Provided is a system, including: a demand information acquisition unit configured to acquire information indicating power demand in a power network; and a setting unit configured to, based on the power demand, set a usage fee for a parking lot having a power transmission and reception facility for a vehicle having a power supply for driving to transmit and receive power to/from the power network.

An accumulator assembly for an electric or hybrid vehicle may include a housing including a housing upper part and a housing lower part releasably fixed to the housing upper part. The housing upper part may be fixable to a floor panel of the vehicle. The assembly may further include at least one battery module disposed in a receptacle space between the housing upper part and the housing lower part. The at least one battery module may be releasably fixed to the housing upper part.

A system and method in a building or vehicle for an actuator operation in response to a sensor according to a control logic, the system comprising a router or a gateway communicating with a device associated with the sensor and a device associated with the actuator over in-building or in-vehicle networks, and an external Internet-connected control server associated with the control logic implementing a PID closed linear control loop and communicating with the router over external network for controlling the in-building or in-vehicle phenomenon. The sensor may be a microphone or a camera, and the system may include voice or image processing as part of the control logic. A redundancy is used by using multiple sensors or actuators, or by using multiple data paths over the building or vehicle internal or external communication. The networks may be wired or wireless, and may be BAN, PAN, LAN, WAN, or home networks.

A system and method in a building or vehicle for an actuator operation in response to a sensor according to a control logic, the system comprising a router or a gateway communicating with a device associated with the sensor and a device associated with the actuator over in-building or in-vehicle networks, and an external Internet-connected control server associated with the control logic implementing a PID closed linear control loop and communicating with the router over external network for controlling the in-building or in-vehicle phenomenon. The sensor may be a microphone or a camera, and the system may include voice or image processing as part of the control logic. A redundancy is used by using multiple sensors or actuators, or by using multiple data paths over the building or vehicle internal or external communication. The networks may be wired or wireless, and may be BAN, PAN, LAN, WAN, or home networks.

A system and method in a building or vehicle for an actuator operation in response to a sensor according to a control logic, the system comprising a router or a gateway communicating with a device associated with the sensor and a device associated with the actuator over in-building or in-vehicle networks, and an external Internet-connected control server associated with the control logic implementing a PID closed linear control loop and communicating with the router over external network for controlling the in-building or in-vehicle phenomenon. The sensor may be a microphone or a camera, and the system may include voice or image processing as part of the control logic. A redundancy is used by using multiple sensors or actuators, or by using multiple data paths over the building or vehicle internal or external communication. The networks may be wired or wireless, and may be BAN, PAN, LAN, WAN, or home networks.

Some embodiments are directed to a drive configuration for a skid-steered vehicle that has a pair of traction motors for rotationally driving opposite outputs of the drive configuration. The traction motors are operatively connected to the outputs via respective gearing arrangements for selectively varying gear reduction between each of the traction motors and the corresponding output. The drive configuration also has a steer differential in a torque connection with the first and second outputs of the drive configuration. The drive configuration additional has a steer motor operatively connected to the steer differential for selectively varying the rotational speed of the first and second outputs in use. Also, the traction and steer motors define a volume in which the gearing arrangements and steering differential are at least partially located.

A heat pump system for a vehicle is provided. The system includes a battery coolant line connected to a battery module. A cooling device selectively connected to the battery coolant line includes a radiator and a first water pump, to circulate a coolant therein. A first chiller is disposed in the battery coolant line and connected to a refrigerant line of an air conditioner to adjust a temperature of a coolant. A second chiller is selectively connected to the coolant line and selectively connected to the refrigerant line to increase a temperature of a coolant by selectively exchanging heat between the coolant and a refrigerant flowing into the second chiller. An integrated control valve is connected to the refrigerant line, the first connecting line, and the second connecting line to adjust a refrigerant flow direction and to selectively expand a refrigerant passing through the integrated control valve.

A drive apparatus for a hybrid vehicle includes: (a) a hybrid drive unit having (a-1) an automatic transmission, (a-2) a first rotating machine and (a-3) an engine connected to the first rotating machine through a hydraulically-operated connecting/disconnecting device; (b) an electric drive unit including a second rotating machine; and (c) a hybrid control device configured, in event of an anomaly that disables a shift control of the automatic transmission, to generate an electric power by causing the first rotating machine to be rotated by the engine and drive the hybrid vehicle to run by causing the second rotating machine of the electric drive unit to be operated with use of the generated electric power, in a state in which a power transmission through the automatic transmission is cut off and the connecting/disconnecting device is engaged.

A method of a solar cell array arranged on the surface of a support by providing and utilizing an assembly fixture having a smooth, concave surface. An uncured supporting film composed of a composite material (such as a carbon fiber composite) is mounted directly on the back side of the solar cells; and the film of composite material is co-cured on the assembly fixture so that the array of interconnected solar cells is bonded to the supporting film. The bonded and cured film of composite material and an array of interconnected solar cells is then removed from the assembly fixture.

In a drive device, a first flow path of a fluid connects a gear accommodation portion and an inlet of a pump. A second flow path connects an outlet of the pump and one end of a third flow path via a cooler. The third flow path is inside a partition wall of a housing and intersects a rotation axis of a first shaft. A fourth flow path connects another end of the third flow path and one end of a fifth flow path. The fifth flow path is inside a gear side lid of the housing. Another end of the fifth flow path is connected to one end of a second shaft in an axial direction. One end of a sixth flow path is connected to another end of the third flow path. Another end of the sixth flow path is inside a housing tubular portion.