In a control and management system for automobiles, a central processor in the system connects traditionally unrelated vehicle subsystems together to realize synergistic functions such as smart driving, automatic parking, etc. A master interface having a display is employed in the system to help a user control and manage the vehicle functions.

Centralized control and management system for automobiles

Context-aware and location-aware cellular phones and methods are described. In one embodiment, cellular phones are configured to wirelessly receive information that pertains to their current context or location. The phones then automatically use the information to modify one or more cellular phone behaviors, e.g. by turning the phone off, changing the ringer's pitch, or placing the phone in a vibrate mode. In one particular embodiment, various location types are defined and have associated attributes that define a desired cellular phone behavior. One or more transmitters at a location for which a behavior is desired transmit information that pertains to the location's class type. The cell phones can carry an association of class types and their behaviors so that when the phones receive the class type information, they can automatically adjust their behavior.

Context-aware and location-aware cellular phones and methods

Context-aware systems and methods, location-aware systems and methods, context-aware vehicles and methods of operating the same, and location-aware vehicles and methods of operating the same are described. In various embodiments, a context or location service module, implemented in software, determines a vehicle context or a vehicle location based upon information that it receives from various context providers or location providers respectively. Software executing on a vehicle's computer can then cause one or more applications that are associated with a vehicle computer to be modified in a manner that changes their behavior. The behavior modification is based on the current context or location of the vehicle and thus provides a context-specific or location-specific user experience. The context or location can be ascertained through the use of one or more hierarchical tree structures that comprises individual nodes. Each node is associated with a context or location. The nodes are traversable by the vehicle's software to ascertain a more complete context or location.

Context-aware systems and methods, location-aware systems and methods, context-aware vehicles and methods of operating the same, and location-aware vehicles and methods of operating the same

. A real-time vision system has been developed that analyzes color videos taken from a forward-looking video camera in a car driving on a highway. The system uses a combination of color, edge, and motion information to recognize and track the road boundaries, lane markings and other vehicles on the road. Cars are recognized by matching templates that are cropped from the input data online and by detecting highway scene features and evaluating how they relate to each other. Cars are also detected by temporal differencing and by tracking motion parameters that are typical for cars. The system recognizes and tracks road boundaries and lane markings using a recursive least-squares filter. Experimental results demonstrate robust, real-time car detection and tracking over thousands of image frames. The data includes video taken under difficult visibility conditions.

http://cs-pub.bu.edu/fac/betke/papers/betke-mva00.pdf

Real-time multiple vehicle detection and tracking from a moving vehicle

Context-aware computing systems and methods are described. In particular embodiments, location aware systems and methods are described. In the described embodiments, hierarchical tree structures are utilized to ascertain a device context or location. The tree structures can be stored on or accessible to mobile computing devices so that the devices can determine their own particular context or location. In one embodiment, one of the tree structures comprises a Master World tree structure that contains nodes that represent geographical divisions of the Earth. Another of the tree structures can comprise a so-called Secondary World that contains nodes that represent physical or logical entities that are organization or company specific views of the world. A computing device can automatically determine its context or location by ascertaining a node on one or more of the tree structures and then traversing the tree structure to ascertain the complete context. A unique device architecture is described that permits context aware computing.

Context aware computing devices and methods

This paper presents BASEMENT™, a distributed real-time architecture developed for vehicle internal use in the automotive industry. The Basement concept is holistic, in the sense that it covers application development, as well as the hardware and software that provide execution and communication support. The key constituents of the concept are
 A real-time kernel has been developed together with two design tools: a system simulator and an off-line scheduler. System development is illustrated by presenting an Intelligent Cruise Control application. BASEMENT is a registered trademark of Mecel AB.

BASEMENT: a distributed real-time architecture for vehicle applications

BASEMENT/sup TM/ is a distributed real-time architecture developed for vehicle internal use in the automotive industry. BASEMENT covers application development, as well as the hardware and software that provide execution and communication support. This paper gives an overview of the BASEMENT concept, as well as presenting two system realizations. The first realization is based on the commercial real-time kernel Rubus, while the second is an ultra-dependable architecture (DACAPO) with provisions for fault tolerance at various system levels. BASEMENT is designed for the automotive systems of the future. These systems will be required to simultaneously handle multiple safety critical functions and a large number of less critical functions. All of these features are to be provided at a production cost substantially lower than that of current systems, and, at the same time, with a reliability allowing vehicles to be built without mechanical backup systems, even for safety critical subsystems such as braking and steering.

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BASEMENT: an architecture and methodology for distributed automotive real-time systems

The paper presents BASEMENT, a distributed real time architecture developed for vehicle internal use in the automotive industry. The BASEMENT concept is holistic, in the sense that it covers application development, as well as the hardware and software that provide execution and communication support. The key constituents of the concept are: resource sharing (multiplexing) of processing and communication resources; a guaranteed real time service for safety critical applications; a best effort service for nonsafety critical applications; a communication infrastructure providing efficient communication between distributed devices; and a program development methodology allowing resource independent and application oriented development of application software. A real time kernel supporting BASEMENT has been developed, together with two design tools: a system simulator and an offline scheduler. We illustrate BASEMENT system development by presenting an intelligent cruise control application.

, a distributed real-time architecture developed for vehicle internal use in the automotive industry. The BASEMENT' concept is holistic, in the sense that it covers application development, as well as the hardware and software that provide execution and communication support. The key constituents of the concept are TM This paper presents BASEMENT

Sven Larsson

Papers

BASEMENT: a distributed real-time architecture for vehicle applications

BASEMENT: an architecture and methodology for distributed automotive real-time systems

BASEMENT: a distributed real-time architecture for vehicle applications

a Distributed Real-Time Architecture for Vehicle Applications