Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for alerting a driver to take control of a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes: determining, by a processor, a driver alertness level based on a weighted summation of a first set of feature data; determining, by the processor, a required alertness level based on a weighted summation of a second set of feature data; determining, by the processor, an escalation index based on the driver alertness level and the required alertness level; and generating, by the processor, alert notification data based on the escalation index.

Abstract: A removable binder system to expand application of hot-pressed solid-state electrolyte separator technology is provided, specifically a solid-state electrolyte (SSE) for an electrochemical cell, a method for producing an electrochemical cell and an electrode composite film for an electrochemical cell in order to provide separators that work well with binders such that removing the binders does not affect the electro-molecular properties of the separators.

Abstract: A method for controlling an inflatable airbag system in a motor vehicle having a seatbelt includes detecting a position of a vehicle occupant relative to an airbag suppression zone (ASZ). Electronic input signals are received from a sensor suite, including an occupant position signal and a seatbelt usage status signal. A restraint capacity setting of the airbag is adjusted in response to the electronic input signals such that corresponding restraint activation logic is executed by the controller based on whether the occupant is belted or unbelted. Different ASZs may be used for belted and unbelted occupants. A motor vehicle includes a vehicle body defining a vehicle interior, an airbag, a seatbelt, a sensor suite for detecting a position of an occupant relative to the ASZ, and a controller operable for controlling a restraint capacity setting and location of the ASZ in accordance with the method.

Abstract: A press-in-place seal for an interface between adjacent components, with the seal including a cylindrical structure arranged along a longitudinal axis and characterized by a J-shape in a cross-sectional view. The seal is arranged inside a first component and compressed by a second component when the PIP seal is installed within the interface. The J-shape includes a first stem section orthogonal to and extending toward the longitudinal axis for being compressed by the second component when the seal is installed within the interface. The J-shape also includes a second stem section longer than the first stem section, orthogonal to and extending toward the longitudinal axis, for stabilizing the structure when the seal is installed. The J-shape further includes a base third section arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis and connecting the first stem section to the second stem section, thereby defining a concavity between the first and second sections.

Abstract: Systems and methods associated with an electric vehicle are provided. The electric vehicle includes a sensor system, a communications system and a snow clearing system. The systems and methods detect, based on data from the sensor system, snow that may accumulate on a window of the electric vehicle. When snow is detected, a notification is provided, via the communications system, to a remote user device. The notification requests user acceptance of use of charge of a battery of the electric vehicle to operate the snow clearing system of the electric vehicle. The systems and methods receive, by the communications system, a response to the notification from the user device, and when the response indicates acceptance of the use of charge of the battery, the snow clearing system is activated. The snow clearing system is powered by the battery.

Abstract: A system for managing communication between a vehicle and remote assistance unit includes a telematics unit connected to the vehicle. The telematics unit is engaged in a subscription service with the remote assistance unit. A command unit is in communication with the telematics unit, the command unit having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded. The command unit is adapted to determine if one or more deactivation conditions for the subscription service are met. Respective severity values for the deactivation conditions are determined. The command unit is adapted to calculate a cumulative severity index based in part on the respective severity values. An automated deactivation module is executed for the subscription service when the cumulative severity index exceeds a predefined severity threshold.

Abstract: A system and method for time-frequency coding for interference mitigation of sensors is presented that includes generating and transmitting, from a vehicle, a first chirp signal by a first sensor, in a first time-channel and in a first frequency-channel. The method may also include generating and transmitting, a second chirp signal by a second sensor, in a second time-channel and in the first frequency-channel and the receiving, by the first sensor, a first reflection signal from objects from the first chirp signal. In addition, there may be a receiving, by the second sensor, a second reflection signal from objects from the second chirp signal. In addition, the first time-channel is orthogonal to the second time-channel, and the transmitting of the second chirp signal is offset in time from the transmitting of the first chirp signal by an amount less than a duration of the first chirp signal.

Abstract: Presented are charging systems for provisioning vehicle grid integration (VGI) demand-response (DR) activities, methods for making/using such systems, and vehicles with bidirectional charging and VGI DR capabilities. A method of controlling VGI operations for a host vehicle includes a resident/remote vehicle controller receiving user-specific data input by the host vehicle's operator and crowd-sourced data output by third-party vehicles deemed comparable to and located within a predefined region of the host vehicle. A predicted battery life of the battery pack resulting from the host vehicle performing VGI operations is estimated using a non-iterative, non-recursive closed-form battery life model based on the user-specific and crowd-sourced data.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling a vehicle comprising an Electric Power Steering System (EPS). In an embodiment, a method includes determining, by the processor, a lateral acceleration reference based on reference path data and vehicle dynamics data; determining, by the processor, coefficient data based on at least one of measured lateral acceleration data and measured steering angle data, and measured torque data; determining, by the processor, a torque command based on the coefficient and the reference lateral acceleration data; and generating, by the processor, a steering command to the EPS based on the torque command.

Abstract: An electrode for an electrochemical cell includes a silicon-containing electroactive material that includes a plurality of silicon-containing electroactive material particles and a polymeric network that forms polymeric cages around each of the silicon-containing electroactive material particles of the plurality. The polymeric cages include polyacrylic acid (PAA), lithiated polyacrylic acid (PAALi), or a combination of polyacrylic acid (PAA) and lithiated polyacrylic acid (PAALi) covalently bonded with poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA). The polymeric network has a mass ratio of the polyacrylic acid (PAA), the lithiated polyacrylic acid (PAALi), or the combination of the polyacrylic acid (PAA) and the lithiated polyacrylic acid (PAALi) to the poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA) of greater than or equal to about 0.5 to less than or equal to about 10.

Abstract: A trailering velocity compensation system in a cruise control system is disclosed. The system includes a controller that is configured to: determine whether activation conditions for a trailering velocity compensation algorithm are met, and when the activation conditions are met, adjust a speed error used by the cruise control system; adjust a speed offset for application of brakes used by the cruise control system; adjust a speed offset for release of brakes used by the cruise control system; determine a set speed offset for inhibiting engine torque; determine a set speed offset for releasing engine torque inhibiting; adjust a headway time gap value used by the cruise control system; and control vehicle speed based on the adjusted speed error, adjusted speed offset for application of brakes, adjusted speed offset for release of brakes, set speed offset for inhibiting engine torque, set speed offset for releasing engine torque inhibiting, and adjusted headway time gap value.

Abstract: A system for an electrified vehicle includes a rechargeable energy storage device (RESS) electrically couplable via an electric power bus to a high-voltage actuator, a telematics system, and an on-vehicle controller. The on-vehicle controller includes an instruction set that is executable to: receive, via the telematics system, a notification of a proximal impending catastrophic event; determine an intent to safeguard the electrified vehicle; execute a high-voltage discharge protocol in response to the intent to safeguard the electrified vehicle, wherein the high-voltage discharge protocol includes operating the high-voltage actuator; monitor a state of charge (SOC) of the RESS; and electrically decouple the RESS from the electric power bus when the SOC of the RESS is less than a first threshold SOC.

Abstract: A system for tuning a trajectory tracking controller for a vehicle includes a trajectory planner configured to generate the planned trajectory and to output one or more planned trajectory components representative of the planned trajectory, a model predictive controller including an internal model and an optimizer, and a tuning neural network configured to receive the one or more planned trajectory components and one or more measured trajectory components and to produce weights for a cost function. The internal model is configured to receive a predicted control input from the optimizer and the one or more measured trajectory components and to produce a predicted output. The optimizer utilizes a cost function and is configured to receive the weights for the cost function and a predicted error and to produce the predicted control input, wherein the predicted error is a selected one of the planned trajectory components minus the predicted output.

Abstract: A method of forming a component includes providing a work-piece blank from a formable material. The method also includes engaging the work-piece blank with a transfer device. The method additionally includes austenitizing the work-piece blank in the transfer device via heating the blank to achieve austenite microstructure therein. The method also includes transferring the austenitized blank to a forming press using the transfer device. The method additionally includes forming the component via the forming press from the austenitized blank and quenching the formed component. A work-piece blank transfer system includes a transfer device having clamping arm(s) for engaging, holding, transferring, and releasing the work-piece blank. The transfer device also includes a heating element configured to austenitize the work-piece blank via heating the blank to achieve austenite microstructure therein.

Abstract: A battery cell includes an inner plastic layer, an outer plastic layer, and a middle metal layer. The inner and outer plastic layers extends along at least three of sides of the battery cell. The middle metal layer is disposed between the inner and outer plastic layers. The middle metal layer extends along the at least three sides of the battery cell and projects from at least a fourth side of the battery cell to form at least one heat dissipation tab. The at least one heat dissipation tab is configured to transfer heat to at least one cooling plate through thermal conduction. The fourth side of the battery cell connects two of the at least three sides to one another.

Abstract: A windshield and roof system of a vehicle includes: a windshield that includes glass and that is transparent; a front cross-member that extends laterally between A-pillars of the vehicle, that is disposed rearward of the windshield, and that has a thickness in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle of less than 50 millimeters (mm); and a roof portion that is transparent, that is located rearward of the windshield, where the windshield and the roof portion are joined with the front cross-member.

Abstract: A battery electric system for a motor vehicle or another electrified system includes a battery pack connected to a direct current voltage bus, and having positive and negative battery terminals, a main pyrotechnic fuse (“pyro fuse”), a high-voltage (HV) component connected to the bus via an HV channel, a current sensing element connected to the HV component on the HV channel, and a control system configured to selectively disconnect the battery pack from the bus by transmitting a voltage signal to the main pyro fuse when a measured current value from the current sensor is indicative of a short-circuit fault. A channel switch may be connected to or integral with the current sensing element, and configured to disconnect the HV component from the bus by opening in response to the measured current value.

Abstract: In various embodiments, methods, systems, and vehicle apparatuses are provided. A system provides a gravity drive to distribute coolant oil flow including a nozzle for directing a flow of coolant oil over a surface of an electric motor wherein the flow of the coolant oil is caused by a gravity drive; a connector that is coupled to the nozzle that enables the nozzle to sway in response to external forces encountered by a vehicle operation and to distribute coolant oil over the exterior surface of the electric motor; and a counterweight that is coupled to the nozzle that provides a countermeasure to the external forces encountered by the vehicle operation to cause the nozzle to sway in a manner that enables the coolant oil distributed evenly across the exterior surface of the electric motor.

Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling treatment of exhaust in a emission control system of a platform having a combustion system is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes estimating, via a processor, an amount of soot in exhaust from the combustion system; and controlling, via the processor, treatment of the exhaust based on the amount of soot in the exhaust.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling thermal conditioning of a battery system associated with brakes of a vehicle towing a trailer. In one embodiment, a method includes: determining, by a processor, that a temperature of the battery system is outside of a defined temperature range; determining, by the processor, a delta value between a brake request and a battery charge limit; generating, by the processor, a control signal to at least one of a heater and a compressor of the vehicle based on the delta value; generating, by the processor, a control signal to the battery system to initiate regeneration braking; and generating, by the processor, a braking reduction request to reduce braking by the trailer.