Carrier Corporation

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Delco Electronics Corporation

Aptiv Technologies Limited

Charles A Cluff

Morgan Daniel Murphy

Chris Ralph Snider

Ronald Melvin Taylor

Walter Kirk Kosiak

Peter James Schubert

Robert J Cashler

Robert K Constable

Derek A Leman

David R Little

Sathish R Das

Jun Pyo Lee

Gary Eugene Oberlin

Douglas Allen Nunan

Matthew T Austin

Junqiang Shen

Russell L Simpson

Brian M Stavroff

Charles A Seymour

Greston T McCoy, Jr

Robert R McConnell

A method of performing a defrost operation in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system having a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, the method including determining that the defrost operation is needed; determining a capacity for the defrost operation in response to one or more prior defrost operations; beginning the defrost operation at the determined capacity; monitoring a defrost parameter; determining if the defrost parameter indicates a need for increased capacity; and increasing the capacity of the defrost operation when the defrost parameter indicates the need for increased capacity.

Variable capacity defrost

A method of operating a heat pump system comprising: operating the heat pump system in a demand operation heating mode, wherein the demand operation heating mode comprises controlling an opening amount of an expansion valve based on a superheat difference between a compressor inlet superheat value and a target compressor inlet superheat value, and controlling a flowrate of the refrigerant through a compressor based on a thermal demand difference between a thermal output of the indoor heat exchanger and a customer thermal demand; monitoring with the one or more controllers a parameter of the refrigerant cycle indicative of a charge imbalance condition; and transitioning operation with the one or more controllers to a charge compensation mode when the parameter satisfies a first threshold condition, wherein the charge compensation mode comprises performing with the one or more controllers a charge imbalance mitigation strategy.

Method of operating a heat pump system

A method for controlling the temperature of a compressor having a motor including a rotor and a stator, and a control assembly operably coupled to the compressor, the method comprising the steps of: applying an initial current to the compressor motor; measuring a voltage across the compressor motor and determining a resistance of the compressor motor based on the initial current and a measured voltage; determining whether the determined resistance is less than or equal to a desired resistance; applying a secondary current to the compressor motor if the determined resistance is less than or equal to the desired resistance.

Method and system for controlling compressor temperature

A high pressure threshold detection circuit () is provided. The high pressure threshold detection circuit includes a pressure transducer () for measuring a pressure of a medium at an outlet () of a compressor (). The high pressure threshold detection circuit () includes a controller (). The controller () includes a comparator () and a switch (). The comparator () and the switch () are electrically coupled. The switch () is electrically coupled to an enable circuit (). The pressure transducer () is electrically coupled to the comparator () to provide a signal to the comparator () based on the pressure measured at the outlet (). The comparator () outputs a control signal () to the switch () when the signal () is equal to or greater than a reference value (). The switch () opens the enable circuit () to disable compression of the medium by the compressor () in response to the control signal ().

Pressure safety shutoff

A cooling system includes a compressor operable to compress refrigerant, an accumulator upstream from the compressor. The accumulator is operable to collect liquid from the refrigerant. A sensor is located upstream from the accumulator. The sensor is operable to detect information including a temperature and a pressure of the refrigerant. The controller is in communication with the sensor. The controller is operable to determine a rate of accumulation of liquid in the accumulator based on the information from the sensor. A method of operating a cooling system is also disclosed.

Cooling system and method of operating a cooling system

A method of heating a component within a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is provided. The method includes maintaining a non-heating condition of the HVAC system component when the HVAC system component is in a non-operational state. The method also includes determining when the HVAC system component will switch from the non-operational state to an operational state, the determination based on a threshold parameter being met. The method further includes operating a heating device from the non-heating condition to a heating condition to heat the HVAC system component from a temperature to a target temperature suitable for the operational state of the HVAC system component.

HVAC heating system and method

An illustrative example refrigerant system includes a compressor configured to pressurize a refrigerant fluid. The compressor includes a sump portion. A heater is situated to heat at least the sump portion. A controller is configured to selectively operate the heater to apply heat to at least the sump portion while the compressor is off to establish and maintain a superheat condition in the compressor.

Maintaining superheat conditions in a compressor

A refrigerant system includes a compressor configured to pressurize a refrigerant fluid. The compressor includes a sump portion. A heater is situated to heat at least the sump portion. A controller is configured to selectively operate the heater to apply heat to at least the sump portion while the compressor is off and continue operating the heater when the compressor turns on until a temperature of the compressor or a temperature of fluid discharged from the compressor satisfies at least one criterion.

Heating compressor at start-up

In a method for operating a compressor () having an inlet () and an outlet (), the method includes: running the compressor to compress a fluid; shutting down () the compressor; determining () a condition-dependent threshold restart pressure difference (threshold) across the compressor; relieving the pressure difference to reach the threshold; and, after the threshold is reached, restarting () the compressor.

Method for optimizing pressure equalization in refrigeration equipment

A system, controller, and method for aligning a stereo camera of a vehicle mounted object detection system that includes a first camera and a second camera mounted spaced apart on a vehicle. An image from each camera at two different times is used to determine an observed displacement of an object relative to the vehicle. A predicted displacement of the object relative to the vehicle is also determined using either a difference of vehicle position measured based on other vehicle measurements or GPS, or a difference of size of the object in images taken at the two different times. Alignment is provided by determining a triangulation correction based on a difference of the observed displacement and the predicted displacement to correct for misalignment of the cameras.

Stereoscopic camera object detection system and method of aligning the same

A collision sensor module configured to be attached to a surface of a vehicle. The module includes a collision sensor circuit board configured to detect acceleration indicative of a vehicle collision event. The exterior of the module is defined by a housing that includes a rigid part and a flexible part. The rigid part is configured to define a wing portion for attaching the rigid part to the surface, provide an underside surface of the rigid part to couple the collision sensor circuit board to the surface in a manner effective for the circuit board to detect when the vehicle is involved in a collision event. The flexible part is configured to sealingly contact the rigid part and the collision sensor circuit board in a manner effective to seal the protective cavity when the rigid part is attached to the surface and thereby protect the collision sensor circuit board.

Collision sensor housing and module

A vehicle crash sensing system and method are provided for sensing a vehicle crash event. The system includes a linear acceleration sensor located on a vehicle for sensing linear acceleration along a first sensing axis and generating a linear acceleration signal. The system has linear crash sensing logic for determining a crash event along the first sensing axis as a function of the sensed linear acceleration. The system also has signal processing circuitry for processing the linear acceleration signal and generating a processed linear acceleration signal. The system has an angular rate sensor located on the vehicle for sensing an angular roll rate of the vehicle about a second sensing axis and generating a roll rate signal. The system further includes rollover crash sensing logic for determining a rollover event of the vehicle about the second sensing axis as a function of the processed linear acceleration signal and the roll rate signal.

Integrated vehicle crash sensing system and method

A supplemental restraint deployment method utilizes measured vehicle speed and acceleration and the output of a closing velocity sensor that detects the presence and closing rate of an approaching object prior to contact with the vehicle. The closing velocity and vehicle speed are utilized for classification of an impending crash event, where the deployment options vary depending on the crash classification. In the ensuing crash event, a classification-dependent algorithm is executed to determine if, when and what level of restraint deployment is warranted based on measures of actual crash severity. Additionally, the algorithm is reset when the calculated change in vehicle velocity reaches the initial closing velocity.

Supplemental restraint deployment method with anticipatory crash classification

The present invention provides a system of and a method for multiple transmitters to communicate data over a single uni-directional communication bus. In one form of the present invention, a data communication system using time-domain multiplexing includes a uni-directional current-modulated communication bus, a plurality of sensors coupled to the communication bus, at least one of the sensors capable of detecting the data transmission of a sensor outside of the current loop of the first sensor, the sensors also capable of transmitting data on the communication bus using current loop modulation. In another form of the present invention, a method of transmitting data on a uni-directional communication bus is provided. The method includes the steps of enabling a first device to transmit a data signal on the communication bus, the data transmission followed by an idle period, and the first device including a current sensor; enabling a second device to detect the first device's data transmission and the idle period; and enabling the first device to transmit data upon detecting the idle period, the first device positioned in a first current loop and the second device positioned in a second current loop outside of the first current loop, the second current loop passing through the current sensor of the first device.

Method for multiple sensors to communicate on a uni-directional bus

A vehicle rollover detection apparatus and method are provided for detecting an overturn condition of the vehicle. The rollover detection apparatus includes an angular rate sensor sensing angular rate of the vehicle, and a vertical accelerometer for sensing vertical acceleration of the vehicle. A controller processes the sensed angular rate signal and integrates it to produce an attitude angle. The vertical acceleration signal is processed to determine an inclination angle of the vehicle. The rollover detection apparatus adjusts the attitude angle as a function of the inclination angle and compares the adjusted attitude angle and the processed angular rate signal to a threshold level to provide a vehicle overturn condition output signal. Additionally, the rollover detection apparatus detects a near-rollover event and adjusts the variable threshold in response thereto to prevent deployment of a vehicle overturn condition, thus providing immunity to such events.

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Zionsville, IN, United States of America

Charles A Cluff