Abstract: An in-vehicle navigation system includes a receiver for receiving real-time traffic information (RTTI), a database for storing routine trip information, and a processor for running a regular route application. The regular route application includes a learning mode program and an operational mode program. The learning mode program records information regarding trips regularly taken by a vehicle and populates the database with records of routine trip information. The recorded trip information can include driver identifiers, trip departure times, origin points, destination points, dates of travel, days of travel, and route data. When the vehicle begins a new trip, the operational mode program determines whether the vehicle is engaging in a routine trip. This is accomplished by comparing current vehicle location or departure time information to routine trip information in the database.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for displaying a dynamic parameter of an aircraft, the apparatus comprises a display unit receiving a display signal and displaying a scale that changes dynamically and non-linearly in accordance with a selected display algorithm, the display unit further displaying a pointer pointing to said scale in accordance with a reading of said dynamic parameter, thereby emphasizing a range of said reading of said dynamic parameter.

Abstract: A method for creating minimal data representing a source image is presented. The source image is divided into a grid of cells. A color is selected for each cell corner based on sampling an area defined by the cell corner. An indication of the selected color is stored in an array dependent on the co-ordinates of the cell corner in the source image.

Abstract: An electronic traction vehicle comprising a principal power unit, a power storage unit mounted on a vehicle platform. A plurality of wheels are rotably mounted on the vehicle platform with an electric motor coupled to at least one wheel. A drive controller is coupled to the electric motor and a vehicle controller having an input and output terminal is coupled to the drive controller. A data bus network is coupled to the drive controller and the vehicle controller. An A/C bus assembly is coupled to the principal power unit, the power storage unit and the electric motor through the drive controller. Another embodiment of the electronic traction vehicle provides at least four electric motors and four drive controllers coupled to four wheels and the data bus network and A/C power bus assembly. Another embodiment of the electronic traction vehicle provides the components of the vehicle as moduled including an auxiliary module removably connected to the data bus network, and the A/C bus assembly.

Abstract: A control device for a device that can be networked, in particular for a water or air heating device, operated with liquid fuel, of a motor vehicle, in the form of a supplementary heater or an auxiliary heater. The control device has a client-specific data interface by which the control device can be connected to a client-specific data network, in particular to a data bus in a motor vehicle. In order to reduce the expense on the maker's part for programming, testing, and diagnosis for different client-specific data interfaces, the control device has an additional, maker-specific data interface constituted as a bidirectional wireless connection, of which the control device can be connected to a maker-specific data processing device for respective programming, testing or diagnosis.

Abstract: A hybrid type vehicle drive control apparatus having a generator; a generator inverter for driving the generator; a drive motor; a drive motor inverter for driving the drive motor; a battery connected to the generator inverter and the drive motor inverter; a first voltage detection device that detects a voltage applied to the generator inverter; a second voltage detection device that detects a voltage applied to the drive motor inverter; a third voltage detection device that detects a battery voltage; and a system voltage determination processing means for determining a system voltage based on detection results provided by the first to third voltage detection devices.

Abstract: A fuel efficient technique for changing the inclination, with respect to the Earth's equator, for a satellite includes first maneuvering the satellite to the moon on a BCT (Ballistic Capture Transfer). At the moon, the satellite is in the so-called fuzzy boundary or weak stability boundary. A negligibly small maneuver can then bring it back to the Earth on a reverse BCT to the desired Earth inclination. Another maneuver puts it into the new ellipse at the earth. In the case of satellites launched from Vandenberg AFB into LEO in a circular orbit of an altitude of 700 km with an inclination of 34°, approximately 6 km/s is required to change the inclination to 90°. The previous flight time associated with this method was approximately 170 days. A modification of this method also achieves a significant savings and unexpected benefits in energy as measured by Delta-V, where the flight time is also substantially reduced to 88 or even 6 days.

Abstract: In an electric brake system with at least an electric wheel brake mechanism having a pair of brake friction pads to produce a braking force based on a brake manipulated variable, and a brake friction pad thrust sensor detecting a pressure of either one of the brake friction pad pair against a disk rotor, an electric brake control unit causing a temporary movement of the brake friction pad pair into contact with the disk rotor when a predetermined time period has expired from a time when a brake pedal has been recovered to an inoperative state. In the system, a position of the brake friction pad pair, at which the pressure becomes greater than a predetermined threshold value during the temporary movement of the brake friction pad pair into contact with the disk rotor, is detected or determined as a braking initiation position.

Abstract: An improved method of operation for a motor vehicle automatic transmission determines a vehicle speed for purposes of selecting a desired transmission gear at least in part based on the wheel speeds of the vehicle. If the vehicle is being operated in a two-wheel drive mode, the vehicle speed is determined based on an average of the speeds of the un-driven wheels; if the vehicle is being operated in a four-wheel drive mode, the vehicle speed is determined based on the lowest of the four wheel speeds. Optionally, the wheel speeds are only used to determine vehicle speed if the Reverse range of the transmission has been engaged within a specified time interval, and otherwise the vehicle speed is determined based on an output speed of the transmission.

Abstract: An accident notification system for a vehicle includes a damage predicting system which detects that a vehicle occupant has been injured in an accident involving the vehicle, a vehicle position detecting system which detects the position of the vehicle, and a mobile communication terminal which receives a signal predicting injury to the vehicle occupant from the damage predicting system to generate a calling from the vehicle to a call center. The call center performs a notification to an accident response facility on the basis of the calling and obtains prediction information that the vehicle occupant has been injured from the damage predicting system and vehicle position information detected by the vehicle position detecting system. Accordingly, even when there is no one who notifies an accident response facility of an accident, emergency cleaning-up after an accident and treatment for an injured vehicle occupant can be made.

Abstract: A method of associating deferral procedures to a fault model for complex systems based on historical data, the method including the steps of: analyzing historical data for deferral information to identify deferral procedures; associating each of the deferral procedures with a corresponding one or more standard repairs; linking each of the standard repairs with a fault code; and associating each of the deferral procedures with one or more of the fault codes that were linked, respectively, with the one or more standard repairs to thereby provide a set of associations between deferral procedures and fault codes. The method may be implemented in a software program and the program may advantageously be employed in an aircraft maintenance and operations support system for automatically associating deferral procedures with an aircraft fault model based on historical data.

Abstract: A diesel locomotive includes a number of auxiliary subsystems operating in conjunction with the locomotive diesel engine and deriving their energy, from the diesel engine. Included among the subsystems are various cooling systems, the battery charging system, and the electrical generation system, comprising one or more alternators drivingly coupled to the engine shaft. Each of the subsystems includes a component that is activated when one or more operational conditions associated with the subsystem are met. For instance, an engine cooling system fan motor is activated when the coolant temperature exceeds a predetermined value. Similarly, a battery charger is activated when the battery voltage falls below a predetermined value, and an alternator blower is activated when the main or auxiliary alternator temperature exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: A device is for determining a corrected offset value which represents the offset of the output signal of a first vehicle sensor, the sensor determining at least one motion of a vehicle. In this device, a first arrangement is provided by which at least two offset values representing the offset of the sensor are determined by at least two different methods. In addition, for at least one of the offset values of the sensor thus determined, an error band is determined in addition to the offset value. The corrected offset value is determined as a function of the offset values determined and at least one of the error bands.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for updating a machine database. The database includes data representing the desired and actual terrain of a work site. Additional data represents portions of the work site which have been further worked. An indicator detects the machine's current work function and updates the data in the database based on the current work function.

Abstract: An occupant classification system (12) for an automotive vehicle (14) is provided. The system (12) includes a weight-sensing device (24) that generates a weight signal and an accelerometer (26) that generates an acceleration signal. The weight-sensing device (24) and the accelerometer (26) are coupled to a seat system (20). A controller (22) is electrically coupled to the weight-sensing device (24) and the accelerometer (26). The controller (22) determines occupant classification in response to the weight signal and the acceleration signal by monitoring a frequency domain representation of the weight signal divided by the acceleration signal. A method for performing the same is also provided.

Abstract: A method of operating a retarder control system for a drivetrain retarder such as an engine compression brake of a heavy-duty truck vehicle is disclosed. The method of operation includes three novel subsets each of which controls the operational state and the resistance level at which the drivetrain retarder is operated dependent at least partially upon one or more factors including speeds of one or more drivetrain components, vehicle speed, rotational speed of one or more undriven wheels, position of a brake control member, elapsed time of activation of a brake control member and/or elapsed time from a change in a selected resistance level at which the retarder control system is commanded to effect operation of the drivetrain retarder.

Abstract: A device for monitoring a plurality of systems of an aircraft includes a monitoring unit that monitors the systems and detects a failure of one of the systems. A display device, upon detection of a failure and throughout a corresponding failure-handling procedure, displays on a visual-display screen information identifying the failure-handling procedure, a list of the actions already performed relating to the procedure, and a list of the actions still having to be performed. An information device actuated by an operator informs the monitoring device that a particular action relating to the failure-handling procedure has been performed.

Abstract: A control system for a UAV includes control translations which maximize operational employment of the UAV payload. By determining spatial references, and then using the references to transform the control stick commands, the operator treats the UAV as a point source. For control through imagery from onboard mission sensors, the transformations provide for the UAV to move itself and achieve payload orientation.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for monitoring conditions of a vehicle and generating a maintenance plan according to the monitored conditions. The system includes one or more sensors and a data acquisition unit located within the vehicle. The one or more sensors generate signals of a condition from various locations within the vehicle. The data acquisition unit stores the generated sensor signals at a first sampling rate. The system also includes a structural condition management system that receives the stored sensor signals from the data acquisition unit. The structural condition management system is external to the vehicle. The structural condition management system processes the transmitted sensor signals based on one or more associated predefined condition assessment algorithms and generates a maintenance plan based on the processed sensor signals.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is steer-by-wire control systems comprising: a road wheel unit responsive to a road wheel command signal including a road wheel position sensor and a road wheel force sensor. The steer-by-wire control system also includes a steering wheel unit responsive to a steering wheel torque command signal, including a steering wheel position sensor and a torque sensor. The steer-by-wire control system further includes a vehicle speed sensor, and a master control unit operatively connected to the vehicle speed sensor, the steering wheel unit, and the road wheel unit. The steering wheel unit is also responsive to the steering wheel position signal.