Abstract: A battery system includes a first battery cell and a neighboring second battery cell. The battery system also includes a battery system enclosure surrounded by an external environment and configured to house the first and second battery cells. The battery system additionally includes a collection bag housed within the battery system enclosure and fixed to each battery cell. The collection bag is configured to capture high-temperature gases and/or debris vented by at least one of the battery cells. The collection bag is also configured to divert the captured high-temperature gases and/or debris of each battery cell away from the other battery cell. The collection bag thereby reduces transfer of the high-temperature gases and/or debris between the battery cells and mitigates propagation of a thermal runaway event in the battery system. The collection bag is further configured to expel the captured high-temperature gases and/or debris to the external environment.

Abstract: Presented are intelligent vehicle control systems enabling external control of vehicles using cues, methods for making/using such vehicle control systems, and vehicles equipped with such control systems. A method of controlling operation of a vehicle includes a vehicle controller receiving a signal indicating the vehicle is in particular operating mode and, responsive to receiving a cue, determine if a command is executable and, if so, executing the command.

Abstract: A cruise control algorithm including receiving a set speed and a minimum speed, generating a first control signal indicative of a first engine torque request, controlling a vehicle to maintain the set speed in response to the first engine torque request, detecting a vehicle pitch, detecting the vehicle speed, generating a second control signal indicative of the first engine torque request in response to the vehicle pitch being greater than zero degrees and the vehicle speed being greater than the minimum speed, controlling the vehicle to maintain a first engine torque in response to the first engine torque request, generating a third control signal indicative of a second engine torque request in response to the vehicle pitch being greater than zero degrees and the vehicle speed being less than the minimum speed, and controlling the vehicle to maintain the minimum speed in response to the third engine torque request.

Abstract: A method for managing range of an electric vehicle includes acquiring temperature forecast data for an upcoming time period and determining a range of the electric vehicle over the upcoming time period in view of the temperature forecast data. The method also includes determining a driving distance from the electric vehicle to a stationary electric vehicle charging station. Additionally, the method includes informing a user of the electric vehicle if, at one or more times during the upcoming time period, the range of the electric vehicle will be less than a threshold relative to the driving distance from the electric vehicle to the stationary electric vehicle charging station. Further, another method for managing range of an electric vehicle may take into account distance to one or more intended destinations.

Abstract: A charging box performs a direct current fast charging (DCFC) session of a recipient by a donor, e.g., during a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charging session, and includes a portable housing, disconnect devices connected to a high-voltage (HV) bus to connect/disconnect respective inlet and outlet charging ports to/from the bus, and multiple direct current-to-direct current (DC-DC) converters. A high-voltage-to-high-voltage (HV-HV) converter is connected to the bus. An optional high-voltage-to-low-voltage (HV-LV) converter may be connected to the HV-HV converter. An optional low-voltage (LV) energy storage device is connected to the housing and HV-LV converter. A communication processing unit (CPU) establishes two-way communication between the donor and recipient. A system controller selectively pre-charges the bus, recharge the energy storage device, and selectively command offloading of a DC charging current from the donor, through the HV-HV converter, and to the recipient.

Abstract: An anode for a rechargeable battery cell includes an electrode substrate and a current collector fixed to the electrode substrate. The anode also includes an active layer arranged on the current collector and having discrete first material sections and second material sections arranged in an alternating pattern. Each discrete material section is aligned perpendicular to the current collector. The active layer is configured to intercalate transient ions during charging of the battery cell and de-intercalate the transient ions during discharging of the battery cell. A method of manufacturing such an anode for a rechargeable battery cell is also considered.

Abstract: Presented are electrochemical devices with in-stack reference electrodes, methods for making/using such devices, and battery cells with stacked electrodes segregated by electrode separator assemblies having built-in reference electrodes. An electrochemical device includes a protective outer housing that contains an ion-conducting electrolyte. A stack of working electrodes is packaged inside the device housing in electrochemical contact with the electrolyte. At least one electrode separator assembly is located inside the housing, interposed between a neighboring pair of these working electrodes. The electrode separator assembly includes an electrically insulating separator sheet with a reference electrode. A tab pocket, which projects from an end of the separator sheet, includes a tab chamber with a chamber opening. An electrode tab is formed with an electrically conductive material and attached to the tab pocket.

Abstract: A panel assembly for a vehicle door includes an interior panel that has an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface and the outer surface collectively define a body and a trim element that is integrally formed with the body with a living hinge disposed therebetween. The panel assembly also includes an exterior panel that has an inner surface that is coupled to the body at the inner surface of the interior panel and has an opposing outer surface that is coupled to the trim element in a folded position of the trim element.

Abstract: A multi-phase, multi-pole permanent magnet motor/generator (electric machine) is described, and includes a rotor disposed on a rotor shaft within an annular stator, which may be arranged in a housing with an interposed insulator system. The insulator system is arranged to mitigate and isolate common mode currents in a shaft bearing system by insulating the stator core from an electrical ground return path of an electrical driving source. The electric machine includes a rotor rotatably disposed within a stator, and the stator is secured to the housing with the insulator system interposed therebetween.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that include one or more sensors configured to obtain biometric information as to one or more individuals who are to assist with manufacturing of a vehicle; a non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store operational requirements for the manufacturing of the vehicle; and a processor that is configured to at least facilitate providing instructions for creating a swarm ramp on which the vehicle is to be placed in order to provide an ergonomic work envelope for the one or more individuals, based on the biometric information and the operational requirements.

Abstract: An anode for a rechargeable battery cell includes an electrode substrate and a current collector fixed to the electrode substrate. The anode also includes an active layer arranged on the current collector and having discrete first material sections and at least one second material section arranged in an alternating pattern. Each discrete material section is aligned parallel to the current collector. The active layer is configured to intercalate transient ions during charging of the battery cell and de-intercalate the transient ions during discharging of the battery cell. A method of manufacturing such an anode for a rechargeable battery cell is also considered.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for braking assistance for a vehicle. The systems include a sensor system, a controller configured to, by one or more processors: receive, from the sensor system, sensor data, detect a braking event of the vehicle, monitor a vehicle state of the vehicle including a deceleration rate of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle state and the deceleration rate is based on the sensor data, process the sensor data to determine whether the vehicle state will trigger activation of an antilock braking system (ABS), and output one or more control signals to command a braking system to reduce a braking torque applied to wheels at a rate sufficient to reduce compression of the front suspension system prior to a complete stop thereof in response to the deceleration rate satisfying a stopping criteria and a determination that the vehicle state will not trigger activation of the ABS.

Abstract: Aspects of fine-grained, dynamic noise pattern learning for voice applications include a vehicle, the vehicle having a body with a cabin. Embedded within the vehicle is a processor coupled to memory. The processor may be configured to embed multimodal data for environment and vehicle data. The embedded acoustic data may be from microphone-captured data in the cabin. The processor may concatenate the embeddings to form a latent vector characterizing the embeddings to thereby estimate a mean and variance of the latent vector using an adaptive time window. The processor may identify a noise type using the mean and variance of the latent vector, the noise type identification being fine-grained via the adaptive time window to accurately emulate vehicle noise.

Abstract: An airbag deployment system including a memory configured to store a default weight/pressure threshold value, a weight/pressure sensor configured for detecting a weight/pressure on a vehicle seat surface, a remote sensor for detecting a presence of a child restraint seat installed at a vehicle seat, wherein, the remote sensor can detect the presence or lack of presence of a child restraint seat on a vehicle seat with at least one focused detection zone, wherein the child restraint seat has different viewable features for the portion in the focused detection zone when compared to the vehicle seat and an occupant, wherein a compensation occurs to at least one of the weight/pressure threshold and the weight/pressure measured on the vehicle seat based on the detection or lack of detection of a child restraint seat.

Abstract: A revolveable door chair for a vehicle includes a support frame including a base, a side member extending upwardly from the base, and a chair support. The side member is pivotally mounted to a vehicle support. A ground support leg is pivotally connected to the base. A chair is positioned in the support frame. The chair rests in the chair support.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a component having a porosity-controlled lithium metal coating includes setting up an aerosol spray apparatus having a material feeder and a confinement conduit in fluid communication therewith. The confinement conduit has an inlet end and a nozzle end. The method also includes setting up a substrate having an exposed surface on a moveable tooling plate and directing the nozzle end at the exposed surface. The method additionally includes loading a lithium metal into the material feeder. The method also includes feeding a high-pressure gas into the inlet end of the confinement conduit to thereby form an aerosol spray of lithium metal. The method further includes moving the tooling plate to regulate a thickness and a pattern of deposition of the lithium metal onto the exposed surface through the nozzle end to thereby generate a porous lithium metal coating on the substrate.

Abstract: A system includes: a module configured to: compare operating parameters with predetermined thresholds, respectively; and set indicators for the operating parameters based on the comparisons, respectively; a module configured to: set a first indicator to a first state when all of first ones of the indicators are in a first state; and set the first indicator to a second state when at least one of the first ones of the indicators is in a second state; a module configured to: set a second indicator to a first state when at least one of second ones of the indicators are in a first state; and set the second indicator to a second state when all of the second ones of the indicators are in a second state; and a module configured to indicate whether an electric motor is degraded based on at least one of the first and second indicators.

Abstract: A vehicle frame structure including a pair of elongated mid bay rails with a cross beam extending between rear ends of the pair of mid bay rails. A pair of elongated rear bay rails define an overlapping joint with the pair of elongated mid bay rails, wherein a first pair of reinforcement members connect forward ends of the pair of rear bay rails to the pair of elongated mid bay rails and a second pair of reinforcement members connect rearward ends of the pair of mid bay rails to the pair of elongated rear bay rails.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a battery of a vehicle includes a processor and a memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor configure the processor to receive first features including statistics of internal resistances of a plurality of cell groups in a battery pack of the battery, compute second features for the battery pack based on the first features, determine whether the battery pack is faulty based on one or more of the second features, and determine, in response to the battery pack being faulty, whether one or more of the cell groups is faulty based on one or more of the first features.

Abstract: A head-up display system of a vehicle visually transmits information to eyes of a first occupant and eyes of a second occupant. The system includes an illumination device emitting first and second display lights having first and second polarizations, respectively. The system includes a windshield and a holographic panel including first and second layers. The display lights emit toward the holographic panel at an entrance angle relative to an axis normal to the holographic panel. The first layer diffracts the first display light having the first polarization in a first exit direction at a first exit angle relative to the axis toward the eyes of the first occupant. The second layer diffracts the second display light having the second polarization in a second exit direction at a second exit angle relative to the axis, and different than the first exit angle, toward the eyes of the second occupant.