Abstract: Systems and methods for including overstay and human behavior in the pricing structure of a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging station, in order to maximize operating revenue, and manage overstay duration. A mathematical framework with discrete choice models (DCM) is incorporated to operate a PEV charging station with an optimal pricing policy and charge control. The framework determines the probability of a PEV driver selecting various charging options, including overstay price. The pricing options are charging-flexibility, which allows a controller to manage charging costs over a parking duration, charging-asap, which charges the electric vehicle immediately and continuously until the vehicle departs, the battery is fully charged, or a desired level of charge has been reached, and leaving, which is an opportunity cost to the charging station.

Abstract: A vehicle rescue device includes a communication unit that is communicable with an onboard communication device or a terminal device of a user of each of a plurality of electric vehicles; a receiving unit configured to store, in a storage unit, vehicle notification information received by the communication unit; a determination unit configured to determine, based on the vehicle notification information of an electric vehicle that has requested an electric power supply and the vehicle notification information of an electric vehicle that has accepted a rescue request, whether or not the electric vehicle that has accepted the rescue request can be dispatched to the electric vehicle that has requested the electric power supply; and a management unit configured to direct the electric vehicle that has accepted the rescue request to a location where electric power supply to the electric vehicle that has requested the electric power supply can be performed.

Abstract: A gas sampling apparatus having a sampling film in a cartridge includes the cartridge configured to store and send the sampling film out, and the sampling film detachable from the cartridge, wherein the sampling film is configured to adsorb a target material and prevent disturbance between sampled target materials.

Abstract: A configurable windshield wiper system for a variable sweep angle and/or variable sweep speed. The system includes a bidirectional motor, a gearbox, the gearbox having and input shaft operably coupled to the motor and an output shaft; the gear box configured to ratiometrically step down the number of turns at its output shaft relative to its input shaft; a wiper arm for sweeping a surface of a windshield, the wiper arm operably coupled to an output of the gearbox; and a controller in operable communication with the motor, the controller configured to execute an algorithm to control the position and speed of the motor to achieve a configured sweep angle and configured sweep speed for the wiper arm.

Abstract: A bicycle control device includes an electronic controller that controls a motor to assist propulsion of a bicycle. The electronic controller is configured to decrease an output of the motor upon determining that a shifting device is performing a shifting action to change a transmission ratio of the bicycle. The electronic controller is further configured to end the control that decreases the output of the motor before a predetermined period elapses upon determining that the shifting action is completed or the transmission ratio is changed before the predetermined period has elapsed. The electronic controller is further configured to end the control that decreases the output of the motor upon determining that the predetermined period has elapsed in a case where the shifting action or the change in the transmission ratio is uncompleted even though the predetermined period has elapsed.

Abstract: A method for generating a trajectory for a load transported by a hoisting appliance spanning a hoisting area. The method includes providing a 3-dimensional model of the hoisting area with located obstacles within the hoisting area, providing load parameters including load length, height, width and weight. Generating a trajectory for navigating through the hoisting area using the model of the hoisting area and taking in account located obstacles, load parameters; and load movement parameters including a maximum attainable speed of the hoist appliance with the load, wherein the generated trajectory includes a starting point, a target point and a number of consecutive line segments connecting the starting point and the target point. And optimizing the trajectory for speed by maximizing the length of at least one line segment in a main direction of travel in order to travel at a maximum attainable speed of the hoisting appliance with the load in the main direction of travel.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a battery temperature control device of an electric vehicle capable of efficiently heating a battery for vehicle driving while executing V2G in a low temperature environment. A battery temperature control device of an electric vehicle controls the temperature of a battery of the electric vehicle, and the electric vehicle participates in V2G which allows bidirectional power exchange between the battery for vehicle driving mounted on the electric vehicle and a power system. When an aggregator on the power system side starts execution of V2G by transmitting to an ECU a start instruction for the charge and discharge of the battery, the ECU controls a four-way valve to connect a battery cooling circuit and a charger cooling circuit when a battery temperature is less than a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: The present invention may provide a method of managing, by a vehicle, a sensor. Herein, a method of managing, by a vehicle, a sensor may include: monitoring state information of a first sensor of a first vehicle; when the first sensor is abnormal, determining whether or not a second sensor performs the function of the first sensor; when the second sensor performs the function of the first sensor, reporting information representing that second sensor performs the function of the first sensor; and receiving sensing data from the second sensor.

Abstract: A graphical user interface (GUI) system for facilitating aircraft approaching and landing includes a database for storing airfields information and associated one or more approach patterns. The system also includes a display screen with user input interface configured for selecting a pattern for an aircraft to approach and land on an airfield, displaying the selected pattern in an overhead graphical view of the airfield according to the related information stored in the database. The system further includes a processing unit in signal communication with the database, one or more aircraft position sensors, and the display screen. The processing unit is configured to receive aircraft location and movement information from one or more aircraft sensors, airfield information from the database, and user input from the user input interface to determine display content and format of the display content on the display screen.

Abstract: A method and a system for a vehicle comprising: one or more power sources including at least one electrical machine; and a drivetrain for transferring torque between the one or more power sources and at least one drive wheel of the vehicle. The method comprises: controlling, when no positive drive torque (Tdrive) is transferred from the drivetrain to the at least one drive wheel, the at least one electrical machine to provide a backlash torque (Tbacklash) to the drivetrain, the backlash torque (Tbacklash) having a controlled value for turning the drivetrain if there is a backlash present in the drivetrain.

Abstract: Determining control operations for an autonomous vehicle may include receiving, by an operational model, an operational model input based on camera data from one or more cameras of an automated vehicle; determining, by the operational model, based on the input, a current environmental state and a predicted environmental state; providing, to a rules module, a differential between the current environmental state and a previously predicted environmental state; and determining, based on the rules module, one or more control operations for the automated vehicle.

Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring use, determining risk, and pricing insurance policies for a vehicle having one or more autonomous or semi-autonomous operation features are provided. According to certain aspects, with the customer's permission, a vehicle operator in an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle may be determined by a sensor disposed within the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle or a mobile computing device associated with the vehicle operator. A determination may be made as to whether the vehicle operator is authorized to operate the vehicle based upon the determined identity of the vehicle operator; and if the vehicle operator is not authorized, an alert may be generated and/or the vehicle may be caused to not operate. Alternatively, autonomous operation features may be automatically engaged to automatically drive the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to a safe location when the operator is not authorized. Insurance discounts may be provided based upon the anti-theft functionality.

Abstract: A speed planning method and apparatus and a calculating apparatus for automatic driving of a vehicle. The method comprises: using a training sample set to perform machine learning to obtain a machine learning model; partitioning an input space, and obtaining a decision result corresponding to a determined partition based on the obtained machine learning model to form a partition decision table of each partition corresponding to the corresponding decision result; and obtaining each dimensional feature vector of a vehicle while driving in real time as an input feature, determining an input partition to which the input feature belongs, and querying the partition decision table based on the determined partition to obtain the corresponding decision result.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for vehicle-based drone charging are disclosed herein. A vehicle-based drone charging apparatus includes a charging device to be operatively coupled to a vehicle. The charging device is to charge a drone in response to the drone being operatively coupled to the charging device. The vehicle-based drone charging apparatus further includes a communication interface to be operatively coupled to the vehicle. The communication interface is to broadcast use information associated with the charging device. The use information includes location information associated with a location of the vehicle and fee information associated with a cost for use of the charging device.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for sending a flight plan for execution by a drone, where the flight plan is adapted to a flight controller of the drone. Receiving flight data from the drone while the drone is executing the flight plan. Determining a modification to the flight plan based on the flight data received from the drone. Sending the modification to the flight plan to the drone while the drone is executing the flight plan, such that the drone executes the flight plan as modified by the modification.

Abstract: A flight-time variable associated with an aircraft is determined including by determining the flight-time variable while the aircraft is flying. It is determined whether the aircraft is airworthy based at least in part on the flight-time variable. In response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy, the aircraft is automatically landed.

Abstract: A vehicle (2) comprising a working equipment (4) equipped with a movable loading arrangement (5) comprising a first attachment member (7), said vehicle further comprises a sensor system (6) configured to capture environmental data reflecting the environment around the vehicle and to determine, based on said data, image data (8) representing an area at least partly surrounding the vehicle (2). The sensor system (6) is configured to detect and track positions of the first attachment member (7) and a mating second attachment member (9) of the object (20) to load in said image data representation, and, the detected and tracked positions of the first and second attachment members (7, 9) are used to generate a first set of operation instructions for the loading arrangement (5) of the working equipment that decreases the distance between said first and second attachment members such that said attachment members (7, 9) come into position to engage to each other.

Abstract: An autonomous driving control device is capable of starting an autonomous driving control without an operation of a driver and reducing a possibility that the driver can not start manual driving. An autonomous driving control is switched to manual driving when a determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a first threshold, before a predetermined time elapses since the autonomous driving control is automatically started. An autonomous driving control is switched to a manual driving when the determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, after the predetermined time elapses.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus includes measuring wear of a cutting edge of a blade of a work vehicle. Blade position or calibration measurements are made with or without a cutting edge. A wear condition of the cutting edge is acceptable when the blade position measurement less an acceptable wear to the cutting edge amount is less than a blade calibration measurement. A wear condition of the cutting edge is unacceptable when the blade position measurement less an acceptable wear to the cutting edge amount is greater than a blade calibration measurement. Alternatively, a wear condition of the cutting edge is unacceptable when a blade calibration measurement plus a tolerance margin is greater than the blade position measurement. The wear condition of the cutting edge is acceptable when the blade calibration measurement plus a tolerance margin is less than the blade position measurement.

Abstract: A method for controlling a power steering system utilizes a vehicle having a motor, a controller coupled to the motor, and a steering assembly. The method includes detecting a steering rate using the controller. A base level steering damping is computed using the steering rate. At least one approximate vehicle acceleration is determined. A steering torque of the steering assembly is sensed through a torque sensor configured to sense the steering torque of the steering assembly. Moreover, a user torque is determined using the torque sensor. A damping boost is computed using the user torque and the at least one approximate vehicle acceleration. A final steering damping gain is determined using the base level steering damping and the damping boost. The final steering damping gain is applied to the steering assembly to minimize unwanted feedback to the steering assembly.