Vehicle Patents (Class 703/8)
  • Patent number: 8290752
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for designing an automotive vehicle, wherein an automotive module is an automotive vehicle part (1, 2) or a group of automotive vehicle parts, comprising: the step of modeling the automotive modules; the step of mapping the automotive module models; the step of integrating, in a modeling assembly, the links (3) between the automotive modules, which is realized directly between the modules and neither between their models nor between their mappings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventors: Jeremy Walter-Martin, Bruno Hazet, Celine Godard, Jerome Mortain, Laurent Houillon
  • Publication number: 20120259604
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for simulating the movements of a virtual vehicle, a user being in physical contact with a simulator including a force-feedback haptic interface, wherein said physical contact corresponds to at least one physical point of contact between the haptic interface and the body of the user that is representative of a virtual point of contact between the user and the virtual vehicle. Said method comprises at least two steps. A first step involves determining a linear acceleration vector (formula (I)) and a linear velocity vector (formula (II)) at the virtual point of contact between the user and the virtual vehicle, said vectors being representative of the movement of the vehicle at said point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (C.N.R.S.)
    Inventors: Nizar Ouarti, Anatole Lecuyer, Alain Berthoz
  • Patent number: 8285659
    Abstract: A method for modeling error-driven adaptive control of an aircraft. Normal aircraft plant dynamics is modeled, using an original plant description in which a controller responds to a tracking error e(k) to drive the component to a normal reference value according to an asymptote curve. Where the system senses that (1) at least one aircraft plant component is experiencing an excursion and (2) the return of this component value toward its reference value is not proceeding according to the expected controller characteristics, neural network (NN) modeling of aircraft plant operation may be changed. However, if (1) is satisfied but the error component is returning toward its reference value according to expected controller characteristics, the NN will continue to model operation of the aircraft plant according to an original description.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
    Inventors: Nilesh V. Kulkarni, John T. Kaneshige, Kalmanje S. Krishnakumar, John J. Burken
  • Patent number: 8280663
    Abstract: A computer-aided method suitable for calculating the position of a mobile surface of an object such an aircraft that moves through a fluid medium, which is affected by at least an upstream or downstream object component, for achieving a predetermined value Vo of a predetermined object performance target, including the following steps: preparing a computer-implemented CFD model of the object having said mobile surface in a first position; solving the CFD model and obtaining the value Vi of said object performance target; if the difference between Vi and Vo is greater than a predetermined value, modifying the CFD model changing the position of the mobile surface in the CFD model and iterating the solving step. The invention also refers to a system for carrying out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.L.
    Inventors: Carlos Artiles Albelda, David Perdones Díaz, Valentín De Pablo Fouce
  • Patent number: 8275591
    Abstract: A crane planner for planning an operation of a crane, in particular a crawler crane, with a central planning unit which comprises a central database with data on the usable cranes and a calculation module for calculating the load moments occurring during the operation, wherein the simulation and calculation of the operations is executed by the central planning unit and the input and output of data is effected via clients, the clients communicating with the central planning unit via the Internet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH
    Inventors: Armin Hübler, Ronny Türtscher, Rene Battlogg
  • Publication number: 20120226483
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a power source, a motor, and a computing device. The power source provides electrical energy to the motor, and the motor generates rotational motion from the electrical energy received. The computing device is configured to estimate a temperature of the motor in real time based at least in part on a thermal model of the motor. The thermal model includes a plurality of nodes and at least one thermal resistance. Each node represents a region of the motor and each thermal resistance represents a heat transfer path between at least two of the nodes. A method includes solving one or more energy balance equations to determine a temperature change at each node and estimating the temperature of the motor in real time based at least in part on the temperature change at each node and at least one of the thermal resistances in the thermal model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Daniel J. Berry, Pankaj Mithal, Paul F. Turnbull, Peter J. Savagian, Chia-Chou Yeh, Steven E. Schulz
  • Patent number: 8255174
    Abstract: A method and device for determining critical buffeting loads on a structure of an aircraft is disclosed. The device (1) comprises means (2, UC) implementing a semi-empirical method for determining the critical loads generated by some buffeting on the structure of the airplane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (SAS)
    Inventors: Guillermo Jenaro Rabadan, Juliane Havas, Stéphane Soumillon, Carole Despre-Flachard
  • Publication number: 20120209579
    Abstract: Techniques involving modeling and analysis of operational metrics in transportation industries are disclosed. Representative methods involve defining a set of fuel consumption performance factors having a potential to impact vehicle fuel economy. Fuel consumption performance factors are received, and categorical variables are identified from at least a subset of the fuel consumption performance factors to create one or more categorical groupings. The fuel consumption performance factors associated with at least one of the categorical groupings are processed to identify a hypothetical maximum fuel economy or “baseline” for the at least one of the categorical groupings, and to identify fuel economy deduction coefficients based on the fuel consumption performance factors that adversely impact the hypothetical maximum fuel economy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Inventors: Thomas S. Fansler, Ronald Edward Konezny
  • Publication number: 20120203528
    Abstract: A simulator used in a distributed process simulation includes: a storage unit configured to store map information, agent information, and area allocation information; a simulation execution unit; a condition determination unit configured to determine the condition of the reference agent to be referenced by the simulation execution unit based on a movement state of the agent; an allocation discrimination unit configured to discriminate another computer allocated an area in which the reference agent corresponding to the condition can be located; and an agent information acquisition unit configured to acquire the information about the agent satisfying the condition of the reference agent from the other discriminated computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Takuro IKEDA, Eiji Kitagawa, Hiroshi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20120197618
    Abstract: A system and method for vehicular networking and applications visualization comprises selecting a simulation area, converting the selected simulation area to graph representation, eliminating streets outside the simulation area, generating, using the graph representation, vehicles and random vehicle traffic in the simulation area, calculating vehicle movement in coordinates, transforming the calculated coordinates into a format compatible with a general purpose communication networking simulation tool, simulating, using the transformed calculated coordinates and the general purpose communication networking simulation tool, an application, and performing visualization of the simulation. The application can be local traffic information, the vehicle movement and communication among the vehicles. The simulation can be at least 2000 seconds and communication can be disruption tolerant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicants: Toyota InfoTechnology Center, U.S.A., Inc., Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcus Pang, Wai Chen, Jasmine Chennikara-Varghese, Yibei Ling, Rama Vuyyuru, Junichiro Fukuyama
  • Patent number: 8229880
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for performing acid fracturing operations of an oilfield. The method includes obtaining a plurality of historical data of acid fracturing treatments of the oilfield, generating a neural network based on the plurality of historical data, identifying a stimulation parameter, in the neural network, associated with optimal performance of the acid fracturing treatments, and establishing a best practice procedure for performing the acid fracturing operations based on the stimulation parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Alexandre Boulatsel, Matteo Giovannoli
  • Patent number: 8229716
    Abstract: Computer implemented methods and systems using a multidimensional Monotonic Lagrangian Grid (MLG) to sort and order locations of aircraft, are used for simulating, controlling, and optimizing aircraft traffic systems. The MLG is combined with algorithms for collision detection and resolution, separation assurance, and updating aircraft trajectories, and applied to test cases of the air transportation system. Physical locations describing aircraft traffic moving in complex paths are stored into a data structure of the multidimensional MLG algorithm. The moving aircraft traffic platforms are sorted and ordered on a grid structure in real space and in an indexing space, causing a monotonic mapping between indices of the grid structure and locations describing the plurality of moving aircraft. Computer operations using data stored in the multidimensional MLG determine control strategies for aircraft separation assurance and optimum routes to circumvent blockages in transport paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Carolyn R. Kaplan, Elaine S. Oran, Natalia Alexandrov, Jay P. Boris
  • Patent number: 8229712
    Abstract: An FEM analysis system is provided which is capable of analyzing with high accuracy and within a short time in a drop shock analysis of electronic devices in which a very small mesh size is incorporated. Processing to be performed by an optimal solution selecting and analyzing section includes a step of checking whether an analysis to be performed is a shock analysis, a step of searching for a minimum mesh size when the analysis to be performed is judged to be a shock analysis, a step of creating a simplified analysis model using the minimum mesh size, a step of performing a preliminary analysis on a simplified model by an implicit method and explicit method, and a step of selecting either of the implicit method or explicit method as an optimal analysis method by comparing results from preliminary analysis, results from these analyses and experiments or exact solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Ichiro Hirata
  • Publication number: 20120179442
    Abstract: A computing device includes a host application and an analytical tool. The host application is configured to present an interface to a user and allow the user to modify a component model. The component model includes a three-dimensional representation of at least a portion of a vehicle component and has a virtual housing at least partially defining an internal cavity. The analytical tool is configured to generate a solid body representing the internal cavity and calculate a volume of the solid body. The analytical tool is further configured to determine whether the internal cavity is bounded by the virtual housing of the component model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Richard A. Pashnik, David Wilkinson, Gregory Chessky
  • Patent number: 8219369
    Abstract: A method determines overlap regions by identifying a face on a first component part of an assembly that is less than a specified gap distance from a face on a second component part of the assembly. The method is also for determining if a minimum width of each of one or more the overlap regions exceeds a specified maximum value, and if the minimum width of an overlap region does not exceed the specified maximum value, determining a guide curve along a centerline of the overlap region. If the minimum width of an overlap region exceeds the specified maximum value, the method is further for determining two or more guide curves along an offset of two or more edges of the overlap region. The method also is for determining one or more joint locations along the guide curve or curves based upon one or more parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Sofrware Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas R. Thompson, Jr., Anthony J. Salerno
  • Patent number: 8214069
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for automatically generating an optimal configuration of a product having a complex design, using logic implemented on a digital computer processing system. A general configuration for the product will be broken down into a hierarchy of subdesigns by a designer of an artifact type, such as a bus. A particular instance of the product type must satisfy a set of external parametric constraints specified by a user. These constraints may take the form of a range of values for some performance characteristic of the product. Constraints may also be imposed for other reasons, such as governmental regulations or business requirements. The hierarchical decomposition facilitates the solution of highly complex problems. Criteria for a best solution may be specified for a given subdesign, for a collection of subdesigns, or globally. The tentative selection of a particular subdesign may impose internally generated parametric constraints upon a subsequent subdesign solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Certusoft, Inc.
    Inventors: Sermet Yücel, William D. Headrick, Samuel E. Martin, M. Germana Paterlini
  • Publication number: 20120166154
    Abstract: A dynamometer may be configured to simulate the rotating inertial characteristics of a wheel-tire assembly slipping relative to a road surface and having rotating inertial characteristics different than the rotating inertial characteristics of the wheel-tire assembly being simulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: HORIBA INSTRUMENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Donald Bryce Johnson, Norman Malcolm Newberger, Isaac Cohen Anselmo
  • Publication number: 20120166167
    Abstract: A method of improving the high-speed uniformity of tire performance that reduces low and/or high harmonics. The method includes determining a force variation that is created by rotation of a first tire, having a first tread design, at high speed. A second order harmonic of the force variation is analyzed. A second tire design is generated that circumferentially shifts one or more ribs of the first tread design to minimize the second order harmonic alone or in combination with other order harmonics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: THE GOODYEAR TIRE AND RUBBER COMPANY
    Inventors: Tao Song, Karl Eric Sundkvist
  • Patent number: 8209159
    Abstract: A method for reconstructing gusts and/or structural loads at aircraft, in particular passenger aircraft. The method includes generating an observer on the basis of a nonlinear model of the aircraft which describes the movement of the aircraft in all six degrees of freedom (DoF) and the elastic motion of the aircraft structure; continuously supplying all the data and measurements substantial for the description of the state of the aircraft to the observer; and calculating the gust velocities and structural loads (maneuver and gust loads) by the observer from the supplied data and measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Lars Bensch, Hermann Henrichfreise, Juergen Jusseit, Ludger Merz
  • Patent number: 8209157
    Abstract: Methods and systems for simulating beam-to-surface contacts in finite element analysis (FEA) are disclosed. A FEA model contains at least one beam element and at least one surface mesh. Surface mesh comprises a plurality of two-dimensional finite elements having arbitrary mesh density. A minimum characteristic length (CL) of the surface mesh is calculated. One or more interior points are defined for those beam elements with length longer than CL. For every nodal point (i.e., end nodes and interior points if any), a parametric coordinate between 0 and 1 inclusive is established and kept constant throughout the FEA analysis. Distributed nodal masses are used for calculating a stiffness value for calculating nodal force to resist penetration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Livermore Software Technology Corporation
    Inventor: John O. Hallquist
  • Patent number: 8200463
    Abstract: A method of simulating a tire rolling on a road at a certain speed by using a computer apparatus 1 comprises the steps of: modeling a flexible tire model 2 for numerical calculation by using finite elements having at least one elastic element (step S1), changing at least one elastic element of the flexible tire model 2 to rigid elements so as to make a rigid tire model 5 (step S6), accelerating the rigid tire model 5 (step S7), returning the elasticity of each element of the rigid tire model 5 into the original elasticity when the speed of the rigid tire model 5 has reached the certain speed (step S8), and obtaining at least one physical parameter related to the flexible tire model 2 (step S10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Ueda, Masaki Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 8195345
    Abstract: The method for generating an integrated guidance law for aerodynamic missiles uses a strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm (SPEA)-based approach for generating an integrated fuzzy guidance law, which includes three separate fuzzy controllers. Each of these fuzzy controllers is activated in a unique region of missile interception. The distribution of membership functions and the associated rules are obtained by solving a nonlinear constrained multi-objective optimization problem in which final time, energy consumption, and miss distance are treated as competing objectives. A Tabu search is utilized to build a library of initial feasible solutions for the multi-objective optimization algorithm. Additionally, a hierarchical clustering technique is utilized to provide the decision maker with a representative and manageable Pareto-optimal set without destroying the characteristics of the trade-off front. A fuzzy-based system is employed to extract the best compromise solution over the trade-off curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals
    Inventors: Hanafy M. Omar, Mohammad A. Abido
  • Publication number: 20120136639
    Abstract: A method for simulating deformation of a body element of a motor vehicle that occurs during an impact event includes providing a model of the body element that includes an initial load distribution pattern. A first simulation output is generated during a first portion of the impact event using the initial load distribution pattern and includes data indicative of the deformation of the body element. Whether a portion of the body element is in a failure condition is determined based on the first simulation output. If a failure condition is determined, the load distribution pattern of at least a portion of the body element is updated, and a second simulation output including data indicative of the deformation of the body during a second portion of the impact event is generated using the updated load distribution pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Naga A. Narayana
  • Publication number: 20120136640
    Abstract: A performance evaluation method of a vehicle member includes a calculation process for performing an analysis using a partial structure CAE model modeling a module where a member of a vehicle to be evaluated and a collision test device for conducting a collision test on the member are combined, and obtaining a value of a collision performance evaluation parameter in the partial structure CAE model; a calculation process for determining a boundary condition of the partial structure CAE model; a calculation process for determining a test condition of a member collision test device based on the boundary condition of the partial structure CAE model; and a test process for conducting a collision test using a physical member collision test device and a physical member, based on the set condition of the member collision test device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasunori Ito, Kazuyuki Kawano, Yasuharu Tanaka, Hiroshi Yoshida, Toshiyuki Kanda, Satoshi Hirose
  • Publication number: 20120130695
    Abstract: Predicted environment conditions are received for time steps within a prediction horizon N. Information is accessed regarding expected system responses generated by a system model, each expected system response related to a different combination of control parameters and starting environment conditions applied to the model. An optimal response is designated for each combination of starting environment conditions for each time step from time step N-1 to the current time step based in part on the expected system response and the predicted environment conditions, each optimal response in a time step based at least in part on an optimal response determined for a later time step. For the current time step, for starting environment conditions substantially similar to the current environment conditions, the combination of control parameters that results in the system response designated as the optimal response is determined from the expected system responses and is applied to the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventors: Vasilios Tsourapas, Chinmaya B. Patil
  • Publication number: 20120109610
    Abstract: A method predicts and quantifies the threat posed to a human-operated device based on an optimal device trajectory through a constraint-bounded corridor. A model of the device together with a model of anticipated hazards and the current state of both the device and the hazards are used to iteratively generate an optimal device trajectory through a constraint-bounded corridor or region within state space. Device dynamics are forward-simulated over a time horizon. A method generates a threat assessment metric from the resulting sequence of optimal vehicle states. This threat assessment may be used to devise various types and levels of operator assistance. The human operator can control the device within a safe corridor or region. Threat assessment is based on the nearness of successive optimal trajectory predictions to limits of safe device handling rather than on deviation from a predefined path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Sterling J. Anderson, Steven C. Peters, Karl D. Iagnemma
  • Publication number: 20120101793
    Abstract: The invention in particular has as an object aid in diagnosis of a system of an aircraft, comprising a plurality of sub-systems at least one of which comprises means for monitoring and notification of at least one detected event, using graphs of feared events. After a message of notification of occurrence of the said detected event has been received (500), a set of feared events linked to this message is created (510) from the said graph of feared events, and logic expressions—using as operands elements of the system coherent with the feared events of the said set—are constructed (515) according to the logic links represented in the said graph of feared events. A group of feared events then is created (520) according to elements of the said logic expressions. The minimal vertexes of the logic expressions associated with the feared events of the said group are calculated and form a diagnosis of the said system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicants: Airbus Operations (S.A.S.), Airbus (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Vincent Cheriere, Christophe Abelin, Jeremy Roger, Laia Vilalta-Estrada
  • Publication number: 20120101794
    Abstract: The present invention provides a device and a method for the residual analysis of a residuum to detect system errors in the system behaviour of an aircraft. The device for the residual analysis of a residuum comprises an apparatus to generate the residuum at least dependent on the reference variable and the system output variable, a comparator unit to provide an analytical result by comparing the residuum to a given threshold, a first unit to provide a constant threshold portion, a second unit to provide an adaptive threshold portion at least dependent on the reference value, which can change over time, and a third unit to provide the threshold by linking the constant threshold portion to the adaptive threshold portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH
    Inventors: Marcus GOJNY, Udo B. CARL, Helge SACHS
  • Patent number: 8155940
    Abstract: A system and method for predicting fatigue life in metal alloys for very high cycle fatigue applications. The system and method are especially useful for cast metal alloys, such as cast aluminum alloys, where a fatigue endurance limit is either non-existent or hard to discern. Fatigue properties, such as fatigue strength in the very high cycle fatigue region, are based on a modified random fatigue limit model, where the very high cycle fatigue strength and infinite life fatigue strength are refined to take into consideration the sizes of the discontinuities and microstructure constituents since the fatigue life scatter depends upon the presence of discontinuities and microstructure constituents. The sizes of the discontinuities and microstructure constituents that can initiate fatigue cracks can be determined with extreme value statistics, then input to the modified random fatigue limit model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Qigui Wang, Bob R. Powell, Jr., Peggy E. Jones, Cherng-Chi Chang
  • Patent number: 8149237
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus according to the present invention deforms stored first mesh information of a three-dimensional object based on a deformation instruction for instructing deformation of the three-dimensional object, to acquire second mesh information, acquires a first slice information group, which is a plurality of slice information, based on the second mesh information, determines color information of the points after deformation from stored 3D voxel information, sets new color information for the points of the first slice information group based on the determined color information of the points to acquire a second slice information group, and displays that second slice information group. With this information processing apparatus, it is possible to render deformation in the shape of a three-dimensional object in real time, along with the color information of its surface and interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: National University Corporation Nara Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Megumi Nakao, Tomohiro Kuroda
  • Patent number: 8145461
    Abstract: A method for verifying an inertial unit for a moving body, the unit being mounted on a movement simulator, and the method includes: theoretical modeling of the inertial unit on the movement simulator, supplying theoretical inertial data representing measurement inertial data deemed to be measured by the inertial unit; simulation modeling including modeling of the inertial unit in a real navigation environment, the simulation modeling being fed with control commands and supplying simulation inertial data representing output data from the inertial unit in real navigation environment; calculating control commands as a function of the measurement inertial data, the simulation inertial data, and the theoretical inertial data; and validating the inertial unit by comparing the path of the moving body with a reference path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: MBDA France
    Inventor: Laurent Bourzier
  • Publication number: 20120053916
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for enhancing estimation of parameters for an aircraft simulator having a simulation model and covariance matrix. According to embodiments of the invention the method comprising providing a first estimation of predetermined parameters of the aircraft's maneuvers performance, performing maneuvers with the aircraft, collecting actual flight data over a time representing the maneuvers of the aircraft, dividing the actual flight data into segments with quasi-constant velocity, feeding recorded flight control data of each segment into the simulation model, comparing output from the simulation model with actual flight data to determine an error vector and updating the covariance matrix and the estimation of the desired parameters using the error vector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventor: Aviv Tzidon
  • Publication number: 20120041734
    Abstract: A system and method for collaborative building of a shared self-refining surrogate model for engineering simulations are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes running a reduced order engineering simulation model on a complex system, and querying a shared self-refining surrogate model upon receiving a request for a higher order simulation for a reduced order simulated item. The method also includes estimating a required higher order simulation result having a desired confidence interval for the reduced order simulated item, and determining whether the required higher order simulation result having the desired confidence interval is in the shared self-refining surrogate model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Inventor: Thierry Chevalier
  • Publication number: 20120029893
    Abstract: A simulation system, method, and article of manufacture. A simulation system has a discrete and a continuous portion. The discrete portion further has a peripheral emulator in communication with the continuous portion of the simulation system. A portion of a peripheral emulator is separated and is caused to operate in a thread of a continuous system. The continuous system and the peripheral are in loose synchronization and therefore sparsely communicate with each other. The configuration significantly reduces the frequency of inter-thread communications between the continuous system and the discrete system that are performed in response to a continuous clock in a simulation system including the continuous system and the discrete system, thereby reducing communication cost. Accordingly, the operation speed of the simulation system can be increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Komatsu, Fimitomo Ohsawa, Shuichi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8104159
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a belt for a continuously variable transmission (CVT) in which multiple V blocks of a plurality of types having different thicknesses are attached to an endless body. The method includes forming a plurality of V block groups respectively having a different ratio of different types of V blocks; and forming a series of V blocks by attaching a plurality of V blocks to the endless belt to provide said plurality of V block groups. The V block groups have different ratios of the plurality of types of V blocks to provide a belt whose noise level is low and dispersed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignees: Aisin AW Co., Ltd, Cvtec Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Hattori, Katsumori Fujii, Ryo Nakamura, Hideki Makino, Yohei Ito
  • Publication number: 20120010863
    Abstract: The invention relates to a simulator for simulating the stresses on a human body generated in the course of the movement of a vehicle, having a control element, a control unit, a display device of the surroundings and actuating elements. So that the full imitation of all physical inertia forces acting on the human body in the course of the various driving conditions is achieved, the invention provides that the control unit is connected with the actuating elements, and that the actuating elements are connected with the human body by means of an element (vest 8) directly acting on the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventor: ALEXEY BORISOVICH LUKYANOV
  • Publication number: 20120010803
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for estimating a vehicle arrival time. The system receives information representing prior travel times of vehicles between pre-determined vehicle stops along a vehicle route. The system receives real-time data representing a current journey. The current journey refers to a movement of a vehicle currently traveling along the route. The system calculates a regular trend representing the current journey based on the received prior travel times information and the received real-time data. The system computes a deviation from the regular trend in the current journey. The system determines a future traffic status in subsequent vehicle stops in the current journey. The system estimates, for the vehicle, each arrival time of each subsequent vehicle stop based on the calculated regular trend, the computed deviation and the determined future traffic status.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wanli Min, Laura Wynter
  • Patent number: 8095394
    Abstract: A rich-media system allows a user to illustrate damage and request payment in accordance with an insurance policy or another arrangement. The rich-media system includes network servers that may operate and appear to remote client applications and remote computers as if the network servers were a single computer. A damage indicator tool resident to one of the network servers enables a remote user to visually illustrate damage to an item through a rich-media application. The damage indicator may support a relative pointing device and an absolute pointing device. An incident animator tool linked to the damage indicator tool in some rich media systems enables the remote user to visually recreate an event in a second rich media application. An optional scheduler linked to the incident animator tool and the damage indicator tool may enable the remote user to schedule an appointment to have the damage inspected or repaired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Progressive Casualty Insurance Company
    Inventors: Vikki Nowak, Brian Brylinksi
  • Patent number: 8090560
    Abstract: A method for haul road design based on greenhouse gas emissions comprises receiving a first set of performance data associated with a plurality of machines and establishing a greenhouse gas emission limit for the plurality of machines based on the first set of performance data. A target greenhouse gas emission level for each of the plurality of machines is determined based on the greenhouse gas emission limit, and total effective grade is determined based on the target greenhouse gas emission level for the respective machine. The method also includes generating a haul road design based on the total effective grade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jonny Ray Greiner, Yang Liu, Bhavin Jagdishbhal Vyas
  • Patent number: 8090561
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for visually simulating physical installation of a virtual wheel portion on a wheeled vehicle. The system generally comprises a portable display unit, a controller unit, and a support unit. The portable display unit is operable to graphically render an image of a preselected virtual wheel. The controller unit is operably coupled to the display unit for generating the image selectively for one of a plurality of distinct virtual wheel types. The controller unit adaptively generates the preselected virtual wheel image responsive to a viewing factor. The support unit is coupled to the display unit for adjustably situating such display unit to substantially mask a wheel of the vehicle, whereby the image of the preselected virtual wheel is visually integrated with the vehicle in substantially seamless manner to visually simulate its physical installation on the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Inventor: Jai Shin
  • Patent number: 8086430
    Abstract: The present invention uses spring models to position a finite element occupant model within a pre-simulation. Initially, a starting position and a final position for the finite element occupant model are determined. A first end of each of a plurality of spring models are attached at a first end to one or more components of the finite element occupant model in its starting position. The motion of the second end of each spring model is prescribed using positioning parameters and/or properties of each spring model are specified using spring parameters so that each attachment point is pulled to its final position through tension on the spring models. The specified positioning parameters and/or spring parameters describe how each spring model repositions the components of the finite element occupant model from the starting position to the final position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dylan Thomas
  • Patent number: 8082666
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a bodywork component of a motor vehicle that has first been shaped and is then thermally surface-treated, said method comprising iterative simulated steps with variable geometric data of tools that are used in the shaping process. According to the invention, a continuous check verifies whether the expected geometric data of the component lies within the permitted tolerance range of the nominal geometric data of the component. If this is not the case, the geometric data and the generation of corrected tool geometric data is modified. This takes place in two stages, the first stage for the shaping steps and the subsequent stage for the process steps of the thermal surface treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jens Baumgarten, Oliver Lenhart, Peter Plapper
  • Publication number: 20110313740
    Abstract: A vehicle behavior estimation device includes: a storage unit configured to store a restriction condition at a point of a vehicle for which behavior is estimated; vehicle state data that includes position information and speed information of the vehicle; behavior parameters that include speed information and acceleration information of the vehicle; and physical restriction conditions that include an upper limit and a lower limit of the acceleration information; and a processor configured to obtain the vehicle state data by using the restriction condition at the point; calculate behavior parameters of a vehicle model that satisfy a physical restriction condition from the vehicle state data and the restriction condition at the point; update the vehicle state data of the vehicle model based on the behavior parameters; and repeat processing to calculate behavior parameters by using the updated vehicle state data and to update the vehicle state data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Takuro IKEDA, Eiji Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 8078443
    Abstract: A bill of material and a design layout are aligned to generate a configuration for a virtual vehicle. The bill of material includes a part number and usage associated with a part. The design layout includes a CAD model of the part. CAD models in vehicle position are generated from the design layout. Logical positions are identified based on the usage and the CAD models in vehicle position are associated with the logical positions. Feature conditions are applied to the CAD models in vehicle position representing content and position configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: David Michael Knapp, Gary Stuart Wallace, Lars Thure Johansson
  • Patent number: 8078373
    Abstract: A method for predicting the dynamics of a vehicle using information about the path on which the vehicle is travelling that has particular application for enhancing active safety performance of the vehicle, to improve driver comfort and to improve vehicle dynamics control. The method includes generating a preview of a path to be followed by the vehicle where the preview of the path is generated based on actual values of a plurality of vehicle parameters. The method further includes obtaining a corrected value of at least one of the plurality of vehicle parameters corresponding to the actual values of each of the plurality of vehicle parameters, wherein the corrected value of the at least one of the vehicle parameters is obtained based on a target path to be followed by the vehicle on the road, and wherein the target path is obtained on the basis of a plurality of road parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Weiwen Deng, Yong H. Lee
  • Publication number: 20110288840
    Abstract: A vehicle simulation system includes a compiler module, a parser module, a wrapper module, a modeling module, and a simulation module. The compiler module generates object code that is compatible with a first type of operating system based on source code that is executable by a vehicle control module and that is compatible with a second type of operating system. The parser module generates a definitions file and an extensible markup language (XML) file based on the source code and the object code. The wrapper module generates a library file based on the object code and the definitions file. The modeling module generates model-based source code for a virtual model based on the XML file and a user configuration of the virtual model. The simulation module simulates operation of a plant of a vehicle with the virtual model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael A. Kropinski, Minghui Kao, Gary Ferries, Hamid M. Esfahan, Wen-Chuan Lin, Michael A. Steele, Onassis Matthews
  • Publication number: 20110288841
    Abstract: A vehicle simulation system includes a first simulation model that when executed simulates a software ring along with other software of a vehicle module. The vehicle simulation system further includes a second simulation model of the software ring. A bypass switch that has a first state and a second state. A bypass switching module switches the bypass switch between the first simulation model and the second simulation model based on a bypass signal and a ring enabling signal. A simulation control module executes code of a vehicle simulation model including software in-the-loop (SIL) testing of a selected one of the first simulation model and the second simulation model based on state of the bypass switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Johan Larsson, Tobias Berndtson, Kenneth K. Lang, Xuefeng Tim Tao, Colin Hultengren, Michael A. Kropinski, Manmeet Mavi, Sriram Venkataramanan, David W. Wright
  • Patent number: 8065252
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an engineering design method and a system of implementing same. In one embodiment, the method includes a construction process of knowledge components and a design process based on the knowledge components. The knowledge components pack universal modules in the standard forms. Accordingly, the knowledge components are independent from design layouts or design processes of products, and reusable in different projects and platforms. The design process integrates a variety of software platforms via an uniform environment and calls the knowledge components to complete the engineering designs. Further, the design process defines a data relation and an execution relation of the knowledge components and establishes a relationship between the knowledge components without programming. The universal module comprises at least operations, methods, rules and/or flows of an engineering design process and engineering analysis process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Sysware Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yi-Zhang Li, Zhen-Hua Wang, Yuan-Yu Chen, Xin Xu, Chao Su
  • Patent number: 8065464
    Abstract: A method for transmitting data from and to a control device, in particular an engine control device for a motor vehicle that has a first communication interface and a second communication interface, the method having the following steps: connecting the first communication interface to a development tool, and connecting the second communication interface to one or more function units during the development phase of the control device, transmitting data from the control device to the development tool via the first communication interface using a first communication protocol, transmitting data from the development tool to the control device via the first communication interface using the first communication protocol, breaking the connection between the first communication interface and the development tool, connecting the first communication interface to one or more additional 20 function units, and transmitting data between the control device and the other function unit or function units via the first communica
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Axel Aue
  • Patent number: 8060458
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an engineering design method and a system of implementing same. In one embodiment, the method includes a construction process of knowledge components and a design process based on the knowledge components. The knowledge components pack universal modules in the standard forms. Accordingly, the knowledge components are independent from design layouts or design processes of products, and reusable in different projects and platforms. The design process integrates a variety of software platforms via a uniform environment and calls the knowledge components to complete the engineering designs. Further, the design process defines a data relation and an execution relation of the knowledge components and establishes a relationship between the knowledge components without programming. The universal module comprises at least operations, methods, rules and/or flows of an engineering design process and engineering analysis process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Sysware Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yi-Zhang Li, Zhen-Hua Wang, Yuan-Yu Chen, Xin Xu, Chao Su