Abstract: A beat tracking apparatus includes: a filtering unit configured to perform a filtering process on an input acoustic signal and to accentuate an onset; a beat interval reliability calculating unit configured to perform a time-frequency pattern matching process employing a mutual correlation function on the acoustic signal of which the onset is accentuated and to calculate a beat interval reliability; and a beat interval estimating unit configured to estimate a beat interval on the basis of the calculated beat interval reliability.

Abstract: A decision mechanism is configured to decide on at least one prospective action of a robot from set of actions by: computing a prior probabilistic representation of a prior environment state; updating the prior probabilistic representation with targets of a new observation on reducing at least one uncertainty in a posterior probabilistic representation of a posterior environment state to be reached after an appliance of the at least one prospective action, the posterior probabilistic representation resulting from the updating; determining an information gain between the prior probabilistic representation and the posterior probabilistic representation by use of at least one information theoretic measure; evaluating the at least one prospective action by adding costs of executing the at least one prospective action to the information gain. Furthermore, an improved action planning for robots is provided and can be implemented in various robots investigating scenes for their actions.

Abstract: Methods and systems for generating, deriving, and enhancing drivable road databases are provided. A baseline road in a road network is defined and position and/or trajectory data collected by vehicles traveling the baseline road are compiled and compared to a representation of the baseline road in an existing database. Identity and/or other property information about the road are assigned form the existing database to the new database.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling movement of a first vehicle component relative to a second vehicle component, including the steps of determining a deceleration rate of the first vehicle component in order to achieve a predetermined final speed at a final position, determining a starting position for initiating the deceleration on the predetermined final speed, the final position and the determined deceleration rate and controlling deceleration of the component from the starting position to the final position according to the determined acceleration rate.

Abstract: A moving robot and its operation method are disclosed. The moving robot includes a moving body/object sensing unit that senses a movement of a human body within a certain distance, a traveling unit that controls a traveling speed and direction, and a controller that outputs a control signal for controlling the traveling speed according to pre-set data to the traveling unit. In a state that the moving robot performs a cleaning operation while moving its locations, when a movement of a human body is sensed by the moving body/object sensing unit, the traveling speed is reduced to allow the user to easily control the external operation, and the efficiency can be increased by utilizing the moving body/object sensing unit for operations of different modes.

Abstract: The present invention includes a system and method for selecting a unique geographic feature, including a mobile device that uses position and orientation sensors to determine a user position and a user orientation. The mobile device is adapted for wireless communication with a database that houses or has access to data concerning geographic features, as well as processing and computing means for calculating specific geographic relations discussed in further detail below. The system of the present invention further includes means for selecting among those features that are topologically related to the polygon. These include means for defining the geometry of the polygon, means for filtering those features that should not be within the geometry of the polygon, and means for ranking those features within the polygon. The method of the present invention is operable in conjunction with the system through the system hardware and software.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating a motor vehicle drive train having an internal combustion engine, an electric motor and an electrical energy storage. An actual charge state of the electrical energy storage is detected and compared with an established setpoint charge state to determine one of several operating modes for the drive train. The setpoint charge state is determined as a function of an instantaneous driving state of the motor vehicle so that conclusions can be drawn about imminent deceleration, imminent acceleration or imminent cruise control, instantaneous transmission data and/or instantaneous hybrid drive data. Range boundaries and/or range extents of operating modes are shifted as a function of the setpoint charge state.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for controlling movement of a slave manipulator by an operator controlling a master manipulator in a way that the motion of that slave manipulator can be presented via a display to the operator such that the displayed position of the slave manipulator is intuitive to the operator, regardless of the actual position and orientation of the slave manipulator. Methods, devices, and systems relating to force feedback associated with medical robotic procedures.

Abstract: A method and device for assisting in driving a vehicle in motion along an initial trajectory, in an environment containing at least one obstacle, assistance is carried out by checking, by a trajectory checking unit, during movement of the vehicle, the existence of at least one condition for modifying the initial trajectory to avoid the obstacle. A criteria determining unit is used to determine a criterion CR by which to avoid the obstacle, and an avoidance trajectory determining unit is used to determine an avoidance trajectory according to a derivative of the criterion CR. The vehicle is assisted along the determined avoidance trajectory by a driving assist device.

Abstract: There are provided: control valves 22-24 that control flow of pressure oil from the hydraulic source 21 to the hydraulic actuators 15-17; electric lever devices 51-53 that output electrical operation signals v51-v53 in correspondence to lever operation; electromagnetic proportional valves 25-30 through which control pressures for controlling the control valves 22-24 are output; a pressure calculating unit 50 that calculates control pressures P25-P30 in correspondence to the operation signals V51-v53; a control unit 50 that controls the electromagnetic proportional valves 25-30 so that control pressures to be output from the electromagnetic proportional valves 25-30 become the control pressures P25-P30 that have been calculated; a high-pressure selection circuit 41-44 that selects a higher pressure between control pressures that have been output from the electromagnetic proportional valves 25-30; pressure detectors 45 and 46 that detect a control pressure selected by the high-pressure selection circuit 41-44;

Abstract: Situational location dependent information is transmitted from a server data processing system to a receiving data processing system. The server data processing system communicates with the receiving data processing system in a manner by pushing content when appropriate. A candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of the receiving data processing system is recognized and a situational location of the remote data processing system is determined. The candidate delivery event may be a location and/or direction change, device state change, or movement exceeding a movement tolerance. The situational location of the remote data processing system may be its location, direction, location and direction, proximity to a location, state change, or location and/or direction relative to a previous location and/or direction, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A method of dynamically selecting a routing service including receiving a route request at a call center from a telematics unit via a wireless connection, determining a vehicle communication configuration responsive to the request, determining map data availability responsive to the request and selecting a routing service option based on the vehicle communication configuration determination and the map data availability determination.

Abstract: A vehicle is reliably prevented from rolling back during automatic start on a slope or the like. An automatic stop-and-start device includes an engine control unit 10 that automatically stops an engine 2 when a predetermined stop condition is fulfilled and automatically starts the engine 2 when a predetermined start condition is fulfilled; a brake device 3 that imparts a brake force to a vehicle that carries the engine 2; and a brake control unit 16 that holds a brake state produced by the brake device 3 when a predetermined brake hold request condition is fulfilled and releases the brake state produced by the brake device 3 when a predetermined brake release condition is fulfilled. The engine control unit 10 determines whether the brake control unit 16 holds the brake state produced by the brake device 3 and automatically starts the engine 2 when the determination is affirmed.

Abstract: A robotic system that includes a mobile robot linked to a plurality of remote stations. One of the remote stations includes an arbitrator that controls access to the robot. Each remote station may be assigned a priority that is used by the arbitrator to determine which station has access to the robot. The arbitrator may include notification and call back mechanisms for sending messages relating to an access request and a granting of access for a remote station.

Abstract: An apparatus determines a position of a tire on a vehicle including a tire-based sensing unit, each tire on the vehicle having an associated tire-based sensing unit. Each tire-based sensing unit includes a first sensor mounted for rotation with the tire and for generating a first sensor signal indicative of such rotation, a second sensor mounted for rotation with the tire and for generating a second sensor signal indicative of such rotation, and a transmitter for transmitting a signal indicative of a phase relationship between the first and second sensor signals. An axle position sensor is provided for determining each tire-based sensing unit position relative to a front and rear axle of the vehicle and provides an axle position signal for each tire-based sensing unit. A controller monitors the transmitted phase signals of each tire-based sensing unit and the determines axle position signals.

Abstract: A motion path search device includes a motion space identification unit which identifies, as first spaces, three-dimensional spaces passed through by a movable part in direct teaching operations performed by an operator, and a spatial difference calculation unit that calculates a first differential space that is a part of one of the first spaces identified as a result of one of the direct teaching operations and that has no overlap with another of the first spaces identified as a result of another of the direct teaching operations that precedes the one of the direct teaching operations. A feedback unit provides the operator with information regarding the first differential space, and a path search unit searches for a motion path of the movable part within a first accessible space resulting from combining the first spaces after the direct teaching operations.

Abstract: An autonomous mobile robot device, comprises an obstacle detecting unit, which is configured to detect an obstacle, a path producing unit, which is configured to produce a path for reaching to a goal while avoiding the obstacle, which is detected by the obstacle detecting unit, upon basis of a predetermined avoidance method, and a moving unit, which is configured to move while mounting the obstacle detecting unit and the path producing unit thereon, and further comprises an avoidance method noticing unit, which is configured to notice information relating to an avoidance method of the autonomous mobile robot device itself to the obstacle, which is detected by the obstacle detecting unit, an other's avoidance method obtaining unit, which is configured to obtain information relating to the avoidance method of the obstacle from the obstacle, which is detected by the obstacle detecting unit, an avoidance method memorizing unit, which is configured to memorize one or more of the avoidance method(s) determined, to

Abstract: Apparatus for reprogramming a programmed controller of a power driven wheelchair comprises: a reprogrammable, non-volatile memory programmed with a plurality of programs executable by the controller to operate the wheelchair, the non-volatile memory disposed at the wheelchair and coupled to the wheelchair controller; a general-purpose computer programmed to reprogram the non-volatile memory while disposed at the wheelchair, the programmed computer for storing main programs for use in reprogramming the non-volatile memory, the programmed computer being coupleable to the wheelchair controller for accommodating an exchange of data therebetween; and wherein the wheelchair controller being operative to communicate with the programmed computer to reprogram the non-volatile memory with the main programs while the non-volatile memory is disposed at the wheelchair. Methods for reprogramming the non-volatile memory are also disclosed.

Abstract: In an obtainer for obtaining speed feeling of a driver of a movable object, a gaze point setter sets a gaze point of the driver, and a motion detector detects relative motion of an environmental field around the mobile object with respect to the mobile object. A divergent component calculator projects the relative motion of the environmental field in a coordinate system. The coordinate system is formed by modeling a retina sphere of the driver of the mobile object. The divergent calculator calculates each of divergent components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field radially expanding from the gaze point. A speed feeling calculator calculates speed feeling of the driver based on the divergent components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field radially expanding from the gaze point calculated by the divergent component calculator.

Abstract: A robotic system includes a robot having manipulators for grasping an object using one of a plurality of grasp types during a primary task, and a controller. The controller controls the manipulators during the primary task using a multiple-task control hierarchy, and automatically parameterizes the internal forces of the system for each grasp type in response to an input signal. The primary task is defined at an object-level of control, e.g., using a closed-chain transformation, such that only select degrees of freedom are commanded for the object. A control system for the robotic system has a host machine and algorithm for controlling the manipulators using the above hierarchy. A method for controlling the system includes receiving and processing the input signal using the host machine, including defining the primary task at the object-level of control, e.g., using a closed-chain definition, and parameterizing the internal forces for each of grasp type.