Abstract: A method for determining a speed of a vehicle, is provided. The method includes determining if at least one object is sensed by at least one sensor of the vehicle. In the case that at least one object is sensed by the at least one sensor, the method includes determining if the at least one sensed object is locationally fixed by means of data determined by at least one optical camera of the vehicle. In the case that it is determined that the at least one sensed object is locationally fixed, the method includes determining a speed of the at least one sensed object relative to the vehicle by means of data determined by the at least one sensor and classifying the determined speed as individual speed of the vehicle.

Abstract: A body for a motor vehicle that encompasses a windshield and has an A-column flanking the windshield is provided. The body includes at least one expandable element mounted on the A-column along the edge of the windshield. The body also includes and a cover that covers an installation space of the at least one expandable element and tightly adjoins the windshield.

Abstract: A motor vehicle body is provided. The motor vehicle body includes a front hood with an outer skin and a stiffening layer arranged under the outer skin and attached to the outer skin. The motor vehicle body also includes an actuator for lifting up the front hood during an accident, which is accommodated in a recess in the stiffening layer.

Abstract: A method for operating a safety system in a motor vehicle is provided. The method includes ascertaining at least one parameter characterizing a traffic situation of the motor vehicle and classifying a momentary traffic situation of the motor vehicle based on the at least one ascertained parameter. The method includes ascertaining a probability of an occurrence of at least one accident type from a plurality of predefined accident types in the classified momentary traffic situation, and if the ascertained probability exceeds a predefined threshold value, adapting a triggering threshold for actuating at least one passenger protection device of the motor vehicle.

Abstract: A crash box for arrangement between a bumper and a longitudinal beam of a motor vehicle body is provided. The crash box is able to be arranged with a fastening profile at least partially overlapping to a mount profile of the longitudinal beam. The crash box has a support element, which penetrates the fastening profile transversely to its profile longitudinal direction (x) and is able to be brought into abutment in a supporting manner with an end section of the mount profile.

Abstract: A cross member of a motor vehicle body is provided. The cross member is designed for forming a load-transmitting connection between two side members of the body and can be structurally connected to these. The cross member includes at least one floor portion that is depressed relative to a marginal rim, which together with at least one side wall adjoining thereon forms at least one stowage space for receiving items.

Abstract: A longitudinal frame for the chassis structure of a motor vehicle is provided. The frame includes at least two longitudinal sections, which are joined together to form a shared longitudinal structure by having the longitudinal sections at least partially overlap each other in an overlap region. One of the longitudinal sections of the frame has a side panel, which in the overlap region exhibits a connecting section for attachment to a floor panel, and the other longitudinal section exhibits a counter-panel in the overlap region that at least partially abuts against the side panel. The abutment of the counter-panel against the side panel remains outside of the connecting section. The frame includes at least one longitudinal structure, and the longitudinal structure and at least one of the longitudinal sections together extend over a longitudinal section of the longitudinal frame.

Abstract: A movement system includes a bridge crane, a trolley, and a movement device. The movement device includes an attachment portion, a plurality of housings, first and second curved elements, a cable, and a cable angle sensor. The curved elements are pivotally attached to housings and perpendicularly overlap with one another such that a first slot defined in the first curved element is perpendicular to a second slot defined in the second curved element. The first curved element is pivotable about a first axis and the second curved element is configured to pivot about a second axis. The cable extends from the attachment portion and through each of the slots. The cable is pivotable to angularly displace at least one of the curved elements about a respective axis. The cable angle sensor is configured to measure the angular displacement of the at least one of the first and second curved elements.

Abstract: A balance assist system includes a support structure, an assist device, a variable balancing system, and a balancing cable. The variable balancing system is configured for moving a mass in a vertical direction along a Z axis. The variable balancing system includes a balance platform, a lever, and a mobile counterweight. The lever is pivotally attached to the balance platform at a fixed pivot point such that the lever is pivotable at the fixed pivot point about a balance axis. The mobile counterweight is movably disposed on the lever relative to the fixed balance axis and movable between a minimum position and a maximum position. The minimum position corresponds to the mass having a minimum weight such that the mass is statically balanced along the Z axis. Likewise, the maximum position corresponds to the mass having a maximum weight such that the mass is statically balanced along the Z axis.

Abstract: A movement system includes a rail, a trolley, and a braking system. The trolley is movably attached to the rail and configured to support the payload. The braking system is operatively attached to the rail. The braking system includes a braking module having a base, operatively attached to the trolley, and a wheel assembly, operatively attached to the base. The wheel assembly has a shaft, a clutch, and a braking wheel. The clutch is rigidly attached to the shaft and configured for rotation with the shaft about the rolling axis. The braking wheel axially surrounds the clutch and is in continuous rolling contact with a surface of the rail. The clutch is configured to selectively allow rotation of the braking wheel relative to the shaft in only one direction of rotation to decelerate movement of the trolley along the rail.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a support device is provided for at least one covering element, in particular of a bumper device of a motor vehicle having at least one support body, on which at least one covering element can be arranged or is arranged, and having at least one support unit, which can be fixed or is fixed to the support body and to a vehicle structure or an impact device, which supports the support body when a load acting on the support body is less than a defined load and which releases the support body for a movement when the load acting on the support body exceeds the defined load.

Abstract: A system and method for employing a mechanism for unlocking a vehicle ECU. The ECU stores a unique ECU identification value that identifies the particular ECU and a secure server stores the ECU identification value and a unique ECU security key value, where the identification value identifies the security key value in the server, and where the secure server stores the unique ECU identification value and the unique security key value for many ECUs. A service tool that wants to gain access to the ECU for software reprogramming or service requests the ECU identification value and a challenge from the ECU and sends them to the secure server, which then identifies the security key value associated with that ECU identification value and the response for the challenge. The secure server then sends the response to the service tool, which provides it to the ECU to unlock it for programming.

Abstract: A system includes a host machine and a status projector. The host machine is in electrical communication with a collection of sensors and with a welding controller that generates control signals for controlling the welding horn. The host machine is configured to execute a method to thereby process the sensory and control signals, as well as predict a quality status of a weld that is formed using the welding horn, including identifying any suspect welds. The host machine then activates the status projector to illuminate the suspect welds. This may occur directly on the welds using a laser projector, or on a surface of the work piece in proximity to the welds. The system and method may be used in the ultrasonic welding of battery tabs of a multi-cell battery pack in a particular embodiment. The welding horn and welding controller may also be part of the system.

Abstract: The various embodiments a safety device for a motor vehicle is provided. The safety device includes an elastic membrane, which partially or completely delimits a hollow space, which is provided for an accident-initiated filling subject to elastically expand the membrane. The elastic membrane is covered by a separate envelope in a gas-tight manner, which provides an opening through the expansion of the membrane.

Abstract: A battery module includes a plurality of battery cells arranged in a stack, each of the battery cells including a pair of spaced apart tabs extending therefrom, a rigid support plate coupled to at least one of the tabs, and a busbar coupled to at least one of the tabs of each of a pair of adjacent battery cells.

Abstract: A system includes host and learning machines in electrical communication with sensors positioned with respect to an item of interest, e.g., a weld, and memory. The host executes instructions from memory to predict a binary quality status of the item. The learning machine receives signals from the sensor(s), identifies candidate features, and extracts features from the candidates that are more predictive of the binary quality status relative to other candidate features. The learning machine maps the extracted features to a dimensional space that includes most of the items from a passing binary class and excludes all or most of the items from a failing binary class. The host also compares the received signals for a subsequent item of interest to the dimensional space to thereby predict, in real time, the binary quality status of the subsequent item of interest.

Abstract: An exhaust system for a combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, a cylinder head and an engine block is provided. The exhaust system comprises an exhaust manifold, which is integrated in the cylinder head, flow channels, and an exhaust pipe, which is connected to a head flange of the cylinder head. The flow channels each extend from one of the cylinders to a head flange. At least two of the flow channels, which are connected to cylinders that are not ignited in succession, are united within the cylinder head and form a common flow channel. At least one further flow channel, which is connected with a cylinder ignited in succession, is routed separately as far as to the head flange. The common flow channel is united with the further flow channel only in the exhaust pipe.

Abstract: An underbody structure for at least two motor vehicles, in particular for at least two passenger cars having a first and a second wheelbase, is provided. The underbody structure comprises a middle underbody structure and a rear underbody structure with laterally arranged side members, between which at least one connecting profile is arranged. The connecting profile is connected to the side members and to a floor of the middle underbody structure to form a first overlap region for the first wheelbase and a second overlap region for the second wheelbase. The first and the second overlap region have an at least approximately same width.

Abstract: A wheel for a motor vehicle is provided. The wheel includes at least one spoke, and a swallowtail profile disposed on the spoke. The wheel also includes a spoke module with swallowtail encompassing regions, which are configured to be pushed onto the swallowtail profile.

Abstract: A wheel suspension device for a motor vehicle is provided. The wheel suspension device includes a wheel guiding device which is provided for connection to the motor vehicle and to a wheel. The wheel suspension device has a spring device, in one example, a leaf spring device, which at a first coupling point is connected to a coupling device in an articulated manner. The coupling device is connected to the wheel guiding device at a second coupling point in an articulated manner, and a coupling device axis is defined by a straight line through the first and through the second coupling point.