Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor has at least two ultrasonic converters for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals, connected with a transmitting circuit and a receiving circuit. A switching device is provided, by which the ultrasonic converters are connected in series when in the transmission mode, and they are separated from each other when in the receiving mode.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an ultrasonic transducer for use in a fluid medium. At least one piezoelectric transducer element is joined directly or indirectly to at least one matching member for promoting vibration coupling between the piezoelectric transducer element and the fluid medium. A matching member is used which has at least one porous molding of a polymer.

Abstract: A method and a computer system for operating at least two interconnected control units. The control units access sensor data and each execute at least one computer program for controlling operational sequences, in particular in a vehicle. The control units exchange synchronization information with one another. In order to design and refine a computer system in a way that will enable even especially complex operational sequences, as required in a modern motor vehicle, for example, to be controlled and/or regulated simply and cost-effectively with the aid of the computer system, using conventional control units, the control units execute the same computer program time-synchronously using a settable time lag.

Abstract: To improve environmental protection from hydrocarbon emissions particularly from vehicles a heater for fluids comprising heating elements of an electrically conductive monolith, wherein the heater comprises a passageway for the fluid to be heated with a defined flow direction of the fluid during heating operation, the heater comprising at least two heating elements arranged side by side inside the passageway, so that they are arranged in parallel with respect to the fluid flow, is proposed improved in that one of the at least two heating elements is a controlled heating element, which has a slightly larger heating power, and a temperature sensor is provided at or close to the downstream end of the controlled heating element, and wherein the temperature sensor is connected to a control means for temperature control during heating operation of the heater; and a method of operating such

Abstract: A fuel vapor storage and recovery apparatus includes a fuel vapor storage canister, said fuel vapor storage canister comprising at least first and second vapor storage compartments filled with an absorbent material, for instance filled with activated carbon, at least a vapor inlet port, an atmospheric vent port and a purge port. Said fuel vapor storage canister defines an air flow path between said vapor inlet port and said atmospheric vent port during shut-off of the internal combustion engine of the vehicle. During purging cycles there is defined an air flow path between said atmospheric vent port and said purge port wherein said first and second vapor storage compartments are arranged in concentric relationship and wherein said first and second vapor storage compartments in flow direction are separated from each other by an air gap diffusion barrier.

Abstract: An ultrasonic flow sensor, in particular for determining the flow velocity of a medium flowing through a pipeline, has at least one ultrasonic converter for transmitting and/or receiving ultrasonic signals, an oscillator, which is connected with the ultrasonic converter, and an evaluation unit, which determines a phase shift of the ultrasonic signal that was received, with respect to a reference signal. The evaluation unit includes a plurality of quadrature demodulators, which operate with different demodulation frequencies and each determine phase information about the ultrasonic signal that was received, and when a vernier unit is provided, which determines—based on the individual pieces of phase information—a phase angle or a quantity proportional thereto.

Abstract: For determining the transit time of an ultrasonic signal from an ultrasonic sensor that was launched into a measurement path by an ultrasonic converter, the phase shift of the ultrasonic signal is determined relative to a reference timing signal, and a remainder is determined as a measure of the transit time of the ultrasonic signal so that the phase shift is determined using a quadrature demodulation scheme, with which the received ultrasonic signal is inverted, in a segmented manner, using a timing signal and a phase-shifted timing signal, and the remainder is determined based on a characteristic quantity of the ultrasonic signal.

Abstract: An ultrasonic flow rate meter and a method for measuring the flow rate with the aid of ultrasound are described, having at least two ultrasonic transducers situated offset in a flow channel in the flow direction for transmitting and receiving ultrasound wave packets, so that ultrasound propagation times from one of the ultrasonic transducers to the other, and vice-versa, can be determined in an electronic part, and having a pressure sensor associated with the flow channel for determining the pressure in the flow channel. Measured values for an engine control that is as accurate as possible are determinable by accurately detecting the incoming air in the intake of a motor vehicle internal combustion engine.

Abstract: An ultrasonic measuring unit and a method for detecting ultrasonic signal run-times, in which the ultrasonic measuring unit has two ultrasonic transducers for coupling ultrasonic signals into a flowing medium. Analysis electronics are provided to be accommodated on or in a flow tube, in which a gaseous medium such as circulating air flows. A probe unit is accommodated in the flow tube, the probe unit being assigned a temperature probe having a flow around it, whose measured value is used for correcting a temperature signal detected by ultrasound.

Abstract: An ultrasonic flow sensor having at least one ultrasonic converter (A, B) for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals (A0, B0) and a receiver unit (4) that is connected to the ultrasonic converter (A, B) and determines a zero crossing (N) of the ultrasonic signal (A0, B0) as a reception time (t0) once the ultrasonic signal (A0, B0) has exceeded a predetermined threshold value (SW). The measurement precision can be significantly improved if the receiver unit (4) determines a piece of information about an amplitude (Amp) of the ultrasonic signal (A0, B0) and varies the threshold value (SW) based on the information determined.

Abstract: A shelf storage system having an interim storage shelf which is disposed in a group of primary storage shelves for preliminarily receiving products and a shelf control appliance for receiving products from the interim storage shelf. Products are always stored via the interim storage shelf, with the aid of a transport device. Because of the use of the interim storage shelf, the product can be parked until the shelf control appliance has handled output processing or retrieval of products. Moreover, a second shelf control unit is not required in order to distribute the products in this shelf for the purpose of storage.

Abstract: An ultrasonic flow sensor is used in particular for measuring the volumetric or mass flow of a fluid in a pipe. The sensor includes at least one ultrasonic transducer which is capable of emitting and receiving ultrasonic signals. An ultrasonic flow sensor, having in particular a simple and cost-effective construction and which functions according to the principle of beam drift, includes an array of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers which is positioned on one side of the pipe, a reflective surface lying opposite the array on which the emitted ultrasonic signals are reflected, and a receiver electronic system which evaluates the ultrasonic signal received from the ultrasonic transducers.

Abstract: An ultrasonic flow sensor for measuring the volumetric flow rate of a flowing medium through a flow channel having a transducer array which is situated within the flow cross section of the flow channel and which generates ultrasonic waves which propagate in the flow cross section of the flow channel transversally to a flow direction of the flowing medium, the ultrasonic transducer array having an interlaid arrangement of transducer elements which act alternately as transmitting and receiving antennas, so that all emitted individual sound waves interfere to form common wave fronts.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor has at least two ultrasonic converters for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals, connected with a transmitting circuit and a receiving circuit. A switching device is provided, by which the ultrasonic converters are connected in series when in the transmission mode, and they are separated from each other when in the receiving mode.

Abstract: An ultrasonic flow sensor, in particular for determining the flow velocity of a medium flowing through a pipeline, has at least one ultrasonic converter for transmitting and/or receiving ultrasonic signals, an oscillator, which is connected with the ultrasonic converter, and an evaluation unit, which determines a phase shift of the ultrasonic signal that was received, with respect to a reference signal. The evaluation unit includes a plurality of quadrature demodulators, which operate with different demodulation frequencies and each determine phase information about the ultrasonic signal that was received, and when a vernier unit is provided, which determines—based on the individual pieces of phase information—a phase angle or a quantity proportional thereto.

Abstract: An ultrasonic flow rate meter and a method for measuring the flow rate with the aid of ultrasound are described, having at least two ultrasonic transducers situated offset in a flow channel in the flow direction for transmitting and receiving ultrasound wave packets, so that ultrasound propagation times from one of the ultrasonic transducers to the other, and vice-versa, can be determined in an electronic part, and having a pressure sensor associated with the flow channel for determining the pressure in the flow channel. Measured values for an engine control that is as accurate as possible are determinable by accurately detecting the incoming air in the intake of a motor vehicle internal combustion engine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the running time (t) of an ultrasound flow sensor (6) ultrasound signal (15) which is transmitted by an ultrasound transducer (A, B) to a measuring section (S), wherein the phase position (?F) of said ultrasound signal (15) is determined with respect to a reference clock (8) and a remaining part (r(t)) is determined as a measure of the running time (tmes) of the ultrasound signal (15). The measurement of the running time can be carried out in a particularly robust manner with a minimum use of hardware, when the phase position (?F) is determined with the aid of a quadrature-demodulation method consisting in inverting the received signal (15) in a segmented manner with the aid of a clock signal (8) and the phase of the off-set clock signal (9) and the remaining part (r(t)) is determined according to a characteristic quantity (ts) of the sound signal (15).

Abstract: An ultrasonic flow sensor having at least one ultrasonic converter (A, B) for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals (A0, B0) and a receiver unit (4) that is connected to the ultrasonic converter (A, B) and determines a zero crossing (N) of the ultrasonic signal (A0, B0) as a reception time (t0) once the ultrasonic signal (A0, B0) has exceeded a predetermined threshold value (SW). The measurement precision can be significantly improved if the receiver unit (4) determines a piece of information about an amplitude (Amp) of the ultrasonic signal (A0, B0) and varies the threshold value (SW) based on the information determined.

Abstract: Measuring volume flows or mass flows in the intake system of motor vehicle internal combustion engines plays an important role in reducing harmful emissions. Therefore, an ultrasonic flow meter for measuring a flow velocity of a fluid flowing in an essentially laminar flow in the main flow direction is described. The ultrasonic flow meter has at least two ultrasonic transducers, the ultrasonic transducers being able to emit and/or receive ultrasonic waves at an angle ? to the main flow direction which is different from 90°. Furthermore, the ultrasonic flow meter has at least one turbulator situated upstream from at least one ultrasonic transducer in the main flow direction of the fluid, which generates longitudinal eddies in at least one zone adjacent to the at least one ultrasonic transducer, in particular in a protrusion in a wall of a flow pipe and thus improves the flow of the fluid in this zone in the flow pipe.

Abstract: An ultrasonic flow sensor for measuring the volumetric flow rate of a flowing medium through a flow channel having a transducer array which is situated within the flow cross section of the flow channel and which generates ultrasonic waves which propagate in the flow cross section of the flow channel transversally to a flow direction of the flowing medium, the ultrasonic transducer array having an interlaid arrangement of transducer elements which act alternately as transmitting and receiving antennas, so that all emitted individual sound waves interfere to form common wave fronts.