Abstract: A drivetrain for a powertrain system is arranged to transfer mechanical power between an internal combustion engine, an electric machine and a driveline. The drivetrain includes a gearbox including an input member disposed on a first end, an output member disposed on a second end and an auxiliary geartrain including a first mechanical drive mechanism, a second mechanical drive mechanism, and an auxiliary driveshaft. The auxiliary driveshaft rotatably couples the first mechanical drive mechanism and the second mechanical drive mechanism. The electric machine includes a stator attached to the second end of the gearbox and annular to the output member of the gearbox. The second mechanical drive mechanism is rotatably coupled to the rotor of the electric machine. The first mechanical drive mechanism is rotatably coupled to the input member of the gearbox. The internal combustion engine is also coupled to the input member of the gearbox.

Abstract: An engine includes an air intake system, an exhaust system, a single-cylinder-sourced EGR system, an exhaust sensor that is disposed to monitor exhaust gas from the single one of the cylinders, and a diverter valve. A controller includes an instruction set that executable to determine operation of the engine in a fuel cut-off mode, discontinue fuel flow to the single one of the cylinders, divert exhaust gas from the single one of the cylinders to the air intake system, determine an airflow, temperature, and an equivalence ratio of the diverted exhaust gas from the single one of the cylinders, determine a mass flowrate of oxygen in the diverted exhaust gas, integrate the mass flowrate of oxygen in the diverted exhaust gas, and discontinue the diverting of the exhaust gas from the single one of the cylinders when the integrated mass flowrate of oxygen is greater than a threshold value.

Abstract: Presented are automated driving systems and control logic for intelligent vehicle operation in transient driving conditions, methods for constructing/operating such systems, and vehicles equipped with such systems. A method for controlling an automated driving operation includes a vehicle controller receiving path plan data with location, destination, and predicted path data for a vehicle. From the received path plan data, the controller predicts an upcoming maneuver for driving the vehicle between start and goal lane segments. The vehicle controller determines a predicted route with lane segments connecting the start and goal lane segments, and segment maneuvers for moving the vehicle between the start, goal, and route lane segments. A cost value is calculated for each segment maneuver; the controller determines if a cost values exceeds a corresponding criticality value.

Abstract: A pre-assembled electrical connection unit for a battery pack includes a bus bar defining a hole, and a cage defines a cavity. The unit also includes a fastener disposed in the cavity and the cage surrounds the fastener. The cage is secured to the bus bar, and the fastener is positioned in the hole and the cavity in an initial position. The fastener is movable to a final position relative to the cage which positions the fastener deeper in the hole of the bus bar. The unit is positioned relative to the battery pack, and the battery pack includes a module terminal. The module terminal includes a terminal nut that is accessible during an assembly process. The unit is placed over the terminal nut during the assembly process such that the fastener aligns with the terminal nut and secures the bus bar to the module terminal in the final position.

Abstract: A cruise control method to control a vehicle includes: receiving, by a controller of the vehicle, a set speed, a maximum allowed speed, and a minimum allowed speed, wherein each of the maximum allowed speed and the minimum allowed speed is a speed boundary; a propulsion system to produce a commanded axle torque to maintain the set speed; monitoring a current vehicle speed of the vehicle; determining a current vehicle acceleration of the vehicle; determining a time that the vehicle will take to reach the speed boundary; determining whether the time that the vehicle will take to reach the speed boundary is less than a predetermined time threshold; and in response to determining that the time that the vehicle will take to reach the speed boundary is less than the predetermined time threshold, commanding the propulsion system of the vehicle to adjust the commanded axle torque.

Abstract: A spot weld may be formed between an aluminum workpiece and an adjacent overlapping steel workpiece with the use of opposed spot welding electrodes that have mating weld faces designed for engagement with the outer surfaces of the workpiece stack-up assembly. The electrode that engages the stack-up assembly proximate the aluminum workpiece includes a central ascending convex surface and the electrode that engages the stack-up assembly proximate the steel workpiece has an annular surface. The mating weld faces of the first and second spot welding electrodes distribute the passing electrical current along a radially outwardly expanding flow path to provide a more uniform temperature distribution over the intended spot weld interface and may also produce a deformed bonding interface within the formed weld joint. Each of these events can beneficially affect the strength of the weld joint.

Abstract: A method includes generating a first beam pattern via a headlamp assembly arranged on a motor vehicle and detecting, via a camera, an object in the first light beam pattern. The method additionally includes receiving, via an electronic controller, a signal from the camera indicative of the object, identifying the object as another motor vehicle, and determining a distance between the headlamp assembly and the other vehicle. The method also includes determining a first amount of glare the first beam pattern generates to the other vehicle at the determined distance and identifying when the first amount of glare exceeds target glare. The method further includes identifying a second beam pattern corresponding to a second amount of glare that is below the target glare and switching the headlamp assembly from generating the first beam pattern to generating the second light beam pattern.

Abstract: A method of controlling an active aerodynamic system of a vehicle includes calculating a first spring force estimated value from at least one sensed vehicle handling characteristic, and a second spring force estimated value from a nominal spring characteristic curve. When a difference between the first and second spring force estimated values is equal to or greater than a spring threshold value, a nominal spring characteristic curve is adjusted to define an adjusted spring characteristic curve, and the active aerodynamic system is controlled using the adjusted spring characteristic curve. When the difference between the first and second spring force estimated values is equal to or greater than the spring threshold value, a signal may also be engaged to provide a service recommendation.

Abstract: An electrical system includes a cycloidal electric machine having a stator and a balanced rotor. The rotor is eccentrically positioned radially within the stator, such that the rotor moves with two degrees of freedom (2DOF). The 2DOF motion includes rotating motion about the rotor axis and orbiting motion about the stator axis. A rotor constraint mechanism constrains the motion of the rotor, such that the rotor is able to generate torque on a coupled load. Part of the rotor constraint mechanism may be integrally formed with the rotor. A coupling mechanism may be coupled to the rotor and configured to translate the 2DOF into 1DOF, i.e., rotation without orbital motion. The rotor may include mutually-coupled rotors. At least one counterweight may be connected to the rotor, e.g., externally or within the airgap. Balancing of the balanced rotor may be optionally provided via the multiple rotors and/or the counterweight(s).

Abstract: A vehicle is described, and includes an on-board controller, an extra-vehicle communication system, a GPS sensor, a spatial monitoring system, and a navigation system that employs an on-vehicle navigation map. Operation includes capturing a 3D sensor representation of a field of view and an associated GPS location, executing a feature extraction routine, executing a semantic segmentation of the extracted features, executing a simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) of the extracted features, executing a context extraction from the simultaneous location and mapping of the extracted features, and updating the on-vehicle navigation map based thereon. A parsimonious map representation is generated based upon the updated on-vehicle navigation map, and is communicated to a second, off-board controller. The second controller executes a sparse map stitching to update a base navigation map based upon the parsimonious map representation. The on-vehicle navigation map is updated based upon the off-board navigation map.

Abstract: A method includes receiving object data, by a controller of a host vehicle, from a plurality of sources, the plurality of sources including remote objects and a sensor system of the host vehicle; identifying, by the controller of the host vehicle, a target object using the object data from the plurality of sources, the object data including a target-object data, and the target-object data is the object data that specifically pertains to the target object determining, by the controller, that the target-object data is available from more than one of the plurality of sources; and in response to determining that the target-object data is available from more than one of the plurality of sources, fusing, by the controller, the target-object data that is available from more than one of the plurality of sources to create a single dataset about the target object.

Abstract: Presented are systems and methods for extracting lane-level information of designated road segments by mining vehicle dynamics data traces.

Abstract: Presented are intelligent vehicle systems and control logic for predictive charge planning and powertrain control of electric-drive vehicles, methods for manufacturing/operating such systems, and electric-drive vehicles with smart charge planning and powertrain control capabilities. Systems and methods of AI-based predictive charge planning for smart electric vehicles use machine-learning (ML) driver models that draws on available traffic, location, and roadway map information to estimate vehicle speed and propulsion torque requirements to derive a total energy consumption for a given trip. Systems and methods of AI-based predictive powertrain control for smart hybrid vehicles use ML driver models with deep learning techniques to derive a drive cycle profile defined by a preview route with available traffic, geopositional, geospatial, and map data.

Abstract: Presented are wedge-type engine disconnect devices, methods for making/using such disconnect devices, and motor vehicles equipped with such disconnect devices. An engine disconnect device includes an outer race that attaches to a torque converter's pump cover. The outer race's inner diameter (ID) surface has circumferentially spaced grooves. An inner race is concentrically aligned within the outer race and attaches to an engine's output shaft. The inner race's outer diameter (OD) surface has circumferentially spaced pockets. A wedge plate interposed between the inner and outer races has multiple circumferentially spaced ramps. Each ramp slidably mounts within one groove and one pocket. The wedge plate moves between an engaged position, whereat the ramps wedge between the ID and OD surfaces to thereby transfer torque between the inner and outer races, and a disengaged position, whereat the ramps unwedge to thereby free the inner race to rotate with respect to the outer race.

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 system and method for controlling operation of an internal combustion engine having at least one fuel injector. A controller is configured to selectively command the at least one fuel injector to deliver a primary fuel injection of a first fuel quantity and a secondary fuel injection of a second fuel quantity. The first fuel quantity is above a predefined threshold and the second fuel quantity is at or below the predefined threshold. The controller is configured to command a primary pulse width and a secondary pulse width, based in part on a respective desired fuel injection mass and respective initialized values of fuel injector slope. Operation of the fuel injectors is controlled based in part on a converged primary fuel injector slope and a converged secondary fuel injector slope determined at partially from a comparison of a calculated fuel mass and an estimated fuel mass.

Abstract: An electromechanical system operates through physical interaction with an operator, and includes a plurality of joints providing multiple degrees of freedom (DOF), including actuated joints and unactuated joints. The unactuated joints are distal with respect to the actuated joints and are in redundant DOF to the actuated joints. The system includes a plurality of actuators each configured to actuate one or more of the actuated joints, and a plurality of sensors each positioned with respect to a respective one of the actuated and unactuated joints. Each sensor is configured to measure corresponding joint data indicative of a position or angle of the respective actuated or unactuated joints. A controller in communication with the sensors receives the measured joint data as feedback signals, generates control signals using the feedback signals, and transmits the control signals to the actuators to thereby control an actuation state of the actuators.

Abstract: An electrical system includes an inverter connected to AC and DC voltage buses, a cycloidal electric machine connected to the PIM via the AC voltage bus, and a controller. The machine's rotor is eccentric with respect to the stator, an airgap between the stator and rotor is smaller at an instantaneous center of rotation of the rotor than elsewhere around a circumference of the rotor, and the rotor moves with two degrees of freedom (2DOF), i.e., rotating and orbiting motion. The controller receives a torque command, the rotor position signal, and the current signals, and in response identifies an optimal stator pole or pole pair located proximate the instantaneous center of rotation and energizes the optimal stator pole or pole pair via the PIM prior to energizing another stator pole or pole pair of the stator.

Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell stack that powers a vehicle includes determining when the vehicle is in a non-moving state, calculating an O2 concentration over time of an assumed enclosed space while the vehicle is in the non-moving state, establishing a set of O2 concentration concern levels that includes a first O2 concentration concern level being less than a standard atmospheric O2 concentration and a second O2 concentration concern level being less than the first O2 concentration concern level, comparing the O2 concentration of the assumed enclosed space over time with the set of O2 concentration concern levels, and operating the fuel cell stack without restriction when the vehicle is in the non-moving state so long as the O2 concentration of the assumed enclosed space remains greater than the first O2 concentration concern level.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an interconnect board (ICB) assembly for a battery module, the ICB assembly having a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) and a carrier frame, includes depositing solder paste onto a printed circuit board (PCB) and/or a flexible printed circuit (flex circuit). The flex circuit has a conductive foil substrate coated with insulating material, and defines tabular flying leads radially-projecting from the flex circuit's periphery. The method may include positioning the PCB adjacent to the flex circuit such that the PCB and flex circuit are in direct contact along a flex interface surface of the PCB, and integrally joining the PCB and flex circuit along the interface surface to form the PCBA. The PCBA connects to the carrier frame to construct the ICB assembly. The battery module may be manufactured by connecting the ICB assembly to battery cells of the battery module.