Abstract: A system and method of injecting audio content into a radio system is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving in a radio receiver a first RF signal from an antenna and processing the signal at a select frequency within a radio frequency band. The method also includes the step of providing audio content from an auxiliary device. The method also includes the step of modulating the audio content from the auxiliary device and replicating the modulated signal to generate a replicated RF signal at the multiple frequencies within the radio frequency band. The method further includes the step of injecting the replicated RF signal into the radio receiver.

Abstract: A sealed fuel level sensor for a fuel tank is provided. The sealed fuel level sensor includes a frame having a cavity therein. The sealed fuel level sensor further includes a variable resistor disposed in the cavity and operatively supported by the frame. The sealed fuel level sensor further includes a wiper disposed in the cavity for rotation relative to the variable resistor and for contacting the variable resistor. The sealed fuel level sensor further includes a cover connected to the frame to enclose the cavity. The cover includes an aperture extending therethrough. The sealed fuel level sensor further includes a bushing disposed within the aperture. The bushing having a body portion and a lip seal portion disposed on the body portion. The lip seal portion and the body portion having a bore therein. The sealed fuel level sensor further includes a float arm having an end extending through the aperture of the cover and the bore of the bushing and connected to the wiper.

Abstract: An antenna system includes a plurality of antenna elements, switching elements, and transmission feed lines disposed on a rear window glass. The switching elements are arranged with the antenna elements and transmission feed lines to, when selectively closed, electrically couple selected antenna elements and transmission feed lines to one another to generate an antenna configuration selected from a plurality of antenna configurations. A non-volatile memory is configured to store data representing at least some of the plurality of antenna configurations. A control arrangement is operatively coupled to the switching elements and is configured to close selected switching elements as a function of the data stored in said memory. The system is selectively updated as a function of previously selected antenna configurations.

Abstract: A vehicle stability control system diagnostic strategy, wherein the diagnostic strategy may be adaptively applied based upon the identified maneuver states of the vehicle. The diagnostic architecture contains three vehicle state observers (i.e., models) each based on inputs from only two of the three sensors (yaw rate, lateral acceleration, and hand wheel angle). More particularly, the first observer does not consider lateral acceleration input. The second observer does not consider yaw rate sensor input and the third does not consider hand wheel angle (UWA) sensor input in determining the vehicle state. However, estimated vehicle speed input is used by all the observers. For example, the first observer detects a maneuver state based on yaw rate and HWA and vehicle speed inputs. Then it diagnoses the lateral acceleration sensor failure based on the observer output.

Abstract: A telescoping steering column assembly and method of manufacturing the assembly are disclosed. The assembly includes an outer jacket defining at least one hole and a central axis. An inner jacket is disposed in the outer jacket and slides relative to the outer jacket along the central axis. A plug having a body portion and a flange extending radially outwardly from the body portion is disposed in the hole of the outer jacket. The plug defines at least one channel and the plug is heated to create a molten material that flows into the channel of the plug for securing the plug within the hole to prevent movement of the plug along the central axis and for aligning the inner jacket within the outer jacket to allow the inner jacket to slide within the outer jacket.

Abstract: In a vane-type camshaft phaser, one vane extends over a much larger internal angle than the other two vanes. Because of its size and strength, the large vane is the vane designated for contact with the stator. The other vanes and lobes have extra clearance to prevent contact regardless of rotor position. In one embodiment, a first surface of the large vane engages a surface of a first adjacent lobe at one extreme rotor rotation, and a second surface of the large vane engages a surface of a second adjacent lobe at the opposite extreme of rotation. The contact surfaces of the lobes and the vane may be equipped with hardened wear pads. One or more wear pads may be machined to provide a desired rotor displacement angle.

Abstract: In a method for forming an injection molded manifold, the portion of the mold that forms a septum is modified to provide a substantially thicker septum, preferably about 8.5 mm or greater. In the molding operation, one or more removable slides are inserted through this region of the mold, each slide being preferably about 2.5 mm thick and about 30 mm wide. The septum is cast around the slides which are then withdrawn from the septum after the polymer composite is set, resulting in a septum that is substantially thicker than a prior art septum, comprising first and second plates, each about 3 mm thick, and a plurality of open core voids about 2.5 mm high and about 30 mm wide between the plates. The improved septum is stiffer than a single 4 mm thick prior art septum, has a higher natural frequency, and improves suppression of engine noise.

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 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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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 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 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 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: 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: 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.