Abstract: Following installation of a device for functionally testing an electronically controlled regulating system in a motor vehicle, it is operated, and during its operation data is detected and stored in a test system at a production facility. The data collection occurs for the duration of a particular vehicle's operation over a defined distance at the production facility.

Abstract: A new method, to determine and control the air-fuel ratio for motor vehicles by employing a known method to determine the air factor lambda from the partial oxygen pressure of an exhaust gas brought to near total chemical equilibrium condition when knowing the mean chemical composition of the fuel is devised by, in addition to the partial oxygen pressure of the exhaust gas being brought to near total chemical equilibrium condition, the partial oxygen pressure of the exhaust gas that has not been exposed to means for adjusting the chemical equilibrium is measured, and where lambda is determined from the two partial oxygen pressures, the difference of the lambda values is obtained, and this difference is used as a measure for the concentration of the sum of residual hydrocarbons in the exhaust gas.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting misfires in an internal combustion engine that is mounted on a vehicle. A plurality of cylinders is defined in the engine, and a piston accommodated in each cylinder to reciprocate in the cylinder. A crankshaft is connected with the piston, the crankshaft is rotated by the reciprocal movement of the piston. An engine speed sensor is provided for detecting the rotating speed of the crankshaft. An electronic control unit (ECU) computes the deviation of rotating speed of the crankshaft corresponding to each cylinder based on the detected engine speed, and the deviation is proportional to the engine load. The ECU costs a leaning value based on the computed deviation, wherein the learning value is used for detecting the misfires in the engine. A memory is provided for storing the learning value. Several sensors are provided for detecting a running condition of the engine, wherein the condition is included the engine load.

Abstract: The device for determining deterioration of a catalytic converter includes a catalytic converter disposed in the exhaust gas passage of the engine and an air-fuel ratio sensor disposed on the exhaust gas passage downstream of the catalytic converter. The device performs two types of determining operations based on the length of the output response curve of the downstream air-fuel ratio sensor, one is a deterioration determining operation which determines whether the catalytic converter has deteriorated and the other is a normal determining operation which determines whether the catalytic converter is normal. The device also estimates the temperature of the catalytic converter based on the operating condition of the engine, and sets a deterioration diagnosis intake air flow range and a normal diagnosis intake air flow range in accordance with the estimated temperature of the catalytic converter.

Abstract: An electronic controller for use in a partially or fully automatic vehicle transmission. The transmission includes an automatic shifting mechanism for partially or fully automating the shifting thereof to select and engage gear ratios. The automatic shifting decisions are made by an electronic control circuit including an electronic controller which receives electrical signals representative of the rotational speeds of the input and output shafts of the transmission. An algorithm is performed by the electronic controller to identify the structure of the underlying transmission and adopt an appropriate shifting strategy based upon the rotational speeds of the input and output shafts of the transmission. Initially, the electronic controller determines if the transmission is, in fact, engaged in a gear ratio. Once it has been determined that the transmission is engaged in a gear ratio, the electronic controller determines what the specific magnitude of that gear ratio is.

Abstract: A first thrust limiting member and a second thrust limiting member are provided on a cam shaft rotatably carried between a lower cam shaft holder and an upper cam shaft holder which are fixed to an upper surface of a cylinder head 1, so that the first and second thrust limiting members and abut against the cam shaft holders 9.sub.5 and 10.sub.5. The second thrust limiting member has a plurality of detected projections provided around of an outer periphery thereof, so that the detected projections are detected by a TDC sensor 37 mounted to a head cover of the engine. Thus, the rotated position (phase), the angle of rotation and the number of rotations of an rotary shaft of an engine such as a cam shaft 6e and a crankshaft can be detected with good accuracy in a structure including a decreased number of parts, and the axial dimension of the rotary shaft of the engine can be reduced.

Abstract: The monitoring system for a separation reservoir containing at least two mediums, at least one medium floating on another medium includes: means for determining the levels of the upper and lower boundaries of the floating medium; means, responsive to the means for determining, for comparing the upper and lower boundary levels to reference levels in the separation reservoir; and means, responsive to the means for comparing, for indicating the condition of the reservoir.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the efficiency of a catalytic converter in a motor vehicle includes the steps of determining if at least one predetermined condition is met for monitoring the efficiency of the catalytic converter. The method includes biasing a fuel feedback multiplier of an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle to run rich or lean if the at least one predetermined condition is met. The method includes counting a number of switches across a predetermined switch point from an upstream oxygen sensor and a downstream oxygen sensor. The method includes calculating a switching frequency ratio based on the count of the switches from the upstream oxygen sensor and downstream oxygen sensor and using the switching frequency ratio to establish the efficiency level of the catalytic converter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting and displaying pressures of the foot-sole at a standstill and during movement, comprising an elongated modular platform (1) consisting of a multiplicity of footboards with foot-sole sensors (1a, 1b, 1c), having an array of sensors, a control processor (2) connected to the platform (1) by means of an interface board (3), said interface board (3) including a digital/analog converter module (5) connected at its input to the control processor (2) and at its output to each footboard (1a, 1b, 1c), a timing and enable module (6) connected at its input to the control processor (2) and at its output to each footboard (1a, 1b, 1c), and concentrator/switching module (8) having a number of inputs equivalent to the number of footboards (1a, 1b, 1c) and having an output connected to an analog-digital converter module (9) connected at its output to the control processor (2).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for selectively testing leakage of combustion chambers in cylinders of internal combustion chambers when the engine is operated with the combustion process suppressed. The internal combustion engine is provided with means for measuring the crank shaft rotation angle and for measuring the instantaneous rotational speed of the crank shaft and wherein the leakage of the combustion chambers is tested during expansion of the gas mixture during the combustion stroke and/or during compression of the gas mixture during the compression stroke of the cylinders of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A new cruise control economizer for utilizing momentum gained on downhill travel which operates by selectively overriding a throttle on a vehicle with electronic throttle controls during and after the vehicle is traveling down an incline gaining momentum with minimum fuel consumption. The inventive device includes at least one POM (prolongation of momentum) switch, a microcontroller, a vehicle speed input, a brakes or clutch pressed input, and a vehicle setback throttle means to override cruise control output and send modified throttle setting signals that override electronic cruise controls.

Abstract: A mass flowmeter for measuring the flow rate of a fluid by generating a Coriolis force in a measuring pipe includes a housing and a mechanism for supporting the pipe in the housing. The support mechanism includes a generally cylindrical hollow beam and first and second end support members. The measuring pipe is supported inside the hollow beam by the end support members. A vibrator for vibrating the measuring pipe and two sensors for detecting these vibrations are provided in the housing. The effective vibrating length of the measuring pipe is set shorter than the effective vibrating length of the support mechanism so as to set the vibration frequency of the measuring pipe higher than the natural frequency of the support mechanism, without reducing the rigidity of the support mechanism or using any additional mass.

Abstract: A fluid flow monitoring system comprised of a permanent magnet mounted on a bendable spring blade that provide an output from a Hall effect transducer as the permanent magnet is deflected toward or away from the transducer. The permanent magnet can be mounted to directly approach the Hall effect transducer or can also be mounted to approach the transducer by a sideways bypass direction. Both the direct motion and sideways bypass direction allows the use of a variety of sizes and shapes of magnets that allow the magnetic field intensity to be modified in any way desired. Various magnet shapes such as cylinders, rectangles, pyramids, triangles or compound magnets from these shapes may be used. The output signal of the transducer is processed through a smoothing filter and circuits that produce a linear output or a stepped digital output. The system preferably uses a resistance/capacitance filter to provide a different time constant for an increasing flow or a decreasing flow.

Abstract: A media handling apparatus such as a cash dispenser apparatus (16) includes a plurality of sensors made up of microphones (38) and acoustic emission (AE) sensors (42) which are respectively arranged to sense the acoustic outputs of different parts of the apparatus. The apparatus includes data storage means (50) arranged to store digital representations of normal outputs of the sensors (38,42) respectively corresponding to normal operation of said parts, and processing means (4) arranged, in operation, to respectively compare digital representations of the acoustic outputs of the sensors (38,42) with the stored digital representations of the normal outputs of the sensors (38,42). On the basis of this comparison, the data processing means (4) makes a determination as to whether any of the sensors (38,42) has an abnormal acoustic output. In this way, an indication of the state of health of the apparatus (16) is provided.

Abstract: A vortex flowmeter senses a pressure of vortices in a flowing fluid and transmits an output related to mass flow. The vortex flowmeter includes a dynamic filter filtering the vortex pressure signal. The dynamic filter provides a first filtered output signal and a second filtered output signal. The dynamic filter includes a controllable transfer function. Control circuitry controls the controllable transfer function and provides an output related to mass flow as a function of the first filtered output signal and the second filtered output signal. Transmitter circuitry receives the output signal and transmits a signal related to mass flow.

Abstract: A system and method measures hydrocarbon conversion efficiency of a catalytic converter (501). Total-combustible sensors (511, 521) are positioned to measure exhaust gas on both sides of the catalytic converter (501). Signals from these sensors (511, 521) have a magnitude comprised of a first portion, dependent on a concentration of the hydrocarbon gas in the gas stream, and a second portion, dependent on a concentration of the other combustible gasses in the gas stream, where a magnitude relationship between the first portion and the second portion is variable when the gas stream transitions into a region on the rich side of stoichiometry. The signals from these sensors (511, 521) are filtered so that a magnitude relationship between a first and second portion of the filtered signals is constant when the gas stream (506) transitions into the region on the rich-side of stoichiometry. Hydrocarbon conversion efficiency (529) is computed dependent on the filtered signals (515, 525).

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining the temperature of a gas charge in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine increase the accuracy with which the temperature of the gas charge is determined. The gas charge includes a residual gas portion and a fresh gas portion. The temperature of the gas charge is determined by ascertaining the temperature of the fresh gas portion, the proportion of the fresh gas portion in the gas charge, the temperature of the residual gas portion, and the proportion of the residual gas portion in the gas charge. The temperature of the gas charge is calculated based on these ascertained quantities.

Abstract: In the particular embodiments described in the specification, a virtual sewer flow monitor detects flow rate and depth information periodically and supplies it to a scattergraph generator and a polynomial curve generator produces a polynomial curve corresponding to the scattergraph data. A filter eliminates polynomial curve portions corresponding to normal sewer flow conditions and an SSO detector responds to curve portions indicating a sewer overflow condition to generate an alarm.

Abstract: A probe for measuring the temperature of a substrate in a substrate processing chamber. The probe includes a light pipe, one end of which is inserted into the processing chamber. The other end of the light pipe is connected to a bifurcated optical fiber. A light source is optically coupled to one branch of the optical fiber, and a pyrometer is optically coupled to another branch. To self-calibrate the probe, an object of stable reflectivity, e.g., a gold-plated wafer, is inserted into the chamber, the light source is activated, and the intensity of light reflected from the object is measured by the pyrometer.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the conversion capacity of a catalytic converter assesses a conversion capacity of a preliminary catalytic converter by calculating thermal energy generated in a reference catalytic converter that is not catalytically coated in accordance with a temperature model and making a comparison with a measured thermal energy generated in the preliminary catalytic converter. A measure of the conversion capacity of the preliminary catalytic converter is ascertained from the difference, and it is compared with a comparison value. The preliminary catalytic converter has an adequate conversion capacity if the difference is above the comparison value.