Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Andrew John Fox

James W Post, Ii

Junmin Wang

Michael Thomas Dickinson

Madhu Soodhanan Govindarajan

Bobbie Burke

Jinghong Yu

Allen Benson Sheldon

Patrick M Shafer

Takahiro Echigo

Tetsushi Asano

Shoji Tokushima

A ball joint assembly for use in a vehicle suspension system includes a housing including a first end surface and an opposing second end surface. The housing at least one of includes an outer tie rod of a steering assembly and is configured to be coupled to the outer tie rod of the steering assembly. The housing defines a cavity and also includes an opening defined in the second end surface. The ball joint assembly also includes a ball stud coupled to the housing such that a first portion of the ball stud is positioned in the cavity and a second portion of the ball stud extends through the opening. A wire harness is coupled to the first end surface of the housing and extends away from the housing in a direction opposite the second end surface.

Vehicle suspension system including a ball joint assembly

A target system that includes a target that is selected, wherein the target includes a surface with depth variations. The target system additionally includes a laser sensor adapted to scan the target for localization.

Target recognition and localization methods using a laser sensor for wheeled mobile robots

A mobile robot target system that includes a mobile robot. The mobile robot target system additionally includes a laser scanner operably connected to the mobile robot. The laser scanner includes a laser sensor that scans an area around the mobile robot to detect a target. The mobile robot is localized based on the detection of the target by the laser sensor.

A localization scheme and method using a laser sensor for indoor wheeled mobile robots (IWMR), which need to localize themselves for working autonomously, is provided. In this method, a laser sensor moves inside an onboard guide way and its distance measurements are used to robustly detect and recognize a unique target based on edge detection and pattern recognition techniques. From the distance measurements with respect to the recognized target, a kinematic model is developed to determine the IWMR orientation and location in the global co-ordinates (in 2-D). Such target recognition and localization methods are validated with experimental results.

A trailer is presented. First and second axles are provided, each of the first and second axles being configured to couple to at least two wheels. A chassis is connected to the first and second axles, and a hitch is connected to the chassis. A lift system engaging structure is connected to the chassis of the trailer. The lift system engaging structure is configured to releasably engage a lifting component of a lift system. The lift system is configured to raise the lifting component to position the trailer in a stowed position.

Trailer

A hydraulic system for a vehicle clutch assembly can include an on-demand variable displacement pump and a purge valve for regulating hydraulic pressure supplied to the clutch(es). The hydraulic pressure at the pump can have multiple displacement settings to compensate for variable changes in clutch pressure requirements. The purge valve can be configured to purge hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic system so that an optimum, controllable, and/or pre-determined operating pressure can be supplied to the clutch(es). The system can be configured to provide accurate control of clutch(es) when a drivetrain is being automatically controlled to switch between a low gear ratio and a high gear ratio.

Hydraulic vehicle clutch system, drivetrain for a vehicle including same, and method

An apparatus and method for automatically controlling a drivetrain coupled to at least one drive wheel of a vehicle can include providing a first assembly including a low range drive ratio and a high range drive ratio. An electronic control unit can be configured to receive information from at least one sensor located on the vehicle and to provide an output signal based on the information. An actuator mechanism can be provided and configured to cause the first assembly to operate at a selected one of the low range drive ratio and the high range drive ratio based on instructions from the control unit. Separate algorithms can be provided to determine when to actuate from the high range drive ratio to the low range drive ratio and vice versa.

Control system and method for automatic selection of a low range gear ratio for a vehicle drivetrain

A vehicle drivetrain can include various structures, such as a multi-ratio transmission, a two-speed final drive assembly connected in series with the multi-ratio transmission and including a low speed final drive ratio and a high speed final drive ratio, a pair of front driveshafts driven by the two-speed final drive assembly, a pair of rear driveshafts, a rear differential assembly connected to the two-speed final drive assembly, and a control assembly including. The control assembly can include a controller in electrical communication with portions of the rear differential assembly, such as a variable displacement pump and purge valve. An input array can be in electrical communication with the controller and can include a plurality of sensors, and at least one switch accessible to an operator of the vehicle. Various related methods can also be executed for control and operation of such a drivetrain. The methods can incorporate a number of variables in order to control the drivetrain, and the variables can include but are not limited to road grade, vehicle acceleration, vehicle speed, presence of towing apparatus, road surface conditions, switch condition(s), etc.

Control system and method for automatic control of selection of on-demand all-wheel drive assembly for a vehicle drivetrain

A transaxle can include a housing, a low range gear assembly, and a differential gear assembly. The low range gear assembly can be mounted in the housing and can include a ring gear, a carrier, planet gears, a sun gear, and a clutch. The ring gear, the carrier, and the sun gear can be mounted in the housing. The planet gears can be rotatably mounted on the carrier and can engage the ring gear while the sun gear can engage the planet gears. The clutch can be selectively movable between a first position where the clutch engages each of the sun gear and the carrier and permits rotation of the sun gear relative to the housing and a second position where the clutch engages each of the sun gear and the housing and rotationally fixes the sun gear relative to the housing.

Transversely mounted transaxle having a low range gear assembly and powertrain for a vehicle including same

A vehicle anti-rollback system and method can be incorporated into a vehicle that includes a pair of front wheels, a pair of rear wheels, a power unit, and a transmission connecting the power unit to at least one wheel of the front and rear wheels. The transmission can include a plurality of forward drive ratios and at least one reverse drive ratio and a two speed final drive ratio transmission configured to select between a high range drive ratio and a low range drive ratio when the transmission is in one of the plurality of forward drive ratios. A controller can be provided that senses a vehicle rollback condition. When the rollback condition is detected, the controller can decrease torque distributed from the power unit of the vehicle to the at least one wheel, and can actuate a brake. While the vehicle is braked and torque transfer is reduced, the controller can execute drive ratio changeover in a stable manner from the high range drive ratio to the low range drive ratio.

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Powell, OH, United States of America

Andrew John Fox