Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a setting part that sets a target area which is an area used as a target when the host vehicle changes lane, a derivation part that derives a first time period which is a time length required from a start to a termination of a lane change by the host vehicle, and a second time period which is a time length required for a following reference vehicle, traveling at rear of the target area, to catch up with a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle, a determination part that determines that the lane change by the host vehicle is possible, in a case at least a condition in which that the first time period is shorter than the second time period is satisfied, and a controller that performs the lane change of the host vehicle.

Abstract: The disclosure includes embodiments of a lane change timing indicator for a connected vehicle. In some embodiments, a method includes determining a time and a path for an ego vehicle to change lanes. In some embodiments, the method includes displaying, on an electronic display device of the ego vehicle, one or more graphics that depict the time and the path.

Abstract: A method for receiving an update from a remote source may comprise a step of connecting wirelessly to a transceiver. The method may comprise a step of communicating with a remote database via the transceiver. The method may comprise a step of providing operational parameter data to the remote database. The method may comprise a step of receiving updated operational parameters from the database based on a comparison of the operational parameter data to a latest version of the operational parameter data performed by the remote database. The method may comprise a step of updating one or more components of a vehicle using the updated operational parameters. The remote database may be configured to determine a status of the components of the vehicle and provide the updated operational parameters to keep software used by the vehicle to a latest version.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining and indicating an energy range of a host vehicle. A sensor can be positioned to acquire data corresponding to an amount of energy stored in an energy storage system of the host vehicle. An anticipated operating condition for a forthcoming location of the host vehicle can be determined based on at least one operating condition provided from at least one of a plurality of vehicles that 1) has a vehicle type that is the same as a vehicle type of the host vehicle and 2) is located at a respective location that is proximate to the forthcoming location of the host vehicle. The remaining energy range can be determined based on 1) the amount of energy stored in the energy storage system and 2) the anticipated operating condition, and an output system of the host vehicle can indicate the remaining energy range for the host vehicle.

Abstract: One or more location updates from one or more user devices can be associated with one or more grid elements dividing a geographic area. Each location update corresponding to a set of user device data can be stored in a hashtable according to grid element. The hashtable can be resized based on the number of grid elements containing one or more sets of user device data. A set of grid elements can be determined to overlap a geofence, and zero or more sets of user device data can be retrieved from the hashtable corresponding to zero or more user devices located within the geofence.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method that make it possible to appropriately guide a flying object to a target object even in a case where a translucent substance such as fog exists. In a first period, a gated image of a target object is captured, and in a second period, a user handles a guidance control device for projecting a spotlight, in the same direction as an image capturing direction for capturing the gated image, by changing a distance and a direction, in order to bring the target object into a state in which the target object can be captured as the gated image, and then a laser pointer is projected on the target object. Thus, a flying object is guided toward reflected light that is the light of the laser pointer reflected by the target object, and thereby the flying object can be appropriately guided to the target object even in a case where a translucent substance such as fog exists.

Abstract: A steering method of a multi-directional industrial truck for controlling a movement of the multi-directional industrial truck from a starting position into a target position. The method includes selectively controlling automatically at least one of a rotatory component of the movement and a translatory component of the movement.

Abstract: Techniques are discussed for controlling a vehicle, such as an autonomous vehicle, based on occluded areas in an environment. An occluded area can represent areas where sensors of the vehicle are unable to sense portions of the environment due to obstruction by another object. An occlusion grid representing the occluded area can be stored as map data or can be dynamically generated. An occlusion grid can include occlusion fields, which represent discrete two- or three-dimensional areas of driveable environment. An occlusion field can indicate an occlusion state and an occupancy state, determined using LIDAR data and/or image data captured by the vehicle. An occupancy state of an occlusion field can be determined by ray casting LIDAR data or by projecting an occlusion field into segmented image data. The vehicle can be controlled to traverse the environment when a sufficient portion of the occlusion grid is visible and unoccupied.

Abstract: One embodiment is a system including a component for installation on a vehicle comprising a central maintenance computer (“CMC”); a configuration/maintenance module (“CMM”) associated with the component and including memory for storing component information, a sensor for detecting a condition and generating data indicative thereof; a microprocessor for processing the sensor data and updating the component information with the processing results; and a communications interface between the CMM and the CMC. The system further includes a remaining useful life (“RUL”) module associated with the component that periodically updates an RUL, the RUL module periodically updating an RUL value for the component and communicating the updated RUL value to the CMM for storage in the memory. The CMC communicates with the CMM to update the component information included in the memory based on information input to the CMC by a user or changes in a condition of the vehicle.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems and methods applying an innovative non-discriminating and anonymous car related navigation driven traffic model predictive control, producing predictive load-balancing on road networks which dynamically assigns efficient sets of routes to car related navigation aids and which navigation aids may refer to in dash navigation or to smart phone navigation application. The system and methods are may enable, for example, to improve or to substitute commercial navigation service solutions, applying under such upgrade or substitution a new highly efficient proactive traffic control for city size or metropolitan size traffic.

Abstract: A monitoring device includes a monitoring part configured to detect an abnormality of a monitoring target, a self-diagnosis part configured to diagnose whether or not the monitoring part operates normally during a period from a startup time point of a power supply to an elapse time point at which a reset release waiting time elapses, and a reset control part configured to release a reset of a reset output signal on or after the elapse time point.

Abstract: A method for coordinating a plurality of vehicles (102, 104) comprising: defining, as a command vehicle (C), a vehicle in the plurality; storing, by one or more storage devices (204) located on one or more of the vehicles (102, 104), a list of capabilities of each vehicle (102, 104); receiving, by one or more processors (202) on the command vehicle (C), a specification of a goal; based on the stored vehicle capabilities, allocating, by the one or more processors (202), to one or more of the vehicles (102, 104), one or more tasks, the one or more tasks being such that, if each of those tasks was to be performed, the goal would be accomplished; and sending, from the command vehicle (C), to each vehicle (102, 104) to which a task has been allocated, a specification of the one or more tasks allocated to that vehicle (102, 104).

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems of tracking a target with an imaging device onboard an unmanned aerial vehicle. The method may comprise identifying one or more targets in a first image captured by the imaging device, receiving a user selection of a target to be tracked from the one or more targets in the one or more images, generating target information for the target to be tracked based on the user selection of the target, detecting a deviation of a detected position and/or a detected size of the target in a second image captured by the imaging device from the selected position and/or the selected size of the target in the first image and adjusting at least one of the UAV and the carrier, to reduce the determined deviation to maintain the target substantially within the field of view of the image device, based on the deviation.

Abstract: A sensor unit includes a sensor interface and a host interface. The sensor interface can be coupled to a number of sensors mounted on various locations of the ADV. The host interface can be coupled to a host system that is configured to perceive a driving environment surrounding the ADV based on sensor data obtained from the sensors and to plan a path to autonomously drive the ADV. The sensor unit further includes a sensor processing module and a sensor control module coupled to the sensor interface, and a time module coupled to the sensor processing module and the sensor control module. The sensor processing module is configured to process sensor data received from the sensors via the sensor interface. The sensor control module is configured to control operations of the sensors. The time module is configured to generate time to synchronize timing of the operations of the sensors.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for remote vehicle diagnostics. The remote vehicle diagnostics are obtained based on a vehicle identification number for a vehicle connected to an electrical connector of a vehicle diagnostic system host device. A vehicle electronic configuration file is provided to the host device to control access to one or more vehicle control modules.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for end-to-end learning of commands for controlling an autonomous vehicle. A pre-processor pre-processes image data acquired by sensors at a current time step (CTS) to generate pre-processed image data that is concatenated with additional input(s) (e.g., a segmentation map and/or optical flow map) to generate a dynamic scene output. A convolutional neural network (CNN) processes the dynamic scene output to generate a feature map that includes extracted spatial features that are concatenated with vehicle kinematics to generate a spatial context feature vector. An LSTM network processes, during the (CTS), the spatial context feature vector at the (CTS) and one or more previous LSTM outputs at corresponding previous time steps to generate an encoded temporal context vector at the (CTS). The fully connected layer processes the encoded temporal context vector to learn control command(s) (e.g., steering angle, acceleration rate and/or a brake rate control commands).

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system is designed to determine the requirement of a perception range for a particular type of vehicles and a particular planning and control technology. A shadow filter is used to connect a scenario based simulator and a PnC module, and tuning the parameters (e.g. decreasing the filter range, tuning the probability of obstacles to be observed among frames) of shadow filter to mimic the real world perceptions with a limited range and reliabilities. Based on the simulation results (e.g., a failure rate, smoothness, etc.), the system is able to determine the required perception distance for the current PnC module. A PnC module represents a particular autonomous driving planning and control technology for a particular type of autonomous driving vehicles. Notice that the PnC module is replaceable so that this method is suitable for different PnC algorithms representing different autonomous driving technologies.

Abstract: An expedited preflight readiness system for aircraft includes a power source having one or more battery modules for storing electrical power. An integrated controller is electrically and communicatively coupled with the power source for monitoring and controlling the power source to provide electrical power to aircraft subsystems. A mobile device is communicatively coupled with the integrated controller for communicating instructions to the integrated controller for initiating preflight readiness of the aircraft and for monitoring preflight readiness. A method for preconditioning an aircraft includes determining a state-of-charge of an APU and activating an environmental control subsystem for preconditioning the aircraft by adjusting a current temperature according to a preconditioning profile based on one or more of a target temperature, a target time, the current temperature, an outside air temperature, an amount of energy, and a state-of-charge of the APU.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant protection device, that includes: a vehicle occupant protection control unit that, in a case in which a rear impact of the vehicle is predicted, effects control such that a seat of the vehicle approaches a rear impact protection attitude that protects a vehicle occupant from a rear impact, and that, in a case in which the vehicle is forcibly stopped, effects control such that a driver seat of the vehicle approaches closer to the rear impact protection attitude than in the case in which a rear impact of the vehicle is predicted.

Abstract: An electrified vehicle according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a battery including a first strand of cells and a second strand of cells, an electric machine selectively powered by the battery, and at least one auxiliary component selectively powered by the battery. The battery is configurable such that the at least one auxiliary component is able to draw power from the first strand of cells but not the second strand of cells. A method is also disclosed.