Abstract: A comfort evaluating apparatus for a motor vehicle with a computer for determining and evaluating the longitudinal acceleration as well as for rating the comfort as a function of characteristics determined for the course of a longitudinal acceleration. The computer evaluates the frequency of flank changes, the acceleration difference between consecutive flank changes and the gradient of the course of the longitudinal acceleration between consecutive flank changes.

Abstract: An electronic control system for an automotive vehicle includes communication portion provided between first and second control units and, specification information presenting portion arranged at the side of the first control unit for presenting specification information of the second control unit to the second control unit via the communication portion, specification information analyzing portion arranged at the side of the second control unit for analyzing the specification information, and control content setting portion arranged at the side of the second control unit for setting content of control depending upon the specification information on the basis of a result of analysis by the specification information analyzing portion. From the first control unit to the second control unit, the content of control of the second control unit is set depending upon the specification information by presenting the second control unit via the communication portion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for locating and communicating with vehicles is provided, including at least one mobile cellular unit connected to at least one microprocessor and installed within a vehicle. The microprocessor interrogates the mobile cellular unit to obtain location information from an overhead message stream transmitted from cellular telephone transmitter sites. The location is displayed on a display located in the vehicle or the microprocessor periodically instructs the mobile cellular unit to initiate a call to a host controller and, upon receipt of transmitting instructions from the host controller, transmits the location information for display on a screen connected to the host controller.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle capable of efficiently regenerating a battery when the driving route is previously defined and of decreasing exhaust gases. A controller calculates a battery stored residual charge from the output of a battery current voltage detection sensor, sets a target value for the battery residual charge in accordance with road information and information of the present location of the vehicle, received from a navigation processor, and adjusts the outputs of a motor and an engine to cause the actual battery residual charge to approach the target value.

Abstract: The movement of a vehicle is controlled by actuating actuators which apply a braking force to the wheels. For this purpose, the rotational speeds of the wheels, the steering angle and at least one of the lateral acceleration and the yawing movement of the vehicle are detected. A first module is configured so that the actuators are actuated by means of the actuation signals with the effect of controlling a first variable. The second module is configured so that signals for influencing the actuation signals are formed with the effect of controlling a second control variable. In order to obtain this second control variable, at least the variable which represents the steering angle is processed. The second controller component brings about a control of a variable which is determined at least as a function of the lateral movement or the yawing movement of the vehicle.

Abstract: A motor vehicle steering system has a yaw rate sensor for detecting a yaw rate of a motor vehicle, and a lateral acceleration sensor for detecting a lateral acceleration of the motor vehicle. The detected yaw rate and lateral acceleration are processed according to predetermined functions to determine a control signal, which is applied to a motor to turn a steering wheel. Road wheels are correspondingly steered through a steering mechanism in a direction to suppress a disturbant motor vehicle behavior that is caused by the yaw rate and the lateral acceleration.

Abstract: The invention is a method for compensating for coning in a strapdown inertial navigation system which utilizes groups of five successive incremental angles of rotation of a body-fixed coordinate system as measured by orthogonally-mounted gyros at regular measurement intervals, each group of five measurements being obtained during a group interval equal to five measurement intervals. The coning-compensated angular displacement of the body-fixed coordinate system about a fixed axis in space during a p'th group interval is obtained by summing the five measured incremental angles and a coning compensation term.

Abstract: In a driving force control system for a vehicle, an angular velocity of the course direction of the vehicle body is calculated. On the other hand, a target angular velocity of the course direction is determined based on a steering angle and a vehicle speed. Then, based on the degree of the deviation of the calculated angular velocity from the target angular velocity, a correction coefficient for reducing an engine power is generated. When the vehicle traces off the course in the marginal condition on the low friction coefficient road, the correction coefficient reduces the engine power to prevent the vehicle from going out of the course.

Abstract: In a tire air pressure estimation based upon vibration components extracted rom a vehicle wheel speed signal, when the vehicle is a driven vehicle wheel, the precision of estimation is improved by canceling the components of vibration due to the resonance of the drive system from the vibration components based upon which the estimation calculation is made. The vibration components due to the resonance of the drive system can be canceled by canceling those vibration components extracted from the vehicle wheel speed signal which are the same in the phase between left and right driven vehicle wheels. When the tire air pressure of one of a pair of left and right driven vehicle wheels is lower than that of the other, the lower tire air pressure is more correctly estimated. Therefore, the higher tire air pressure may be estimated according to the lower tire air pressure against the drive system resonance.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to reduce shift shocks by controlling the driving torque during gear shift changing so that the driving torque is represented by a smooth, ideal waveform. The driving torque calculating means estimates the output shaft torque of the automatic transmission from the engine torque characteristic or torque converter characteristic and, based on the estimated driving torque, generate a targeted torque pattern during gear shift changing. The engine torque control value calculating means calculates the control value for controlling the engine output torque, i.e., an ignition timing correction value .DELTA..theta.ig, so as to eliminate the deviation between the targeted torque and the driving torque estimated by the driving torque calculating means. This ignition timing correction approximates the driving torque to smooth the targeted torque.

Abstract: The present invention is a fire control system. The fire control system comprises a manually aimed gun having a sighting device and a device for acquiring a target. The acquiring device is disposed at a location remote from the gun. The fire control system also comprises a device for determining the trajectory of the target with respect to the gun and providing information relating to the target to the sighting device of the gun such that an operator of the gun can aim the gun with respect to the sighting device to hit the target when the gun is fired. The determining device is in communication with the acquiring device and the sighting device. The present invention is also a fire control method for a minor caliber gun. The method comprises the step of acquiring a target from a location which is remote from the gun. Then, there is the step of determining the trajectory of the target with respect to the gun.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and an arrangement for checking the operability of the measured value detection system for an electronic power control arrangement of a motor vehicle. In the invention, and to check operation, the measured variable is converted by an analog/digital converter of the computer and is compared to a signal level determined from a signal derived from this measured variable. A fault condition in the area of the measured value detection system is assumed when impermissible deviations are determined between the two signals.

Abstract: A control device for an automatic motor vehicle transmission reduces engine torque during a shifting operation, in particular a shifting operation in a traction mode, in order to increase smoothness of shifting. The engine torque reduction is begun at the earliest upon reaching a free-wheel point of the transmission and is ended shortly before a synchronizing point of the transmission is reached. The free-wheel point and the synchronizing point of the transmission are ascertained from rpm differences in the gearshift elements involved in the particular switching operation. Differential rpm thresholds used in the process and the intensity of the torque reduction are ascertained with fuzzy systems.

Abstract: A navigation system suitable for use in an electric automobile, especially hybrid electric automobiles, easily and properly controls charging state of a battery in the electric automobile while making use of characteristic features of the navigation system. The navigation system is mounted on the electric automobile. A destination, to which one wants to drive by the automobile, is inputted as drive plan information. Based on a distance planned to be driven by the automobile to the destination and a remaining capacity of the battery determined by remaining capacity detector, it is determined whether the automobile can reach the destination with the remaining capacity of the battery.

Abstract: A method for automatically determining the productivity of an earthmoving machine in real time using an onboard computer. The earthmoving machine operates in cycles having a first portion and a second portion. The earthmoving machine moves in a first direction during the first portion and in a second direction during the second portion. The method includes the steps of detecting the starts of each cycle for a series of cycles, determining a machine parameter corresponding to each cycle, calculating a cycle parameter as a function of the machine parameter, and calculating at least one measure of productivity as a function of the cycle parameter.

Abstract: Apparatus for control of a moving vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an electronically-activated traction control system for control of traction of the wheels of the vehicle, with computer software for control of the system, a receiver for receiving an electronic signal and which is capable of being activated from a remote location and a controller implementing the computer software within the traction control system which is capable of being activated by a signal transmitted to the receiver. On receipt of the electronic signal, a reduction in the speed of the motor vehicle is effected by activation of the traction control system.

Abstract: An automatic transmission learning control apparatus comprises a memory for storing parameters in memory locations specified for respective gear shift operation modes. A physical quantity related to a gear shift operation made in the automatic transmission is measured. The parameter stored in the memory location specified by the sensed gear shift operation mode is updated in a direction to bring the physical quantity into agreement with a target value. The parameter to be updated is limited between upper and lower limits set for each of the gear shift operation modes. The parameter stored in the memory location specified by the sensed gear shift operation mode is used to control the gear shift operation.

Abstract: A system and method for determining which of a plurality of vehicles is able to respond most quickly to an event. In one embodiment, the present invention divides a geographic region into a plurality of geographic cells. The present automatic vehicle recommendation system then calculates a response time for each of the plurality of vehicles to travel from each of the geographic cells to every other of the geographic cells. The position of each of the plurality of vehicles is monitored by an automatic vehicle location (AVL) system. The present automatic vehicle recommendation system then determines which of the plurality of vehicles is able to respond most quickly to an event reported to a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system. The event is located within one of the geographic cells. The present invention then communicates to the CAD system which of the plurality of vehicles is able to respond most quickly to the reported event.

Abstract: An agricultural implement in accordance with the present invention includes a supporting member affixed to a farm vehicle, such as a tractor. The supporting member supports a plurality of sensors that each has a unique physical location along the supporting member such that the sensors traverse parallel paths as the vehicle moves across a field. Information gathered by the sensors can be combined with information as to the vehicle's position to create a map of the field. For example, information indicative of the presence or absence of weeds at specific locations in a field can be used to create a weed-map. To ensure that such maps accurately depict a field, the agricultural implement includes a control unit configured to automatically assign each sensor unit a unique address based upon the physical location of each sensor.

Abstract: An inertial pointing and control system and method for pointing to a designated target with known coordinates from a platform, to provide accurate position, steering, and command information. The system continuously receives GPS signals and corrects Inertial Navigation System (INS) dead reckoning or drift errors. An INS is mounted directly on a pointing instrument rather than in a remote location on the platform for monitoring the terrestrial position and instrument attitude, and for pointing the instrument at designated celestial targets or ground based landmarks. As a result, the pointing instrument and the INS move independently in inertial space from the platform since the INS is decoupled from the platform. Another important characteristic of the present system is that selected INS measurements are combined with predefined coordinate transformation equations and control logic algorithms under computer control in order to generate inertial pointing commands to the pointing instrument.