Abstract: A method of operating a device which is connected to a vehicle communications network is described, a switched-off device being reactivated by the bus manager via a frequency pulse transmitted over a power supply line. The device may be switched off by the bus manager or by itself if there is no data communication with the device for a predetermined period of time. The frequency pulse is analyzed by an analyzer circuit of the switched-off device, the analyzer circuit having a frequency-selective filter and a threshold detector. The frequency pulse may be transmitted at a frequency which is valid for only one device or at a frequency for a group of devices or at a frequency for all devices. If the devices are arranged in branches, then all the devices downstream from a switched-off device are also switched off or reactivated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a guiding system for wireless terminals. In the system, position-specific information of route points of the route on which a first wireless terminal travels is determined and it is sent to a guiding server. Supplementary data used for guiding the route are stored in the first terminal in response to a request of the user. The supplementary data are associated with the position information, and the guiding server compiles and stores route information comprising position information and supplementary data. The route information is transmitted from the guiding server to at least one wireless terminal in response to the route request. The position of the terminal is determined and the received route information is presented in the terminal so that said supplementary data are presented when the terminal is in places with which the supplementary data are associated.

Abstract: A vehicle information specification determining function is built in the on-board terminal installed on a vehicle to determine the specification for vehicle information collection. An information center determines service charges according to the vehicle information specification determined by the vehicle information specification determining function.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus includes a position detecting device for detecting a current position of an automotive vehicle, an operation mode setting device for setting whether or not an electronic toll collection system is utilized on a toll road, and a communication device for performing communication with an in-vehicle apparatus provided in the automotive vehicle as part of the electronic toll collection system. The communication device is operative to transmit a signal to the in-vehicle apparatus to change an operation mode in which the electronic toll collection system is utilized.

Abstract: A method for operating a navigation system obtains an ordered plurality of interconnected segments providing a route from an origin to a destination. A guidance message for each of the segments is formed. The step of forming the guidance message comprises determining whether to reference a previous segment and adding a reference to a current segment.

Abstract: A device and the method are for the recognition and rectification of the danger of rollover of a vehicle, outfitted with a regulating system, about a vehicle axis oriented in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The regulating system controls actuators using its output signals in accordance with the output signal values. A variable describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle is determined for the recognition of the danger of a rollover. This variable describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle is compared to at least one characteristic value, e.g., a threshold value. In the case in which the variable describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle is greater than, or equal to the characteristic value, the number of all possible combinations of output signal values that may be supplied to the actuators by the regulating system for stability regulation is restricted.

Abstract: A virtual sensor mast for a ground vehicle and a method for operating a ground vehicle using a virtual sensor mast are disclosed. The virtual sensor mast includes an unmanned airborne vehicle capable of lifting itself from the ground vehicle upon deployment therefrom; a sensor suite mounted to the unmanned airborne vehicle; and a tether between the unmanned airborne vehicle and the ground vehicle over which the sensor suite is capable of communicating sensed data upon deployment. The method includes elevating a tethered unmanned airborne vehicle from the ground vehicle to a predetermined height; sensing environmental conditions surrounding the ground vehicle; and terminating the deployment.

Abstract: A system and method for managing navigation information is disclosed. The system and method can send and receive navigation information. In some cases, requests for navigation information can be sent to a service provider, which then prepares an appropriate response and sends the response back to the requesting party. The service provider can communicate with an on-board unit associated with a motor vehicle.

Abstract: A navigation system for a movable body is provided with: a current position detection device (2) for detecting a current position of a movable body; a map information presentation device (3) for presenting map information corresponding to the detected current position; a route condition information presentation device (4) for presenting route condition information indicating a current condition of a route on which the movable body is driving; and a driving route presentation device (6) for performing a presentation indicating that the movable body can overtake, in case that the movable body on the route can overtake on the basis of the presented map information and the presented route condition information.

Abstract: In a vehicle behavior control system, a target braking force applied to each wheel of the vehicle is obtained based on a master cylinder pressure so as to be proportional to a vertical load of each wheel. When it is determined that a braking force is applied to the vehicle running on a road with uneven friction coefficient, an excess yaw moment caused by the difference between the target braking force and an actual braking force is calculated. A steering angle is corrected with a correcting steering angle estimated based on the excess yaw moment. A yaw rate difference is calculated as a difference between a normal yaw rate and an actual yaw rate of the vehicle based on the steering angle that has been corrected. It is determined whether the vehicle behavior is deteriorated based on the yaw rate difference. The vehicle behavior is then controlled to reduce the yaw rate difference.

Abstract: A reconfigurable digital processing system for space includes the utilization of field programmable gate arrays utilizing a hardware centric approach to reconfigure software processors in a space vehicle through the reprogramming of multiple FPGAs such that one obtains a power/performance characteristic for signal processing tasks that cannot be achieved simply through the use of off-the-shelf processors. In one embodiment, for damaged or otherwise inoperable signal processors located on a spacecraft, the remaining processors which are undamaged can be reconfigured through changing the machine language and binary to the field programmable gate arrays to change the core processor while at the same time maintaining undamaged components so that the signal processing functions can be restored utilizing a RAM-based FPGA as a signal processor.

Abstract: The method and system for automatically controlling a path of travel of a vehicle include engaging an automatic control system when the security of the onboard controls is jeopardized. Engagement may be automatic or manual from inside the vehicle or remotely via a communication link. Any onboard capability to supersede the automatic control system may then be disabled by disconnecting the onboard controls and/or providing uninterruptible power to the automatic control system via a path that does not include the onboard accessible power control element(s). The operation of the vehicle is then controlled via the processing element of the automatic control system. The control commands may be received from a remote location and/or from predetermined control commands that are stored onboard the vehicle.

Abstract: An electric power steering control device includes a memory. The memory is accommodated in the electric power steering control device mounted on a vehicle, and permits rewrite and storage of data. Transmitting a signal from an external of the vehicle allows the data stored in the memory to be rewritten.

Abstract: In a vehicular brake force control apparatus, an engine brake force Feb is calculated; a road surface friction coefficient ? and a rear wheel degree of grip ?r is calculated; and a threshold value Ke is calculated such that the threshold value Ke increases as the road surface friction coefficient ? becomes smaller. When the rear wheel degree of grip ?r is smaller than the threshold value Ke, it is determined that vehicle behavior of a vehicle is liable to become unstable when the engine brake force Feb acts. In this case, a sum of the engine brake force Feb and a target friction brake force Fbv based upon a steering operation amount of a driver is distributed to each wheel in accordance with a distribution that stabilizes the vehicle behavior of the vehicle. Based on this distribution result, a friction brake force and an output torque of the engine are controlled.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for generating route instructions on a turn-by-turn navigation system in a vehicle. Turn instructions can include a turn icon as well as visual and audio prompts. The turn-by-turn navigation system typically includes a dual-use disk changer configured for both audio and Map/POI disk access. Separate Map and POI database disks are typically installed in dedicated slots of the disk changer and are designed to minimize switching time, while audio disks can be installed in the remaining slots. Moreover, audio playback buffering can be employed to enable audio-to-navigation-to-audio disk switching without interrupting audio playback. The turn-by-turn navigation system can generally be produced more economically than a typical premium system with a full complement of costly features, such as a color map display, since the turn-by-turn navigation system can be configured with only those features deemed most useful to a broad-based market segment.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing a performance of a mobile station having a global positioning system (GPS) function including a test block having test commands and a test user interface for testing the performance of the mobile station. The test block and test interface are including within the mobile station. Further, the apparatus tests the performance of the mobile station by operating the test block driven through the test user interface.

Abstract: A supervisory diagnostics system and related method for providing vehicle diagnostics for an integrated vehicle stability system that monitors the state of health of sensors, actuators, vehicle sub-system and communication sub-systems that are used in the stability control system. The diagnostics system employs an algorithm to determine whether the various sensors, actuators and sub-systems are operating properly. The algorithm determines whether the components and sub-systems are outputting valid signals at a component level. The algorithm also determines whether a bias of the sensors is below a predetermined limit. The algorithm further determines whether a comparison between the outputs of redundant sensors is below a predetermined threshold for a predetermined period of time. The system also performs a state of health analytical comparison of all the system signals. The system will go in to a fail-safe mode if a fault is detected.

Abstract: A map data processing apparatus includes: a map data storage unit, a differential data input unit, and a map data multiple update unit. The map data storage unit stores map data. The differential data input unit inputs differential data representing the difference between current map data stored in the map data storage unit and the most recent map data in a script format for each version. The map data multiple update unit updates the map data in the map data storage unit to the most recent map data using the differential data corresponding to the version.

Abstract: In obstacle detection apparatus and method for an automotive vehicle, a first importance as obstacle representing a possibility that a selected object becomes an obstacle for the vehicle is calculated, a second importance as obstacle representing a possibility that the object under a tracking becomes the obstacle for the vehicle is calculated, a determination of whether the selected object is the same as that under the tracking is made, and the object which is tracked at the image processing object tracking is selected on the basis of the first importance as obstacle and the second importance as obstacle when determining that the selected object is not the same as that under the tracking.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting faults in an electric power-assisted steering system includes determining a voltage vector of an electric power-assisted steering motor and measuring a current vector of the motor. Acceptable angular relationships are defined between the voltage vector and the current vector, which are then compared to find a fault if the angle does not meet the acceptable angular relationship. Additionally, motor direction and position can also be used against an angular check of the voltage and/or current vector. Similarly, torque direction can be used. In this way, several different faults can be determined dynamically under transient conditions.