Abstract: A vehicular airbag deployment system includes an airbag storage chamber, the airbag storage chamber disposed at a location within a vehicle. The vehicular airbag deployment system also includes an airbag configured to be stored within the airbag storage chamber when the airbag is in a deflated state. The airbag is further configured to be inflated in response to a collision detection event and deploy from the airbag storage chamber. In an inflated state, the airbag extends in a generally horizontal direction between a passenger seating location and a reaction surface at a front interior surface of the vehicle and the airbag contacts the reaction surface in the inflated state.

Abstract: Common mode voltage discharge shields are disposed over end turns of stator windings for a three phase electric traction motor within an electric vehicle. The common mode voltage discharge shields are capacitively coupled to the end turns to a ground strap, providing a low impedance path for common mode voltages accumulating at a neutral for electric traction motor as a result of high frequency switching of the motor drive voltage to produce desired torque. An insulating layer separates the common mode voltage discharge shields from the end turns. Accumulation of the common mode voltage in excess of a bearing breakdown voltage, and the associated potential for discharge through bearings between the stator and rotor and electrical discharge machining, is reduced or eliminated.

Abstract: Described herein are steer-by-wire systems and methods of operating these systems in vehicles. A steer-by-wire system comprises a steering wheel assembly, comprising a steering wheel, sensors, and a torque generator. The system comprises a rack assembly, comprising a steering rack, sensors, and a rack actuator. The steering wheel assembly and the rack assembly are communicatively coupled by a steer-by-wire system controller, without having any direct mechanical links between the assemblies. In some examples, the controller instructs the rack assembly to control the steering rack position based on the steering input, such as changes in the steering wheel position. A steering map is used to determine the desired steering rack position based on the current steering wheel position. In some examples, a steering map is selected from a steering map set based on, e.g., the vehicle speed, vehicle direction, driver preference, and the like.

Abstract: An electric motor controller is equipped to mitigate drive line induced vehicle vibration. The motor speed is measured at the output of the motor, separately from any measurement of drive shaft or wheel speed. At least bandpass filtering is applied to the measured motor speed, at a pass band based on the natural frequency of the drive shaft. The filtering detects drive line induced oscillations of the motor speed. A controller uses the detected drive line induced oscillations to generate an oscillation control output, subject to limiting. An oscillation mitigation torque signal corresponding to the control output is added to a torque command for desired motor speed, to adjust for the oscillations. The adjusted torque command is used to control the motor, with a significant reduction in the oscillation of the motor's speed.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an interconnect assembly configured to receive and retain multiple batteries. The interconnect assembly includes a retainer configured to receive portions of the batteries and a conductive interconnect layer carried by the retainer. The conductive interconnect layer includes a first layer of conductive material having a first thickness and a second layer of conductive material having a second thickness less than the first thickness. The first and second layers of conductive material are attached together to form the conductive interconnect layer. The second layer of conductive material includes multiple interconnects configured to be coupled to cathodes and anodes of the batteries.

Abstract: A battery system includes a cover including a plurality of guide apertures. The battery system includes a thermal barrier disposed adjacent the plurality of guide apertures of the cover. The battery system includes a stiffening structure disposed between the cover and the thermal barrier. The plurality of guide apertures guides emissions through the cover, and the thermal barrier absorbs heat energy generated by the emissions. The battery system may further include a plurality of battery cells, and the thermal barrier may be disposed between the plurality of battery cells and the cover. Each of the plurality of guide apertures of the cover may be aligned with a vent of one of the plurality of battery cells. The stiffening structure may also include cutouts each shaped to correspond to at least one vent. The stiffening structure may also include indentions to press the thermal barrier against the plurality of battery cells.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension system includes left and right control arm assemblies each having a wheel mount structure, an upper control arm, and a lower control arm. Each control arm includes a first end configured to be pivotably connected to a frame structure of a vehicle and a second end rotatably connected to the wheel mount structure. The vehicle suspension system also includes a transverse leaf spring having an elongated body extending between the control arm assemblies, outer mounting brackets respectively connecting left and right ends of the elongated body to the left and right control arm assemblies, and one or more inner mounting brackets located between the outer mounting brackets. The transverse leaf spring is contoured such that a contoured portion of the elongated body deviates in a downward direction in order to extend below an electric drive system disposed within an internal space between rails of the frame structure.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining sensor data associated with a target object at a host vehicle and generating at least one first polynomial associated with the host vehicle. Each first polynomial is a representation of an estimated behavior of the host vehicle. The method also includes identifying relative positions of the target object over time and generating at least one second polynomial associated with the target object based on the relative positions. Coefficients of each second polynomial are based on a magnitude of a covariance of the relative positions used to generate the second polynomial. Each second polynomial is a representation of an estimated behavior of the target object. The method further includes determining whether a collision between the host vehicle and the target object is possible based on the first and second polynomials and, in response to determining that the collision is possible, initiating one or more corrective actions.

Abstract: A support plate and reinforcement member may be mounted within a hollow side sill between a rocker and crossmembers for a vehicle framework. The support plate may include flanges along either edge and a straight, projecting face between the flanges. The reinforcement member, mounted on the support plate proximate to an outer surface of the side sill, may include flanges along either edge and a wavy projecting face between the flanges. Contact portions of the projecting face for the reinforcement member may contact an interior of the side sill at regions aligned with where the side sill mounts to the crossmembers, with intervening portions of the projecting face, in areas adjacent energy absorbing crush cans, extending less far from the flanges. The intervening portions may also be laterally offset from the contact portions, to provide larger weld areas.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an insulated metal substrate (IMS) board having a base metal layer and a conductive layer separated by a dielectric layer. The apparatus also includes a full bridge of a dual-full bridge power converter configured to convert between higher and lower electrical voltages. The full bridge is carried by the IMS board and is electrically coupled to the conductive layer. The full bridge includes multiple electrical switches configured to selectively form and break electrical connections with a transformer of the dual-full bridge power converter. The apparatus further includes at least one output capacitor carried by the IMS board. The at least one output capacitor is coupled to the full bridge and is configured to store electrical energy. The base metal layer is configured as a grounding plane for the full bridge, and the full bridge has split ground connections to the grounding plane.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining sensor data associated with a target object at a host vehicle and identifying relative positions of the target object with reference to the host vehicle over time. The method also includes generating polynomials associated with the target object over time based on the relative positions, where coefficients of each polynomial are based on a magnitude of a covariance of the relative positions used to generate the polynomial. The method further includes generating a weighted combination of the polynomials for the target object, where the weighted combination is a representation of an estimated behavior of the target object. In addition, the method includes determining whether a collision between the host vehicle and the target object is possible based on the weighted combination of the polynomials and, in response to determining that the collision is possible, initiating one or more corrective actions by the host vehicle.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining, using at least one processing device, a vanishing point and a boundary based on image data associated with a scene, where the boundary is associated with a detected object within the scene. The method also includes repeatedly, during multiple iterations and using the at least one processing device, (i) identifying multiple patches within the boundary and (ii) determining a similarity of the image data contained within the multiple patches. The method further includes identifying, using the at least one processing device, a modification to be applied to the boundary based on the identified patches and the determined similarities. In addition, the method includes generating, using the at least one processing device, a refined boundary based on the modification, where the refined boundary identifies a specified portion of the detected object.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining, using at least one processing device, image data associated with a scene. The method also includes identifying, using the at least one processing device, multiple line segments based on the image data. The method further includes identifying, using the at least one processing device, one or more boundaries around one or more objects detected in the image data. In addition, the method includes estimating, using the at least one processing device, a position of a vanishing point associated with the image data based on multiple collections of the line segments while excluding, from the multiple collections, one or more of the line segments that overlap with or that are included within the one or more boundaries.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an AC input configured to receive an AC electrical signal and a DC input configured to receive a first DC electrical signal having a lower voltage and a second DC electrical signal having a higher voltage. The apparatus also includes an on-board charger configured to charge a power supply using the AC electrical signal. The on-board charger includes an AC/DC PFC converter and a DC/DC converter. The apparatus further includes switches configured to form and break electrical connections between the AC input, DC input, AC/DC PFC converter, DC/DC converter, and power supply. In addition, the apparatus includes a controller configured to adjust the electrical connections formed by the switches. The controller is configured, when the DC input receives the first DC electrical signal, to place the switches in a configuration to couple the DC input to the PFC converter and couple the PFC converter to the power supply.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU) configured to detect motion characteristics of a vehicle. The apparatus also includes an odometry system configured to detect a wheel speed of each wheel of the vehicle. The apparatus further includes at least one processor communicatively connected to the IMU and the odometry system, the at least one processor configured to determine first parameters for predicting a path of the vehicle, determine second parameters for predicting the path of the vehicle, and predict the path of the vehicle using a combination of the first parameters and the second parameters, wherein the combination is weighted based on a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle obtained using the IMU.

Abstract: A vehicle platform with a variety of impact safety features including front and rear impact features as well as side impact features designed to protect the passenger compartment as well as the battery compartment and vehicle chassis components. Some features may include crumple zone components, deflectors and modular energy absorption units.