Abstract: A method and a corresponding device permit an at least partially computer-controlled and/or autonomous vehicle to communicate with its surroundings, in particular with a road user such as a person in its surroundings. A control unit for a vehicle is configured to receive surroundings data from one or more surroundings sensors of the vehicle and to detect at least one road user in the surroundings of the vehicle on the basis of the surroundings data. The control unit is configured to determine on the basis of the surroundings data whether there is a need for communication between the road user and the vehicle. The control unit is configured, if it has been determined that there is a need for communication between the road user and the vehicle, to actuate an adaptation system of the vehicle and/or one or more visual communication system in order to communicate with the road user.

Abstract: A vehicle control system for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, the vehicle speed control system being operable to receive an input signal corresponding to a rate of change of an angle of pitch of the vehicle, pitch rate, the system being operable to command a change in an amount of torque applied to at least one of the plurality of wheels in dependence on the pitch rate.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle (AV) can include a predictive sensor configuration system that can dynamically detect reflectance anomalies that affect detectability by sensor array of the AV as the AV travels a current route. The predictive sensor configuration system can dynamically determine one or more configurations for the sensor array to attempt to positively identify the reflectance anomalies, and preemptively execute the one or more configurations for the sensor array as the AV travels the current route.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of managing vehicle electrical power that includes determining that there is at least one low emission zone along a route, determining a required power capacity a vehicle electric power source needs to propel the vehicle through the at least one low emission zone, determining a remaining power capacity of the vehicle electric power source and controlling use of electrical power on the vehicle to preserve at least a portion of the remaining power capacity corresponding to the required power capacity for use in propelling the vehicle through the at least one low emission zone.

Abstract: A system includes a processor in communication with at least one input, and configured to control at least one vehicle system. The processor is further configured to receive a command including a subjective element. The processor is also configured to access a mapping associated with a user from whom the command originated to retrieve a user-specific meaning, the mapping defining user-specific meanings for at least one subjective element. Further, the processor is configured to apply a user-specific meaning to an implementation of the command, such that a vehicle system is adjusted in accordance with both the subjective element and the user-specific meaning associated therewith.

Abstract: A device for controlling a steering wheel and a method for controlling a steering wheel using the same that includes: a detecting bar which is rotated in conjunction with a steering shaft of an industrial vehicle's steering wheel; a sensor at one side of the detecting bar so as to detect a steering angle of the steering wheel by means of the detecting bar; and a controller which controls the steering wheel based on a sensing signal of the sensor so as to position the steering wheel in a neutral position during a time when electric power is applied to the industrial vehicle and the industrial vehicle is initialized. When an operator turns on a power source of the electric forklift, the steering wheel is positioned in the neutral position to enable an operator to immediately drive the electric forklift without confirming a position of the steering wheel.

Abstract: An operation management device that manages the operation of a plurality of vehicles that travel along a track is provided with: a vehicle position acquisition unit that acquires the positions of the plurality of vehicles that are present on the track; a density calculation unit that calculates the density of the plurality of vehicles that are traveling along the track within a predetermined range; and a departure determination unit that adjusts the departure time of a target vehicle from a station at which the vehicle stops on the basis of a front direction density indicating the density of vehicles that are traveling within a predetermined range in front of the predetermined target vehicle in the travel direction thereof and a back direction density indicating the density of vehicles that are traveling within a predetermined range in back of the predetermined target vehicle in the travel direction thereof.

Abstract: A control system uses a modeled steam turbine megawatt (power) change attributed to a gas turbine demand change (i.e., a steam turbine to gas turbine transfer function) within a conventional closed loop feedback control scheme to perform control of a combined cycle power plant. This control system implements a form of internal model control and provides better unit megawatt (power) set-point tracking and disturbance variable rejection for overall more robust control, and thus operates to optimize the gas turbine operation of the combined cycle power plant in a manner that provides cost savings over time.

Abstract: An information terminal transmits present position information and acceleration information to a server device. The server device receives the present position information and the acceleration information of the information terminal, generates congestion prediction degree using the acceleration information, associates the congestion prediction degree with map data such that the congestion prediction degree can be displayed on a road map, and transmits association information indicating the association. The information terminal displays the congestion prediction degree on the road map on the display device using the association information transmitted from the server device.

Abstract: A method and a device for avoiding a possible subsequent collision and for reducing the accident consequences of a collision, in which after a first collision of the vehicle with a further road user has taken place, an automatic braking intervention by a vehicle safety system is released according to a braking model by ascertaining vehicle data from the handling of the host vehicle, buffering the vehicle data ascertained in a memory, inferring the category of the road being traveled on at the moment from the buffered vehicle data, determining an initial distance as a function of the road category determined, and ascertaining the condition for releasing the brake using this initial distance.

Abstract: A control system for a hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a rotary electric machine, a battery, a cooling fan configured to cool the battery, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine an operation of the cooling fan based on charged-discharged electric power of the battery and presence or absence of a charging request that is based on an intention of a user. The controller is configured to control the operation of the cooling fan such that the battery is cooled more in a case where the charging request is present than in a case where the charging request is absent with the same charged-discharged electric power.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for dynamically presenting desired vehicular-reference information for a motor vehicle under evaluation is provided. In one aspect, an example method includes: (a) a computing system receiving, via a user interface, (i) vehicular-reference data indicating at least one vehicle parameter, and (ii) first information-presentation data indicating at least one information-presentation preference; (b) the computing system selecting at least one first piece of vehicular-reference information based on at least one of the received vehicular-reference data and the received first information-presentation data; (c) the computing system selecting a presentation window based on at least one of the received vehicular-reference data and the received first information-presentation data; and (d) the computing system causing a visual depiction of (i) the selected vehicular-reference information and (ii) the selected presentation window to be displayed on a graphical display.

Abstract: Provided are a steering control device and the like, including the steps of: calculating a steering assist torque to be applied to an actuator for applying the steering assist torque to a steering system of a vehicle in order to improve return characteristics of the steering system; determining a steering state of a driver; correcting the steering assist torque depending on a result of the steering state determination; and controlling the actuator depending on the corrected steering assist torque, in which the step of determining a steering state of a driver includes determining the steering state of the driver based on a combination of at least two of the following: a manually-operating steering state determination; an abrupt steering wheel return determination; a high-acceleration steering wheel return determination; a manual return steering determination; and an additional-steering determination.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the contact-analog display of a navigation instruction for a driving maneuver, particularly a lane change, of a vehicle, wherein the driving maneuver can be carried out at any point of a cohesive driving route of a road. The method includes: contact-analog stationary displaying of the instruction at the beginning of the driving route for a first distance traveled by the vehicle; adapting the contact-analog display of the instruction to the change of position of the vehicle, so that the instruction changes its position corresponding to the change of position of the vehicle, for a second distance traveled by the vehicle; and contact-analog stationary displaying of the instruction at the end of the driving route, for a third distance traveled by the vehicle.

Abstract: A motorcycle suspension that includes a fork hinged to a portion of a frame of a motorcycle, a damper unit positioned between the frame and the fork, that damper unit having at least one spring and at least one damper so as to permit a relative rotation of the fork in relation to the frame around at least one hinge pin. The suspension including a load sensor to measure the load weighing on the damper unit, and a control unit operatively connected to the load sensor. The control unit is operatively connected to a regulation means of the damper unit so as to vary the setting of the regulation means depending on the load signal received from the load sensor, so as to adapt a pre-loading of the spring and the damping of the damper to the load effectively weighing on the damper unit.

Abstract: Described embodiments include a system and method. A system includes a first and second digital imaging devices. Each digital imaging device is configured to capture digital images of a surface traveled by a vehicle. A digital image correlator is configured to (i) correlate a first digital image of the surface captured by a first digital imaging device at a first time and a second digital image of the surface captured by a second digital imaging device at a subsequent second time, and (ii) determine a correlation vector. The first and second imaging devices are separated by a known distance. A kinematics circuit is configured to determine in response to the correlation vector an incremental translation and rotation of the vehicle. The system includes a navigation circuit configured to combine at least two instances of the incremental translation and rotation into data indicative of travel by the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel containing sensor circuitry capable of sensing various types of conditions, such as wheel rotation, wheel vibration caused by skidding, and specific electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals indicative of particular wheel locations. The sensor circuitry is coupled to an RF transceiver, which may but need not be included within the wheel. The wheel may also include a brake mechanism. In one embodiment, the wheels are placed on shopping carts and are used to collect and monitor shopping cart status and location data via a wireless network. The collected data may be used for various purposes, such as locking the wheel of an exiting cart if the customer has not paid, estimating numbers of queued carts, stopping wheel skid events that occur during mechanized cart retrieval, store planning, and providing location-based messaging to customers.

Abstract: The Canine Handler Operations Positioning System (the Inventors) taught by the present invention consists of one or more dog-worn sensor, one or more handler's shoe-worn sensor, and algorithms for maintaining localization of units of canines and handlers traveling in GPS and GPS-denied areas. The present invention adapts the localization algorithms from the human-based system to dogs, increase performance, reduce SWAP, and further refine the system based on user feedback. The human worn system is modified for the human handler for maximum operational practicality in regard to batteries, size, and interoperability to a radio. The Canine Handler Operations Positioning System (the Inventors) focuses on developing the dog-worn positioning system, modifying the handler's positioning sensor if needed, and integrating the system with an OCU. The complete the Inventors system would provide a positioning solution for both the dog(s) and handler(s).

Abstract: Disclosed are a hybrid power system of a vehicle and a control method therefor. The hybrid power system of a vehicle comprises: an engine; a dual-clutch automatic transmission comprising an ISG motor; a first power unit and a second power unit; a power battery, the power battery being connected to the ISG motor by the first power unit; a power battery manager, the power battery manager being connected to the power battery and used to test an SOC of the power battery; a rear wheel drive motor, the rear wheel drive motor being connected to the power battery by the second power unit, and the rear wheel drive motor being connected to a rear speed reducer of the vehicle; and a vehicle controller, the vehicle controller being connected to the power battery manager, and the vehicle controller controlling the vehicle to enter a corresponding operating mode according to the SOC and drive required torque WTD at a wheel of the vehicle.

Abstract: A powertrain of a vehicle has a drive unit, a transmission and an auxiliary gearbox. Operation of the transmission and the auxiliary gearbox is controlled by a transmission control unit. The transmission control unit controls shifting of the auxiliary gearbox and the transmission while the vehicle is in operation. The auxiliary gearbox may be electronically shifted, independently of activity of the vehicle operator.