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Thomas Edison ; 1889
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6115665 | Memory efficient computer system and method for controlling an automotive ignition system In an automotive ignition system having ignition coil banks with at least one ignition coil for energizing a corresponding spark plug, input/output (I/O) devices are provided in electrical communication with the ignition coil banks for relaying ignition c... | 09/05/2000 |
| 5937940 | Method and system for predicting air discharge temperature in a control system which controls an automotive HVAC system Method and system for predicting air discharge temperature in a control system which controls an automotive HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system using a model. The model is based on signals generated by various climate control sensors a... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5931371 | Standoff controlled interconnection A method for joining a component to a substrate applies a base solder portion to the substrate and provides a standoff solder portion in the base solder portion. The standoff solder portion has a higher melting temperature than the base solder portion and... | 08/03/1999 |
| 5773877 | Plastic encapsulated IC package and method of designing same A method for designing an IC package having a plastic encapsulated portion and a lead frame portion that are bonded together at a bonding interface includes selecting material candidates for each of the plastic encapsulated portion and the lead frame poti... | 06/30/1998 |
| 5739664 | Induction motor drive controller An induction motor control system for electric vehicles having a DC power supply, an inverter, and an induction motor, includes a current control mechanism having a flux controller. The flux controller reduces the stator flux to improve the torque output ... | 04/14/1998 |
| 5713425 | Parallel hybrid powertrain for an automotive vehicle A hybrid powertrain for an automotive vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine and transmission assembly providing a first selectably shiftable geared torque flow path to vehicle traction wheels and an electric motor-generator unit defining a seco... | 02/03/1998 |
| 5696515 | System and method for determining absolute vehicle height and ground speed A system and method for determining absolute vehicle height and ground speed. As disclosed, a millimeter wave radar system for determining selected boundary distances is implemented based upon a generation of a modulated millimeter wave signal which is en... | 12/09/1997 |
| 5638301 | Method and system for inspecting die sets using free-form inspection techniques The method and system provide a means of inspecting die sets by scanning the core die and the cavity die separately. A special software technique is used to transform both data scans to the same coordinate system or frame in an orientation which simulates... | 06/10/1997 |
| 5578748 | Method and system for calculating effective fuel economy A method and system for calculating the effective fuel economy of a fuel-consuming engine in a vehicle are disclosed. The effective fuel economy is calculated taking into consideration the chemical energy contained in the fuel and the change in kinetic en... | 11/26/1996 |
| 5566703 | Fluid control valve A piezoelectric fluid control valve (10) and fluid control method using a polymorph (48) with a characteristic that as a potential difference is applied thereto, the polymorph is deflected. The valve includes a supply port (14) for introducing fluid and a... | 10/22/1996 |
| 5549152 | Method and system for modifying a linear control algorithm which controls an automotive HVAC system Method and system for modifying a linear control algorithm which controls an automotive HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system using fuzzy logic. The control algorithm responds to signals generated by various climate control sensors to pr... | 08/27/1996 |
| 5545073 | Silicon micromachined CO2 cleaning nozzle and method An apparatus and method for cleaning a workpiece with abrasive CO2 snow operates with a nozzle for creating and expelling the snow. The nozzle includes an upstream section for receiving CO2 in a gaseous form, and having a first conto... | 08/13/1996 |
| 5523704 | Method and circuit for actively controlling the transition impedance of multiplex communications nodes A method and circuit for actively controlling the transition resistance of a multiplex communication signal line having a known termination resistance and characterized by digital signals defined by dominant and recessive states between a voltage source a... | 06/04/1996 |
| 5514024 | Nozzle for enhanced mixing in CO2 cleaning system A CO2 nozzle expels liquid CO2 under pressure through an orifice therein for converting the liquid into CO2 snow. The CO2 nozzle is contained within an elongated mixing cavity within a body which is coupled to a... | 05/07/1996 |
| 5508872 | Circuit for ground fault detection and switching A circuit for sensing the loss of a signal ground in an automotive electronic system having a source of electrical power and both a signal ground and a power ground, includes a first sensor coupled to the power ground and between the signal ground and the... | 04/16/1996 |
| 5503129 | Apparatus and method for mode recommendation in a variable displacement engine An apparatus for determining a number of cylinders to operate in a variable displacement engine includes a signal representative of air charge temperature, a signal representative of barometric pressure, a desired mass air flow evaluator, a maximum mass a... | 04/02/1996 |
| 5495414 | Integrated silicon automotive accelerometer and single-point impact sensor A single-point impact sensor has a fully differential capacitive sense element for providing a capacitive difference which is proportional to the acceleration of the vehicle. The capacitive difference is converted into a digital pulse train signal which i... | 02/27/1996 |
| 5484507 | Self compensating process for aligning an aperture with crystal planes in a substrate A method for differentially etching an N-sided polygon aperture through a first major surface of a silicon wafer along the planes begins with depositing a mask and defining therein a first intermediate polygon aperture having at least 4N+2 sid... | 01/16/1996 |
| 5481483 | Non-contact method of obtaining dimensional information about an object for comparing similar objects Circular reference features such as drilled holes are located in an area of a part such as a cylinder head, the surface of which is laser scanned to obtain scan data. The scan data provides height values of the part. Differences in height values are used ... | 01/02/1996 |
| 5470797 | Method for producing a silicon-on-insulator capacitive surface micromachined absolute pressure sensor A method and structure for forming a capacitive transducer having a deformable single crystal diaphragm. A first well region is formed within a semiconductor substrate in an SOI wafer having a sacrificial layer of known thickness and a top single-crystal ... | 11/28/1995 |
| 5469164 | Circuit and method for digital to analog signal conversion A circuit (10') and method (50) for digital to analog (D/A) signal conversion. The circuit includes a voltage scaling D/A signal convertor segment (12'), a charge scaling D/A signal convertor segment (14'), and a switch (19) for switching a capacitive loa... | 11/21/1995 |
| 5449114 | Method and structure for optimizing atomization quality of a low pressure fuel injector A method for improving the atomization quality from a fluid injector includes the steps of inducing a first vortex turbulence in the fluid flowing past a first protrusion in a supply orifice having a flow axis therein, guiding the fluid through a turbulen... | 09/12/1995 |
| 5436897 | Multiplex wiring system using varying duration pulse width modulation A method and apparatus is used in a motor vehicle to serially communicate data between two or more communication nodes coupled to a data bus. Each communication node receives and transmits information on the data bus. Signals representative of operation o... | 07/25/1995 |
| 5429105 | Current replication circuit and method for use in exhaust gas oxygen monitoring A method and circuit for generating an output signal representative of the pumping current required to equalize the oxygen diffusion between the sensing cell and the pumping cell of an oxygen-ion concentration proportional sensor located in the exhaust sy... | 07/04/1995 |
| 5418526 | Slave bus controller circuit for class A motor vehicle data communications A Class A node comprising a slave bus controller circuit (SBCC) operates as a remote input/output device for performing Class A communications for a master Class B node over an interconnecting SAE J1850 or similar network. The SBCC receives messages from ... | 05/23/1995 |
| 5405283 | CO2 cleaning system and method A nozzle expels liquid CO2 through an orifice for converting the liquid into CO2 snow. The nozzle is contained within an elongated cavity within a body which in turn is coupled to an exhaust nozzle for directing the CO2 sn... | 04/11/1995 |
| 5390450 | Supersonic exhaust nozzle having reduced noise levels for CO2 cleaning system A CO2 nozzle receives and expels liquid CO2 through orifices sized for converting the CO2 liquid into CO2 snow. A body, defining an elongated cavity therein, is coupled to the CO2 nozzle such that the... | 02/21/1995 |
| 5383597 | Apparatus and method for controlling the cone angle of an atomized spray from a low pressure fuel injector A fuel injector for improving the atomization quality of fuel flowing into an internal combustion engine, includes a body having first and second turbulence cavities defined therein. First and second supply orifices in the body are coupled into their corr... | 01/24/1995 |
| 5369544 | Silicon-on-insulator capacitive surface micromachined absolute pressure sensor A method and structure for forming a capacitive transducer having a deformable single crystal diaphragm. A first well region is formed within a semiconductor substrate in an SOI wafer having a sacrificial layer of known thickness and a top single-crystal ... | 11/29/1994 |
| 5365438 | Audible and visual feedback for user stimulated self-test diagnostics A plurality of sensors, such as a door handle lift switch, a headlight switch, and an ignition switch, are normally provided in an automotive electrical system. A master microcontroller normally is coupled to each of these sensors for receiving a signal t... | 11/15/1994 |
| 5357451 | Digital system controller with programmable ranges for analog speedometer and tachometer gauges A method and apparatus for improving the speed of response and display accuracy of a periodic input signal, of the type having a widely variable frequency, on an analog gauge have a meter deflection representative of the frequency of the input signal. Fre... | 10/18/1994 |
| 5353002 | Coil bobbin and sealing coupler A bobbin assembly is provided for sealing with the end section of a coil of wire as it exits the housing of an automotive electrical component. The assembly includes a bobbin for receiving and carrying the coil of wire. A cap couples with the housing so a... | 10/04/1994 |
| 5347278 | Pulse density mapping method and circuit for delta sigma modulators A method for mapping the serial 0 and 1 pulses received at a known clock rate from a delta sigma modulator All 0's are generated at the output when no 11 pairs are present in the input signal during the sampled clock periods. A 1 is generated at the outpu... | 09/13/1994 |
| 5332469 | Capacitive surface micromachined differential pressure sensor A surface layer and a sacrificial layer are deposited on a substrate. A conductive structural layer bridges over the sacrificial layer and is anchored to the surface layer for creating paired conductive areas. A backside opening is etched in the substrate... | 07/26/1994 |
| 5316619 | Capacitive surface micromachine absolute pressure sensor and method for processing A polysilicon diaphragm is formed on top of a sacrificial layer deposited upon a semiconductor substrate, where the thickness of the layer is controllable. The sacrificial layer is removed to define a diaphragm cavity, which is sealed with a plug. Electro... | 05/31/1994 |
| 5311514 | Driver for bus circuit of motor vehicle multiplex communications system A bus driver circuit for a multiplex communications system is configured from a limited number of components to withstand short circuiting of a connected bus circuit to voltage levels from ground potential to double conventional voltage levels encountered... | 05/10/1994 |
| 5301113 | Electronic system and method for calculating distance to empty for motorized vehicles A system for calculating the distance to empty available from the remaining fuel in a motor vehicle, wherein an average value of the distance traveled per unit of fuel consumed is multiplied by the quantity of fuel remaining, thereby producing an intermed... | 04/05/1994 |
| 5298881 | Low liquid level monitoring and warning apparatus and method A sensor is coupled to a reservoir for generating a first signal responsive to the liquid level therein falling below a first level spaced above an output port and indicative of a reserve level of liquid remaining. A pump is coupled to the reservoir for p... | 03/29/1994 |
| 5295861 | Connector for ignition coil assembly An electrical connector, suitable for use in coupling an engine ignition coil encased by potting material within an electrically insulated housing, includes a distended section for extending into the potting material adjacent to the coil, and an external ... | 03/22/1994 |
| 5241295 | Multiple input warning system for a motor vehicle A monitoring and display system for enunciating warning signals on the vehicle's master display system when the master ignition switch is off. Operational-type signals and warning-type signals are generated by respective sensors throughout the vehicle. A ... | 08/31/1993 |