Abstract: An automotive steering system with a torque sensor is disclosed. The steering system comprises a shaft linked to a set of road wheels; a sensor connected to the shaft for sensing torque applied to the shaft and operative to provide as output a signal indicative of said torque; a controller in signal communication with the sensor and operative thereby to accept as input from the sensor the signal indicative of the torque applied to the shaft; and a motor coupled to the shaft and in signal communication with the controller and operative thereby to accept as input from the controller a command to apply torque to the shaft.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for direct application of a catalyst to a substrate for treatment of atmospheric pollution including ozone. The method includes applying a catalytic metal to a substrate utilizing a thermal spray process. The process can be utilized to apply a base metal such as copper to a substrate and the base metal becomes the catalytically active oxide during and following application to the substrate. This system replaces a multi-step process within a single step process to provide a catalytically active surface that can be utilized to reduce ground level ozone and other atmospheric pollutants.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for direct application of a catalyst to a substrate for treatment of atmospheric pollution including ozone. The method includes applying a catalytic metal to a substrate utilizing a thermal spray process. The process can be utilized to apply a base metal such as copper to a substrate and the base metal becomes the catalytically active oxide during and following application to the substrate. This system replaces a multi-step process within a single step process to provide a catalytically active surface that can be utilized to reduce ground level ozone and other atmospheric pollutants.

Abstract: A method for direct application of a catalyst to a substrate for treatment of atmospheric pollution including ozone. The method includes applying a catalytic metal to a substrate utilizing a kinetic spray process. The process can be utilized to apply a base metal such as copper to a substrate and the base metal becomes the catalytically active oxide following application to the substrate. This system replaces a multi-step process with a single step process to provide a catalytically active surface that can be utilized to reduce ground level ozone and other atmospheric pollutants.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for direct application of a catalyst to a substrate for treatment of atmospheric pollution including ozone. The method includes applying a catalytic metal to a substrate utilizing a kinetic spray process. The process can be utilized to apply a base metal such as copper to a substrate and the base metal becomes the catalytically active oxide following application to the substrate. This system replaces a multi-step process within a single step process to provide a catalytically active surface that can be utilized to reduce ground level ozone and other atmospheric pollutants.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system for acoustically controlling an automotive or aircraft vehicle's automatic climate control system. The acoustic HVAC control system determines an average air temperature using an ultrasonic transducer. The transducer transmits and receives an ultrasonic pulse along a pre-selected path within the vehicle's interior and concurrently measures the interval time between sending and receiving the pulse. An average air temperature is calculated based on the interval time. The determined average air temperature is evaluated against a pre-selected setpoint temperature and determines whether the vehicle's automatic climate control system controller controls an air blower fan speed, discharge temperature, and air delivery mode to the cabin to adjust the vehicle's interior air temperature near an occupant to a desired temperature.

Abstract: A low cost, bi-directional airflow sensing device based on sensed temperature differential due to airflow achieves improved sensitivity and accuracy, and reduced manufacturing cost, by providing two separate pairs of upstream and downstream sensing elements on the same substrate, and connecting the sensing elements as the four legs of an on-chip Wheatstone bridge. The sensitivity is at least doubled since sensor elements are connected in each of the bridge legs, and accuracy and cost are improved through the elimination of off-chip bridge resistors. Additional improvements in the susceptibility to electromagnetic interference (EMI) are realized since the bridge is fully closed on the sensor substrate, and the bridge resistors are located in close proximity.

Abstract: A low cost, bi-directional manifold air flow sensing device based on sensed temperature differential due to airflow achieves improved sensitivity and frequency response by eliminating the heater element of the conventional sensor topology, and operating the sensor elements at a relatively higher current so that each temperature sensing element heats both itself and the other temperature sensing element. The sensitivity is significantly increased due to the increased current in the sensor elements, and the frequency response is significantly increased due to closer spacing of the sensor elements. With this new topology, the sensor elements are said to be mutually heated. In a particularly advantageous mechanization, the sensing device includes two separate pairs of upstream and downstream sensing elements, and the sensing elements are connected in the four legs of a Wheatstone bridge.

Abstract: A temperature sensor apparatus comprising: a capacitor with first and second conductors and a dielectric material between the conductors; a frequency generator coupled to the capacitor and providing an excitation signal thereto; a processor coupled to the capacitor, wherein the processor monitors a capacitance of the capacitor, converts the capacitance to a temperature signal, and alters a frequency of the excitation signal when the temperature signal passes a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: The durability and reliability of a polymer layer/metal layer sensor structure is improved by the incorporation of a metal oxide, e.g., tantalum oxide (Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5), layer between the polymer, e.g., polyimide, and the metal, e.g., platinum. sensor element.

Abstract: A temperature sensor comprising: a wave guide with a cylindrical wall; a material of low emissivity included at the cylindrical wall for generating black body radiation into the wave guide, wherein at least a portion of the generated black body radiation is carried through the wave guide; a first sensor receiving the generated black body radiation and providing a first output signal indicative of a first magnitude of a first bandwidth of the generated black body radiation; and a second sensor receiving the generated black body radiation and providing a second output signal indicative of a second magnitude of a second bandwidth of the generated black body radiation, wherein a difference between the first and second output signals is a linearized indication of temperature of at least a portion of the wave guide.

Abstract: A catalytic converter monitor apparatus comprising: a first temperature sensor mounted in a vehicle exhaust system upstream of a catalytic converter catalyst; a second temperature sensor mounted in the vehicle exhaust system downstream of at least a portion of the catalytic converter catalyst; an exotherm monitor coupled to the first and second temperature sensors, providing an output signal indicative of a quantity of exothermic reaction taking place in the catalytic converter; a table generator coupled to the exotherm monitor, receiving the output signal from the exotherm monitor and generating a table of exotherm criteria responsive to the output signal; and an exotherm analyzer coupled to the exotherm monitor and the table generator, providing an output responsive to a comparison between a present value of the output signal and a corresponding criteria stored in the table.