Abstract: A vehicle (100) includes vehicle systems (11-13) coupled to a vehicle bus (10) and user devices (40-60) coupled to a user bus (30), the user bus coupled to the vehicle bus by a gateway (20). The user bus transports user information and the vehicle bus transports vehicle information. Based on one or more gateway rules, the gateway transports vehicle information to the user bus for the benefit of target user devices. Also based on these gateway rules, the gateway transports user information to the vehicle bus for the benefit of target vehicle systems. The gateway rules are programmed by both user devices and vehicle systems as follows: First, a proposed rule is provided (303) to the gateway. Second, the gateway determines (305) when to accept the proposed rule based on a variety of factors. Third, when the proposed rule is accepted, the proposed rule becomes (307) a gateway rule.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of assigning a unique device identification to an electronic device coupled into a communication architecture. Once coupled into the communication architecture a piece of globally unique identifying data is retrieved and utilized to generate a device identification which identification is then assigned to the device.

Abstract: An athletic training device includes a main control unit coupled to one or more finish line units via a communication link. The main control unit arranged to provide a pre-race start signal and a race start signal simulating an actual race event starting condition. The main control unit further arranged to time the race events, to determine reaction times and to measure weather and/or atmospheric conditions and to store all these as training statistics.

Abstract: An improved accuracy sensory system for vehicle navigation employs a sensor, such as a compass (515), or an odometer (509), for sensing a navigation parameter of a vehicle. A signal is provided from the sensor, having an erroneous component. A model free recognizer, such as a fuzzy inferencing navigation computer (501), is employed to recognize this erroneous behavior. After recognition, the sensor can be recalibrated, or assigned a clearness coefficient. The signal is then combined with other measurements of the same parameter and subjected to map matching before deriving the final navigation variable.

Abstract: Land vehicle multiple navigation route apparatus (10) includes a computer (11) for calculating at least first and second navigation routes (1, 2, or 3) between start (72) and destination (73) locations. Both routes are preferably visible to the vehicle operator at the same time along with route criteria such as route travel mileage and/or route estimated travel time. The vehicle operator then selects which of the displayed routes is to be used for providing him with route guidance information to the desired destination. The route display format may be a graphic map display (70) with routes displayed in different colors on a color CRT display (18). The second navigation route is calculated after calculating the first route, preferably by excluding some road path segments (1D) which were included in the first calculated route. Preferably the criterion to be used for alternate route calculation is determined prior to calculation of the first route.

Abstract: A vehicle route planning system (10) has an in-vehicle route planning computer (12) which receives trip data, including at least one destination. Trip data is provided to the computer either by a wireless communication link between a remotely located radio transmitter (44) and an antenna (20) on the vehicle (11) or by a remotely located media writer device (46) writing the trip information on a removable storage media device (30) which is then provided to an in-vehicle media reader device (31). In this manner a vehicle operator may enter trip data into a remotely located apparatus (at 40) which translates this trip data into electrical signals that are then subsequently coupled to the in-vehicle route planning computer (12) which then uses this data for calculating at least one desired route for the vehicle to the specified destination via fixed road paths. Preferably the route planning system (10) is part of a vehicle navigation system (10).