Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing adaptive transitioning between operational modes of an autonomous vehicle. In one embodiment, the vehicle is a land-based passenger-carrying vehicle that travels on a road network and has an automatic mode in which one or more systems control travel of the vehicle on the road network. A system provides a modification of the operation of the vehicle to defer a transition time at which a transition occurs from the automatic mode to a manual mode to extend a period of time during which the vehicle is operated in the automatic mode beyond an earlier possible time at which the transition could occur.

Abstract: A state of charge indicator includes a first indication unit that provides an indicator display within a predetermined display range including first and second ends, according to an increase/decrease in a state of charge of a battery of a hybrid vehicle. In an EV traveling mode, the first indication unit allows the first and second ends to correspond respectively to an upper limit of a state of charge range directed to the EV traveling mode, and a first threshold that defines switching from the EV traveling mode to an HV traveling mode. In the HV traveling mode, the first indication unit allows the first and second ends to correspond respectively to a second threshold that defines switching from the HV traveling mode to the EV traveling mode, and a lower limit of a state of charge range directed to the HV traveling mode.

Abstract: A straddled vehicle includes a front wheel, a rear wheel, an engine which generates a driving force and rotates the rear wheel with the driving force, a front wheel brake and a rear wheel brake which lowers the rotation speed of at least the rear wheel, a first detector which acquires and outputs a pitch rate, a second detector which detects and outputs information concerning rotation of the front wheel, and an ECU including a front wheel lift determination circuit which monitors respective outputs from the first detector and the second detector to determine whether a front wheel lift exists based on at least one of the pitch rate and information concerning rotation of the front wheel. When the front wheel lift exists, the ECU controls the driving source or the braking device so that the driving force is lowered or the rotation speed of the rear wheel is lowered.

Abstract: A control unit of a hybrid vehicle derives maximum assisting electric power and maximum chargeable electric power of a battery, and permits a shift to an engine direct coupled drive in the event that an imaginary operation point of an internal combustion engine where the maximum assisting electric power is supplied to a motor and an imaginary operation point of the internal combustion engine where the maximum chargeable electric power is stored in the battery, at a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine which corresponds to a required driving force required on the hybrid vehicle when the hybrid vehicle executes the engine direct coupled drive, are positioned inside an area where energy efficiency of the hybrid vehicle becomes higher when the hybrid vehicle executes the engine direct coupled drive than when the hybrid vehicle executes a series drive.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a camera and a controller. The camera is configured to be disposed on a first vehicle system or at a wayside location along a route to generate image data within a field of view of the camera. The controller is configured to monitor a data rate at which the image data is provided from the camera. The controller also is configured to identify a stimulus event within the field of view of the camera based on a change in the data rate at which the image data is generated by the camera.

Abstract: A system includes a detection module, a control module, an input module, and a determination module. The detection module is configured to obtain information from one or more detectors corresponding to a condition of a transportation network. The control module is configured to issue control messages using the information obtained. The input module is configured to receive a request for the control module to enter a test mode corresponding to an alteration of at least one of an input or an output of the control module from an operational mode. The determination module is configured to determine if an authorization condition corresponding to a physical state of one or more functional activity module of the transportation network is satisfied. The control module is transferred to the test mode if the authorization condition is satisfied and maintained in the operational mode if the authorization condition is not satisfied.

Abstract: A method for estimating energy consumption of a motor vehicle during a given journey, including: a) cutting the journey into portions of journey, b) allocating a setpoint speed to each portion of journey, as a function of at least one characteristic of the portion, c) estimating, for each portion of journey, an evolution of speed of the vehicle as a function of time, the speed being estimated as a function of at least one characteristic of the portion of journey and as a function of a predetermined driving behavior associated with the setpoint speed of the portion, to establish for a whole of the journey an estimation of the evolution of the speed of the vehicle as a function of time, d) estimating the energy consumption of the vehicle during the journey, as a function of the evolution of the estimated speed.

Abstract: A safety system for a motor vehicle having at least a front wheel arrangement having one or more wheels and rear wheel arrangement having one or more wheels, the arrangement having: a control unit; and one or more vehicle inertial sensors to detect acceleration experienced by the vehicle, the inertial sensors being connected to the control unit so the control unit receives output signals from the inertial sensors; and one or more vehicle safety systems which may be activated by the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to process the signals received from the inertial sensors and to determine whether at least one of the wheels of the front and rear wheel arrangements is not in contact with the surface over which the vehicle is driven.

Abstract: Provided is a steering reaction force control apparatus for a vehicle including a driving support device configured to control an electric power steering device via a controller so that a steered angle of steered wheels reaches a target steered angle. When the driving support device is operating, the controller calculates a target steering spring torque based on a corrected steering angle corrected by a target steering angle for driving support control. When the magnitude of the corrected steering angle is less than a reference value, the target steering spring torque is calculated so that the magnitude of the target steering spring torque becomes larger in a case where the driving support device is operating compared with a case where the driving support device is not operating.

Abstract: Methods and devices for detecting traffic signals and their associated states are disclosed. In one embodiment, an example method includes a scanning a target area using one or more sensors of a vehicle to obtain target area information. The vehicle may be configured to operate in an autonomous mode, and the target area may be a type of area where traffic signals are typically located. The method may also include detecting a traffic signal in the target area information, determining a location of the traffic signal, and determining a state of the traffic signal. Also, a confidence in the traffic signal may be determined. For example, the location of the traffic signal may be compared to known locations of traffic signals. Based on the state of the traffic signal and the confidence in the traffic signal, the vehicle may be controlled in the autonomous mode.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for moving a receiver associated with a hitch frame of a vehicle. The method includes receiving data indicating a hand wheel angle; determining, with a processor, a position for the receiver relative to the hitch frame based on the hand wheel angle; and outputting one or more control signals to a motor coupled to the receiver to move the receiver relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle based on the determination.

Abstract: A disk brake system includes a magnetically encoded disk brake rotor having at least one magnetized section encoded therein and a disk brake caliper comprising a plurality of disk brake pads attached thereto, the disk brake pads positioned adjacently to the disk brake rotor and configured to frictionally engage the disk brake rotor upon operation of the disk brake caliper. The disk brake system further comprises a sensor assembly mounted proximately to the disk brake rotor and comprising at least one magnetic field sensor configured to detect the at least one magnetic field, and a controller configured to receive signals from the at least one magnetic field sensor. The controller is further configured to enable selective operation of the disk brake caliper based on the signals received from the at least one magnetic field sensor.

Abstract: A parking assistance system is provided for carrying out an automated parking maneuver of a motor vehicle into a perpendicular parking space transversely with respect to the roadway along a parking trajectory to a parked end position. The parking assistance system is configured to determine an offset between the extent of one object in the direction of the roadway on one side of the parking space and the extent of another object in the direction of the roadway on the other side of the space by way of a sensor system. The parking assistance system is configured to determine a parking trajectory with a parked end position based on the offset.

Abstract: A travel resistance arithmetic device includes: a controller configured to estimate travel resistance which a vehicle receives from a travel road; and a memory configured to store the travel resistance in association with positional information. The controller is configured to: correct, based on difference between a stored value of the travel resistance stored in the memory in association with a predetermined area on the travel road through which the vehicle has already passed and an estimated value of the travel resistance estimated by the controller in the predetermined area, the stored value stored in the memory in association with a correction target area on the travel road and; output the corrected stored value as the travel resistance in the correction target area while the vehicle travels the travel road.

Abstract: In response to a DN operation that changes a shift position SP from a D position to an N position during forward drive in an HV drive mode, then an accelerator position Acc is not less than a reference accelerator position Aref (step S130), a mechanical neutral control is performed to provide a neutral state by releasing transmission of power between an intermediate shaft 32 and a driveshaft 36 by a multi-speed transmission 60 (step S230). An engine and two motors are then controlled to be rotated at rotation speeds close to rotation speeds Nedn, Nm1dn and Nm2dn at the time of DN operation (steps S250, S270 and S280).

Abstract: A flight deck display system for an aircraft includes a processor architecture configured to receive aircraft instrument data, waypoint restriction information, and position data for the aircraft and, based upon the received data, generate image rendering display commands. The system also includes a display element configured to receive the image rendering display commands and, in response thereto, to render a display that includes a perspective view of terrain and at least one waypoint marker corresponding to an approaching waypoint. The waypoint marker includes visually distinguishable characteristics that convey waypoint restriction information (e.g., altitude or airspeed constraint information that governs the waypoint).

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring a vehicle determine a baseline wheel rotational speed and wheel rotational speeds of a wheel for different positions along an outer perimeter of the wheel. One or more deviations between the wheel rotational speeds and the baseline wheel rotational speed are determined, and the deviations between the wheel rotational speeds and the baseline wheel rotational speed are correlated with one or more identified positions of the positions along the outer perimeter of the wheel. One or more of damage to the wheel or damage to a drivetrain of the vehicle is identified based at least in part on the one or more deviations being correlated with the one or more identified positions.

Abstract: A method of controlling an active rear wheel steering apparatus according to the present invention is a method of controlling a rear wheel steering apparatus of a vehicle with the rear wheel steering apparatus, the method including a step of determining an operation state of the rear wheel steering apparatus, a step of determining a running mode of the vehicle, and a step of controlling the rear wheel steering apparatus of the vehicle according to a result of determining at least one of the operation state of the rear wheel steering apparatus and the running mode of the vehicle.

Abstract: A work vehicle equipped with an HST traveling drive device, includes: an operation quantity detector that detects an operation quantity representing an extent to which an accelerator pedal is operated; a rotation rate detector that detects an actual rotation rate at a prime mover; a requested rotation rate calculation unit that calculates a requested rotation rate for the prime mover based upon the operation quantity detected by the operation quantity detector; and a prime mover control unit that controls the actual rotation rate based upon the requested rotation rate calculated by the requested rotation rate calculation unit. When the requested rotation rate is higher than a predetermined value, the requested rotation rate calculation unit calculates a rate of acceleration for the requested rotation rate based upon a difference between the requested and the actual rotation rate detected by the rotation rate detector and calculates the requested rotation rate based upon the calculated rate of acceleration.

Abstract: A method and system for compensating for soft iron magnetic disturbances in multiple heading reference systems, such as aircraft heading reference systems, integrated standby units; or vehicle inertial systems, detects and provides a heading correction signal to the error prone heading reference system when a detected difference in value between a gyro heading relative to magnetic north and a magnetometer reading during a defined measurement period exceeds a predetermined acceptable threshold value of change, such as one based on the expected gyro drift over that period. Upon receipt of the heading correction signal, the gyro heading is adjusted to maintain an accurate heading relative to true magnetic north. If this threshold value is not exceeded, then the magnetometer reading is used for the heading value. This method is periodically repeated in order to continually maintain an accurate heading and may be employed for each heading measurement axis.