Abstract: A 3D imaging system includes a light source arranged to illuminate a scene with at least one optical pulse including light of at least two discrete wavelengths; an optical detector including an array of detection elements; and an optical modulator interposed in the optical path between the scene and the optical detector, the modulator being arranged to differentially amplitude modulate the two wavelengths in the reflected portion of the optical pulse as a function of time.

Abstract: A method of operating a radar apparatus comprises: (a) capturing a first chirp of data in the cycle and storing the data in a local storage memory; (b) processing the captured data to generate a set of range bin data, (c) transferring the range bin data from the local storage memory to a remote burst access memory, (d) repeating the steps (a) and (b) for each subsequent chirp, (e) repeating step (c) so as to transfer the range bin data from the local storage memory to the remote burst access memory, (f) transferring from the remote burst access memory into the local storage memory, (g) process the data transferred into the local storage memory to generate a set of velocity data, and repeating steps (f) and (g) until all of the data in the remote burst access memory block of data has been processed by the second FFT.

Abstract: A method of processing a signal representative of at least one physical property of a physical system comprising generating a set of predicted signals, the set of predicted signals comprising at least one member, each member representing a physical state of the physical system, generating a predicted waveform or the signal for each member dependent upon the physical state, and comparing each predicted waveform with the signal to determine the accuracy with which the physical state represented by the member for which the predicted signal was generated matches an actual physical state of the physical system. In an example embodiment, the physical system is a tyre and the state includes the air pressure within the tyre.

Abstract: A method of controlling an electric power assisted steering (EPS) apparatus comprises a plurality of inverter bridges each connected to a multi-phase motor configured to provide power assist to steering of a vehicle. After detection of a failure within one of said inverter bridges, the current flow within the faulty inverter bridge is controlled, and one or more of the other inverter bridges is used to provide power assistance. A control system for an electric power assisted steering (EPS) apparatus comprises a plurality of inverter bridges each connected to a multi-phase motor configured to provide power assist to steering of a vehicle, selection means for selectively operating switches in an inverter bridge in which a failure has been detected to control the current flow within the faulty inverter bridge, and control means for controlling one or more of the other inverter bridges to provide power assistance in accordance with the method.

Abstract: A combined motor and gearbox assembly for an electric power steering system comprising an electric motor, a gearbox which includes a gearset that is connected on an input part to a rotor of the motor and in use is connected on an output part at least indirectly to a steering column shaft to transfer torque from the motor rotor to the steering column shaft, a motor drive circuit, a gearbox housing which in use accommodates the gearset of the gearbox, the electric motor including a motor housing, and a baseplate which connects an end face of the gearbox housing to an end face of the gearbox housing and which supports the drive circuit. At least one bolt having a stem passes through a central hole in a tubular rivet that secures the motor housing to the baseplate, the bolt securing the baseplate to the gearbox housing.

Abstract: A method of controlling an electric power assisted steering (EPS) system comprising one or more inverter bridges each connected to a multi-phase motor configured to provide power assist to steering of a vehicle, each inverter comprising a plurality of switching elements each associated with a phase of the motor, is provided. The method comprises, preventing current flow in said one or more affected inverters by applying a gate-source voltage to one or more of the switching elements of the affected inverter bridge(s) in response to detecting a predefined event affecting current flow in one or more of the inverter bridges. A control system for an electric power assisted steering apparatus comprising one or more inverter bridges and a control means configured to control the switching elements in accordance with the method is also provided.

Abstract: A method of determining the characteristics of a scene around a vehicle comprises capturing a stereo pair of images of the scene and processing the images to produce a depth map of the scene. Each pixel in the depth map is assigned a value that corresponds to the range of a corresponding region in the scene, the pixels being arranged in a grid of rows and columns with each column of pixels in the grid corresponding to a vertically oriented set of regions in the scene and each row a horizontally oriented set of regions in the scene. The values for one or more columns of pixels in the depth map are binned to form a corresponding histogram, each bin in the histogram having a count value that corresponds to the number of pixels in the column that have a depth within the range assigned to the bin.

Abstract: A method of controlling an electric power assisted steering (EPS) system comprising one or more inverter bridges each connected to a multi-phase motor configured to provide power assist to steering of a vehicle, wherein each inverter comprises a plurality of switching elements each associated with a phase of the motor, the method comprising in response to detecting a predefined event affecting current flow in one or more of the inverter bridges, preventing current flow in said one or more affected inverters by applying a gate-source voltage to one or more of the switching elements of the affected inverter bridge(s), wherein the switching elements are configured to conduct in the off-state when reverse biased beyond a reverse conduction threshold voltage, and wherein applying the gate-source voltage comprises applying a negative gate-source voltage to control the reverse conduction threshold voltage of the switching elements in the off-state only at a time when there is no current flowing in the direction drai

Abstract: A steering column assembly includes a first elongate guide portion, a second portion movably mounted with respect to the first elongate guide portion and a means for attaching a steering wheel to one of the first and second portions. The first elongate guide portion further includes at least two elongate, parallel guide edges and the second portion further includes at least two rollers spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the elongate guide portion and shaped complementarily to, and engaged with, a first of the elongate guide edges and at least two further rollers, spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the elongate guide portion and shaped complementarily to, and engaged with, a second of the elongate edges.

Abstract: An electronic control unit for a vehicle, the electronic control unit comprising a processor comprising: a processor core; storage, the storage storing data comprising instructions for the processor core; a tamper-resistant hardware security module which is coupled to the storage for reading and writing; and an external interface; the electronic control unit further comprising further storage connected to the processor through the external interface and containing further data; in which the hardware security module is arranged to cause a determination whether the data in the storage has been tampered with and, on a determination that the data has been tampered with, to cause the further data to be loaded into the storage from the further storage over the external interface. Other apparatus and methods for improving the security of electronic control circuits are disclosed.

Abstract: A steering column assembly includes a housing, a shaft, a sensor, a motor, an elongate rod, a nut member, an actuator housing, and end stops. The shaft may be attached to an end of a steering wheel. The sensor may generate an electrical signal in response to rotation of the rotatably mounted shaft. The motor may apply a torque to the rotatably mounted shaft. The elongate rod may be configured to rotate with the rotatably mounted shaft and may include an externally screw-threaded portion having a nut member mounted thereon. The actuator housing may define a chamber to house the motor and a cavity which restricts rotation of the nut member with respect to the housing. The rotation of the elongate rod causes axial displacement of the nut member. The end stops may engage with the nut member.

Abstract: An electric circuit for use in an electric power assisted steering system comprises a motor having a plurality of phases and for each phase at least one stator coil wire that extends from the motor and terminates at a terminal end; a circuit board comprising at least one electrically conductive track supported at least partially by a carrier, the track being electrically connected to at least one drive stage switch; a connector comprising: a base part having a guide hole extending there through that in use is aligned with a corresponding through-hole in the track of the circuit board, a support arm that is connected to the base part and extends away from the base part and a connecting part that is supported by the support arm, the support arm being flexible to permit relative movement between the connecting part and the base part, and securing means for securely fixing the connector to the track of the printed circuit board.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for processing received radiation (e.g. RADAR radiation) reflected from a target, the method comprising generating a set of predicted targets, the set of predicted targets comprising at least one member, each member representing a state of the target, generating a predicted waveform for the radiation for each member dependent upon the state of the target, and comparing each predicted waveform with a waveform of the received radiation to determine the accuracy with which the state of the target represented by the member for which the predicted waveform was generated matches an actual state of the target.

Abstract: A vehicle kinematic control circuit for a vehicle adjusts the track of one or more rear wheels of the vehicle through a limited angular range, using an electric motor, connected mechanically to at least one rear wheel. The motor has at least two independently operable sets of phase windings, each set comprising at least two phase windings, each set connected to a motor bridge, controlled by a microcontroller. In normal use the microcontroller generates motor control signals that apply appropriate PWM modulated voltage waveforms to the set of phase windings connected to that bridge to drive the rotor of the motor in a first manner thereby to actively steer the rear wheel.

Abstract: A gearbox assembly for an electric power assisted steering apparatus includes a gearbox housing, a worm shaft, a main bearing assembly, and a first fulcrum means. The worm shaft may be supported relative to the housing by a main bearing assembly at an end closest to the motor. The main bearing assembly may include an inner ring defining an inner bearing race, an outer ring defining an outer bearing race, and a plurality of bearings that run between the two races. The first fulcrum means may be located on a first side of the main bearing assembly which reacts only the axial component of the wormshaft tooth load for a first direction of gearwheel torque. A second fulcrum means may be located on a second, opposing, side of the main bearing assembly, which reacts only the axial component of the wormshaft tooth load for the second direction of gearwheel torque.

Abstract: A reach adjustable steering column assembly comprises a telescopic steering shaft which in use supports a steering wheel of the vehicle; a shroud that supports the steering shaft comprising an upper shroud part and a lower shroud part, the upper shroud part moving telescopically relative to the lower part during reach adjustment of the steering column assembly, a support bracket that supports the shroud relative to the vehicle body, and a clamp mechanism that is operable between an unclamped position in which the steering column assembly is adjustable for reach and a clamped position in which the reach position of the steering column assembly is fixed. The clamp mechanism comprises a first locking part that is displaceable by an actuator assembly into and out of positive engagement with a second locking part.

Abstract: An interior permanent magnet motor comprising a rotor having a set of permanent magnets placed within the interior of the rotor and a stator which surrounds the rotor and has a set of stator teeth defining slots between adjacent teeth. The stator also includes a plurality of stator windings that extend around the teeth and within the slots, the rotor and stator defining an airgap there between, in which an outer peripheral surface of the rotor that faces the stator across the airgap is provided with a respective eccentric bulge in the region of each rotor magnet.

Abstract: A steering column assembly comprises a support bracket, a telescopic shroud having an outer shroud portion and an inner shroud portion, an energy absorbing mechanism that includes a puller, a clamp rail fixed to the inner shroud portion including a slot that extends axially along the inner shroud portion, the slot defining two opposing walls which each carry a row of teeth, the two rows thereby being spaced apart from one another with the teeth extending towards each other; the puller being positioned adjacent the slot, a clamp bolt that extends perpendicular to the shroud, and a toothed block having a row of teeth on each side, the pitch between teeth of each row being equal to, or a whole multiple of, the pitch of the teeth of the corresponding row of the slot. The block is supported by a carrier element that moves in response to rotation of the clamp bolt to move, in turn, the toothed block between a clamped position.

Abstract: A steering column assembly comprises a telescopic shroud having an outer shroud portion and an inner shroud portion, a clamp rail fixed to the inner shroud portion, a clamp bolt that extends perpendicular to the shroud, a toothed block that is connected to the clamp bolt and is displaced on rotation of the clamp bolt, and a carrier element that supports the toothed block and is movable in response to rotation of the clamp bolt to in turn move the toothed block between a clamped position and an unclamped position and is free to move from side to side relative to the slot. A frangible pin secures the toothed block to the carrier element, the frangible pin having a first end located in a bore in the toothed block and a second end located in a bore in the carrier element, the toothed block being supported on a shoulder of the frangible pin, and a clearance is provided between the frangible pin and the walls of one of the bores to permit side to side movement of the toothed block relative to the carrier element.

Abstract: A steering column assembly comprises a telescopic shroud having an outer shroud portion and an inner shroud portion, a clamp rail fixed to the inner shroud portion including a slot that extends axially along the inner shroud portion, a clamp bolt that extends perpendicular to the shroud that may be rotated around its long axis by operation of a locking lever, and a toothed block that is connected to the clamp bolt having a row of teeth on each side, the pitch between teeth of each row being equal to, or a whole multiple of, the pitch of the teeth of a corresponding row of the slot. The toothed block is supported by a carrier that moves in response to rotation of the clamp bolt to in turn move the toothed block between a clamped position and an unclamped position and supports the toothed block such that the toothed block is free to move from side to side when in the slot.