Robert Boschgmbh

Vdo Adolf Schindling Ag

Helmut Fleischer

Erich Schneider

Helmut Rembold

Eberhard Schnaibel

Ernst-Ulrich Simon

Bernd Huber

Alexander Witte

Wolfgang Nonnenmann

Hans Scheyhing

Karl-Ludwig Abend

Benno Gerum

Gunter Schmitt

A combination instrument for automotive vehicles, in which different indicating instruments, indicating fields, control and warning lights, and, possibly, operating parts as well as electrical and electronic equipment parts, are arranged in common housing. The combination instrument comprises a computer unit with microcomputers (36) and/or use-specific integrated circuits which are arranged, for protection against electromagnetic disturbances, within a housing (31) which is impervious to high frequencies. Furthermore, disturbance-endangered incomiing and outgoing lines (41, 43, 46) are protected, upon entrance or exit, by suitable filter measures. These include leadthroughs with leadthrough capacitors (45) and the use of ferrite cores (47, 48) through which connecting lines are extended. For shielding against disturbing radiation and for obtaining a low profile of installation, in one embodiment, a lower part (38) of a multiple-plug-type connector is fastened on a least one outer surface of the high-frequency-proof housing, and electrical contacts are formed by elongated conductors (32) which extend in a single piece from a circuit board (33) through a housing wall (34) into the plug-type connector.

Combination instrument for automotive vehicles

To increase the responsiveness of a vehicle alarm system to, for example, unauthorized entry through windows, jacking up for removal of parts or vehicle theft as well violent impact by another vehicle, at least one position sensitive sensor has its output signal, which represents the instantaneous position of the vehicle stored after activation of the alarm system. Any change in that position is detected and triggers a warning device when the deviation exceeds a predeterminable amount. The position sensitive sensor may be a fluid-filled vessel the internal resistance of which is measured in a resistance bridge or it may be a variable inductance sensor which is connected to a frequency generator whose output signals are counted and compared with a given value. The system according to the invention may also serve as an accelerometer.

Position-sensitive alarm system

Apparatus for controlling the operation of the engine-transmission

Digital control apparatus for the running speed of a motor vehicle

To improve the speed and simplicity of adjustment of mechanical devices, for example passenger seats and other movable members in motor vehicles, there is provided a closed-loop control system in which servo-motors adjust the final positions of the movable members. The desired configurations, i.e. the positions of the individual members of the device are stored in one or more memories for recall upon the actuation of push-buttons. The same push-buttons are used alone or in conjunction with a data storage switch to store new positions in the memory. The servo-motors are coupled to transducers which generate an electrical signal related to the position of the servo-motors and their associated movable members. Upon actuation of one of the push-buttons, the device is adjusted until the control deviation is near-zero, i.e. until the signal from the transducers conforms to the data stored in the memory.

Apparatus for positioning a movable device, especially the passenger

A servo control system is used to supply a command position signal to control the throttle opening of the engine, and hence vehicle speed. To permit increase of amplification without instability of the positioning control loop when sensing throttle position and feedback of the throttle position error signal, the feedback signal is degressively nonlinearly related to absolute throttle position in order to match the nonlinear throttle position-torque characteristics of automotive type internal combustion engines. The non-linear relation is obtained with a minimum of external connections by connecting a resistor to a source of fixed supply which is connected to the slider of a potentiometer having one terminal unconnected and the other terminal connected to ground or chassis. Only two supply lines to the throttle positioning sensor are needed, namely one for the resistor to a source of supply and the other for the variable resistor take off from the slider.

Automotive internal combustion engine servo control system, particularly

A speed control system for a vehicle, especially an internal combustion powered vehicle, includes a driver-settable member which has up to four distinct regions of adjustment, namely idling, deceleration, cruising and acceleration. The cruising region includes a mechanical or other pressure point to provide a sensible signal to the operator of the vehicle indicating the constant speed region. The apparatus of the invention prescribes a function generator which generates a voltage as a non-linear function of the driver-settable member and supplies it to a voltage-controlled oscillator. The output signal of the oscillator is fed to an integrating stage whose direction of integration is controlled by suitable logical circuits which detect the region occupied by the driver-settable member and the difference between the set-point value supplied by the integrator and the actual vehicle or engine speed. Other circuitry controls idling rpm.

Speed control system for a vehicle

A motor drives a fuel supply control element, typically the throttle of an automotive-type gasoline engine through a solenoid controlled coupling. Upon brake, clutch, manual switch, or other interrupting operation, the solenoid is de-energized so that a spring can permit interruption of the coupling and a throttle return spring can return the throttle to idle position. To prevent dangerous conditions from arising, and run-away of the engine in case of malfunction of the coupling, an electronic circuit is provided to introduce a signal to the speed control system which tends to move the throttle positioning motor to change the position of the throttle to idle speed condition if a disabling signal is sensed. Preferably, additionally, a first timing circuit interrupts energization of the positioning motor servo loop after a predetermined period of time; a second timing circuit may be provided which has a time constant which is long with respect to the return time of the throttle under its spring connection and controlling a malfunction memory which provides a visual indication of malfunction in the system.

Vehicle speed control system with dual interrupt safety circuit

To decrease the number of switches and their connections to a speed control system, only two manually operated switches are provided to, respectively, allow for 'engage', 'disable' and 'resume' operations, the system further including a bistable circuit which is connected to one of the manually operated switches to provide the manually operated switch with a dual function.

Vehicle speed control system

To obtain input signals as a function of various types of input signals, R/C circuits are used to charge or discharge a capacitor, the charge state of which is sensed by a threshold stage. To render such circuits essentially independent of temperature changes, in spite of different response levels of the R/C circuit and the threshold stage, a second R/C circuit and threshold stage are connected in parallel with the first, one threshold stage being responsive to charging direction of the capacitor, the other threshold stage being responsive to discharging direction of the capacitor, and the overall output signal being a combination of the output signal from both threshold stages so that increase of the signal components of the combined output signal from one threshold stage, due to temperature increase, for example, will be balanced by a decrease of the signal component from the other threshold stage, thereby rendering the overall output essentially temperature independent.

Temperature independent trigger pulse analysis circuit

To provide for digital storage of a command signal commanding a predetermined speed of the speed control system, a digital counter is provided forming a memory, connected to an analog-digital converter to generate a derived command signal in dependence on the counted state of the counter. Stray signals which may affect the count state of the counter thus can only change the time at which the counter reaches its predetermined count state, and not the count output thereof, whereas such stray pulses might otherwise affect the command signal. The counter holds the commanded speed as a count number.

Automotive vehicle speed control system

To prevent hunting in an automatic vehicle speed maintenance circuit having a closed control loop, the control element is so arranged that the controller has not only proportional, but additionally derivative control characteristics to increase the response speed while permitting loop amplification which is necessary in view of the response delay characteristic of the controlled element, namely the vehicle itself.

Vehicle constant speed control circuit

The time duration of output pulses from the transducer, including wave-shaping circuits, if used, is measured and compared with respect to predetermined time limits. Two sequential pulses are measured and stored. If both pulses are shorter than a predetermined time interval, no alarm signal is generated; if the first pulse is longer than a predetermined time interval and the second also longer than a predetermined time interval, an alarm signal generation circuit, otherwise activated by the second, longer signal, is inhibited (since acceleration or deceleration of the wheel is indicated); if, however, the time duration of the second sequential pulse is longer than a predetermined time interval, but the time duration of the preceding pulse is shorter than its time duration threshold value, the malfunction signal is not inhibited, indicative of malfunction, loose contacts, or the like.

Testing rotary movement-electrical signal transducer system,

A wheel brake anti-lock system comprises a circuit which senses which one of the front wheels turns faster than the other and, in dependence on sensed applied braking fluid pressure, as controlled by the operator, the anti-lock system bases its control characteristics on either the faster, or the slower one of the wheels, thereby favoring either braking effort, or steering and attitude control; when the braking pressure is high, commanding fast stops, braking effort is favored; when the braking pressure is low, attitude control is favored, thus preventing skids on differentially slippery surfaces with respect to the right and left wheels of the vehicle.

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Schwieberdingen, Germany

Helmut Fleischer