Abstract: A vehicle including a hybrid battery pack includes a first battery pack and a second battery pack. The first battery pack has a higher energy density than the second battery pack. The second battery pack has a higher power density than the first battery pack. A power inverter module is connected between the hybrid battery pack and a motor generator unit (MGU) that is connected to a powertrain of the vehicle. The power inverter module is configured to regulate power flow between the hybrid battery pack and the MGU. A battery management module is configured to: control switching of the power inverter module; selectively charge and discharge at least one of the first battery pack and the second battery pack; and selectively charge the first battery pack with power from the second battery pack.

Abstract: An energy share system includes a first vehicle and a second vehicle. The first vehicle includes a first battery pack and a first battery management module configured to selectively charge and discharge the first battery pack. The second vehicle includes a second battery pack and a second battery management module configured to, in response to receipt of payment, selectively charge the second battery pack with power received from the first battery pack of the first vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle including a hybrid battery pack includes a first battery pack and a second battery pack. The first battery pack has a higher energy density than the second battery pack. The second battery pack has a higher power density than the first battery pack. A power inverter module is connected between the hybrid battery pack and a motor generator unit (MGU) that is connected to a powertrain of the vehicle. The power inverter module is configured to regulate power flow between the hybrid battery pack and the MGU. A battery management module is configured to: control switching of the power inverter module; selectively charge and discharge at least one of the first battery pack and the second battery pack; and selectively charge the first battery pack with power from the second battery pack.

Abstract: A method and system to determine relatedness select a first customer observable from a first source document, the first customer observable being made up of two terms, the two terms being a first term of a first type and a first term of a second type, and select a second customer observable from a second source document, the second customer observable being made up of a second term of the first type and a second term of the second type. The method includes creating a first corpus of all documents that include the first terms, creating a second corpus of all documents that include the second terms, obtaining other first terms in the first corpus and other second in the second corpus, and performing semantic similarity analysis to determine a similarity score between the first customer observable and the second customer observable.

Abstract: A system having an annotation module that annotates, using a master ontology, unstructured verbatim regarding a product and related issue, and a customer-observable (CO) construction module determining associations amongst terminology in the annotated output, yielding a group of CO pairs. A CO merging module merges at least one first CO pair into a second CO pair based on similarities. A pointwise mutual-information module determines which CO pairs of the group of merged CO pairs are relatively more-severe or more-relevant, yielding a group of critical CO pairs. An output module initiates activity to implement the results, such as by automated repair of the product or change to product design or manufacturing process. The system in some embodiments identifies, using a subject-matter-expert (SME) database, features of false-positive associations, and in machine-learning implements the features to improve CO formation going forward.

Abstract: A method and system to determine relatedness select a first customer observable from a first source document, the first customer observable being made up of two terms, the two terms being a first term of a first type and a first term of a second type, and select a second customer observable from a second source document, the second customer observable being made up of a second term of the first type and a second term of the second type. The method includes creating a first corpus of all documents that include the first terms, creating a second corpus of all documents that include the second terms, obtaining other first terms in the first corpus and other second in the second corpus, and performing semantic similarity analysis to determine a similarity score between the first customer observable and the second customer observable.

Abstract: Described is a system for using social media data to supplement survey data for discrete choice analysis. Survey data from consumers is segmented into demographic groups. Individual demographic attributes and consumer product attribute preferences are extracted from a set of social media data. Consumer product attribute preferences are determined for each demographic group using the set of social media data. Consumers' preference coefficients are generated for each demographic group. Finally, individualized incentives for a target consumer product are determined using the consumers' preference coefficients.

Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein include providing an on-sale vehicle, receiving an access request for the on-sale vehicle from a buyer, approving the access request, transmitting at least one authentication key, confirming an identity of the buyer, initiating a test drive, monitoring the test drive, and completing a transaction upon conclusion of the test drive including revoking the at least one authentication key in response to the buyer not purchasing the on-sale vehicle or revoking an authentication key of a prior titleholder in response to the buyer purchasing the on-sale vehicle.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for automatically comparing, combining and fusing vehicle data. First data is obtained pertaining to a first plurality of vehicles. Second data is obtained pertaining to a second plurality of vehicles. One or both of the first data and the second data include abbreviated terms. The abbreviated terms are disambiguating at least in part by identifying, from a domain ontology stored in a memory, respective basewords that are associated with each of the abbreviated terms, filtering the basewords, performing a set intersection of the basewords, and calculating posterior probabilities for the basewords based at least in part on the filtering and the set intersection. The first data and the second data are combined, via a processor, based on semantic and syntactic similarity between respective data elements of the first data and the second data and the disambiguating of the abbreviated terms.

Abstract: A vehicle wiper assembly includes a wiper blade having a length, and an active material disposed along the length of the wiper blade and coupled thereto. The active material includes a shape memory alloy material with a crystallographic phase that is changeable between austenite and martensite, and is elastically deformable and operatively applies a spring force against a portion of the wiper blade when the crystallographic phase is martensite.

Abstract: A vehicle wiper assembly includes a wiper blade having a length, and an active material disposed along the length of the wiper blade and coupled thereto. The active material includes a shape memory alloy material with a crystallographic phase that is changeable between austenite and martensite, and is elastically deformable and operatively applies a spring force against a portion of the wiper blade when the crystallographic phase is martensite.

Abstract: A method of detecting textual and behavioral commonalities in warranty reported data. Extracting, by a processor, records of verbatim data from a memory storage unit. A first set of basewords is identified for comparison with the extracted records. A binary flag is set in response to an occurrence of a respective baseword in a respective record. An occurrence matrix is generated that includes entries identifying a number of times basewords are identified in each record. The occurrence matrix is formatted to a format as identified by the user.

Abstract: A vehicle wiper assembly includes a wiper blade having a length, and an active material disposed along the length of the wiper blade and coupled thereto. The active material includes a shape memory alloy material with a crystallographic phase that is changeable between austenite and martensite, and is elastically deformable and operatively applies a spring force against a portion of the wiper blade when the crystallographic phase is martensite.

Abstract: A method of automatically developing an ontology for product function and failure mode documentation for an apparatus. The apparatus is identified. A function-flow model is generated for the identified apparatus for identifying a composite structure of the apparatus. Functions and failure modes associated with the identified apparatus are enumerated. Failure data is obtained from a plurality of heterogeneous data sources. A semantic similarity module is applied to the enumerated failures by comparing a plurality of documents between the data sources. The semantic similarity module bridges a variety of terms used in the heterogeneous data to describe a respective failure. Failures associated with the enumerated apparatus functions are extracted from the plurality of documents between heterogeneous data sources. A composite of related terminology is generated for each identified failure mode.

Abstract: A method of automatically developing an ontology for product function and failure mode documentation for an apparatus. The apparatus is identified. A function-flow model is generated for the identified apparatus for identifying a composite structure of the apparatus. Functions and failure modes associated with the identified apparatus are enumerated. Failure data is obtained from a plurality of heterogeneous data sources. A semantic similarity module is applied to the enumerated failures by comparing a plurality of documents between the data sources. The semantic similarity module bridges a variety of terms used in the heterogeneous data to describe a respective failure. Failures associated with the enumerated apparatus functions are extracted from the plurality of documents between heterogeneous data sources. A composite of related terminology is generated for each identified failure mode.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for automatically comparing, combining and fusing vehicle data. First data is obtained pertaining to a first plurality of vehicles. Second data is obtained pertaining to a second plurality of vehicles. The first data and the second data are compared and combined based on syntactic similarity between respective data elements of the first data and the second data collected during different stages of vehicle life cycle development.

Abstract: An exhaust system configured for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy includes a source of thermal energy provided by a temperature difference between an exhaust gas having a first temperature and a heat sink having a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature. The exhaust system also includes a conduit configured for conveying the exhaust gas, a heat engine disposed in thermal relationship with the conduit and configured for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy, and a member disposed in contact with the conduit and configured for conducting thermal energy from the conduit to the heat engine. The heat engine includes a first element formed from a first shape memory alloy having a crystallographic phase changeable between austenite and martensite at a first transformation temperature in response to the temperature difference between the exhaust gas and the heat sink.

Abstract: A cooling system configured for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy includes a source of thermal energy provided by a temperature difference between a heat source having a first temperature and a coolant having a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature. The cooling system includes a cooling circuit configured for conveying the coolant to and from the heat source. The cooling circuit includes a conduit and a pump in fluid communication with the conduit and configured for delivering the coolant to the heat source. The cooling system also includes a heat engine disposed in thermal relationship with the conduit and configured for converting thermal to mechanical energy. The heat engine includes a first element formed from a first shape memory alloy having a crystallographic phase changeable between austenite and martensite at a first transformation temperature in response to the temperature difference between the heat source and coolant.

Abstract: A wiper assembly includes a wiper blade having a length and an active material actuator provided along a portion of the length of the wiper blade and coupled thereto. The active material actuator is configured to impart a degree of motion to a portion of the wiper blade in response to an electrical actuation signal.

Abstract: A wiper assembly includes a wiper blade having a length and an active material actuator provided along a portion of the length of the wiper blade and coupled thereto. The active material actuator is configured to impart a degree of motion to a portion of the wiper blade in response to an electrical actuation signal.