Abstract: A method, computer program product and apparatus for minimizing occupant injury by optimizing occupant restraint properties and/or actions in real time, during pre-crash and crash phases. The restraint system uses three catalogs and a database linking these catalogs. The catalogs include a catalog of possible occupant states, a catalog of possible collision scenarios, and a catalog of potential restraint control laws. The database is an assessment of injury outcome for each possible combination of occupant state, collision scenario, and restraint control law. In addition to the catalogs, the method requires four computational components: an occupant identifier, a collision identifier, a restraint law optimizer, and a restraint controller.

Abstract: A method, computer program product and apparatus for minimizing occupant injury by optimizing occupant restraint properties and/or actions in real time, during pre-crash and crash phases. The restraint system uses three catalogs and a database linking these catalogs. The catalogs include a catalog of possible occupant states, a catalog of possible collision scenarios, and a catalog of potential restraint control laws. The database is an assessment of injury outcome for each possible combination of occupant state, collision scenario, and restraint control law. In addition to the catalogs, the method requires four computational components: an occupant identifier, a collision identifier, a restraint law optimizer, and a restraint controller.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a centrifugal fluid pump for pumping sensitive biological fluids, which includes (i) an integral impeller and rotor which is entirely supported by an integral combination of permanent magnets and electromagnetic bearings and rotated by an integral motor, (ii) a pump housing and arcuate passages for fluid flow and containment, (iii) a brushless driving motor embedded and integral with the pump housing, (iv) a power supply, and (v) specific electronic sensing of impeller position, velocity or acceleration using a self-sensing method and physiological control algorithm for motor speed and pump performance based upon input from the electromagnetic bearing currents and motor back emf—all fitly joined together to provide efficient, durable and low maintenance pump operation. A specially designed impeller and pump housing provide the mechanism for transport and delivery of fluid through the pump to a pump output port with reduced fluid turbulence.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a centrifugal fluid pump for pumping sensitive biological fluids, which includes (i) an integral impeller and rotor which is entirely supported by an integral combination of permanent magnets and electromagnetic bearings and rotated by an integral motor, (ii) a pump housing and arcuate passages for fluid flow and containment, (iii) a brushless driving motor embedded and integral with the pump housing, (iv) a power supply, and (v) specific electronic sensing of impeller position, velocity or acceleration using a self-sensing method and physiological control algorithm for motor speed and pump performance based upon input from the electromagnetic bearing currents and motor back emf—all fitly joined together to provide efficient, durable and low maintenance pump operation. A specially designed impeller and pump housing provide the mechanism for transport and delivery of fluid through the pump to a pump output port with reduced fluid turbulence.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a centrifugal pump for pumping sensitive biological fluids which includes (i) an integral impeller and rotor which is electromagnetically supported and rotated, (ii) a pump housing and arcuate passages for fluid flow and containment, (iii) a brushless driving motor embedded and integral with the pump housing, (iv) a power supply, and (v) specific electronic sensing and control algorithms—all fitly joined together to provide efficient, durable and low maintenance pump operation. A specially designed impeller and pump housing provide the mechanism for transport and delivery of fluid through the pump to a pump output port with reduced fluid turbulence.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a centrifugal fluid pump for pumping sensitive biological fluids, which includes (i) an integral impeller and rotor which is entirely supported by an integral combination of permanent magnets and electromagnetic bearings and rotated by an integral motor, (ii) a pump housing and arcuate passages for fluid flow and containment, (iii) a brushless driving motor embedded and integral with the pump housing, (iv) a power supply, and (v) specific electronic sensing of impeller position, velocity or acceleration using a self-sensing method and physiological control algorithm for motor speed and pump performance based upon input from the electromagnetic bearing currents and motor back emf--all fitly joined together to provide efficient, durable and low maintenance pump operation. A specially designed impeller and pump housing provide the mechanism for transport and delivery of fluid through the pump to a pump output port with reduced fluid turbulence.

Abstract: A rotating machine having a rotor comprising a flexible shaft with a plurality of masses distributed along the shaft. Included within these masses are magnetic disks. Magnetic bearings are attached to the housing and coact to support the rotor in only a radial direction or in both radial and axial directions. Bearing sensors are used to measure the shaft position local to each bearing relative to a face of each bearing. Variable magnetic bearing parameters are controlled so as to change values of stiffness and damping of the magnetic bearings in response to the measurements from the bearing sensors. These controls can be direct analog circuitry, or digital components, or a combination of digital and analog components.

Abstract: A magnetic bearing system includes a rotor with a plurality of masses distributed along the shaft including a portion having a circular peripheral surface suspended radially from pole pieces of permanent and electromagnets. A fault tolerant adaptive system responds to detected parameters of the rotor for varying the stiffness and damping the rotor. Position and speed of rotor are sampled at a rapid rate for each of a plurality of control axes and are processed independently during each sampling period. Malfunction of any of the processors causes supervisory controller to reconfigure the processing of the samples.

Abstract: A minimum pulse width switching power amplifier utilizes digital logic for generating a control pulse having a pulse width at least as large as a fixed minimum period of time when a base control pulse generated by a comparator has a pulse width at least as large as a given value. A high power switching output stage is switched between different voltage levels under control of the control signal generated by the digital logic so that an average actual output of the amplifier is equal to the desired output.