Abstract: An arrival detection method for automatically detecting arrival of a current destination based on various conditions and proceeding to route guidance for the next destination when two or more destinations are specified. The method includes the steps of guiding a vehicle of the user to a current destination, detecting whether a current vehicle position is within a predetermined distance from the current destination, applying a primary condition when the vehicle is within the predetermined distance, applying a secondary condition when the primary condition is met, and determining arrival at the current destination when the secondary condition is met and proceeding to a route guidance operation for the next destination. The primary condition is a time length during which the vehicle is stationary within the predetermined distance from the current destination.

Abstract: A border of a designated area is defined within a work area. A designated axis is determined for the designated area. A series of generally parallel rows are aligned consistent with a travel axis having a known alignment with respect to the designated axis. One of the generally parallel rows is aligned as a starting row. The vehicle is pointed in a starting direction along or generally parallel to the travel axis. The vehicle engages in a turn path segment after an end of the starting row to move the vehicle at least somewhat perpendicular to the travel axis between the starting row and a next row. A turn path segment has a turn radius greater than or equal to a minimum turning radius of the vehicle, where the starting row and the next row are spatially separated by a multiple of effective vehicular implement widths less an overlap allowance. The turn path segment is defined so as to skip one or more intervening parallel rows between the starting row and the next row.

Abstract: A system is provided, which controls a starting and the subsequent vehicle acceleration procedure of a motor vehicle. The system compares a predetermined variable that grows continuously during the starting procedure to a threshold value. It determines a first desired value of torque in response to operator demand, and a second desired value torque in response to acceleration slip. The system performs a feed-forward 4WD control in response to the first desired value of torque when the predetermined variable is lower than or equal to the threshold value. The system determines whether or not driving situation justifies a change from performing the feed-forward 4WD control to performing a feed-back 2/4WD control in response to the second desired value of torque.

Abstract: The invention relates to navigation systems for motor vehicles, in which route planning information is output via a monitor (3). Data records containing map data are stored in a storage element (5). According to the invention, the storage element (5) stores information regarding traffic restrictions which is part of a data record of the map data, and the traffic restrictions relevant to the ascertained vehicle position can additionally be displayed on the monitor (3). Furthermore, in one specific embodiment, time restrictions for traffic restrictions are likewise stored and only the traffic restrictions which are applicable at the present time are displayed.

Abstract: Humans identify location and directions based on visual cues, such as landmarks, rather than a precise coordinate grid. A database of landmarks can be used to determine the location of a user who can merely describe their location in the same manner they would to any human contact. The location of the user can be determined based on the landmarks described in the input, and the areas from which all of those landmarks are visible. Various databases can be used, including text-based and three-dimensional. Similarly, various mechanisms can be used to determine the user's location, including hierarchical approaches, query optimization approaches, and visibility percentage approaches. Ultimately, the user's location can be determined without the need for expensive, dedicated infrastructure, without compromising the user's security, and without subjecting the user to system outages.

Abstract: One or more small self-contained reentry breakup recorders are disposed within a spacecraft and each includes a sensor suite for collecting and recording collected and recorded sensory data during reentry breakup of the spacecraft, and includes a communications system for broadcasting the collected and recorded sensory data after breakup and before impact with the surface of the earth to a remote communication system for preserving the sensory data of the breakup as well as data relating to critical events occurring prior to breakup. An internal GPS receiver provides sensory positional data of the reentry and breakup positions.

Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus comprising a torque sensor for detecting the steering torque applied on the steering member of a vehicle; the first control unit for outputting the first control signal to drive a motor for steering assist, based on the steering torque detected by the torque sensor; the steering angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of the steering member; the norm steering unit for outputting a norm steering angle, based on a norm steering model which defines the relation between the steering torque and the norm steering angle; the second control unit for outputting the second control signal to drive the motor in order to reduce the difference between the norm steering angle outputted from the norm steering unit based on the steering torque and the detected steering angle; and the changing unit for switching between the first control signal and the second control signal, thereby being capable of switching between the driving at the steering torque determined regardless of the cond

Abstract: An electric traction vehicle comprises a vehicle platform, a communication network, a power source mounted on the vehicle platform, a plurality of drive wheels rotatably mounted on the vehicle platform, a plurality of electric motors coupled to respective ones of the plurality of drive wheels, and a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules coupled to the plurality of electric motors. The interface modules are configured to control the plurality of electric motors and are coupled to each other by way of the communication network.

Abstract: A process is provided by which the operator of a marine vessel can invoke the operation of a computer program that investigates various alternatives that can improve the range of the marine vessel. The distance between the current location of the marine vessel and a desired waypoint is determined and compared to a range of the marine vessel which is determined as a function of available fuel, vessel speed, fuel usage rate, and engine speed. The computer program investigates the results that would be achieved, theoretically, from a change in engine speed. Both increases and decreases in engine speed are reviewed and additional theoretical ranges are calculated as a function of those new engine speeds. The operator of the marine vessel is informed when an advantageous change in engine speed is determined.

Abstract: A method for calculating instantaneous characteristics of a satellite in orbit equipped with a GNSS receiver, capable of performing measurements of pseudo-distance, when fewer than four transmitters are simultaneously in visibility. This method pre-processes quantities measured by the receiver to deliver measurements of pseudo-distance, pseudo-speed and instantaneous pseudo-accelerations, mathematically processes the measured quantities, enhanced by knowledge of complementary data concerning the orbit of the satellite and the receiver, delivering plural solutions, and physically filters the solutions to deliver position and speed of the satellite and clock bias and drift of the receiver.

Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to precisely monitor remotely located objects. The construction vehicles each contain a GPS apparatus, and various sensors for capturing the states of vehicle parts, and are capable of reporting, as required, the current position captured by the GPS apparatus, and operation information captured by the various sensors to the TMS mail server via the satellite communication system. The TMS mail server and the rental company system are capable of communicating at any time via a communication network between computers. The TMS mail server collects the latest positional information, operation information, and so forth, on the construction vehicles being rented and relays such information in the form of electronic mail, for example, to the rental company system as required or periodically.

Abstract: In an aircraft flight instrument display system having a display screen for displaying flight information, an airspeed indicator is displayed in a vertical tape format, and has a low speed range indicator with a low speed range identified on the airspeed indicator by highlighting the low speed range, and has at least a settable indicator within the low speed range indicating a critical airspeed. The low speed range indicator and the critical airspeed indicator are both set with only manual inputs.

Abstract: A method for regulating the speed of a vehicle, in which at least one vehicle traveling ahead is detected by a radar sensor within a radar detection range. An acceleration limitation is carried out in the vehicle to be regulated, when a vehicle moves, at lower speed than the vehicle to be regulated, in a neighboring lane provided for vehicles traveling at higher speed. The magnitude of the acceleration limitation is a function of the distance of the vehicle in the neighboring lane from the vehicle which is to be regulated, and of its speed with respect to the vehicle which is to be regulated.

Abstract: A vehicle tracking system for a vehicle is configured to track a remote vehicle by template matching between a reference image and an input image obtained by a camera mounted on the vehicle. The position and distance of a remote vehicle is determined by calculating a position and an enlargement/reduction ratio of a portion of the input image that provide a maximum correlation value between the portion of the input image and the reference template that is greater than a threshold value. The reference template is updated by calculating a dispersion of at least one pixel of the reference template with respect to a corresponding pixel in a vehicle image extracted from the input image that provides the maximum correlation value, and by deleting the at least one pixel when the dispersion of the at least one pixel is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

Abstract: A method and system for recording, synthesizing, distributing, and playing back position data includes a reference receiver having a known position, a mobile receiver having a variable position along a trajectory path, and a processor that calculates the trajectory path based on the reference receiver's position and the mobile receiver's position. The system generates a composite simulation dataset that displays the trajectory path in a virtual reality-like interactive display.

Abstract: A transient fault detection system and method is provided that facilitates improved fault detection performance in transient conditions. The transient fault detection system provides the ability to detect symptoms of engine faults that occur in transient conditions. The transient fault detection system includes a Hidden Markov Model detector that receives sensor data during transient conditions and determines if a fault has occurred during the transient conditions. Detected faults can then be passed to a diagnostic, system where they can be passed as appropriate to maintenance personnel.

Abstract: An electrically-powered steering apparatus capable of detecting abnormality in a first angle detector and a second angle detector includes a steering shaft 12 and a pinion shaft 13 connected to each other through a torsion bar 14. If a differential (|?1??2|) between the steering detection angle ?1 and the steering detection angle ?2 is equal to or over a predetermined value ?0 for a predetermined time, it is detected that abnormality occurs in the angle sensor 15 or the angle sensor 16.

Abstract: Disclosed is an integrated digital control SYSTEM and method for an automotive electrical device. The SYSTEM comprises switch means for controlling each portion of a vehicle, the switch means including switches; switch monitor means for displaying switch functions and operational states of the switches input from the switch means; switch control means for generating pulse signals corresponding to the switches operated and controling the switch monitor means; auxiliary control means for performing input/output control, malfunction detection, automatic control, etc. of each logic-division portion; central control means for performing control of the auxiliary control means and all data; instrument panel/monitor means for performing an instrument panel stimulation and applications program graphic processing according to control by the central control means; and RPM pulse generating means for providing RPM pulses to the central control means and the auxiliary control means through an RPM pulse cable.

Abstract: A method of controlling an automated transmission of a motor vehicle, wherein the degree of accelerator-pedal depression is expressed as a pedal-depression value and a gear-shifting strategy is determined based on one or more shift characteristics, includes the steps of: determining the pedal-depression value and/or the amount of torque demanded by the driver, evaluating the shift characteristics by taking the pedal-depression value and/or driver-demanded torque into account as input quantities for the evaluation, and determining the gear-shifting strategy based on the evaluation.

Abstract: System and methods for determining and disseminating current traffic information and/or route information are presented. For example, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, traffic condition information is collected from mobile units that provide their location or position information. The traffic condition may be determined, for example, based on the difference between the velocity of each mobile unit and the speed limit corresponding to their location. Furthermore, the fastest routes between two locations may be determined and provided based on historical and/or current conditions and provided to a mobile unit. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, route information may be utilized to determine whether a mobile unit (e.g., associated with a vehicle) is allowed or prohibited from traveling along a certain route.