Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Allen-bradley Company, LLC

Symorex Inc.

Thomas J Bray

Borys Joseph Melnyk

Jeff Matson

Paul Allen Berneis

Jonathan R Engdahl

Lawrence W Esker

Kenneth E Burkhalter

Jeffery A Hanneman

Ron Cailey

An audio signal processing system for a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle has a plurality of audio output producing devices. The system includes an audio input circuit, a processor, an audio output circuit, and at lease one speaker. The audio input circuit receives a plurality of audio signals from the plurality audio output producing devices. The processor is in communication with the audio input circuit for combining the plurality of audio signals. The audio output circuit is in communication with the audio input circuit for receiving the combined plurality of audio output signals. The audio output circuit conditions the plurality of audio signals for output. The at least one speaker broadcasts the conditioned plurality of audio signals to a vehicle occupant.

Audio routing for an automobile

A 'segmented' CAN bus is provided that extends the cabling scheme of a CAN network to permit isolation of individual nodes of identical type when needed and the ability for a host to determine the network topology. In addition, the CAN bus cabling scheme automatically assigns unique addresses to nodes and guarantees that the network will always be properly terminated. This eliminates the need for jumpers, DIP switches, pre-installation programming, or other hardware requiring human intervention to uniquely identify the nodes on the network. Furthermore, because the physical node topology is determinable, equipment installation and anomaly diagnostics are facilitated.

Communication network for an automobile

A system and method for managing a vehicle's electrical power consumption are disclosed. The vehicle has a plurality of electrical components. The electrical components have varying power requirements. The system of the present invention includes a first battery for supplying power to at least one of the plurality of electrical components and a second battery for supplying power to at least one other of the plurality of electrical components. Further, an isolator is provided for electrically isolating the first battery from the second battery. A power supply for supplying a regulated supply of electrical power and a power distributor in communication with at least one of the first and second batteries for selectively providing electrical power to the plurality of electrical components are also provided. Finally, the system has a processor in communication with the power supply and the power distribution box, the processor is configured to execute source code for managing the vehicle's electrical power consumption.

Power management system and method for an automobile

A material handling and transport system for transporting goods between a number of discharge/induction stations and selectively receiving and discharging goods at the stations. A moving transport unit, for example a train-type string or cars or trolleys with tilting trays for receiving, transporting and discharging goods between induction and discharge stations positioned along a track, incorporates a number of self-contained, locally controlled sensing, signal and actuation devices which allow the trolleys to selectively interact with passive stations around the track. The centralization of systems control on the trolleys themselves, as opposed to on the track-side stations, results in greater system flexibility, reduced cost, and allows the train to operate in essentially autonomous mode without the need for external control and monitoring. In one embodiment each tray-supporting trolley includes a self-actuating tipper arm mechanism activated by local computer to engage discharge station as the trolley passes to discharge the load carried by the trolley. Each trolley also includes a sender/receiver device capable of reading passive status indicators associated with stations around the track, and signaling various switching devices to activate track-side structure for interaction with the trolley as it passes.

Apparatus for centralized mechanical and systems control in a material

A redundant local area network uses two cables over which duplicate information is transmitted in parallel in the form of identical message frames. Each receiver on the network includes a circuit which evaluates the signals from the two cables and selects one of the signals to be processed. This circuit determines the length of the message frames received on each cable for a given transmission and indicates which cable, if any, carried the longer frame. The signal from the cable that carried the longer frame is then selected as the output of the receiver. Additional circuitry is provided to prevent two short frames on one cable from being considered as one long frame. An apparatus is provided to look at the historical reliability of the signals on the cables so that if one cable has had a significantly better performance than the other, a single poor transmission on the one cable will not cause the historically poorer cable to be selected until such time as the poorer cable has redeemed itself.

Growing community of inventors

Saline, MI, United States of America

Thomas J Bray