Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the prediction of the size to be expected of the image of a stationary object associated with a road in a picture of the environment in the field of view of a camera device which is in particular arranged at a motor vehicle and which has an image plane including image elements, wherein at least one relevant spatial zone from the field of view of the camera device is determined; wherein boundaries of the calculated projection onto the image plane of the at least one relevant spatial zone are determined in order to determine at least one relevant image zone; wherein a directional beam is determined for each of the image elements in the at least one relevant image zone, said directional beam including those spatial points from the field of view which would be projected onto the respective image element on a projection onto the image plane; and wherein at least one value for the size to be expected of the image of a road sign in the respective image element is determined for

Abstract: A gas sensor with a high temperature electrical connector is provided. The electrical connector incorporates a ceramic connector body having a pair of opposing ceramic body portions which each house a plurality of conductive terminals. The body portions are in pivoting engagement and fixed in a connector body retainer which also enables their pivoting, hinged movement. The pivoting engagement permits the ceramic body portions and terminals to hinge open to receive a gas sensor with a low insertion force and a hinge closed to provide the desired contact force.

Abstract: A fuse adapter adapts coplanar blades of fuse having a predetermined blade spacing to fit a pair of coplanar blade receiving terminal slots in a circuit having a different slot spacing. The fuse adapter includes a pair of adapter terminals. Each adapter terminal has a slotted, planar upper end spaced from the other terminal's slotted upper end by the fuse blade spacing. Each adapter terminal upper end also has an adjusting tab bent away from the upper end substantially perpendicular thereto and substantially parallel to the plane of the coplanar terminal slots. Each adjusting tab is integral with a transition portion that extends to an adapter blade. The two adapter blades are coplanar with and spaced apart to match the fuse blade receiving terminal slots in the circuit.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting a vehicle rollover or dangerous situations that may precede a rollover, in particular a soil trip type rollover includes the following steps, where the steps are performed in loops, (a) determining a lateral acceleration of the vehicle, (b) calculating an acceleration differential value on the basis of the lateral accelerations determined in at least two steps (a), (c) determining a possibility of a rollover of the vehicle on the basis of the lateral acceleration determined in at least one step (a) and the acceleration differential value calculated in at least one step (b), (d) generating an output activation signal at least on the basis of a possibility of a rollover of the vehicle determined in a step (c).

Abstract: During periods of vehicle inactivity, a vehicle-based APU electric generating system may be coupled into a regional electric grid to send electricity into the grid. A currently-preferred APU is a solid oxide fuel cell system. When a large number of vehicles are thus equipped and connected, substantial electric buffering can be effected to the grid load. A vehicle-based APU can also function as a back-up generator to a docking facility in the event of power failure of the grid. Gaseous hydrocarbon is readily supplied by pipe in many locations as a commercial and residential heating fuel source, and a hydrocarbon reformer on the vehicle can be attached to the fuel source, enabling an APU to operate as a stationary power source indefinitely. An optional storage tank on the vehicle may be refueled with gaseous fuel, for example, while the battery is being electrically recharged by the grid.

Abstract: A communication system and method of communicating signals to a plurality of different types of receivers is provided. The communication system includes at least one transmitter that transmits high priority and low priority signals as a single frequency network. At least one satellite receives and re-transmits at least one of the high priority and low priority signals. At least one terrestrial repeater is in communication with the at least one transmitter, and receives from the at least one transmitter and re-transmits at least one of the high priority and low priority signals. A plurality of receivers includes at least a first receiver configured to process the high priority signal to emit an output signal based upon the high priority signal, and a second receiver configured to process the high priority and low priority signals to emit an output signal based upon the high priority and low priority signals.

Abstract: A lock for a housing may have a protrusion, an opening, a receptacle, and a ramp. The protrusion is formed in a first side wall of a first member of the housing, and the opening is defined in the first side wall. The receptacle extends from a second side wall of a second member of the housing, and is in some ways complementary in shape and in dimensions to the protrusion. The ramp is formed in the second side wall. When the first member and the second member are assembled, the protrusion and the receptacle are mated to form a water-tight seal therebetween, while the ramp is received within the opening.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a grommet for sealing a conduit to be passed through an opening against said opening. The grommet comprises a sealing body defining an opening therethrough for receiving the conduit as well as at least one sealing collar radially surrounding said sealing body in an unfolded state. The grommet further comprises a retaining means, which is configured for fixing said sealing collar in a folded state.

Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell includes the step of selectively connecting and disconnecting the fuel cell to at least one electrical load dependent at least in part upon at least one of a fuel cell voltage, a fuel cell current and a fuel cell temperature.

Abstract: A socket connector body includes a shroud having an opening, a lock arm, a substantially unyielding, non-resilient beam member, and means to pivot the lock arm. The lock arm includes a forward end portion and middle portion having an inward extending lock nib. The means of the lock arm pivots the forward end portion toward the non-resilient beam member from a free state of rest such that the forward end portion engages the non-resilient beam member. Further pivoting of the lock arm causes the middle portion of the lock arm to flexibly arch outwardly and away from the shroud such that the lock nib is lifted outwardly away from the plug connector body and out of engagement therewith to enable retraction of the plug connector body from the shroud through the opening.

Abstract: A system for communicating with a vehicle includes a control module equipped with a remote keyless entry (RKE) receiver and configured to control vehicle functions in response to a RKE signal. The system includes a fob equipped with a RKE transmitter and a short range transceiver, such as BLUETOOTH™, IEEE 802.11, or near field communication (NFC). The fob transmits a RKE signal in response to receiving a message from a consumer device, such as a cellular phone, smart phone, tablet computer, or personal computer equipped with a short range transceiver, enabling the user to control the vehicle from the consumer device. The system may be configured to transmit vehicle status information to the consumer device. The control module may include a third short range transceiver that communicates with the consumer device when the distance is between the vehicle and the consumer device is less than the distance threshold.

Abstract: An improved disk-valve fuel injector comprising a self-centering, floating valve seat insert disposed in a valve body. The valve seat insert includes a circular first valve seat and the body includes a circular second valve seat concentric with the first valve seat. A spring urges the valve insert into compliance with a disk-shaped valve head. The valve insert is able to adjust position in all three dimensions, allowing the disk head to mate precisely with both seats, thereby minimizing leakage when the valve is closed, improving metering precision, and extending the working lifetime of the valve head and valve seats.

Abstract: A NOX abatement system includes a first NOX adsorber capable of being disposed in-line and downstream of and in fluid communication with an engine. The NOX abatement system further includes a selective catalytic reduction catalyst disposed in-line and downstream of, and in direct fluid communication with, the first NOX adsorber. The selective catalytic reduction catalyst is capable of storing ammonia. An off-line reformer is disposed in selective communication with and upstream of the first NOX adsorber and the selective catalytic reduction catalyst. The reformer is capable of producing a reformate that includes primarily hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

Abstract: A quantity of unburned fuel is provided through a combustion chamber of an engine and an exhaust conduit to a catalytic converter. The catalyst in the converter is determined to be non-operational if a post-catalyst temperature sensor does not indicate a sufficient temperature increase between readings before and after provision of the unburned fuel to the combustion chamber. The unburned fuel may be provided by withholding spark ignition to create a misfire in the combustion chamber or, particularly in a direct injection engine, by injecting the fuel during the exhaust stroke.

Abstract: A method is described for controlling a solenoid-operated fluid valve having an output hydraulic pressure that varies in accordance with an input solenoid control current delivered from a drive circuit. A model is provided characterizing the plant dynamics of the solenoid-operated fluid valve and the drive circuit where the model is dependent on at least one operating parameter. The method, during operation, involves measuring the value of the operating parameter and adjusting based on the measured operating parameter value one or more gain constants to be used in a selected control strategy. The model is used in adjusting the gains. Finally, the method involves determining a required solenoid control current according to the control strategy with the now dynamically-adjusted gain constants. The control strategy may be a PI control strategy. The model-based system allows easy migration of the general control strategy to different hardware configurations by developing target system specific data for the model.

Abstract: A prismatic-cell battery pack is provided with integral coolant passages including an intake plenum, an exhaust plenum, and a distributed array of coolant channels coupled between the intake plenum and the exhaust plenum. Coolant medium forced into the intake plenum enters the coolant channels in parallel, draws heat away from the battery cells, and then enters the exhaust plenum for expulsion into the atmosphere. The battery pack is configured as a set of stackable interlocking battery cell modules including at least one battery cell in thermal proximity to an array of coolant channels distributed over the profile of the battery cell, and a pair of peripheral chambers joined to opposite ends of the coolant channels to form the intake and exhaust plenums when the modules are arranged and interlocked in a lineal stack.

Abstract: A connector assembly includes a retractable stabilizer moveable between a blade alignment position and a seated position in a shroud of a male connector. The retractable stabilizer is in the blade alignment position when the connector assembly is unmated and in the seated position when the connector assembly is mated. The retractable stabilizer includes a base and at least one position arm, at least one retention feature, and a securing member that extend from the base. When the connector assembly is unmated, the female connector pulls on the securing member which draws the retractable stabilizer to move from the seated position back towards the blade alignment position. When the at least one retention feature engages a blocking feature on the shroud, the at least one position arm flexes into at least one aperture defined in the shroud to secure the retractable stabilizer at the blade assembly position for reuse.

Abstract: A method is provided to determine a quality acceptance criterion using force signatures measured on a first and a second set of elements. The first set has no quality defect and the second set has a deliberate quality defect. Selection of an initial subset of time points is based on statistical analysis of the force data on the force signatures in the two sets. The quality acceptance criterion includes a quality threshold established using Mahalanobis Distance (MD) values and the MD values are produced from force data at a selected initial subset of time points for each element in the two sets. An output of the determined quality acceptance criterion is using the defined quality threshold to separate an element having a force signature into a group of elements having no quality defect or into a group of elements having a quality defect like the deliberate quality defect.

Abstract: A parallel parking assistant system integrated with a vehicle and method thereof are provided, the parking assistant system including a first sensor configured to determine a first distance, a second sensor configured to determine a second distance, and a controller configured to provide commands as a function of the first and second determined distances. The commands include a first command configured to command a steering system to be in a clockwise position while the vehicle is moving in a reverse direction for a first reversing distance, a second command configured to command the steering system to be in a substantially straight position while the vehicle is moving in a reverse direction for a second reversing distance, and a third command configured to command the steering system to be in a counter-clockwise position while the vehicle is a moving in a reverse direction for a third reversing distance.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling an injection time of a fuel injector. The system includes a drive circuit configured to output a drive signal having a pulse width, wherein the injection time is influenced by the pulse width and a closing electrical decay of the fuel injector. A controller is configured to determine the closing electrical decay of the fuel injector and adapt the pulse width based on the closing electrical decay to control the injection time. The closing electrical decay includes a closing response. The controller determines the closing response based on an injector signal, such as a coil voltage of the fuel injector. By determining the closing response, the pulse width can be adjusted to compensate for fuel injector part-to-part variability, fuel injector wear, variations in fuel pressure received by the fuel injector, dirt in the fuel injector, and the like.