Abstract: A vehicle roof structure for concealing one or more sensors therein includes a roof panel, a windshield extending up to the roof panel, and a spoiler. The spoiler extends across at least a portion of a width of the roof panel and includes a leading portion that is substantially parallel to a windshield-roof interface, an apex, wherein a height of the spoiler increases from a height of the roof panel to a height of the apex as the spoiler extends from the leading portion to the apex in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and a trailing portion extending from the apex to the roof panel. A sensor volume is formed between the spoiler and the roof panel. One or more sensors are at least partially positioned within the sensor volume, wherein the one or more sensors output a signal indicative of a characteristic of an environment of the vehicle.

Abstract: A system for adjusting the position of one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle includes a plurality of sensor arms, a plurality of sensor manipulators attached to each of the plurality of sensor arms. The system can be configured to receive output from the one or more sensors, and determine if an occlusion zone is detected. Based on the objects creating the occlusion zone, the sensors can be adjusted to decrease the size of the occlusion zone.

Abstract: A method includes bending back a wire fed to a first end side of a magnetic pole in a winding position by guiding the wire from a first end side to a second end side of a multi-pole armature, so that a first extending portion, a second extending portion, and an arc portion are formed. The first extending portion and the second extending portion are continuous via the arc portion. The first extending portion and the second extending portion are parallel to each other. The first extending portion and second extending portion are simultaneously inserted into slots on both sides of one or more of the magnetic poles in the winding position by moving the wire in a radial direction of the multi-pole armature. The slots are parallel to each other. The bending back the wire step and the simultaneous insertion step are performed repeatedly.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention provide a lubricating oil composition comprising a lubricating oil base stock and a compound of formula (I): or a salt thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 have any of the values defined in the specification, as well as methods of use thereof.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for testing a control program that is modeled as one or more blocks of a block diagram in a computing environment. A first user interface is provided for selecting a simulation mode for the block diagram and a second user interface is provided for selecting a compiler intended for production code compilation. When it is confirmed that a software-in-the-loop simulation mode has been selected in the first user interface, the blocks of the block diagram are converted to a production code and is compiled to an executable using the compiler selected in the second user interface. By running the executable on the host computer while recording one or more data points based on input/output signals and/or evaluating the compliance of the one or more data points to one or more criteria, the control program corresponding to the one or more blocks is tested.

Abstract: A method for executing a first application program of a first control unit on a computer, wherein functions for controlling actuators and/or sensors and/or functions for processing and/or providing data from actuators and/or sensors are executed by the first application program. A first interface between a control unit hardware and a first application program of the control unit is established by the control unit operating system. A first virtual control unit operating system and a first virtual application program are generated by compilation. A simulation environment interface is made available by the simulation environment for transfer of a data item and/or of an event to the first virtual application program and/or the virtual control unit operating system. The simulation environment initiates and controls an execution of the first virtual application program within the control unit operating system within the first virtual machine through the simulation environment interface.

Abstract: Devices and methods in an autonomous parking controller for a vehicle are disclosed. When the vehicle is located at a parking location, the method determines whether the parking location includes a parking restriction. When the parking location includes the parking restriction, the example method compares the parking restriction with at least one restriction threshold. When the parking restriction compares unfavorably with the at least one restriction threshold, the example method, while at the parking location, monitors for a change in at least one of a plurality of ambient conditions relative to the vehicle. When the example method detects the change, the vehicle is autonomously relocated to another location to alleviate the active obstruction.

Abstract: To provide an inkjet printer capable of satisfactorily performing printing on a media made of a variety of materials. An inkjet printer includes a laser light irradiation device configured to irradiate a surface of a medium with laser light, thereby forming recesses in at least a portion of the surface of the medium, and an inkjet head configured to eject ink, thereby supplying the ink onto the surface of the medium having the recesses formed therein. The inkjet printer may further include an irradiation position adjusting unit configured to adjust a position on the medium to be irradiated with laser light, such that a plurality of the recesses is formed inside the outline of a pattern to be formed by ink, and a supply position adjusting unit configured to adjust an ink supply position on the medium such that the ink is supplied to the recesses.

Abstract: A heat exchanger including a shell forming a generally cylindrical housing, a plurality of dividers within the shell extending along the length of the shell, wherein the dividers separate the shell into sections and each section forms a shell pass. The heat exchanger can further include a plurality of tube passes, wherein at least one tube pass is contained within each of the shell passes, and each tube pass comprises a plurality of tubes extending along the length of the shell, a shell inlet passage configured to receive a first fluid into a first shell pass and a shell outlet passage configured to discharge the first fluid from a last shell pass, and a plurality of shell pass passages formed in the dividers near a first end or a second end of the shell configured to allow flow of the first fluid from one shell pass to the next shell pass.

Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided and includes: a head that ejects ink onto a medium; a driver that relatively moves the positions of the head and the medium; a cover member that is positioned on the downstream side from the head in the movement direction of the medium relative to the head, so as to cover at least a portion of the medium; an air blowing fan that sends a drying air flow for drying ink ejected on the medium, into a gap between the medium and the cover member; and a cord type heater that heats at least one of the drying air flow and a preliminary air which is the previous stage of the drying air flow. An air-flow-direction changing wall part is provided so as to change the flow direction of the preliminary air which is the previous stage of the drying air flow, at least once.

Abstract: A device and method for adjusting vehicle fuel efficiency to responsive to an altered vehicle surface area are disclosed. An operation of the method receives vehicle surface data, which indicates a transition from a first vehicle drag coefficient value relating to a vehicle surface area to a second vehicle drag coefficient value relating to the altered vehicle surface area. A second plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the second vehicle drag coefficient value are determined, and the method operates to transmit the second plurality of powertrain parameter values for adjusting of the vehicle fuel efficiency.

Abstract: A debris removal method includes at least any one step of varying i) flow, ii) turbulence, and iii) pressure, within a pipe gas stream. Another embodiment is a cleaning system including a viewer to view inside pipe, and a turbulator associated with the viewer, to vary in a gas stream any of flow, pressure, and turbulence.

Abstract: A synthesis gas production apparatus (reformer) to be used for a synthesis gas production step in a GTL (gas-to-liquid) process is prevented from being contaminated by metal components. A method of suppressing metal contamination of a synthesis gas production apparatus operating for a GTL process that includes a synthesis gas production step of producing synthesis gas by causing natural gas and gas containing steam and/or carbon dioxide to react with each other for reforming in a synthesis gas production apparatus in which, at the time of separating and collecting a carbon dioxide contained in the synthesis gas produced in the synthesis gas production step and recycling the separated and collected carbon dioxide as source gas for the reforming reaction in the synthesis gas production step, a nickel concentration in the recycled carbon dioxide is not higher than 0.05 ppmv.

Abstract: Arrangements relating to the transitioning of a vehicle between operational modes are described. The vehicle can transition between a first operational mode and a second operational mode. The second operational mode has a greater degree of manual involvement than the first operational mode. For instance, the first operational mode can be an unmonitored autonomous operational mode, and the second operational mode can be a monitored autonomous operational mode or a manual operational mode. It can be determined whether an operational mode transition event has occurred while the vehicle is operating in the first operational mode. In response to determining that an operational mode transition event has occurred, a time buffer for continuing in the first operational mode before switching to the second operational mode can be determined. A transition alert can be presented within the vehicle. The transition alert can represent the determined time buffer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the inventive technology disclosed herein may improve efficiency of conveyed bottle apparatus by providing bottle jam prevention guides that may be rotatable, whether freely or in response to a motorized force. Such guides may force downward a bottle that undergone excessive swing in a forward and/or rearward direction, and thus has jammed or is in an incipient jam condition. Advantages may include not only increased efficiency of a conveyed bottle process, but also reduction or even elimination of chatter.

Abstract: A plasma spraying apparatus includes a cathode, a first gas nozzle surrounding a head of the cathode therewith to form a first gas path outside of the cathode, and a second gas nozzle surrounding the first gas nozzle therewith to form a second gas path outside of the first gas nozzle. The second gas nozzle is formed with a wire path through which a wire is inserted such that a distal end of the wire is disposed in front of a nozzle opening of the second gas nozzle. The wire path has a substantially rectangular cross section having a longer side extending in a direction in which a plasma flame extends, the wire path causing the wire to bend within an elastic limit of the wire.

Abstract: Technologies pertaining to registering a target image with a base image are described. In a general embodiment, the base image is selected from a set of images, and the target image is an image in the set of images that is to be registered to the base image. A set of disjoint regions of the target image is selected, and a transform to be applied to the target image is computed based on the optimization of a metric over the selected set of disjoint regions. The transform is applied to the target image so as to register the target image with the base image.

Abstract: A printing apparatus including a head unit 12, a main scan driver 14, and a controller 20 is provided. The head unit 12 includes a first-color nozzle and a second-color nozzle, and performs main scan operations in an outward direction and main scan operations in a homeward direction. During each main scan operation, the controller 20 selects some pixels, as first-color ejection object pixels for which ink drops of a first color should be ejected, from pixels included in an area of a medium 50 which is an object of the corresponding main scan operation, and selects at least some pixels other than the first-color ejection object pixels, as second-color ejection object pixels for which ink drops of a second color should be ejected, from the pixels included in the area of the medium which is the object of the corresponding main scan operation.

Abstract: A method for improving fuel efficiency and reducing frictional properties while maintaining or improving deposit control, in an engine lubricated with a lubricating oil by using as the lubricating oil a formulated oil. The formulated oil has a composition including from 75 to 95 wt % of lubricating oil base stock including a Group I base stock or a combination of a Group III, Group IV and Group V base stock including from 30 to 35 wt % Group III, 45 to 55 wt % Group IV and 0 to 5 wt % Group V and a friction modifier mixture comprising a polymeric ethoxylated fatty acid ester at from 0.1 to 1.0 wt. % and a mixed glyceride ester at from 0.1 to 1.0 wt. % of the formulated oil. The lubricating engine oils are useful in internal combustion engines including direct injection, gasoline and diesel engines.

Abstract: A package structure includes a carrier defining a cavity in which a die is disposed. A dielectric material fills the cavity around the die. A first conductive layer is disposed over a first surface of the carrier. A first dielectric layer is disposed over an active surface of the die, the first conductive layer and the first surface of the carrier. A first conductive pattern is disposed over the first dielectric layer, and is electrically connected to the first conductive layer and to the active surface of the die. A second dielectric layer is disposed over the second surface of the carrier and defines a hole having a wall aligned with a sidewall of the cavity. A second conductive layer is disposed over the second dielectric layer. A third conductive layer is disposed on the sidewall of the cavity and the wall of the second dielectric layer.