Abstract: A manually-operated control for generating a vector signal comprises a handle with an elongate axis pivotally mounted to the housing for universal rotation about a pivot point on the axis of the handle. An imaged surface moves in two directions with the rotation of the handle about two perpendicular axes intersecting at the pivot point. A camera and LED are focused on the imaged surface. A microprocessor-based controller inputs and processes images sequentially input from the camera for detecting and quantifying the movement of the imaged surface in two directions and generates a vector signal indicative thereof.

Abstract: A fuel injector assembly comprising an injector body having a leading end, a fuel inlet passage, a backleak passage and a trailing end that terminates in an end surface; a cap that fits over the trailing end of the injector body to define therebetween a chamber for receiving fuel from said backleak passage; and a seal for sealing said chamber to prevent the flow of fuel therefrom, wherein said seal is disposed between said end surface of the trailing end and an inlet end of said fuel inlet passage.

Abstract: A steering column assembly includes a column jacket adjustable along a longitudinal axis and collapsible along the longitudinal axis in response to a collision event. A compression bracket is mounted to the column jacket and defines a telescope slot having an adjustment portion and a continuation portion. A shaft extends through the telescope slot with the column jacket and the compression bracket moveable relative to the shaft during adjustment and collapse of the steering column assembly. A stop is detachably coupled to the compression bracket and partially covers the telescope slot to prevent movement of the shaft into the continuation portion during adjustment. The stop detaches during collapse to permit the shaft into the continuation portion. A lever rotates with the shaft and includes a tab for engaging the stop when the lever is in an unlocked position to prevent detachment of the stop during adjustment.

Abstract: A telescoping steering column assembly includes upper and lower jackets having inner and outer surfaces and telescoping ends, respectively, and two sleeves disposed therebetween and having an annular cavity defined within each of the sleeves to hold bearings therewithin. One bearing is connected to the outer jacket and the other bearing is connected to the inner jacket. A method of making the assembly includes the steps of disposing the inner jacket within the outer jacket followed by disposing the sleeves therebetween and injecting a plastic material therethrough to form bearings. The plastic material is extracted from one of the apertures in each of the jackets to provide a sliding engagement between one of the bearing and the inner jacket and another bearing and the outer jacket.

Abstract: An electrical drive arrangement of a fuel injection system comprising a power supply operatively connected to an injector driver stage which, in turn, is operatively connected to at least one fuel injector. The electrical drive arrangement includes a voltage regulation device operatively connected between the power supply and the injector driver stage, wherein the voltage regulation device is arranged to regulate the voltage supply from the power supply to the injector driver stage.

Abstract: A seat belt buckle, comprising: a frame portion; a release button slidably mounted to the frame portion for movement between a first position and a second position; an inertia locking device rotatably mounted to the frame portion for movement between a blocking position and an unblocking position, the inertia locking device being configured to make contact with a cam surface of the release button when the inertia locking device is in the blocking position and slidable movement of the release button with respect to the frame portion is prevented when the inertia locking device is in the blocking position and the inertia locking device contacts the cam surface of the release button; and a biasing member for providing a biasing force for biasing the inertia locking device into the unblocking position, the inertia locking device being rotated into the blocking position when the biasing force of the biasing member is overcome.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining a temperature of a ferroelectric sensor are provided. The ferroelectric sensor has operational characteristics defined by a polarization versus voltage hysteresis loop. In one exemplary embodiment, the method includes applying a symmetrical periodic voltage waveform to the ferroelectric sensor so as to induce the ferroelectric sensor to traverse the polarization versus voltage hysteresis loop. The method further includes monitoring voltages across the ferroelectric sensor and polarization states of the ferroelectric sensor over a first time interval to determine a first zero field polarization state and a first coercive field voltage. The method further includes determining a first temperature value indicative of the temperature of the ferroelectric sensor based on the first coercive field voltage.

Abstract: An overmolded electronic assembly is provided having a circuit board with electronic devices and a diagnostic connection. The diagnostic connection includes electrical conductors having a distal end projecting above a first side of the circuit board, for example, circuit pads having solder thereon or conductive pins oriented substantially perpendicular to the circuit board. The electrical conductors are overmolded with sealing material along with the other electronic devices and circuit board area. The encapsulation or sealing material overlying the electrical conductors is removed from the outside surface down to at least the distal end of the electrical conductors. The sealing material may be removed, for example, by mechanical cutting, laser cutting, or high pressure jet erosion, for example, by a high pressure water or liquid nitrogen stream.

Abstract: A pedestrian impact sensor system includes a first plate and a second plate both connected to an outer surface of a vehicle such that a capacitance between the first plate and the second plate is dependent upon whether a body proximate the vehicle is animate. A crush sensor senses a force exerted by the body on the vehicle. A monitoring circuit monitors the capacitance between the first plate and the second plate and an output signal of the crush sensor. The monitoring circuit issues a safety countermeasure signal dependent upon the capacitance between the first plate and the second plate and the output signal of the crush sensor.

Abstract: A fastening device for a steering column module of a vehicle includes a housing bottom (30) coupled to an essentially tubular fastening flange (20), which module is mounted on the steering column jacket (10) of a steering spindle. The fastening flange (20) has at least one radially movable arresting block (40, 40?), which, in a fastening position of the fastening flange (20), engages in a corresponding radial recess (12, 12?) of the steering column jacket (10).

Abstract: A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine, the fuel injector comprising an injector body, a fuel supply passage defined in the injector body, the fuel supply passage containing fuel under high pressure in use of the injector, a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of fuel in the passage in use, wherein the pressure sensor is situated within the injector body and is separated from fuel in the passage in use, and a method of fuel injection, comprising constructing an hydraulic behavior profile by fuel pressure measurement, using the hydraulic behavior profile to predict fuel pressure that will prevail in a fuel injector during an injection event, and supplying a control signal to the fuel injector to control the amount of fuel injected during the injection event in accordance with the predicted fuel pressure. By predicting the fuel pressure that will prevail during an injection event, the fuel delivered during the injection event can be accurately controlled.

Abstract: An electronic assembly is provided having a thermal cooling fluid, such as a liquid, for cooling an electronic device within a sealed compartment. The assembly includes a housing generally defining a sealed fluid compartment, an electronic device disposed within the housing and a cooling liquid for cooling the electronic device. The assembly includes inlet and outlet ports in fluid communication with the sealed fluid compartment for allowing the cooling liquid to pass through the compartment to cool the electronic device. Fluid flow channels are formed in thermal communication with the electronic device within the housing. The fluid channels include channels that allow liquid to flow in thermal communication with the electronic device to cool the device.

Abstract: An electric power steering system includes a steering wheel, an electric assist motor operatively coupled to the steering wheel, and an electronic controller operatively coupled to the motor for receiving a first signal representative of torque applied to the steering wheel, and a second signal representative of angular velocity of the motor. The electronic controller produces an active damping motor command signal according to a function of the first and second signals. The active damping motor command signal is scaled by a first factor if the first and second signals are both positive, or if the first and second signals are both negative, to provide a scaled motor command signal. The active damping motor command signal is scaled by a second factor if the first signal is positive and the second signal is negative, or if the first signal is negative and the second signal is positive, to provide the scaled motor command signal. The scaled motor command signal is applied to the motor.

Abstract: A combined oil filtration and metering assembly for filtering and metering oil in an oil gallery, such as in a Lifter Oil Manifold Assembly of an internal combustion engine. The filtration and metering assembly includes a filtration element at an oil entrance leading to an internal chamber having a metering orifice as an outlet to a downstream portion of the oil gallery. Preferably the metering orifice has a diverging exit cone. Preferably, the assembly replaces directly a prior art metering valve in a LOMA socket without requiring retooling of the LOMA top plate. The assembly may be readily formed by molding of the filtration element into the oil entrance in an injection overmolding process.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and a system for determining whether a target component of an electronic assembly is assembled correctly. The method of the present invention involves correlating the view of a test electronic assembly with both a positive control image and a negative control image. The positive control image is an image of an electronic assembly that has been assembled properly, whereas the negative control image is an image of an electronic assembly that has been assembled improperly. If the correlation between the test image and the positive control image is greater than the correlation between the test image and the negative control image, the test assembly is assembled properly. On the other hand, if the correlation between the test image and the negative control image is greater than the correlation between the test image and the positive control image, the test assembly is assembled improperly.

Abstract: A method for controlling a steering system, including, receiving a first signal representative of a torque applied to a steering wheel, receiving a second signal representative of a motor velocity of a motor operatively linked to the steering wheel, multiplying the first signal with the second signal resulting in a product signal, applying a backlash function to the product signal, wherein the backlash function imparts a defined hysteresis in the system, multiplying a defined first-third quadrant scaling factor with an active damping signal, and sending a resultant motor command signal to the motor responsive to determining that the product signal is a positive signal, and multiplying a defined second-fourth quadrant scaling factor with the active damping signal, and sending the resultant motor command signal to the motor responsive to determining that the product signal is a negative signal.

Abstract: A universal joint includes an outer member defining an interior opening and a plurality of grooves within the opening extending along a longitudinal axis. An inner member is disposed within the opening and includes a plurality of pockets opposing the grooves. A drive ball is disposed within each pocket and engages the opposing groove. Each of the pockets and each of the grooves opposing the pockets include a central axis passing through a ball center of the drive balls. The drive balls are supported by the pockets and define a pocket contact angle. The drive balls are also supported by the grooves and define a groove contact angle. The pocket contact angle is less than the groove contact angle to urge the drive balls upward against the grooves.

Abstract: A lightweight radio/CD player for vehicular application is virtually “fastenerless” and includes a case and frontal interface formed of polymer based material that is molded to provide details to accept audio devices such as playback mechanisms (if desired) and radio receivers, as well as the circuit boards required for electrical control and display. The case and frontal interface are of composite structure, including an insert molded electrically conductive wire mesh screen that has been pre-formed to contour with the molding operation. The wire mesh provides EMC, RFI, BCI and ESD shielding and grounding of the circuit boards via exposed wire mesh pads and adjacent ground clips. The major components and subassemblies self-interconnect by integral guide and connection features effecting “slide lock” and “snap lock” self-interconnection. The major components and subassemblies self-ground by establishing an interference fit with exposed, resilient, embossed portions of wire mesh.

Abstract: A method of exposure control for an imaging system. A predetermined number of images are captured by one or more imagers, wherein the images are defined by an image resolution matrix. The images are masked to establish a region of interest within the image resolution matrix and brightness of the images is analyzed within the region of interest. An exposure time is calculated for a subsequent image capturing step based on the brightness analysis, and an exposure time setting of the imager(s) is adjusted during the subsequent image capturing step based on the calculated exposure time.

Abstract: A constant velocity joint includes an outer member defining a plurality of outer member ball tracks and an inner member defining a plurality of inner member ball tracks. The outer member ball tracks and the inner member ball tracks cooperate to define a plurality of uniform funnels having a uniform width along a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of diverging funnels having a diverging width along the longitudinal axis. A drive ball is disposed within each of the uniform funnels and the diverging funnels. A cage is disposed between the outer member and the inner member, and defines a plurality of windows with one of the drive balls disposed within each of the windows. The diverging funnels urge the drive balls along the longitudinal axis to pre-load the cage, while the uniform funnels do not urge the drive balls along the longitudinal axis, thereby reducing the amount of heat generated between the cage and the drive balls.