7575results about "Underwater vessels" patented technology

The steering angle of a vehicle is monitored using position sensors of an electric motor of an electric power assisted steering (EPAS) system. A position of the electric motor corresponding to the straight-ahead, center position of the steering system is stored in non-volatile memory during a steering calibration procedure, such as an end-of-line calibration in a vehicle assembly plant. Following power loss due to a dead battery, a steering angle zeroing procedure performed in a vehicle stability control (VSC) system generates a center position with enough accuracy to be within one electrical cycle of the motor. The pre-stored electric motor position is then used to determine the electrical cycle where the center position was located, and accurate monitoring of steering angle is resumed.

An imaging system for a vehicle includes an imaging array sensor and a control. The image array sensor comprises a plurality of photo-sensing pixels and is positioned at the vehicle with a field of view exteriorly of the vehicle. The imaging array sensor is operable to capture an image of a scene occurring exteriorly of the vehicle. The captured image comprises an image data set representative of the exterior scene. The control algorithmically processes the image data set to a reduced image data set of the image data set. The control processes the reduced image data set to extract information from the reduced image data set. The control selects the reduced image data set based on a steering angle of the vehicle.

Described is an automatic control system for land (and possible marine) vehicles based on carrier phase differential GPS (CPGPS). The system relies on CPGPS to determine vehicle position and attitude very precisely (position to within 1 cm and attitude to within 0.1 DEG ). A system incorporates a technique to calculate and compensate for antenna motion due to vehicle roll and pitch. One aspect of the system utilizes an intelligent vehicle controller that recognizes and adapts to changing conditions, such as vehicle speed, implements towed by the vehicle, soil conditions, and disturbance level. The system provides the capability to control the vehicle on various paths, including straight lines and arbitrary curves. Also described is a technique for initialization and vehicle control using only a single pseudolite.

A passenger in an automated vehicle may relinquish control of the vehicle to a control computer when the control computer has determined that it may maneuver the vehicle safely to a destination. The passenger may relinquish or regain control of the vehicle by applying different degrees of pressure, for example, on a steering wheel of the vehicle. The control computer may convey status information to a passenger in a variety of ways including by illuminating elements of the vehicle. The color and location of the illumination may indicate the status of the control computer, for example, whether the control computer has been armed, is ready to take control of the vehicle, or is currently controlling the vehicle.

An imaging system for a vehicle includes an imaging array sensor and a control. The image array sensor comprises a plurality of photo-sensing pixels and is positioned at the vehicle with a field of view exteriorly of the vehicle. The imaging array sensor is operable to capture an image of a scene occurring exteriorly of the vehicle. The captured image comprises an image data set representative of the exterior scene. The control algorithmically processes the image data set to a reduced image data set of the image data set. The control processes the reduced image data set to extract information from the reduced image data set. The control selects the reduced image data set based on a steering angle of the vehicle.

A method for automated lane centering and / or lane changing purposes for a vehicle traveling on a roadway that employs roadway points from a map database to determine a reference vehicle path and sensors on the vehicle for detecting static and moving objects to adjust the reference path. The method includes reducing the curvature of the reference path to generate a reduced curvature reference path that reduces the turning requirements of the vehicle and setting the speed of the vehicle from posted roadway speeds from the map database. The method also includes providing multiple candidate vehicle paths and vehicle speeds to avoid the static and moving objects in front of the vehicle.

Agricultural operations by applying flexible manufacturing software, robotics and sensing techniques to agriculture. In manufacturing operations utilizing flexible machining and flexible assembly robots, work pieces flow through a fixed set of workstations on an assembly line. At different stations are located machine vision systems, laser based raster devices, radar, touch, photocell, and other methods of sensing; flexible robot armatures and the like are used to operate on them. This flexible agricultural automation turns that concept inside out, moving software programmable workstations through farm fields on mobile robots that can sense their environment and respond to it flexibly. The agricultural automation will make it possible for large scale farming to take up labor intensive farming practices which are currently only practical for small scale farming, improving land utilization efficiency, while lowering manpower costs dramatically.

A back camera image from a back camera mounted on a rear portion of a vehicle body is displayed on a display mounted on the console inside the vehicle cabin when the vehicle is parallel parking. After the vehicle passes a steering direction reversal point in this state, a corner camera image from a corner camera mounted on a corner portion of a front portion of the vehicle body is displayed on the display when the vehicle nears a vehicle parked in front, or, more specifically, when an angle of the vehicle after it has reached the steering direction reversal point has reached a predetermined value. Guidance images may be overlaid upon the camera images during some or all of the parallel parking maneuver.

A passenger in an automated vehicle may relinquish control of the vehicle to a control computer when the control computer has determined that it may maneuver the vehicle safely to a destination. The passenger may relinquish or regain control of the vehicle by applying different degrees of pressure, for example, on a steering wheel of the vehicle. The control computer may convey status information to a passenger in a variety of ways including by illuminating elements of the vehicle. The color and location of the illumination may indicate the status of the control computer, for example, whether the control computer has been armed, is ready to take control of the vehicle, or is currently controlling the vehicle.

Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to determining by what degree a driver is gripping a steering wheel. In one example, a computer may send an electrically assisted power steering system (EPS) motor an excitation command to move. The EPS motor may respond by moving a flexible coupling between the steering wheel and the EPS motor. This may cause a corresponding movement at the steering wheel. A torque sensor may generate pattern data by monitoring the flexible coupling during the movement. The EPS motor may generate system position data for the entire steering system, for example, from the tires to the steering wheel. The pattern data and the system position data may be compared by the computer to determine the degree of grip. In this regard, the computer may determine the degree of a driver's grip without the need for additional sensors.

The illustrative embodiments provide a method and apparatus for controlling movement of a vehicle. User input selecting a path for the vehicle is received from an operator. The vehicle responds to the user input by moving along the selected path in a manner that maintains the operator on a side of the vehicle. The illustrative embodiments further provide a method and apparatus for improved machine control. The vehicle receives a power-up command, instructions to execute a planned path, and information identifying a leader. The leader is an operator. The vehicle then executes the planned path using the information identifying the leader in order to follow a path of the leader. The vehicle moves along the path in a manner that maintains the leader in a position proximate to a side of the vehicle.

A quadrotor UAV including ruggedized, integral-battery, load-bearing body, two arms on the load-bearing body, each arm having two rotors, a control module mounted on the load-bearing body, a payload module mounted on the control module, and skids configured as landing gear. The two arms are replaceable with arms having wheels for ground vehicle use, with arms having floats and props for water-surface use, and with arms having pitch-controlled props for underwater use. The control module is configured to operate as an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned (water) surface vehicle, and an unmanned underwater vehicle, depending on the type of arms that are attached.

Improved methods of controlling the stability of a vehicle are provided via the cooperative operation of vehicle stability control systems such as an Active Yaw Control system, Antilock Braking System, and Traction Control System. These methods use recognition of road surface information including the road friction coefficient (mu), wheel slippage, and yaw deviations. The methods then modify the settings of the active damping system and / or the distribution of drive torque, as necessary, to increase / reduce damping in the suspension and shift torque application at the wheels, thus preventing a significant shift of load in the vehicle and / or improving vehicle drivability and comfort. The adjustments of the active damping system or torque distribution temporarily override any characteristics that were pre-selected by the driver.

A device for controlling the position of an underwater cable comprises a body, first and second actuators, and a pair of wings. The body is stationarily mountable to the underwater cable and the first and second actuators are disposed in the body. Each wing has an axis of rotation and the wings are coupled to the first and second actuators to control the depth and the horizontal position of the underwater cable in the water.

A sensing device includes a magnetohydrodynamic propulsion system. The sensing device may be an in-vivo autonomous capsule with an imager, but may be another type of sensing device.

A system and method for providing steering control for lane changing and lane centering purposes in an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle system. A vehicle vision system calculates roadway lane marking information, such as lateral offset, yaw angle and roadway curvature with respect to the vehicle's centered coordinate system. The roadway is then modeled as a second order polynomial equation. The method then predicts roadway lateral position and yaw angle over a pre-defined lane change completion time using a vehicle dynamic model. The method then compares a predicted vehicle path with a desired vehicle path to generate an error value, and calculates a steering angle command to minimize the error value, where the steering angle command is calculated as a function of vehicle lateral position, vehicle lateral speed, vehicle yaw rate and vehicle yaw angle. The steering angle command is then sent to the vehicle steering system.

Autonomous vehicles use various computing systems to transport passengers from one location to another. A control computer sends messages to the various systems of the vehicle in order to maneuver the vehicle safely to the destination. The control computer may display information on an electronic display in order to allow the passenger to understand what actions the vehicle may be taking in the immediate future. Various icons and images may be used to provide this information to the passenger.

A vehicle system for estimating a trailer length is disclosed. The system incorporates at least one sensor configured to measure a wheel steer angle and a trailer angle in communication with a processor. The processor is operable to determine a first length by a first computation method and determine a second length by a second computation method. The processor is further operable to validate an estimated trailer length based on the first length and the second length and perform a back-up function for the trailer based on the estimated trailer length.

A vehicle has a plurality of control apparatuses, a user input, a geographic position component, an object detection apparatus, memory, and a display. A processor is also included and is programmed to receive the destination information, identify a route, and determine the current geographic location of the vehicle. The processor is also programmed to identify an object and object type based on object information received from the object detection apparatus and to determine at least one warning characteristic of the identified object based on at least one of: the object type, a detected proximity of the detected object to the vehicle, the location of the detected object relative to predetermined peripheral areas of the vehicle, the current geographic location of the vehicle, and the route. The processor is also configured to select and display on the display an object warning image based on the at least one warning characteristic.

A drive assist system includes an assist starting part starting assist, a detection part detecting relative distances and speeds between a vehicles, a calculation part calculating collision risks when changing a lane by the basis of the relative distances and speeds, a first judgment part judging whether the lane can be changed by the relative distances, speeds and the collision risks, a decision part deciding a target space for lane change by the relative distances and speeds when the lane cannot be changed, a second judgment part judging whether a lane changeable space is in the target space, a setting part setting a target speed for the vehicle go to a lane change waiting position when no space and to setting a target speed the vehicle enters a lane changeable position when there is the space, and a control part controlling a speed of the vehicle reaches the target speed.

A method of controlling an automotive vehicle having a turning radius includes determining a hand wheel torque and applying brake-steer as a function of hand wheel torque.

A system for providing path generation for automated lane centering and / or lane changing purposes. The system includes a desired path generation processor that receives signals detecting the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling, a request for a lane change, vehicle state information and a steering angle of the vehicle. The system also includes a path prediction processor that predicts the vehicle path based on vehicle state information including vehicle longitudinal speed, vehicle lateral speed, vehicle yaw-rate and vehicle steering angle. The desired path information and the predicted path information are compared to generate an error signal that is sent to a lane change controller that provides a steering angle signal to turn the vehicle and reduce the error signal. The desired path generation processor can use a fifth order polynomial equation to determine the desired path of the vehicle based on the input signals.

A method and apparatus for deployment and retrieval of ocean bottom seismic receivers. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a carrier containing a plurality of receivers attached to a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The carrier comprises a frame in which is mounted a structure for seating and releasing said receivers. The structure may comprise a movable carousel or a movable conveyor or fixed parallel rails or a barrel. In the case of the barrel, the receivers are axially stacked therein. The structure is disposed to deliver said receivers to a discharge port on said frame, where the receivers are removable from said carrier. The apparatus includes a discharge mechanism for removing said receivers from said carrier. In another embodiment, the method comprises the steps of loading a carrier with a plurality of receivers, attaching said carrier to an ROV, utilizing said ROV to transport the carrier from a surface vessel to a position adjacent the seabed and thereafter utilizing said ROV to remove receivers from said carrier and place the receivers on the seabed. In yet another embodiment, an ROV adjacent the seabed engages a deployment line extending from the vessel. The deployment line is used to guide receivers attached thereto down to the ROV for “on-time” delivery and placement on the seabed.

A seismic streamer position control module has been invented having a body with a first end and a second end and a bore therethrough from the first end to the second end for receiving a seismic streamer therethrough, at least one control surface, and at least one recess in which is initially disposed the at least one control surface, the at least one control surface movably connected to the body for movement from and into the at least one recess and for movement, when extended from the body, for attitude adjustment. In one aspect the seismic streamer position control module body has tapered ends.

A method of guiding a vehicle to a region for initiating a parallel parking maneuver. A region of feasible starting locations for successfully performing a parallel parking maneuver is determined by a processor. A position of the vehicle relative to the region of feasible starting locations is determined. A determination is made whether the vehicle is in a zero heading position. The vehicle is guided along an initial target path by controlling a steering actuator until the vehicle is in a zero heading position relative to the road of travel in response to the vehicle is not in the zero heading position. A planned path is generated that includes two arc-shaped trajectories extending between the vehicle at the zero heading position and a position within the region of feasible starting locations as determined by the processor. The steering actuator is controlled to follow the planned path to the feasible region.

A steering wheel is configured as a dual-state input device configured to operate in two distinct states based on a current driving mode. In a manual driving mode, the input device is configured to control a limited set of vehicle functions and in an autonomous mode the input device is configured to control an expanded set of vehicle functions. The steering wheel includes a wheel rim movably mounted on a steering column and a hub disposed within a center of the wheel rim on the steering column, the main body portion comprising an interactive touch screen disposed on the main body portion. The wheel rim is configured to disengage from the hub and move along the steering column to a retracted position.

A system and a method are provided for calibrating a backup assist system for a trailer attached to a vehicle. The method includes driving the vehicle forward substantially straight above a threshold speed, sensing a yaw rate of the vehicle, and sensing a measured hitch angle of the trailer. A yaw sensor continuously senses the yaw rate of the vehicle and a hitch sensor continuously measures the hitch angle for determining an angle rate based on the measured hitch angle. Further, a controller determines an offset between the measured hitch angle and an actual hitch angle when the yaw rate and angle rate are substantially zero or otherwise the same.