Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Dynalloy, Inc.

Jan Henning Aase

Alan L Browne

Nancy L Johnson

Joseph F Szczerba

John C Ulicny

Thomas A Seder

Nilesh D Mankame

Gary Lee Jones

Paul W Alexander

Xiujie Gao

John K Lenneman

Roy J Mathieu

Hanif Muhammad

Shung H Sung

Alan M Baum

Chandra S Namuduri

Mark William Verbrugge

Geoffrey P McKnight

Paul Edward Krajewski

Christopher Paul Henry

Robin Stevenson

James Gregory Schroth

Xinyu Du

Sanjeev Manubhai Naik

Andrew C Keefe

Roland J Menassa

William B Barvosa-Carter

Bahram Khalighi

Dehua Cui

Dorel M Sala

William R Rodgers

James Holbrook Brown

Chin-Hsu Lin

Joseph M Polewarczyk

Jihan Ryu

Nicholas William Pinto

Kevin B Rober

Kevin G Kolpasky

Edward D Moss

Leslie Momoda

John Anthony Cafeo

Paul Richard Meernik

Aragorn Zolno

Harlan W Charles

Timothy D Julson

Mary Ellen DeCaluwe

Kenneth A Strom

Carl W Wellborn

Tadge J Juechter

Atul Nagose

Gary W Taraski

John Andrew Shaw

Aaron B Bloom

Thomas H Froling

Jeffrey M Pleune

Mark O Vann

Constantinos A Koromilas

Brian S Repa

Peter J Gareau

Jim K Rainbolt

Robert R Mayer

Lawrence E Peruski

Jeffrey W Brown

Wayne Brown

Gavril Cret

Carol A Terry

Christopher M Barclay

Benjamin Reedlunn

Ravindra Brammajyosula

Franz K Schenkel

A system and method for determining that a male terminal and a female terminal are becoming disconnected in a connector as a result of the connector becoming loose or the terminals becoming corroded. The connector is a multi-terminal connector including a male terminal housing that houses a plurality of male terminals and a female terminal housing that houses a plurality of associated female terminals. One of the male terminals is a diagnostic terminal that is shorter than the other male terminals so that it is disconnected from its associated female terminal before the other male terminals when the terminal housing separate, which can be used to detect connector failure.

Prognosis of connector disconnection with canary-based short terminals

An approach to designing lightweight metal-polymer composite structures in a manner that decomposes the structure into at least two parts. In one specific embodiment, the approach is a manufacturing process for a vehicle that includes attaching an impact beam to a vehicle structure. The process includes providing a vehicle structure including a back plate of the impact beam being made of a suitable material, such as a metal, that can withstand high temperature processes. A front part of the impact beam including a front plate and a polymer core is attached to the back plate. The back plate is designed to provide structural integrity that allows the vehicle structure to go through the high temperature processes and/or the vehicle structure provides structural integrity that allows the back plate to go through the one or more processes. The back plate is also designed to provide desired functional characteristics of the beam.

Two-piece lightweight metal-polymer hybrid structures

A method for securing sandwich structures together, especially vehicle structures. In one embodiment, two sandwich structures are perpendicularly secured together, where a first one of the sandwich structures includes a micro-truss core having one unit cell geometry and second one of the sandwich structures includes a micro-truss core having different unit cell geometry. The micro-truss core of the second sandwich structure includes a micro-truss extension fabricated at the same time as the micro-truss core and having the same unit cell geometry as the micro-truss core for the first sandwich structure. The extension is inserted in an open area between face sheets in the first sandwich structure so that it abuts against the micro-truss core in the first sandwich structure.

Joining approaches for sandwich structures

A system for enabling a driver of a vehicle to visibly observe objects located in a blind spot includes, but is not limited to, a rear view viewing device that is mounted to the vehicle and configured to be electronically adjustable. The system further includes a sensor that is associated with the vehicle and that is configured to detect a location of an object with respect to the vehicle and to generate a first signal indicative of the location of the object. The system further includes a processor that is communicatively coupled with the sensor and that is operatively coupled with the rear view viewing device. The processor is configured to obtain the first signal from the sensor and to command the rear view viewing device to adjust such that the object is visibly observable to the driver when the processor receives the first signal.

System and method for enabling a driver of a vehicle to visibly observe objects located in a blind spot

Malfunction or failure of mechanical, electrical and electro-mechanical equipment, for example equipment used in manufacturing operations, is often preceded by an increase in the operating temperature of at least some portion of the equipment. Some pre-determined temperature, greater than the highest normal operating temperature of the equipment, is presumed or known to be indicative of impending equipment failure if no remedial action is taken. A resettable, temperature-sensitive device, containing a shape memory alloy actuator, pre-selected to operate at the pre-determined temperature, is disclosed. The device is placed in thermal contact with the equipment. If the equipment achieves the pre-determined temperature, the shape memory alloy actuator causes the device to display a flag or provide some other passive visual indication. Alternatively, or additionally, the actuator may trigger an electrically-powered alert including visual or audible alerts or a wireless communication.

Spring-bodied device for in-situ overheat alert for equipment

Impact absorbing padding includes a unitary piece including a polymeric material commingled with a structural element. The polymeric material includes a material having a first temperature-responsive stiffness, and the structural element includes an element fabricated from a shape memory alloy formulated to have a second temperature-responsive stiffness that is converse to the first temperature-responsive stiffness.

Method and apparatus for temperature-compensated energy-absorbing padding

A wet road surface detection system is provided for a vehicle driving on a road. The wet road surface detection system includes a sound sensing device coupled to the vehicle for capturing noise of the vehicle tires as the vehicle drives on a road surface. A processor processes sounds captured by the audible sensing device. The processor quantifies a variable sound level of the captured noise between a first frequency and a second frequency. The processor determines whether each quantified sound level between the first frequency and the second frequency is above a predetermined sound level threshold below the sound level at the first frequency. The processor determines that the vehicle is driving on a wet road surface in response to each quantified sound level between the first frequency and the second frequency being above a predetermined sound level threshold below the sound level at the first frequency.

Method and system for identifying wet pavement using tire noise

A semi-autonomous vehicle includes a chassis having a repository on a plurality of wheels, a propulsion system, a steering system, a braking system, an extra-vehicle communications system, and an extra-vehicle sensory system. A control system of the semi-autonomous vehicle is operatively coupled to the propulsion system, the steering system, and the braking system and signally connected to the extra-vehicle sensory system and the extra-vehicle communications system. A non-load-bearing coupling mechanism of the semi-autonomous vehicle includes a connector, a flexible mechanical link element and a communications link.

Semi-autonomous vehicle providing cargo space

A tubular actuator including a flexible tube or roll, operable to shift between first and second configurations so as to define a stroke, and utilizing active material activation to produce, modify, and/or retain the stroke.

Tubular actuators utilizing active material activation

A method for creating an efficient scan loop for displaying a vector projection graphic upon a substantially transparent windscreen head-up display includes determining a plurality of candidate scan loops to create a desired vector projection graphic, determining an efficiency metric for each of the plurality of candidate scan loops, determining the efficient scan loop for displaying the vector projection graphic based upon comparing the efficiency metrics, and utilizing the efficient scan loop to create the desired vector projection graphic upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display.

Scan loop optimization of vector projection display

A cable adapted for use as an actuator, adaptive structural member, or damper, includes a plurality of longitudinally inter-engaged and cooperatively functioning shape memory alloy wires.

Shape memory alloy cables

A selectively and reversibly adjustable utensil, aperture forming structure, and stirrup, and methods of geometrically modifying an eye defined by the utensil, the aperture defined by the structure, and the stirrup, utilizing active material actuation, so as to facilitate entraining a filament within the eye or aperture, and securing the filament once entrained.

Adjustable threading utensil and structure utilizing shape memory actuation

An apparatus for operator control of an in-vehicle system includes an interface device for receiving inputs for control of the in-vehicle system from an operator hand, the interface device including a control panel having a visual display screen. The apparatus further includes a sensing system adjacent the interface device including an optical proximity sensor having a single infrared light source, a first plurality of directionally sensitive light receivers for detecting a first reflected infrared light from the infrared light source that is reflected by the operator hand only when the operator hand approaches the optical proximity sensor near the interface device from a driver side of the vehicle and a second plurality of directionally sensitive light receivers for detecting a second reflected infrared light from the infrared light source that is reflected by the operator hand only when the operator hand approaches the optical proximity sensor near the interface device from a passenger side of the vehicle. A controller generates a user-specific menu on the visual display screen based upon the first and second plurality of directionally sensitive light receivers detecting respective first and second reflected infrared light from the infrared light source.

Method and apparatus for detecting and differentiating users of a device

A method of making a frictionally damped part including providing a frictional damping insert including downwardly extending support legs stamped out of a body portion of the insert.

Method of forming casting with frictional damping insert

Reconfigurable bins include at least one structural component formed of shape memory materials such as a shape memory polymer, a shape memory alloy, or a combination thereof. The shape memory material is in operative communication with an activation device adapted to provide an activation signal effective to change at least one attribute of the shape memory material such that the bin can be reconfigured from a first shape to a second shape. The reconfigurable bin can include a mesh network or may be formed of panels or a combination panels and mesh.

Reconfigurable storage bins having a structural component formed of a shape memory material

Growing community of inventors

Oakland Township, MI, United States of America

Jan Henning Aase