Abstract: In accordance with various embodiments, methods, systems, and vehicles are provided. In various embodiments, the vehicle includes a body; one or more occupant seats disposed within the body for an occupant of the vehicle; and, for each occupant seat, a restraint device, one or more sensible elements, and one or more sensors. The restraint device is configured to provide restraint for the occupant when the restraint device is properly worn by the occupant. The one or more sensors are disposed within the occupant seat. The one or more sensible elements are disposed as part of the restraint device. The one or more sensors are disposed within the occupant seat, and are configured to sense the one or more sensible elements when the one or more sensible elements are in proximity to the one or more sensors, as an indication that the restraint device is not properly worn by the occupant.

Abstract: A Brake-By-Wire (BBW) system for a vehicle includes a brake rotor, a caliper, a master cylinder, and a controller. The caliper is adapted to exert a hydraulic force upon the brake rotor during a braking action. The master cylinder includes a housing, a piston, an actuator, and a hydraulic fluid reservoir. The housing defines a piston cavity. The actuator is adapted to controllably move the piston within the piston cavity. A compensation opening is defined by the housing, and is in fluid communication between the reservoir and the piston cavity. A fluid opening is defined by the housing, and is in fluid communication between the caliper and the piston cavity. The controller is configured to receive a vehicle condition signal and send a command signal to the actuator that effects closure of the compensation opening based on the vehicle condition signal to prevent hydraulic fluid flowback to the hydraulic fluid reservoir.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a body with an underbody portion having an outer periphery. At least one traction wheel is rotatably coupled to the body. The traction wheel has a track width defined by an inboard plane and an outboard plane. A movable panel with an inboard edge and an outboard edge is coupled to the underbody portion. An actuator is coupled to the movable panel and configured to actuate the movable panel between a stowed position and a deployed position. In the deployed position the outboard edge projects outboard of the outboard plane of the track width, and in the stowed position the outboard edge is retracted within the outer periphery of the underbody portion. A controller is configured to, in response to an operating condition being satisfied during a drive cycle, control the actuator to actuate the movable panel from the stowed position to the deployed position.

Abstract: A cargo organizer for use on a load floor of a vehicle includes a first divider wall rotatably connected to the load floor and a second divider wall rotatably connected to the load floor and spaced apart from the first divider wall to define at least one storage compartment. The first divider wall and the second divider wall are configured to operate in a stowed position and in a deployed position. The cargo organizer also includes a linkage mechanism connected to the first divider wall and the second divider wall. The linkage mechanism is configured to move the first divider wall and the second divider wall from the stowed position to the deployed position when one of the first divider wall and the second divider wall is moved from the stowed position to the deployed position.

Abstract: Systems and method are provided for controlling a vehicle. A method of soundscape selection in a vehicle includes receiving a number of biometric parameters from sensors provided within an interior of the vehicle, and determining a state-of-mind of an occupant within the interior of the vehicle based on the biometric parameters. The method further includes selecting, with a soundscape determination module including a processor, a soundscape responsive to the state of mind of the occupant, and providing to the vehicle a set of vehicle parameters based on the selected soundscape.

Abstract: A method in a vehicle for performing multiple on-board sensing tasks concurrently in the same network using deep learning algorithms is provided. The method includes receiving vision sensor data from a sensor on the vehicle, determining a set of features from the vision sensor data using a plurality of feature layers in a convolutional neural network, and concurrently estimating, using the convolutional neural network, bounding boxes for detected objects, free-space boundaries, and object poses for detected objects from the set of features determined by the plurality of feature layers. The neural network may include a plurality of free-space estimation layers configured to determine the boundaries of free-space in the vision sensor data, a plurality of object detection layers configured to detect objects in the image and to estimate bounding boxes that surround the detected objects, and a plurality of object pose detection layers configured to estimate the direction of each object.

Abstract: Methods for making electroactive composite materials for electrochemical cells are provided. The method includes introducing a particle mixture comprising a first particle having a first diameter (R1) and comprising a first electroactive material and a second particle having a second diameter (R2) smaller than the first diameter (R1) and comprising a second electroactive material into a dry-coating device having a rotatable vessel defining a cavity and a rotor disposed therewithin. The vessel is rotated at a first speed in a first direction, and the rotor is rotated at a second speed greater than the first speed in a second direction opposing the first direction. The particle mixture flows between cavity walls and the rotor and experiences thrusting and compression forces that create a substantially uniform coating comprising the second electroactive material on one or more exposed surfaces of the first particle.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle, a system and method of operating the autonomous vehicle. An environmental sensor obtains one or more parameters of external agents of the vehicle. A processor of the vehicle obtains a route having a destination at the autonomous vehicle, builds a Markov state model of the route that includes a plurality of states for the autonomous vehicle and one or more parameters of the external agents, generates a plurality of driving policies for navigating the route, selects a policy for navigating the route from the plurality of driving policies using a Markov Decision Process, and executes the selected policy at the autonomous vehicle to navigate the vehicle along the route towards the destination.

Abstract: A vehicle thermal management system includes an engine, a coolant pump, a first heat exchanger, a first valve in communication with the first heat exchanger, a second valve having a plurality of outlets, a second heat exchanger in communication with a first of the plurality of outlets, a third heat exchanger in communication with a second of the plurality of outlets, a bypass fluid conduit in communication with a third of the plurality of outlets, and a controller that determines a first potential benefit based upon a loss function of the second heat exchanger, determines a second potential benefit based upon a loss function of the third heat exchanger, compares the first potential to the second potential, and proportionally distributes flow between the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger, and the bypass fluid conduit based upon the comparison.

Abstract: One general aspect includes a method to restrict vehicle operations in response to a detection of vehicle occupant impairment, the method including: detecting a vehicle occupant is in an impaired state; in response to detecting the vehicle occupant is in the impaired state: when a vehicle is in an autonomous driving mode, restricting the vehicle occupant from being able to shift the vehicle to a manual driving mode; and when the vehicle is in the manual driving mode, providing a notification configured to warn the vehicle occupant of risks associated with operating the vehicle while in the impaired state, or the notification being configured to recommend that the vehicle occupant shifts the vehicle to the autonomous driving mode, or the notification being configured to alert the vehicle occupant that the vehicle will automatically be shifted to the autonomous driving mode, or some combination thereof.

Abstract: Additive manufacturing systems, area scanning laser systems, and methods for performing an additive manufacturing process are provided. An exemplary additive manufacturing system includes a laser generation device for producing a laser beam. Further, the additive manufacturing system includes an optic element for forming a first portion of the laser beam with a first polarization and a second portion of the laser beam with a second polarization different from the first polarization to encode an image in the laser beam. Also, the additive manufacturing system includes a selective beam separator configured to direct the first portion of the laser beam onto a material to be sintered or melted. The additive manufacturing system includes a recycling system for receiving the second portion of the laser beam.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a distance between a first radar system disposed on a vehicle and a second radar system disposed on the vehicle. A target reflector is moved along a track to a location along a perpendicular bisector of a baseline connecting the first radar system and the second radar system. A direct range measurement is obtained for at least one of the first radar system and the second radar system, and a bistatic range measurement is obtained between the first radar system and the second radar system. A processor determines the distance between the first radar system and the second radar system using the direct range measurement, the bistatic range measurement and a radial length of the target reflector.

Abstract: A method of monitoring an attachment between a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle includes determining that a first attachment element on the towed vehicle is not coupled to a second attachment element on the towing vehicle, receiving an indication that the towing vehicle is moving, and activating at least one of a towing vehicle brake system, a visual alert system, and an audible alert system.

Abstract: A self-cleaning lens system disposed adjacent a camera is disposed. The system may incorporate a piezoelectric (PZT) lens system having a first PZT element secured to a first peripheral portion of the lens element, which may be responsive to an alternating current (AC) signal applied to the first PZT element. An AC signal may excite the first PZT element to cause shear displacements in opposite longitudinal directions and to create an oscillating shear motion for the first PZT element. The oscillating shear motion may cause an oscillating rotational movement of the lens element that removes the environmental element from a surface of the lens element.

Abstract: An automobile vehicle refrigeration system combined ejector-receiver includes a container. An internal heat exchanger (IHX) is positioned entirely within the container. The IHX includes a canister. A receiver and dryer is located entirely within the container and is positioned at least partially within the canister defining a cavity between the receiver and dryer and the canister to receive a refrigerant. An ejector is positioned within the container. An ejector feed line is in communication with the cavity between the receiver and dryer and the canister, the ejector feed line receiving the refrigerant after discharge from the cavity for flow into the ejector. A refrigerant phase separator is positioned within the container. The refrigerant phase separator receives the refrigerant after discharge from the ejector for separation into each of a refrigerant gas and a refrigerant liquid.

Abstract: A method and controller for controlling an electronically controlled transmission in a vehicle propulsion system of a vehicle. The method includes disengaging a clutch in the transmission to prevent a power flow through the transmission in response to an upshift paddle selector and a downshift paddle selector both being actuated together for a first predetermined time period, and changing a ratio of the transmission in response to an actuation of one of the upshift paddle selector and the downshift paddle selector while the clutch in the transmission is disengaged to prevent a power flow through the transmission.

Abstract: An adjustable positioning head restraint speaker system includes a head restraint unit mounted to a vehicle seat. A left-side speaker unit and a right-side speaker unit are each manually displaced with respect to the head restraint unit to independently position each of the left-side speaker unit and the right-side speaker unit in different temporarily fixed locations with respect to the head restraint unit. A member connects the left-side speaker unit and the right-side speaker unit to one of the head restraint unit and the vehicle seat. The different temporarily fixed locations include at least a first location creating a direct acoustic path into an ear of an occupant of the vehicle seat and a second location defining an indirect acoustic path toward the ear of the occupant.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a turbocharger which reduces noise generated from the wastegate. The turbocharger includes a turbocharger housing, a rotary assembly, and a wastegate door. The turbocharger housing defines a wastegate opening, a resonator proximate to the wastegate opening, a compressor inlet, a compressor outlet, a turbine inlet, and a turbine outlet. The rotary assembly includes a turbine and a compressor attached to one another by a shaft wherein the rotary assembly is disposed in the turbocharger housing. The wastegate door may be moveably affixed to the turbocharger housing.

Abstract: One general aspect includes a method to transmit one or more over-the-air software updates, the method including: (a) receiving, via a controller, a software update; (b) receiving, via a controller, a vehicle command request; (c) in response to the vehicle command request, via the controller, generating a communication package including update callback information based on the software update and a vehicle command based on the vehicle command request; and (d) transmitting, via the controller, the communication package to a vehicle. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform the actions of the methods.