Abstract: A heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system is provided that includes a memory and a control module. The memory stores settings. The settings are for interior temperatures of a vehicle, a temperature of a steering wheel, and temperatures of seats within the vehicle. The control module: collects data from one or more cameras, where the data corresponds to one or more captured images of an interior cabin of the vehicle; based on the data, displays a thermographic anthropomorphic figure on a display of the vehicle or a mobile device, where the thermographic anthropomorphic figure is a thermogram representative of temperatures of an occupant of the vehicle; receives via a user interface an input from a user to adjust one of the settings; and based on the input from the user, adjusts operation of a first controlled device to change at least one of the temperatures of the occupant.

Abstract: An agricultural apparatus includes an agricultural tractor and at least one agricultural implement. The agricultural tractor has at least one tractor controller and the agricultural implement has at least one implement controller. At least one wireless connection is connected to the at least one tractor controller and/or to the at least one implement controller. The agricultural tractor and/or the at least one agricultural implement has at least one adjustable setting controllable by the at least one tractor controller and/or by the at least one implement controller. A multi-purpose handheld wireless device communicates with the tractor controller and/or the implement controller by way of the wireless connection. The multi-purpose handheld wireless device has at least one application that transmits adjustment instructions to the tractor controller and/or to the implement controller to be carried out upon the at least one adjustable setting.

Abstract: A method of assisting the piloting of an aircraft having at least one actuator acting on a control member. The aircraft has a main measurement system and a secondary measurement system respectively determining at least one predicted value and at least one measured value of a parameter that is used in at least one flight-control law. A filter unit is used to estimate an estimated value of at least one parameter with the help of the predicted and measured values, and for estimating at least one measurement accuracy margin. Each measurement accuracy margin is compared with a corresponding threshold, and the flight-control law that is to be applied is selected as a function of the comparison.

Abstract: A vehicle hitch assistance system includes an imaging system, a steering system, a dead reckoning system, and a controller. The controller determines a hitch location within a vehicle exterior image received from the camera system, derives a vehicle path to align a hitch ball of the vehicle with the hitch location, and controls the steering system to guide the vehicle along the path including tracking the location of the vehicle using information received from the dead reckoning system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a hybrid drive device (2) which has an internal combustion engine (3) and an electric machine (4) which can be or is operatively connected to the internal combustion engine (3) and can be operated as a generator, wherein in a normal operating mode a temperature of the electric machine (4) is determined by means of a temperature sensor (14), and operation of the electric machine (4) is permitted only if the temperature is lower than a predefined maximum temperature. There is provision here that in the event of a defect in the temperature sensor (14) an emergency operating mode is carried out in which operation of the electric machine (4) is permitted only with limited power, limited torque and/or over a limited time period. The invention further relates to a hybrid drive device (2).

Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a switching unit which is capable of performing switching between a permission state in which an electric motor is permitted to operate and an inhibiting state in which the electric motor is inhibited from operating. An assembling management system of the electric vehicle includes an information obtaining section which obtains set information set in a vehicle body or a battery and transmits the obtained set information to a determiner section which determines whether or not the electric motor is permitted to operate based on the set information, and an output section which receives a result of determination from the determiner section, and outputs an electric signal indicating which of a permission state and an inhibiting state should be set in the switching unit.

Abstract: A computing device in a vehicle can determine an object by determining a first rectangular bound centered on the object based on joint probabilities of first 3D data points, then determining the object by determining a second rectangular bound centered on the object based on joint Bayesian probabilities of second 3D data points conditioned on the first rectangular bound and piloting the vehicle based on the determined object.

Abstract: A multi-wheeled vehicle employing an active aerodynamic control system is described. A method for controlling the vehicle and the active aerodynamic control system includes determining states of parameters related to ride and handling of the vehicle, and determining a current tractive effort based upon the states of parameters related to ride and handling of the vehicle. A desired tractive effort is determined based upon an operator desired acceleration, and an available tractive effort is determined based upon an available downforce transferable to the wheels from the active aerodynamic control system and downforces of the wheels. The active aerodynamic control system controls the downforce on one of the wheels to control the current tractive effort responsive to the desired tractive effort.

Abstract: A regenerative braking control apparatus includes an interface unit configured to receive driving information of a vehicle; an object detection device configured to generate object information based on detecting an object outside the vehicle; and at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to: determine whether to perform regenerative braking for the vehicle, based on the driving information and the object information; and provide at least one signal corresponding to a result of determining whether to perform the regenerative braking for the vehicle.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for picking up, transporting, and lowering a payload coupled to a tether of a winch system arranged on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). For example, the winch system may include a motor for winding and unwinding the tether from a spool, and the UAV's control system may operate the motor to lower the tether toward the ground so a payload may be attached to the tether. The control system may monitor an electric current supplied to the motor to determine whether the payload has been attached to the tether. In another example, when lowering a payload, the control system may monitor the motor current to determine that the payload has reached the ground and responsively operate the motor to detach the payload from the tether. The control system may then monitor the motor current to determine whether the payload has detached from the tether.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for infrastructure-centric vehicle mode selection. An example vehicle includes a GPS receiver to provide a location of the vehicle, memory storing instructions, and a processor. The example processor, when executing the instructions, causes the vehicle to (a) when the vehicle is in a vicinity of an infrastructure of interest, determine a low traction anomaly value, and (b) in response to the a low traction anomaly value satisfying a threshold, change a driving mode of the vehicle.

Abstract: Technology is described for sharing an autonomous vehicle. An autonomous vehicle may receive a request to perform a task. The autonomous vehicle may determine whether the task conflicts with previously scheduled tasks to be performed at the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may add the task to a schedule of tasks to be performed at the autonomous vehicle when the task does not conflict with the previously scheduled tasks. The autonomous vehicle may provide commands to enable the autonomous vehicle to perform the task in accordance with the schedule.

Abstract: When an own vehicle V1 crosses an opposite traffic lane R2 at an intersection to make a right turn, an ECU 20 such as a vehicle control device detects a presence of a crossing person P crossing a crosswalk CW existing near the intersection on a road R3 which the vehicle V1 is directed to enter by making the right turn, detects a size of a space between the crosswalk SP on which the detected crossing person P crosses and the opposite traffic lane, and when performing a control for braking the vehicle V1 so as to avoid a collision of at least the vehicle V1 with the crossing person P, changes a timing to perform the control for braking the vehicle V1 based on the detected size of the space SP up to the crosswalk CW.

Abstract: A path computing method, system, and computer program product, include extracting unpleasant data from a database to create a multi-variate spatio-temporal density function, collecting a tolerance level of a user, and computing a path for the user based on the tolerance level and the density function.

Abstract: A system for guiding a driver of a vehicle is disclosed. The system comprises a light sensor configured to detect light; and a processor configured to determine a position of vehicle on a roadway based on a characteristic of the detected light.

Abstract: Methods and devices for using a relationship between activities of different traffic signals in a network to improve traffic signal state estimation are disclosed. An example method includes determining that a vehicle is approaching an upcoming traffic signal. The method may further include determining a state of one or more traffic signals other than the upcoming traffic signal. Additionally, the method may also include determining an estimate of a state of the upcoming traffic signal based on a relationship between the state of the one or more traffic signals other than the upcoming traffic signal and the state of the upcoming traffic signal.

Abstract: A method for improving the safety and comfort of a vehicle driving over a railroad track, cattle guard, or the like. The method may include receiving, by a computer system, one or more inputs corresponding to one or more forward looking sensors. The computer system may also receive data characterizing a motion of the vehicle. The computer system may estimate, based on the one or more inputs and the data, a motion of a vehicle with respect to a railroad track, cattle guard, or the like extending across a road ahead of the vehicle. Accordingly, the computer system may change a suspension setting, steering setting, or the like of the vehicle to more safely or comfortably drive over the railroad track, cattle guard, or the like.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for positioning an unmanned robotic vehicle (URV). The URV captures a set of one or more of image and non-image information of an object while positioned at a first position, provides the set of image/non-image information to a server entity, in response to providing the set of image/non-image information, receives a three-dimensional (3D) model associated with the object, autonomously determines a second position based on the 3D model, and autonomously navigates to the second position. At the second position, the URV may capture further image and/or non-image information and, based on the further captured image/non-image information, autonomously determine, and navigate to, a third position. The steps of capturing further image and/or non-image information and, based on the captured image and/or non-image information, autonomously determining and navigating to further positions may be repeated indefinitely, or until otherwise instructed.

Abstract: An imaging system mounted on a vehicle is proposed. The imaging system includes: an imager configured to capture an image of the outside of a vehicle through a glass of the vehicle; a heater configured to heat at least an imaging region of a windshield included in an imaging range of the imager; an image processer configured to detect a fogging level of an image captured by the imager; and a controller configured to adjust the output of the heater based on a detected fogging level and allow the heater to heat the imaging region of the windshield.

Abstract: Techniques for verifying a location and identification of a landing marker to aid an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to deliver a payload to a location may be provided. For example, upon receiving an indication that a UAV has arrived to a delivery location, a server computer may process one or more images of an area that are provided by the UAV and/or a user interacting with a user device. A landing marker may be identified in the image and a representation of the landing marker along with instructions to guide the UAV to deliver the payload to the landing marker may be transmitted to the UAV and implemented by the UAV.