A method for determining stability of a vehicle having a load suspended from the vehicle is provided. The method can include obtaining measurements from a plurality of sensors positioned on the vehicle, obtaining a measurement from a vehicle accelerometer operative to determine an inclination of the vehicle, determining a position of the load suspended from the vehicle, determining a slung load of the load suspended from the vehicle, using the determined slung load and the determined position of the load suspended from the vehicle, determining tipping moments acting on the vehicle, determining righting moments acting on the vehicle and determining a tipping stability based on the determined tipping moments and determined righting moments.

A coil spring modeling apparatus includes a first attachment member disposed on a lower spring seat, a second attachment member disposed on an upper spring seat, an actuator unit formed of a Stewart-platform-type parallel mechanism, a spring height detection mechanism, and a controller. The spring height detection mechanism is constituted of displacement gauges such as a linear variable differential transformer. These gauges are provided on hydraulic cylinders, and detect amounts of displacement relative to the reference lengths of the hydraulic cylinders, respectively. A hydraulic pressure supply device is controlled by the controller and supplies fluid pressure according to the displacement detected by the gauges to the respective hydraulic cylinders.

A system for use in testing the installation of an airbag module in a vehicle is provided. The system includes a jig and an instrument coupled to the jig. The instrument includes a contact assembly and a linear actuator coupled to the contact assembly such that, when the contact assembly is seated adjacent to the airbag module, the contact assembly is selectively moveable towards the airbag module relative to the jig via the linear actuator for testing the installation of the airbag module.

A method and an apparatus are provided for providing a vehicle component fault score. Faults that occur on vehicle components in a plurality of vehicles are tracked. One or more sets of attribute values are compiled for the tracked faults. A set of attribute values is collected for each item within one or more preset vehicle categories. A fault score is calculated for each set of the compiled attribute values. A set of one or more items with respective fault scores is displayed based on a preset vehicle category selected by a user.

A first temperature sensor measures a first temperature of an object related to an engine. A fuel temperature sensor measures a fuel temperature. A diagnostic apparatus includes a diagnostic unit diagnosing the first temperature sensor based at least in part on the first temperature measured at the first temperature sensor. The diagnostic apparatus also includes a first determining unit determining whether the state of fault of the first temperature sensor is unclear or not based at least in part on the variation in the fuel temperature after the start-up of the engine for the diagnosis at the diagnostic unit.

A test system (10) for windshield wipers (18). In one example, the test system has a camera unit (12) which generates image data (B) and captures an image of a windshield wiper (18) moving on a window (16), and an evaluation unit (30) for evaluating the image data (B) with respect to a wiping frequency and/or an objective wiping quality. A test method for windshield wipers (18) is also proposed. The method includes aligning the camera unit (12) with a field of vision (14) of a window (16), image data (B) are generated, and a wiping frequency of the windshield wiper (18) is then determined and/or a wiping quality of the windshield wiper (18) is determined by means of an evaluation unit (30). The wiping frequency and/or key figures of the wiping quality is/are output in a display (34).

A test system (10) for windshield wipers (18). In one example, the test system has a camera unit (12) which generates image data (B) and captures an image of a windshield wiper (18) moving on a window (16), and an evaluation unit (30) for evaluating the image data (B) with respect to a wiping frequency and/or an objective wiping quality. A test method for windshield wipers (18) is also proposed. The method includes aligning the camera unit (12) with a field of vision (14) of a window (16), image data (B) are generated, and a wiping frequency of the windshield wiper (18) is then determined and/or a wiping quality of the windshield wiper (18) is determined by means of an evaluation unit (30). The wiping frequency and/or key figures of the wiping quality is/are output in a display (34).

A control apparatus for rotating device includes a plurality information sensors and a controller. The information sensors are coupled to the rotating device for sensing temperature information, acoustic information and vibration information. The controller receives the temperature information, the acoustic information and the vibration information at a plurality of consecutive sampling time points to respectively obtain a plurality of sampled temperature values, a plurality of sampled noise values, and a plurality of sampled vibration values, during a time period. The controller generates a plurality of status signals corresponding to the sampling time points according to the sampled temperature values, the sampled noise values and the sampled vibration values. The controller generates a control signal according to the status signals, and transports the control signal to control an operation of the rotating device.

A brake actuation sensor device is described for a brake system of a vehicle having a strain and/or compression gage which is reversibly variable in its extension, whereby at least one electrical property is able to be changed, and an evaluation device, by which at least one electrical variable is able to be ascertained with respect to the changeable electrical property, and, taking into account the at least one ascertained electrical variable, an evaluation variable is able to be determined with respect to a brake actuating force, the strain and/or compression gage being additionally developed so that the strain and/or compression gage is able to be situated in direct or indirect contact with a brake booster housing device in such a way that a force exerted on the brake booster housing device causes a mechanical stress in the strain and/or compression gage. Furthermore, a method is described for mounting a brake actuation sensor device of a brake system of a vehicle.

A vehicular diagnostic communications system, and components thereof, are provided for an apparatus and technique for communicating vehicular diagnostic information over a cellphone network. The system includes a code reader having a vehicle diagnostic port connector for receiving vehicle diagnostic information from the vehicle diagnostic port. The code reader also has a local connectivity network circuit for communicating vehicle diagnostic information between the vehicle diagnostic port connector and a local connectivity circuit. A cellphone is arranged in communication with the local connectivity network for communicating vehicle diagnostic information between the code reader and a cellular telephone network.