Motorola Corporation

Uop Lcc

Alliedsignal Inc.

Allied Corporation

Continental Automotive Systems Corporation

Lifescan Corporation

Temic Automotive of North America, Inc.

The Signal Companies, Inc.

Anthony J Polak

Allyson J Beuhler

Sandra L Petty-Weeks

Ping Young

Theresa L Baker

David J Schifferle

Tom Wang

Ralph Ballerstadt

Joseph J Zupancic

Roger Y Leung

James A Wrezel

Thomas P Gall

Fred E Ostrem

Claudia Gamboa

Francisco Castro

Gerry Bianco

Michael J Pfeifer

Jared Yagoda

Michael J Pomeroy

Ji Zhu

Charles Vandommelen

An electronic controller having a housing, and a lower sub-assembly connected to a housing through the use of a laser weld, eliminating the use of a gasket and fasteners. The laser weld provides a sealed connection between the housing and the lower sub-assembly, preventing debris, moisture, oils, ATF, and chemicals from entering the housing, which protects the electrical components located inside the housing. The elimination of the gasket and fasteners also reduces the cost of the electronic controller. Depending upon the application, the electrical components may be mounted directly to the lower sub-assembly, or the electrical components may be mounted on a metal core. The metal core is used to provide heat dissipation and function as an electrical conductor. The lower sub-assembly may either be overmolded around the metal core, or the metal core may be attached to the lower sub-assembly after the lower sub-assembly has been formed.

Electronic controller with laser weld sealed housing

An electronic control module comprising a vent assembly is provided. The electronic control module comprises a housing having a first aperture and a substrate disposed within the housing. The substrate has a second aperture positioned adjacent to the first aperture, and includes the hydrophobic vent assembly disposed over the second aperture and adheringly coupled to the substrate. The hydrophobic vent assembly may be adapted to prevent the ingress of moisture and permit the egress of certain gases.

Apparatus for venting an electronic control module

The present invention provides a device and methods for detecting the presence of an analyte in a sample using an encapsulated sensor. Methods for manufacturing the sensor are also disclosed.

Sensor device and methods for manufacture

An automotive drive assistance system () includes a substrate () having a radius of curvature (), wherein the radius of curvature corresponds to a field of view (). At least two radiation elements () coupled to the substrate, where the at least two radiation elements are coupled to directionally transmit and receive electromagnetic radiation () over the field of view. A lens () is coupled to focus the electromagnetic radiation transmitted and received from the at least two radiation elements.

Automotive drive assistance system and method

The invention provides a method and system for adjusting vehicle speed, beginning with a modulated laser pulse being emitted. A reference portion of the emitted modulated laser pulse is extracted, a reflected portion of the emitted modulated laser pulse is received, and the reflected portion is combined with the reference portion on a portion of an imaging array. A determination of a relative velocity is based on the combined reflected portion and reference portion.

CMOS camera with integral laser ranging and velocity measurement

An automotive drive assistance system ( ) includes a substrate ( ) having a radius of curvature ( ), wherein the radius of curvature corresponds to a field of view ( ). At least two radiation elements ( ) coupled to the substrate, where the at least two radiation elements are coupled to directionally transmit and receive electromagnetic radiation ( ) over the field of view. A lens ( ) is coupled to focus the electromagnetic radiation transmitted and received from the at least two radiation elements.

A portable optical system includes interrogation of an implanted sensor located in a body tissue. The sensor contains a labeled analogue and a reference, which emit light at different wavelengths. The external optical instrument detects and discriminates between light from the labeled analogue and light from the reference. Logic in the detector receives and processes signals from the detector and generates an indication of the detected analyte level.

System using a portable detection device for detection of an analyte through body tissue

A device for monitoring an analyte is described, which includes (a) a support having an interior surface and an exterior surface; (b) a substrate connected to the interior surface of the support; (c) a spacer connected to the interior surface of the support and encompassing the substrate; and (d) a first membrane, permeable to the analyte, having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the interior surface being connected to the spacer. A chamber that encloses the substrate is defined by the interior surface of the support, the spacer, and the interior surface of the first membrane. The spacer exceeds the substrate in elevation such that a void volume exists between the interior surface of the first membrane and the substrate. A method of using the device for the transdermal monitoring of an analyte is also described.

Devices and methods for monitoring an analyte

A luminescent in vivo glucose measurement method and apparatus is provided. The luminescent in vivo glucose measurement method includes the steps of illuminating displaced luminescent molecules with illuminating light, the displaced luminescent molecules and associated captive glucose analogue molecules being contained within an implanted luminescent in vivo measurement apparatus implanted within the interstitial fluid of the subject, and measuring an emitted light, the emitted light being emitted in response to the illumination, wherein the emitted light is related to the glucose level in the interstitial fluid.

Luminescent in vivo glucose measurement

The present invention provides a device and methods for quantitatively detecting the presence of an analyte by referencing the analyte variant signal to an analyte invariant reference signal. The devices contain quantum dots as the invariant references. The reference quantum dots provide a fluorescent signal whose intensity in invariant with respect to the optical signal associated with the analyte concentration. Both the optical path for the analyte specific and invariant reference signal are substantially identical. Therefore, by measuring the intensity ratio of the analyte specific signal to the reference signal, errors associated with optical path length, absorptivity and scattering are eliminated.

Sensor incorporating a quantum dot as a reference

Electronic devices protected by an organic polymeric encapsulant and placed in a corrosive environment can have added protection by dispersing in the encapsulant particles of a solid buffer which tend to neutralize the effect of the corrosive agent. This approach is quite effective when strong acids are the corrosive agents, and when solid acid-base buffers are dispersed in the polymeric material. The encapsulant may be elastomeric, and silicone elastomers containing solid acid-base buffers are quite effective in protecting the underlying electronic device from corrosion by strong acids.

Protecting electronic components in acidic and basic environment

An optical sensor (100) that measures gas concentration (121) includes a light input port (103), and a light output port (111). A reference waveguide (105) and a measurement waveguide (113) are both coupled between the light input port (103) and the light output port (111). The measurement waveguide (113) preferably includes a hydrocarbon-catalytic material (114). When light (101) is injected into the light input port (103), the light traverses to the light output port (111) via both waveguides (105,113). Preferably, the hydrocarbon-catalytic material (114) in the measurement waveguide (113) will react with certain hydrocarbons present in an engine's exhaust gas stream (121) and heat will be generated in the measurement waveguide (113). This heat generation will change a refractive index and optical path length of the measurement waveguide (113) compared to the reference waveguide (105). A detector (117) detects light present at the light output port (111) which will have an intensity dependent on a difference between the refractive index and optical path length of the measurement waveguide (113) and the reference waveguide (105).

Interferometric optical chemical sensor

An electronic control module (10) includes a package substrate (12) having an interior cavity (28) through which a package lead (22) traverses. The interior cavity (28) is filled with an expandable polymer material (34). The expandable polymer material (34) is constrained within the cavity by a pressure resistive layer (32, 35) that overlies expandable polymer material (34) In one embodiment, an epoxy layer (32) forms an upper surface of the interior cavity (28). The expandable polymer material (34) is responsive to a fluid, such that upon contact with a fluid diffusing along the package lead (22), the expandable polymer material (34) will swell and form a fluid-tight pressure seal around the package lead (22). The fluid-tight pressure seal prevents the fluid from diffusing to interior portions of the electronic control module (10) and causing the failure of electronic components (18) mounted within the electronic module (10).

Electronic control module having fluid-tight seals of a polymer material

Protecting electronic components in acidic and basic environments

In a semiconductor device encapsulation assembly (50; 60), a semiconductor device (21), preferably a pressure transducer, is mounted on a base (11) in a cavity (20) formed by the base and surrounding walls (15). Electrical connections, preferably wire bonds (27), connect the semiconductor device to conductor paths (28) on the base within the cavity. An encapsulation material comprising a thixotropic fluorosiloxane material (51; 61) is applied in the cavity and completely covers the semiconductor device and the electrical connections. This structure enables the semiconductor device to withstand typical automotive contaminants, such as mild acids and gasoline, while also preventing erratic semiconductor device operation due to bubbles which may be drawn into the encapsulation material.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Zurich, IL, United States of America

Anthony J Polak