Patents Assigned to GM Global Technology Operations
  • Rechargeable energy storage system cooling
    Patent number: 9308812
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and vehicles provide for cooling of a vehicle rechargeable energy storage system (RESS). A control system is coupled to the RESS, and is configured to cool the RESS. The control system includes a passive cooling system for cooling the RESS, an active cooling system for cooling the RESS, and a controller. The controller is coupled to the passive cooling system and the active cooling system, and is configured to determine whether conditions are present for effective use of the passive cooling system, initiate cooling of the RESS using the passive cooling system if it is determined that the conditions are present for effective use of the passive cooling system, and initiate cooling of the RESS using the active cooling system if it is determined that the conditions are not present for effective use of the passive cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Keith D. Buford, Matthew Simonini
  • System and methods for controlled depowering of automobile batteries
    Patent number: 9312702
    Abstract: Methods and systems for depowering an automotive battery in a controlled manner. The methods comprise (i) providing a depowering medium comprising one or more non-ionic electric conductors (for example, a carbon conductor) dispersed in a substantially non-ionic aqueous medium; (ii) contacting terminals of the battery with the depowering medium; and (iii) maintaining contact between the depowering medium and terminals for a period of time sufficient to depower the battery. The systems comprise (i) the depowering medium; and (ii) a container configured to receive a battery and the depowering medium such that the battery body is contacted with the depowering medium prior to the terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Tao Wang, Tao Xie, Yan Wu, Xiaosong Huang, Chih-Cheng Hsu, Mahmoud Abd Elhamid
  • Clamping element and method for use
    Patent number: 9309905
    Abstract: A clamping element, a fastening arrangement with clamping element, and a method for use of the clamping element are provided. In one example, the clamping element has a first leg and a second leg. The first and the second leg are arranged lying opposite one another. The first and the second leg are connected mechanically via a base region. The base region braces in the first leg in a spring-elastic manner with respect to the second leg on the parts arranged and clamped between the legs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Joachim Lacroix
  • Hand brake device for a vehicle
    Patent number: 9308898
    Abstract: A hand brake device for a vehicle includes an electric actuator for activating a brake and an operating element that can be moved between a brake position and release position. A control unit triggers the actuator according to the position of the operating element. A locking device for locking the operating element in the brake position is controlled by the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Schramm, Winfried Palaschinski, Axel Luenenbuerger, Klaus Duckwitz, Andreas Holl
  • Method of inferring intentions of an operator to move a robotic system
    Patent number: 9308645
    Abstract: A method of inferring intentions of an operator to move a robotic system includes monitoring the intention of the operator, with a controller. The intention of the operator is inferred to be one of a desired acceleration and a desired deceleration. The intention of the operator is also as a desired velocity. Admittance parameters are modified as a function of at least one of the inferred acceleration, deceleration, and velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Universite Laval
    Inventors: Alexandre Lecours, Boris Mayer-St-Onge, Clement Gosselin, Dalong Gao
  • System and method for controlling dosing in selective catalytic reduction catalyst
    Patent number: 9309797
    Abstract: An engine assembly includes an exhaust system having a first SCR catalyst, a second SCR catalyst in fluid communication with the first SCR catalyst, and an injector configured to inject reductant into the exhaust system. A controller is configured to estimate a first amount of ammonia stored in the first SCR catalyst and to estimate a second amount of ammonia stored in the second SCR catalyst. The controller is operatively connected to the injector and configured to control the amount of reductant injected by the injector. The controller controls the injector based on the first amount, the second amount, and a temperature of a substrate disposed in the second SCR catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Min Sun, Justin Adam Shetney, Amr Radwan
  • SILENCER
    Publication number: 20160097315
    Abstract: A silencer for a motor vehicle and in particular air intake or exhaust gas lines and/or HVAC air passageways is disclosed. The silencer includes a pipe arranged in a housing, which defines a duct and an annular orifice arrangement having a first annular orifice which extends from the pipe to the housing. The housing and pipe form a chamber arrangement with a first chamber and a second chamber, which are separated by the first annular orifice and communicate with the duct through apertures in the pipe. The housing is designed integrally with a first connector and the pipe integrally with a second connector, which communicate with the duct, and in particular merge into the duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Kai BECKER, Ralf SIBER
  • System and method for circulating fuel through a direct injection pump of a bi-fuel engine
    Patent number: 9303605
    Abstract: A fuel supply system for supplying a bi-fuel engine with a first fuel type, e.g., gasoline, includes a cooling circuit. The cooling circuit circulates the first fuel type through a direct injection pump assembly to prevent the first fuel type from overheating within the direct injection pump assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Craig D. Marriott, Ben W. Moscherosch
  • Method of detecting a thermal event in an exhaust system based on temperature gradients and exhaust system configured for same
    Patent number: 9303544
    Abstract: A method of detecting a thermal event is provided that relies not only on monitored exhaust temperatures, but also on temperature gradients propagating in the direction of exhaust flow. Specifically, the method of detecting a thermal event in a vehicle exhaust system includes monitoring at least one operating parameter at multiple locations spaced in exhaust flow of the vehicle exhaust system. The method then includes initiating a protective action if the monitoring indicates that at least one respective predetermined temperature requirement and a respective predetermined temperature gradient requirement are exceeded at two of the multiple temperature sensor locations within a predetermined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Radke, Vincent J. Tylutki, Janean E. Kowalkowski
  • Passive verification of operator presence in handling requests for vehicle features
    Patent number: 9303442
    Abstract: Passive verification of operator presence in handling requests for vehicle includes initiating activation of a power-operated vehicle component that is subject to a supervised control mechanism. The activation is initiated in response to a request from an operator-controlled device. The passive verification also includes verifying a presence of the operator-controlled device indicative of a presence of an operator of a vehicle, transmitting intermittent signals to the operator-controlled device, monitoring response signals received in response to the intermittent signals, and continuing activation of the power-operated vehicle component until the activation is complete so long as the response signals are received responsive to the monitoring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: David T. Proefke, Charles J. Bongiorno, Ron Y. Asmar, Aaron P. Creguer
  • Methods for making hollow carbon materials and active materials for electrodes
    Patent number: 9302914
    Abstract: In an example of a method for making a hollow carbon material, a carbon black particle is obtained. The carbon black particle has a concentric crystallite structure with an at least partially amorphous carbon core and a graphitic carbon shell surrounding the at least partially amorphous carbon core. The carbon black particle is exposed to any of a heat treatment, a chemical treatment, or an electrochemical treatment which removes the at least partially amorphous carbon core to form the hollow carbon material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Zhongyi Liu, Qiangfeng Xiao, Xingcheng Xiao, Michael K. Carpenter, Mei Cai
  • Oil pan casting with optional oil cooler provisions
    Patent number: 9303538
    Abstract: A universal oil pan die tooling is provided for forming alternative oil pans for alternative internal combustion engines with and without an oil cooler circuit. The die tooling includes a first die member defining a cavity and a second die member having a protruding portion designed to be inserted in the cavity of the first die member to define a mold cavity therebetween that defines a shape of the oil pan. A first die insert is used along with the first die member and the second die member to form oil pans for use with an engine having an oil cooler. An alternative second die insert is used in place of the first die insert along with the first die member and the second die member to form oil pans for use with an engine without an oil cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Steven G. Bryde, Kevin Herrala, Michael B. Fleck, Michael S. Ferrand
  • Lubrication system for warm forming
    Patent number: 9302312
    Abstract: Sheet metal workpieces are preheated to a temperature in the range of about 100° C. to about 500° C. for warm forming between press-actuated forming dies. The forming dies are not heated, but are coated with a liquid lubricating material suitable for the forming of the preheated sheet metal workpiece. For example, the liquid lubricating material is suitably a halogenated hydrocarbon that will adhere to unheated die surfaces and serve in the forming of the sheet metal workpiece into a vehicle body panel or other product. But the liquid lubricating material is composed so as to evaporate from surfaces of the formed workpiece at a temperature below about 200° C., so that the workpiece does not have to be cleaned before it is decoratively finished. The lubricant material may be vaporized, for example, into a warm stream of air or nitrogen and carried to a recovery or disposal system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Anil K. Sachdev, William R. Rodgers
  • Exhaust manifold
    Patent number: 9303555
    Abstract: An exhaust manifold for at least a portion of an internal combustion engine having a defined number of combustion chambers includes a plurality of inlet ports and four outlet ports. A first pair of the four outlet ports are disposed in gas flow communication with a first subset of the plurality of inlet ports, and a second pair of the four outlet ports different from the first pair are disposed in gas flow communication with a second subset of the plurality of inlet ports different from the first subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Ko-Jen Wu, Dustin Loveland
  • Audio system for a motor vehicle
    Patent number: 9305534
    Abstract: An adaptive audio system for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The audio system is operable to retrieve a music item from a storage device, classify the music item in a predefined music category the basis of a determined audio profile, select a category from a plurality of predefined music categories on the basis of a current driving behavior of the driver, and output a music item included in the selected category via an output device. The driving behavior of the driver is understood to mean the mode or style in which the driver drives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Carsten Neitzke, Justus Illium, Torsten Kanning
  • Online estimation of cathode inlet and outlet RH from stack average HFR
    Patent number: 9306230
    Abstract: A method for estimating cathode inlet and cathode outlet relative humidity (RH) of a fuel cell stack. The method uses a model to estimate the high frequency resistance (HFR) of the fuel cell stack based on water specie balance, and also measures stack HFR. The HFR values from the estimated HFR and the measured HFR are compared, and an error between the HFR values is determined. An online regression algorithm is then utilized to minimize the error and the solution of the regression is the RH profile in the stack including the cathode inlet and outlet relative humidities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Manish Sinha
  • Vehicle rear bumper
    Patent number: D753032
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Brian J. Smith, Robin Krieg
  • Vehicle rear bumper
    Patent number: D753035
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Robert E. Boniface, Robert J. Munson
  • Vehicle front bumper
    Patent number: D753560
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Robert B. McMahan, Brendon C. Mackay, Daniel E. Schmeckpeper
  • Vehicle rear bumper
    Patent number: D753567
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Robert E. Boniface, Robert J. Munson