Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a speed change of a hybrid vehicle are provided. The apparatus includes an engine for combustion of fuel to generate power and a motor that is configured to supplement the power from the engine and operate as a generator during braking to generate electrical energy and store the generated electrical energy generated a battery. A transmission is configured to convert the power from the engine to a required torque based on a speed and transmit the power to wheels and is directly connected to the motor. In addition, a controller is configured to operate the transmission to shift in a constant power section of the motor when the motor is performing regenerative braking. The apparatus minimizes the sense of difference felt by a driver by shifting in the constant power section of the motor during the regenerative braking of a hybrid vehicle.

Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle provided with an engine, an electric motor, and a damper disposed in a power transmitting path between said engine and said electric motor, wherein said engine is started with its speed being raised by a drive force of said electric motor, wherein said damper has characteristics of generating a larger hysteresis torque during its torsion in a negative direction of transmission of the drive force from said electric motor toward said engine, than a hysteresis torque generated during its torsion in a positive direction of transmission of a drive force from said engine toward said electric motor, said control apparatus comprising a hybrid control portion configured to ignite said engine by igniting said engine in the process of a rise of the speed of said engine while said damper is subjected to the torsion in the negative direction by said electric motor.

Abstract: A robot includes an angular velocity sensor installed to a second horizontal arm and for obtaining the angular velocity of the first horizontal arm with respect to a base, and suppresses the vibration of the first horizontal arm by driving a first electric motor based on the angular velocity of the first horizontal arm. In the robot, an electric wire to be connected to a second electric motor incorporated in the second horizontal arm and electric wire to be connected to the angular velocity sensor are laid around through a wiring duct having end portions coupled respectively to the base and the second horizontal arm, disposed outside the first horizontal arm and outside the second horizontal arm, and having a passage leading to the inside of the base and the inside of the second horizontal arm.

Abstract: A rotor state sensor system is provided for use with a rotor including a hub, a hub arm and a blade coupled to the hub by the hub arm. The sensor system includes sensors disposed on the hub arm to define a first plane, which emit emissions and receive reflected emissions, and which generate a signal according to the received reflected emissions, reflector plates disposed on the blade which define a second plane at locations where the emissions from the sensors are incident on the reflector plates and from which the reflected emissions are reflected towards the sensors and a computing device which receives the signal from the sensors, determines relative orientations of the first and second planes according to the received signal and determines a condition of the rotor based on the determined relative orientations.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a coinfusion apparatus capable of automatically performing parts or all of a coinfusion processing. The coinfusion apparatus includes a first robot arm which retains a medical agent container, a second robot arm which performs an operation of inserting a syringe needle of a syringe into a mouth of the medical agent container retained by the first robot arm, and an operation of inserting the syringe needle of the syringe into a coinfusion mouth of a transfusion bag. The coinfusion apparatus further includes a coinfusion processing room which shelters both robot arms and a transfusion bag elevation inclination section, which retains the transfusion bag outside of the coinfusion processing room and positions the coinfusion mouth of the transfusion bag in a coinfusion communication mouth formed in the coinfusion processing room. A trash storage room door is provided in a front surface of the coinfusion apparatus.

Abstract: Augmented autobrake systems useful in preventing accidents related to runway incursions are provided, as are related processes and program products. In one embodiment, the augmented autobrake system is deployed on an aircraft and utilized in conjunction with a Runway Warning and Status Lights (RWSL) system. The augmented autobrake system includes a wireless receiver configured to receive runway status data from the RWSL system, an aircraft brake mechanism, and a controller coupled to the wireless receiver and to the aircraft brake mechanism. The controller is configured to: (i) identify when the aircraft is projected to enter a runway incursion zone based at least in part upon the runway status data and vector data pertaining to the aircraft, and (ii) when the aircraft is projected to enter a runway incursion zone, commanding the aircraft brake mechanism to stop the aircraft prior to entry into the runway incursion zone.

Abstract: A method for controlling a trim position of a marine propulsion unit for propelling a watercraft has the steps of: sensing an engine speed; positioning the propulsion unit at a first trim angle when the engine speed is less than or equal to a first predetermined engine speed, the first trim angle being constant; positioning the propulsion unit at a second trim angle when the engine speed is greater than the first predetermined engine speed and less than the second predetermined engine speed; and positioning the propulsion unit at a third trim angle when the engine speed is greater than or equal to the second predetermined engine speed, the third trim angle being constant. A system for controlling a trim position of a marine propulsion unit for propelling a watercraft is also disclosed.

Abstract: Robotic devices may be trained by a user guiding the robot along a target trajectory using a correction signal. A robotic device may comprise an adaptive controller configured to generate control commands based on one or more of the trainer input, sensory input, and/or performance measure. Training may comprise a plurality of trials. During an initial portion of a trial, the trainer may observe robot's operation and refrain from providing the training input to the robot. Upon observing a discrepancy between the target behavior and the actual behavior during the initial trial portion, the trainer may provide a teaching input (e.g., a correction signal) configured to affect robot's trajectory during subsequent trials. Upon completing a sufficient number of trials, the robot may be capable of navigating the trajectory in absence of the training input.

Abstract: An actuator monitoring circuit 1 which is mounted in an airplane and monitors an actuator 30 having a piston (output portion) calculates the moving distance of the piston, and outputs, when the moving distance exceeds a predetermined threshold, an approaching notification signal 78s and a progression notification signal 79s to notify the excess over the threshold.

Abstract: A motor control device controls a motor using an angle data signal and a rotational speed signal output from a rotation detector detecting a rotation state of a rotating shaft of the motor. The motor control device includes a speed control unit that outputs a torque instruction signal corresponding to a difference between the rotational speed of the rotating shaft and a speed instruction using the speed instruction of the rotating shaft and the rotational speed signal, a limit value setting unit that sets a torque limit value indicating the maximum value of the torque applied to the rotating shaft, and a torque limit control unit that limits the torque of the rotating shaft driven by the torque instruction signal to the torque limit value or less.

Abstract: Methods for automatic and efficient location generation for cooperative motion. A method includes receiving a cooperative operation comprising a master operation and the slave operation, simulating the slave operation to obtain a slave duration between consecutive slave locations and a trajectory time to perform the slave operation, populating a plurality of potential locations along the master trajectory, generating a plurality of candidate operations in a population, for each of the plurality of candidate operations in the population, simulating a candidate operation with the slave operation to calculate an efficiency factor to perform the candidate operation and removing the candidate operation from the population when the efficiency factor is not better compared to other candidate operations in the population and returning the candidate operation remaining in the population.

Abstract: The control property of an onboard device is changeable by using an external control unit, and the data from the external control unit is authenticated. An onboard gateway unit is provided with a verification code generator for generating a security key, and an external control unit is provided with an application control unit for generating a security key. When the external control unit is connected, a main control logic unit of the gateway unit compares the two keys, and when the keys are verified, the control by the external control unit using an application program is enabled. The onboard device control unit can be easily connected to the external control unit. As the control of the device control unit by an external control signal is enabled only when verified, an unauthorized access can be prohibited, and the onboard deice can be controlled only by an authorized control signal.

Abstract: Avionics systems, controllers, and methods are provided. An avionics system includes a display and a controller. The controller is communicatively coupled with the display. The controller is configured to generate a flight clearance portion of the image including flight clearance information and to generate a flight progress portion of the image including flight progress information.

Abstract: A transportation apparatus includes a payload receiving unit, a transportation body, and a compensation system arranged there between providing adjustment of a desired spatial relationship of a payload surface of the compensation unit. The compensation system has at least one of a first compensation unit and a second compensation unit for adjustment of the spatial relationship. The compensation units adjust the spatial relationship in different directions. Thus the compensation system maintains a desired orientation of the payload surface independent of changes of orientation of the transportation surface. Further, the compensation system substantially maintains a common point of gravity of the transportation apparatus including the payload by displacing the center of gravity of the payload receiving unit and the payload substantially opposite to a displacement of a center of gravity of the transportation apparatus.

Abstract: A robot includes a first horizontal arm coupled to a base, a second horizontal arm coupled to the base via the first horizontal arm, first and second motors adapted to rotate the respective arms, and first and second encoders adapted to calculate rotational angles and rotational velocities of the respective motors. A first motor control section subtracts first and second angular velocities based on the first and second encoders from a sensor angular velocity detected by an angular sensor, and controls the first motor so that a velocity measurement value obtained by adding a vibration velocity based on a vibration angular velocity as the subtraction result and a first rotational velocity becomes equal to a velocity command value.

Abstract: The invention is directed toward a system and method for assigning mission directives to one or more unmanned vehicles and transferring mission directives from one unmanned aerial vehicle to a second unmanned aerial vehicle. The method comprises providing a set of instructions to a first unmanned aerial vehicle, storing the set of instructions on a nonvolatile memory component of the first unmanned aerial vehicle, executing one or more tasks of the set of instructions by the first unmanned aerial vehicle, transferring a set of instructions comprising unexecuted tasks from the first unmanned aerial vehicle to a second unmanned aerial vehicle, and storing the set of instructions on a nonvolatile memory component of the second unmanned aerial vehicle. The invention is further directed toward a method of determining a flight path for one or more unmanned aerial vehicles stationed at charging stations.

Abstract: The invention is directed toward a system and method for placing, activating, and testing sensors. The system comprises one or more server computers, one or more communication hubs, one or more unmanned aerial vehicles, and one or more sensors. The method comprises the steps of receiving geographic sensor placement locations, receiving sensor parameters, determining the geographic location of sensors, respectively sending location query signals to the unmanned aerial vehicles, respectively receiving location reply signals from the unmanned aerial vehicles, and calculating a geographic flight path for the unmanned aerial vehicles. The method also comprises calculating mission objectives and the energy needs of the unmanned aerial vehicles to complete the mission objectives. The method then determines the most efficient combination of unmanned aerial vehicles to complete the mission objectives and assigns the tasks to the unmanned aerial vehicles.

Abstract: Provided is a robot cleaner. The robot cleaner includes a main body defining an outer appearance of the robot cleaner, a moving unit for moving or rotating the main body, a plurality of receiving units disposed in the main body to receive a user's voice command, and a control unit recognizing a call command occurring direction when the voice command inputted from the plurality of receiving units is a call command. The control unit controls the moving unit so that the main body is moved in the recognized call command occurring direction along the preset detour route.

Abstract: Specified streets or intersections that are within a specified distance of a specified city can be found by a search, even when they are not actually in that city. For computational efficiency, some addresses are included in search results even when they exceed the specified distance from the specified city by a small amount (“false positives”). The search method guarantees that no instance of the street name within the specified distance of the specified city is erroneously missed (“false negatives”).

Abstract: A steering control device includes a steering reaction force control unit that applies a steering reaction force to a steering unit in accordance with a steering reaction force characteristic that is based on steering torque and steering angle of the steering unit in which the steering torque increases as the steering angle increases. A curvature detection unit detects a curvature of a white line. An offset unit calculates an offset amount that increases as the detected curvature increases and that offsets the steering reaction force characteristic such that a neutral point of the steering is moved in a curve direction according to a magnitude of the detected curvature. A curve direction steering torque detection unit programmed to detect a steering torque in a curve direction. An offset suppression unit suppresses a change in the offset amount more as a detected steering torque in the curve direction increases.