Caterpillar Inc.

Gregory L Williamson

Todd D Creger

Randall M Mitchell

Richard B League

Mark R Hawkins

James R Talbott

John P Hoffman

William James Tate

Larry Ellis Kendrick

Weldon L Phelps

Paul M Young

Jeffrey L Finley

David M Spurlock

A digital communication circuit that avoids bit collisions between an external communication device and a controller that communicate to each other through a bi-directional serial communication link is disclosed. The digital communication circuit includes digital circuitry that receives and transmits a digital communication signal. A detection circuit detects when a digital communication signal is being received. And delay circuitry receives the transmitted digital communication signal and responsively produces a delay signal to delay the detection of the received digital communication signal.

Programmable bit-collision adjustment circuitry for a bi-directional

The present invention is directed toward determining when a clutch of an automatic transmission substantially fills with fluid. Once it is accurately determined when a clutch fills with fluid, then control over the transmission shifting may reliably be performed. The present invention determines when an on-coming speed clutch substantially fills with fluid in response to determining when an off-going speed clutch releases. Further, the present invention determines when an on-coming direction clutch substantially fills with fluid in response to determining when the torque converter output torque suddenly changes.

Method for determining the fill time of a transmission clutch

The present invention relates to an adaptive control method for an automatic transmission. The method includes the steps of:

Adaptive control method for an automatic transmission

An apparatus for providing reverse protection to an electronic circuit is provided. The electronic circuit has a positive input terminal and a negative input terminal. The positive input terminal is coupled to a positive battery terminal via the apparatus. The negative input terminal is connected to a negative battery terminal. The apparatus includes a MOSFET transistor having a gate terminal, a drain terminal and a source terminal. One of the drain terminal and the source terminal is connected to the positive battery terminal and an other of the drain terminal and the source terminal is connected to the positive input terminal. One end of a resistor is connected to the gate terminal. One end of a pair of Zener diodes is connected to the gate terminal. The other end is connected to the source terminal.

Reverse voltage protection circuit

The present invention provides a general purpose driver circuit. The driver circuit is connected to a load. The driver circuit includes a controller for producing a control signal indicative of a desired output current. The driver circuit generates an output current having a magnitude responsive to the magnitude of the control signal. The driver circuit produces a system voltage feedback signal and an output voltage feedback signal and responsively performs output load condition diagnostics.

Driver circuit with diagnostics and over voltage protection

An appparatus for receiving signals from any of a plurality of sensor types is provided and includes pull-up circuitry connected to a circuit input; data edge conditioning circuitry having a digital output and an input connected to said circuit input; and an analog output connected to said circuit input and said pull-up circuitry.

Single multi-purpose input for different types of sensors with data edge

A communications network is adapted to provide communication between control modules on a vehicle. Each control module includes a first and second transceiver. A control module checks for the presence of a data message from another control module before transmitting a data message. If there is no other data message present, the control module transmits the data message around the network in both directions using the first and second transceivers. The other control modules receive the data message from the previous control module and pass the data message to the next control module in the network.

Fault tolerant serial communications network

Full diagnostic capability is provided in a serial datalink network having a plurality of control modules. Each control module includes a differential receiver for providing noise immunity and a transmitter having a positive line driver and a negative line driver. Positive and negative transmission wires connect differential receivers to the positive and negative line drivers. Circuits sense the occurrence of a short circuit condition between the positive transmission wires and ground and between the negative transmission wires and supply voltage. Overcurrents in the positive and negative transmission wires are also detected.

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Metamora, IL, United States of America

Gregory L Williamson