Abstract: An injection module assembly includes a fuel rail defining a passageway through which a fuel can flow, and a plurality of fuel injectors for delivering the fuel in the passageway to a respective plurality of combustion chambers in an internal combustion engine. The fuel injectors are coupled to the fuel rail such that an interface between the fuel rail and each fuel injector is substantially sealed to substantially prevent leakage of both liquid fuel and hydrocarbon emissions from the interface. The injection module assembly further includes an electrical connector coupled to the fuel rail and to each of the injectors for providing electrical power to each injector, and an overmolding covering at least a portion of the fuel rail, at least a portion of the electrical connector, and at least a portion of each fuel injector.

Abstract: A guide pin (36,42) for caliper (16) of a disc brake assembly (10) having a first cylindrical body (102,202) having a first head (104,204) thereon secured to a second cylindrical body (112,212) having a second head (114,214) on a first end and a threaded section (116,216) that extends from a shoulder (120,220) to a second end. A resilient washer (110,210) is located between the second head (114,214) and an ear (38,44) on an actuation section (18) of the caliper (16).

Abstract: A method and system for detecting drive train vibration. The system includes a programmable controller programmed to generate an output signal based on information from a wheel sensor located to sense the rotational behavior of an individual wheel. The controller is programmed to conduct a period test and a pattern test. A vibration of the drive train is detected in the event that both the period test and the pattern test are satisfied.

Abstract: A method of detecting the improper mounting of a sensor on a motor vehicle includes monitoring the output signals of the sensor, determining the noise levels in the output signals, and comparing the noise levels from the output signals to a threshold noise value to determine if the sensor is properly mounted. Preferably, the method monitors the output signals of a first sensor and a second sensor, determines the noise levels in the output signals being emitted by each of the sensors, and compares the noise levels of the first sensor to the noise levels of the second sensor to determine if the sensors are properly mounted.

Abstract: A method and system of activating a safety device of a vehicle having x, y and z-axes. The method includes generating a y-acceleration signal representative of the acceleration of the vehicle in the y-axis, generating an angular-rate signal representative of the angular velocity of the vehicle with respect to the x-axis, calculating a vehicle angle having a relationship to the angular-rate signal and being representative of the angle of the vehicle about the x-axis, determining an angular-rate threshold having a relationship to the vehicle angle and the y-acceleration signal, comparing the angular-rate signal to the angular-rate threshold, and activating a safety device when the magnitude of the angular-rate signal is greater than the angular-rate threshold.

Abstract: A fuel injector module for an internal combustion engine having two banks of cylinders includes a longitudinally extending central portion with opposing sides, at least two branches extending laterally from one of the opposing sides, and at least two more branches extending laterally from the other of the opposing sides. Each of the branches includes an injector receptacle for housing a fuel injector that injects fuel into a respective cylinder. Each of the branches also includes an electrical connector adjacent the injector receptacle for providing electrical power to the fuel injector. Preferably, each of the electrical connectors includes a pogo-pin electrically coupled to the fuel injector.

Abstract: A method and system of adjusting a drive signal to a fuel injector or other electromagnetic device having an electromagnetic coil and an armature. The system includes an amplifier coupled to the electromagnetic coil by a link. A sensor is coupled to the link to measure the electric signal travelling through the link and produces an output signal based on the sensed electric signal. A controller coupled to the amplifier and to the sensor produces a drive signal for the electromagnetic coil. The controller determines the position of the armature based on the output signal of the sensor, and modifies the drive signal based on the position of the armature. The method includes sending a drive signal to a fuel injector, sensing whether the armature contacts the body of the fuel injector, running the injector with the drive signal if no contact is detected, and upon sensing contact between the armature and the body, modifying the drive signal.

Abstract: A method and system of improving the performance of an embedded control system by reducing the complexity of an averaging process. An average windowing filter with an average window size is implemented. A first processed data value is retrieved from memory and a current data value is determined. A past data value within the average data window is determined and the difference between the current data value and the past data value is calculated. An average of the difference over the average data window size is then determined. Finally, an output signal is generated based on the sum of the average and the first processed data value.

Abstract: A superregenerative oscillator RF receiver is disclosed that has a differential output that has the advantage of providing an improved operating range and increased receiver sensitivity without affecting receiver cost or current requirements. The present invention comprises a receiver that has a super-regenerative oscillator from which the demodulated output is taken in differential form. This is achieved by generating collector and emitter output signals, low pass filtering both signals, and then combining them in a difference amplifier. The resulting waveform contains approximately twice the signal content than would be yielded from a singled-ended circuit. The preferred embodiment of present invention can also achieve quench noise cancellation with proper layout and the use of a common mode low pass filter followed by a difference amplifier.

Abstract: A disc brake having an anchor member with first and second grooves that receive first and second ears on a backing plate to align a friction surface of a friction pad with a rotor. A first slipper spring is secured to the anchor and located between the first groove and the first ear. A second slipper spring is secured to the anchor and located between the second groove and the second ear. The first and second ears correspondingly slide on the first and second slipper springs in response to an input force being applied to move the backing plate toward a rotor to bring the friction surface into engagement with the rotor during a brake application. Each of the first and second slipper springs is characterized by a base with parallel top and bottom side walls that extends therefrom. The top side wall has a lip thereon that engages the anchor to position the base in a groove.

Abstract: A brake booster (210) having a valve body (20) for retaining a plunger (238) of a control valve assembly (228). The plunger (238) is being connected by an input rod (230) to a brake pedal through which and operator supplies an input force to effect a brake application. To effect a brake application, the input rod (230) moves the plunger (238) to control communication of a source of pressure between a first chamber and a second chamber (16) and create a pressure differential across a wall (18) for developing an output force. The input rod (230) is characterized by a cylindrical tube (232) having a first end (234) and a second end (236) with an external annular rib (240) located between the first end (234) and the second end (236). A first internal annular groove (242) located between the annular rib (40) and the first end (234) and a second internal groove (244) is located adjacent the first end (236) to define a socket (252).

Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer programs are described for compensating for the effect of temperature on the sensitivity of electrostatic ultrasound (US) transducers, particularly as used in an automotive occupancy sensing (AOS) systems for sensing the nature or type of occupant and the location of the occupant with respect to the vehicle interior. The invention permits the AOS to classify the occupancy state of the vehicle from a US echo signal substantially free of the effects of temperature on signal amplitude. A capacitive divider or voltage monitor is employed to measure the capacitance of the transducer. The voltage monitor output is used by the scaling algorithm of a compensator to determine the scaling factor to be applied to the US transducer signal to compensate for the effect of temperature oil the transducer sensitivity.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer programs are described for compensating for the effect of temperature on the sensitivity of electrostatic ultrasound (US) transducers, particularly as used in an automotive occupancy sensing (AOS) systems for sensing the nature or type of occupant and the location of the occupant with respect to the vehicle interior. The invention permits the AOS to classify the occupancy state of the vehicle from a US echo signal substantially free of the effects of temperature on signal amplitude. A capacitive divider or voltage monitor is employed to measure the capacitance of the transducer. The voltage monitor output is used by the scaling algorithm of a compensator to determine the scaling factor to be applied to the US transducer signal to compensate for the effect of temperature on the transducer sensitivity.

Abstract: A system for detecting a deflated tire on a vehicle. The system includes an evaluating process that determines when a tire is likely to be deflated and issues a warning when the evaluating process determines a tire is likely to be deflated. The system further includes a feedback component that provides feedback to the evaluating process indicating whether the issued warning was erroneous. In one aspect of the invention, the feedback component makes corrections to the evaluating process. In another aspect of the invention, the feedback component is a direct feedback component. In yet another aspect of the invention, the feedback component is an inferred feedback component.

Abstract: A disc brake having a support member secured to a vehicle with a first guide pin located in a first bore and a second guide pin located in a second bore in support member. The first and second bores are complimentary and define first and second bearing surfaces to align a caliper over a rotor associated with a wheel of the vehicle. A first friction member is connected to the piston retained by the caliper while a second friction member is connected to an arm extending from a bridge member is located on a second side of the rotor. To effect a brake application pressurized fluid acts on the piston to develop a force for moving the first and second friction members into engagement with the rotor to effect a brake application. The caliper is characterized by a first ear that extends from the actuation section while a second ear extends from the arm. The first and second ears being located on opposite sides of the rotor.