Abstract: A method may include receiving a discharge request to perform discharge of a capacitor of an electric vehicle; closing a first switch a first circuit provided in parallel with a second circuit of the electric vehicle; determining a voltage drop of the capacitor, based on closing the first switch; and closing a second switch of the second circuit to perform the discharge of the capacitor, based on the determining the voltage drop of the capacitor indicating that a battery of the electric vehicle is disconnected from the capacitor.

Abstract: A sensing system for an automotive vehicle comprises at least one imager element and at least one illuminating device to be arranged within an autom-otive vehicle for sensing the presence of an object in a sensing area associated to said vehicle. According to the invention the illuminating device comprises at least one light source for generating a light beam and light beam shaping means for generating an inhomogeneous light distribution in said sensing area, said inhomogeneous light distribution presenting at least one intensity maximum in a specific region of said sensing area.

Abstract: To connect the cylinder pipe (1) of a hydraulic cylinder to a bottom (6), and a cover (8), the bottom (6) and cover (8) have groove-shaped recesses (16, 17), into which are pressed the ends (5, 7) of the cylinder pipe (1) under permanent deformation. To enable pressurization at high operating pressures, the region (25) of the inner end of the non-deformed cylinder pipe (1) is defined as a holding region (18, 19) and has a turned groove (26) which, in the deformed state of the cylinder pipe (1), reaches over the related inner edge (27) of the groove-shaped recesses (16, 17) with respect to the longitudinal stretch of the cylinder pipe (1).

Abstract: The photoelectric detector output in the spectrophotometer is amplified with separate stages of fixed and variable gain to derive background absorption compensation when the intensity of the continuous spectrum emitting radiation source therein varies from optimum levels. Where a reference output of the photoelectric detector is desirable for the background absorption compensation, a dark interval of the photoelectric detector and an output channel are provided for each gain stage.

Abstract: Operation between a beam switch which directs light to a photoelectric detector and a gating means for directing signals from the photoelectric detector to separate storage channels is synchronized by generating a marker pulse within a sequence of clock pulses which correspond to the positions of the beam switch. Signals from the separate storage channels are directed to an analyzing means in a predetermined sequence by the gating means and sequencing within the analyzing means is also accomplished thereby. Furthermore, comparative analysis between signals corresponding with two positions of the beam switch is provided at the input to and/or the output from the separate storage channels.