Abstract: A planetary gear assembly for transferring torque in a transmission includes first and second planetary gear sets, each including a ring gear, a sun gear, and a carrier bearing a plurality of planet gears. A bridge portion connects a first carrier of the first planetary gear set to a second ring gear of the second planetary gear set. The bridge portion may be disposed radially outward of the first sun gear, and the bridge portion may be connected to an outer side of the first carrier. In some examples, a first ring bearing assembly is constrained by the first ring gear and the bridge structure; a first carrier bearing assembly is constrained by a first case portion and a bridge extension extending from the first carrier; and a second ring bearing assembly is constrained by a second case portion and a second bridge extension extending from the second ring gear.

Abstract: A thin film, flexible antenna that has particular application to be adhered to vehicle glass, where the antenna is operable to receive right-hand or left-hand circularly polarized signals from, for example, GPS and SDARS satellites. The antenna is a printed planar antenna formed to the substrate and includes a ground plane having an outer perimeter portion defining a slot therein and having a plurality of sides. A T-line tuning stub extends from one of the sides into the slot, a curved spur-line tuning stub extends from a corner where two sides of the perimeter portion meet and extends into the slot, and a radiating element electrically isolated from the perimeter portion extends into the slot. The perimeter portion is operable to generate circularly polarized signals to be received by the radiating element where the tuning stubs provide phase tuning of the circularly polarized signals.

Abstract: A system and method of enabling or disabling vehicle features based on vehicle location, wherein the method includes: receiving a localized geographical vehicle feature map at the vehicle from a remote server, wherein the localized geographical vehicle feature map includes geographical vehicle feature map data, wherein the geographical vehicle feature map data includes geographical regions associated with vehicle feature data that indicates whether one or more vehicle features are enabled and/or disabled; monitoring vehicle location; based on the monitoring of the vehicle location, determining that the vehicle is located within or approaching a particular geographical region of the geographical regions included in the localized geographical vehicle feature map; determining at least one vehicle feature associated with the particular geographical region based on accessing the localized geographical vehicle feature map; and enabling and/or disabling the at least one vehicle feature based on information contained

Abstract: A system includes a stationary component, a rotating component arranged adjacent the stationary component, and a planetary torsional vibration absorber system mounted between the stationary component and the rotating component. The planetary torsional vibration absorber system includes a planetary gear system including a ring gear, a sun gear and a carrier. At least one of the ring gear, the sun gear and the carrier is rotationally fixed to the rotating component and another of the ring gear, the sun gear and the carrier is fixedly secured to the stationary component. A tuned vibration absorber including a tunable damping and stiffness component and an inertia ring is mounted to yet another of the ring gear, the sun gear and the carrier.

Abstract: In various aspects, a lightweight connecting rod for an internal combustion engine is provided. The lightweight connecting rod has one or more of: hollow regions, lattice regions, or weight reduction apertures. The connecting rod may be made via an additive manufacturing process. The connecting rod includes a first end, a second end, and an arm. The first end is configured to be pivotally connected to a piston. The second end is configured to be pivotally connected to a crankshaft. The arm extends between the first end and the second end. The arm includes a peripheral wall. The peripheral wall has an outer surface, an inner surface, and an interior region. The interior region is defined be the inner surface. The interior region includes at least one void space. The void space is a lattice structure or a hollow region.

Abstract: An airbag assembly is configured for mounting above an occupant in a vehicle. The example airbag assembly includes an airbag housing that is configured to enclose an airbag cushion when the airbag cushion is in an uninflated state. The airbag cushion is connected to the airbag housing and is configured to project outward from the airbag housing when the airbag cushion inflates from the uninflated state to an inflated state. The example airbag assembly also includes a tether connected at a first attachment point and connected to the airbag cushion at a second attachment point. The first attachment point is located horizontally closer to the occupant than the second attachment point when the airbag cushion is in the inflated state such that the tether limits movement of the airbag cushion in a direction away from the occupant.

Abstract: A rotor for an electromagnetic machine and a method of assembling the rotor are provided. In one embodiment, the rotor includes a lamination stack disposed about a rotational axis a plurality of conductor bars disposed within corresponding slots formed in the lamination stack and extending beyond the longitudinal ends of the lamination stack. End rings are positioned at either end of the lamination stack and define a plurality of openings configured to receive the ends of the conductor bars. Each end ring includes separate inner and outer concentric rings. The inner and outer rings define radially outer and inner surfaces configured to about one another and each of the concentric rings defines a portion of each conductor bar opening in the end ring.

Abstract: A method for automatically adjusting a human machine interface (HMI) display includes: collecting customer location data from a personal communication device and from sensor signals from a sensor mounted on an automobile vehicle as a customer approaches the vehicle; determining if the customer is within one of a first distance range of the vehicle, a second distance range closer to the vehicle than the first distance range, or a third distance range closer than the second distance range; and setting an illumination level of an HMI display of the vehicle based on the distance range, wherein the illumination level is set to: a high brightness if the customer is within the first distance range, a medium brightness less than the high brightness if the customer is within the second distance range; or a low brightness less than the medium brightness if the customer is within the third distance range.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a battery pack component including a self-healing coating. The self-healing coating is disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the battery pack component. The self-healing coating includes a first precursor including a cyclic ether capable of reacting in a self-healing cationic ring-opening polymerization reaction. The self-healing coating further includes an initiator including an alkali metal salt. The self-healing cationic ring-opening polymerization reaction occurs when a defect is present in the self-healing coating. In certain aspects, the cyclic ether may include 1,3-dioxolane (C3H6O2) and the initiator may include lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (F2NaNO4S2). In other aspects, the self-healing coating may include a second precursor that is capable of copolymerizing with the first precursor. In still other aspects, the present disclosure provides a method of making a self-healing coating for a battery pack component.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for conveying a vehicle component to a vehicle body with a robot device in an assembly station. The assembly station includes a provisioning position in which the vehicle component is provisioned for conveying to the vehicle body. The assembly station further includes a final assembly location at which the vehicle component is final-assembled on the vehicle body. The robot device grips the vehicle component in the provisioning position and conveys the vehicle component to the final assembly location.

Abstract: A system and method for predicting whether a driver of a host vehicle or a remote vehicle intends to make a left or right turn or travel straight through an intersection before the host vehicle or remote vehicle reaches the intersection that relies on a probability model that employs a dynamic Bayesian network. The method includes obtaining a plurality of environmental cues that identify external parameters at or around the intersection, where the environmental cues include position and velocity of the remote vehicle, and obtaining a plurality of host vehicle cues that define operation of the host vehicle. The method then predicts the turning intent of the host vehicle and/or remote vehicle at the intersection using the model based on both the external cues and the vehicle cues using the model. The model can use learned information about previous driver turns at the intersection.

Abstract: Systems and method are provided for controlling a vehicle. In one embodiment, a determination is made that a traffic control person and a traffic control sign are present within the environment of the vehicle based on sensor data, such as optical camera data. The position and orientation of the traffic control sign relative to the traffic control person is determined, e.g., via lidar sensor data, and the validity of the traffic control person and the traffic control sign is determined based on the position and orientation of the traffic control sign.

Abstract: A camera control system of a vehicle comprises a plurality of sensors configured to determine vehicle data and a camera control module configured to receive the vehicle data from the plurality of sensors. The camera control module is further configured to one of: i) adjust at least one operating parameter of the camera based on vehicle movement data received from the plurality of sensors; or ii) adjust at least one operating parameter of the camera based on light level data received from the plurality of sensors.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing vehicle assemblies, such as engine assemblies, are provided. The method includes arranging at least a first component in a mold, arranging a second component or a second component precursor adjacent to the first component in the mold, introducing a sacrificial material into the mold, introducing at least one polymeric fluid into the mold, solidifying the polymeric fluid, and removing the sacrificial material from the mold to form a void space so that the first component, the polymeric composite material, and the void space define the vehicle assembly.

Abstract: A system and method of automated speech recognition using a dynamically-adjustable listening timeout. The method includes: receiving speech signals representing a first speech segment during a first speech listening period; during the first speech listening period, processing the received speech signals representing the first speech segment to determine whether the first speech segment includes one or more insignificant utterances; adjusting a listening timeout in response to the determination of whether the first speech segment includes one or more insignificant utterances; listening for subsequent received speech using the adjusted listening timeout; and performing automatic speech recognition on the received speech signals and/or the subsequently received speech signals.

Abstract: An insulation module for a floor of a motor vehicle includes a panel of a molded and bound fiber material. The panel extends along a longitudinal axis (X). At least one notch is formed in the thickness direction (D) of the panel and extends at an angle between 0° and 30° to the longitudinal axis (X). At least one incision is formed in an outer edge of the panel and extends at an angle between 80° and 100° to the longitudinal axis (X) of the panel.

Abstract: A motor vehicle ventilation apparatus is provided including a distributor housing having at least two air ducts leading from the distributor housing. Through these two outgoing air ducts, an air mass flow that is fed to the housing or produced inside the housing is able to be distributed to at least two air outlets arranged at a distance from one another in an interior space of a motor vehicle. The air ducts leading from the distributor housing are each in flow communication with at least one of the air outlets. In addition, at least one servo unit is movable by a drive unit arranged adjacent to at least one of the air ducts in the distributor housing.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for controlling an actuator for a door of an autonomous vehicle comprises obtaining data pertaining to a current ride of an autonomous vehicle during operation of the autonomous vehicle; identifying, via a processor using the data, whether one or more circumstances are present that would require an adjustment of a baseline instruction for an automatic opening of the door by the autonomous vehicle via the actuator based on instructions provided to the actuator by the processor; determining an adjustment of the baseline instruction when one or more of the circumstances are present; receiving a request to open the door; and, upon receiving the request: providing the baseline instruction for the actuator to open the door, when none of the circumstances are present; and providing an alternate instruction for the actuator, based on the adjustment, when one or more of the circumstances are present.

Abstract: A slot flaring apparatus is presented herein. The slot flaring apparatus includes a base and flaring tool. The base is configured to receive and secure a stator that has a plurality of core slots. The flaring tool is configured to be controllably pressed against the stator and has a plurality of flaring teeth. Moreover, each tooth of the plurality of flaring teeth is configured to insert into and form a respective slot liner which has been inserted into the corresponding core slot.