Abstract: A cooling-line system (10) of modular construction, in particular for batteries of electric vehicles, having at least one tubular connecting element (11) composed of a first metal; and at least two tubular or hose-like line elements (15, 16) composed of a second metal, which line elements (15, 16) are or can be connected by the connecting element (11), or at least one such line element (15, 16) which can be connected by the connecting element (11) to a function module to be cooled, preferably a battery.

Abstract: The present invention provides an article cleaning apparatus comprising an air management mechanism, a cleaning basket assembly, a fluid regeneration device, a working fluid device, a clean fluid device, and a controller. The working fluid device is coupled to the fluid regeneration device, the cleaning basket assembly, and the air management mechanism. The clean fluid device is coupled to the cleaning basket assembly and the fluid regeneration device. The controller is coupled to the air management mechanism, the cleaning basket assembly, the working fluid device, the regeneration device, and the clean fluid device. The controller is configured to control a cleaning process. The present invention also provides a method for performing the cleaning process.

Abstract: A temperature controlled apparatus comprises a reversible solid state device having a first section and a second section; portions of the first and the second sections are disposed in intimate contact. The first section is disposed adjacent to a portion of an external wall surface of a compartment and the second section is disposed adjacent to a portion of an internal wall surface of the compartment. A compartment fan is disposed within the compartment. The reversible solid state device and the compartment fan are coupled to a controller. The controller is configured to modify a compartment air temperature inside the compartment by controlling the reversible solid state device and the compartment fan to flow a compartment air across the second section. The controller is configured to control the reversible solid state device and the compartment fan in at least one temperature operational mode.

Abstract: Digital image processing apparatus, making use of both diagonal interpolators and a binary mask, for deriving a displayed enlarged image from an input image without introducing visible “staircasing”, blurred edges and non-linear artifacts in the enlarged image to thereby produce a perceptually natural looking enlarged image that retains the “look and feel” of the input image.

Abstract: The present invention provides an article cleaning apparatus comprising an air management mechanism, a cleaning basket assembly, a fluid regeneration device, a working fluid device, a clean fluid device, and a controller. The working fluid device is coupled to the fluid regeneration device, the cleaning basket assembly, and the air management mechanism. The clean fluid device is coupled to the cleaning basket assembly and the fluid regeneration device. The controller is coupled to the air management mechanism, the cleaning basket assembly, the working fluid device, the regeneration device, and the clean fluid device. The controller is configured to control a cleaning process. The present invention also provides a method for performing the cleaning process.

Abstract: A user having a certain channel-bandwidth access to an interactive digital network, such as the internet, uploads control data to an allotted multiresolution data processor of a server system that downloads, to the user image content (e.g., a motion picture requested by the user) data, which may be statistically compressed. While the server system supplies the requested content as an input to the multiresolution data processor in uncompressed form at highest, spatial, temporal and color resolutions, the multiresolution data processor calculates the downloading bit rate and reduced spatial, temporal and/or color resolutions of the downloaded content in accordance with the uploaded control data from the user that defines the user's channel bandwidth and may also define the user's desired lower spatial, temporal and/or color resolutions.

Abstract: A system for scheduling and monitoring usage of an electrical household appliance includes an electronic controller and at least one sensor connectible to one another and to the appliance to respectively control operation of the appliance and to detect the amount of electrical power supplied to the appliance, and a computer connectible with the electronic controller and with the Internet for providing communications therebetween and for receiving instructions inputted by a service provider via the Internet and by a user and producing an output to the electronic controller for scheduling and monitoring the operation of the appliance via the electronic controller.

Abstract: A method of predicting failures in equipment including at least one sensor for generating sensor data corresponding to a sensed parameter. The method includes monitoring the sensor data during normal operation of the equipment. The sensor data during normal operation is compared to a model prediction of the sensed parameter to determine variance between the sensor data and the model prediction. The model is calibrated to minimize the variance between the model prediction and the sensor data. Error in the sensor data is determined and an error condition is generated upon detection of an error in the sensor data.

Abstract: A system for scheduling and monitoring usage of an electrical household appliance includes an electronic controller and at least one sensor connectible to one another and to the appliance to respectively control operation of the appliance and to detect the amount of electrical power supplied to the appliance, and a computer connectible with the electronic controller and with the Internet for providing communications therebetween and for receiving instructions inputted by a service provider via the Internet and by a user and producing an output to the electronic controller for scheduling and monitoring the operation of the appliance via the electronic controller.

Abstract: A refrigeration system disposed within an outer cabinet having a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment comprises a freezer evaporator and a fresh food evaporator each having an inlet and an outlet. A compressor is coupled to the freezer evaporator via a conduit and a control valve is disposed at the inlet of the freezer evaporator to control refrigerant flow therethrough. A first liquid line temperature sensor is disposed so as to detect refrigerant temperature at the inlet of the freezer evaporator and a second liquid line temperature sensor is disposed so as to detect refrigerant temperature at the inlet of the fresh food evaporator. A freezer compartment temperature sensor and a fresh food compartment temperature sensor are disposed within the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment, respectively, to sense compartment a temperatures.

Abstract: Apparatus comprising a logic member and a shear member incorporating an upsampler are used to enlarge the number of pixels in at least one image dimension by a factor F=N/M, where N is a first given-valued integer, M is a second given-valued integer and 1<N/M≦2. The shear member shears the original image at certain positions of the one dimension that are determined solely by the value of factor F, thereby introducing zero-valued shear-gap pixels at each of the certain positions.

Abstract: A diagnostic technique for testing a power plant system of a locomotive, desirably during routine scheduled maintenance, involves operating the power plant system in a thermally steady state. This is accomplished by operating an engine of the locomotive at a predetermined throttle position, operating radiator fans of a radiator operably connected to the engine at a predetermined speed, operating an alternator operably connected to the engine to apply a substantially constant load to the engine, and obtaining at least one measurement of the power plant system. The technique is readily implemented by a computing environment such as the locomotive's elaborate computer system.

Abstract: An input data stream of pixel values, representing an original video image having predetermined horizontal and vertical resolutions that has been spatially sampled at a first spatial sampling frequency, is upsampled and interpolated to derive an output data stream of interpolated pixel values at a second spatial sampling frequency that represents an oversampled video image that has been enlarged in size with respect to the original video image but has the same full bandwidth as the original video image. The pixel values of the input data stream and the interpolated pixel values of this output data stream are both employed to synthetically derive the interpolated pixel values of a correction-waveform data stream that defines spatial frequencies that are higher in frequency than the highest frequency in the full bandwidth of the original video image.

Abstract: A locomotive for model-based incipient failure detection includes at least one replaceable unit and at least one sensor to generate signals representative of current engine conditions related to the at least one replaceable unit. A controller includes an embedded replaceable unit model algorithm. Current operating conditions and ambient conditions are utilized within the algorithm to generate a model-based predicted value for the at least one sensor. The controller compares the at least one sensor signals to the model-based predicted values for calculating deviations therebetween and detecting incipient failure of the at least one replaceable unit.

Abstract: A refrigeration system is disposed within an outer cabinet having a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment connected via a mullion opening. A compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and a freezer evaporator are connected in series to expand and condense a refrigerant to cool the compartments. A freezer compartment temperature sensor and a fresh food compartment temperature sensor are provided to sense compartment temperatures. A discrete speed freezer compartment fan directs cooling air throughout the freezer compartment and through the mullion opening to the fresh food compartment. A controller generates control signals to the discrete speed evaporator fan to operate at high speed if either the fresh food compartment or both the freezer and fresh food compartments demand cooling and at a low speed if only the freezer compartment demands cooling.

Abstract: A compressed data system, which communicates content of each of successive original frames of a digital motion picture over a limited-bandwidth transmission channel, comprises a digitally-controlled pre-processor and a digitally-controlled post-processor. The digitally-controlled pre-processor is effective in reducing the spatial-frequency bandwidth of the content of an original frame, applied to the input of a compression encoder, in response to the digital control value of a first digital control signal, applied as a control input to the pre-processor, being indicative of the fact that the bandwidth of the compressed data to be communicated over the limited-bandwidth transmission channel would exceed the limited bandwidth of the transmission channel. Further, the pre-processor derives one or more digital control values of a second digital control signal communicated over the limited-bandwidth transmission channel without ever being compressed directly to the digitally-controlled post-processor.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a method for selecting damper values in a refrigerator. Performance parameters indicating a desired fresh food temperature and desired freezer temperature are obtained for a plurality of control settings. A fresh food temperature variance limit and a freezer temperature variance limit are also obtained. A transfer function for the refrigerator representing performance of the refrigerator at each of said plurality of control settings is determined. A plurality of damper values are determined to minimize deviation from the desired fresh food temperature and the desired freezer temperature for each of said plurality of control settings.

Abstract: A control circuit for a refrigeration system disposed within an outer cabinet having a freezer compartment, a fresh food compartment, a compressor, a condenser fan, an evaporator fan, an evaporator and a freezer thermostat disposed within the freezer compartment to sense temperature therein. Additionally, a fresh food thermostat is disposed within the fresh food compartment to sense temperature therein. A freezer thermostat switch is switched between an open state and a closed state in response to temperature signals generated from the freezer thermostat. A fresh food thermostat switch is switched between an open state and a closed state in response to temperature signals generated from the fresh food thermostat. An energy saver switch is disposed between the fresh food thermostat switch and a power source, which energy saver switch is switched between an open state and a closed state.

Abstract: This invention is directed in general to a locomotive diesel engine, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for performance based assessment of a locomotive diesel engine.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for a multi-application, laser-array-based image system utilizes three linear laser arrays. Each linear array generates multiple (N>1) parallel output beamlets at one of the three primary colors (red, green, blue). The corresponding 1 to N output beamlets of the three linear arrays, each individually modulated in luminance according to a specific encoding scheme representing the video image to be produced on the viewing screen, are combined spatially to form a single white light linear array source. Through a projection/scanner optical system, the N output beamlets of the white light source are simultaneously directed to, and swept horizontally across a distant viewing screen, resulting in a swath of N lines of a graphic video image. By producing M contiguous swaths vertically down the viewing screen, a full image of M.times.N lines is produced.