Hitachi, Ltd.

Tomiharu Yoshida

Shigeki Nakamura

Masahiro Ito

Nobuo Hamano

Takashi Yabutani

Toshihide Maeda

Masataka Owada

Masahiko Ikeda

Tatsuyuki Omote

Makoto Senoh

Fuminobu Takahashi

Hideo Maki

Kenji Tsuchita

Yoshimi Ishii

Makoto Shioya

Yukihiro Kawamata

Toshiro Shibata

Atsuya Toyama

Seiji Ukai

Masanori Suzuki

Sakae Sugiyama

Takashi Saito

Fumio Tomizawa

Kunihiko Iwama

Yutaka Kometani

Kiyoshi Izumi

Masaki Takahashi

Mitsuhiro Watanabe

Masayoshi Sasaki

Isamu Shimizu

Kichinori Metoki

Akihito Sekido

Keiji Tanaka

Tetsuo Waki

Tsuyoshi Kido

Seiichi Akimoto

Zunichi Sugaya

Sen Sugiyama

A transmission or communication system, wherein plural individual elliptical orbits are so defined that an individual right ascension of a north-bound node is established with a designated angle. An artificial satellite is travels on a respective ones of the plural individual elliptical orbit and a group of artificial satellites arranged on respective ones of the plural individual elliptical orbits are used so that at least one of the artificial satellites having a communication system is always viewable within a pre-defined range of operational elevational angle in a zenith direction from a service area. The group of artificial satellites are on respective orbits obtained by combining an inclination angle and an eccentricity squared of the individual elliptical orbit so that a right ascension of north-bound node is a designated angle and a time period during which respective ones of the group of artificial satellites is viewable from ground is substantially identical.

Artificial satellite with an orbit having a long staying time in a zenith direction, an orbit control method and a communication system therewith

A method for collecting and processing information from a vehicle is disclosed. The information is useful for providing a loss-insurance coverage. The method includes the following steps: (a) Information is automatically transmitted from the vehicle to a central vehicle-information management center, the information including information regarding a position of the vehicle, information regarding control of the vehicle, information regarding states of parts of the vehicle, a type of the vehicle, and identification of a user of the vehicle. (b) The central vehicle-information management center computes a utilization service fee based on the type of the vehicle and the identification of the user transmitted in step (a). (c) The central vehicle-information management center transmits the computed fee and a request for confirmation to the vehicle. (d) The vehicle transmits a response to the central vehicle-information management center as to whether the user will effect insurance coverage.

Method and apparatus for gathering vehicle information

A communication terminal for communicating through an artificial satellite, wherein the artificial satellite is placed into an orbit in which an individual satellite orbits on an elliptical orbit so that at least one of the artificial satellites is always viewable within a pre-defined range of operational elevational angle in a zenith direction from a service area. A group of the artificial satellites are satellites on respective orbits obtained by combining an inclination angle and an eccentricity squared of said elliptical orbit so that a time period during which an artificial satellite is viewable from ground is substantially identical and the communication terminal has a transmitter and receiver for transmitting and receiving a signal through the group of artificial satellites.

A method o gathering and analyzing vehicle information is disclosed. A central vehicle-information management center gathers first vehicle information gathered in real time, including position of the vehicle, control of vehicle, and conditions of vehicle parts, and gathers second vehicle information including vehicle type, vehicle identification number, and information regarding users of the vehicles. The central vehicle information management center performs a statistical analysis for the plurality of vehicles based on the first and second information. The first information is transmitted by a transmitter provided on each vehicle, and acquired via a satellite communication system and/or a land-based wireless communication system.

Communication system, communication receiving device and communication terminal in the system

A broadcasting or transmitting system using an artificial satellite. The artificial satellite is placed into an orbit in which individual artificial satellites orbit on an elliptical orbit so that at least one of the artificial satellites is always viewable within a pre-defined range of operational elevational angles in a zenith direction from a service area. A group of the artificial satellites are satellites on respective different orbits obtained by combining an inclination angle and an eccentricity squared of said elliptical orbit so that a time period during which one artificial satellite of the group of the artificial satellites is viewable from ground is substantially identical to a time period during which another artificial satellite of the group is viewable from the ground.

An information providing method and apparatus for providing information to a moving body via an artificial satellite. Information for selecting a desired information and position information of the moving body is transmitted, from the moving body. Information is provided to the moving body from the artificial satellite depending upon the position information of the moving body and the desired information, on the basis of information from the moving body.

Satellite, satellite control method and satellite communication system

A system and method for a group of artificial satellites. The artificial satellite is placed into an orbit in which an individual satellite orbits on an elliptical orbit so that at least one of the artificial satellites is always viewable within a pre-defined range of operational elevational angle in a zenith direction from a service area. The group of the artificial satellites are satellites on respective different orbits obtained by combining an inclination angle and an eccentricity squared of the elliptical orbit so that a time period during which one artificial satellite of the group of artificial satellites is viewable from ground is substantially identical to a time period during which another artificial satellite of the group of the artificial satellites is viewable from ground.

In order to establish the communication lines among the movable bodies and/or fixed stations and to configure communication system with a small number of satellites, present method has the steps of determining six orbit-related parameters by using a input conditions including a geographical condition of the service area, a desired service time and the tolerance of an ascending vertical angle within which the satellite can be viewed from the service area, and establishing the satellite communication with one or more satellites, an individual satellite being arranged on the orbits selected and combined among plural elliptical orbits corresponding to the determined six orbit-related parameters on which the satellites stay for a sufficiently long time that they may come successfully into sight in the zenith direction.

A communication system, wherein plural elliptical orbits in which an apogee is located on a specified service area are so defined that an individual right ascension of north-bound node may be established with a designated angle. A satellite is made to travel on an individual elliptical orbit and a group of satellites to be arranged on said elliptical orbits are used so that at least one of artificial satellites having a communication system may be always viewable within a pre-defined range of ascending vertical angle in a zenith direction from the service area.

An automatic nuclear fuel assembly replacing apparatus has a bridge and a trolley movable in X and Y axis directions, respectively. Mounted on the trolley is a nuclear fuel grapple movable in a Z axis direction and rotatable about the Z axis. A television camera mounting unit is also mounted on the trolley and movable in the Z axis direction. A control system of the apparatus moves the bridge and the trolley so that the center of an underwater television camera supported by the camera mounting unit is centered to a desired target position. Then, calculations are performed on the deviations of the position of the thus positioned camera and a target fuel assembly in the X and Y axis directions and about the Z axis, respectively. The thus calculated results are corrected by a deviation between the fuel grapple and the camera, whereby the position of the fuel grapple is finally controlled to be in alignment with the position of the target fuel assembly in the X and Y axis directions and about the Z axis.

Apparatus for automatically replacing nuclear fuel assemblies

A nuclear fuel identification code reader has an optical sensor for detecting a nuclear fuel identification code marked on a fuel assembly and an ultrasonic wave sensor for detecting the nuclear fuel identification code. It further has first means for recognizing the nuclear fuel identification code based on information derived from the optical sensor and second means for recognizing the nuclear fuel identification code based on information derived from the ultrasonic wave sensor. When the nuclear fuel identification code cannot be recognized by the first means, the detection by the ultrasonic wave sensor and the recognition of the nuclear fuel identification code by the second means are effected. The nuclear fuel identification code can be recognized in a short time with a high accuracy.

Method for reading a nuclear fuel assembly identification code

In a traveling inspection robot system, two carriages are each provided with one pair of guide rollers for guiding the travel in the vertical direction and two pairs of side rollers for guiding the travel in the horizontal direction. The two pairs of side rollers are arranged such that one pair locates on each of the front and rear sides of the pair of guide rollers as viewed in the direction of advance. The two carriages are interconnected by a coupling plate through parallel steering shafts, and a sprocket and a motor for driving the sprocket are provided as travel driving device on one carriage for giving a traction force to a transversely central portion of the upper inner surface of the monorail. An antenna and a current collector are provided on the other carriage. A control circuit unit and a span and tilt mechanism are attached to the coupling plate with a sensor unit mounted to the span and tilt mechanism. A swing motor and a tilt motor in the span and tilt mechanism are arranged in respective dead spaces created when the span and tilt mechanism swings and tilts. A chain, a trolley line and an antenna line are laid and wired on the upper inner surface of the monorail. With such an arrangement, the degree of freedom in rail design can be increased, the robot and the monorail can be both made small in size, and therefore the applicable range of the traveling inspection robot can be enlarged.

Traveling inspection robot system

A nuclear fuel assembly having first and second nuclear fuel identification codes marked on the fuel assembly. The first nuclear fuel identification code is of a different expression than the second nuclear fuel identification code and is arranged adjacent thereto.

Nuclear fuel assembly having identification codes

A nuclear fuel identification code reader has an optical sensor for detecting a first nuclear fuel identification code marked on a fuel assembly and an ultrasonic wave sensor for detecting a second nuclear fuel identification code marked on the fuel assembly. It further has first means for recognizing the nuclear fuel identification code based on information derived from the optical sensor and second means for recognizing the nuclear fuel identification code based on information derived from the ultrasonic wave sensor. When the nuclear fuel identification code cannot be recognized by the first means, the detection by the ultrasonic wave sensor and the recognition of the nuclear fuel identification code by the second means are effected. The nuclear fuel identification code can be recognized in a short time with a high accuracy.

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Hitachinaka, Japan

Tomiharu Yoshida