Abstract: A route defect detection system for a powered system, the route defect detection system including a control system connected to the powered system for application of tractive effort, and a processor to determine an unplanned change in the application of tractive effort and/or otherwise associated with the tractive effort of the powered system. Based on the unplanned change, the processor determines a type of defect encountered along a mission route. A method and computer software code stored on a computer readable media and executable with a processor are also disclosed for a powered system to detect a defect along a mission route.

Abstract: When a vehicle is started on an uphill road, slip may easily occur between vehicle wheels and a sloping road surface. When vehicle condition is changed from its stopping condition to its traveling condition on the uphill road, vehicle acceleration is controlled in a feed-back operation in such a manner that a target acceleration is made smaller as road gradient becomes larger or coefficient of friction becomes smaller.

Abstract: A method of estimating the available grip margin of a tire of a vehicle rolling on a ground involves: estimating a quantity Rslip ca, i.e., the ratio of the slip contact area and the total contact area of the tire on the ground; determining, in a signal processing unit, the grip potential used P?,used and/or the available grip margin of the tire P?,avail from the quantity and pre-established data corresponding to the type of the tire, where P?,avail=1?P?,used; and recording in a memory the grip potential used and/or the available grip margin of the tire.

Abstract: When a target yaw moment Ms is computed, an estimated lateral acceleration GH and estimated deceleration GT of a host vehicle are determined beforehand according to target yaw moment Ms, and when the estimated lateral acceleration GH is smaller than a threshold preset on the basis of the estimated deceleration GT the target yaw moment Ms is corrected to a smaller limit value Msm.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the calculation of aircraft braking friction and other relating landing parameters, including but not limited to aircraft braking action, aircraft takeoff distance, aircraft landing distance, runway surface conditions and runway surface friction based on the data collected by and available in the aircraft Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or other flight data management system, for example, the Quick Access Recorder (QAR), to provide all involved personnel in the ground operations of an airport and airline operations, including but not limited to aircraft pilots, airline operation officers and airline managers as well as airport operators, managers and maintenance crews, with the most accurate and most recent information on the true aircraft landing performance parameters to help better and more accurate safety and economical decision making.

Abstract: A brake control device that controls braking forces applied to wheels to stabilize the behavior of a vehicle turning a corner, and includes a turning condition detection unit detecting a turning condition of the vehicle; a braking amount setting unit setting braking amounts for the respective wheels based on the turning condition detected by the turning condition detection unit; a brake control unit applying braking forces to the wheels according to the braking amounts set by the braking amount setting unit; and a road surface friction coefficient estimation unit estimating a road surface friction coefficient of the road on which the vehicle is running. The braking amount setting unit changes upper limits of the braking amounts for the respective wheels according to the road surface friction coefficient when the vehicle is in a center differential lock mode or a direct four-wheel drive mode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calculating a standardized value for the actual runway braking coefficient of friction of one or more arriving aircraft using data from each aircraft's flight data recorder or flight data management system, standardizing the calculated information to provide redundancy and to make it usable by subsequently arriving aircraft, and reporting the calculated standardized value information to individuals and agencies including air traffic control, airport operations and maintenance, and aircraft pilots and ground crews; and A method and apparatus for calculating the actual runway braking coefficient of friction of an aircraft using data from the aircraft's flight data recorder or flight data management system, transmitting the data in real-time to an off-aircraft high-power computing system, calculating off-aircraft the landing aircraft's actual runway braking coefficient of friction, and reporting the calculated information to individuals and agencies including air traffic control, airpo

Abstract: A road shape recognition device includes: distance and height detecting means for detecting distance data having a distance and height in real space regarding a road surface where a vehicle is traveling at multiple mutually different points; approximation line calculating means for dividing the plurality of distance data into near and far groups as viewed from the vehicle to calculate an approximation line of the distance data for each group each time the distance data of the boundary portion between the two groups is transferred from one of the groups to the other; statistics calculating means for calculating statistics from the corresponding approximation line for each group where the distance data is transferred; and road shape model generating means for selecting one out of combinations of the approximation lines to generate a road shape model using the selected combination.

Abstract: Method for monitoring the state of a tire, in which at least one analysis value (UR i), from which the state of a tire is determined, is formed from wheel speed signals (?rot i) of the vehicle wheels, wherein the analysis value (UR i) is an absolute rolling circumference of a tire or a variable which represents the absolute rolling circumference of a tire, in particular a dynamic tire radius which is determined by evaluating wheel speed signals (?rot i) and signals from at least one sensor in order to measure the speed of the vehicle over an underlying surface, and the analysis value (UR i) is used to determine a loss of pressure and/or working loads of the tire, as well as a device for monitoring the state of the tire.

Abstract: Friction-circle limit values of wheels are calculated, requested resultant tire forces and resultant tire forces of the wheels are calculated, requested excessive tire forces and excessive tire forces of the wheels are calculated, an over-torque is calculated, and a control amount is calculated. With reference to a preset map, the minimum driving force is set on the basis of a road-surface slope and a requested engine torque, and the minimum driving torque serving as a lower limit is calculated on the basis of the minimum driving force and a total gear ratio of a vehicle so as to perform lower-limit correction of the control amount.

Abstract: A parameter ?(OUT) having an accelerator pedal position, a vehicle speed and a drive force as components is set according to information representing a driver's operation and information representing running environment of a vehicle. A gear is set according to the parameter ?(OUT) and a map determining the gear based on the accelerator pedal position, the vehicle speed and the drive force. A gear shift line is defined such that a rate of increase of the drive force with respect to the vehicle speed is zero or more. A down-shift line is defined such that the drive force decreases with increase in accelerator pedal position. Down-shift after up-shift as well as the up-shift after the down-shift are inhibited when both a condition that an amount of change of the accelerator pedal position after last gear shift is larger than a threshold and a condition that an amount of change of the drive force after the last gear shift is larger than the threshold are satisfied.

Abstract: A control device corrects the alignment of wheels of a vehicle during travel to improve fuel consumption performance. Operating conditions of a suspension device (alignment adjustment device) are controlled by alignment control while the vehicle is traveling, and when the alignment of the wheels is adjusted, travel resistance of the vehicle increases or decreases. The control device detects the travel resistance of the vehicle based on the value of an electric current supplied to a wheel drive device (electric motor), and the alignment of the wheels is adjusted so that the travel resistance of the vehicle decreases. As a result, the alignment of the wheels during travel is adjusted to a correct state to improve fuel consumption performance.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is provided with: braking force applying device (610, 620FL, 620FR, 620RL, 620RR) of a hydraulic type, capable of applying a braking force to each of wheels (FL, FR, RL, RR); a hydraulic pressure controlling device (100) capable of controlling a hydraulic pressure of the braking force applying device such that each of the wheels is not locked; a hydraulic pressure increasing or decreasing period changing device (100) capable of changing an increasing or decreasing period of the hydraulic pressure controlled by the hydraulic pressure controlling device; and a controlling device (100) for controlling the hydraulic pressure increasing or decreasing period changing device so as to change the increasing or decreasing period of the hybrid pressure corresponding to each of the wheels in contact with a road surface having a high road surface friction coefficient, from that in a case where a left-right braking force difference is not generated, in a case where the left-right braking force d

Abstract: A method for improving haul road surface conditions comprises collecting performance data associated with at least one machine operating on a haul route and determining a rolling resistance of each of the at least one machine based on the performance data. An average rolling resistance associated with one or more portions of the haul route is determined based on the rolling resistance of each of the at least one machine. The one or more portions of the haul route are identified as irregular if the average rolling resistance of the one or more portions exceeds a threshold resistance value. A proposed modification to the irregular portion of the haul route is generated, and performance of the at least one machine is simulated based on the proposed modification. The method also includes outputting results of the simulated performance.

Abstract: Engine driving characteristics are achieved for driving a hydraulic system during non-traveling and traveling in an electrically driven dump truck. When a shift lever 16 is located at a neutral position, the target revolution speed Nr1 corresponding to the operation amount (p) of an accelerator pedal 1 is calculated on the basis of first target revolution speed characteristics (Nr1(p)) which are suitable for driving of a hydraulic pump for working so that an electronic governor 4a is controlled on the basis of this target revolution speed. When the shift lever 16 is located at a forward position, the target revolution speed Nr2 corresponding to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 1 is calculated on the basis of second target revolution speed characteristics (Nr2(p)) which are suitable for driving of electric motors 12R, 12L so that the electronic governor 4a is controlled on the basis of this target revolution speed.

Abstract: A method for determining the friction value of a disk brake, in particular of self-energizing disk brakes, in which the friction value is determined on the basis of the: motor current for the application direction and retraction direction, idle current I0, wedge angle ?, transmission constant K, and clamping force.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the calculation of aircraft braking friction and other relating landing parameters, including but not limited to aircraft braking action, aircraft takeoff distance, aircraft landing distance, runway surface conditions and runway surface friction based on the data collected by and available in the aircraft Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or other flight data management system, for example, the Quick Access Recorder (QAR), to provide all involved personnel in the ground operations of an airport and airline operations, including but not limited to aircraft pilots, airline operation officers and airline managers as well as airport operators, managers and maintenance crews, with the most accurate and most recent information on the true aircraft landing performance parameters to help better and more accurate safety and economical decision making.

Abstract: A road-surface friction-coefficient estimating device compares a rack-thrust-force deviation value with a preliminarily set maximum-value-determination threshold value. If the rack-thrust-force deviation value is above the maximum-value-determination threshold value, the device determines that tires are slipping, and sets a front-wheel friction-circle utilization rate in that state as a road-surface friction coefficient. If the rack-thrust-force deviation value is below the maximum-value-determination threshold value, the device refers to a preliminarily set map to determine a restoring speed at which the road-surface friction coefficient is to be restored to 1.0 based on a vehicle speed and a front-wheel slip angle. While restoring the road-surface friction coefficient at the restoring speed, the device calculates and outputs the road-surface friction coefficient.

Abstract: A method for estimating a brake pressure, a longitudinal tire force and a tire-road ? during periods of antilock control that measures deceleration of a wheel during a period of constant brake pressure, reduces a brake pressure to cause slip on the wheel to begin reducing, measures reacceleration of the wheel after a point in time in which the change in brake pressure is completed, calculates a change in acceleration based on the measured reacceleration and the measured deceleration, estimates a change in brake pressure from a proportional relationship between the change in acceleration and a brake pressure value, estimates a brake pressure from the relationship between a time for valve activation during a change in acceleration and the change in brake pressure. The method also estimates a longitudinal tire force from a mathematical relationship between the change in acceleration, a tire radius, and the estimated brake pressure.

Abstract: An driving assist control unit controls actuators such as a front wheel steering device, an accelerator pedal mechanism, an alarm lamp. The control units estimates permissible tire-force being capable of acting on the vehicle tire on the basis of road-surface friction coefficient and ground load of the tire, and then calculates tire-force margin by subtracting current tire-force currently acting on the tire, such as total driving force and lateral force, from the permissible tire-force. The control unit then controls steering reaction force of the front wheel steering device, reaction force of the accelerator pedal, and flashing frequency of the alarm lamp in accordance with the magnitude of the tire-force margin, respectively.

Abstract: In a method for determining the vehicle longitudinal velocity in a vehicle, a wheel longitudinal force is determined in an estimation equation as a function of the wheel speeds and the vehicle longitudinal velocity is ascertained as a function of the wheel longitudinal force.

Abstract: In a non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, electrical power is adaptively managed. A profile of predetermined threshold levels of electrical loading is developed for phases of an operation. A profile of electrical loading is developed for the phases of the operation such that electrical loading is substantially a same predetermined margin below the predetermined threshold levels during the phases of the operation. During the phases of the operation, operational data indicative of an electrical power generation system's actual ability to support electrical loading and/or actual electrical loading is received. The profile of the predetermined threshold levels and/or the profile of electrical loading is adjusted responsive to the operational data such that electrical loading is maintained substantially the same predetermined margin below the predetermined threshold levels during the phases of the operation.

Abstract: A vehicle control device which can provide compatibility between a high grip performance and fuel efficiency is provided. When a camber angle of a wheel 2 is adjusted to a negative camber, ground contact pressure in a first tread 21 is increased and ground contact pressure in a second tread 22 is decreased. Accordingly, the high grip performance is provided. On the other hand, when the camber angle of the wheel 2 is adjusted to a positive camber, the ground contact pressure in the first tread 21 is decreased and the ground contact pressure in the second tread 22 is increased. Accordingly, a rolling resistance becomes low, and fuel saving is achieved. In this manner, by adjusting the camber angle of the wheel 2, the compatibility can be provided between conflicting performances of the high grip performance and the fuel saving.

Abstract: A method for active traction control of a vehicle can be performed to optimize corner exiting performance of a vehicle that is operating in a high performance or racing environment. The method estimates a real-time tire traction value during operation of the vehicle, computes a remaining tire traction value based upon a comparison of the estimated real-time tire traction value to a total available tire traction value, and calculates a traction system torque limit from the remaining tire traction value. The calculated torque limit can then be used to limit the actual traction system torque of the vehicle as needed in a real-time manner.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the calculation of aircraft braking friction and other relating landing parameters, including but not limited to aircraft braking action, aircraft takeoff distance, aircraft landing distance, runway surface conditions and runway surface friction based on the data collected by and available in the aircraft Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or other flight data management system, for example, the Quick Access Recorder (QAR), to provide all involved personnel in the ground operations of an airport and airline operations, including but not limited to aircraft pilots, airline operation officers and airline managers as well as airport operators, managers and maintenance crews, with the most accurate and most recent information on the true aircraft landing performance parameters to help better and more accurate safety and economical decision making.

Abstract: A method for providing a trailer equipped with trailer brakes with an electronically controlled trailer braking output to help slow a vehicle/trailer combination as quickly as possible, but in a stable and balanced manner. In situations where a low friction environment is detected, such as a wet or icy road, the present method can brake the trailer in a more aggressive manner than a gain setting would normally allow. This gain-independent segment of the trailer braking output can result in a shorter stopping distance for the vehicle/trailer combination, without causing excessive trailer wheel lockup.

Abstract: System and method for controlling vehicle operating characteristics. The method includes receiving, at a vehicle, global positioning system (GPS) data, and, based on the received GPS data, determining the vehicle's location. The method also receives data from another vehicle. The method then modifies one or more vehicle operating characteristics based on the determined location and on data received from another vehicle, the characteristics including a suspension dampening characteristic, a spring rate characteristic, ABS braking characteristics, stability control system characteristics, a seat shock absorber characteristic, etc.

Abstract: An optical disc drive apparatus which is mounted on a mobile apparatus, which at least reads information from a disc surface of an optical disc disposed in a predetermined position by using a pickup, which is robust against vibration, and which is capable of preventing collision between the disc surface of the optical disc and the pickup. The apparatus judges a road surface condition associated with location information on the basis of the location information concerning a location on a road on which the mobile apparatus is traveling, acquired externally and road surface condition information depending upon a road surface condition of a road on which the mobile apparatus travels. Servo characteristics of the optical drive apparatus are controlled according to control information associated with the judged road surface condition.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the calculation of aircraft braking friction and other relating landing parameters, including but not limited to aircraft braking action, aircraft takeoff distance, aircraft landing distance, runway surface conditions and runway surface friction based on the data collected by and available in the aircraft Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or other flight data management system, for example, the Quick Access Recorder (QAR), to provide all involved personnel in the ground operations of an airport and airline operations, including but not limited to aircraft pilots, airline operation officers and airline managers as well as airport operators, managers and maintenance crews, with the most accurate and most recent information on the true aircraft landing performance parameters to help better and more accurate safety and economical decision making.

Abstract: The invention relates to an automobile braking system with grip prediction and continuous control of braking pressure, including a hydraulic circuit which regulates braking pressure by controlling a proportional pressure value (8) which maintains the necessary pressure on the brake piston (6) in order to perform suitable braking. Braking control is permanently performed by a control system capable of recognizing actual grip conditions at all times and of establishing the ideal pressure conditions on the braking piston (6), said pressure being under optimal control at all times, ensuring that none of the wheels of the vehicle are subject to excessive skidding. Automobile braking can also be performed manually when the value (4) is in a standby position or in the event of a malfunction of the automatic braking control.

Abstract: A vehicle control method includes iteratively modifying a level of braking of the vehicle until it is determined that the vehicle has substantially lost traction with respect to the road surface, then determining the coefficient of friction between the road surface and the tire based on the level of braking at the time the vehicle substantially lost fraction. In one embodiment, previous ABS or other vehicle control events are used as a basis for estimating an initial level of braking to be applied during the friction measurement procedure. Such a deterministic maneuver can also function as a collision warning to the driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: A microcomputer is provided with an extracting section capable of extracting a specific frequency component from an input signal. The extracting section extracts, from a pinion angle corresponding to a signal indicating a state of the steering system, a frequency component corresponding to a vibration of a steering system caused by stress applied to steerable wheels. The extracting section outputs an effective value of the extracted frequency component as a power spectrum to a second computing section. In the case that the power spectrum output from the extracting section is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value, the microcomputer enhances a torque inertia compensation control so as to suppress vibration of the steering system caused by the stress. In other words, the microcomputer increases a torque inertia compensation amount corresponding to a compensation component based on a steering torque differential value.

Abstract: A parameter having an accelerator pedal position and a drive force as components is set according to information representing driver's operations such as the accelerator pedal position and a stroke amount of a brake pedal. Similarly to the information representing the driver's operation, a parameter having the accelerator pedal position and the drive force as the components is set according to information representing running environment of a vehicle such as a gradient of a road surface, a curvature of the road surface, a friction coefficient ? of the road surface, a type of a road and a length of traffic jam. One parameter ?(OUT) is set by mediating a parameter ?(1) obtained from the information representing the driver's operation and a parameter ?(2) obtained from the information representing the running environment of the vehicle. The gear corresponding to the parameter ?(OUT) is set.

Abstract: A system and method for estimating vehicle lateral velocity and surface coefficient of friction using front and rear axle lateral force versus side-slip angle tables and sensor measurements. The sensor measurements include lateral acceleration, yaw-rate, longitudinal speed and steering angle of the vehicle. The method includes calculating front and rear axle lateral forces and front and rear side-slip angles on the axles of the vehicle. The method also includes identifying two equations from the calculated lateral forces and the vehicle measurements. The method provides tables that identify a relationship between the calculated front and rear axle lateral forces and the front and rear side-slip angles, and determines the vehicle lateral velocity and surface coefficient of friction from the tables.

Abstract: Each time a prescribed cycle comes to an end, an ECU estimates an average retaining amount of brake fluid in a reservoir of the current prescribed cycle on the assumption that a pump has sucked a constant amount of brake fluid in the current prescribed cycle. The ECU calculates deviation between the average retaining amount at the end of the previous prescribed cycle and the average retaining amount at the end of the current prescribed cycle. The greater the deviation is, the greater a deviation correction amount the ECU sets. The ECU performs deviation pump control in which the target suction amount of the pump is set based on the reference suction amount and the deviation correction amount.

Abstract: The present invention refers to systems and to methods for determining at least one parameter relating to a tire-to-road contact and/or a relation between a wheel and a vehicle motion. In particular, the present invention refers to systems and to methods for determining the coefficient of friction between a tire and a road surface. For that purpose, the systems and methods according to the invention use new estimation filtering procedures.

Abstract: An on-board diagnostic system of a vehicle comprises disabling diagnostic operation, such as a misfire monitor, based on road roughness. In one example, the disabling of the diagnostic operation is based on brake actuation and degradation of an anti-lock braking system.

Abstract: A method for estimating the maximum tire/road surface coefficient of friction for a vehicle that includes actively inducing a small amount of acceleration or deceleration to the front wheels or the rear wheels of the vehicle and inducing a corresponding and opposite amount of acceleration or deceleration to the other of the front wheels or the rear wheels of the vehicle so that the acceleration and deceleration cancel each other and the perceived speed of the vehicle does not change. The tire/road surface coefficient of friction and a wheel-slip ratio can be used to determine a road surface condition.

Abstract: A vehicle behavior detection apparatus can accurately detect an unstable state of a vehicle without making an incorrect determination even if a travel environment of the vehicle is abnormal. The apparatus includes a road surface reaction torque detecting unit that detects a road surface reaction torque which a tire of the vehicle receives from a road surface, a steering angle detecting unit that detects a steering angle of the vehicle, a vehicle speed detecting unit that detects a speed of the vehicle, a standard road surface reaction torque calculating unit that calculates a standard road surface reaction torque from the steering angle and the vehicle speed, a vehicle behavior state detecting unit that detects the unstable state of the vehicle, and a vehicle behavior detection inhibiting unit that invalidates the vehicle behavior state detecting unit based on the road surface reaction torque and the standard road surface reaction torque.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the calculation of aircraft braking friction and other relating landing parameters, including but not limited to aircraft braking action, aircraft takeoff distance, aircraft landing distance, runway surface conditions and runway surface friction based on the data collected by and available in the aircraft Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or other flight data management system, for example, the Quick Access Recorder (QAR), to provide all involved personnel in the ground operations of an airport and airline operations, including but not limited to aircraft pilots, airline operation officers and airline managers as well as airport operators, managers and maintenance crews, with the most accurate and most recent information on the true aircraft landing performance parameters to help better and more accurate safety and economical decision making.

Abstract: A vehicle drive control device includes an initially determined request acceleration calculation means for calculating an initially determined request acceleration, an automatic drive control means for receiving the initially determined request acceleration and applying a predetermined torque to each wheel, a torque calculation means for calculating an allowable torque not causing a slip at each wheel when the allowable torque is applied thereto, on the basis of a vertical load applied to thereto and a friction coefficient of a road surface, a limit acceleration calculation means for calculating a limit acceleration acting on the vehicle in a case where the calculated allowable torque is applied to each wheel, and a request acceleration determination means for obtaining a request acceleration on the basis of the limit acceleration and the initially determined request acceleration, and for outputting the request acceleration, replacing the initially determined request acceleration, to the automatic drive contr

Abstract: A method for improving haul road surface conditions comprises collecting performance data associated with at least one machine operating on a haul route and determining a rolling resistance of each of the at least one machine based on the performance data. An average rolling resistance associated with one or more portions of the haul route is determined based on the rolling resistance of each of the at least one machine. The one or more portions of the haul route are identified as irregular if the average rolling resistance of the one or more portions exceeds a threshold resistance value. A proposed modification to the irregular portion of the haul route is generated, and performance of the at least one machine is simulated based on the proposed modification. The method also includes outputting results of the simulated performance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a method for controlling the thrust force of a belt of a CVT. The method includes: determining whether a rough road condition is satisfied; continuously calculating, in a case that the condition is satisfied, a thrust force for a first predetermined time by gradually increasing a safety factor to a safety factor of the rough road condition; increasing the thrust force of the belt to the calculated thrust force; and maintaining the thrust force according to the safety factor of the rough road condition for a second predetermined time. With that method, belt slip can be prevented and fuel efficiency can be improved.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel method for generating braking force in a wheel. In a vehicle having wheels, a wheel control device for controlling the wheels is provided with an actuator for performing an operation to vary a slip angle of the wheels, and a controller for controlling the actuator to increase the braking force of the wheels by increasing the slip angle absolute value of the wheels such that a lateral force is generated in the wheels relative to a ground contact surface of the wheels.

Abstract: There is provided a control unit including a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed, a vehicle stop determination module for determining whether or not a vehicle is stopping based on a detection result of the vehicle sensor and a controller, wherein the controller operates an inclination component of gravity acceleration in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle on a road surface on which the vehicle is running based on an output of the power source detected by a power source output sensor and a brake torque detected by a brake torque sensors when the stop determination unit is determining that the vehicle is in a stopped state and controls either of the output of the power source and the brake force based on the result of the calculation when the vehicle starts.

Abstract: According to the present invention, when a target braking/driving force and a vehicle target yaw moment required to a vehicle cannot be achieved through a control of a braking/driving forces of wheels, in a rectangular coordinate of the braking/driving force and the yaw moment, a polygon indicating the maximum range of the braking/driving force and the yaw moment attainable by the braking/driving forces of the wheels, and an ellipse that crosses each side of the polygon and has a major axis and a minor axis aligning with the coordinate axis of the rectangular coordinate are set, for example.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the calculation of aircraft braking friction and other relating landing parameters, including but not limited to aircraft braking action, aircraft takeoff distance, aircraft landing distance, runway surface conditions and runway surface friction based on the data collected by and available in the aircraft Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or other flight data management system, for example, the Quick Access Recorder (QAR), to provide all involved personnel in the ground operations of an airport and airline operations, including but not limited to aircraft pilots, airline operation officers and airline managers as well as airport operators, managers and maintenance crews, with the most accurate and most recent information on the true aircraft landing performance parameters to help better and more accurate safety and economical decision making.

Abstract: A vehicle brake fluid pressure control apparatus includes: a controller configured to control fluid pressures in wheel brakes to increase or reduce by controlling normally open electromagnetic valves and normally closed electromagnetic valves, wherein the controller perform: a pressure reducing in a pressure reducing cycle in which a basic pressure reducing control and a gradual pressure control are performed continuously in a case that the controller determines to execute a pressure reducing control with wheel speeds decreasing; a pressure reducing control in a basic pressure reducing amount in the basic pressure reducing control; and a temporary holding control for holding the fluid pressure and a fine pressure reducing control for executing a pressure reducing in an amount smaller than the basic pressure reducing amount in a case that the wheel speeds tend to decrease after the temporary holding control in the gradual pressure reducing control.

Abstract: A self monitoring vehicle braking system includes multiple sensors that gather data associated with the braking system. The data includes wheel speed, road inclination, moisture associated with a surface of the braking system, and audio associated with the road. A processor receives the data from the sensors and processes the data to determine whether a condition of the braking system falls within defined limits and provides to the driver of the vehicle an indication of the braking system condition.

Abstract: There is provided an obstacle detection apparatus for detecting an obstacle based on an image of periphery of a vehicle and a distance to an obstacle present in the vehicle's periphery.