Abstract: A sunroof panel and sunshade assembly system includes a moveable sunroof panel operable to selectively move to a first closed position within a sunroof opening of a vehicle and a sunshade operable to selectively move to a second closed position within the sunroof opening. The sunshade includes a leading-edge portion and a spring force displacement member within the leading-edge portion of the sunshade, wherein the spring force displacement member is operable to deform when the sunshade contacts an obstruction while the sunshade is moving. The system further includes an electric machine providing motive force to the sunshade and a computerized sunroof panel and sunshade controller. The controller operates programming to monitor operation of the electric machine, determine a presence of the obstruction based upon the monitored operation, and command the electric machine to stop and reverse the sunshade based upon the determined presence.

Abstract: A system for estimating a hitch angle includes a control module with memory for storing programmatic control logic, a processor for executing the control logic, and one or more input/output (I/O) ports. Wheel speed sensors on a trailer communicate with the processor via the I/O ports. A trailering application defines a portion of the control logic and has at least first, and second control logics. The first control logic estimates the hitch angle from a first term, a second term and physical parameters of the vehicle and trailer. The second control logic provides the estimated hitch angle to one or more of a driver and to on-board control systems of the vehicle and trailer.

Abstract: A system and method to adjust an augmented reality (AR) image involve a front-facing camera in a vehicle. The camera obtains an image that includes a road surface ahead of the vehicle. The system also includes a processor to detect lane lines of the road surface in three dimensions, to perform interpolation using the lane lines to determine a ground plane of the road surface, and to adjust the AR image to obtain an adjusted AR image such that all points of the adjusted AR image correspond with points on the ground plane.

Abstract: A vehicle trim assembly includes a first trim component having an interior facing surface and an exterior facing surface, the first trim component including an extended portion, a second trim component including an edge defining a groove configured to engage with the extended portion of the first trim component, and a single chip sensor overmolded with the second trim component such that the single chip sensor is integrated into the second trim component. The single chip sensor is formed with the second trim component in a multi-shot injection molding process.

Abstract: A system of a vehicle includes: a torque request module configured to determine a first engine torque request based on a driver input and to set a second engine torque request to a lesser one of (a) the first engine torque request and (b) an engine torque limit; and a torque limit module configured to, when a vehicle speed is less than a predetermined speed, an accelerator pedal position is greater than a predetermined accelerator pedal position, and a brake torque request for braking of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined torque, set the engine torque limit to less than the first engine torque request.

Abstract: Methods are provided for joint performance validation and include preparing a coupon from a blank by bending the blank to have a pair of legs disposed at substantially ninety degrees relative to each other. Another coupon is prepared by forming an opening in a segment of another blank and bending the segment approximately ninety degrees. The segment is disposed adjacent an end of the second blank. A test sample is prepared by joining the coupons together at a joint with a leg attached to the segment approximately at a center of the leg. The test sample is subjected to a force test to generate data for the performance validation.

Abstract: A fuel quick connector body according to various aspects of the present disclosure includes a wall. The wall extends along a longitudinal axis between a first end and a second end. The wall defines a passage between the first end and the second end. The body includes a polymer. The polymer includes polyphenylene sulfide in an amount greater than or equal to about 70 weight percent. The polymer may have a flexural modulus of less than or equal to about 4 GPa. The polymer may have a notched ISO impact strength of greater than or equal to about 25 kJ/m2. The polymer may have an elongation at break of greater than or equal to about 15%. In various aspects, the present disclosure provides a fuel quick connector including the fuel quick connector body, a retainer component, and an O-ring.

Abstract: Presented are joint active thermal management (JATM) systems with heat exchanger storage of surplus refrigerant, methods for making/operating such systems, and vehicles equipped with such systems. A JATM system includes a coolant loop that fluidly connects to a vehicle battery system for pumping thereto coolant, an oil loop thermally coupled to the coolant loop and fluidly connected to a vehicle powertrain system for pumping thereto oil, and a refrigerant loop thermally coupled to the coolant loop and operable to circulate refrigerant for heating/cooling a passenger compartment. An electronic controller determines if a current amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant loop exceeds a calibrated threshold for the current operating mode of the JATM system. If so, the controller determines if one of the refrigerant loop's heat exchangers is available to store excess refrigerant. If the heat exchanger is available, the refrigerant loop stores excess refrigerant in the available refrigerant heat exchanger.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a negative electrode for an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions. The negative electrode may include a negative electroactive material and a lithiation additive. The negative electroactive material may have a first cell voltage window. The lithiation additive may have a second cell voltage window. The second cell voltage window may be less than the first cell voltage window. When the electrochemical cell is operated in the second cell voltage window, the lithiation additive may lithiated the cell.

Abstract: A method for forming a solid-state battery is provided. The method includes disposing one or more cell units along a continuous current collector to form a stack precursor. In some examples, disposing of the one or more cell units along the continuous current collector includes concurrently disposing the one or more cell units along the continuous current collector and winding the continuous current collector to form a stack. In other examples, the continuous current collector is a z-folded current collector and the disposing the one or more cell units along the continuous current collector includes inserting the one or more cell units into one or more pockets formed by folds of the continuous current collector. The method may further include applying heat, pressure, or a combination of heat and pressure to the stack precursor to form a compressed stack, and cutting the continuous current collector to form the solid-state battery.

Abstract: An automobile vehicle airbag system includes a vehicle seat having a seat back rotatably connected to a seat base, with the seat base mounted on a seat frame. A seat base cushion is mounted on the seat frame upon which an occupant is seated. A thigh airbag is connected to the seat frame and positioned above the seat frame and below the seat base cushion in a thigh airbag uninflated condition. At least one airbag tether is connected to the seat frame and to the thigh airbag. A lap belt is connected to the vehicle seat and contacts a pelvis of the occupant. When inflated the thigh airbag pushes upward on the seat base cushion forcing the thighs and pelvis of the occupant upward into frictional contact with the lap belt, thereby mitigating against submarining of the pelvis beneath the lap belt.

Abstract: A first IoT device includes a memory, a transceiver, bloom filter evaluation, false positive comparison and control modules. The memory stores: a bloom filter set including an array of bits representing entries in a certificate revocation list; and a false positive set including a list of certificate entries falsely identified as being revoked. The transceiver receives from a second IoT device a message including a certificate. The bloom filter evaluation module receives the bloom filter set from a back office station and determines whether an identifier associated with the certificate is in the bloom filter set. The false positive comparison module receives the false positive set from the back office station and determines whether the identifier is in the false positive set. The control module permits communication between the first and second IoT devices based on whether the identifier is in the bloom filter and false positive sets.

Abstract: A system for updating vehicle time information includes a communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with a wireless network using a network communication protocol. The system also includes a processing unit configured to assess communications between the vehicle to determine whether a condition related to a potential local time offset error exists, and based on determining that the condition exists, transmit a message supported by the communication protocol to the wireless network. The message is configured to prompt the wireless network to return a response message including a local time offset. The process is also configured to update a vehicle local time record based on the local time offset.

Abstract: Solvent-free methods of making a component, like an electrode, for an electrochemical cell are provided. A particle mixture is processed in a dry-coating device having a rotatable vessel defining a cavity with a rotor. The rotatable vessel is rotated at a first speed in a first direction and the rotor at a second speed in a second opposite direction. The particle mixture includes first inorganic particles (e.g., electroactive particles), second inorganic particles (e.g., ceramic HF scavenging particles), and third particles (e.g., electrically conductive carbon-containing particles). The dry coating creates coated particles each having a surface coating (including second inorganic particles and third particles) disposed over a core region (the first inorganic particle). The coated particles are mixed with polymeric particles in a planetary and centrifugal mixer that rotates about a first axis and revolves about a second axis. The polymeric particles surround each of the plurality of coated particles.

Abstract: An assembly includes a panel member and an acoustic sink member. The panel member has a panel edge, and first and second long axes defining a plane. The panel member has a first material composition. The acoustic sink member has a body with a periphery which is coupled to the panel edge. The body has a second material composition, which is distinct from the first material composition. An acoustic impedance of the sink member at the periphery is equal to an acoustic impedance of the panel member at the panel edge, and the body has a cross-sectional profile defined by a power law.

Abstract: A system for making a hybrid cam bore sand core with metal chills for an engine block includes an engine block cast of an aluminum material. A camshaft bore extends through the engine block. A cam bore sand core with at least one metal chill is positioned within the camshaft bore. A body portion of the at least one metal chill is positioned in direct contact with a cam bearing surface of at least one cam bearing member during casting of the engine block to increase a cooling rate of the at least one cam bearing member and create a crystalline material depth of the cam bearing member having enhanced mechanical properties.

Abstract: A method for generating energy-optimized travel routes for a motor vehicle includes one or more of the following: receiving an origin destination (OD) of the motor vehicle and an encrypted energy consumption database of the motor vehicle; generating N candidate routes for the OD; evaluating encrypted energy consumption over a route using an encrypted energy consumption database; applying at least one of homomorphic addition function or homomorphic multiplication function to the encrypted energy consumption data; and returning N candidate routes and their encrypted energy consumption to a client.

Abstract: A method includes detecting at least one remote vehicle that is within a predetermined distance from the host vehicle, detecting that the light of the remote vehicle that is on, determining a luminous intensity of a light beam emitted by the light of at least one remote vehicle that is within the predetermined distance from the host vehicle, comparing the luminous intensity of the light beam emitted by the light of at least one remote vehicle to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the luminous intensity of the light beam emitted by the light is greater than the predetermined threshold in response to determining the luminous intensity of the light of at least one remote vehicle that is within the predetermined distance from the host vehicle, and dimming at least a portion of the windshield of the host vehicle.

Abstract: Methods and systems for estimating vehicle velocity based on radar data. The methods and systems include receiving a set of range-Doppler-beam, RDB, maps from radars located on a vehicle and performing an optimization process that adjusts an estimate of vehicle velocity so as to optimize a correlation score. The optimization process includes iteratively: spatially registering the set of RDB maps based on the current estimate of vehicle velocity, determining the correlation score based on the spatially registered set of RDB maps, and outputting an optimized estimate of vehicle velocity from the optimization process when the correlation score has been optimized. The methods and systems control the vehicle based at least in part on the optimized estimate of vehicle velocity.

Abstract: A multistage centrifugal atomizer comprises an outer shell that contains an inlet port and an outlet port and that encloses a tundish, a first inclined rotating surface and a second inclined rotating surface. The first inclined rotating surface is opposedly disposed to the second inclined rotating surface. The inlet is used to introduce a molten material into the multistage atomizer and the outlet is used to remove ultrafine particles having a D50 of less than 20 micrometers.