Apparatus, and an associated method, for generating a trouble ticket related to an IT incident. When an IT incident occurs, a worklog is formed by a reporter that enters information associated with the incident. Successive inputs, made by appropriate personnel, are made to update the status of the incident. A table-of-contents is formed, associated with the collection of entries of information. And, each entry of information is categorized, to identify the entry by an associated category.

A robot system, including an arm capable of controlling a position and orientation of an arm tip portion, a hand, which is attached to the arm tip portion and which includes a grasping mechanism configured to grasp an operation target, capable of controlling a relative position and orientation from the arm tip portion of the grasped operation target, and a position and orientation measurement apparatus configured to perform relative position and orientation measurement from the arm tip portion of the grasped operation target, wherein measurement of the relative position and orientation from the arm tip portion of the operation target is performed after the operation target is grasped by the grasping mechanism, while the arm tip portion is still moving, and correction of the relative position and orientation from the arm tip portion of the hand is performed based on a result of the position and orientation measurement so that the arm tip portion takes a predetermined relative position and orientation from the arm tip portion.

In various embodiments, safe collaboration between a robot and humans is achieved by operating the robot continuously at or below a first threshold speed at which any collisions with a person's arms do not cause harm, and, upon detection of the person's torso or head within a danger zone around the robot, reducing the speed to or below a second threshold at which any collisions with the person's torso or head do not cause harm.

Provided is a device for wirelessly controlling robots suitable for competition or educational purposes, the device including: an input module configured to receive commands from a human user interface, the human user interface sending signals indicative of inputs by a user to control a robot; a protocol translator configured to translate the received commands into a protocol to which the robot is responsive; a wireless output module configured to wirelessly transmit the translated commands to the robot such that the robot executes the commands.

An energy-reducing method and apparatus for retrofitting a single zone, constant volume HVAC system, with or without an economizer, that provides heating, cooling, and ventilation to occupants within a building space. The present invention includes the introduction of a programmable logic controller and variable frequency drive (VFD) that takes control of the existing fan, heating, cooling, and optional economizer operation. The reduction of the fan speed in the ventilation mode when the 100% operation is not needed saves significant energy of the existing constant volume HVAC system where the fan motor is designed to run 100% of the time.

An information processing apparatus for performing recognition processing by a recognizer for a position and orientation of a work subject to undergo work by a working unit of a robot arm. The information processing apparatus including an obtaining unit adapted to obtain, for each of a plurality of positions and orientations of the work subject, a position and an orientation of the working unit in which the working unit can perform the work, and a restriction unit adapted to restrict a position and an orientation of the work subject used in the recognition processing by the recognizer to a position and an orientation of the work subject corresponding to the position and the orientation of the working unit that have been obtained by the obtaining unit.

A work hanging apparatus includes a hanger line continuously conveying hangers each having a hook, a robot that has a hand with which a work having a hole is held and transfers the held work to a hanging location set in the hanger line, a controller controlling a movement of the hand to catch the hook of one of the hangers with the hole of the held work at the hanging location, a hole deviation detector that detects a positional deviation of the hole of the work, an attitude deviation detector that detects an attitudinal deviation of the hanger, and a corrector that corrects the movement of the hand according to the positional and attitudinal deviations.

Black disazo dyes of general formula (V) wherein A is a moiety of formula (VI) or of formula (VII) and B is a moiety of formula (VII) or of formula (IX) and wherein M, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14, R15, R16, R17, R18, R19, R20, R21, R22, R23, and R24, are as defined in the specification, are excellent black dyes for dying and printing cellulose containing materials and textile materials and, in particular, for preparation of recording liquids for ink jet printing and for writing utensils.

The invention relates to a bonding product suitable as a carrier for medicinal substances and to the compound derived therefrom that carries medicinal substances. The invention further relates to a process and device for preparing such bonding products and compounds. Further, the invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition containing such bonding products and compounds, and to the use thereof for preparing an infusible medicament for treating a disease.

The new metal azo pigments comprising the adduct of a) at least two metal azo compounds of the formula (I) or their tautomeric forms in which the substituents have the definition indicated in the description,and b) at least one compound of the formula (II) in whichR6 has the definition indicated in the description, are characterized in that in the X-ray diffractogram with a lattice constant of d=10.3 (±0.2) Å the metal azo pigment has a signal S1 with an intensity I1 and in the lattice constant range from d=16.05 Å to d=11.78 Å has no signal S2 whose intensity I2 in relation to the intensity I1 of signal S1, expressed as ratio I2/I1 of the background-corrected intensities, exceeds a value of 0.02,and are outstandingly suitable for producing pigment preparations and especially for producing color filters.

The present invention relates to a 68Ga generator, wherein the 68Ge parent nuclide thereof is attached specifically to a support through a triethoxyphenyl group and continuously disintegrates to 68Ga, the triethoxyphenyl group being covalently bound to a support material through a linker.

Disclosed herein is a GO-Gd-DTPA (gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic-graphene oxide) complex, which is formed by an ester bond of graphene oxide (GO) and gadopentetic acid (Gd-DTPA). Since the GO-Gd-DTPA can stably exist in the body because it has high stability in water, it is expected that it can be effectively used as an MRI contrast agent.

An organic compound has the following chemical structure: wherein R is different from R*; R and R* are independently hydrogen, halogen, nitro or methoxyl; and R1 is a C1-C6 alkyl or a phenyl group. A quaternary data storage device includes a bottom electrode, a top electrode, and the organic film layer sandwiched between the bottom electrode and the top electrode.

The present disclosure relates to an azoquinone compound represented by formula (1) below. In formula (1), R1 to R4 are identical or different and each represents a hydrogen atom, a C1 to C6 alkyl group or a C6 to C12 aryl group, and Ar represents a C6 to C12 aryl group.

A hypoxia contrast medium including nitroimidazole-amino acid chelate with a positively charged radioactive nuclide, a preparation method and use thereof. The contrast medium can be used in imaging cerebral thrombosis, tumors or other diseases such as ulceration, thrombosis, and so on.

An apparatus and method for transporting radiopharmaceutical substances. The apparatus comprises a radiation shielding pig having an elongated sidewall that extends between two ends and that defines an elongated, interior chamber. The sidewall is thinner than each of the ends. A radiation shield defines at least one cavity. The shield has two open ends and a central area between the open ends that is thicker than each of the two open ends. Also, a method of assembling and disassembling the apparatus includes, placing a syringe filled with a radiopharmaceutical substance into the pig; placing the pig containing the filled syringe in the radiation shield; placing the pig and the shield into an ammunition can for transporting the radioactive substance contained in the syringe.

A radioactive substance decontamination method and apparatus which decontaminates a metal member contaminated by radioactive substance in a short period of time. This apparatus has (1) multiple reducing decontamination tanks having different radiation control values; (2) a carrier for immersing the metal member into the multiple reducing decontamination tanks and a washing tank; (3) a tube for transferring into the second reducing decontamination tank the reducing decontamination agent in the first reducing decontamination tank; (4) a reducing agent decomposer for decomposing a component contained in the reducing decontamination agent of the reducing decontamination tank where the radiation control value is the highest out of the reducing decontamination tanks connected by the tube; and (5) a washing tank for washing the reducing decontamination agent deposited on the decontaminated metal member.

The invention provides a method of separating uranium from at least fission products in irradiated nuclear fuel, said method comprising reacting said irradiated nuclear fuel with a solution of ammonium fluoride in hydrogen fluoride fluorinating said reacted irradiated nuclear fuel to form a volatile uranium fluoride compound and separating said volatile uranium fluoride compound from involatile fission products. The invention thus provides a reprocessing scheme for irradiated nuclear fuel. The method is also capable of reacting, and breaking down Zircaloy cladding and stainless steel assembly components. Thus, whole fuel elements may be dissolved as one thereby simplifying procedures over conventional Purex processes.

A method for cooling a heat source, a method for preventing chemical interaction between a vessel and a cooling composition therein, and a cooling system. The method for cooling employs a containment vessel with an oxidizable interior wall. The interior wall is oxidized to form an oxide barrier layer thereon, the cooling composition is monitored for excess oxidizing agent, and a reducing agent is provided to eliminate excess oxidation. The method for preventing chemical interaction between a vessel and a cooling composition involves introducing a sufficient quantity of a reactant which is reactive with the vessel in order to produce a barrier layer therein that is non-reactive with the cooling composition. The cooling system includes a containment vessel with oxidizing agent and reducing agent delivery conveyances and a monitor of oxidation and reduction states so that proper maintenance of a vessel wall oxidation layer occurs.

A working apparatus has: a working equipment for doing works on a structure; an operation mechanism adapted to actively move the working equipment relative to the structure; and an adhering/traveling module coupled to the operation mechanism and adapted to adhere to the structure so as to have the weight of the working apparatus borne by the structure and travel/move on the structure for positioning. With this arrangement, the working apparatus can perform accurate positioning operations in a narrow environment and complex scanning operations by means of various pieces of the working equipment such as inspection sensors, and can secure a large working area within a short period of time and reduce the overall working hours.

Disclosed is a separation and receiving apparatus for a spent nuclear fuel rod. The spent nuclear fuel rod is mounted and downwardly transferred by a pin. At this time, a blade peels the hull of the spent nuclear fuel rod. The hull and a pellet positioned therein are separated by a separator. The peeled hull and pellet are each received in respective receiving vessels. Accordingly, since the hull and pellet made of uranium oxide (UO2) may be automatically separated and received in each respective vessel, safety and automation may be guaranteed.

Materials and methods of making low-sintering-temperature glass waste forms that sequester radioactive iodine in a strong and durable structure. First, the iodine is captured by an adsorbant, which forms an iodine-loaded material, e.g., AgI, AgI-zeolite, AgI-mordenite, Ag-silica aerogel, ZnI2, CuI, or Bi5O7I. Next, particles of the iodine-loaded material are mixed with powdered frits of low-sintering-temperature glasses (comprising various oxides of Si, B, Bi, Pb, and Zn), and then sintered at a relatively low temperature, ranging from 425° C. to 550° C. The sintering converts the mixed powders into a solid block of a glassy waste form, having low iodine leaching rates. The vitrified glassy waste form can contain as much as 60 wt % AgI. A preferred glass, having a sintering temperature of 500° C. (below the silver iodide sublimation temperature of 500° C.) was identified that contains oxides of boron, bismuth, and zinc, while containing essentially no lead or silicon.

An apparatus for treating a radioactive nitrate waste liquid includes: a denitrification tank (12) that accommodates active sludge which adsorbs or takes in a radioactive substance in a nitrate waste liquid (11) containing nitrate and the radioactive substance and in which an anaerobic microorganism that reduces the nitrate to nitrogen gas grows; a reaeration tank (14) that aerates and mixes a denitrification-treated liquid (24) treated in the denitrification tank (12) with the active sludge in which the aerobic microorganism grows; and a sludge dissolution tank (81) that dissolves redundant sludge (26A, 26B) discharged from the denitrification tank (12) and the reaeration tank (14). Acetic peracid (80) is supplied to the sludge dissolution tank (81) to dissolve redundant sludge, a sludge lysate is supplied to the denitrification tank (12) as a carbon source (22), and acetic acid is supplied to the denitrification tank (12).

A fine motion control rod drive mechanism handling apparatus attaches a fine motion control rod drive mechanism having a control rod drive mechanism body, a spool piece, a motor bracket and a motor unit to a reactor pressure vessel, and detaches it from the reactor pressure vessel. The fine motion control rod drive mechanism handling apparatus is provided with a bolt wrench assembly, a motor unit attachment mounted to the bolt wrench assembly, for meshing a first gear of a first gear coupling on a spool piece side with a second gear of a second gear coupling on a motor unit side, and a rotation mechanism mounted to the bolt wrench assembly, for rotating the motor unit attachment.

Described herein is a composition useful for inducing expression of genes whose expression is under control of an inducible promoter sequence and methods for the compositions preparation and use.

This disclosure relates to temperature sensitive conjugates, compositions, and uses related thereto. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to conjugate polymers comprising a) a temperature sensitive polymer and b) an antibody. Typically the antibody has an epitope to a platelet receptor. The antibody may be a single-chain antibody wherein the platelet receptor is GPIIb/IIIa, such as an anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibody. In certain embodiments, the antibody binds specifically to the activated conformation of GPIIb/IIIa, i.e., an activation-specific GPIIb/IIIa antibody.

Example apparatus and methods concern selectively accepting or rejecting content based on ratings identifier information included in the content. Example apparatus and methods facilitate identifying a content fragment (e.g., f-MP4 fragment) to be rejected based on an identifier located in the fragment rather than information located in some external source (e,g., Event Information Table (EIT)). One example method includes identifying a fragment based on a ratings identifier encoded as a universally unique identifier (UUID) in the fragment and then selectively accepting or rejecting the fragment based on the rating. Rather than rely only on a predicted start time, a predicted end time, a predicted source, and a pre determined coarse-grained rating, example apparatus and methods may be better prepared to account for unanticipated start times, ending times, schedule changes, and source changes, and may provide finer grained user control based on ratings carried in content.

An exemplary method includes a media service provider system 1) providing an end user of an integrated media service with access to a media program by way of a plurality of different media distribution models, 2) maintaining a catalog that includes comprehensive information about the media program, the comprehensive information being an aggregate of non-redundant information about the media program obtained from a plurality of independent source catalogs corresponding to the plurality of different media distribution models, and 3) providing, based on the comprehensive information included in the catalog, a media service user interface that supports discovery of the comprehensive information about the media program regardless of a user interface context from which a user request for information about the media program is received. Corresponding systems and methods are also described.

Video thumbnail electronic program guide (EPG) systems and methods are operable to include a video thumbnail. An exemplary embodiment receives a media content stream at a media device; picks a plurality of still image video frames from the received media content stream, wherein each still image video frame has information that is sufficient to construct the still image video frame; generate a plurality of still image video frame thumbnails, wherein each of the still image video frame thumbnails correspond to one of the still image video frames; generate a video thumbnail from the plurality of still image video frame thumbnails; and incorporate the video thumbnail with at least one program descriptor and a channel identifier associated with the media content stream into the video thumbnail EPG.

A playback apparatus to play back content data including sound data includes an instruction operating portion to detect an instruction operation that instructs execution of prescribed processing, a hold operating portion to detect a hold setting operation that sets a state of not accepting the instruction operation to the instruction operating portion, a state control portion to set the state of not accepting the instruction operation to the instruction operating portion if the hold setting operation is detected by the hold operating portion, and a video processing portion to perform processing for displaying a video. If the video processing portion performs processing for displaying the video when the hold setting operation is detected, the state control portion controls the video processing portion to suspend at least a part of processing for displaying the video.

A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.

A method and apparatus for extracting advertisement keywords in association with situations of scenes of video include: establishing a knowledge database including a classification hierarchy for classifying situations of scenes of video and an advertisement keyword list, segmenting a video script corresponding to a received video in units of scenes, and determining a situation corresponding to each scene with reference to the knowledge database, and extracting an advertisement keyword corresponding to the situation of a scene of the received video with reference to the knowledge database.

Thumbnail images representative of recorded TV programs are generated and presented to aid a user in browsing the recorded TV programs. In one implementation, a temporary thumbnail image is generated when a TV program first starts recording. The temporary thumbnail is used to populate any user interface (UI) screens that reference the recoded TV program. Once the TV program has reached a threshold amount of recording (e.g., a prescribed duration of recording, or completion of the recording), a permanent thumbnail image is generated and associated with the TV program. The permanent thumbnail is then presented in any subsequent UI screens, replacing the temporary thumbnail. In another implementation, display of the thumbnail images in the UI screens may be further controlled by setting preferences, such as parental controls.

Aspects of a method and system for data processing in a device with integrated set-top-box and femtocell functionality are provided. Data may be received via an integrated femtocell and set-top-box device and may be synchronously processed, utilizing a common clock, to perform one or more femtocell functions and/or set-top-box functions. The common clock may be derived from global navigation satellite system signals. The integrated femtocell and set-top-box device may convert the received data from a first to a second format. The converted data may be transmitted to a cellular enabled communication device via a cellular transmitter within said integrated femtocell and set-top-box device and/or to a multimedia device via a multimedia interface within said integrated femtocell and set-top-box device. The received data may comprise multimedia content. The integrated femtocell and set-top-box device may be operable to encode, decode, transcode, encrypt, decrypt, scramble, descramble, and present the received multimedia content.

A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system has a VOD Application Server which manages a database of templates ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order. The templates include those for higher-order displays which have one or more links to lower-order displays of specific content. The VOD Application Server, in response to viewer request, displays a high-order templatized display, and in response to viewer selection of a link, displays the lower-order display of specific content. The hierarchical templatized displays enable viewers to navigate to an end subject of interest while having a unique visual experience of moving through a series of displays to the end subject of interest.

Disclosed is a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet or an alloyed hot-dip galvanized steel sheet, which has a tensile strength of 980 MPa or more, excellent workability, high yield ratio and high strength. The hot-dip galvanized steel sheet or the alloyed hot-dip galvanized steel sheet is characterized by containing 0.12-0.3% by mass of C, 0.1% by mass or less (excluding 0% by mass) of Si, 2.0-3.5% by mass of Mn, 0.05% by mass or less (excluding 0% by mass) of P, 0.05% by mass or less (excluding 0% by mass) of S, 0.005-0.1% by mass of Al and 0.015% by mass or less (excluding 0% by mass) of N, with the balance made up of iron and unavoidable impurities. The hot-dip galvanized steel sheet or the alloyed hot-dip galvanized steel sheet is also characterized in that the metallic structure thereof contains bainite as a matrix structure, and the area ratio of ferrite is 3-20% and the area ratio of martensite is 10-35% relative to the entire structure.

A perpendicular magnetic recording medium of the present invention comprises a non-magnetic substrate, and at least a backing layer, an under layer, an intermediate layer and a perpendicular magnetic recording layer, which are sequentially laminated on the non-magnetic substrate, wherein the backing layer is formed of a soft magnetic film having an amorphous structure, the under layer contains a NiW alloy containing any one or both of Co and Fe, the W content of the NiW alloy is within a range from 3 to 10 atom %, the total of the Co and Fe contents of the NiW alloy is 5 atom % or more and less than 40 atom %, the saturation magnetic flux density Bs of the NiW alloy is 280 emu/cm3 or more, the thickness of the under layer is within a range from 2 to 20 nm, and the intermediate layer contains Ru or a Ru alloy.

A hybrid vehicle control apparatus is provided with: a first replacement controlling device which replaces regenerative braking torque of the rotating electrical machine by engagement torque of the clutch if probability of starting an internal combustion engine is high on demand of changing a connection state between a rotating electrical machine and a transmission mechanism in regenerative braking by the regenerative braking torque of the rotating electrical machine; and a second replacement controlling device which replaces the regenerative braking torque by friction braking torque if the start probability is low on the change demand.

A belt drive arrangement for an auxiliary unit of a motor vehicle includes, but is not limited to a belt pulley for receiving a drive belt, a shaft of the auxiliary unit that can be driven with the torque of the belt pulley, and a clutch device for the releasable torque transmission between the belt pulley and the shaft of the auxiliary unit. The clutch device includes, but is not limited to an electromagnet and a spring element. The spring element is preloaded in such a manner that the clutch in a currentless state of the electromagnet is closed.

A method for operating a brake system for a work machine that includes at least one operating brake acting directly or indirectly on at least one ground engagement element of the work machine and at least one operating brake actuator which is movable between a fully engaged position and a fully released position and an accelerator actuator for activating propulsion of the work machine. In an activated state of the brake system the operating brake actuator is moved automatically to its fully engaged position when the accelerator actuator is released.

A control apparatus for a vehicle including a second clutch capable of switching between input and output shafts connecting state in which a motor-generation is connected. The control apparatus drives the wheels by the motor-generation so a torque transmitted to the wheels does not fluctuate in case the gear shift is executed to the transmission when is in the output shaft connecting state of the second clutch, and synchronizes the input and output shafts at the gear shift by the motor-generation in case the gear shift is executed to the transmission when the second clutch state is in the input shaft connecting state. The second clutch state is switched to the output shaft connecting state when a drive power to the vehicle is equal or less than a value. The second clutch state is switched to the input shaft connecting state when the drive power is greater than the value.

A method of controlling a vehicle, where the vehicle includes an internal combustion engine and a transmission having a neutral state and an engaged state, includes setting the state of the transmission. The state of the transmission is set as the neutral state or the engaged state based on a restart condition, where the restart condition is one of: (i) a no wheel torque restart condition, and (ii) a wheel torque restart condition. The method additionally includes starting the engine.

A transmission assembly in a vehicle includes a transmission configured to receive a transmission fluid. A controller operatively connected to the transmission and configured to store a first look-up table defining respective warm-up calibration factors (Fw) for a respective first set of ambient temperatures. The controller has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method for determining a current temperature (TTF) of the transmission fluid. The vehicle is keyed off and then keyed on after a key-off time duration (te), the controller being deactivated when the vehicle is keyed off and activated when the vehicle is keyed on. The controller is configured to determine the current temperature of the transmission fluid (TTF) based at least partially on the first look-up table and a key-on temperature (TTFkey-on) of the transmission fluid.

The invention relates to a method for operating a drive device (1) of a motor vehicle, said drive device (1) comprising at least one combustion engine (3) and at least one electric machine (9), as well as a dual clutch transmission (4) which can be functionally connected to the combustion engine (3) and which comprises a first sub-transmission (5), a first clutch (6) being associated therewith, and a second sub-transmission (7), a second clutch (8) and the electric machine (9) being associated therewith. In a purely electrical driving operation, the electric machine (9) is operated in a motorized manner, a driving gear is engaged in the second sub-transmission (7), and both clutches (6, 8) are disengaged. According to the invention, in order to start the combustion engine (3) during the electric driving operation, the second clutch (8) is engaged so as to drive the combustion engine (3) by means of the electric machine (9), a gear is engaged in the first sub-transmission (5), said gear having a lower gear ratio than the engaged driving gear of the second sub-transmission (7), the first clutch (6) is brought into a slip position and the second sub-transmission (7) is subsequently brought into a neutral position, the rotational speed of the electric machine (9) is increased at least to a starting rotational speed for the combustion engine (3) with the slip of the first clutch (6) being adjusted to maintain a forward torque of the motor vehicle, and the combustion engine (3) is started once its starting rotational speed has been reached. In addition, the invention relates to a device for operating a drive device of a motor vehicle.

Control apparatus for hybrid vehicles are described which reduce the heat generated by a clutch and improve the response of the hybrid vehicle when an operator requests a high degree of acceleration while starting the engine and the transmission is required to perform a shift-down. In one embodiment, when the engine is required to start while the transmission is required to perform a shift-down action, the control apparatus holds a hydraulic pressure of a releasing side clutch of the transmission at a predetermined lowest stand-by value preventing a slipping action of the releasing side clutch, while a clutch K0 between the motor and engine is placed in a slipping state, and reduces the hydraulic pressure of the releasing side clutch from the lowest stand-by value in the slipping state of the clutch K0 after the clutch K0 is placed in the fully engaged state.

A method for controlling a transmission of a powertrain system includes executing a single source shortest path search to identify a preferred shift path originating with an initial powertrain state and terminating at a target powertrain state, wherein the single source shortest path search employs transition-specific costs and situational costs to identify the preferred shift path. The preferred shift path is executed to achieve the target powertrain state.

A control apparatus for an automatic transmission including three frictional engagement elements is configured to set engagement pressures of first and second frictional engagement elements at the time when a predetermined shift speed is established such that a torque capacity of a third frictional engagement element becomes smaller than torque capacities of the first and second frictional engagement elements in the case where an engagement pressure is generated in the third frictional engagement element at the time when the predetermined shift speed is established.

A vehicle travel control apparatus that controls state of travel of a vehicle by adjusting force that acts on the vehicle includes: an acting force adjustment portion that adjusts the force that acts on the vehicle, according to the state of travel of the vehicle; an operating state detection portion that detects an operating state of an operation member that is operated to control the state of travel of the vehicle; and an adjustment degree alteration portion that alters degree of adjustment made by the acting force adjustment portion, according to the operating state of the operation member.

A method of operating a drive-train of a vehicle that comprises a combustion engine whose torque for driving the vehicle can be transmitted to a drive output via a transmission, with a hydraulically actuated clutch when the clutch is engaged. An electric machine provides torque which can act upon the drive-train. The clutch is closed by filling the clutch with hydraulic fluid through a circuit by way of a pump which can be driven by the engine and the electric machine. The method is to engage the clutch when the combustion engine is initially off and/or when the electric machine is initially switched off, determining a driving dynamic based on the behavior of the driver and adjusting the speed of the electric machine based on the determined driving dynamic such that the greater the determined driving dynamic is, the more rapidly the clutch is filled by the pump.

Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, an electrical load may be automatically activated to consume electrical energy produced during driveline braking so that driveline braking may be extended. The electrical load may be a windscreen heater or other device.