Through-the-road (TTR) hybrid designs using control strategies such as an equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) or an adaptive ECMS are implemented at the supplemental torque delivering electrically powered drive axle (or axles) in a manner that follows operational parameters or computationally estimates states of the primary drivetrain and/or fuel-fed engine, but does not itself participate in control of the fuel-fed engine or primary drivetrain. BSFC-type data particular to the paired-with fuel-fed engine allows an ECMS implementation (or other similar control strategy) to adapt to efficiency curves for the particular fuel-fed engine and to improve overall efficiencies of the TTR hybrid configuration.

A network computer system can monitor a plurality of mobile computing devices to determine a current location of a corresponding freight operator of a plurality of freight operators. The network computer system can record the current location of each of the plurality of freight operators in a data store of the set of memory resources. Additionally, the network computer system can repeatedly query the data store to determine when at least two freight operators of the plurality of freight operators that satisfy a set of drafting conditions. The set of drafting conditions including a proximity condition as between the at least two freight operators and a candidate commencement location in response to the determination, the network computer system can implement a drafting arrangement between the at least two freight operators.

Operating an autonomous machine using analysis of machine vibration while it is operational. Accelerometers are used to measure the machines vibrations while it is being operated. If the vibrations exceed a predetermined acceleration a controller adjust the velocity of the machine to prevent/reduce further vibrations.

A transport vehicle includes at least one antenna, at least one satellite positioning receiver configured to receive positional information via the antenna, at least one antenna support member including an antenna attachment portion with the antenna attached thereto and a vehicle body connector connected to the vehicle body, and a vehicle position estimator configured to estimate a vehicle position of the transport vehicle using the positional information received by the satellite positioning receiver. The antenna support member is configured to move between at least one use state, in which the antenna is disposed at at least one use position at a predetermined distance above a loading surface of the cargo bed, and a stored state in which the antenna is disposed below the use position.

A method for ascertaining a spatial orientation of a trailer of an autonomously driving towing vehicle with trailer. In the method, sensor data of a plurality of different sensor types are processed, so that the trailer and objects in the environment are identified in the sensor data, the sensor data communicated by the various sensor types and processed in this way being combined with one another, and the movement path of the trailer relative to the objects in the environment being determined on the basis of these combined sensor data.

The technology relates to articulated autonomous vehicles that can potentially jackknife. To avoid or mitigate such hazardous conditions, the current state of the vehicle is evaluated against the vehicle's planned trajectory, for instance as it drives along a freeway or surface streets. When the evaluation indicates a likelihood of jackknifing, an automated braking approach is implemented using elective braking to stabilize the vehicle. The braking approach can depend on whether the situation involves tractor jackknifing or trailer jackknifing, and one or more different braking mechanisms can be employed for a selective modulation of the braking profile to address actual jackknifing or to prevent the vehicle from entering a jackknifing situation.

A method of distributed control allocation in a vehicle combination including multiple vehicle units is provided, in which a master control allocator solves a combination-specific control allocation problem to perform control allocation on a combination level, and each of a plurality of slave control allocators receives unit-specific virtual control inputs from the master control allocator and then performs control allocation on vehicle unit level to control actuators of an associated vehicle unit. A method performed in a master control allocator, a method performed in a slave control allocator, a distributed control allocation system, a master control allocator, a slave control allocator, a vehicle combination, a vehicle unit, and computer programs and computer program products are also provided.

A collision avoidance system for road trains that relies strictly on sensors installed on the tractors yet is effective at avoiding collisions between the dollies and obstacles and a method for operating the system are disclosed. The collision avoidance system includes at least one exteroceptive sensor mounted to the tractor and configured to acquire environmental data, at least one proprioceptive sensor mounted to the tractor and configured to acquire a tractor direction, a tractor speed and/or a tractor velocity, and at least one processor configured to detect objects based on the environmental data, compute a trajectory of each of the at least one dolly based on dimensions of the tractor, dimensions of the at least one dolly, a number of the at least one dolly, the tractor direction, the tractor speed and/or the tractor velocity, and determine whether the trajectory intersects a boundary of one of the objects.

A control unit for determining the number of trailers towed by a tractor unit in a tractor-trailer arrangement, wherein each trailer in the tractor-trailer arrangement comprises reference electrical loads that are controlled by the control unit and powered by a power supply in the tractor unit, and where the control unit is configured to activate one or more reference electrical loads in each trailer, whereby the activated reference electrical loads in each trailer has a known expected power consumption, contributing to a total expected power consumption that scales proportionally with the number of trailers. The control unit further configured to obtain power consumption data pertaining to the one or more reference electrical loads, and determine the number of trailers by analyzing the obtained power consumption data against the known expected power consumption of a single trailer.

A method is disclosed for controlling motion of a heavy-duty vehicle. Information is obtained related to an upcoming vehicle path and vehicle maneuver along the path; and related to a road friction coefficient along the path. Lateral and longitudinal wheel slip limits are configured for at least two wheels of an axle or lumped group-axle on the vehicle. The lateral and longitudinal wheel slip values are related to respective lateral and longitudinal tyre force values via a pre-determined combined tyre slip model. A vehicle motion profile is determined for performing the vehicle maneuver as a solution to a non-linear optimal control problem (NOCP). The NOCP is constrained by the lateral and longitudinal wheel slip limits and formulated to account for the road friction coefficient and/or curvature along the upcoming vehicle path. Motion of the vehicle is controlled along the path based on the determined target vehicle motion profile.