Abstract: A joist assembly system that is structured for dynamic retrieval of components, dynamic and precise positioning and location of retrieved components, assembly of the components to form a joist, and delivery of the assembled joist. The joist assembly system has a plurality of material handling systems, a plurality of welding systems, and a rigging table system. The material handling systems are structured to load and position the components such as chords and webs onto the rigging table. The rigging table in turn supports the chords or webs. Subsequently, the plurality of welding systems weld the webs to the chords to form the joist.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for synchronous communication in a control system is disclosed. Within a first time interval, a first source task is executed to broadcast a first destination task, within a second sequential time interval, the first destination task is communicated over a channel to a first destination, and within a third sequential time interval, the first destination task is consumed. Within the first time interval, a second source task may be executed to broadcast a second destination task, within the second sequential time interval, the second destination task may be communicated over the channel to a second destination, and within the third sequential time interval, the second destination task may be consumed. The first source task is allowed to be scheduled ahead of the second source task, and the second source task is allowed to be scheduled ahead of the first source task.

Abstract: A brake control system for brake by wire applications having a dual fail-silent pair controller architecture. The system utilizes two supervisory controllers and a shared monitoring controller to achieve the dual fail-silent pair configuration. The brake control system also features a mechanism whereby the monitoring controller ensures the fail-silent operation of the brake control units in the event of certain undesired events occurring within the system by assuming control of the affected brake control units. The control system further assures that no single event, including an event related to the monitoring controller, causes loss of more than half the braking functionality. The control system also features additional redundancy with regard to the brake command signals by sharing a separate unprocessed brake command signal with each of the supervisory controllers and the monitoring controller.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a navigation system for guiding users, in particular drivers of vehicles, to a destination having a route computer (10) which determines a route, in particular a driving route, from a starting position and to a destination position and transmits it to a destination guidance unit (15) which in accordance with the route or driving route determined issues guidance directions to the user as a function of the user's current position at the time and having a user identification unit (17) which transmits a user identification signal designating the user is question to a destination input unit (11) which from current time and user position data and from user-specific information establishes a destination position for the determination of a route, in particular a driving route.

Abstract: The automatic information acquisition system includes a process for the control of a tunable radio receiver to automatically receive, decode, and store digitally-coded information which has been transmitted by radio. Key elements of the system include a general-purpose digital computer, a tunable radio receiver, a hardware signal decoder (multi-mode data controller), a hardware interface (Mark/Space detector), and controlling software. The software causes the radio receiver to scan a pre-set range of frequencies in search of suitably formatted signals, as determined by the Mark/Space detector. When a suitable signal is located, the receiver scanning stops, the specific signal coding is identified, and the signal is decoded, with the received information being recorded on computer storage media. If the transmitted frequency shifts, the software will retune the receiver to prevent loss of signal.