Method and system for conducting user defined mobile commerce
Granted: January 16, 2003
Application Number:
20030014357
The invention provides a method for conducting user defined mobile commerce by receiving a customer ID and a transaction information from a transaction provider. The method further accesses a customer defined mobile commerce transaction account corresponding to the customer ID. At least a portion of the transaction information is compared with the customer defined mobile commerce transaction account information; and a transaction status is determined based on the comparison of the…
Method and system for mobile commerce advertising
Granted: January 16, 2003
Application Number:
20030014307
The invention provides a method for mobile commerce advertising by receiving at least one mobile consumer transaction on a transaction server. The method then applies the mobile consumer transaction to at least one predefined customer account. Using the mobile consumer transaction and the predefined customer account, at least one customer profile is formed. The transaction server receives at least one vendor advertisement, and the vendor advertisement, along with the customer profile are…
Anti-lock brake control method having adaptive initial brake pressure reduction
Granted: December 19, 2002
Application Number:
20020193931
An improved anti-lock brake control method in which the brake pressure reduction initiated upon detection of insipient wheel lock is adaptively determined based on a periodically updated characterization of the relationship between brake pedal position and vehicle deceleration. The brake torque and vehicle weight are estimated based on the characterization data, corrected for variation in brake heating, and used to compute the surface coefficient of friction, which in turn, is used to…
Electric motor control having DC-DC converter and method of using same
Granted: December 12, 2002
Application Number:
20020185989
A controller for use in a switched reluctance (SR) motor drive is provided. The controller includes a DC-DC converter coupled to an inverter. The DC-DC converter can be a buck converter, a boost converter, or a buck-boost converter. The control parameters to the DC-DC converter can be optimal. In addition, the bus voltage of the motor drive can be reduced to a level such that the motor operates in single pulse mode. A capacitor can be connected in parallel across the outputs of the DC-DC…
Hydroformed tubular structures and methods of making
Granted: December 12, 2002
Application Number:
20020186999
A hydroformed tubular structure includes at least two hydroformed members connected at a joint. At least one of said members includes a flattened portion having opposite sides in engagement. One of the sides engages and is secured to a mating portion of another of the members and a hydroformed conjugate portion is formed in the one side adjacent the flattened portion and is secured in a recess of the other member. A hydroformed structural portion extends from the conjugate portion in a…
Thermoelectric devices based on materials with filled skutterudite structutres
Granted: November 28, 2002
Application Number:
20020176815
A class of thermoelectric compounds based on the skutterudite structure with heavy filling atoms in the empty octants and substituting transition metals and main-group atoms. High Seebeck coefficients and low thermal conductivities are achieved in combination with large electrical conductivities in these filled skutterudites for large ZT values. Substituting and filling methods are disclosed to synthesize skutterudite compositions with desired thermoelectric properties. A melting and/or…
Apparatus and method for controlling permanent magnet electric machines
Granted: November 21, 2002
Application Number:
20020171387
A control scheme for an surface-mounted permanent-magnet synchronous (SMPMS) drive uses a combination of an open-loop magnetizing current reference calculation and a stabilizing feedback term, which speeds-up the torque transient response. The feedback term increases the stability margin during torque transients by increasing the available voltage margin for current control. The magnetizing current reference calculation takes into account the saturation effects in the SMPMS drive, which…
Device and method for predicting rotational positions of a rotating shaft
Granted: November 21, 2002
Application Number:
20020171419
A device for implementing a method for predicting rotational positions of a rotating shaft is disclosed. A motor shaft is rotated over a range of rotation. The device detects each incremental rotation position of the motor shaft from a set of incremental rotational positions being spaced by a fixed increment. Prior to a change in the rotational speed of the motor shaft, the device generates a prediction of each rotational position. When a detected incremental rotation indicates a change…
METHOD AND SYSTEM OF REDUCING TURN-OFF LOSS AND NOISE IN A SWITCHED RELUCTANCE MOTOR DRIVE
Granted: October 24, 2002
Application Number:
20020153858
An inverter for use in a switched reluctance (SR) motor drive is provided. The inverter comprises a first and second transistor for selectively providing current to an SR motor winding. A resonant-type snubber circuit is connected to the transistors to reduce turn-off loss. The snubber circuit includes a pair of diodes, a capacitor, and an inductor. The snubber circuit is reset during switch-on time of the transistors. At transistor turn-off time, the snubber circuit uses the capacitor…
Method and system for providing multiple beginning maneuvers for navigation of a vehicle
Granted: October 24, 2002
Application Number:
20020156573
A method of generating navigation instructions for a vehicle is provided. A destination of the vehicle is received at a route generation application. A maneuver list comprising a plurality of navigation instructions is calculated based on a current location of the vehicle and the destination. A distance threshold is determined based on the current location of the vehicle and the destination. The navigation instructions located within the distance threshold are determined and transmitted…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING A LIST OF MANEUVERS FOR NAVIGATION OF A VEHICLE
Granted: October 17, 2002
Application Number:
20020152024
A method of generating navigation instructions for a vehicle is provided. A destination is requested at the vehicle and forwarded to a route generation application. At least one preliminary maneuver is calculated based on a current location of the vehicle and the destination. The preliminary maneuver is transmitted from the route generation application to the vehicle and is executed at the vehicle. Systems and programs for using the method are also provided.
REAR END CLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE
Granted: September 5, 2002
Application Number:
20020121798
A rear end closure assembly for selectively opening and closing a rear passageway of an automotive vehicle is disclosed. The closure assembly includes a first panel and a second panel attached to each other using rotatable members and a torque bar such that the second panel can be raised to a juxtaposed vertical relation relative to the first panel to partially open the rear passageway. Thereafter, the first and second panels are upwardly rotated together to fully open the rear…
Lubrication control device
Granted: August 29, 2002
Application Number:
20020117356
An automatic transmission is comprised of a housing and a hub rotatable about a shaft at differing speeds and having an axial assembly gap therebetween. The axial assembly gap defines an annular flow path in fluid communication with a source lubrication path and a lubrication-requiring mechanism. A lubrication control device is disposed in the annular flow path. The device includes a washer in constant contact with the housing and having a radial slot to permit a prescribed flow of…
Method and system of reducing inefficiencies in an internal permanent magnet motor using fuzzy logic
Granted: August 22, 2002
Application Number:
20020116138
A method of reducing loss in an interior permanent magnet drive system is provided. A current input DC link power value is calculated. The current input DC link power value is then compared with a previous input DC link power value. A change in input DC link power value is determined from this comparison. A flux decrement value is calculated. The flux decrement value is based on the change in input DC link power value. A stator current value is generated. The stator current value is…
Staged venting of fuel cell system during rapid shutdown
Granted: August 15, 2002
Application Number:
20020110710
A venting methodology and system for rapid shutdown of a fuel cell apparatus of the type used in a vehicle propulsion system. H2 and air flows to the fuel cell stack are slowly bypassed to the combustor upon receipt of a rapid shutdown command. The bypass occurs over a period of time (for example one to five seconds) using conveniently-sized bypass valves. Upon receipt of the rapid shutdown command, the anode inlet of the fuel cell stack is instantaneously vented to a remote vent to…
Method and system for providing vehicle-directed services
Granted: July 25, 2002
Application Number:
20020098853
The present invention provides a method, system, and computer usable medium for directing service in a vehicle. A service request is received at a service management application from the vehicle. A vehicle location is also received. Vehicle delivery-enabling information is determined based on the service request and the vehicle location. The service corresponding to the service request is configured based on the vehicle delivery-enabling information. The configured service is sent to the…
Cogeneration system for a fuel cell
Granted: May 9, 2002
Application Number:
20020055024
A fuel cell system and process using an organic Rankine cycle to produce shaft work to operate a fuel cell system component such as an air compressor. The air compressor delivers compressed air to a fuel cell stack. The steps of the Rankine cycle include pumping a liquid working fluid to an elevated pressure, heating the fluid to a gas, expanding the high temperature and high-pressure gas through an expander to produce shaft work used to drive a fuel cell system component such as an air…
Cogeneration system for a fuel cell
Granted: May 9, 2002
Application Number:
20020055025
A fuel cell system and process using an organic Rankine cycle to produce shaft work to operate a fuel cell system component such as an air compressor. The air compressor delivers compressed air to a fuel cell stack. The steps of the Rankine cycle include pumping a liquid working fluid to an elevated pressure, heating the fluid to a gas, expanding the high temperature and high-pressure gas through an expander to produce shaft work used to drive a fuel cell system component such as an air…
Cogeneration system for a fuel cell
Granted: May 9, 2002
Application Number:
20020055026
A fuel cell system and process using an organic Rankine cycle to produce shaft work to operate a fuel cell system component such as an air compressor. The air compressor delivers compressed air to a fuel cell stack. The steps of the Rankine cycle include pumping a liquid working fluid to an elevated pressure, heating the fluid to a gas, expanding the high temperature and high-pressure gas through an expander to produce shaft work used to drive a fuel cell system component such as an air…
Thermal management of fuel-cell-powered vehicles
Granted: March 7, 2002
Application Number:
20020027027
Thermal management of a fuel-cell-powered electric vehicle having at least one high temperature heat transfer circuit and one low temperature heat transfer circuit each using the same dielectric heat transfer medium as the other. The circuits are in flow communication with each other so that hot heat transfer medium can flow form the high temperature circuit into the low temperature circuit, and cooler heat transfer medium can flow from the low temperature circuit into the high…
