Abstract: Motor-generators are incorporated in front wheels and drive the front wheels, respectively. An ECU determines whether or not a steering apparatus including a steering actuator, a tie rod and a steering angle sensor has failed, based on an operation angle of a steering wheel from a steering wheel angle sensor and a steering angle of the front wheels from the steering angle sensor. When the ECU determines that the steering apparatus has failed, the ECU provides torque difference for a torque instruction for the motor-generators in accordance with the operation angle of the steering wheel.

Abstract: A vehicle steerable by movement of the center of gravity has an auxiliary wheel. A left drive wheel is driven by a left rotary driver. A right drive wheel is driven by a right rotary driver. A gravity center position calculator calculates a position of the center of gravity of a driver on a steering step board based on a detection signal from a load detection module detecting a load distribution of the driver. A travel controller has a first control mode controlling rotary drive of the left and right rotary drivers to achieve straight forward travel or turning. The travel controller also has a second control mode controlling the rotary drive of the left and right rotary drivers to achieve straight forward travel, turning or straight backward travel based on the position of the center of gravity. A driver input operation device can be used to select either the first or the second control mode.

Abstract: In a method for controlling the brakes of a vehicle combination having a tractor equipped with an electronically controlled brake system, at least one front axle and one rear axle, and a trailer having at least one trailer axle, in the event of a brake actuation, a deceleration setpoint value is ascertained and compared to a deceleration actual value, and a current brake-application energy reference value is ascertained therefrom. Brake-application energy setpoint values for the tractor and trailer are ascertained from the current brake-application energy reference value and brake-application energy levels for the tractor and trailer while using stored characteristic maps, which illustrate the dependencies of the brake-application energy levels on the brake-application energy reference value or on the axle load distribution of the tractor. The characteristic maps are obtained as a function of at least one pre-definable influencing factor.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a housing, a gearing system disposed within the housing and comprising a plurality of targets, a plurality of sensors incorporated within the housing, a processor in electrical signal communication with the sensors, and a user interface in signal communication with the processor. A method comprising providing a drive system comprising a drive system power measuring and diagnostic system, wherein the drive system is configured to rotate one or more components comprising a plurality of targets, sense the targets with a sensor pair, thereby producing a data signal, process the data signal from the one or more sensor pairs, thereby producing a processed data signal, and output the processed data signal to a user.

Abstract: A device for keeping a vehicle in its lane, including a reference model, which obtains geometric data regarding the position of the vehicle in the lane as well as data relating to the course of the lane from a lane detection system, and from these calculates a setpoint variable for controlling the vehicle position. In order to allow for corners to be cut, the guiding behavior of the control system is modified in such a way when cornering that, in the event of a deviation of the path of motion of the vehicle from the setpoint path of motion in the direction of the inside of the curve, no or only low steering forces are applied to the steering system.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus displays map display contents of a mobile phone terminal 2 on a liquid crystal monitor 14 of an onboard information system 1 in the same direction as the direction of map display of the mobile phone terminal 2 in accordance with information about the map display acquired from the mobile phone terminal 2 via a short-range radio communication unit 9.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for guiding an under-actuated marine surface vessel in tracking a desired trajectory comprises expressing a predetermined vessel trajectory as a set of straight line segments, determining a desired current line segment, and determining the vessel's current position. A cross-track error and the derivative of the cross-track error are then determined. Next, a radius R of the line-of-sight (LOS) circle using a newly introduced exponential function is determined. Intersection points M and N between the LOS circle and the current desired line segment are determined. A desired heading angle is determined as the angle between the line of sight and a predetermined fixed reference line. A drift detection algorithm is built into the proposed guidance scheme to detect situations whereby the ship moves parallel to its desired trajectory for an extended period of time without being able to correct for the cross track error.

Abstract: Even when the effective radii of wheels differ from each other because of a change in tire pneumatic pressure, the difference in driving force between left and right drive wheels are substantially zeroed to suppress a turning force to thereby increase the traveling stability. The use is made of a corrector for correcting a command value to be outputted to a drive circuit for an electric drive motor for each of the drive wheels. This corrector receives the steering angle, the respective numbers of revolutions of the drive wheels and an electric drive motor current and corrects with the use of the steering angle as measured with respect to a traveling direction so that command values relative to the drive wheels may have such a relation that the turning force induced in a vehicle as a result of the difference in effective radius between the drive wheels can be suppressed.

Abstract: In a vehicle emergency evacuation device which stops a running vehicle automatically or keeps a stop state of a stopped vehicle in a driver's emergency, a stop keeping process is executed to keep the stop state without conducting an intention confirmation process of the execution start of an emergency evacuation process when the emergency evacuation process is required, e.g. when an abnormality or a deterioration in the driver's condition arises or when the driver requests the emergency evacuation process, under a condition that the vehicle has stopped before a signal, a road crossing or a railroad crossing, thereby ensuring the safety of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle unit and a method are provided for controlling vehicle functions with a microprocessor and connected memory, on which a main operating system, which forms the hardware interface for application programs, and user interactions are implemented. The microprocessor is configured in a microkernel architecture with separate partitions for a main operating system unit, a cryptographic unit and a supervision unit. The main operating system is set up in the main operating system unit, and software certificates are stored in the cryptographic unit and a verification program for verifying certificates and software packages is set up therein. A monitoring program that monitors the operation of the other partitions of the microkernel architecture is provided in the supervision unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for flight planning. Routes from a start point to an end point are identified for a flight of an aircraft from a database of routes. A plurality of different types of routes is present in the database of routes. A number of characteristics of the aircraft are applied to the routes to identify a performance of the aircraft for the routes using a number of weather conditions for the flight. The routes are ranked based on the performance of the aircraft on the routes in meeting a number of goals for the flight to form ranked routes. A portion of the ranked routes are displayed.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the disclosure, a mobile energy management system includes controlling at least one network device at a site using the proximity detection of a mobile device based upon the detection of a plurality of zones. Various features may be presented on a graphical user interface of the mobile device including a map which may present the location of the site, the current location of the mobile device, and the plurality of zones. The graphical user interface may further include a zone size setting presenting selectable distance values enabling the user to set the distance between the site and the boundary of each zone. In response to the selection of a distance value, the mobile device may automatically scale the map to simultaneously present the boundary of each zone and the current location of the mobile device within the display screen of the mobile device.

Abstract: A method and system for compensating for significant soft iron magnetic disturbances in a heading reference system, such as an aircraft heading reference system, such as an integrated standby unit; or a vehicle inertial system, provides a heading correction signal to the heading reference system when a detected difference in value between a gyro heading relative to magnetic north and a magnetometer reading during a defined measurement period exceeds a predetermined acceptable threshold value of change, such as one based on the expected gyro drift over that period. Upon receipt of the heading correction signal, the gyro heading is adjusted to maintain an accurate heading relative to true magnetic north. If this threshold value is not exceeded, then the magnetometer reading is used for the heading value. This method is iteratively repeated in order to continually maintain an accurate heading and may be employed for each heading measurement axis.

Abstract: An electric parking brake control device has an actuator that drives a motor configured to operate or release an electric parking brake, a control unit that controls the actuator, a storage unit that stores a state of the parking brake, a determining unit that determines the state of the parking brake based on current that flows into the motor, and a detecting unit that detects an ON/OFF state of an ignition switch. When the detecting unit detects that the ignition switch is in the ON state, the actuator sends current in a direction which causes the parking brake to be operated to the motor, and the determining unit determines whether the parking brake is in an operation state or a release state based on the current which flows to the motor.

Abstract: A finger-mounted remote control device capable of wirelessly transmitting a travel request signal to a materials handling vehicle. The finger-mounted remote control device includes a rigid mounting structure adapted to be mounted over at least one finger of an operator's hand; a mounting strap coupled to said rigid mounting structure for securing said rigid mounting structure to the at least one finger; a wireless transmitter/power pack unit coupled to said rigid mounting structure; and control structure coupled to said mounting structure and comprising a switch adapted to be actuated by an operator's thumb so as to cause said wireless transmitter/power pack unit to generate a travel request signal to the materials handling vehicle.

Abstract: Automated systems and methods control the velocity of the extension arm of a reach carriage. In particular, the extension arm is allowed to operate at full velocity when it is not approaching its extension or retraction limits. At the limits, the extension arm is gradually slowed to a stop. A sensing apparatus includes a sensor and a marker that moves with the movement of the extension arm. The marker moves into and out of the sensor's range, causing the sensor to generate a position signal. If the extension arm is nearing its limit, the marker is outside the sensor range. A control unit detects changes in the position signal and slows the extension arm accordingly. The control unit may apply a deceleration profile to cushion the extension arm at its limits.

Abstract: An electronic control unit used in, e.g., a towing vehicle includes a processing device configured to determine an initial electrical load of a trailer system, detect changes in the electrical load, and generate an alarm signal if the electrical load is substantially different from the initial electrical load. A method includes determining an electrical load of a trailer system prior to arming a vehicle alarm system, detecting changes in the electrical load after arming the vehicle alarm system, and triggering the alarm system if the electrical load is substantially different from the electrical load determined prior to arming the vehicle alarm system.

Abstract: A vehicle driving force control device controls engine torque so as to correct driver's request-engine-torque with the torque-down amount by an engine control unit, the torque-down amount being set into the lower one of a first torque-down amount and a second torque-down amount by a control-amount setting unit, the first torque-down amount being calculated on the basis of a relation between a tire force generated on a tire and a maximum tire force which the tire is capable of exercising against a current road-surface by a first traction control unit, the second torque-down amount being calculated on the basis of a slip rate of the tire by a second traction control unit.

Abstract: An event information collecting system installed on a vehicle includes a status information acquiring device that acquires and generates vehicle status information, a control device that receives the vehicle status information generated from the status information acquiring device, a storage device connected to the control device, a main power supply that supplies electric power to the control device, and an auxiliary power supply that supplies electric power to the control device when supply of power from the main power supply is stopped. In the event information collecting system, the control device stores, in the storage device, the vehicle status information generated from the status information acquiring device and a condition of power supply from the main power supply, at the time of occurrence of a given event.

Abstract: A system and method of analyzing traffic in a vicinity of a first machine is disclosed. The method may include determining, by one or more computer processors, a projected position of the first machine based on a yaw rate and velocity of the first machine. The method may further include determining, by the one or more computer processors, a predicted zone in the vicinity of the first machine based on the projected position of the first machine. The method may further include determining whether a second machine is present in the predicted zone. In response to determining that the second machine is present in the predicted zone, the method may further include determining whether an unsafe condition exists between the first machine and the second machine.