Abstract: A cargo cover assembly for covering a cargo area of a vehicle including: a housing; a panel portion secured to the housing, wherein the panel portion is configured to roll and unroll within the housing, a flexible rod associated with the panel portion and moveable with respect to the housing, and wherein when the cargo cover assembly is in an unretracted position, the panel portion is unrolled from the housing and the flexible rod flexes outwardly to substantially match a posterior portion of the cargo area so that the cargo cover assembly substantially conceals the cargo area.

Abstract: Provided is an armrest assembly disposed on an inner door panel of a vehicle. The armrest assembly includes an armrest panel shaped to form the body of the armrest, and a support surface made of flexible skin. The armrest panel is fixed to a predetermined location on the inner door panel, and extends upwardly and away from the inner door panel to a proximal end. The proximal end is spaced apart and opposite the inner door panel to define an cavity. The flexible skin is attached to the proximal end and pulled taut over the cavity and fixed to the inner door panel to form the support surface for receiving the load of a passenger arm. The armrest assembly having the flexible skin for a support surface is able to fold into itself when the vehicle door is subject to a predetermined load, thus presenting no rigid structure posing a threat of being pushed into a passenger under said predetermined load.

Abstract: A process of forming a hydrogen storage material, including the steps of: providing a first material of the formula M(BH4)x, where M is an alkali metal or an alkali earth metal, providing a second material selected from M(AlH4)x, a mixture of M(AlH4)x and MClx, a mixture of MClx and Al, a mixture of MClxand AlH3, a mixture of MHx and Al, Al, and AlH3. The first and second materials are combined at an elevated temperature and at an elevated hydrogen pressure for a time period forming a third material having a lower hydrogen release temperature than the first material and a higher hydrogen gravimetric density than the second material.

Abstract: In a vehicle-to-vehicle communication network utilizing PKI security methods to protect communications and in which the PKI encryption utilizes a Certificate Authority having both a private key and a publicly distributed key, a method for allocating multiple certificates for each vehicle which are assigned to each vehicle in the communication network. The method includes the step of assigning a unique secret key k to each vehicle in the communication network. The Certificate Authority then creates a plurality of public key and private key encryption pairs for each vehicle and each encryption pair is associated with an index i. A plurality of certificates are then created with one certificate for each value of the index. A revocation list comprising the secret keys is maintained by the Certificate Authority so that all encryption pairs assigned to a particular vehicle may be revoked by the secret key k corresponding to that vehicle.

Abstract: In a vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication system utilizing certificates to verify trustworthiness of received communications, a method for distributing a list of certificate revocations to vehicles in the communication system. At least one main station transmits a list of certificate revocations to at least one vehicle and the vehicle thereafter transmits the list of certificate revocations to other vehicles in the communication network. Each of the other vehicles in the communication network updates its list of certificate revocations in response to the receipt of the list of certificate revocations from another vehicle in the system. The other vehicles thereafter transmit their updated list of certificate revocations to other vehicles in the system.

Abstract: The automotive radar includes a printed circuit board having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a processor mounted on the bottom surface of the printed circuit board. The automotive radar also includes a second liquid crystal polymer layer formed on the top surface of the printed circuit board, a second microstrip array printed on the second liquid crystal polymer layer, the second microstrip array having a patch, a first liquid crystal polymer layer formed on the second liquid crystal polymer layer, a first microstrip array printed on the first liquid crystal polymer layer, the first microstrip array having a perforated patch, and a transmit/receive module connected to a bottom surface of the second liquid crystal polymer layer and configured to transmit a first frequency signal to the first microstrip array and a second frequency signal to the second microstrip array.

Abstract: A method of determining thickness uniformity of a coating, the coating being formed on the surface of an object, the method comprising determining coating thickness data within portions of the surface, the portions including at least one generally concave portion and at least one generally convex portion, and presenting the coating thickness data as a graphical representation for each portion.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a microwave horn antenna in which a thermoplastic sacrificial layer is mounted to a thermoplastic horn layer. A heated horn embossing plate having at least one horn shaped embossing element is then moved into the horn layer so that the horn element penetrates through the horn layer and extends partially into the sacrificial layer thus forming a horn opening in the horn layer complementary in shape to the horn element. The horn layer and sacrificial layer are then separated from each other and the horn opening and at least a portion of the back surface of the horn layer is covered with a metal coating. A thermoplastic wave guide layer formed by embossing wave guide channels into the layer is covered with metal and attached to the back side of the horn layer to form the antenna. Alternatively, a portion of the horn and the remaining portion of a microwave channel are formed in both a first and second thermoplastic section.

Abstract: The radar includes a PCB having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a processor mounted on the bottom surface of the PCB. The radar includes a second liquid crystal polymer layer formed on the top surface of the printed circuit board, a second microstrip array printed on the second liquid crystal polymer layer, the second microstrip array having a patch, a first liquid crystal polymer layer formed on the second liquid crystal polymer layer, a first microstrip array printed on the first liquid crystal polymer layer, the first microstrip array having a perforated patch, an antenna positioned underneath the patch and connected to the second microstrip array, and a transmit/receive module connected to a bottom surface of the second liquid crystal polymer layer and configured to transmit a first frequency signal to the first microstrip array and a second frequency signal to the second microstrip array.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electric charging roof on an automobile. The present invention can be or a method of manufacture of an automobile having a body with an interior, a roof attached to the body, a layer of paint coated on top of the roof, an energy storage unit located within the interior of the body, and a layer of photovoltaic material deposited on top of the layer of paint to form a solar panel connected to the energy storage unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a trim panel with a lead-in portion for providing smooth installation into an instrument panel. The trim panel has a body with a sheet material of predetermined thickness wrapped at least partially around, and a tab extending outwardly from the body and received by an instrument panel. The tab has an outer surface and an inner surface forming a v-shape, with the outer surface having a step portion that can receive the sheet material. The step portion has a predetermined depth equal to or greater than the predetermined thickness of the sheet material. The trim panel can also include an attachment device which operates to fixedly attach the trim panel to the instrument panel.

Abstract: An automotive door comprising a door trim member (10) with a map-receiving pocket (12) that is defined by a back member (16) that is secured to the door trim member and an inner member (14) that is secured to the back member with an umbrella-receiving member (18) that is accessible through the map-receiving pocket and is defined by a U-shaped member (24) that is attached to the door trim member and is adapted to receive an umbrella (20).

Abstract: A system for assisting the alignment of a hitch pin mounted on the rear of a vehicle with a hitch socket mounted on the front of a trailer. The system includes a camera mounted to the vehicle and positioned to capture an image rearwardly of the vehicle. A video display is contained within the vehicle which displays the image captured by the camera. A processor is also contained in the vehicle which calculates a preferred path of travel of the vehicle to position the hitch pin in alignment with the hitch socket. The processor is programmed to provide instructions to an operator of the vehicle of the required steering to maintain the vehicle on the preferred path of travel. The processor recalculates the preferred path of travel whenever the vehicle veers from the preferred path of travel by a preset threshold.

Abstract: An apparatus for the determination of engine torque comprises a neural network receiving engine operational data, such as crankshaft rotation data, and providing an output corresponding to engine torque. The neural network may be, for example, a recurrent neural network (RNN) that is configured using training data obtained using a training process. By comparing a determined engine torque with an intended engine torque, for example determined from engine control input values such as throttle position, a useful engine diagnostic is obtained.

Abstract: Systems and methods of controlling automatic transmission fluid (ATF) in a vehicle include torque converter systems generally having a pump, a turbine and a stator.

Abstract: A method for adjusting downshift points of a vehicle transmission to assist vehicle braking in a vehicle having a brake system with a brake master cylinder and a brake pedal for actuating the brake system may comprise determining if the brake pedal is pressed. When the brake pedal is pressed, an intended brake effort may be determined and the actual deceleration of the vehicle may be calculated. A threshold deceleration for the intended brake effort may then be determined and compared to the vehicle deceleration. When the vehicle deceleration is less than the threshold deceleration for the intended braking effort a downshift point of the transmission may be adjusted. Thereafter the transmission may be downshifted using the adjusted downshift point.

Abstract: A valve assembly controls the flow of boosted gas and naturally aspirated gas between an air inlet leading into an intercooler and an oil separator disposed in a head cover in a turbocharged motor vehicle engine. The valve assembly includes a housing defining a first channel through which the natural aspirated gas can pass and a second channel through which the boosted gas can pass. The housing encloses both a check valve and a PCV valve in the second channel. The check valve controls the flow of gas between the first and second channels during normal and boosted engine operation, respectively.

Abstract: A method for regulating the speed at which an electric vehicle descends a hill includes determining a position of a shift lever and determining if the vehicle accelerator and/or the vehicle brake are depressed. If the vehicle is in either drive or reverse and neither the vehicle accelerator nor the vehicle brake is depressed, a change in the motor speed is determined based on the current motor speed and a reference motor speed. The current braking assist is then adjusted based on the change in the motor speed such that the motor speed, and therefore the speed of the electric vehicle, remains constant as the vehicle descends the hill.

Abstract: Provided is a system and method for detecting the presence of an intruder in a vehicle using sensors to measure the change in distance between a portion of the vehicle and the ground. Distance sensors may be placed in a plurality of locations along the vehicle, preferably under the hood where the sensors have a clear line of sight to the ground. A computer is provided to receive the measurements from the sensors to compute a base distance which represents the weight of the vehicle with no intruder. The sensors continue to measure the distance to the ground and the computer subsequently computes a present distance and compares said present distance to said base distance. The computer activates an alarm when the present distance is lesser than the base distance by a predetermined value.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes an anode having a metal material having an oxygen containing layer. The electrochemical cell also includes a cathode and an electrolyte. The anode includes a protective layer formed by reacting a D or P block precursor with the oxygen containing layer.