Abstract: Travel locus vectors of a vehicle are calculated at prescribed time intervals on the basis of data related to the rotational angle of a pair of wheels of the vehicle. The relative travel direction of the vehicle is detected on the basis of the travel locus vectors. The prescribed time intervals are changed in response to at least one traveling condition of the vehicle selected from its traveling speed and its turning angle.

Abstract: A power steering apparatus having a torque sensor for detecting steering force, an actuator for assisting the steering force according to the torque detected by the torque sensor, two vehicle speed sensors for detecting vehicle speed, and a microcomputer for controlling the actuator according to the detection results by the vehicle speed sensors. When the difference between the vehicle speed values detected by the two vehicle speed sensors becomes greater than a predetermined value, the greater vehicle speed value of the two is integrated to obtain a control vehicle speed value for control of the actuator. When the vehicle speed value difference is greater than the predetermined value and remains in that state for more than a predetermined duration of time, either a predetermined vehicle speed value is set as the control vehicle speed value or the operation of the actuator is disabled.

Abstract: A spacecraft attitude sensor which determines roll/pitch angles of a spacecraft, is disclosed. Two light ray detectors are provided in a manner to be canted by a predetermined angle with each other. Each of the two light ray detectors defines a "field of view" light beam channel. A scan mirror is arranged to reciprocally rotate, about a pitch axis of the spacecraft, between two predetermined angles. The scan mirror is positioned in front of the two light ray detectors so as to swing the field of view light beam channel. A prism is provided in front of the scan mirror and deviates the field of view light beam channel so as to allow the scan mirror to scan the Earth across limbs thereof. The provision of the prism is able to increase the application of the sensor.

Abstract: A system for controlling locomotion of a legged such as a biped walking robot having a body and two legs connected to the body. Positional walking data are preestablished in advance with respect to the robot's center of gravity, foot position and the like. First, a difference between the robot's center of gravity at time t (current time) and at time t+delta t (next time) defined in the walking data is calculated. From the difference, then, a positional correction amount of the robot's hip position, which is decisive for determining the robot's attitude, at the time t+delta t is determined, and the robot's attitude at the time is determined from the corrected hip position and the foot position or the like preestablished in the walking data. And based on the determined attitude at the time, target joints angles of the robot is calculated and the joints are driven to the determined target angles.

Abstract: A unified spacecraft attitude control system includes a memory aboard the spacecraft, in which a linear transformation matrix [.alpha.] is stored, which includes information identifying pseudo-complementary pairs of thrusters, and the characteristics of each pseudo-complementary pair. During each control cycle of the spacecraft attitude control system, the error signal is multiplied by a gain representing a desired slew rate to form pulse-width signals {pw} for the pseudo-complementary paired thrusters. An augmented pulse-width vector matrix {PW} is formed by transformations, to eliminate negative values of pulse width. The actual thruster pulse widths {.DELTA.t} are calculated as {.DELTA.t}=[.alpha.]{PW}. The thrusters are energized by limited values of {.DELTA.t}.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to systems for piloting aircraft. Equations of the movements of the aircraft are used for computing, in a computer, of the first and second derivatives parameters V.sub.p, .PHI..sub.v, .sigma..sub.a, .beta..sub.v, .alpha., .PHI..sub.v, .sigma..sub.a, .beta..sub.v, of the parameters V.sub.p, .PHI..sub.v, .sigma..sub.a, .beta..sub.v, .alpha. of the movement of the aircraft, and the values thus computed are compared with those computed by means of the values of said parameters V.sub.p, .PHI..sub.v, .sigma..sub.a, .beta..sub.v, .alpha. at the instants t, (t+dt) and (t+2dt). An alarm signal (circuit 23) is generated if equality is not verified to a given precision.

Abstract: A propeller control system comprises a phase controller (11) having a phase control gain to control a propeller phase relationship, free air turbulence detection means (7, 9) and a gain controller (8) for varying the phase control gain in response to detected free air turbulence such that in the presence of turbulence a low gain is selected and in the absence of turbulence a high gain is selected. By varying the gain in this way the sensitivity of the phase controller (11) is reduced during turbulent conditions preventing excessive phase changes by the controller (11) striving to follow a turbulent master propeller. Similarly a speed controller (14) has its gain set by a gain controller (17) according to the degree of turbulence detected.

Abstract: A safety system for vehicles comprises a sensor for detecting steering angles, a sensor for detecting speeds of the vehicle, a sensor for detecting lateral accelerations of the vehicle, and a discriminating unit having a table wherein the relationships between vehicle speeds and lateral accelerations are classified for each of different ranges of steering angles into a safety region and a hazardous region with respect to the state of the vehicle. The discriminating unit is adapted to judge the state of the vehicle from the results of detection by the respective sensors with reference to the table and to give an alarm to the driver when the state of the vehicle has come out of the safety region into the hazardous region.

Abstract: A speed controller maintains the engine throttle at a desired throttle position based upon an initial throttle position and a speed error signal. The initial throttle position is generated by multiplying vehicle speed by a constant and adding an offset value related to throttle position at idle and speed control slack. The initial throttle position is adaptively updated by subtracting the above product from actual throttle position during speed control operation to learn a new offset value.

Abstract: An actual operating time indicator includes: a lifting motor for lifting a load up/down; a power detection unit for detecting an input power based on a current and a voltage supplied to the motor, and converting the input power into a first voltage proportional to the input power; a voltage-to-periodic pulse conversion unit connected to the power detection unit for receiving the first voltage and converting the first voltage into the periodic pulse proportional to the first voltage; a counter unit connected to the voltage-to-periodic pulse conversion unit for counting and integrating the periodic pulse to obtain an integrated power; and a display operatively connected to the counter unit for indicating the integrated power as an actual operating time of the motor.

Abstract: In order to control a voltage using e.g. a tap transformer, the difference .DELTA.V between the actual voltage and a reference voltage is obtained and integrated over time. That integral is then modified by at least one parameter generated by fuzzy logic from control conditions of the voltage. In this way the fuzzy logic may find the optimum control strategy which keeps the actual voltage closest to the reference voltage without an excessive number of tap position changes. The reference voltage may vary with time, and therefore the control of the voltage with time may be evaluated, and the control conditions varied accordingly, e.g. by fuzzy logic, so that the control arrangement can exhibit learning. Normally, the integral is modified such that.intg..DELTA.Vdt.gtoreq.Bwhen B is the parameter determined by the fuzzy logic, but other control strategies may be used. The present invention is also applicable to control of reactive power.

Abstract: A central tire inflation system for controlling the tire inflation pressure of a driven wheeled vehicle includes a compressed air source connected through a conduit system with the vehicle tires, a controllable valve system connected in the conduit system and a tire pressure controller connected with and controlling operation of the valve system to selectively increase or decrease inflation pressure includes wheel slip detectors and a vehicle speed detector for generating a signal proportional to detected slippage rate and vehicle speed, and signal processing system for utilizing the slippage signal and vehicle speed signals to control the valve system to automatically control tire inflation pressure in response to conditions encountered to minimize slippage and maintain tire inflation pressure at the highest pressure commensurate with safety and economic operation.

Abstract: A remote control system is disclosed for use with vehicles having radios. A irst vehicle has a controller attached to the radio for use in sending signals to a second vehicle. The second, remotely controlled, vehicle has a receiver connected to the vehicle radio which receives commands from the first radio to effect the desired motion and action of the second vehicle. The receiver and controller have circuitry which allows them to be reprogrammed to function on various military vehicles and also be attached to the different radio systes in use by the U.S. Military.

Abstract: The onset of an excessive slip condition in a slip controller is determined so that it is adaptable to the actual drive torque conditions between the driven wheel and the road surface so as to achieve the desired acceleration or braking characteristics for all vehicle driving conditions including while the vehicle is traveling on a curved road surface. At low vehicle speeds, slip control is enabled when the value of a predetermined function of the difference in speeds of the driven and undriven wheels exceeds a threshold that is a function of the vehicle turn radius and at high vehicle speeds when the value of a predetermined function of a wheel slip ratio exceeds the threshold that is a function of the vehicle turn radius. The vehicle speed below which slip control is enabled based on a wheel speed function and above which traction control is enabled based on the wheel slip function increases with an increasing vehicle steering angle.

Abstract: In an electric power steering apparatus which assists a steering power by an electric motor, the difference between currents flowing into and flowing out from the electric motor is obtained, and an abnormality of the electric motor due to a ground fault is detected on the basis of this difference. When a state in which this difference is greater than a given value has continued for a predetermined period of time, the abnormality of the electric motor is detected. Upon the detection of the abnormality of the electric motor, a relay contact of a fail-safe relay circuit is made off so that the supply of electric power from a main power supply to the electric motor is cut off, thereby inhibiting the electric motor from assisting the steering power.

Abstract: Microprocessor based apparatus for controlling an electrical load, such as a motor, includes an external capacitor for storing an analog equivalent of a digitally modeled heat state signal, such as the I.sup.2 t characteristic of the motor. The voltage on the capacitor decays to mimic motor cooling when the microprocessor is powered down with deenergization of the motor. The stored analog signal is updated by periodically converting the analog signal to a retrieved digital heat state signal which is compared to the latest calculated value of the heat state signal. If the retrieved value is below the present calculated value, an input/output port is set to a high output state to charge up the storage capacitor. If the retrieved value is above the calculated value, the port is configured as an output port with a low state to reduce the voltage on the capacitor.

Abstract: A system for calculating the distance to empty available from the remaining fuel in a motor vehicle, wherein an average value of the distance traveled per unit of fuel consumed is multiplied by the quantity of fuel remaining, thereby producing an intermediate distance-to-empty value. Responsive to a first type signal being in a first state, a displayed value of DTE is allowed only to decrement. When the first type signal is in a second state, the displayed value of DTE is allowed to both increment and decrement. When the first type signal is in the first state, the updating of the calculation of the DTE value is recalculated as a function of the distance traveled by the vehicle and as a function of the fuel consumed by the vehicle. If the first type signal is in a second state, then the recalculation is controlled as a function of time.

Abstract: These and other objects are achieved by an improved active power line conditioner in accordance with the invention. The active power line conditioner includes series inverter coupled to an energy input source, and a parallel inverter coupled to a non-linear load. The non-linear load is powered by a load current which includes fundamental components and harmonic components. An energy storage element is electrically connected between the series inverter and the parallel inverter. A fault condition shorting circuit is supplied in accordance with the invention. The fault condition shorting circuit is coupled to a secondary transformer winding within the series inverter. The fault condition shorting circuit includes a diode bridge which conveys diode bridge current only in the presence of an overvoltage or overcurrent condition. A threshold device is connected to the diode bridge and conducts threshold device current in response to the diode bridge current.

Abstract: Techniques for controlling the spin of driven wheels of a vehicle being driven over a surface, the vehicle also including nondriven wheels and an engine having a fuel system for varying engine torque. A characteristic signal representative of at least an estimate of the value of a traction characteristic of a surface under the vehicle is generated. A drive signal having a value dependent on the value of the characteristic signal is then generated. The engine torque is varied in response to the drive signal in order to control the spin of the driven wheels of the vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus provides improved vehicle handling during turning maneuvers by providing control of vehicle understeer. The understeer control includes determining a desired turning radius for the vehicle, a corresponding ideal outer to inner wheel speed ratio. A closed loop torque command is determined in proportion to the difference between the ideal wheel speed ratio and the actual wheel speed ratio. The closed loop torque command is used in conjunction with an open loop torque command responsive to operator power demand to provide wheel speed control in a manner to maintain the desired vehicle understeer characteristics.