Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delco Electronics Corporation

Han-Sheng Lee

David Kay Lambert

Su-Chee Simon Wang

James H Logsdon

Dan W Chilcott

Charles Robert Harrington

Yingjie Lin

Steven E Staller

Dan Wesley Chilcott

Da Yu Wang

David R Staley

Abhijeet V Chavan

David Howard Burke

Shih-Chia Chang

Rick Daniel Kerr

Hamid Reza Borzabadi

Timothy A Vas

Chi Hung Leung

David B Hicks

Michael Joseph Niemiec

Samuel Lorincz

Otto J Klingenmaier

Phillip B McGrath

Qin Jiang

Qian Shi

Iulian Nedelescu

An optical sensor package with a substrate that supports a membrane carrying an optical sensor and through which radiation passes to impinge the sensor. The substrate has a first surface in which a cavity is defined, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a wall between the cavity and the second surface. The optical sensor is supported on the membrane, which is bonded to the substrate and spans the cavity in the substrate. A window is defined at the second surface of the substrate for enabling infrared radiation to pass through the wall of the substrate to the optical sensor.

Infrared sensor package

An apparatus and method for determining an approximation to a measure of the volatility of fuel on-board a vehicle having an internal combustion engine. The method includes the steps of measuring at least one characteristic of the fuel corresponding to a temperature of the fuel, a volume of the fuel, and a concentration of oxygenates within the fuel; determining an approximation of the a measure of the volatility of the sample volume of fuel using a linear function based on the at least one measured characteristic of the fuel corresponding to temperature, volume, and concentration of oxygenates of the fuel. Preferably, at least one temperature measurement is associated with a predetermined volume of the sample as the sample is evaluated. The method can include determining whether a fuel contains ethanol, and if not, whether the fuel is a winter blend of fuel or a summer blend of fuel. The method to determine whether ethanol is present can include the steps of bringing the fuel into contact with a sensing element; measuring a characteristic of the fuel corresponding to concentration of oxygenates, such as the change in capacitance or resistance of the sensing element; and calculating the dielectric constant or the conductivity of the sample respectively. The method to determine the type of non-ethanol containing fuel can be based on two temperature measurements taken at two predetermined volumes during the evaporation process.

Method and apparatus for determining an approximation for fuel volatility on-board a vehicle

An infrared sensor including an absorber for absorbing incident infrared power to produce a signal representing the temperature of a target object, a frame supporting a membrane which carries the absorber, the frame including a plurality of reflecting surfaces disposed about the circumference of an opening over which the membrane spans for reflecting incident infrared power toward the absorber. By concentrating incident infrared power through reflection, the temperature difference between the absorber and the surrounding frame is increased, thereby producing an increased electrical output from the sensor.

Integrated light concentrator

An integrated sensor comprising a thermopile transducer and signal processing circuitry that are combined on a single semiconductor substrate, such that the transducer output signal is sampled in close vicinity by the processing circuitry. The sensor comprises a frame formed of a semiconductor material that is not heavily doped, and with which a diaphragm is supported. The diaphragm has a first surface for receiving thermal (e.g., infrared) radiation, and comprises multiple layers that include a sensing layer containing at least a pair of interlaced thermopiles. Each thermopile comprises a sequence of thermocouples, each thermocouple comprising dissimilar electrically-resistive materials that define hot junctions located on the diaphragm and cold junctions located on the frame. The signal processing circuitry is located on the frame and electrically interconnected with the thermopiles. The thermopiles are interlaced so that the output of one of the thermopiles increases with increasing temperature difference between the hot and cold junctions thereof, while the output of the second thermopile decreases with increasing temperature difference between its hot and cold junctions.

Monolithically-integrated infrared sensor

A method to calculate a fuel driveability index (DI) value is provided from a sample of fuel in a container as tested by the industry standard ASTM D86 test providing particular temperature data at various percentages of evaporation as the container is heated. The particular temperature data provides a DI value. The same sample of fuel is tested on a sensor capable of retaining a predetermined volume of fuel. Temperature data is monitored at the same percentages of evaporation as the sensor is being heated. Correlation equations are mathematically calculated between the temperature data from the sensor relative to the particular temperature data from the ASTM D86 test and stored in the engine controller of a vehicle. The fuel from the fuel tank is tested by heating a similar on-board sensor having the predetermined volume of fuel and measuring the temperature data as a function of the remaining fuel in the sensor. The stored correlation equations are applied to the measured temperatures to provide the required temperature data to calculate the DI value for the fuel in the fuel tank.

Method to calculate fuel DI number from a measured curve

A fuel sensor system for a vehicle includes a fuel pump adapted to be disposed in a fuel tank to pump fuel from the fuel tank to an engine of the vehicle. The fuel sensor system also includes a fuel sensor adapted to be disposed in the fuel tank to measure a property index of the fuel. The fuel sensor system further includes a jet pump connected to the fuel pump to fill the fuel sensor with a fuel sample of the fuel.

Fuel sensor system

A method and apparatus for determining a volatility of a fuel sample. A fuel sample is collected in a container and heated for a time period using a heater device. Periodically during the heating, the capacitance of the fuel sample and the temperature of the heater device are determined. After a time period passes, the volatility of the fuel sample is determined using the capacitance decrease and the temperature increase. Specifically, a voltage across the heater device is used, along with the current through the heater device to determine the resistance of the heater device, which gives the temperature of the heater device and the sample. The capacitance and temperature are compared to values derived from experimentation for fuels of varying DI. The first measurement of capacitance with a known sample volume can be used to determine the MTBE or ethanol content in gasoline fuels.

Fuel volatitlity sensor and method based on capacitance measurement

A sensor and method for measuring the volatility of liquid gasoline by estimating its driveability index includes a sensing element having an interdigitated array of electrically conducting capacitor plates arranged to retain a predetermined volume of gasoline, the volatility of which is to be measured. The sensing element is mounted in a vehicle to be in contact with the flow of gasoline while the engine is running so that a volume certain of gasoline is drawn between and remains within the electrically conducting plates when the engine is turned off. The sensing element is connected to circuitry used to measure the change in capacitance of the sensing element as a function of time while simultaneously measuring the temperature change of the sensing element as the volume of gasoline retained by the sensing element is evaporated over time. The measurements obtained by the circuitry are used in estimating the drivability index of the gasoline.

Fuel driveability index sensor and method

Structures and fabrication methods of micromachined all-metal relays on silicon chips are described. The relay comprises a copper blade, electroformed into the lithographically patterned areas, with suitable dimensions of 1 mm.times.2 mm.times.0.01 mm (width.times.length.times.thickness) and a plurality of longitudinal slots to facilitate fabrication of the blade. The relay is actuated by electrostatic force, and no conduction current is required to hold the relay at either 'on' or 'off' state. Preferably, the relay is used in combination with a suitable arc suppression circuit.

Integrated electrostatically-actuated micromachined all-metal

A process for silicon wafer-to-wafer bonding at temperatures lower than 500.degree. C. has been developed. It consists of (1) treating the cleaned surfaces to make them smooth and hydrophilic, (2) initiating the bond by making intimate contact between wafers and (3) enhancing the bond strength at elevated temperatures. This bonding process can be applied to sensor packaging.

Method of bonding silicon wafers at temperatures below 500 degrees

This invention generally relates to the provision of a vent path during the bonding of silicon wafers and the subsequent encapsulation of the individual devices. A double-sided polished silicon wafer is used for the device wafer. The device wafer includes circuitry, thin membranes and metal interconnections. When bonding a bottom wafer to the device wafer, a vented path exists between the wafers. The venting path includes serpentine shape channel formed by interdigitated fingers and cavities. The cavity and the interdigitated patterns can be etched either together or separately into either wafer. A top wafer has a cavity formed therein. When the top device and bottom wafers are bonded together, the venting path is sealed by dipping the device in a sealing liquid. The serpentine path prevents the sealing liquid from reaching the cavity.

Method of making and sealing a semiconductor device having an air path

Disclosed is an oil sensor system having an oil sensor including two spaced apart electrodes, a triangular waveform means, a comparison means and a signal means. The oil system is used in situ (i.e., used directly in the engine) to determine the presence of two-stroke or four-stroke oil, or the occurrence of an engine malfunction, such as a leakage of antifreeze into the oil.

Oil sensor systems and methods of qualitatively determining oil type and

Disclosed is an oil sensor having roughened electrode surfaces to produce oil condition related output current or voltage from the automotive engine oil as it is used.

Oil microsensor having interdigitated electrodes with rough surfaces and

A high temperature logic field effect transistor. By surrounding the source and drain pn junctions with electrically insulative material, except where a channel runs between the source and drain, a logic field effect transistor whose on/off current ratio can still have a high value at high temperatures. The transistor can be of any standard MOS technology, such as pMOS, nMOS, or CMOS.

Growing community of inventors

Bloomfield Hills, MI, United States of America

Han-Sheng Lee