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. Various alternative embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system includes a hard disk drive, which stores an old navigation software set; an optical disk drive which is accessible to an optical disk which stores a new navigation software set; a first executing section which drives the hard disk drive; and a second executing section which drives the optical disk drive. An install section responds to a navigation instruction to control the first executing section to drive the hard disk drive such that a vehicle navigation is carried out based on the old navigation software set, when the optical disk is not available. Also, the install section controls the second executing section to drive the optical disk drive such that the vehicle navigation is carried out based on the new navigation software set and the first and second executing sections to drive the hard disk drive and the optical disk drive such that the new navigation software set is installed from the optical disk into the hard disk drive, when the optical disk is available.

Abstract: A wireless power transmission and communication network that provides efficient interrogation and powering of sensors for use on undersea vehicles. The present invention employs a wave-guide that allows the propagation of electromagnetic waves through a dielectric material that covers the exterior of an undersea vehicle's hull. Embedded within the dielectric material is an N dimensional array of Micro Electronic Mechanical Systems sensing devices coupled with radio frequency (RF) decoders and transceivers, and strips of conductive metal tape. Electromagnetic waves such as microwaves propagate through the dielectric material both powering the sensor network and addressing and interrogating individual sensing devices. The sensing devices take readings and then format and transmit the data results back across the wave-guide where they are received and processed by a digital processor within the hull of the undersea vehicle.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a plurality of systems of an aircraft including the steps of monitoring the systems and for detecting a failure of at least one of the systems, displaying information output by the monitoring unit including at least one failure condition including a list of tasks to perform to address a detected failure including tasks already performed and tasks to be performed, and inputting information indicating that a task has been completed.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the in situ orientation of the headlamps of a vehicle, from a camera that is mounted in the headlamp, as a function of the attitude of the vehicle. A camera is secured to a reflector of the headlamp so as to film the road extending in front of the vehicle. An image processing unit processes at least two successive images in order to detennine a measured horizon line of the road scene in front of the vehicle. A setpoint horizon line has been determined beforehand during initial adjustment of the headlamp. The real horizon line is then brought closer to the setpoint horizon line by modifying the orientation of the headlamp, until the distance between the measured line and the setpoint line tends towards zero.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for integrated control, access, and presentation of flight information within the cockpit. Cockpit instrument systems and methods are provided which include a first cockpit instrument panel which has a first display proximately located to a first bezel. The first display is operable to present navigational data, communication data, and flight information data including airspeed, attitude, and altitude. The systems and methods further include a second cockpit instrument panel located adjacent to the first cockpit instrument panel. The second cockpit instrument panel has a second display proximately located to a second bezel. The second display is operable to present navigational data, communication data, and flight information data including detailed engine parameters.

Abstract: A spacecraft (102) can include a communications receiver (210) for receiving a selected list of targets (114, 116) for which desired information is to be acquired by the spacecraft (102). In addition to location data concerning the targets, the list can also include a predetermined priority value assigned to each target on the list. The list can include data acquisition targets that collectively comprise more data than can be stored on the spacecraft's onboard solid state recorder (204). One or more computer processors (206) can be also be provided onboard the spacecraft. The processor (206) can process the acquired data onboard the spacecraft to determine whether the data contains at least a predetermined portion of the desired information and can overwrite lesser priority data (316) when the solid state recorder (204) is otherwise full.

Abstract: In a control and management system for automobiles, a central processor in the system connects traditionally unrelated vehicle subsystems together to realize synergistic functions such as smart driving, automatic parking, etc. A master interface having a display is employed in the system to help a user control and manage the vehicle functions.

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: In order to simplify the setting of interchanges for getting on and off, a navigation system has an information retrieval processing unit for obtaining map data and interchanges for getting on and off, a display unit which displays a setup screen for displaying a map including the interchanges for getting on and off and, on the same screen, a simple road chart including neighboring interchanges for getting on and off. When the map is scrolled, the simple road chart is renewed so as to correspond to the area to which the map is scrolled, and the setting of the interchanges for getting on and off is simplified.

Abstract: The input operation recognizing section 13 recognizes an input operation to execute re-search in the operating section 4. The facility search control section 10 makes the facility search section 9 execute re-search. The re-search by the facility search section 9 is carried out by searching, from facilities belonging to the same group as that of those detected in the previous search, facilities other than those detected in the previous search. With the present invention, when the re-search as described above is to be performed, user's operation for specifying a facility is not required, which improves the convenience in facility search.

Abstract: In a hydraulic system for an automatic transmission, a method for automatically draining fluid from an oil cooler and related hydraulic lines when power is off to prevent fluid leakage, escape and outflow when they are disconnected from the system. A control system includes a source of relatively high pressure when power is on, an oil cooler, fluid circuit lines for supplying transmission oil to the cooler, a source of low pressure for containing fluid, such as an oil sump, and a valve hydraulically connected to the circuit, high pressure source, and low pressure source, the valve having a first state at which a hydraulic connection through the valve between the circuit and the source of low pressure is closed when power is on, and a second state at which a hydraulic connection through the valve between the circuit and the low pressure source is open when power is off.

Abstract: An information display system including an input device that inputs a scheduled event, a schedule storage in which the schedule is stored, a display device that displays a map, a memory that stores map information and the scheduled event, and a controller that displays a schedule reminder message on the map at a specified time before the scheduled event is to occur.

Abstract: A control system for an automotive vehicle having a vehicle body includes a sensor cluster having a housing oriented within the vehicle body. A roll rate sensor is positioned within the housing and generates a roll rate sensor signal corresponding to a roll angular motion of the sensor housing. A controller receives the roll rate sensor signal and generates a reference roll angle. The controller also compares the reference roll angle to the roll rate sensor signal and generates a roll rate sensor fault signal in response a fault determined in said roll rate sensor.

Abstract: A system and method for determining a path plan for a vehicle includes organizing a work area into partition areas based on at least one of an obstacle, a concavity, and an exclusion area associated with a work area. An external cost indicator is established for indicating the economic cost corresponding to the vehicle traversing from one partition area to another partition area for each possible permutation or potential combination of successive partition areas. The established external cost indicators are searched to determine a preferential order of traversing the partition areas. A preferential path plan is determined based on the internal path plan of each partition and a transfer path plan of transferring from a prior partition to a latter partition until each partition in the work area is traversed.

Abstract: A remote control unit for controlling a locomotive by transmitting signals to a remote receiver mounted onboard the locomotive is provided. The remote control unit includes an input for receiving a signal indicative of a command selected from a set of available commands. A signal transmitting unit transmits a signal indicative of the selected command repetitively to create a succession of signal transmission events. In a first example, each signal transmission event is spaced in time from a previous signal transmission event by a certain time interval having a duration conditioned at least in part on the basis of the selected command. In a second example, each signal transmission event includes a message portion and a header portion and the message portion of the signal has a length conditioned at least in part on the basis of the selected command. In a third example, each signal transmission event is characterized by a signal level conditioned at least in part on the basis of the selected command.

Abstract: An apparatus operable with a system which includes a body-side device and wheel-side devices and in which vehicle-state data such as wheel-state data representative of wheel states are transmitted by radio communication from the wheel-side devices to the body-side device, together with wheel identification data identifying the wheels. The apparatus includes antennas attached to each wheel inspecting device which is arranged to rotate the corresponding so that the antennas are sequentially aligned with the wheel-side device, and transmit trigger signals in response to which the wheel identification data are transmitted from the wheel-side device to the body-side device and registered in the body-side device. The apparatus assists the system so as to automate the registration of the wheel identification data, thereby eliminating a manual operation to bring a trigger device to the positions of the wheels to command the wheel-side devices to transmit the wheel identification data.

Abstract: A device for monitoring a plurality of systems of an aircraft including a monitoring unit configured to monitor the systems and to detect a failure of at least one of the systems, a display configured to display information output by the monitoring unit including at least one failure condition including a list of tasks to perform to address a detected failure including tasks already performed and tasks to be performed, and an input device configured to input information indicating that a task has been completed.

Abstract: For the purpose of controlling the yaw dynamics and lateral dynamics in a road vehicle with electrically controlled four-wheel steering, in the case of which the setting of the front axle steer angle ?v and of the rear axle steer angle ?h is performed by means of mutually decoupled control loops, a desired value ?vsoll for the lateral force Sv to be built up at the front axle is determined in the control loop assigned to the front axle and, for this desired value Svsoll, the value of the slip angle, linked to the desired value Svsoll, is determined as desired value ?vsoll from an Sv(?v) characteristic representing the dependence of the lateral force Sv, to be built up at the front axle, on the slip angle ?v. In the control loop assigned to the rear axle, a desired value Shsoll for the lateral force Sh to be built up at the rear axle is determined in a control process in accordance with a controller law of the form S hsoll = l v · m · v x L · [ ? .

Abstract: The Collision Avoidance System prevents collisions between vehicles and vehicular collisions with pedestrians, trains, and stationary objects by monitoring, controlling, documenting, and reporting the speed and position of vehicles. The system guards against speeding violations, moving violations, and particular safety hazards by invoking a reduction of vehicle speed or by restricting vehicle movement to control its position. This is primarily accomplished with the activation of a controllable road perturbation. The system also monitors pedestrians, school bus loading/unloading, traffic density, trains, environmental conditions that may affect driving, and traffic control systems to determine the action to take for collision prevention.