Delco Electronics Corporation

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Hughes Aircraft Company

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

James L Kohler

George W Smith

Anna M Lackner

John D Margerum

Elena Ramos

Charles R Allison

Morgan Daniel Murphy

Gregory J Manlove

Nuno A Vaz

Steven G Skiver

Wayne A Madsen

Paul M Werking

Charles Capps

Donald Frederick Wildfong

Richard E Fiegle

Harlan D Jerro

Nuno Yaz

Timothy J Candy

A directional antenna is provided that utilizes an existing light source or simple reflector having a beam directing reflective surface and a transparent cover for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic radio waves. In an aspect, an information signal is impressed across a conductive material formed to a transparent cover and the reflective surface directs electromagnetic radio waves in a predetermined direction. Beam pattern, gain, polarization and wavelength can be selected through the design and positioning of the conductive material from the reflective surface for providing an effective resonant antenna. The radiated information signal may be used to detect an object or communicate with a receiver. The light source or reflector can be attached to a fixed structure or to a mobile vehicle. In the case of a mobile vehicle, the antenna is fully concealed. In an aspect, material costs, manufacturing costs and assembly costs are reduced as compared to presently available antennas.

Directional antenna having a selected beam pattern

A pulse count accumulator includes a plurality of counters and a communication port. The plurality of counters are each coupled to a different one of a plurality of actuators and a value of each of the counters corresponds to a position of a corresponding one of the plurality of actuators. The communication port is in communication with the plurality of counters and provides the value of each of the plurality of counters to an external device through the communication port.

Pulse count accumulator for pulse count motor control system

Circuitry (100, 100') for determining actuator position includes four MOS transistors (T1-T4) connected to each side of a bi-directional motor (10). The current flowing through the motor (10) at any given time is proportional to voltages developed across the internal impedances of the transistors (T1-T4). The resulting motor voltages are amplified and high-pass filtered to remove any DC offsets due to the signal amplification. The conditioned motor voltages are then compared to one or more threshold voltages and passed through a one shot circuit (120) to provide detectable pulses for each motor commutation event. Circuitry (106,107) is provided for counting pulses provided by the one shot circuit (120) and, based on a desired motor position, for providing a number of digital control signals to a digital control circuit (104). Digital control circuit (104) is responsive to the number of digital control signals to control the gate voltages of the four transistors (T1-T4) to thereby control the position of the motor (10).

Circuitry for determining actuator position

A gear range indicator for use with automatic transmissions which is remote from the shift mechanism yet requires minimal adjustment to be made to the mechanical linkage to compensate for variations in the position of the display relative to the shift mechanism. This gear range indicator used has magnetic biasing means to position a pointer to the appropriate transmission gear range symbol on the display.

Magnetically aligned transmission shift indicator

A method of forming a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film is disclosed which consists of forming a solution of LC dissolved in a monomer, photopolymerizing the solution to form a film having a dispersion of LC bubbles therein, establishing a correlation between the LC bubble size and selected characteristics of the film, selecting a LC bubble size corresponding to desired film characteristics, and controlling the conditions of photopolymerization to achieve said LC bubble size. The LC bubble size is controlled by means of the UV exposure intensity, exposure temperature, exposure wavelength, LC concentration and/or concentration of polymerization initiator. Correlations are noted between LC bubble size and the resulting film's threshold and operating voltages for optical transmission, contrast ratio, absolute transmissivity and electro-optical response times. Special types of films, including in situ gratings and holograms, are obtained by periodically varying the conditions of polymerization over the film to produce a corresponding periodic spatial variation in the LC bubble size; different processes used to achieve this result are noted. Films with LC bubbles in a new size regime that significantly decreases the operating voltage threshold, and with gradients in the bubble size, are also disclosed.

Polymer dispersed liquid crystal film devices

A solid state thickfilm electroluminescent lamp illuminates a pointer for viewing automotive instrument clusters during low ambient light conditions. A solid state ThFEL lamp is placed between the faceplate of a vehicle dashboard and the air core mechanism. An instrument cluster pointer is situated on the opposite side of the faceplate from the ThFEL lamp. The ThFEL lamp is donut-shaped with a hole in its center to allow the pointer to connect to the air core mechanism. The lamp has a reflectie electrode and a transparent electrode situated such that the reflective electrode directs the ThFEL light towards the pointer where it is needed and away from the air core mechanism. The pointer is designed to collect a large area of dim light, focusing that light down the pointer shaft and reflecting it to an observer viewing the instrument cluster.

Automotive instrument display having a thickfilm electroluminescent

Polymer dispersed liquid crystal film devices, and method of forming the

Growing community of inventors

Kokomo, IN, United States of America

James L Kohler