Patents Assigned to GM Global Technology Operation LLC
  • Patent number: 9930323
    Abstract: A method of diagnosing a state of health of a vision-based lane sensing system. A first misalignment factor is calculated as a function of a vehicle lateral offset and a vehicle heading. A second misalignment factor is calculated as a function of a vehicle speed, an estimated curvature of an expected path of travel, a lane curvature, and the vehicle heading. Histograms are generated for the first and second misalignment factors. A probability of a state of health is determined. A determination is made whether the probability of the state of health is within a predetermined threshold. An angle misalignment of the vision system is estimated. The angle misalignment of the vision system is corrected in response to the determination that the probability of the state of health is within the predetermined threshold; otherwise a warning of a faulty lane sensing system is actuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Shuqing Zeng, Xiaofeng F. Song
  • Patent number: 9925924
    Abstract: A step includes an integrated mud scraper and storage. The step may be part of a vehicle and, therefore, may be coupled to a vehicle body of the vehicle. The step includes a step body. The step body defines a stepping surface. The step body defines an opening extending through the stepping surface. The step includes at least one scraper extending from the stepping surface, wherein the scraper is obliquely angled relative to the stepping surface. The scraper is configured to scrape mud on a shoe, and the opening is configured to receive the mud scraped by the scraper. The scraper has a first scraper end and a second scraper end opposite the first scraper end. The first scraper end may be directly coupled to the stepping surface. The second scraper edge defines a scraping edge, and the scraping edge is aligned with the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Thomas P. Grabowski, Daniel C. Gifford, Brian M. Izard
  • Patent number: 9926146
    Abstract: A magnetodynamic apparatus for separating conductive non-ferrous blanks includes at least one magnet positioned adjacent to a stack of the blanks and configured to generate a magnetic field in a first direction with respect to a major surface of an uppermost blank within the stack. The apparatus includes an actuator device for positioning the magnet with respect to the stack during production of an electric current in a second direction along the major surface. The second direction is normal to the first direction such that a magnetic separation force is generated in a third direction normal to the first and second directions. The separation force is sufficient for magnetically separating the uppermost blank from remaining blanks in the stack. The magnets may be rotated on a rotor or held stationary. The electric current may be induced or directly injected into the uppermost blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Chandra S. Namuduri, Thomas W. Nehl, James J. Abramczyk, Kenneth J. Shoemaker
  • Patent number: 9925889
    Abstract: An electric machine is provided for a dual voltage power system having a first energy storage system (HV-ESS) with a first nominal voltage and second energy storage system (LV-ESS with a second nominal voltage). The electric machine includes a rotor assembly having a rotor core configured to support permanent magnets spaced around the rotor core to define a number of rotor poles. The rotor core has multiple rotor slots arranged as at least one barrier layer at each of the rotor poles. Permanent magnets are disposed in the at least one barrier layer. A stator assembly surrounds the rotor assembly. The electric machine is configured to be operatively connected with the HV-ESS. The electric machines has at least one of a predetermined efficiency at rated power, a predetermined power density, a predetermined torque density, a predetermined peak power range, or a predetermined maximum speed of the electric machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Lei Hao, Chandra S. Namuduri, Thomas W. Nehl
  • Patent number: 9928524
    Abstract: A method of providing advertising content targeted to an operator of a vehicle. Vehicle data acquisition devices are employed to collect operator attribute information from vehicle trace data of the vehicle as the operator operates the vehicle. A processor of the vehicle applies a statistical analysis on the operator attribute information for determining a probability of demographic characteristics of the operator of the vehicle. The demographic characteristics of the operator are identified as a function of the determined probability. The vehicle communicates the targeted advertising content to the operator of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Donald K. Grimm, Fan Bai, Cem U. Saraydar
  • Patent number: 9926900
    Abstract: A shield and clip assembly is provided for use with a joint that connects the ends of pipes conveying a fluid under pressure. The joint includes a primary retention feature for retaining the connected pipe ends. The shield and clip assembly includes a cover configured to encapsulate the joint and the ends of the pipes sufficiently to ensure that the connected ends will not fully disengage from the joint and to ensure that leakage or spray, if any, of the fluid being conveyed from a leaking joint will be attenuated or shielded. The joint may be an in-line quick connector joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Raymond H. Sasinowski, Adrian O. Balmaceda, Rolf B. Karlsson
  • Patent number: 9926823
    Abstract: A method for controlling an exhaust after-treatment system connected to a diesel engine via a gas passage and having a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and a “diesel-exhaust-fluid” (DEF) injector arranged downstream of the DOC and upstream of a selective catalytic reduction catalyst (SCR) includes detecting a flow of exhaust gas emitted by the engine into the gas passage. The method also includes detecting a level of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the exhaust gas downstream of the SCR. The method additionally includes activating the DEF injector for a period of time to reduce the level of NOx to a predetermined NOx value. Furthermore, the method includes regulating an injection of fuel upstream of the DOC to clean the DEF injector via a stream of superheated exhaust gas if the period of time used to reduce the level of NOx to the predetermined NOx value is greater than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Raffaello Ardanese, Giovanni David, Luciano Nunziato Di Perna, Pablo E Hernandez Garcia
  • Patent number: 9928673
    Abstract: A system and method of locating a key fob with respect to a vehicle includes: communicating between a plurality of directional sensors used by the vehicle and a key fob via a short-range wireless signal; generating signal data at the plurality of directional sensors or the key fob indicative of one or more attributes of the short-range wireless signal; generating location information based on the one or more attributes by processing the signal data generated by the plurality of directional sensors or the key fob; and determining the location of the key fob relative to the vehicle based on the generated location information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Vyacheslav Berezin, Shaun S. Marshall, Moshe Laifenfeld, Timothy J. Talty
  • Patent number: 9927035
    Abstract: A valve manifold includes a housing defining an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports. Each of the plurality of outlet ports defines a sealing face. The manifold also includes a plurality of poppets, wherein each of the plurality of poppets is disposed within a respective one of the plurality of outlet ports and is configured for translating towards and away from the sealing face. The manifold also includes a plurality of actuators each configured for translating a respective one of the plurality of poppets towards and away from the sealing face, wherein each of the plurality of actuators is formed from a shape memory alloy transitionable between a first state and a second state in response to a thermal activation signal. A washer system, a device, and a method of simultaneously controlling fluid flow to a first component and a second component of the device are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Dynalloy, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul W. Alexander, Nancy L. Johnson, James Holbrook Brown, Tyler P. Ownby, Brian W. Bowling
  • Patent number: 9927086
    Abstract: A low-beam headlight assembly includes a transparent outer lens, an optical reflector housing, and first and second lighting sources. The reflector housing has a reflective inner surface configured to reflect incident light through the transparent outer lens. The lighting sources collectively generate the incident light. The optical reflector housing reflects the incident light from the second lighting source through a designated region of the transparent outer lens to enhance a hot spot adjacent to a beam cut-off zone of a low-beam lighting pattern from the first lighting source. The low-beam headlight assembly may have a vertical height of less than about 20 mm, or about 10 mm and 15 mm. The first lighting source may include light-emitting diodes, while the second lighting source may include a laser device such as a laser diode. A vehicle includes a body and a headlight assembly that includes the low-beam headlight assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey T. Zawacki
  • Publication number: 20180079191
    Abstract: Compression molding methods for improving the durability and weatherability of a composite material are provided. The methods include disposing a protective surface film on a composite material; adhering the protective surface film to the composite material; and compression molding the protective surface film. The composite material comprises a thermoplastic polymer and a reinforcement material. The protective surface film comprises at least one stabilizer that minimizes or prevents degradation of the underlying composite material when exposed to ultraviolet radiation and/or heat. The composite material may be heated in an oven having an environment comprising oxygen. The protective surface film may be disposed on the composite material prior to the composite material entering the oven; while the composite material is in the oven; or after the composite material exits the oven.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: William R. Rodgers, Hamid G. Kia
  • Publication number: 20180079629
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Université Laval
    Inventors: Muhammad E. Abdallah, Clement Gosselin, Thierry Laliberte, Simon Foucault, Pascal Labrecque, James W. Wells, Jerome Landure
  • Patent number: D813731
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Robert B. McMahan
  • Patent number: D813741
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey W. Perkins
  • Patent number: D813742
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Robert B. McMahan, Reginald M. Gay
  • Patent number: D813743
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Hwasup Lee
  • Patent number: D813748
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Young Sun Kim
  • Patent number: D813753
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Niels A. Loeb
  • Patent number: D813757
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Timothy P. Kozub
  • Patent number: D813758
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Jose Gonzales