Abstract: A method for operating a higher-level automated vehicle (HAV), in particular a highly automated vehicle, is provided, including: S1 for providing a digital map, which may be a highly accurate digital map, in a driver assistance system of the HAV; S2 for determining an instantaneous vehicle position and localizing the vehicle position in the digital map; S3 for providing an expected setpoint traffic density at the vehicle position; S4 for ascertaining an instantaneous actual traffic density in the surroundings of the HAV; S5 for comparing the actual traffic density to the setpoint traffic density and ascertaining a difference value as the result of the comparison; S6 for checking the vehicle position of the HAV for plausibility at least partially based on the difference value and/or S7 for updating the digital map at least partially based on the difference value. Also described are a corresponding driver assistance system and a computer program.

Abstract: A method for improving the estimation of an existence probability of objects. The objects are detected using sensors installed in a vehicle and/or an infrastructure component. Each tracker of a sensor and/or a sensor group estimates a status of an object and its existence probability using a detection probability model. The detected objects are merged in a fusion list, and each object is assigned a state and an existence probability. Each object of the fusion list is assigned existence probabilities. Each object of the fusion list is assigned additional information indicating which sensor and/or which sensor group has/have detected the respective object in the last measuring cycle. At least sensor-specific and/or sensor-group-specific existence probabilities of fused existence probabilities and the sensor detection probability are compared in a crosscheck, and false negative cases and false positive cases are ascertained for each sensor and/or sensor groups.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension pre-load management system is disclosed. At least one suspension component, such as a motorcycle shock absorber, has an expandable chamber that with increased volume of a nearly incompressible fluid increases the suspensions pre-load. In one embodiment the system utilizes a controller, a pressure sensor, a pump, and a number of solenoids in a manifold block to allow a user to set a desired pre-load level. In another embodiment the controller monitors the pressure of the chamber and maintains a desired pre-load setting. In yet another embodiment, the controller identifies a hard braking event such that would cause a brake dive and increases the pre-load to counter act the dive.

Abstract: One aspect of this disclosure is directed to a steering system comprising a housing in which a steering rack is movably arranged and extends out of the housing on at least one side of the housing, the steering rack being connected with a tie rod via a ball joint, wherein the connection is covered by a protective bellows defining a central axis and the bellows further comprising a first end defining a first opening around the central axis, a second end defining a second opening around the central axis, and several annular folds arranged along the central axis between the first end and second end, and wherein the bellows comprises a plurality of skirts arranged along the central axis and extending away from the bellows.

Abstract: A virtual visor system includes a visor having a plurality of independently operable pixels that are selectively operated with a variable opacity. A camera captures images of the face of a driver or other passenger and, based on the captured images, a controller operates the visor to automatically and selectively darken a limited portion thereof to block the sun or other illumination source from striking the eyes of the driver, while leaving the remainder of the visor transparent. The virtual visor system advantageously snaps projected eye positions on the visor to a grid, which helps to minimize rapid and distracting changes in the optical state of the visor.

Abstract: A method is directed to operating an internal combustion engine having at least one catalytic converter, wherein control interventions of a lambda control for controlling an exhaust gas composition of the engine are deactivated. The method includes the steps of ascertaining a current exhaust gas composition upstream of the catalytic converter, determining a current oxygen fill level of the catalytic converter on the basis of the ascertained current exhaust gas composition, ascertaining a planned control intervention on a composition of an air-fuel mixture supplied to the engine on the basis of the determined current oxygen fill level of the catalytic converter, ascertaining a current exhaust gas composition downstream of the catalytic converter, ascertaining a future exhaust gas composition downstream of the catalytic converter resulting on the basis of an air-fuel mixture already supplied to the engine, and reactivating the lambda control and specifying a control intervention to be carried out.

Abstract: A method for controlling a robot. The method includes receiving an indication of a target configuration to be reached from an initial configuration of the robot, determining a coarse-scale value map by value iteration, starting from an initial coarse-scale state and until the robot reaches the target configuration or a maximum number of fine-scale states has been reached, determining a fine-scale sub-goal from the coarse-scale value map, performing, by an actuator of the robot, fine-scale control actions to reach the determined fine-scale sub-goal and obtaining sensor data to determine the fine-scale states reached, starting from a current fine-scale state of the robot and until the robot reaches the determined fine-scale sub-goal, the robot transitions to a different coarse-scale state, or a maximum sequence length of the sequence of fine-scale states has been reached and determining the next coarse-scale state.

Abstract: A device and method for a serial bus system. The device has a transmit signal analysis module for counting edges of a transmit signal to be transmitted on a bus of the bus system; a receive signal analysis module for counting edges of a receive signal generated from a signal transmitted on the bus because of the transmit signal; and an evaluation module for evaluating the difference that results from a comparison of the edges counted by the transmit signal analysis module and the edges counted by the receive signal analysis module. If the signal propagation time on the bus is greater than the bit time of the receive signal, the evaluation module signals whether the amount of the difference is less than or equal to a predefined value or whether the amount of the difference is greater than the predefined value, the predefined value being greater than zero.

Abstract: The present invention obtains a control system and a control method capable of appropriately suppressing rear lift-up of a straddle-type vehicle. In the control system and the control method according to the present invention, damping forces of suspensions and a braking force generated to the straddle-type vehicle are controlled. Braking force adjustment control is executed to adjust the braking force generated to the straddle-type vehicle so as to suppress the rear lift-up that causes a rear wheel of the straddle-type vehicle to lift off from the ground, and initiation timing of the braking force adjustment control is controlled by using a physical quantity to which states of the suspensions are reflected.

Abstract: The invention relates to a printhead (1) for a 3D printer, particularly a metal printer, comprising a housing (3), a device (28) for supplying a metal (14), a reservoir (7, 27), a nozzle device (2) and a piston (5), the nozzle device (2) comprising a guide sleeve (11), a nozzle plate (9) provided with an outlet (10), and a clamping device (4). The nozzle plate (9) and the guide sleeve (11) are mutually elastically braced by means of the clamping device (4), and the guide sleeve (11) and the reservoir (7, 27) are mutually elastically braced by means of the clamping device (4).

Abstract: A method for determining a switching point of a solenoid valve. A solenoid coil is energized to raise a solenoid armature to unblock a flow opening. For a signal profile characteristic of a current profile in the solenoid coil, multiple periods each different from one another and each having the same predefined temporal length are determined. Within each period, a minimal and a maximal value of the signal profile and associated points in time are ascertained and a product of a difference between the maximal and minimal value and a difference between the associated points in time are ascertained. On the basis of the points in time of the minimal and maximal value of that period, which corresponds to a maximal value of the product, the switching point is determined.

Abstract: A sensor device having a first counter electrode extending under an intermediate carrier, and having a first distance between the intermediate carrier and the first counter electrode being modifiable by the pressure on the movable region, and the first counter electrode encompassing, under the intermediate carrier, at least one electrically separated region that is disposed below a spacing element and includes at least a lateral extent of the spacing element.

Abstract: A method is provided for limiting a load current in a supply line that supplies a first load with electrical current. The method includes: defining a first time interval and a second time interval, the first time interval beginning after a time of connection of the first load to the supply line, and the second time interval beginning later than the first time interval; limiting the load current within the first and second time interval to a first value; limiting the load current, at least at the end of the second time interval, to a second value, the second value being smaller than the first value.

Abstract: A steering device includes: a steering gear housing, which provides a sensor accommodation region; a steering sensor unit, which is situated in the sensor accommodation region when installed; a housing cover, which is provided to cover the sensor accommodation region in the axial direction when installed; and a connector unit, which can be situated in a contact recess in the steering gear housing or in the housing cover, for making, in particular direct, electrical contact with the steering sensor unit during the process of installing the connector unit. The connector unit includes a plug unit with at least one plug element for connection to the steering sensor unit, and a support unit. The connector unit also includes an elastic compensation unit, which is connected fixedly to the plug element and to the support unit and is provided to resiliently support the plug element.

Abstract: The present invention obtains a rider-assistance system capable of appropriately assisting with driving by a rider of a straddle-type vehicle and a control method for such a rider-assistance system. The rider-assistance system that assists with driving by the rider of the straddle-type vehicle includes: a peripheral environment detector that is mounted to the straddle-type vehicle and detects peripheral environment of the straddle-type vehicle; an input device that is mounted to the straddle-type vehicle and is operated by the rider of the straddle-type vehicle; and a controller that governs operation of the rider-assistance system.

Abstract: A method for evaluating the functionality of a ceramic sensor for detecting soot, the sensor including two measurement electrodes exposable to an exhaust and spaced apart from one another, and an electrical resistance heating element. The method includes: activating the resistance heating element to heat up the sensor and to burn soot off the two measurement electrodes; then deactivating the resistance heating element; then waiting for a first predetermined time period and/or waiting until a signal that is received from the sensor and represents the sensor temperature reaches a first predefined value; then measuring a first variable representing the electrical resistance between the measurement electrodes; then evaluating the functionality of the sensor based on the first variable representing the electrical resistance between the measurement electrodes.

Abstract: A surveillance system having an interface to a camera network for video surveillance of a surveillance area. The camera network includes a plurality of cameras each for capturing a surveillance subarea. The cameras are designed to provide surveillance images of the surveillance subareas. The surveillance system also includes a surveillance device for re-identifying people in the surveillance images. The surveillance device includes a person detection module for detecting people and an object detection module 10 for detecting objects. The surveillance device 5 includes an assignment module 12 designed to assign at least one item of object information to a person 4, and an action detection module 11 designed to detect an action of the person 4 on one of the objects 8.

Abstract: An electronically slip-controllable power braking system for a motor vehicle, in which a controllably drivable pressure generator supplies multiple brake circuits connected in parallel to one another with pressure medium under brake pressure. Each of the brake circuits are separable through existing first control valves from the pressure generator and include second control valves that are connected downstream from the first control valves to control the brake pressure in the wheel brakes, which are connected with the brake circuits. An electronic control unit in the brake circuits has three devices, the third device puts the first control valve of a brake circuit into a passage position if a leakage is established downstream from the second control valve in this brake circuit and if it is established that the pressure generated by the pressure generator has at least approximately reached or exceeded a pressure limit of the first control valve.

Abstract: A method for limiting an air charge of an internal combustion engine. A maximum permissible pre-controlled charge and an exhaust-gas temperature-dependent delta charge are determined by means of a PI controller. A total permissible charge is determined on the basis of the maximum permissible pre-controlled charge and the exhaust-gas temperature-dependent delta-charge, and the air charge of the internal combustion engine is limited by the total permissible charge.