Abstract: In an evacuation travelling assistance apparatus, a risk determining unit determines, when a driver is not in a state capable of appropriately performing driving operations, a risk involved in stopping at a location and a risk involved in passing through the location, for each of a plurality of locations that may serve as an advancing destination of the own vehicle, based on map information, own vehicle information, and peripheral environment information. An evacuation destination setting unit sets a location at which the risk involved in stopping at the location is lower than a predetermined reference as an evacuation destination, based on the determined risk. An evacuation route setting unit combines locations at which the risk involved in passing through the location is lower than a predetermined reference, based on the determined risk, and sets an evacuation route from the current position of the own vehicle to the evacuation destination.

Abstract: A method for operating a motor vehicle, and to a control device for carrying out the method and a computer program product having program code for carrying out the method. In order to improve the safety of use of the motor vehicle, it is provided that functions of the motor vehicle are enabled as a function of stored data relating to the driver.

Abstract: A mobile computerized apparatus for use with a roadside assistance program to assist in identifying a service provider, such as a tow truck, is disclosed. The apparatus transmits relevant information to a remote server. The server in turn provides information about a plurality of service providers available to service the vehicle.

Abstract: A method is described for incorporating a new waypoint into a current trip. The method includes configuring a trip definition and thereafter determining a proposed POI based upon: the trip definition, and a collection of potential proposed POI instances. The waypoint server system processes the collection of potential proposed POI instances, to render the proposed POI, by: (1) establishing POI ratings for individual ones of the collection of potential proposed POI instances based at least in part upon: the delay factor, and an estimate of additional delay arising from adding the individual POI to the current trip route; (2) establishing a rank ordering of the individual ones of the collection of potential proposed POI instances based upon the POI ratings; and (3) rendering the proposed POI from the rank ordering of the individual ones of the collection of potential proposed POI instances.

Abstract: Techniques for electric vehicle systems, and in particular to an electric vehicle charging device obstacle avoidance system and method of use. In one embodiment, a system for obstacle avoidance of a charging panel of an electrical vehicle is disclosed, the system comprising: a charging panel interconnected to the electric vehicle; an actuator interconnected to the charging panel, the actuator configured to position the charging panel; at least one sensor configured to sense an obstacle location measurement in a predicted travel path of the electric vehicle; and an obstacle avoidance controller that receives the obstacle location measurement and determines if an obstacle avoidance action is recommended.

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: The apparatus includes: a lane change assistance unit configured to perform the lane change assistance after elapse of a margin time set in advance from the time when a direction indicator at the adjacent lane side is switched to an ON-state by a driver of the vehicle; and a determination unit configured to determine whether or not an amount of steering to the adjacent lane side by the driver during the margin time is equal to or greater than a steering amount threshold value, or to determine whether or not the vehicle moves to the adjacent lane side due to a driver's steering during the margin time by a lateral distance set in advance.

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: An electric propulsion device for a satellite equipped with at least four active thrusters exerting a parallel thrust upon a transfer, the device comprises means for detecting a thruster failure and means for reorienting the thrusters, and comprises means for computing a reorientation angle of the thrusters remaining active upon a failure of a thruster, the value of the angle being computed to reorient at least two of the remaining thrusters in order to cancel the total torque about the center of mass of the satellite.

Abstract: Among other things, an operation related to control of a vehicle is facilitated by actions that include the following. A finite set of candidate trajectories of the vehicle is generated that begin at a location of the vehicle as of a given time. The candidate trajectories are based on a state of the vehicle and on possible behaviors of the vehicle and of the environment as of the location of the vehicle and the given time. A putative optimal trajectory is selected from among the candidate trajectories based on costs associated with the candidate trajectories. The costs include costs associated with violations of rules of operation of the vehicle. The selected putative optimal trajectory is used to facilitate the operation related to control of the vehicle.

Abstract: Rotary spinner apparatuses, systems and methods for producing fibers from molten materials are disclosed. Certain exemplary embodiments include rotary spinners including a hub, a slinger, an annular member, a retaining member, and a plurality of fasteners. In certain embodiments the hub, the retaining member, and the plurality of fasteners are structured to limit axial movement of the annular member relative to the hub member and to allow radial expansion and contraction of the annular member relative to the hub member. In certain embodiments the annular member is structured to contact the hub at a plurality of contact areas and is spaced apart from the hub at a plurality of gap areas. In certain embodiments the slinger is structured to contact the hub at a plurality of contact areas and is spaced apart from the hub at a plurality of gap areas.

Abstract: A method of shaping a green body provides a shaped green body comprised of a plurality of sinterable particles and an organic binder. Such a method includes: (1) molding a mixture of sinterable particles and organic binder into the shape of an initial green body or intermediate, wherein the sinterable particles include at least one of metal particles or ceramic particles; and (2) shaping the green body intermediate with at least one of a stream of energy or a stream of matter, wherein the shaping yields a green body having a desired shape. The shaped green body can be sintered in order to provide a hardened body having substantially the shape of the shaped green body.

Abstract: A method of making colored glass in a float glass process includes the steps of: melting glass batch materials in a furnace to form a glass melt; transporting the glass melt into a float glass chamber having a flame spray device, the glass melt forming a float glass ribbon; supplying at least one coating material to the flame spray device to form a spray having coating particles; and directing the spray onto the float glass ribbon to diffuse the particles into the surface of the float glass ribbon to form a glass sheet of a desired color.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and apparatus are provided for predicting/estimating (i) a non-equilibrium viscosity for at least one given time point in a given temperature profile for a given glass composition, (ii) at least one temperature profile that will provide a given non-equilibrium viscosity for a given glass composition, or (iii) at least one glass composition that will provide a given non-equilibrium viscosity for a given time point in a given temperature profile. The methods and apparatus can be used to predict/estimate stress relaxation in a glass article during forming as well as compaction, stress relaxation, and/or thermal sag or thermal creep of a glass article when the article is subjected to one or more post-forming thermal treatments.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum degassing apparatus configured so as to be capable of carrying out more simply exchange operation for an extension pipe made of heat-resisting metal and immersed in molten glass. The present invention includes a vacuum housing, a vacuum vessel, an introduction pipe and a discharge pipe which are assembled by a plurality of bricks, and an extension pipe connected to at least one of the introduction pipe and the discharge pipe and made of heat-resisting metal. The extension pipe is constituted by a base end portion, a body portion formed so as to be continuous to the base end portion, and a sealing flange extending from an outer peripheral side of the body portion.

Abstract: A hybrid part for use in a gas turbine engine has a platform and an attachment feature. The platform and an exterior portion of the attachment feature are formed from a monolithic ceramic material. A ceramic matrix composite material is located adjacent interior portions of the platform and the attachment feature and is bonded to the monolithic ceramic material.

Abstract: A smoking article provides a purchased, as-built cigar that can be disassembled to form multiple cigars, enabling a consumer to make his or her own cigars using custom tobacco filler. The as-built cigar is capped as part of its construction, preferably at one end or at both ends. A smoker removes the cap or caps to enable smoking of the as-built cigar or disassembly into layers. Each layer can then be rolled with a smoker's custom tobacco. The inner layer contains tobacco filler. Upon disassembly, the inner layer and tobacco filler can be smoked. Alternatively, the inner layer can be pulled apart at a provided serration to discard the tobacco filler and then filled and rolled with a smoker's custom tobacco filler material.

Abstract: Submerged combustion glass manufacturing systems include a melter having a floor, a roof, a wall structure connecting the floor and roof, and an exhaust passage through the roof. One or more submerged combustion burners are mounted in the floor and/or wall structure discharging combustion products under a level of material being melted in the melter and create turbulent conditions in the material. The melter exhausts through an exhaust structure connecting the exhaust passage with an exhaust stack. The exhaust structure includes a barrier defining an exhaust chamber having an interior surface, the exhaust chamber having a cross-sectional area greater than that of the exhaust stack but less than the melter. The barrier maintains temperature and pressure in the exhaust structure at values sufficient to substantially prevent condensation of exhaust material on the interior surface.

Abstract: Hydrogen may permeate into an interior space of an article in response to molten glass being in contact with the outer surface of the article. The permeation may be restricted by having a fluid in a length of the interior space. The fluid may be in contact with the inner surface of the article, the fluid may fill at least about 33% of the volume of the length of the interior space, and the fluid may provide a predetermined partial pressure of hydrogen. Features may be provided for causing the fluid to flow within the interior space.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to flexible ceramic fibers and to methods for making same. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to flexible ceramic fibers that are heat and chemical resistant, and to a method for making same. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to flexible ceramic nanofibers, and to a method for making same. In still another embodiment, the present invention relates to electrospun flexible ceramic nanofibers, products that include such fibers, and to methods of making same.