1320results about "Trailers" patented technology

A system and method generate a trip plan for a trip of a vehicle system along a route. The usage of an engine during the trip is determined based on engine operational parameters, energy storage device operational parameters, and one or more objectives of the trip desired to be achieved. The usage of the energy storage device during the trip is also determined based on the engine operational parameters, the energy storage device operational parameters, and the one or more objective, including when to charge or discharge the energy storage device during the trip.

One variation of a system includes a modular kit. The modular kit includes: a driven axle configured to install on a bogie chassis supporting a trailer chassis of a trailer; a motor coupled to the driven axle; a battery assembly; a set of electrical cables; and a cable carrier. The battery assembly includes a set of retention features configured to transiently engage a set of engagement features on the trailer chassis to couple the battery assembly to the trailer chassis and is configured to: supply electrical energy to the motor to drive the driven axle; and receive electrical energy from the motor to regeneratively brake the driven axle. The set of electrical cables are configured to electrically couple the motor and the battery assembly. The cable carrier is configured to: locate between the bogie chassis and the battery assembly; and support the set of electrical cables over a range of longitudinal positions.

An electrified vehicle includes an electric machine, a traction battery selectively connected to the electric machine, a human-machine interface (HMI), and a controller programmed to, after receiving a signal from the HMI enabling towed vehicle operation of the electrified vehicle, control the electric machine to generate a regenerative braking torque in response to deceleration of the electrified vehicle exceeding an associated deceleration threshold and road grade being below a road grade threshold. The controller may also be programmed to control friction brakes of the electrified vehicle in response to the deceleration exceeding the associated threshold. The controller may control brake lights of the electrified vehicle in response to the regenerative braking and / or friction braking. Regenerative and friction braking may be released in response to acceleration exceeding a corresponding threshold.

A system for controlling motion of an articulated vehicle with one or multiple trailers is described. The system is configured to infer the state of a vehicle, determine a motion path with forward motions and backward motions for the vehicle based on the state, and formulate an optimal control problem for optimizing the motion path. The optimal control problem comprises an integral tracking error function indicating integral tracking error based on motion cusps relating to the motion path. The motion cusps indicate switching between forward motion and backward motion. The motion path is optimized over a prediction horizon based on solving the optimal control problem. A control command is generated for the vehicle based on the optimized motion path and a vehicle model, and the motion of the articulated vehicle is controlled based on the control command thereby changing its state.

A smart towing assistant provides towing-related information to a user associated with towing of a towable object by a vehicle. A chatbot of the smart towing assistant engages in a conversation with the user to answer towing-related questions and provide towing-related information, including towing-related safety information, steering and driving information, and information related to towing insurance. The smart towing assistant may also detect instances of towing activity, and corresponding towing usage information can be used to determine billing amounts associated with usage-based towing insurance. The smart towing assistant may also provide lane assist detection associated with towing of a towable object by a vehicle, to alert a driver of detected towing-related safety issues.

A suspension assembly and method of use is provided. The suspension is for an axle on a trailer or other vehicle. The suspension assembly has a cross support member connected with or integrally formed with a hanger bracket at the first end of the cross support member. A trailing beam is connected to the hanger bracket. The trailing beam and a mount are coupled with a load air bag and a lift air bag, with the bags located on each respective side of a pivot axis for the trailing beam. This establishes a teeter-totter configuration of the suspension assembly allowing independent wheel travel side-to-side of the suspension assembly.

An electrified vehicle include a chassis, a front axle coupled to the chassis, a rear axle coupled to the chassis, an electric motor supported by the chassis, and a trailer coupled to a rear end of the chassis and configured to be towed by the electrified vehicle. The electric motor is configured to drive at least one of the front axle, the rear axle, or a component of the electrified vehicle. The trailer includes a trailer frame, a trailer axle coupled to the trailer frame, and an energy storage device supported by the trailer frame. The energy storage device includes a plurality of batteries. The energy storage device configured to power the electric motor.

Methods and apparatus to prevent trailer sway are disclosed. An example apparatus to prevent trailer sway of a trailer coupled to a vehicle includes prediction circuitry to predict, based on sensor data from one or more sensors of the vehicle, whether a trailer sway condition associated with the vehicle is likely to occur, and control activation circuitry to, in response to the prediction that the trailer sway is likely to occur, activate at least one vehicle control of the vehicle to prevent the trailer sway condition from occurring, the at least one vehicle control to include applying torque to at least one of one or more trailer wheels of the trailer or one or more vehicle wheels of the vehicle.

The invention discloses a motor-driven tractor-semitrailer driving stability control method which comprises the following steps: firstly, establishing a tractor-semitrailer three-degree-of-freedom dynamic model, and solving yaw velocity expected values and side slip angle expected values of a tractor and a semitrailer according to driver input and actual vehicle states; secondly, according to the deviation between the expected value and the actual value of the vehicle state quantity, an upper-layer controller outputs the expected additional yaw moment, and the adaptive capacity to the parameter change of the semitrailer is achieved; the lower layer controller then outputs a torque on each wheel according to the desired additional yaw moment and the vehicle state, including a driving torque on the driving wheel and a braking torque on all wheels. By the adoption of the method for controlling the running stability of the motor-driven tractor-semitrailer, unstable working conditions such as rollover and folding of the tractor-semitrailer in the running process can be avoided, the running stability is improved, and meanwhile the method has the self-adaptive capacity for load changes of the semitrailer.

System and methods are disclosed for engaging and disengaging a regenerative braking system of a first vehicle coupled to a second vehicle. In an embodiment, a coupler (e.g., a tow bar) connects the front of a first vehicle (e.g., a towed vehicle) to the rear of a second vehicle (e.g., towing vehicle). The regenerative braking systems includes a motor-generator coupled to a wheel set of the first vehicle and a battery for storing electrical power generated by the motor-generator. The motor-generator is used to apply an accelerating force to the driven wheel set when forward acceleration is needed. The motor-generator is also used to generate electrical power by harnessing the vehicles' momentum to turn the rotor of the motor-generator, which causes a decelerating torque to be applied to the driven wheel set.

A battery carrier apparatus includes a carrier housing, a plurality of compartments, at least one wheel, a control circuit and a status monitoring circuit. The carrier housing is configured to hold multiple battery modules. The plurality of compartments are disposed within the carrier housing. Each compartment is configured for detachably installing a respective battery module. The compartments provide secure housing for the battery modules. At least one wheel is disposed on the carrier housing. The wheel facilitates movement of the carrier housing allowing for transportation of the carrier housing. The control circuit is responsible for managing an operation of the battery modules installed in the compartments. The status monitoring circuit is coupled to the control circuit. The status monitoring circuit detects a status of the installed battery modules and communicates the status to the control circuit for determining a control behavior to manage the battery modules accordingly.

Vehicles and systems for modular power source storage. A vehicle may include a power source detachable from the vehicle. The power source may supply power to the vehicle and a remote device. The vehicle may further include a cargo bed that stores the power source. The cargo bed or a portion of the cargo bed may be removable from rest of the vehicle along with the power source.

A system is operable for controlling a force applied on a trailer being towed by a vehicle is described to a desired force Fd. The trailer has brakes and an optional motor for providing a propelling force to the trailer. A force sensor senses fore-aft forces between the vehicle and trailer at all times while the trailer is being towed. A controller receives signals from the force sensor and is operatively connected to the trailer brakes and the motor. The system controls the force between a towing vehicle and a trailer to the desired force Fd, by any one of: (a) operating the brakes to apply a braking force to the trailer; (b) activating the motor to apply a propelling force to the trailer; and (c) operating the brakes and activating the motor to apply both a braking and a propelling force to the trailer.

A vehicle includes a vehicle battery, a motor generator, a circuit, and a controller. The motor generator receives and outputs electric power from and to the vehicle battery and an external battery. The circuit couples the vehicle battery and the external battery to the motor generator. The controller controls the vehicle battery and the external battery, based on a first mode or a second mode. In the first mode, electric power is transferred between the motor generator and the vehicle battery and between the vehicle battery and the external battery, and not transferred between the motor generator and the external battery. In the second mode, electric power is transferred between the motor generator and the vehicle battery and between the motor generator and the external battery. The controller shifts to the first mode when a load applied to the circuit exceeds a predetermined load in the second mode.

Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle towing a trailer. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving, by a processor, image data from one or more image sensors of the vehicle; determining, by the processor, a change in vehicle height based on the image data; determining, by the processor, at least one of a vehicle load and a trailer tongue load based on the change in vehicle height; and generating, by the processor, at least one of notification data and control data to control the vehicle based on the at least one of the vehicle load and the trailer tongue load.

A method for automated guidance of a vehicle along a specified setpoint trajectory at an actual speed, wherein the setpoint trajectory includes geometric trajectory variables, the method including ascertaining an actual deviation of the vehicle from the setpoint trajectory and outputting the ascertained actual deviation and generating manipulated variables such that the vehicle, in the case of automated control of a drive system and / or a braking system and / or a steering system of the vehicle, moves closer to the setpoint trajectory. The method also includes ascertaining whether an undesirable driving state is present when the vehicle moves closer to the setpoint trajectory, wherein the undesirable driving state is ascertained from the specified setpoint trajectory based on the geometric trajectory variable, and, if the presence of the undesirable driving state is identified, automatically controlling the vehicle based on generated stability variables and / or adapting the setpoint trajectory.

Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure relate, generally, to optimization of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology and, more specifically, to a transfer hub for autonomous trucking operations. In one example, the disclosed techniques include obtaining, at a first time, one or more first images of an outside environment of an AV and shutting down a data processing system of the AV. The techniques further include initiating a starting-up of the data processing system of the AV and obtaining, at a second time, one or more second images of the outside environment of the AV. The techniques further include determining, based on a comparison of the one or more first images to the one or more second images, that the AV has not moved between the first time and the second time and completing the starting-up of the data processing system of the AV.

A computer-implemented method performed in a vehicle control unit for controlling motion of a heavy-duty vehicle. The method includes obtaining a vehicle motion request, wherein the vehicle motion request is indicative of a target curvature and a target acceleration, determining a motion support device, MSD, control allocation based on the vehicle motion request, determining a dynamic wheel slip angle limit based on the vehicle motion request, where dynamic wheel slip angle limit increases with a decreasing target acceleration, and controlling the motion of the heavy-duty vehicle based on the MSD control allocation constrained by the dynamic wheel slip angle limit.

An erroneous start suppression device equipped with an electronic control unit that controls a drive device that generates a driving force of a vehicle, and the electronic control unit determines whether or not an accelerator operation of a driver is an erroneous operation based on whether or not a predetermined determination condition is satisfied; limits a driving force generated by the drive device when the electronic control unit determines that the accelerator operation of the driver is an erroneous operation; determines whether or not the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle; and changes the predetermined determination condition so that it becomes difficult to determine that the predetermined determination condition is satisfied when it is determined that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle.

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to implementing predictive, risk-aware control barrier functions, the effects of which certify using predicted future trajectories the probability of vehicles (such as tractor-trailers) becoming unsafe over a time interval remains bounded by a user-specified value.

A mobile power station is disclosed. The mobile power station includes an enclosure configured to be mounted on a wheeled chassis; an electrical system positioned in the enclosure, the electrical system including an electrical storage unit and is configured to receive and supply electric energy; and at least one charging bank electrically connected to the electrical system, the at least one charging bank configured to transmit electric energy from the electrical system to an electric device.

The invention relates to a photovoltaic system (1) for a vehicle (2) and to a vehicle (2) with such a photovoltaic system (1). The photovoltaic system (1) has a support structure (6) to which a primary collector (3), the entire collector area (3a) of which faces freely into the surroundings of the photovoltaic system (1), and secondary collectors (4) are attached. The respective secondary collector (4) is adjustable between a stowed position (A), in which the secondary collector (4) is arranged below the primary collector (3), and a working position (B), in which a collector area (4a) of the secondary collector (4) faces freely into the surroundings.Furthermore, the photovoltaic system (1) has a tertiary collector (5) which is attached to one of the secondary collectors (4) and is adjustable between a storage position (A) in which a collector area (5a) of the tertiary collector (5) is concealed and a usage position (B) in which the collector area (5a) of the tertiary collector (5) is freely exposed to the surroundings.

An electrical portal wheel hub system is coupled with a wheel of a vehicle and utilizes an electric motor / generator configured to drive the wheel or generate power through application of braking torque to the wheel, and may be coupled with two or more wheels of the vehicle, wherein generated power is provided to a portal hub battery. The portal hub battery may provide power to the electric motors, or to other electrical devices or batteries of the vehicle. The vehicle may include a trailer or non-driven wheels having a connecting axle and an electrical portal hub may be coupled to these otherwise, non-driven wheels. The vehicle may be an electric vehicle and the electrical portal wheel hub system may provide power to a vehicle battery that provides power to drive the wheels of the vehicle. A controller may control power from the portal hub battery to the electric motor / generators and or other battery and devices to provide energy efficiency.

A system for controlling a vehicle combination comprising a tractor unit and at least one trailing unit is disclosed. The system has a target generator to determine a virtual control input for the vehicle combination based on a reference input for the vehicle combination. A power manager determines a power allocation input for the vehicle combination based on the reference input and a power capability of one or more units of the vehicle combination. A combination control allocator determines a control input for the vehicle combination based on the power allocation input and the virtual control input.

Method for an electrically drivable vehicle, in particular a utility vehicle, with an energy storage device and an electric drive capable of regenerative braking, wherein the energy storage device can be charged during regenerative braking and the energy storage device can be charged at a vehicle-external charging station, the method including the steps: determining a state of charge, wherein the state of charge includes information about whether the energy storage device is being charged by the vehicle-external charging station; detecting, depending on the state of charge, vehicle information concerning the vehicle, in particular the utility vehicle, and position information concerning the position of the vehicle, in particular the utility vehicle; transmitting the vehicle information and the position information to an external server; and receiving a target state of charge from the vehicle-external server.

A method and system controller includes determining a power requirement for a vehicle system to complete a planned trip over a route. The method includes determining whether an amount of available power from the vehicle system is sufficient to propel the vehicle system to complete the planned trip by comparing the available power with the power requirement that is determined. The method includes changing one or more operational aspects of the planned trip based on the comparison between the amount of available power and the power requirement that is determined to generate a newly planned modified trip.

An electric vehicle includes a motor as a drive source and a coupling portion coupled to another vehicle, and travels while towing the coupled vehicle, which is the other vehicle coupled to the coupling portion. A control method for such an electric vehicle includes: calculating a basic torque target value representing a torque to be output by the motor based on a vehicle operation; calculating a final torque command value, which is a final command value for the torque, by performing correction processing for reducing a longitudinal vibration component generated in the electric vehicle due to the coupled vehicle being coupled to the coupling portion on the basic torque target value, based on a dynamic characteristic of the coupling portion to which the coupled vehicle is coupled; and controlling the motor based on the final torque command value.

Systems, methods, and articulated vehicles which use sensor rails attached to trailers to provide improved control for autonomous articulated vehicles. An example vehicle can receive, at a computer system of a tractor operating in an autonomous mode, trailer sensor data from a plurality of trailer sensors located on at least one trailer, the at least one trailer being coupled to the tractor. The computer system can also receive road condition data from at least one sensor, the at least one sensor being located on at least one of the tractor and the at least one trailer. The computer system can then identify, based on the trailer sensor data and the road condition data, a physical condition of the at least one trailer to be modified, and modify, via an electrical signal transmitted from the computer system, the physical condition.