Pigmented substantially crack-free casein plastic compositions containing a minor, luster-imparting quantity of coated mica platelets, wherein at least 75% of the pigment particles possess an average platelet size of below 10 μm., a thickness of about 0.1 to 0.7 μm. and a ratio of diameter to thickness of about 10 to 200.

Apparatus for assembling covered buttons in which a first die assembly including a first punch carrying a first sleeve which sequentially receives a piece of covering material and the button shell with its flange extending toward the open end of the sleeve. A second assembly including a second sleeve having a bore one end of which is formed with a first cam surface extending axially inwardly of the above. The second sleeve is spring loaded to an extended position on a supporting post having a centrally located button back fastener receiving cavity in the end thereof with a second cam surface extending inwardly from the outer edge of the end to the bottom of a recess surrounding the cavity. An annular boss at the inner edge of the recess around the cavity is elevated to allow the material and the shell flange to curl inwardly under the button back. In the retracted position of the second sleeve on the post, the second cam surface forms a continuation of the first. In operation, when the first assembly carrying the covering piece and the shell moves toward the second assembly, the first sleeve stops against the spring loaded bottom sleeve and the punch continues forcing the material down so that the material is tucked inward by the beveled or curved surface of the second sleeve. Upon continued relative movement of the assemblies, the shell flange acts on the cam surface of the second sleeve to force the sleeve to its retracted position and the shell flange is moved inwardly of the back wall under the continued action of the first post, the extent of the inward movement of the shell flange being determined by the thickness of the material of the covering piece, as well as the height of the shell and the type of back used.

A device to assemble buttons of the type having a safety pin associated with a fastening member including an outer shell having a covering. The present invention is directed to the mechanism snap-out of the finished button and a cam and bar for automatically adjusting the length of travel of the upper die.

An improved method of forming and assembling two-part merchandise display hooks, including new design features of the hook itself, enable two-part hooks to be manufactured and assembled at extremely low cost. Wire from a continuous length is gripped and bent to form the outer portion of the hook. The wire is then severed and bent in a single operation to form a hook-mounting portion. While the severed wire remains gripped by its shaped outer end, a preoriented and guided base member is applied over the just-formed mounting portion of the wire. A retractable bend-forming member is withdrawn when the base member is applied to the wire, to enable the bent portion to be fully received within the plastic base. Major manufacturing economies are realized.

A universal assembly machine manufactures conventional buttons with formed backs. The machine comprises a rotatably indexable die table to which are mounted pickup and crimp dies. The die table indexes about a center column of the machine frame. A ram die is advancable and retractable in a pickup stroke and a crimp stroke by means of a handle. The ram die includes a ram outer ring that is rotatable by means of a shifter post joined to the die table. Indexing the die table causes the shifter post to rotate the ram outer ring into a pickup mode or a crimp mode to suit the ram pickup and crimp strokes, respectively. The universal assembly machine also manufactures buttons with flat backs by using a different crimp die pedestal than is used with the formed backs. An adapter on the crimp die pedestal used with formed backs allows that crimp die pedestal to also be used for manufacturing buttons with flat backs. The invention also embraces button medallions. A flat back button is loaded into the pickup die, and the die table is indexed. The ram die is advanced in a third press stroke to bend the shell frusto-conical wall of the flat back button inwardly to be flat and parallel to the flat back.

A button system and method of manufacturing the same are provided for identifying fiber from which an article of apparel is manufactured. Initially, an article of apparel manufactured with a predetermined fiber is identified. Next, indicia indicative of the predetermined fiber is selected. Next, at least one button is manufactured with the indicia thereon for identifying the fiber from which the article of apparel is manufactured.

A soy protein product having a protein content of at least 60 wt % (N×6.25) d.b., preferably an isolate having a protein content of at least about 90 wt % (N×6.25) d.b., is formed from the supernatant from the precipitation of a soy protein micellar mass. A calcium salt or other divalent salt is added to the supernatant, before concentration, after initial concentration or after final concentration, to provide a conductivity of about 2 to about 30 mS. Precipitate is removed from the resulting solution and the pH of the clear soy protein solution is optionally adjusted to about 1.5 to about 4.4. The optionally pH-adjusted clear solution is concentrated to a concentration of about 50 to about 400 g/L and the clear concentrated protein solution is optionally diafiltered prior to drying. The soy protein product is soluble in acidic media and produces transparent, heat stable solutions at low pH values and, therefore, may be used for protein fortification of soft drinks and sports drinks.

Easy open flow wrappers are provided that include a flexible wrapper body formed from a flexible wrapper body film, the flexible wrapper body having a front panel and a back panel sealed together along one longitudinal seam and two lateral end seams containing a product therein. At least one line of weakness (24) substantially extends around a portion of the flexible wrapper body to define a removable portion (28) of the flexible wrapper body, such that application of a separation force upon the removable portion separates the removable portion from the flexible wrapper body at the at least one line of weakness and forms an opening in the flexible wrapper body. A flexible film member (26) is disposed over and extending beyond the at least one line of weakness, in which the flexible film member is configured to prevent pre-separation of the removable portion from the flexible wrapper body.

The invention relates to a capsule for the preparation of a beverage in a beverage preparation device. The capsule has a flange which is partially made of paper and partially made of polymer. The polymer is essentially arranged on the flange to cover at least partially the paper part and so to improve the inside tightness of the capsule, in particular, to prevent air enters inside the capsule via folds and creases.

A measurement apparatus and method for in-situ quantitative texture measurement of a food snack. The apparatus includes an acoustic capturing device and a data processing unit. The physical interaction in the mouth with saliva, when a human being eats/drinks a food snack, sends pressure waves that propagate through the ear bone and produce an acoustic signal. The acoustic capturing device records and forwards the signal to a data processing unit. The data processing unit further comprises a digital signal processing module that smoothens, transforms and filters the received acoustic signal. A statistical processing module further filters the acoustic signal from the data processing unit and generates a quantitative acoustic model for texture attributes such as hardness and fracturability. The quantitative model is correlated with a qualitative texture measurement from a descriptive expert panel. Another method includes a food snack fingerprinting using an in-situ quantitative food property measurement.

This disclosure describes a simple, low cost method to produce a modular dry mix that can easily be modified and customized to produce a wide range of easy to aerate, no ice cream machine needed, ice cream and frozen dairy and non-dairy desserts and products made by this process. The method relies on successive simultaneous particle size reduction and blending steps without the use of traditional mix drying operations. The formulations produced by this process are modular and allow quick and simple ingredient substitutions to create distinct finished products. The process yields mixes that produce stronger, more stable foams that don't leave an oily mouth feel. The disclosure also includes a formulation and process used to make ice cream, and related frozen dairy and non-dairy desserts at room temperature in one step where the ingredients do not need to be aged, or homogenized, and aeration occurs without the need for simultaneous cooling or freezing. The process allows the end-user to control and vary the texture, freezing rate, melting point and eating qualities of the product without the use of traditional, home or industrial ice cream machines and a product made by this process. A product produced from this mix consists of a (protein-concentrate and emulsifier)—stabilized, protein-based foam created by combining a powder mix with one or a combination of a large range of above freezing temp liquids then immediately whisking the mixture at room temp to a target overrun without pre-aging, and then freezing that product statically till desired hardness is achieved. The main execution of this process involves the use of dry powders that are transported and sold dry and then reconstituted by the end user before they are combined without pre-treatment, freezing homogenization or aging. The manufacturing process offers significant advantages over current dry mix production methods which require significant upfront investment and produce hard to customize mixes. The formulation and finished product making portions of the invention offer significant improvement over existing manufacturing methods for frozen desserts and dessert mixes that require simultaneous freezing and aeration in terms of cost, convenience, customizability, shelf-stability and environmental impact.

The present invention relates to protein compositions. In particular, the invention relates to a method for the production of a composition comprising casein fibrils. Further aspects of the invention area composition comprising casein fibrils, the use of such a composition and a food product comprising the composition.

Inhibition of expansion of a cereal product, such as a ready-to-eat cereal, by a particulate insoluble component such as fiber and/or calcium is avoided by pelletizing the particulate insoluble component. A binder component, such as gelatinized starch, is used to bind particles of the particulate insoluble component into a coherent mass which is formed into non-expanded pellets for fortification of the cereal product. The expanded cereal products, such as extruded puffed RTE cereals which contain the pellets, exhibit a crisp, uniform texture and cell structure, improved, prolonged bowl life, a non-gritty mouthfeel, and a smooth, uniform surface appearance even though they are fortified with high amounts of the solid or particulate insoluble nutritional components.

A brew basket is described that has a handle and a body attached to the handle. The body provides an upper chamber and a lower chamber. A top opening to the upper chamber is substantially circular with a center C. A floor of the upper chamber provides a shelf for initially supporting a beverage medium filter pack above the lower chamber. When viewed from above, the shelf is substantially rectangular. A discharge port is located at a bottom of the lower chamber and is offset from the center C when viewed from above.

It has unexpectedly been found that Pichia spp. strains have advantageous properties useful in the beer fermentation process. In particular, Pichia spp. yeast strains can be combined with normal beer yeast strains and different hop varieties in a fermentation process to produce synergistic effects—namely, the increased production of esters in the fermentation product. More specifically, the yeast can be used to produce increased levels of isoamyl acetate, isobutyl acetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl decanoate and ethyl octanoate in beer. In addition, the Pichia spp. strain interacts differently with different hop varieties, so the flavor profile of beer can be tuned by using different combinations of Pichia spp. strains and hops. The present invention relates to a method of brewing beer using a Pichia spp. yeast strain and at least one hop variety, a beer obtainable by such a method and use of a Pichia spp. yeast strain according to the present invention.

A pass-thru ratchet wrench includes a wrench body. A front end of the wrench body has a head portion. A ratchet is provided in the head portion. The ratchet has a receiving hole to receive a socket. The ratchet has a first neck portion at an upper edge thereof and an annular groove around the outer wall of the first neck portion. The annular groove has a certain depth. The ratchet has a plurality of through holes in annular groove. A C-shaped buckle ring is disposed in the annular groove. The C-shaped buckle ring extends out of the through holes to form a limit portion. The limit portion is adapted to stop the socket, thereby the receiving hole of the ratchet can limit the socket from displacing.

Hand pliers for assembly purposes includes an assembly limb and a handle limb rotatably connected to one another via a first link joint. The handle limb is divided into an off-handle lever and a handle-near lever and these two levers are rotatably connected to one another by a bolt via a second link joint, wherein a tension wheel and a ratchet wheel with external toothing connected torsionally proof to it are pivotably arranged on the bolt side by side in axial direction, and the tension wheel engages into a tension device that connects both handle limbs to one another, and a spring-loaded dog ratchet is arranged at the handle-near lever, engaging into the ratchet wheel in such a manner that when the handle-near lever makes a latching movement it permits a rotation of the ratchet wheel on closing the pliers, but prevents its rotation in the opposite direction.

An adaptor tool comprises a locking pin removably engaged with a main body defining a hook portion. The main body is configured to pivot about a pivot pin. The adaptor tool further includes a first link having first and second ends, and a first contact face. The first link is configured to receive the locking pin. A second link includes first and second ends, and a second contact face. The second link is pivotally coupled to the main body via the pivot pin. At least a third link includes first and second ends, and a third contact face. The first, second, and at least third links are pivotally coupled end-to-end such that the first, second, and third contact faces define a circular opening. The circular opening is configured to receive a workpiece such that rotational force applied to the main body rotates the adaptor tool and the workpiece.

A fastening tool is provided that incorporates, in an outer annular body into which a first nut is inserted to be driven to rotate, an inner annular body into which a first nut and a second nut having a pitch different from the pitch of the first nut are inserted to be driven to rotate, and that simultaneously rotates the two nuts and fastens the nuts to a bolt. A flange shaft body is driven to rotate relatively to the outer annular body and the inner annular body via a plurality of balls. The balls are held by the flange shaft body and pressed towards notches of the outer annular body and the inner annular body with urging forces of first and second urging members via holding members respectively.

A surgical tool assembly includes a pair of opposing jaws. Further, a viewing opening may be provided in at least one of the opposing jaws. The viewing opening may extend from an upper to a lower surface of the opposing jaw in which the viewing opening is provided. The viewing opening may include a material retainer provided proximate the lower surface of the opposing jaw in which the viewing opening is provided. The material retainer may include an inclined surface inclined towards a central axis of the viewing opening. A grasping insert may be molded onto a lower surface of the opposing jaw in which the viewing opening is provided and an elastomeric material of the grasping inserts may within the viewing opening, the material of the grasping inserts covering the inclined surface of the first material retainer.

A method for assembling a structure is described. The method includes locating a position in an assembly stack-up where a one-sided fastener is to be installed, drilling a hole through the assembly stack-up at the position, countersinking the hole to a specified depth, operating a calibrated probe to determine at least parameter associated with one or more of the hole and the stack-up proximate the hole, inserting the one-sided fastener into the hole, applying a rotational torque to the one-sided fastener to complete installation of the one-sided fastener, and comparing a measurement of angular displacement required to complete installation of the one-sided fastener to a range of angular displacement indicative of correct installation of the fastener.

Pressurized gas for carrying looper thread by gas is generated by gas supply pump operated by changing over a sewing-machine motor, which drives stitch forming device, looper threading is performed through loopers by one-touch operation. Gas carrying threading device of sewing machine, comprising: looper thread introduction mechanism inserts looper thread guided to loopers; hollow looper thread guide extends from looper thread introduction mechanism to looper thread inlets and has looper thread guide outlets; gas supply pump for performing looper threading by carrying looper thread by gas from looper thread introduction area through hollow looper thread guide to looper thread loop-taker point outlets; clutch for transmitting power from sewing machine motor M to drive shaft which drives stitch forming device including loopers at time of stitch formation or to gas supply pump at time of looper threading.

A tension release device for compensating mechanical error of a tension device for a sewing machine includes a rotary arm, a tension release shaft, a guiding member, an actuating member, and a micro-adjustment member, the rotary arm is located at one end of the tension release shaft which is inserted through the base, the tension release shaft is coupled to the guiding member, the guiding member is provided with an arc-shaped guiding flange which includes a first end and a second end higher than the first end. On the actuating member is provided a push portion which protrudes toward and is pushed by the guiding flange of the guiding member, a micro-adjustment hole is formed at one end of the actuating member or at the one end of the control shaft, and the micro-adjustment member is screwed in the micro-adjustment hole and extends toward the tension release shaft.

A plasma processing chamber having capacitive and inductive coupling of RF power. An RF power source is connected to an inductive coil and to a top electrode via a variable capacitor to control the ratio of power applied to the coil and electrode. The bottom electrode, which is part of the chuck holding the substrates, is floating, but has parasitive capacitance coupling to ground. No RF bias is applied to the chuck and/or the substrate, but the substrate is chucked using DC power. In a system utilizing the chamber, the chuck is movable and is loaded with substrates outside the chamber, enter the chamber from one side for processing, exit the chamber from an opposite side after the processing, and is unloaded in an unloading chamber. The chuck is then transported back to the loading chamber. Substrates are delivered to and removed from the system using conveyor belts.

A method of dispensing adhesive onto a stretched elastic strand includes applying a first volume of adhesive onto a first portion of the elastic strand, applying a second volume of adhesive onto a second portion of the elastic strand, and applying a third volume of adhesive onto a third portion of the elastic strand. The second volume is less than the first and third volumes. When the elastic strand is adhered to a substrate to form a personal disposable hygiene product, the first and third portions of the elastic strand define opposing ends of the elastic strand, which are adhered with a larger amount of adhesive to resist creep at the opposing ends. The reduction of adhesive in the second or central portion between the opposing ends significantly reduces the adhesive add on in the personal disposable hygiene product.

A method for making a water-degradable paper sheet involves the following: providing at least one strip of a water-soluble binding material in the form of a dry film; providing at least two strips each made of at least one ply of cellulose wadding; placing the strip of water-soluble binding material between the two strips of cellulose wadding; humidifying, assembling and pressing the three strips; and drying the complex strip thus obtained. The sheet thus obtained can be used for making a roll carrier mandrel by helically winding one or more strips from the sheet about a cylinder. Articles produced from the sheet can particularly be used in the field of products for sanitary or domestic use.

A hybrid plasma reactor includes a reactor body having a plasma discharge space, a gas inlet, and a gas outlet; a hybrid plasma source including an inductive antenna inductively coupled to plasma formed in the plasma discharge space and a primary winding coil transformer coupled to the plasma and wound in a magnetic core; and an alternating switching power supply for supplying plasma generation power to the inductive antenna and the primary winding coil. The hybrid plasma reactor induces a plasma discharge using the inductively coupled plasma source and the transformer coupled plasma source, so that it has a wide operational area from a low pressure area to a high pressure area.

The object of the invention is to provide a plasma processing apparatus having enhanced plasma processing uniformity. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber 1, means 13 and 14 for supplying processing gas into the processing chamber, evacuation means 25 and 26 for decompressing the processing chamber 1, an electrode 4 on which an object 2 to be processed such as a wafer is placed, and an electromagnetic radiation power supply 5A, wherein at least two kinds of processing gases having different composition ratios of O2 or N2 are introduced into the processing chamber through different gas inlets so as to control the in-plane uniformity of the critical dimension while maintaining the in-plane uniformity of the process depth.

An adherend surface of an adherend is stuck with a protection sheet being in substantially the same shape as the adherend surface and including base and adhesive layer by a method including: sticking the sheet on a first surface of a sticking tool foldable along a symmetry-axis position of the sheet; folding the tool with the sheet such that a second surface opposite to the first surface comes inside; peeling the sheet to a folded portion of the tool to expose a portion of the adhesive layer with the tool folded; pressing the exposed portion of the adhesive layer against the adherend surface to stick a portion of the sheet on the adherend; and moving the tool along the adherend surface to expose a remaining portion of the adhesive layer and pressing the remaining portion against the adherend surface to stick a remaining portion of the sheet on the adherend.

The invention provides a plasma processing apparatus in which ring-like conductors 8a and 8b are arranged closed to and along an induction antenna 1 composed of an inner circumference coil 1a and an outer circumference coil 1b. Ring-like conductors 8a and 8b are each characterized in that the radius from the center of the apparatus and the cross-sectional shape of the conductor body varies along the circumferential angle of the coils. Since the mutual inductances between the ring-like conductors 8a and 8b and the induction antenna 1 and between the ring-like conductors 8a and 8b and the plasma along the circumferential position are controlled, it becomes possible to compensate for the coil currents varied along the circumference of the coils of the induction antenna 1, and to improve the non-uniformity in the circumferential direction of the current in the generated plasma.

Methods for etching a substrate in a plasma processing chamber having at least a primary plasma generating region and a secondary plasma generating region separated from said primary plasma generating region by a semi-barrier structure. The method includes generating a primary plasma from a primary feed gas in the primary plasma generating region. The method also includes generating a secondary plasma from a secondary feed gas in the secondary plasma generating region to enable at least some species from the secondary plasma to migrate into the primary plasma generating region. The method additionally includes etching the substrate with the primary plasma after the primary plasma has been augmented with migrated species from the secondary plasma.

There is provided an inductively coupled plasma reactor. The inductively coupled plasma reactor is connected to a transformer with multiple magnetic cores and a primary winding, to transfer an electromotive force for plasma discharge to a plasma discharge chamber of a reactor body. Parts of magnetic core positioned in side the plasma discharge chamber are protected by being entirely covered by a core protecting tube. The primary winding is electrically connected to a power supply source providing radio frequency power. In the inductively coupled plasma reactor, since a number of magnetic core cross sectional parts are positioned inside the plasma discharge chamber, the efficiency of transferring the inductively coupled energy to be connected with plasma is very high.

To compete with the increasing global food demand, it is necessary to increase the food production. Fertilizers which are in practice now a days has major disadvantage that 50% of nutrient contents loss due to leaching and also leads to ground water contamination. Slow release nitrogenous fertilizers are good in this regard in that they have minimum nutrient loss due to leaching. Potassium aluminum silicate (Leucite) nanoparticles occluded by calcium ammonium nitrates are slow release fertilizers and are synthesized by hydrothermal method. Its application as slow released nitrates fertilizers was determined by observing nitrate release for 16 days.

Provided herein are systems and methods for biomass digestion and products formed thereof. The products include one or more biogases, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classified Class A Biosolids, and pathogen reduced organic liquid fertilizer. Through the digestion of waste materials using sequential phases in an efficient digestion process, enhanced biomass conversion efficiency and improved output of products (in quantity and/or quality) are obtained with a significant reduction in dwell time in each phase.

The present invention relates to a method for removing sulfur from a gaseous or liquid mixture. This method involves contacting the gaseous or liquid mixture with an iron-enriched matrix under conditions effective to remove sulfur from the mixture through adsorption of the sulfur to the matrix. The iron-enriched matrix used in this method is a lignocellulosic material that is enriched with iron. The present invention also relates to a system, composition, and plant fertilizer that contain the iron-enriched matrix. Methods of making the composition and preparing a plant fertilizer are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a fertilizing compound for application to plants and crops, especially fruits, intended for increasing the amount of calcium and subsequently improving the state of health of the plants and the preservation thereof after harvesting. The compound consists of a combination of components such as calcium nitrate, calcium lignosulfonate, organic acids, menadione sodium bisulphite, amino acids and water. The compound is in the form of a liquid preparation, packed in containers of between 20 and 1000 liters, is water-soluble and is applied by fertigation, spraying or in a localized form by border irrigation.

The present invention relates to a method and arrangement for the treatment of liquid material based on organic waste products, in particular sludge from sewage disposal plants and the like, wherein the sludge material is added and mixed with chemicals, in particular sulphuric acid, nitric acid, and/or ammonia, during the vaporization and degasification of liquid from the material to increase the solids content thereof. The present invention is characterized, inter alia, in that the material is continuously introduced at the upper part of a vertical mixing vessel (1), in which the material is subject to mixing, after which the material is passed on into a reactor tank (8) for sulphuric acid treatment and at the same time, while sinking through the sulphuric acid treatment reactor tank (8), is exposed to an impact action from a number of rotary processing means (9) disposed in the reactor tank (8), after which the material is passed on into a reactor tank (14) for ammonia treatment and at the same time, while sinking through the ammonia treatment reactor tank (14), is exposed to an impact action from a number of rotary processing means (9) disposed in the reactor tank (14), after which the material is finally passed on into a drier (15) in which the material is dried until a desired solids content is achieved.

A granular agrochemical composition is disclosed including a granular core material having a water soluble portion with a first coating layer applied on the surface of the core material and a second coating layer applied on the surface of the first coating layer. The first coating layer includes a wax composition having a biologically active ingredient incorporated therein and the second coating layer includes a polymeric composition. The granular agrochemical composition exhibits a controlled rate of release of the biologically active ingredient therefrom over a period greater than about 30 days from the date of initial exposure of the granular composition to moisture whereby essentially all of the biologically active ingredient incorporated in the wax material of the first coating layer is released from the granular composition before the water soluble portion of the granular core material is released from the granular composition.

Methods are provided for processing municipal human waste such that the processed material is is greater than 99% free of pathogenic organisms. The processed material can be used as an organic fertilizer or a “Class A” organic fertilizer. The methods include reducing the moisture content of human sludge free of polymeric flocculant to less than about 30% moisture and processing the sludge through an extruder under conditions having a minimum temperature of about 140° C., a residence time of about 30 seconds, and an atmospheric pressure differential of about 40 atmospheres. The methods are economical and have numerous advantages including reduced use of fossil fuel, fast processing time, and production of an odor free organic fertilizer free of many land use restrictions.

A method and system for treatment of biological wastes for preparation of fertilizers is provided. The method and system involves mixing a biological waste with a dilute sulfuric acid in a predetermined ratio. The mixture of the biological waste and the dilute sulfuric acid is then filtered to obtain an organic slurry and an acidic liquid. Thereafter, the organic slurry is thermally cracked at an elevated temperature to obtain at least one of an ammonia gas, one or more flue gases, and char and ash. The method and system further involves utilizing the ammonia gas, the char and ash, and the acidic liquid for preparation of the fertilizers.

Methods for converting waste streams from the wood pulping industry to high-value fertilizers are described. For example, isolated lignin and lignosulphonate or waste streams containing lignin and lignosulphonate can be converted to methylol derivatives and treated with further reagents to produce controlled release fertilizers, hydrogel fertilizers, and soil stabilizers.

In one embodiment, a method may include retrieving, via a processor, a fundamental frequency of a cylinder type from a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, receiving, via the processor, a first signal from a first knock sensor disposed on a cylinder. The cylinder is disposed in an engine. The method may also include deriving whether a number of amplitudes of the first signal at the fundamental frequency and one or more harmonic frequencies exceed an undesired installation threshold value, and identifying an asymmetric piston as having an undesired installation if the undesired installation threshold value exceeds the number of amplitudes of the first signal and the one or more harmonic frequencies.

A process of controlling an actuating assembly for a coupling in the driveline of a motor vehicle, wherein the actuating assembly comprises a drive for moving an actuating element for operating the coupling unit, sensing a position signal representing the position of the actuating element; sensing a force signal representing the operating force required for displacing the actuating element; controlling the drive by means of an electronic control unit as a function of the position signal and the force signal. Further an actuating assembly is used for carrying out the process, as well as a drive assembly having such an actuating assembly.

An embodiment of the invention provides a method that identifies GPS shifting fields for road segments, the GPS shifting fields including areas around the road segments that include false GPS readings of objects that traveled on the road segments. The GPS shifting fields can be revised with a road segment attribute and/or at a driver preference. The road map network can be partitioned into space units, where the road map network can include at least two GPS readings of the object. For each space unit that includes a road segment, a probability that the object was located on the road segment can be calculated for each road segment based on the GPS readings of the object and the GPS shifting fields. The trajectory of the object can be determined based on the computing of the probabilities.

Aspects of the present disclosure include a navigation system and computer-implemented methods for proactively re-routing vehicles based on an analysis of input component data obtained from the navigation-enabled devices. The navigation system scores the input component data to obtain a measure of frustration (e.g., a feeling of being upset or annoyed) of the user of the navigation-enabled device. The navigation system may provide a detour suggestion for display on the navigation-enabled device to persuade the user of the device to direct their vehicle to depart from its current location or route in an effort to remove the vehicle from traffic, and thereby reduce the frustration level of the user. The detour suggestion may include an alternative route to the original destination, or an alternative destination.

A method for quantifying classification confidence of obstructions applied to a perception mergence system of a vehicular computer in a vehicle. The method includes steps of: the vehicular computer receiving obstruction information of at least obstruction, image information corresponding to the obstruction information and vehicle body signals, and using a classifier to classify them; calculating a detection result of each range sensor to calculate a existence confidence; using the existence confidences and precision of the classifier to calculate a classification belief assignment of each range sensor corresponding to each obstruction; performing mergence calculation on the classification belief assignments to respectively quantify an obstruction classification confidence of all the range sensor corresponding to each obstruction; and performing a classification ineffectiveness filtering mechanism to exclude the obstruction whose obstruction classification confidence less than a predetermined value. The present invention quantifies the obstruction classification confidence to improve the classification precision.

In one embodiment information regarding device activity of first subscriber to a transportation service is received. A backend server determines independent of a pending transportation request from the first passenger and based at least on the information regarding the device activity of the first subscriber, to send a driver towards a location based on the location of the first subscriber.

A car wash with integrated diagnostic functions is provided that includes the ability to wash and dry a connected vehicle and perform various diagnostic functions. The various diagnostic functions such as tread depth measurement, measuring tire pressures, performing safety inspection, emissions testing and performing vehicle diagnostics and the like may be performed while the connected vehicle is at the car wash. The results of the diagnostic tests may be provided to the driver at the end of the car wash via the driver's wireless computing device.

Aspects of the present disclosure include a navigation system and computer-implemented methods for detecting traffic disruption events based on an analysis of input component data obtained from navigation-enabled devices of vehicles near a particular location. Traffic disruption events are events such as accidents, construction road closures, police and speed traps, or road hazards that cause a decrease in the flow of traffic along a particular route and thus, added time delays for occupants of vehicles traveling along those routes. The navigation system scores the input component data associated with each vehicle and aggregates the scored input component data to obtain a frustration score associated with the vehicle. The navigation system may detect traffic disruption events based on a number of vehicles near a particular area having associated frustration scores above a certain threshold.

A method for finding an evasive trajectory for avoiding an obstacle for a vehicle on a roadway. A component of a candidate trajectory parallel to the roadway is determined by selecting weighting coefficients of a first weighted sum of orthogonal functions of time. A component of the candidate trajectory orthogonal to the roadway is determined by selecting weighting coefficients of a second weighted sum of the orthogonal functions. An optimization parameter for the candidate trajectory is calculated. At least one coefficient of at least one of the sums is modified and the procedure is repeated when the optimization parameter does not reach a termination criterion.