes a member having a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end has a second thickness less than the first thickness. The distal end is disposed between the first and second inner surfaces. The distal end is undulated such that the distal end has an effective thickness greater than the second thickness.

Abstract: A NOX sensor material includes a composition of Ba(1-X)AXFe(12-Y)BYO19. Constituent A and constituent B are doping elements. Constituent A is selected from the group consisting of Bi, La and Pb and X is a real number where 0?X<1. Constituent B is selected from the group consisting of Al, B, Bi, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Er, Ga, In, Mg, Mn, Ni, Nb, Rh, Pb, Si, Sr, Ti, Ta, Zn and Zr and Y is a real number where 0?Y<12. The NOX sensor material may be used in a sensor element of a NOX sensor.

Abstract: A method of making a catalytic converter includes providing a catalyst substrate having a substrate periphery and a mat support disposed thereon. The method also includes providing a metal shell having a shell wall having a shell periphery and a bore that is configured to receive the catalyst substrate and mat support. It further includes inserting the catalyst substrate and mat support into the bore of the metal shell in slidable engagement therewith. Still further it includes reducing the shell periphery while applying an axial force sufficient to cause translation of the catalyst substrate and mat support relative to the bore until the force reaches a predetermined retention force threshold, whereupon the reducing of the shell periphery and translation of the catalyst substrate is stopped.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a fuel reformer can comprise: a mixing zone capable of mixing a fuel and an oxidant to form a fuel mixture and a reforming zone disposed downstream of the mixing zone. The reforming zone comprises a primary substrate and a secondary substrate. The primary substrate is disposed upstream of the secondary substrate and has a primary thermal mass that is greater than a secondary thermal mass of the secondary substrate. One embodiment of a method for operating a fuel reformer can comprise: mixing an oxidant and a fuel to form a fuel mixture, combusting the fuel mixture, heating the secondary substrate above its light-off temperature, changing an air to fuel ratio of the fuel mixture to a reforming mixture, producing an exotherm and a reformate at the secondary substrate, heating a primary substrate with the exotherm to above its light-off temperature, and producing a reformate.

Abstract: An electromagnetically shielded cable includes a shell having an end portion and a shield embedded in the end portion of the shell. A method of forming the electromagnetically shielded cable is also provided. The method includes the steps of inserting the end portion of the shield into a mold, and embedding the end portion of the shield in the shell. In one embodiment, the shell includes a connector extending from the shell and through an opening defined by the shield for embedding the shield in the shell. In another embodiment, the shield is embedded directly in the end portion of the shell.

Abstract: A device and a method are provided for receiving items of product information over a satellite digital audio radio (SDAR) network and locally storing the information therein. A mobile device is provided that comprises a control section and mobile information storage in electrical communication with the control section. The control section is adapted to communicate the items of product information received over the SDAR network to said mobile information storage.

Abstract: A fuel injector for use in an internal combustion engine, the fuel injector comprising: a valve needle which is engageable with a valve needle seat to control fuel injection through an injector outlet; an actuator arrangement arranged to control fuel pressure with in a control chamber, a surface associated with the valve needle being exposed to fuel pressure with in the control chamber such that fuel pressure variations within the control chamber control movement of the valve needle relative to the valve needle seat; damping means for damping opening movement of the valve member, the damping means comprising a damper chamber and the damping means being arranged such that fuel pressure variations within the damper chamber damp opening movement of the valve member wherein the damping means is arranged such that in use there is a through flow of fuel through the damper chamber.

Abstract: An estimation apparatus for determining a residual burned gas mass fraction of an internal combustion engine includes a single-cylinder simulator and an optimizer. The residual estimation apparatus does not rely on accurate knowledge of, or calculation of the details of the complex pulsating pressures and flows at the intake and exhaust valves. Instead an iterative approach uses primarily measured cylinder pressure and airflow as driving inputs, to ensure that the simulation states (i.e., pressure, temperature, and composition) of the cylinder gas contents, at the time of intake valve closing, are correct. The burned gas fraction calculated by the engine simulator is then taken as an estimate of that in the actual engine.

Abstract: An actuator arrangement comprising a piezoelectric actuator having a body section, a shroud which enshrouds at least part of the body section of the actuator, and at least one constrictive member disposed externally with respect to the shroud. The constrictive member applies a constrictive force to the shroud to maintain a seal between the shroud and the underlying body section of the actuator.

Abstract: Seal means for sealing a bipolar plate to a membrane in a PEM fuel cell stack. The seal includes a thin layer of a cross-linkable silicone composition disposed between the bipolar plate and the membrane. The layer is applied as a liquid to either the plate or the membrane and preferably is polymerized prior to assembly of the stack. A preferred means for applying the composition to the bipolar plate is screen printing. Preferably, the layer has a thickness between 0.001 and 0.005 inch. The resulting fuel cell stack exhibits superior leak resistance. In a currently preferred embodiment, a layer of the silicone composition is provided at interfaces between a membrane and both an anode side and a cathode side of a bipolar plate.

Abstract: A corrosion resistant Faraday cage assembly includes an electrically conductive cover and a coated die cast housing having a ledge extending around the perimeter of the housing. A fence is positioned adjacent to the ledge and a track is positioned between the ledge and the fence. A plurality of serrated contact points are positioned on the fence and are used for making electrical contact with the electrically conductive cover extending over the track. The contact points are either masked prior to the protective coating process or they are mechanically or chemically modified afterward to expose a plurality of electrically-conductive surfaces to be in contact with the electrically-conductive cover.

Abstract: A fuel injection apparatus for a fuel injector nozzle includes a moveable valve needle slideably located within a nozzle body, the nozzle body having an internal surface defining a valve seat between a fuel supply path and fuel outlets. The valve needle includes an obturator piston that is engagable with an axial fuel outlet and a two-stage lift mechanism for enabling lift of the valve needle. In a first stage lifted position of the valve needle, the valve face is spaced apart from the valve seat, and the obturator piston is positioned such that a fuel flow passage is opened between the obturator piston and the axial fuel outlet. In a second stage lifted position, the valve face is spaced further apart from the valve seat and the obturator piston is positioned such that the fuel flow passage between the obturator piston and the axial fuel outlet is substantially closed.

Abstract: A remote call center utilizes both cell phone and satellite communication networks to transmit data messages to a vehicle equipped with both a telematics module and a SDAR module. The telematics module and the SDAR module are both coupled to a vehicle data bus, and a software communication token containing a current budget is assigned to a selected module in response to a vehicle turn-off event. The module possessing the communication token determines the available signal strength on its respective communication network. If the available signal strength is adequate for reliable data communication with the call center, the module retains possession of the token and periodically wakes-up to check for incoming messages from the call center. If the available signal strength is inadequate, the module possessing the token passes the token to the other module, after which that module periodically wakes-up to check for incoming messages from the call center.