Automotive | Office of Technology Licensing

Available Technologies by Category
Predictive Maintenance System for Large-Scale Operations Offers Potential for Significant Cost Savings	Consistent workflow improvements: Offers repeatable and consistent enterprise-level improvements to the maintenance workflow. Proactive readiness: Improves maintenance scheduling, allowing for improved logistics, scheduling, virtual kitting, and part/component availability. Customizable: Customers can build and tailor their PMx solutions according to their needs, providing increased data control and an alternative to costly and limited solutions.	8793
Monitor Vehicle Location and Maintain Vehicle Health During Long-Term Storage	Vehicle health and location monitoring system automatically establishes a mesh network for vehicle fleet monitoring by a human, drone, or mobile robot. Checks battery and other vehicle health status as well as determines locations of all connected vehicles in storage. When a vehicle is found with low battery levels, a mobile robot can safely provide a charge to the battery to get the vehicle running.	8938
Quantum Tunneling Radio Positioning System Achieves Higher Levels of Accuracy and Longer Range for Next-Generation Wireless Networks	This radiolocation system uses quantum tunneling tags (QTT) capable of operating in non-line-of-sight conditions to achieve longer range communications in outdoor and indoor applications. The use of QTTs, paired with a frequency hopping reader, results in positioning accuracy not achievable with standard methods. QTTs are inexpensive and operate under low power requirements to offer an affordable orientation system with long battery life.	8535
Deployable Critical Active Learning (DECAL) System Offers Better Characterization for Improved Diagnostics and Imaging	The deployable critical active learning (DECAL) system’s bi-modal interface enables better characterization with large training sets that generate more accurate output for higher precision. The algorithm used during the initialization period creates a framework that can be expanded and generalized to any data method and application. The DECAL algorithm samples uniquely important, unlabeled data to aid existing active learning systems in generalizing more quickly, providing faster diagnosis statistics.	9099
Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with Unique Input Design That Significantly Reduces Computational Costs of Complex Engineering Systems	Neural network’s novel input can utilize first-order schemes and local patches and allows for discontinuities to be reflected accurately and with greater resolution than existing products. This adaptable ANN can be adopted by commercial and scientific research as a stand-alone solution or in conjunction with existing software. Lower costs for running complex and repetitive computations can be achieved by implementing this neural network with an input system that processes low-cost numerical solution patches arising from two or more converging solutions.	8963
Anodically Coloring Molecular Electrochromics (EC) Improve Contrast, Color, and Transitions	True black-to-clear transitions with high contrast and color tuning are now possible with anodically coloring electrochromics. Broad absorption supports color mixing and color tunability in the charged state, and color tuning is enabled by manipulating the oscillator strengths of radical cation transitions. Energy required for practical electrochromic applications is effectively decreased by much lower oxidative potentials, as compared to their corresponding polyamides.	7745
Biologically Inspired Connected Advanced Driver Assistance System	Cost-effective: Leverages existing vehicle infrastructure (e.g., sensors, lights) along with an affordable software upgrade to provide enhanced collision avoidance capabilities, typically for less than $500 Safety-enhancing: Designed to help prevent up to 94% of automotive crashes by providing reduced lag time and enabling faster driver reaction rates Convenient: Aims to optimize vehicle travel speeds and reduce traffic congestion and travel times	8918
Atomic Metal Catalysts	Innovative: Generates new isomers by changing the order in which atoms are added in a hetero-atomic cluster (can maximize available catalytic sites) Efficient: Creates and optimizes active isomers of atomic metals such as Au and Pd, increasing the catalytic efficiency of these high-demand metals (requires minimal precious catalytic metal) Scalable: Provides a scalable process resulting in theoretically predictable catalytic properties	6451, 5217
Reprocessing, Recycling, and Repairing Covalent Adaptable Network Polymers	Environmentally friendly: Recycles fibers and polymers without the use of supercritical chemicals (e.g., acids) Effective: Allows for pressure-free surface repair and welding Efficient: Reclaims fibers and polymer with the same mechanical properties as fresh material for use in new products	7348
Cascaded Nickel Hard Mask	Substantially deeper etches: Because a very thick metal mask can be created, a wide range of µm features can be etched in a variety of III-Nitride semiconductors, allowing for extremely high voltage devices that require thicker layer structures Robust: This method has demonstrated highly consistent and effective protection against the kind of damage that is typical with standard fabrication methods Scalable: The nickel hard mask with cascaded e-beam evaporation and sputtering metal deposition method can readily be applied to the large-scale production of electronic devices	8790
p-type Be-Doped AlN Films and Layered Films	Enabling: Leverages MME method to provide the first access to p-type AlN:Be films, a superior ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor material good for high-power, high-temperature diodes and transistors Ease of fabrication: Avoids costly and complicated methods unfavorable for beryllium doping Improved breakdown performance: Achieves high reverse breakdown voltage—a significant advantage over WBG materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and GaN	8810, 8666, 8786
Two-Phase Thermal Management System for Integrated Motor Cooling	High-performance: Utilizes three-dimensional silicon carbide packaging and novel drive topologies with reduced switching losses, leading to increased power density and lower motor system size and weight Embedded: Integrates with the motor and drive electronics rather than requiring an externally attached heat exchanger system Efficient: Dramatically increases volumetric heat removal rates in electric motor systems by employing a wick structure designed to assist liquid delivery to enable evaporative cooling	8280
Micro Ammonia Production System (MAPS)—Systems and methods for making nitrogen-based compounds	Higher yield and efficiency: Uses hollow hybrid nanoparticles instead of solid nanoparticles for a three-fold enhancement in electrocatalytic activity due to the increased surface area and higher number of successful reactant collisions Sustainable production: Leverages renewable electricity sources and offers clean and sustainable ammonia electrosynthesis, unlike the current industrial method for ammonia production that is energy intensive and heavily relies on fossil fuels Simplified process: Enables production of ammonia via gas-phase system with few or no additional steps for separation and purification	8056
Heat Dissipation for Microelectronic Systems via Capillary Trap	Effective: Dissipates large heat fluxes via 3D heat spreading and evaporative cooling that could approach kW/cm2 and beyond while keeping the surface temperature under 90oC Preventive: Mitigates coolant dry-out at the critical heat flux levels that result in a rapid and large temperature rise and thus cause device burn-out Efficient: Exploits high cooling capabilities associated with phase-change heat transfer through evaporation	6272
Energy Storage for Automotive/Portable Applications	Increased storage density — backbone offers high surface area for hydrogen storage Fast and easy — polymer readily folds and unfolds for hydrogen storage and fast release in response to actuation Suitable for packaging — uses compliant polymers as a matrix to assume any form factor	3626
Integrated Cascaded Atomic Beam	Reduced cost – due to fabrication techniques that enable mass manufacture and spread of technology Increased generation of collimated atomic beams – due to the miniaturizing of clocks Maximized accuracy of the clock – by improving signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)	7917
Variable Center of Gravity for Coaxial Aircraft	Efficient- improved payload capacity and increased efficiency Cheaper- reduction in maintenance cost per flight hour due to decreased complexity of rotating components Simpler- reduction in the mechanical complexity	7654
Method for Measuring Quality of Dielectric Liquids	Broad applications — can be used for any system that uses weakly-electrolytic fluid Low cost — more accurate results prevent premature fluid changes Efficient — highly sensitive measurements in very short time periods	3900
Scalable, Portable Hydrogen Generation	Controlled operation: achieves maximum conversion of fuel to hydrogen and CO2 Optimal sizing: performs at most favorable operating conditions to optimize output Rapid scale-up: allows reactors to be stacked for increased processing capacity	3824, 3899, 6239
Micro-scale Fuel Processor for Hydrogen Fuels	Scalability — processor can be configured for a variety of processes Ease of operation — simple and robust Compact — overall design can be only a few millimeters to a few centimeters in size	3667

Technologies