Abstract: A mobile craft is guided with respect to a trajectory. To guide the craft, the distance xtk is determined between the mobile craft and the point of orthogonal projection of the mobile craft on a segment of the trajectory. The angle tkae is determined between the direction of travel of the mobile craft and the direction at the point of orthogonal projection. A control value is computed for the lateral attitude from the distance and angle, two characteristic coefficients and a nominal control value. This control value is applied to the craft.

Abstract: The invention provides a system for fleet management having a main process 1501 and client processes 1503, 1505. The system has a graphical user interface user apparatus 1508 having a display and user interface such as a keyboard. The system also uses a main process manager 1501 operably coupled to the display 1508 through a central processor. The child processes include a current report receiver 1503 operably coupled to the display through said central processor, and a history report receiver 1505 operably coupled to the display through the central processor. The child processes are also each operably coupled to a mobile information center, which provides vehicle position data and the like. This vehicle position data are received and transmitted to a fleet of vehicles (e.g., couriers, etc.) through the mobile information center.

Abstract: In a vehicle behavior control system, a failure of a wheel speed sensor is detected by a wheel speed sensor failure detecting device based on the mutual comparison of wheel speeds detected by wheel speed sensors, respectively. When the failure of the wheel speed sensor is detected, a preselected fail-safe operation is carried out by a fail-safe device. A fail-safe operation prohibiting signal is output only for a predetermined time from the establishment of a state in which the operation of a parking brake is detected by a parking brake operation detecting device and a during-traveling signal is output from a during-traveling signal generated device. When the fail-safe operation prohibiting signal is output, the fail-safe operation by the fail-safe device is prohibited by a fail-safe operation prohibiting device.

Abstract: One embodiment of a position and time-at-position logging apparatus includes a GPS receiver, a microprocessor, memory, a keypad and a data port. The apparatus receives GPS signals and determines therefrom position and time-at-position information of the apparatus, and logs the information in memory in response to a key depression in a manual mode of operation, or in response to a data capture signal in an automatic mode of operation. The data port may be connected to an input device for generating the data capture signal, an output device for data reporting, or to a computer operable to program an operational mode of the apparatus or download a number of sets of information for processing by report generating software resident therein. The apparatus may optionally include a radio transceiver for exchanging data and/or programming information with a remote source, and may further include a vehicle data port for receiving operational data in accordance with various vehicle/engine operating parameters.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a display system for displaying a past track of the ship, the present position of the ship, and a future predicted track of the ship. A display system according to the present invention generates coordinate data representing a desired pattern based on the ship's speed and the ship's bearing in order to display a past track of the ship and a future predicted track of the ship.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inexpensive, automobile test diagnostic system which is capable of processing data from multiple high speed data channels. The vehicle test diagnostic system include an integrated computer for providing access to a technical database comprised of stored information records, with migration capacity between related records, and further to provide selective access to particular portions of information within the database, the integrated computer including a user interface responsive to operation by a user to provide commands, and a microprocessor responsive to commands entered through the user interface to access the information; and at least one instrumentation module electrically coupled to the integrated computer, the instrumentation module being responsive to commands entered through the user interface.

Abstract: A map searching unit reads from a map storing unit map data adjacent to the current position of a vehicle calculated by a position calculator or map data having a range of a map to be displayed specified by an input unit. A processing unit performs a perspective transformation of eye point and focus point coordinates inputted from the input unit, maps the map data on the transformed coordinates, performs clipping, and then makes an output unit display the map after mapping.

Abstract: The invention is a system and method for managing a resource having a dump location. A plurality of stop points are located adjacent to the dump location. Each of a plurality of mobile machines includes a queue manager adapted to generate a queue position request signal as each mobile machine approaches the resource. A resource manager is adapted to establish and control a queue to control access to the resource in response to receiving a queue position request signal. The resource manager is also adapted to enable simultaneous access of the dump location by the mobile machines.

Abstract: A system for controlling wheel slippage of a vehicle carrying or trailing an implement when slip above a slip limit is detected. The implement is coupled to an implement positioning system including an actuator for raising and lowering the implement in response to a control signal. The system includes a first sensor for sensing an operating parameter such as draft force or implement position, a second sensor for sensing the vehicle's apparent speed, and a third sensor for sensing the vehicle's ground speed. The system may include a fourth sensor for sensing a second operating parameter. The system also includes a control circuit configured to generate a slip signal based upon the apparent speed and the ground speed, and to operate in a first manner when the slip signal is below a slip limit and in a second manner when the slip signal is above the slip limit.

Abstract: A method for determining the velocity of a three-dimensional fluid flow o a submerged body is provided. A plurality of finite volume cylindrical elements are used to represent the distribution of vorticity at the surface geometry of the body. The vorticity distribution is used to determine the velocity field of the flow according to the Biot-Savart integral which is solved for in a cylindrical coordinate system.

Abstract: A navigation system for an autonomous mobile robot within an environment which comprises coded signs at predetermined points comprising means for storing data regarding said environment, including data regarding the positions of said coded signs relative to the environment, passive vision systems for the image acquisition and automatic recognition of said coded signs, a computer for estimating its own position and orientation relative to one of said coded signs and to the environment, means for acquiring the location of target positions, means for planning a path to be covered within said environment to reach target positions, and means for controlling the robot motion based on the stored path data.

Abstract: Road or other guidance is provided by displaying a structure-shape map showing building shapes and roads. Drawing of building shapes on the map is restricted according to a specific condition, e.g. the travel condition of the vehicle, or the screen scroll mode, by setting the display color for building shapes to the same color as that for a background, or by not drawing any of them, thereby preventing the screen from becoming difficult to see even during scrolling. For the structure-shape map, a storage device (3) stores map data having a name and a coordinate string for each shape of various structures and information belonging to each structure. A guidance controller (4) decides colors, color densities, patterns thereof, etc. for shapes as display modes on the basis of information belonging to the structures, e.g. the classification and height of each structure, and other detailed information (e.g.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the integrity of an integrated positioning system located on a mobile machine is provided. The integrated positioning system includes a GPS receiver and an inertial navigation unit (INU). The INU includes an odometer, a Doppler radar, a gyroscope, and a sensor for measuring the steering angle of the mobile machine. The method includes the steps of receiving a GPS position estimate from a GPS receiver, receiving an INU position estimate from an inertial navigation unit, and comparing the GPS position estimate and the INU position estimate. If the two position estimates are the same, then the system is VALID. Otherwise, the velocity of the mobile machine as determined by the odometer and velocity as determined by the Doppler radar are compared. If the difference is greater than a first predetermined threshold, then the INU is determined to be INVALID. Otherwise a heading rate from gyroscope is compared with a calculated heading rate based on measured steering angle and velocity.

Abstract: A portable distance tracking device calculates the distance to a flag from a first position on a hole of a golf course. An initialization means initializes the device at the start of play. The device includes two rotational accelerometers, to measure acceleration along pitch and roll axes, and a translational accelerometer, to measure acceleration along a surge axis. A microprocessor, including an A-D converter, (i) converts the accelerations to digital data and (ii) integrates the data twice, over time, to determine distance traveled on the hole. The microprocessor further compensates the data for forces due to at least one of gravity, centripetal acceleration, and a rotation of earth, and thereafter determines the distance to the flag as a function of the distance traveled. A keypad input device provides for selecting the initialization and for selecting the hole in play. A memory element stores a digital representation of the hole; and a display unit displays the distance to the flag.

Abstract: A method for tracking a location of a transmitter with a computer system, the computer system coupled to a vector database includes the steps of determining the location of the transmitter, displaying a rasterized representation of a geographic area on a display, in response to the location of the transmitter, determining an icon associated with the transmitter, displaying the icon on the rasterized representation on the display, in response to the location of the transmitter, and outputting vector data in response to the location of the transmitter.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for generating a maneuver indication for an intersection having a turn-lane connector which is consistent with what a driver sees and expects. According to one aspect of the invention, it provides a method for providing maneuver indications to a driver for an intersection having a turn-lane connector which includes the steps of (a) determining when the intersection includes a turn-lane connector, (b) determining whether it is appropriate to collapse the turn lane into the main portion of the intersection for the purposes of generating a maneuver indication, (c) collapsing the turn lane into the intersection when it is appropriate, (d) generating a maneuver indication for the collapsed intersection, and (e) outputting the maneuver indication to the user in time so that the driver may use the turn-lane connector if desired.

Abstract: A spread spectrum receiver, such as a GPS car navigation system, uses multiple, parallel correlations of data in a wide capture window, permits seamless tracking and rapid reacquisition of satellite signals at speeds sufficient to permit position information updates during momentary views available of satellites in intersections. The received data is processed in 11 bit samples, for a total of 186 time segments per 1 msec code period, which are each Doppler shifted and multiplexed into 12 channels. The code correlations are performed 22 times per channel by shifting the 11 bit locally generated code by one bit each correlation. The chip rate of the incoming data is 2f.sub.0 and the correlations are performed at 48f.sub.0 providing a time magnification advantage of 24.

Abstract: An electronic controller includes an internal power stabilizing circuit which supplies stabilized power to drive circuits and a fail-safe relay drive circuit all built within the controller, a monitoring unit which monitors the operational states of the circuits in the controller based on the state of power output of the power stabilizing circuit, and a drive unit which drives the fail-safe relay drive circuit in response to the detection by the monitoring unit of a predetermined output state of the power stabilizing circuit indicative of the occurrence of abnormality in at least one of the circuits including the drive circuits within the controller.

Abstract: A vehicle for transport, fork lift or delivery route operations, for example, includes on-board peripherals which are coupled through a Local Area Network (LAN) into a data system. A LAN data bus provides selective access to the peripherals or data devices such as, for example, a large area display, a keyboard, a printer and a data terminal. The data system controls or provides data on tasks executed by or in connection with the operation of the vehicle. To increase the versatility of the vehicle, the data terminal, multiple data terminals, or any of the other data devices may be removably coupled to the LAN to be operable externally of the vehicle. A mobile mount adapter provides a secure electrical connection of a respective data terminal to the LAN to removably incorporate the data terminal into the data system, and provide a common supply of both data and power to the data device.

Abstract: A route searching system for a vehicle navigation system for navigating on a road network, for use when the road network database is organized in terms of road segments and the destination is a road intersection. The destination road segment for a particular guided route is selected so that the destination road segment is accessible from the destination intersection. This is of benefit when the destination road segment is one permitting only one way travel, and thereby avoids selecting as the destination road segment a one way road permitting travel only into the destination intersection. This allows selection of an optimum route without dictating that the route pass through a one way segment leading only into the destination intersection.