All The Claims

1) A method for corrective action on the operation of a line for the production of absorbent sanitary articles, such as nappies for babies or incontinence pads for adults, sanitary towels or the like, each article comprising a plurality of components which are gradually positioned relative to each other and assembled along the production line; the method being characterised in that it comprises the steps of:
capturing at least one image of each article being fed out of the line;
using the image to define first parameters indicating the positioning andor assembly andor shape of at least one respective component;
detecting a production defect if at least one of the first parameters is outside a respective acceptability range;
identifying second, line operating parameters which are used to indicate if the first parameter is outside the respective acceptability range;
comparing the line operating parameters with respective third, reference parameters indicating optimum line operation;
deriving from the comparison a map of parameters indicating abnormal operation;
checking if each combination of abnormal operating parameters indicates a respective cause of line malfunction, the respective cause being included in a case record of causes of malfunction which is preset and predefined;
defining, for each cause of malfunction encountered, the corrective action to be adopted in order to eliminate the production defect.
2) The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the corrective action is displayed in the form of instructions on a display for subsequent guided action by an operator.
3) The method according to claim 2, characterised in that the instructions contain a sequence of step-by-step instructions for guiding the operator to correct the defect.
4) The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the corrective action is automatically converted into action controlling actuator means acting on the production line for adjusting the operating parameters.
5) The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the step of capturing at least one image is performed using means for inspection of the article.
6) The method according to claim 5, characterised in that the inspection means comprise at least one sensor for capturing the image and acquisition means for defining the first parameters.
7) The method according to claim 6, characterised in that the sensor is in the form of a video camera.
8) The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the case record of causes of malfunction is contained in a preset and predefined database.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A fuel control system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
a first module that determines a corrected injected fuel mass based on an engine temperature and a measured burned fuel mass;
a second module that determines a raw injected fuel mass based on said corrected injected fuel mass and said engine temperature; and
a third module that regulates fueling to a cylinder of said engine based on said raw injected fuel mass.
2. The fuel control system of claim 1 wherein said measured burned fuel mass is determined based on a commanded equivalency ratio (EQR) and a cylinder air mass.
3. The fuel control system of claim 2 further comprising a fourth module that estimates said cylinder air mass based on engine operating conditions.
4. The fuel control system of claim 1 wherein said first module determines said corrected injected fuel mass further based on a previous corrected injected fuel mass, a current measured burned fuel mass and a previous measured burned fuel mass.
5. The fuel control system of claim 1 wherein said second module determines said raw injected fuel mass based on a utilized fuel fraction that is a ratio of said corrected injected fuel mass to said raw injected fuel mass.
6. The fuel control system of claim 5 wherein said utilized fuel fraction is determined based on a scalar function that is a ratio of said measured burned fuel mass and said raw injected burned fuel mass that is determined at a threshold engine cycle.
7. A method of regulating fuel to an internal combustion engine, comprising:
determining a corrected injected fuel mass based on an engine temperature and a measured burned fuel mass;
determining a raw injected fuel mass based on said corrected injected fuel mass and said engine temperature; and
regulating fueling to a cylinder of said engine based on said raw injected fuel mass.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein said measured burned fuel mass is determined based on a commanded equivalency ratio (EQR) and a cylinder air mass.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising estimating said cylinder air mass based on engine operating conditions.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein said corrected injected fuel mass is further determined based on a previous corrected injected fuel mass, a current measured burned fuel mass and a previous measured burned fuel mass.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein said raw injected fuel mass is further determined based on a utilized fuel fraction that is a ratio of said corrected injected fuel mass to said raw injected fuel mass.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein further comprising calculating said utilized fuel fraction based on a scalar function that is a ratio of said measured burned fuel mass and said raw injected burned fuel mass that is determined at a threshold engine cycle.
13. A method of regulating fuel to an internal combustion engine, comprising:
estimating a cylinder air mass for a combustion event;
calculating a measured burned fuel mass based on said cylinder air mass;
determining a corrected injected fuel mass based on an engine temperature and said measured burned fuel mass;
determining a raw injected fuel mass for said combustion event based on said corrected injected fuel mass and said engine temperature; and
regulating fueling to a cylinder of said engine based on said raw injected fuel mass to provide sufficient fuel for said combustion event.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein said measured burned fuel mass is further determined based on a commanded equivalency ratio (EQR).
15. The method of claim 13 wherein said cylinder air mass is estimated based on engine operating conditions.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein said corrected injected fuel mass is further determined based on a previous corrected injected fuel mass, a current measured burned fuel mass and a previous measured burned fuel mass.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein said raw injected fuel mass is further determined based on a utilized fuel fraction that is a ratio of said corrected injected fuel mass to said raw injected fuel mass.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein further comprising calculating said utilized fuel fraction based on a scalar function that is a ratio of said measured burned fuel mass and said raw injected burned fuel mass that is determined at a threshold engine cycle.

1. A method for controlling a tank vent valve of a tank vent device for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, with the tank vent valve being arranged in a vent line between a fuel vapor reservoir and an intake tract of the internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
switching off the internal combustion engine,
opening the tank vent valve when the internal combustion engine is switched off, if a signal is detected which allows an imminent start-up of the internal combustion engine to be surmised.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tank vent valve is only then opened if a predetermined minimum duration has elapsed since the last switch-off of the internal combustion engine.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tank vent valve is loaded with current for a predetermined minimum duration.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tank vent valve is closed again even before the start-up of the internal combustion engine.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tank vent valve is briefly opened by at least one short current pulse.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal represents at least one of the following events:
the activation of the ignition of the internal combustion engine,
the opening of a door of the motor vehicle,
the unlocking of a door closing mechanism of the motor vehicle,
the presence of a person in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle,
occupation of the driver seat,
insertion of an ignition key into the ignition lock.
7. A control device for a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a tank vent device, which has a tank vent valve, which is arranged in a vent line between a fuel vapor reservoir and an intake tract of the internal combustion engine, wherein the control device is operable to open the tank vent valve when the internal combustion engine is switched off, if a signal was detected which allows an imminent start-up of the internal combustion engine to be surmised.
8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is further operable to only open the tank vent valve if a predetermined minimum duration has elapsed since the last switch-off of the internal combustion engine.
9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the device comprises a timer to determine if a predetermined minimum duration has elapsed since the last switch-off of the internal combustion engine.
10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is further operable to load the tank vent valve with current for a predetermined minimum duration.
11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is further operable to close the tank vent valve again even before the start-up of the internal combustion engine.
12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is further operable to briefly open the tank vent valve by at least one short current pulse.
13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the signal representing at least one of the following events:
the activation of the ignition of the internal combustion engine,
the opening of a door of the motor vehicle,
the unlocking of a door closing mechanism of the motor vehicle,
the presence of a person in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle,
occupation of the driver seat,
insertion of an ignition key into the ignition lock.
14. A method for controlling a tank vent valve of a tank vent device for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, with the tank vent valve being arranged in a vent line between a fuel vapor reservoir and an intake tract of the internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
checking whether the internal combustion engine is switched off, and
if the internal combustion engine is switched off:
opening the tank vent valve if a signal is detected which allows an imminent start-up of the internal combustion engine to be surmised.
15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the tank vent valve is only opened if a predetermined minimum duration has elapsed since the last switch-off of the internal combustion engine.
16. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of starting a timer if the internal combustion engine is switched off, and only opening the tank vent valve if a predetermined minimum duration determined by said timer has elapsed since the last switch-off of the internal combustion engine.
17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the tank vent valve is loaded with current for a predetermined minimum duration.
18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the tank vent valve is closed again even before the start-up of the internal combustion engine.
19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the tank vent valve is briefly opened by at least one short current pulse.
20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the signal represents at least one of the following events:
the activation of the ignition of the internal combustion engine,
the opening of a door of the motor vehicle, the unlocking of a door closing mechanism of the motor vehicle,
the presence of a person in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle,
occupation of the driver seat,
insertion of an ignition key into the ignition lock.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. Method comprising:
providing a first source able to supply aluminum content for a nickel aluminide based coating;
providing a second source able to supply nickel and at least one alloy element content for the nickel aluminide based coating;
providing a metallic substrate;
disposing a nickel aluminide based coating precursor on at least a portion of the metallic substrate comprising aluminum content provided by the first source, and nickel and at least one alloy element content provided by the second source; and
forming the nickel aluminide based coating from the coating precursor.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first source comprises a consumable cathode for use in a cathodic arc deposition technique.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second source comprises a consumable cathode for use in a cathodic arc deposition technique.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein disposing the coating precursor includes:
disposing an amount of nickel and at least one alloy element overlying the metallic substrate utilizing the second source;
disposing an amount of aluminum overlying the metallic substrate utilizing the first source.
5. The method according to claim 4 wherein disposing the amount of nickel and at least one alloy element is accomplished in at least two deposition operations, wherein a first layer of the nickel and at least one alloy element is disposed in contact with the metallic substrate, thereafter, an intermediate layer of aluminum is disposed overlying and in contact with the first layer, and thereafter, a second layer of the nickel and at least one alloy element is disposed in contact with and overlying the intermediate aluminum layer.
6. The method according to claim 4 wherein disposing the amount of nickel and at least one alloy element and disposing the amount of aluminum is accomplished by co-depositing the nickel and at least one alloy element content from the second source and the aluminum content from the first source.
7. The method according to claim 1 wherein forming the nickel aluminide based coating comprises subjecting the substrate and the coating precursor to a suitable heat treatment.
8. The method according to claim 7 wherein subjecting the substrate and the coating precursor to a suitable heat treatment includes heating to about 1079\xb0 C. (1975\xb0 F.) for a sufficient time period.
9. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing the second source includes providing at least one alloy element selected from the group consisting of chromium, zirconium, hafnium, silicon, yttrium, titanium, tantalum, rhenium, lanthanum, cerium, calcium, iron, gallium, and combinations thereof.
10. The method according to claim 1 wherein disposing the coating precursor includes disposing sufficient nickel and at least one alloy and aluminum in sufficient quantities so that the nickel aluminide based coating has a coating thickness of between about 12.7-254 microns, inclusive.
11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the coating thickness is between about 12.7-76.2 microns, inclusive.
12. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
disposing a thermal barrier ceramic layer overlying the nickel aluminide based coating.
13. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing the substrate comprises providing a component of a gas turbine assembly.
14. The method according to claim 13 wherein providing the component includes providing at least one of a turbine airfoil, a turbine disk, and a combustor.