Abstract: A method of determining a position of a first object includes receiving a first component and a second component of a vector field jointly generated by the first object and by a second object. The method further includes using the second component of the vector field to provide a compensation quantity indicating a contribution of the second object to the first component of the vector field. Further, the method includes determining the position of the first object using the first component of the vector field and the compensation quantity.

Abstract: A magnetic angle sensor includes a semiconductor chip that includes: a pair of vertical Hall sensor elements configured to generate vertical Hall sensor signals in response to a magnetic field impinging thereon; a first pair of lateral Hall sensor elements configured to generate first lateral Hall sensor signals in response to the magnetic field impinging thereon; a second pair of lateral Hall sensor elements configured to generate second lateral Hall sensor signals in response to the magnetic field impinging thereon; and a sensor circuit configured to: determine a first angle value corresponding to an orientation of the magnetic field based on the vertical Hall sensor signals, determine a second angle value corresponding to the orientation of the magnetic field based on the first and the second lateral Hall sensor signals, and determine whether the first and the second angle values are within an acceptable tolerance range of each other.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing a beverage from a capsule containing particulate beverage precursor material includes a capsule reception location, a beverage infusion chamber, a puncturing device, a channel, an infusion liquid supply, an infusion liquid flow path, and a device. The capsule reception location is configured to receive the capsule. The beverage infusion chamber has a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet. The puncturing device is configured to puncture the capsule to create a capsule inlet and a capsule outlet. The channel connects the capsule reception location to the beverage infusion chamber. The infusion liquid flow path connects the infusion liquid supply to the chamber inlet of the beverage infusion chamber. The device directs a flowing gas stream into the capsule through the capsule inlet and out of the capsule outlet.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing a beverage from a capsule containing particulate beverage precursor material includes a capsule reception location, a beverage infusion chamber, an infusion liquid supply, an infusion liquid flow path, a channel, and a transport device. The capsule reception location is configured to receive the capsule. The beverage infusion chamber has a chamber inlet for receiving infusion liquid and a chamber outlet comprising a filter for delivering a brewed beverage. The infusion liquid supply is configured to store the infusion liquid. The infusion liquid flow path connects the infusion liquid supply to the chamber inlet of the beverage infusion chamber. The channel connects the capsule reception location and the beverage infusion chamber. The transport device is configured to transport the particulate beverage precursor material from the capsule along the channel and to the beverage infusion chamber. The capsule reception location is remote from the infusion liquid flow path.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor device includes a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic sensor and a magnet that produces a magnetic field. The 3D magnetic sensor is arranged within the magnetic field and is configured to measure three different magnetic field components of the magnetic field and generate sensor signals in response to the measured three different magnetic field components. The magnet is arranged in a default spatial position in an absence of any applied spatial force, where the magnet is configured to rotate about a rotation axis based on an applied rotational force. The magnetic field varies inhomogeneously with regards to at least one of the three magnetic field components upon rotation of the magnet about the rotation axis.

Abstract: A control stick may include a magnet and a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic sensor. The 3D magnetic sensor may determine a twist angle of a handle of the control stick based on a strength of a magnetic field at the 3D magnetic sensor. A twisting of the handle may modify an air gap between the 3D magnetic sensor and the magnet. The strength of the magnetic field may be based on strengths of first, second, and third magnetic field components. The 3D magnetic sensor may determine a tilt angle of the handle based on a ratio of the strength of the first magnetic field component to the strength of the third magnetic field component. A tilting of the handle in a direction corresponding to the first magnetic field component may modify the ratio of the strength of the first magnetic field component to the strength of the third magnetic field component.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of a circuit for determining information about the position, attitude, or orientation of a magnet comprises an input interface configured to receive components of a magnetic field produced by the magnet. An evaluation logic unit corresponds to at least one trained neural network and is configured to determine the information about the position, attitude, or orientation of the magnet on the basis of the received components.

Abstract: A magnetic angle sensor includes a semiconductor chip that includes: a pair of vertical Hall sensor elements configured to generate vertical Hall sensor signals in response to a magnetic field impinging thereon; a first pair of lateral Hall sensor elements configured to generate first lateral Hall sensor signals in response to the magnetic field impinging thereon; a second pair of lateral Hall sensor elements configured to generate second lateral Hall sensor signals in response to the magnetic field impinging thereon; and a sensor circuit configured to: determine a first angle value corresponding to an orientation of the magnetic field based on the vertical Hall sensor signals, determine a second angle value corresponding to the orientation of the magnetic field based on the first and the second lateral Hall sensor signals, and determine whether the first and the second angle values are within an acceptable tolerance range of each other.

Abstract: The described techniques address deadlocking issues associated with interconnected hardware devices that share bus lines associated with a digital communication interface. A watchdog-based solution is described that may be implemented internally within the interconnected hardware devices or, alternatively, as an external component. The watchdog circuity may monitor a logic state of one or more internal connections of a hardware device and cause one or more portions of the hardware device to reset when a deadlock condition is detected using this internal monitoring.

Abstract: An integrated Hall sensor device for measuring a magnetic field is provided. The integrated Hall sensor device includes: a semiconductor chip; a first Hall sensor for generating a first magnetic field measurement signal dependent on a first component; a second Hall sensor for generating a second magnetic field measurement signal dependent on a second component of the magnetic field; a first stress sensor for generating a shear stress measurement signal dependent on mechanical stresses in the semiconductor chip; and an evaluation device for determining one or more properties of the magnetic field depending on the first magnetic field measurement signal, the second magnetic field measurement signal. and the first shear stress measurement signal.

Abstract: A slave device may receive a clock signal from a master device via a bus. The slave device may detect a first pulse of the clock signal. The first pulse indicates that a bit is to be written to a slave shift register of the slave device. The slave device may identify a timeout threshold associated with the clock signal. The slave device may determine that the timeout threshold expired without a second pulse from the clock signal being detected. The slave device may reset, based on the timeout threshold expiring, the slave shift register to synchronize the slave shift register with a master shift register of the master device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device, comprising a camera unit, which is used to record images of the exterior area of a motor vehicle, and a cover element, which can be moved from a closed position to an open position by means of a drive, wherein the camera unit is behind the cover element and inaccessible from outside in the closed position of the cover element and images can be recorded in the open position of the cover element. For this purpose, the cover element has an outer surface facing away from the camera unit, and the drive interacts with a mechanism in such a way that the outer surface is always in the exterior area of the motor vehicle in each position of the cover element during the movement of the cover element between the closed position and the open position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device, comprising a camera unit, which is used to record images of the exterior area of a motor vehicle, and a cover element, which can be moved from a closed position to an open position by means of a drive, wherein the camera unit is behind the cover element and inaccessible from outside in the closed position of the cover element and images can be recorded in the open position of the cover element. For this purpose, the cover element has an outer surface facing away from the camera unit, and the drive interacts with a mechanism in such a way that the outer surface is always in the exterior area of the motor vehicle in each position of the cover element during the movement of the cover element between the closed position and the open position .

Abstract: The invention relates to a device, comprising a camera unit, which is used to record images of the exterior area of a motor vehicle, and a cover element, which can be moved from a closed position to an open position by means of a drive, wherein the camera unit is behind the cover element and inaccessible from outside in the closed position of the cover element and images can be recorded in the open position of the cover element. For this purpose, the cover element has an outer surface facing away from the camera unit, and the drive interacts with a mechanism in such a way that the outer surface is always in the exterior area of the motor vehicle in each position of the cover element during the movement of the cover element between the closed position and the open position.

Abstract: A generator including an enclosure, an internal combustion engine provided within the enclosure, an alternator provided within the enclosure and driven by the internal combustion engine, a fuel supply line for providing fuel to the internal combustion engine, a valve for selectively closing the fuel supply line, the valve biased to a normally closed position, a controller configured to provide a signal to maintain the valve in an open position, and a temperature responsive device configured to interrupt the signal from the controller to the valve upon exposure to a threshold temperature, thereby resulting in the closing of the valve.

Abstract: A generator including an enclosure, an internal combustion engine provided within the enclosure, an alternator provided within the enclosure and driven by the internal combustion engine, a fuel supply line for providing fuel to the internal combustion engine, a valve for selectively closing the fuel supply line, the valve biased to a normally closed position, a controller configured to provide a signal to maintain the valve in an open position, and a temperature responsive device configured to interrupt the signal from the controller to the valve upon exposure to a threshold temperature, thereby resulting in the closing of the valve.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device, comprising a camera unit, which is used to record images of the exterior area of a motor vehicle, and a cover element, which can be moved from a closed position to an open position by means of a drive, wherein the camera unit is behind the cover element and inaccessible from outside in the closed position of the cover element and images can be recorded in the open position of the cover element. For this purpose, the cover element has an outer surface facing away from the camera unit, and the drive interacts with a mechanism in such a way that the outer surface is always in the exterior area of the motor vehicle in each position of the cover element during the movement of the cover element between the closed position and the open position.

Abstract: A modular vehicle ramp system is provided for elevating all four wheels of a vehicle off of the ground to allow a user easy access beneath the elevated vehicle. The components are modular allowing the ramp system to be employed in several different reconfigurable arrangements. A first embodiment provides one wheel support and one ramp that releasably engages with the wheel support. In another embodiment, at least two wheel supports are employed with two corresponding ramps releasably engaged therewith. Finally in another embodiment, two bridge sections extend between two wheel supports positioned at the front and two wheel supports positioned at the rear. Two ramps are releasably engaged with either the two forward or rear wheel supports such that a car can be driven up the ramps and over the bridge sections such that the four vehicle wheels are supported on the four wheel supports.

Abstract: A skirt or fairing system is provided that is attachable to a lower, longitudinal edge of a trailer, such as a commercial freight trailer, in a manner that alters the airflow beneath and around the trailer to produce increased fuel efficiency and greater driving safety. The skirt fairing is formed from a deformable skin material stretched tautly over a deflectable frame is provided that is attachable to the lower edge of a trailer. The installation of the skirt fairing deflects and alters the airflow beneath the trailer by creating smooth and cohesive airflow along the side and underneath the trailer of a tractor trailer rig in a manner that improves safety and decreases fuel consumption. Further, the fairing is formed using a deformable skin and deflectable frame that prevents damage or permanent displacement of the fairing should it impact an obstruction.