6556results about How to "Reduce speed" patented technology

An interactive system for interacting with a sentient being. The system includes a robotic companion of which the sentient being may be a user and an entity which employs the robot as a participant in an activity involving the user. The robotic companion responds to inputs from an environment that includes the user during the activity. The robotic companion is capable of social and affective behavior either under control of the entity or in response to the environment. The entity may provide an interface by which an operator may control the robotic companion. Example applications for the interactive system include as a system for communicating with patients that have difficulties communicating verbally, a system for teaching remotely-located students or students with communication difficulties, a system for facilitating social interaction between a remotely-located relative and a child, and systems in which the user and the robot interact with an entity such as a smart book. Also disclosed are control interfaces for the robotic companion, techniques for rendering the robotic companion sensitive to touch and responding to those touches, and techniques for providing quiet, back-drivable motion to components of the robotic companion.

A transmission is provided having four planetary gearsets, each having respective first, second, and third members, and a plurality of selectively engageable torque transmitting devices configured to selectively interconnect selected members of the four planetary gearsets for unitary rotation thereby to provide a plurality of forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio between an input member and an output member.

An electronic memory module according to the invention provides non-volatile memory that can be used in place of a DRAM module without battery backup. An embodiment of the invention includes an embedded microprocessor with microcode that translates the FB-DIMM address and control signals from the system into appropriate address and control signals for NAND flash memory. Wear-leveling, bad block management, garbage collection are preferably implemented by microcode executed by the microprocessor. The microprocessor, additional logic, and embedded memory provides the functions of a flash memory controller. The microprocessor memory preferably contains address mapping tables, free page queue, and garbage collection information.

The present invention involves a blood pump having a pump housing with an internally disposed rotor that collectively provide a dual inflow capability which prevents thrombus formation and reduces hemolysis during use.

A rotary wing aircraft is provided having at least three rotor pairs. Each rotor pair has an upper rotor and a lower rotor. During operation, the upper rotor and lower rotor rotate around a shared rotor axis with the upper rotor rotating in a first direction and the lower rotor rotating in an opposite direction By independently controlling the speed of rotation of each upper rotor and each lower rotor the aircraft can be made to ascend, descend, move forward, move backward, move side to side, yaw right and yaw left by only varying the relative speeds of rotations of the upper rotors and lower rotors.

A method of fracturing a formation with a fracturing fluid wherein the formation has particulate material that swells or migrates upon exposure to the fracturing fluid comprises preparing a fracturing fluid comprising (1) a thickening compound comprising a first surfactant selected from the group consisting of a cationic surfactant having only a single cationic group, an amphoteric surfactant and a mixture thereof; and, an anionic surfactant; and, (2) water, wherein no or essentially no inorganic salt is added to the fracturing fluid; and using the fracturing fluid to fracture the formation. A method for recycling a fracturing fluid is also provided.

A system and method for controlling vehicle operation based on a driver's facial expressions and physical state are provided. In particular, a system and method for differentiating between different types of emergency situations and applying an appropriate set of safety operations to ensure the safety of the driver, any other passengers, and others outside the vehicle are provided. With the system and method, facial expression recognition is used to distinguish between different types of emergency situations. For each of these emergency situations, a predetermined set of safety operations may be established. Once a particular emergency situation is detected based on the facial expression recognition, the corresponding set of safety operations are applied by sending appropriate control signals to vehicle control systems to cause the operation of the vehicle to be modified.

A method of converting a conventional internal combustion powered vehicle into a hybrid vehicle and apparatus for achieving that and modifying one of the serial elements of the drive train interconnecting the internal combustion to the driving wheels of the vehicle by providing an auxiliary power connection which allows the motor / generator to provide or remove mechanical power from the drive train during driving operation or regenerative braking. Generators switchingly connected to a vehicle battery and an electronic controller intercede the system relative to the operation of the vehicle and control the motor / generator switching the vehicle engine to apply an electric drive power to the vehicle at appropriate points in the vehicle operation and to drive the generator during braking of the vehicle to recharge the power source. The electric drive power elements are supported on a cross-member added to the vehicle.

A photographing apparatus which realizes a taking lens barrel whose shape is not largely changed during panning or tilting shot, thereby being compact in size and easy to handle. In the photographing apparatus, an image pickup device (14i) outputs an electric signal from object light. A bending optical system (14) has a front lens (14f) and lens groups (14j, 14k, 14l, and 14m) and a mirror (14c) disposed between the front lens and the laminated lens 14j, to guide the object light to the image pickup device. A panning actuator (19) and a tilt actuator (15f) cause the mirror and the front lens or the lens groups to be pivotally moved in unison about respective different axes to thereby change a shooting direction.

A continuously variable transmission adapted to set a speed change ratio in accordance with a tilt angle of a rolling member mediating a torque being transmitted, and to transmit a torque among three elements. The transmission mechanism is provided with a rolling member having a smooth outer face and capable of tilting a rotational center axis thereof, and a rotary member arranged to be contacted with a predetermined portion of the outer face of the rolling member in a torque transmittable manner. Specifically, the continuously variable transmission mechanism is configured to vary a rotational speed of the rotary member by changing a rotation radius of a contact point between the rolling member and the rotary member by tilting the rotational center axis of the rolling member.

The invention combines the features of a supercharger, a turbocharger and turbo-compounding into one system, utilizing a hydraulic or mechanical continuously variable transmission to drive the turbocharger up to a specific speed or intake manifold pressure and then holding the ideal speed to keep it at the right boost pressure for the engine condition. The benefits of a supercharger, which is primarily good for high torque at low speed, and a turbocharger, which is usually only good for high horsepower at high speeds are merged. Once the exhaust energy begins to provide more work than it takes to drive the intake compressor, the invention recovers that excess energy and uses it to add torque to the crankshaft. As a result, the invention provides the benefits of low speed with high torque and the added value of high speed with higher horsepower or better fuel economy all from one system.

An apparatus and methods are provided to penetrate a bone and associated bone marrow using a powered driver having a gear assembly and a motor. The powered driver may include an indicator operable to show status of a power supply associated with the powered driver. The power supply may include a battery power pack having a diamond shaped cross section. The powered driver may have a handle with a corresponding cross section.

A transportable power tool such as an impact driver has a power unit in which a motor and a reducer-transmitter are contained, a grip and a coupler unit with which a battery pack is coupled. Maximum dimensions of the power unit and maximum dimensions of the battery pack in a direction perpendicular to both of center axes of the power unit and the grip and in a direction parallel to the center axis of the power unit are larger than those of the grip in the same directions. Operation members used for selecting an operation mode of the motor and a display device are provided at positions near to the grip from a line binding contacting portions of the power unit and the battery pack when the power unit and the battery pack are simultaneously contacted with the same plane in each state.

A method is disclosed of providing driver behaviour based insurance comprising accessing a digital map having data indicative of a plurality of navigable segments, wherein the digital map further comprises data representative of a speed distribution profile for one or more positions along at least one of the navigable segments, the speed distribution profile for a position being indicative of the speed of multiple drivers at the position. The data representative of a speed distribution profile is used to set a recommended speed for vehicles travelling along the at least one navigable segment. The speed of a subscriber driver is monitored when travelling along the at least one navigable segment to obtain data regarding the speed of the driver relative to the recommended speed for at least one of the one or more positions, and the relative speed data is used as an input to a model of a user based insurance system.

A wearable sensor system with gesture recognition for measuring physical performance 98 includes a sensor ring 100 for providing signals corresponding to finger movement to an information processor 101. The sensor ring 100 internally includes an accelerometer 106 for measuring motion of a predetermined finger, the measured motion corresponding to an exercise routine performed by a user of the system 98, a processor 109 for conditioning the signals from the accelerometer 106, and a transceiver 108 for transmitting the conditioned signals to the information processor 101 for display and feedback to the user for accessing the quality of the exercise. The system 98 further includes means for allowing the user to start and stop the processing of the measured finger motion by moving the finger with sensor ring 100 thereon a predetermined distance and speed.

Methods and system to enable a user of an input action recognition text input system to edit any incorrectly recognized text without re-locating the text insertion position to the location of the text to be corrected. The System also automatically maintains correct spacing between textual objects when a textual object is replaced with an object for which automatic spacing is generated in a different manner. The System also enables the graphical presentation of menu choices in a manner that facilitates faster and easier selection of a desired choice by performing a selection gesture requiring less precision than directly contacting the sub-region of the menu associated with the desired choice.

A retractable storage system for handheld electronic device comprises a removable panel with one or more storage chambers for storing an accessory item, such as a wireless earbud, cabled earbud, headphone cable or e-cigarette, and a retractable mechanism to retrieve and dispense the stored accessory item through an accessory station. The removable panel can be replaced with another removable panel configured with different structure to store different accessory item, such as a battery to charge a wireless earbud or e-cigarette.

An impeller is directly driven by an output shaft of a core engine. The airflow produced by the impeller rotates an air turbine and a fan disposed integrally with the air turbine. The impeller and the air turbine form a fluid coupling which serves also as a speed reducing mechanism. The rotational speed of the fan can be reduced to be lower than that of the output shaft while retaining efficiency of the core engine. The outer diameter of the fan can be increased, raising a bypass ratio.

Systems and methods for turbocharging an internal combustion engine include operating two turbochargers in a series configuration for a first operating region and a parallel configuration for a second operating region. Systems and methods for controlling exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) in a turbocharged internal combustion engine provide low pressure EGR upstream of a compressor inlet for a first operating region and high pressure EGR downstream of a compressor outlet for a second operating range to further improve turbocharger operating margin and overall efficiency.

A method and system of forming an X-ray layer image of an object being examined by an X-ray device having an X-ray source and an X-ray detector is described. At least one of the X-ray source and the X-ray detector can be displaced in an angular range around the object in order that X-ray projection images are acquired from different directions. When forming only a single X-ray layer image, or a plurality of X-ray layer images of parallel layers of the object, the time required for the acquisition of the X-ray projection images is notably reduced by forming the X-ray layer image directly from the X-ray projection images, where the resulting X-ray layer image is situated in a plane which extends essentially perpendicularly to the bisector of the angular range of displacement. The angular range of displacement can be less then 180°. The system and method is notably applicable to a C-arm X-ray device, in which the angular range can be chosen at will.

An electro-mechanical transmission is provided having only a single motor / generator, at least one differential gear set and two torque-transmitting mechanisms. A first of the torque-transmitting mechanisms is selectively engageable to establish a first continuously variable operating mode and a second of the torque-transmitting mechanisms selectively engageable to establish a second continuously variable operating mode and a synchronous shift between the two operating modes is achievable. A method of control is provided in which vehicle operating characteristics are analyzed to identify a target operating state in terms of operating mode and ratio based on the available motor torque and motor power and on maximizing energy efficiency. The transmission is controlled to approach this operating mode as closely as possible and the diverge away from the optimum torque operating with zero net battery use as the battery charge of the battery connected with the motor / generator accumulates or depletes.

A method is provided for controlling a low speed operation of a vehicle. A speed activation switch is activated. A target vehicle speed is calculated in response to an accelerator pedal demand as determined by an accelerator pedal position where each respective accelerator pedal position is associated with a respective predetermined target vehicle speed. A vehicle turning geometry is determined in response to a steering wheel angle input. A target wheel speed of each of a plurality of vehicle wheels is calculated as a function of the target vehicle speed and turning geometry. An actual wheel speed of each wheel is measured. A net torque is determined in response to the target wheel speeds and actual wheel speeds. An engine output torque and a braking torque are determined in response to the net torque. The engine output torque and the total vehicle braking torque are controlled for cooperatively maintaining the target vehicle speed.

Wet-pressed creped tissue sheets exhibit continuous undulating valleys separated by continuous mono-planar macro-ridges running in the machine direction of the sheet, the macro-ridges being of a lower fiber density relative to the fiber density of the undulating valleys. The tissue structure can be created by pressing a densified tissue web against the surface of a Yankee dryer while the web is supported by a texturizing (molding) fabric having a web-supporting surface having highly topographic continuous or substantially continuous ridges and valleys and thereafter creping the web.

A power management system uses software to predictively estimate remaining battery endurance by considering battery usage in context of a predetermined battery output and equipment load profiles, and appropriately issuing a shutdown alert or commencing a shutdown event as the end of battery endurance nears. More particularly, a battery supplies power to electrical equipment when a primary power source fails. Initially, the system receives one or more estimates of the battery's endurance and capability of supplying electrical power to the equipment. The system tracks battery use by prescribed electrical equipment. Utilizing software, for example, the system determines when estimated endurance minus battery usage equals a predetermined difference. Relative to this time, the system takes appropriate action(s) such as initiating shutdown of the equipment or issuing a shutdown alert.