G05D1/0293

TRANSPORTER AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING OBJECT
20230047081 · 2023-02-16 ·

Transporters and methods for transporting an object. The transporter includes a carrier comprising a plurality of coupling members; a support assembly adapted to support the carrier; and a plurality of automatic guided vehicles configured to obtain kinematic information from a leading automatic guided vehicle of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles. Each of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles includes a carrier connecting member coupled to the respective coupling member of the carrier to enable the carrier to move with the plurality of automatic guided vehicles; and a patrol assembly adapted to enable the respective automatic guided vehicle to move along the predetermined path.

Method for sharing data between motor vehicles to automate aspects of driving
11579631 · 2023-02-14 · ·

Provided is a navigation system for a leader vehicle leading follower vehicles, including: the leader vehicle, configured to transmit, real-time movement data to follower vehicles; and, the follower vehicles, each comprising: a signal receiver for receiving the data from the leader vehicle; sensors configured to detect at least one maneuverability condition; a memory; a vehicle maneuver controller; a distance sensor; and a processor configured to: determine a route for navigating the local follower vehicle from an initial location; determine a preferred range of distances from the vehicle in front of the respective follower vehicle that the respective follower vehicle should stay within; determine a set of active maneuvering instructions for the respective follower vehicle based on at least a portion of the data received from the guiding vehicle; determine a lag in control commands; and, execute the set of active maneuvering instructions in the respective follower vehicle.

Interfaces for engine controller and platooning controller

A control system for a vehicle includes an engine controller operable to determine a requested engine torque in response to a cruise control set command and a cruise control offset value, determine an engine torque command in response to the requested engine torque and a torque limit, and control operation of an engine in response to the engine torque command. The control system also includes a platooning controller operable to determine and provide to the engine controller the cruise control set command, the cruise control offset value and the torque limit effective to cause the engine controller to control the engine to provide a desired following distance between the vehicle and a second vehicle.

METHOD FOR COORDINATING VEHICLES OF A VEHICLE COMBINATION, AND CONTROL UNIT
20230042826 · 2023-02-09 ·

A method for coordinating vehicles of a vehicle group, including implementing a setpoint acceleration in each vehicle of a vehicle group by electric control of a drive system or of a braking system of the respective vehicle, observing actual driving dynamics of the vehicles of the vehicle group during the implementation of the setpoint acceleration, assessing the observed actual driving dynamics of the vehicles on the basis of the requested setpoint acceleration for the respective vehicle, and outputting a vehicle-specific assessment result, and determining and outputting an acceleration limit value or a jerk limit value as a function of the vehicle-specific assessment result and adapting the vehicle-specific acceleration parameters in at least one of the vehicles of the vehicle group as a function of the determined acceleration limit value or jerk limit value in order to implement the setpoint acceleration.

VEHICLE TO VEHICLE COMMUNICATION CONTROL FOR VEHICLES IN A PLATOON
20230038372 · 2023-02-09 ·

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to sensor systems. In some aspects, a method may include determining a classification of a first vehicle of a plurality of vehicles traveling in a platoon. The method may include causing, based at least in part on the classification, the first vehicle to share sensor data with a second vehicle in the platoon according to a sensor data sharing profile, wherein the sensor data is associated with a sensor system of the first vehicle. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Temperature regulation for autonomous vehicle delivery
11554628 · 2023-01-17 · ·

Systems and methods are provided for temperature regulation in an autonomous vehicle. In particular, systems and methods are provided for regulating the interior temperature of a delivery container in an autonomous vehicle. In various implementations, the delivery container includes one or more compartments, and a thermal management system is provided for regulating the temperature of each of the compartments.

A METHOD OF OPERATING A FLEET OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
20230028338 · 2023-01-26 ·

The invention relates to method of operating a fleet of autonomous vehicles at a work site having a loading area at which a loading device is provided for loading material onto said autonomous vehicles. The method includes controlling a first vehicle to drive in a first driving mode until it reaches a start position of the loading area, deactivating the first driving mode by controlling the first vehicle to be positioned in the loading area in a second driving mode, controlling a second vehicle to come into contact with and to push the first vehicle along the loading area and past the loading device for loading material onto the first vehicle as the first vehicle passes by the loading device, and reactivating the first driving mode of the first vehicle when the second vehicle has pushed the first vehicle to an end position of the loading area.

CONTROL SYSTEM, CONTROLLER, AND CONTROL METHOD
20230026851 · 2023-01-26 ·

The present invention obtains a control system, a controller, and a control method capable of appropriately controlling body behavior of plural motorcycles that travel in group.

In a control system (1), a controller (12), and a control method according to the present invention, in plural motorcycles (10) to each of which an environment sensor (11) and the controller (12) are mounted and in each of which a control mode for controlling body behavior is executed by the controller (12) on the basis of output of the environment sensor (11), a first controller that is mounted to a first motorcycle of the plural motorcycles (10) transmits acquired information that is acquired during execution of the control mode to a second controller that is mounted to a second motorcycle other than the first motorcycle of the plural motorcycles (10), and the second controller receives the acquired information and executes the control mode on the basis of the acquired information.

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING CROP UNLOADING TUBE POSITION OF AN AGRICULTURAL HARVESTER
20230027697 · 2023-01-26 · ·

An agricultural harvester includes one or more actuators configured to move a crop unloading tube of the harvester relative to a frame of the harvester. Additionally, the agricultural harvester includes a sensor configured to capture data indicative of a presence of the crop receiving vehicle within a crop unloading zone of the agricultural harvester. Moreover, the agricultural harvester includes a computing system communicatively coupled to the sensor. As such, the computing system configured to determine when the crop receiving vehicle is present within the crop unloading zone based on the data captured by the sensor. In addition, when it is determined that the crop receiving vehicle is present within crop unloading zone, the computing system is configured to control an operation of the one or more actuators such that the crop unloading tube is moved relative to the frame from a current position to a predetermined crop unloading position.

Platooning system

A platooning system for causing multiple vehicles to travel in a platoon includes: a management device configured to set an order of the vehicles in the platoon; a transmission device mounted on each vehicle and configured to transmit driving information regarding a driving state of the vehicle; a reception device mounted on each vehicle and configured to receive the driving information of at least one of the vehicles; and a control device mounted on each vehicle and configured to control an operation of the vehicle based on the driving information, wherein the management device is configured to arrange the vehicles from a front end to a rear end with respect to a travel direction in an ascending order of driving performances of the vehicles.