Abstract: A vehicle door control system includes a door assembly, which includes a side door and a liftgate. The door assembly includes an actuation assembly that adjusts each of the side door and the liftgate between opened and closed positions. A sensor assembly defines a rear sensor field, a first side sensor field, and a second side sensor field. A controller determines whether a person in at least one of the rear sensor field, the first side sensor field, and the second side sensor field is a recognized passenger, determines a speed of the recognized passenger, determines whether the recognized passenger is carrying an object, and activates the actuation assembly to open at least one of the liftgate and the side door based on whether the recognized passenger is carrying an object, where timing of activation of the actuation assembly is based on the speed of the recognized passenger.

Abstract: A method for utilizing a refrigerant, which has been discharged from a vehicle air-conditioning system, in a vehicle having an internal combustion engine is provided. The refrigerant is discharged via a pressure relief valve provided in the vehicle air-conditioning system. The refrigerant that has been discharged from the vehicle air-conditioning system via the pressure relief valve is fed to the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A method includes determining a baseline value of a first vehicle component at a set of operating conditions, applying a predetermined load to a second vehicle component to induce a design characteristic in the second vehicle component, determining an operational value of the second vehicle component at the set of operating conditions after the predetermined load is applied, and determining a deviation between the baseline value of the first vehicle component and the operational value of the second vehicle component.

Abstract: A vehicle tonneau cover for covering a bed of a pickup truck has a base frame, a connector assembly configured to couple the base frame to a bed rail, a top cover having a front end and a rear end and opposite side edges, and an actuator assembly operatively coupled to the front end of the cover to raise and lower the front end of the top cover. First and second side walls extend on opposite sides between the top cover and the base frame and between the front end and the rear end, each side wall having first and second panels and a first hinge coupled between the first and second panels. The first and second side walls at least partially fold when the cover is lowered.

Abstract: A method of providing vehicle guidance for traversal of rutted terrain may include employing a sensor network to determine characteristics of ruts in the rutted terrain, and determining a proximity value between a portion of a body of the vehicle and the rutted terrain based on the determined characteristics. The method may further include, responsive to the proximity value being below a proximity threshold, defining a strategy for positioning the vehicle at a point of increased ground clearance relative to the ruts, and providing a guidance instruction to the vehicle according to the defined strategy.

Abstract: A battery housing for a traction battery. The battery housing includes a first housing shell, and a second housing shell which can be connected to the first housing shell, for bounding an interior formed to receive at least one battery module. The first housing shell has a first collar which runs at least partially around the first housing shell. The second housing shell has a second collar which runs at least partially around the second housing shell. The battery housing has at least one connection element having two pressure limbs. The at least one connection element engages around the first collar and the second collar and to clamp by the two pressure limbs of the connection element exerting a normal force on the first collar and on the second collar. The first collar and/or the second collar has at least one first latching means. The connection element has at least one second latching means.

Abstract: Data fusion of radio frequency (RF) and visual data is provided. Via a transceiver of a vehicle, a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) message is received from a remote road entity, the V2X message including one or more V2X data elements descriptive of the remote road entity. Using a camera of the vehicle, modulated light data is captured within a sensing area surrounding an ego road entity, the modulated light data being sent from the remote road entity. A modulated light transmission in the modulated light data is decoded to identify one or more light data elements in the modulated light data descriptive of the road entity. An association of the one or more V2X data elements is performed with the one or more light data elements to identify associated V2X camera objects where the V2X message and the modulated light data are fused into a combined representation of the remote road entity.

Abstract: A battery system includes an array of cells and an insulating plate. The array of cells is arranged in first and second subsets of cells. The first and second subsets of cells define a space therebetween. The insulating plate has a central region disposed within the space. The insulating plate has first and second lateral regions disposed external to the space and extending beyond first and second opposing lateral ends of the array of cells, respectively. The central region has a first dimension extending in a first direction between the first and second subsets of cells. The first and second lateral regions have second and third dimensions, respectively, extending in a second direction. The second direction is substantially parallel to the first direction. The second and third dimensions are greater than the first dimension.

Abstract: A valve body assembly that includes a valve body, a pump and a valve member. The valve body has multiple valve bores and hydraulic passages. The pump is coupled to the valve body and cooperates with the valve body to define a fluid circuit that is in communication with one or more of the hydraulic passages. The pump is configured to pump hydraulic fluid through the fluid circuit and into one or more of the hydraulic passages. The valve member is movable between a first position in which the valve member is seated against the pump to inhibit fluid flow through the fluid circuit and a second position in which the valve member is removed from the pump to permit fluid flow through the fluid circuit.

Abstract: A computer that includes a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions executable by the processor to operate a system based on predictions output from the machine learning system including predicted states, actions, rewards, and costs, wherein the machine learning system includes a first transformer and a second transformer and is trained based on bisimulation offline reinforcement learning, wherein the first transformer and the second transformer are based on a Markov decision process that includes the states, the actions, the rewards, and the costs. The bisimulation offline reinforcement learning can include inputting a first sequences of training states, actions, rewards, and costs to the first transformer and a second sequence of the training states, actions, rewards, and costs to the second transformer to determine bisimulation learning objectives based on latent variables output from the first transformer and the second transformer.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining parking lot data associated with the parking lot, where the parking lot data indicates an availability of a plurality of parking spaces of the parking lot and obtaining vehicle data associated with the plurality of vehicles, where the vehicle data includes one or more physical characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles, one or more electrical charging characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles, or a combination thereof. The method includes dynamically defining one or more parking characteristics of the parking lot based on the vehicle data and the parking lot data and controlling a movement of the plurality of vehicles via the exit lane, the entry lane, and the one or more charging lanes based on the vehicle data and the one or more parking characteristics of the parking lot.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a powerplant and a body. The body defines a passenger cabin and a box and having a tailgate mounted to the box. A step assembly is associated with the box and includes a step and a handle. The handle has a sensor configured to receive input from a user located outside of the passenger cabin and output a signal when the input is active. A controller is programmed to, in response to the signal being received, command a torque to the powerplant to propel the vehicle based on the signal.

Abstract: An inverter power module cooling system for an electrified vehicle includes an inlet coupled to channels providing coolant from a heat exchanger in parallel to a plurality of power modules along a first edge of associated chips having one or more switches, and channels collecting coolant from a second edge of associated chips. An additional serpentine channel receives coolant from the inlet to cool an associated area of a thermally conductive capacitor pad. The system may include a base plate having channels on one side and providing coolant to one side of the power modules and the capacitor pad, and a channel plate secured to an opposite side of the base plate to provide coolant to an opposite of the power modules. Cover plates may be provided to seal the channels of the base plate and channel plate, or may be integrally formed by molding or additive manufacturing.

Abstract: An example system can include a computer including a processor coupled to a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to transmit a wake-up signal to a primary communications bus based on incoming data from an external source. The instructions can additionally be to initiate a timer based on an absence of a bus traffic sustaining message, and to select a linked computer for a phased transition to a sleep state based on expiration of the timer, wherein the phased transition to the sleep state includes a silent mode prior the transition to the sleep state.

Abstract: A contamination-detection system detects contaminants during lithium-ion or solid-state battery manufacturing using Raman spectroscopy. The contamination-detection system includes a manufacturing line with multiple electrode material processing stations and Raman spectroscopy units positioned at various stations to scan materials and generate spectra. A computing subsystem receives these spectra, compares them with a stored spectral library of reference materials and known contaminants, and identifies potential matches. If a contaminant is detected, the contamination-detection system triggers an alarm or halts production and alerts operators via an integrated notification system. This ensures real-time quality control and prevents defective products.

Abstract: A vehicle has a body defining a cabin interior, a windshield, a windshield conditioning system, a location determining device for determining a location of the vehicle, one or more vehicle sensors for assessing a likelihood of moisture on the windshield, a remote assessment device for assessing ambient environmental conditions proximate to the vehicle, and a controller configured to perform a preconditioning strategy to defog or defrost the windshield with the windshield conditioning system. The controller controls the preconditioning strategy based on a weighted proportion of the likelihood of moisture assessed the one or more vehicle sensors and the ambient environmental conditions assessed with the remote assessment device. The weighted proportion is determined based on the determined location of the vehicle.

Abstract: A traction battery pack may include an outer enclosure assembly. A traction battery pack may include a pressure equalization device received within a wall of the outer enclosure assembly. The pressure equalization device may include a housing and a valve configured to close a gas path through the housing during a battery thermal event of the traction battery pack. The valve may include a spring configured to urge the valve to close during the battery thermal event. The spring is held in place by a spring holder. The spring holder includes a first set of openings spaced-apart from the spring by a first distance, and a second set of openings spaced-apart from the spring by a second distance less than the first distance.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to couple a steering column to a housing are disclosed. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a bracket fixed to a steering column assembly, the bracket including a bracket surface, and a housing including projections extending from a housing surface of the housing, the housing surface facing a same direction as the bracket surface, the projections including first portions and second portions, the first portions extending from the housing surface in a first direction, the second portions extending from the first portions in a second direction different than the first direction, the second portions of the projections to overlap the bracket surface.

Abstract: A vehicle assembly includes a bumper of a vehicle and a deployable step assembly that is pivotable back-and-forth between a stowed position and a deployed position relative to the bumper. When in the stowed position, a step pad of the deployable step assembly is received within a bumper pocket of the bumper. When in the deployed position, the step pad is rearward and vertically lower than the bumper.

Abstract: Bus bar welding solutions are disclosed for electrically connecting bus bars to battery cell terminals within a battery system. An exemplary method may include performing weld repair operations. The weld repair operations may include creating a repair weld bead at a weld repair zone of the bus bar. The weld repair zone may include an area of the bus bar that is covered by a pressing device during a pressing operation and a primary welding operation of the method.

Abstract: A system includes a multi-access edge computing camera that can determine characteristics of a group of waiting vehicle passengers based on machine-classification and count of individual elements of the group derived from imaging the group with the camera and supplement at least the count based on short-range wireless broadcast received from mobile devices possessed by members of the group. The camera conveys the characteristics to a dispatch process, and the dispatch process determines that a non-dispatched fleet vehicle has present capacity to accommodate the determined characteristics. The dispatch process determine that the characteristics meet a defined predicate for dispatch of the non-dispatched fleet vehicle and responsive to determining that the characteristics meet a defined predicate for dispatch of the non-dispatched fleet vehicle, dispatches the fleet vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle system includes a tonneau cover, and an actuator assembly that transitions the tonneau cover back-and-forth between a lowered position and a tilted position. The tonneau cover covers a cargo bed of a vehicle when the tonneau cover is in the lowered position and when the tonneau cover is in the tilted position.

Abstract: A system and method to manage charging priority for at least one accessory includes the steps of: providing one or more charging stations for the at least one accessory, monitoring vehicle power status, and monitoring accessory charging status. Additionally, the allocation of power supplied to the one or more charging stations is managed based on priority requirements as determined per each accessory.

Abstract: A vehicle assembly, includes, among other things, an accessory usable as a climbing ladder to access an area of a vehicle. The accessory is also configured to be used as a recovery board. A method of using a vehicle accessory includes, among other things, accessing a vertically upper area of a vehicle using an accessory as a climbing ladder, the accessory also usable as a recovery board.

Abstract: In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a passenger motor vehicle including a robotic arm configured for use in performing an additive manufacturing operation. In other aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method including performing an additive manufacturing operation using a robotic arm mounted to a passenger motor vehicle.

Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to determine an arithmetic mean of red-green-blue (RGB) values in an image frame, determine a luminance fraction as a function of the arithmetic mean, and actuate an edge-lit display screen to display the image frame at the luminance fraction of a maximum luminance. The luminance fraction is a fraction of the maximum luminance of the edge-lit display screen.

Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to, while a vehicle is off, detect an anomaly in an external environment surrounding the vehicle by executing a long short-term memory algorithm; in response to detecting the anomaly, permit starting the vehicle upon receiving a multifactor authentication, and block starting the vehicle without receiving the multifactor authentication; and, in response to not detecting the anomaly, permit starting the vehicle upon receiving a single-factor authentication. Sensor data measuring the external environment is an input to the long short-term memory algorithm.

Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a zero-gravity drive mechanism configured to transition a vehicle seat into a zero-gravity configuration that includes a first tilt assembly, a second tilt assembly, a pivotable link, and a rear sectored link. Both the first and second tilt assemblies include a sectored link configured to pivot at two pivot points relative to an insertion tube of the seating assembly and a mount plate pivotably coupled with the sectored link of each pivot assembly. A cross-shaft extends laterally between the first and second tilt assembly and is coupled with a first pinion at a first end of the cross-shaft and a second pinion at a second end of the cross-shaft. An actuator is coupled with and configured to rotate the cross-shaft, effectuating a simultaneous rotation of the pinions against the sectored links, driving the tilt assemblies to transition the seat to the zero-gravity configuration.

Abstract: Systems and methods for enhancing visualization of a vehicle in an environment are provided. A vehicle may continually monitor people in its vicinity using internal and externals sensors to determine their trajectory and whether some are preoccupied currently, and if so, what is the level of their preoccupation. If the vehicle determines that the current trajectory of a person is likely to result in a physical interaction between the vehicle and the person and if the level of preoccupation exceeds a certain threshold, then the vehicle may output a direct alert toward the person. The vehicle may then continue to monitor the person's behavior to determine whether the alert resulted in a change in behavior of the persons such that the likelihood of the physical interaction is reduced or eliminated. If not, then the vehicle may modify the alert and keep outputting the modified alert until a change in behavior is detected.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting regenerative braking in response to normal loads applied to each of a vehicle's wheels coupled to an electric machine. In one example, a regenerative braking torque for a wheel may be adjusted in response to a normal load that is applied to the wheel as wheel load changes during vehicle braking.

Abstract: Vehicle charging systems and methods are provided for controlling an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) assembly during a vehicle charging event. A temperature of the EVSE assembly may be monitored, and the EVSE assembly may be shut down when the temperature exceeds a predefined temperature threshold. After the temperature falls back below the predefined temperature threshold, the EVSE assembly may be restarted at a reduced charging current level. This process of shut down and restart may be continuously repeated until the temperature of the EVSE assembly can be maintained below the predefined threshold temperature during the charging event, thereby reducing charging standby times.

Abstract: While a state of charge of a supplemental battery, that provides power to an electrical bus via a first DC/DC converter, is greater than a predefined threshold and responsive to a magnitude of current associated with loads on the electrical bus exceeding a predefined value, a controller reduces a setpoint of the first DC/DC converter to equal that of a second DC/DC converter, that transfers power between the electrical bus and a traction battery, such that the loads are powered by the supplemental and traction batteries.

Abstract: A vehicle lamp assembly includes a light adjustably securable to a vehicle structure of a vehicle. The light is configured to adjust by tilting the light relative to a centerline of the vehicle. A vehicle lamp adjustment method includes adjusting a headlamp of a vehicle by tilting the headlamp about a roll axis.

Abstract: An automatic parts delivery system includes a controller, fleets of robots, an autonomous storage-retrieval system and workstations. The controller monitors inventory state of automotive parts during a selected block of time and identifies unavailability of parts for manufacturing a selected vehicle model. The controller determines whether remaining parts can be used to manufacture another vehicle model. The fleets of robots scan, deliver and sort parts and prepare a custom kit including at least the remaining parts. The custom kit is delivered to produce another vehicle model at the workstations for producing the selected vehicle model or another vehicle model.

Abstract: Methods and systems for validating LiDAR sensor calibration are disclosed. The methods include collecting sensor data corresponding to a calibration environment from a LiDAR sensor and segmenting a reconstructed point cloud of the calibration environment to generate a plurality of planes. The methods also include determining a normal distance between each of a plurality of point cloud sweeps and one or more of the plurality of planes, determining a validation score based on the normal distances, and validating a calibration of the LiDAR sensor in response to determining that the validation score is less than a threshold. Each point cloud sweep is associated with a collection of LiDAR scans at a collection time stamp.

Abstract: A disc brake rotor for a motor vehicle may include a substantially disc shaped body portion, a groove formed in a peripheral edge of the body portion, and a damping ring disposed in the groove. The damping ring may include a tube portion having an inner surface and an outer surface that is in what in some cases may be stationary contact with the groove, a cable including a plurality of wires that each have a surface in sliding contact with surfaces of adjacent wires of the plurality of wires with the at least one cable being disposed in the tube portion to contact the inner surface, and a plurality of dampening particles disposed in the tube portion in contact with the cable and the inner surface.

Abstract: A dock for receiving modular programmable widgets includes a body defining a securing channel for receiving the modular programmable widgets, the securing channel being sized to conform with a profile of an attachment body of the rear of the modular programmable widgets; a plurality of dock connectors configured to receive contact pads of the modular programmable widgets; and locators defined by the securing channel into the securing channel to aid in placement of the modular programmable widgets in positions where the contact pads of the modular programmable widgets are aligned with one of the dock connectors.

Abstract: Multifunctional cross-member beams are provided for use within traction battery packs. An exemplary cross-member beam may include features for interfacing with and supporting various subcomponents (e.g., battery cells, cell tab terminals, bus bars, thermal barriers, etc.) of a cell stack of the traction battery pack. The cross-member beam may further incorporate features for facilitating the venting of battery cell vent byproducts during battery thermal events.

Abstract: Methods and systems for extending range and functionality of an electrified vehicle are described. In one example, a two-way clutch allows a vehicle to move in a forward or reverse direction under power of an electric machine. The electric machine may be operated as a generator and as a motor.

Abstract: An electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) tracking device includes a communication device attached to a first EVSE configured to receive and transmit data. The EVSE tracking device also includes a computing device configured to store a shipment roaster including EVSE data that uniquely identifies the first EVSE and at least one other EVSE packaged with the first EVSE; transmit, via the communication device, the EVSE data associated with the first EVSE as part of an EVSE check-in process that is periodically executed; detect an EVSE check-in total based on the EVSE data received via the communication device; and execute an EVSE misplacement operation in response to the EVSE check-in total indicating a missing EVSE based on the shipment roaster.

Abstract: A method including the receipt of a first steering request corresponding to a desired steering angle of a vehicle, the determination of an actual steering angle of the vehicle based on steering data associated with a yaw rate sensor of the vehicle, the comparison of the desired steering angle to the actual steering angle to determine a steering angle difference, and the receipt of a second steering request wherein the second steering request includes an updated compensation value corresponding to the steering pinion offset to adjust the steering angle of the vehicle based on the comparison to reduce the steering angle difference.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a body, an access aperture that is defined by the body, a closure panel, a load ramp, and a moisture sensor. The access aperture provides access to an interior of the vehicle. The closure panel selectively covers at least a portion of the access aperture. The closure panel is movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the access aperture. The load ramp is deployably coupled to the closure panel. The load ramp includes a coupled end and a free end. The load ramp is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The moisture sensor is positioned proximate to the free end of the load ramp. Methods of controlling the vehicle are also disclosed.