Abstract: A vehicle, and methods of operating a mobile hotspot at a vehicle including a plurality of mobile hotspots, are disclosed. The method includes detecting an availability of a first one of the mobile hotspot as an access point. The method also includes delaying an availability of a second one of the mobile hotspots as an access point by a period of time after the detection of the availability of the first one of the mobile hotspots. The vehicle may include a plurality of mobile hotspots, each configured to provide wireless connectivity for one or more non-vehicle wireless devices located in the vehicle or within a proximity of the vehicle. In accordance with the method, one of the mobile hotspots may be configured to delay its availability as an access point by a period of time after an availability of at least another one of the mobile hotspots is detected.

Abstract: A method of providing one or more selectable vehicle tasks to one or more vehicles, comprising the steps of: receiving from each of a plurality of vehicle users at least one user-defined task to be carried out by the user's vehicle, wherein the user-defined task comprises at least one vehicle action and a conditional statement, wherein the conditional statement comprises of one or more vehicle conditions; grouping the received user-defined tasks into equivalency classes, wherein different user-defined tasks that have logically equivalent conditional statements and equivalent vehicle actions are grouped into the same equivalency class; analyzing the equivalency classes; selecting at least one vehicle task based on the analysis in step (c); and sending the selected vehicle task(s) to one or more vehicles for presentation to a user at the vehicle(s).

Abstract: A continuously variable transmission (CVT) for a vehicle includes an input member, an output member and a variator assembly including a first pulley rotatably coupled to the input member and a second pulley rotatably coupled to the output. The first and second pulleys are rotatably coupled by a flexible continuous rotatable device. A control system is provided including an instruction set executable to determine an initial variator speed ratio of the variator assembly and detect an event causing a change in an operational state of the vehicle. The control system determines a compensation strategy to adjust the variator speed ratio in response to the change in the operational state of the vehicle and generates an adjusted variator speed ratio based upon the compensation strategy. The control system transmits the adjusted variator speed ratio to the variator assembly.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a fuel nozzle for injecting a fuel into a combustion chamber, and a plasma igniter for generating one or more pluralities of free radicals within the chamber, and initiating a flame to ignite the fuel. The igniter protrudes into the chamber. A method of igniting a fuel within a combustion chamber and controlling combustion phasing includes injecting a first portion of the fuel into the combustion chamber, energizing the plasma igniter to generate one or more pluralities of free radicals, each plurality having a known voltage, subsequently injecting a second portion of the fuel into the combustion chamber, and closely coupling activation of the plasma igniter with the second injection to ignite the fuel. Combustion phasing of the ignition event is controlled by controlling the number and voltage of the pluralities of free radicals generated by the plasma igniter.

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: A resistance spot welding method can be used to join polymeric and metallic workpieces together and includes the following steps: (a) placing an electrically conductive coating between a polymeric workpiece and a metallic workpiece, wherein the metallic workpiece has a textured surface facing the polymeric workpiece; (b) piercing the polymeric workpiece with first and second electrically conductive pins of a welding electrode assembly; (c) applying electrical energy to the first and second electrically conductive pins so that an electrical current flows through the first electrically conductive pin, the electrically conductive coating, and the second electrically conductive pin in order to at least partially melt the polymeric workpiece and the electrically conductive coating, thereby forming a weld pool; and (d) cooling the weld pool to form a solid weld nugget in order to establish a mechanical interface lock between the solid weld nugget and the textured surface.

Abstract: A method and a test fixture for evaluating a battery cell are described, wherein the battery cell is composed of a cell body having a plurality of electrode foils that are joined to both a positive terminal and a negative terminal at weld junctions. The method includes retaining the cell body of the battery cell in a first clamping device and gripping one of the positive and negative terminals in a terminal gripper. A dynamic stress end effector coupled to the terminal gripper is employed to apply a vibrational excitation load to the one of the positive and negative terminals. Impedance between the positive terminal and the negative terminal is monitored via a controller, and integrity of the weld junction of the one of the positive and negative terminals is evaluated based upon the impedance.

Abstract: A strut assembly for a suspension corner employed in a vehicle having a vehicle body and a road wheel includes a damper. The strut assembly also includes an elastic unit having at least one spring module acting in concert with the damper to suspend the vehicle body relative to the road wheel. Each spring module has a positive stiffness spring arranged in parallel with a negative stiffness spring. A vehicle that has a suspension corner employing the elastic unit and is configured to maintain contact between the road wheel and the road surface and provide isolation of vibration between the road wheel and the vehicle body is also contemplated.

Abstract: A method of riveting a first substrate and a second substrate with a rivet includes delivering a first ultrasonic pulse to a respective exterior surface of the first substrate at a predefined target area, via an ultrasonic device. The first ultrasonic pulse is configured to soften the first substrate at a first softening temperature. The method includes attaching a crust layer on a rivet head of the rivet. A second ultrasonic pulse is delivered to the predefined target area to soften the crust layer at a second softening temperature, via the ultrasonic device. A surface profile of the crust layer is fashioned via compression of a horn inner cavity of the ultrasonic device over the crust layer. The crust layer is cooled to harden into a seal configured to prevent entry of moisture between the rivet and the respective exterior surface of the first substrate, thereby reducing galvanic corrosion.

Abstract: A method of calculating an angular position of a crankshaft at the occurrence of a fuel injection event includes integrating a first polynomial function, and integrating a second polynomial function. The integrated second polynomial function is then divided by the integrated first polynomial function to calculate the angular position of the crankshaft at the occurrence of the fuel injection event. The calculated angular position of the crankshaft at the occurrence of the fuel injection event may then be correlated to an absolute angular position of the crankshaft, relative to a Top Dead Center position of the crankshaft. The calculated angular position of the crankshaft at the occurrence of the fuel injection event may be used to adjust the injection timing of future fuel injection events.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack hydrogen starvation detection device, a fuel cell system and a method of operating a fuel cell stack to protect it from hydrogen starvation conditions. In one particular form, the fuel cell system includes a stack of fuel cells, a controller and a detection device made up of one or more sensors that can compare a reference signal corresponding to the presence of substantially pure hydrogen to a signal that corresponds to a local hydrogen value within a single fuel cell within the stack or across multiple fuel cells within the stack. In this way, the detection device promptly provides indicia of a hydrogen starvation condition within the cell or stack without the need for conventional cell voltage monitoring. The detected hydrogen starvation condition may be presented as a warning signal to alert a user that such a condition may be present, as well as to the controller for modification of the stack operation.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder block that defines a cylinder and a cylinder head mounted to the cylinder block. The engine additionally includes a gas compressor configured to selectively pressurize air being received from the ambient for delivery to the cylinder. The engine also includes an intake valve that is operatively connected to the cylinder head and controls delivery of the selectively pressurized air to the cylinder for combustion therein. Furthermore, the engine includes an air inlet assembly arranged between the intake valve and the compressor. The air inlet assembly is configured to supply the pressurized air to the cylinder and includes at least one passage configured to collect a condensate from the pressurized air. A vehicle having such an engine is also disclosed.

Abstract: A vibration welding system includes vibration welding equipment having a welding horn and anvil, a host machine, a check station, and a welding robot. At least one displacement sensor is positioned with respect to one of the welding equipment and the check station. The robot moves the horn and anvil via an arm to the check station, when a threshold condition is met, i.e., a predetermined amount of time has elapsed or a predetermined number of welds have been completed. The robot moves the horn and anvil to the check station, activates the at least one displacement sensor, at the check station, and determines a status condition of the welding equipment by processing the received signals. The status condition may be one of the alignment of the vibration welding equipment and the wear or degradation of the vibration welding equipment.

Abstract: A motor drive system for controlling operation of an electric machine is described. An inverter includes paired power transistors that are electrically connected to the electric machine, wherein the inverter is electrically connected to a DC power source via a high-voltage electrical power bus. A motor controller includes a first controller and an acoustic signal generator, wherein the first controller is disposed to control the paired power transistors of the inverter. The first controller determines an initial output voltage based upon a torque command and the acoustic signal generator is disposed to generate a sound injection voltage. The motor controller combines the initial output voltage and the sound injection voltage. The motor controller generates PWM commands to control the paired power transistors of the inverter, wherein the PWM commands are determined based upon the initial output voltage and the sound injection voltage.

Abstract: A vehicle propulsion system includes an engine and a first electric machine each configured to selectively provide torque to propel the vehicle. A second electric machine is coupled to the engine to provide torque to start the engine from an inactive state. A high-voltage power source is configured to power both of the first electric machine and the second electric machine over a high-voltage bus. A propulsion controller is programmed to start the engine using cranking torque output from the second electric machine powered by the high-voltage power source. The controller is also programmed to operate both of the first electric machine and the combustion engine to propel the vehicle in response to an acceleration demand greater than a threshold. The controller is further programmed to decouple the engine and propel the vehicle using the first electric machine in response to vehicle speed less than a speed threshold.

Abstract: A method of controlling an active aerodynamic element for a vehicle includes determining a target position for the active aerodynamic element from a target aerodynamic force, which may be a given value that is provided based on dynamic conditions of the vehicle. The method actuates the active aerodynamic element to the target position and senses an aerodynamic response characteristic of the active aerodynamic element while actuated to the target position. An estimated applied aerodynamic force is determined from the aerodynamic response characteristic, and is compared to the target aerodynamic force. A force error is determined from the comparison of the estimated applied aerodynamic force and the target aerodynamic force, and a modified position for the active aerodynamic element is determined from the force error and the target aerodynamic force. The active aerodynamic element is actuated to the modified position.