Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a moveable structure supported by a fixed frame. The moveable structure includes a bottom portion configured to slide forward and rearward relative to the fixed frame, a back portion connected to the bottom portion and configured to both pivot and slide relative to the fixed frame, and an upper portion that, in some embodiments, is configured to rotate relative to the back portion.

Abstract: A thermal management system comprises two pumps and three coolant loops. The loops are interconnectable such that most if not all of the functions of the thermal management system can be accomplished with one of the two pumps deactivated or inoperable. The thermal management system is selectively configurable to utilize waste heat from a battery, an electrical drivetrain system, and/or a wireless charger to heat cabin air. The thermal management system is further selectively configurable to heat or cool a battery, to cool an electrical drivetrain system, and to cool a wireless charger.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an autonomous vehicle safety system can be implemented with a plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensors being configured to produce an electrical signal that is indicative of an environmental condition about a vehicle; a sensor distribution hub that receives the electrical signals from the plurality of sensors and generates two streams of data based on the electrical signals received from the plurality of sensors; a first micro-processing unit configured to receive a first of the two streams of data generated by the sensor distribution hub, where the first micro-processing unit is further configured to autonomously control the vehicle; and a second micro-processing unit configured to receive a second of the two streams of data generated by the sensor distribution hub, where the second micro-processing unit is also configured to autonomously control the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle with improved body—closure impact performance may include a frame having an outer side and an inner side, the frame comprising a door opening, a door sill secured to the frame and extending along an edge of the door opening, the door sill extruded to comprise an elongate cavity; and a door secured to the frame and comprising an elongate protrusion, the door movable between an open position and a closed position, where the elongate cavity is positioned to receive the elongate protrusion when the door is in the closed position.

Abstract: The systems and methods described herein can be applied to a vehicle equipped with a sensor suite that can observe information about a user, for example, a driver or passenger, within a vehicle. The system can determine a action being conducted by a user or an event associated with the user. Then, the navigation system can augment or learn what type of route or conditions allows the user to conduct the action or event. From the learned information, the navigation system can determine a route that best assists with the action or event regardless of whether the route is the shortest or quickest. As such, the vehicle tailors the chosen navigation route based on the user's conditions or circumstances rather than the driving environment.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle or self-driving vehicle can protect persons from accidents. When the occupants of a vehicle exit the vehicle, those occupants can be endangered by the driving environment. Thus, while the occupants are outside the vehicle, the vehicle can continue to monitor the environment and provide warnings or intercept other vehicles or objects that may impact the occupants. Once all occupants have exited the vehicle, the vehicle's systems can continue to track each person around the vehicle and may engage, in limited maneuvers, to shield the pedestrians around the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle can produce a user interface that provides details about the autonomous driving benefits for a journey at the end of each trip and can keep a log of autonomous driving (AD) and manual driving (MD) history. The metrics that would be monitored and displayed may include one or more, but is not limited to, a time on the road, a time in traffic, money spent on electricity for a battery, a time in manual mode, a time in autonomous mode, multiple stops, hard accelerations, hard brakes, a time spent above the speed limit, routes taken, multiple stops along the way, regenerated energy, non-regenerated energy used, etc. The journey summary may include autonomous safety benefits that are unique to an AD vehicle.

Abstract: A battery module for a vehicle is disclosed. The battery module includes a plurality of adjacent battery cells in a module housing, each battery cell including a battery case. The battery module further includes a pressure sensor on one of the battery cells or the module housing. The pressure sensor is configured to produce a signal indicative of a change in pressure associated with any of the battery cells. The battery module further includes an electronic control unit electronically connected to the pressure sensor. The electronic control unit is configured to determine the existence of an abnormal condition based on the signal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a secure vehicle communication interface device that authorizes communication to one or more systems of a vehicle through a diagnostic, or other, communication port. A service device used to access the secure communication channel may be configured as a small apparatus that is connected to a port to authenticate communications across the port. Without the device, the port would remain locked and prevent access to any systems or subsystems of the vehicle.

Abstract: Methods and systems for welding a terminal of a battery cell to corresponding terminal tab or busbar are described using a magnet that causes the terminal and tab/busbar to be placed in physical contact. The terminal of a battery cell is aligned in contact with the tab/busbar by the force of a magnetic field. A welder, e.g., a laser welder, can then generate a laser weld beam to weld the terminal of the battery cell to the tab/busbar. Next, the laser weld beam is narrowed, reducing the first diameter to a smaller second diameter. Without touching the tab/busbar or terminal of the battery (which could affect the welding operation), the magnetic field can cause a force that brings the tab and terminal in contact during welding.

Abstract: A vehicle control unit (e.g., a control unit for an automobile) receives feedback from an intelligent voltage/current sensor and a DC/DC controller. The DC/DC controller comprises a first switch for controlling power from a primary power source (e.g., low voltage power supplied from a high voltage battery). The intelligent voltage/current sensor senses power output from the primary power source. The vehicle control unit processes feedback from the intelligent voltage/current sensor and/or the DC/DC controller to determine if a failure has occurred in the primary power source. In response to determining the failure in the primary power source, the vehicle control unit disables the power from the primary power source using a second switch (e.g., a switch in a relay).

Abstract: Devices and systems are provided that incorporate fusible links within the electrical traces of a battery module voltage sensing circuit. The fusible links can be integrally formed in an electric trace and provide an overcurrent protection feature for the circuit without requiring fuse elements or components that are separate from the electrical trace. Each of these fusible links include a substantially flat controlled cross-sectional area disposed along a length of the material making up the electrical trace. In an overcurrent situation, the connection between a battery management system and a battery cell may be severed by the overcurrent melting the fusible link. The electrical traces may be spaced apart from one another in the circuit such that an overcurrent situation breaking the connection between one cell and the battery management system would not affect adjacent electrical traces not having an overcurrent situation.

Abstract: A laminated busbar assembly includes positive and negative leads supported by an insulative layer. The insulative layer as well as the positive and negative leads are thin and flexible, thus facilitating connection of the positive and negative leads with the terminals of the electric cells of a battery module. The laminated busbar assembly may include voltage measurement wires and/or temperature sensors for measuring voltage and/or temperature, respectively.

Abstract: A tapered busbar for an energy storage device is provided. The tapered busbar is configured to interconnect with a first row of series-connected energy storage cells in a battery module at a first end of the busbar. As the busbar tapers from a first cross-sectional area at the first end to a larger second cross-sectional area at a second opposite end, the busbar is configured to interconnect with sequentially additional electrically-parallel rows of series-connected energy storage cells. The tapered cross-sectional area of the busbar provides a substantially uniform current density at any point along the length of the busbar regardless of the number of rows of energy storage cells connected before or after the point.

Abstract: Systems and methods of detecting leakage and other issues with electrical battery housings are provided. By using an air compressor to alter the air pressure within a battery housing, a processor may detect an abnormal rate of change in the air pressure within the battery housing as compared to a rate of change of an ideal battery housing.

Abstract: An electronics thermal conduction package is provided. The package may include a housing and an interior space, or envelope, configured to receive a printed circuit board assembly (“PCBA”) with one or more microprocessors or other heat generating elements. The package can be elastically deformed to open a dimension of the envelope, or receiving cavity, such that a complete PCBA can be inserted inside the interior space of the package. Once inserted, the package may be returned to its undeformed, or substantially undeformed, state such that surfaces in the interior space of the package contact one or more of the heat generating elements on the PCBA creating a conductive thermal path from the heat generating elements to the housing of the package.

Abstract: Systems of an electrical vehicle and the operations thereof are provided that use identifiers and sensed power source parameters to determine whether a rule, such as a warranty or licensing requirement, has been violated.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for a universal modular battery and power system are provided. The universal modular battery may include a number of modular interconnection features that enable a number of universal modular batteries to be stacked for use in a universal battery power system. The modular interconnection features facilitate the modular addition or subtraction of batteries in the universal battery power system to, among other things, alter a power capacity of the system. The universal batteries in a power system may be exchanged, swapped, or moved from one power system to another, including power systems associated with different vehicles and/or buildings.

Abstract: An energy storage device having improved safety is provided, and methods of manufacturing the same. The device can be an electrochemical cell that includes: a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material in electrically conductive contact with a positive electrode current collector; a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material in electrically conductive contact with a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode tab connected to the negative electrode current collector and a negative electrically conductive member; an electrically insulative and ion conductive medium in ionically conductive contact with the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and an outer case containing the positive electrode, negative electrode and electrically insulative and ion conductive medium, where the outer case comprises a scored area connected to a cooling plate.

Abstract: A network crawler crawls one or more media sites to extract a plurality of titles for information contained in the one or more media sites. For example, the network crawler may extract the titles on the one or more media sites by identifying different computer formats and converting the titles in the different computer formats into a common computer format for comparison. User profiles which, includes user's interest are stored in a user profile interest database. A novel personalized news recommendation engine recommends news similar to the interest specified in a user profile, where maximum weighted matching is applied to score the similarity of news against user interest in the word2vec space.