Smart tether

Abstract

A coupling device may include a first housing comprising. The coupling device may include a ferromagnetic material, a first electrical connector, and a second housing couplable to the first housing. The second housing may include a second electrical connector couplable to the first electrical connector. The coupling device may include an electro-permanent magnet electrically coupled to the second electrical connector and magnetically couplable to the ferromagnetic material; wherein the electro-permanent magnet is configured to switch between an ON state and an OFF state in response to a disconnection signal.

Description

SMART TETHERGOVERNMENT SUPPORT

[0001] This invention was developed with U. S. government support under 057906227 and 057906226 awarded by the Economic Development Administration. The U. S. government has certain rights in this invention.CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] The present application claims the benefit under 35 U. S. C. § 119(e) of U. S. Provisional Application Serial Number 63 / 650,279, filed May 21, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in the entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention generally relates to tethering systems, and, in particular, to an automatically-releasable tether that operates between two unmanned vehicles.BACKROUND

[0004] Agriculture is typically a labor-intensive endeavor, and agricultural businesses (e.g., farms) are susceptible to labor shortages. The development and use of agricultural equipment, such as tractors, have reduced the dependence on labor. More recently, autonomous vehicles, both for the ground and air (e.g., unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), respectively) have been developed to further reduce the dependence on labor. Autonomous vehicle systems can be modular and may include more than one UGV and or UAV that are communicatively coupled, requiring one or more vehicles to be tethered. For example, a UAV may perform an airborne visual inspection of a field while tethered to a UGV that supplies power to and / or receives data from the UAV.

[0005] Tethers that couple autonomous vehicles need to be able to allow electrical / signal communication between the vehicles while also providing a mechanical connection. However, current tethers (e.g., data and / or power cords) arenot suitable for conditions where the coupling of autonomous vehicles is unpredictable. For example, for the UAV flying in a field tethered to a UGV, a gust of wind could cause tension on the tether, damaging the tether and / or the UAV / UGV. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a system and method that overcomes the shortfalls of the previous approaches discussed above.SUMMARY

[0006] A coupling device for coupling a first vehicle to a second vehicle is disclosed, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure. In one illustrative embodiment, the coupling device includes a first housing that includes a ferromagnetic material and a first electrical connector. In another illustrative embodiment, the first housing includes a second housing couplable to the first housing that includes a second electrical connector couplable to the first electrical connector and an electropermanent magnet electrically coupled to the second electrical connector, and magnetically couplable to the ferromagnetic material, wherein the electro-permanent magnet is configured to switch between an ON state and an OFF state in response to a disconnection signal.

[0007] A system is disclosed, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure. In one illustrative embodiments, the system includes a first vehicle, a second vehicle, and a tether assembly for securing the first vehicle to the second vehicle. In another illustrative embodiment, the tether assembly includes a coupling device. In another illustrative embodiment, the coupling device includes a first housing that includes a ferromagnetic material and a first electrical connector. In another illustrative embodiment, the first housing includes a second housing couplable to the first housing that includes a second electrical connector couplable to the first electrical connector and an electro-permanent magnet electrically coupled to the second electrical connector, and magnetically couplable to the ferromagnetic material, wherein the electro-permanent magnet is configured to switch between an ON state and an OFF state in response to a disconnection signal.

[0008] A method of decoupling a first vehicle and a second vehicle is disclosed, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure. In one illustrativeembodiment, the method includes obtaining the first vehicle and the second vehicle coupled by a tether assembly. In another illustrative embodiment, the tether assembly includes a first tether strand connected to the first vehicle, a second tether strand connected to the second vehicle, and a coupling device that couples the first tether strand to the second tether strand. In another illustrative embodiment, the coupling device includes a load cell and an electro-permanent magnet switchable from an ON state to an OFF state. In another illustrative embodiment, the method includes applying a tension force between the first tether strand and the second tether strand; detecting the tension force by the load cell. In another illustrative embodiment, the method includes generating a load output signal based on the tension force. In another illustrative embodiment, the method includes transmitting the load output signal to the first vehicle or the second vehicle. In another illustrative embodiment, the method includes determining if the tension force of the coupling device is above a predetermined threshold based on the load output signal; generating a disconnection signal if the tension force is above the predetermined threshold. In another illustrative embodiment, the method includes transmitting the disconnection signal to the coupling device. In another illustrative embodiment, the method includes switching the electropermanent magnet from the ON state to the OFF state, wherein switching the electropermanent magnet from the ON state to the OFF state causes the first tether strand to decouple from the second tether strand.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. The use of the same reference numbers in different instances in the description and the figures may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments or examples ("examples") of the present disclosure are disclosed in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale. In general, operations of disclosed processes may be performed in an arbitrary order, unless otherwise provided in the claims.

[0010] FIG. 1A illustrates a schematic view of an autonomous vehicle system 100 in a coupled state, in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 1B illustrates a schematic view of an autonomous vehicle system 100 in an uncoupled state, in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0012] FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate perspective views of the coupling device in a coupled state, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 3A-3B illustrate perspective views of the coupling device in an uncoupled state, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure.

[0014] FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate conceptual views of the autonomous vehicle system in accordance with one or more views of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a method for decoupling a first vehicle and a second vehicle, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with respect to certain embodiments and specific features thereof. The embodiments set forth herein are taken to be illustrative rather than limiting. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

[0017] FIGS. 1A-5 generally illustrate a coupling device for coupling a first vehicle to a second vehicle, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a coupling device for coupling a first vehicle to a second vehicle. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a tether assembly incorporating the coupling device for coupling a first vehicle to a second vehicle. The coupling device provides for a mechanical connection and electrical power / signal connection between the first vehicle and the second vehicle. The coupling device may decouple in response to a signal transmitted by the first vehicle, the second vehicle, and / or the coupling deviceitself. The coupling device may include an electro-permanent magnet (EPM) that couples two housings of the coupling device together when the EPM is switched to an ON state, and releases when the EPM is switched to an OFF state. The switching of the EPM from the ON state to the OFF state is controlled by the received transmitted signal. Once the coupling device decouples, the tether separates, uncoupling the first vehicle from the second vehicle.

[0019] Embodiments of the present disclosure are particularly advantageous as the coupling device enables the first vehicle and second vehicle to decouple automatically when tension between the first vehicle and second vehicle reaches a threshold (e.g., during a gust of wind that forces the two vehicles apart). The coupling device may also enable the first vehicle and second vehicle to couple / decouple under controlled conditions, such as a controlled decoupling during a maintenance operation.

[0020] FIG. 1A illustrates a conceptual view of an autonomous vehicle system 100 in a coupled state, in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure. The autonomous vehicle system 100 may be used in any industry (e.g., farming, construction, logging, manufacturing). For example, the autonomous vehicle system 100 may be utilized in an agricultural setting, such as for performing field inspections (e.g., for weed infestation, insect infestation, or disease). In another example, autonomous vehicle system 100 may be used for data collection experiments, such as meteorological data collection.

[0021] In embodiments, the autonomous vehicle system 100 is supervised autonomously. In this sense, the autonomous vehicle system 100 requires human intervention only during a portion of the operation of the autonomous vehicle system 100, such as when the autonomous vehicle system 100 is transported between fields or during recharging / refueling. In embodiments, the autonomous vehicle system 100 operates autonomously, with no need for human intervention in the field.

[0022] In embodiments, the autonomous vehicle system 100 includes a first vehicle 102 and a second vehicle 104 couplable via a tether assembly 106. The first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 104 may each be any type of autonomous vehicle including, but not limited to, an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), an unmanned aerialvehicle (UAV; rotor or fixed-wing), an unmanned surface vehicle (USV; for surface water), an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), or any other unmanned vehicles. For example, the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 104 may be similar vehicle types within the autonomous vehicle system 100. For instance, both the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 104 may include UGVs. In another example, the first vehicle 102 and second vehicle 104 may include different vehicle types within the autonomous vehicle system 100. For instance, the first vehicle 102 may include an airborne UAV coupled to a second vehicle 104 (e.g., a UGV traveling on the ground 108, as shown in FIG 1.) In another instance, the first vehicle 102 may include a first airborne UAV, and the second vehicle 104 may include another airborne UAV.

[0023] In embodiments, the tether assembly 106 provides a mechanical link between the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 104, thereby providing a resistive force that counters tension (e.g., tension load) between the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 104. The tether assembly also enables electrical power and / or electrical signal communication between the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 104. For example, the tether assembly 106 may provide an electrical link that allows power from the second vehicle 104 (e.g., power from a battery) to flow to the first vehicle 102. In another example, the tether assembly 106 may provide a signal link between the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 104. For instance, the tether assembly may allow data to be transferred from the first vehicle 102 to the second vehicle 104 and vice versa.

[0024] In embodiments, the tether assembly 106 includes a first tether strand 110 secured to the first vehicle 102, a second tether strand 112 coupled to the second vehicle 104, and a coupling device 114 coupled to the first tether strand 110 and the second tether strand 112, The coupling device 114 includes a first housing 116 secured to the first tether strand 110 and a second housing 118 secured to the second tether strand 112. In embodiments, the first housing 116 decoupled from the second housing 118 upon the coupling device receiving a decoupling signal.

[0025] FIG. 1B illustrates a schematic view of an autonomous vehicle system 100 in an uncoupled state, in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0026] Upon the first housing 116 decoupling from the second housing 118, the first vehicle 102 decouples mechanically and electrically from the second vehicle. In embodiments, the first vehicle 102 is secured to the first tether strand 110 and the first housing 116 after decoupling from the second vehicle 104. In embodiments, the second vehicle is 104 secured to the second tether strand 110 and the second housing 118 after decoupling from the first vehicle 102. After decoupling, the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 104 may each continue to work independently. In embodiments, the first vehicle 102 and / or second vehicle 104 may include a winch 120 for recovering the first tether strand 110 and / or second tether strand 112.

[0027] In embodiments, the first vehicle 102 and / or the second vehicle 104 is configured to send a disconnection signal to the coupling device 114. For example, the coupling device 114 may be configured such that the first vehicle 102 can send a disconnection signal to the coupling device 114 via the first tether strand 110 and first housing 116. In another example, the coupling device 114 may be configured such that the second vehicle 104 can send a disconnection signal to the coupling device 114 via the second tether strand 112 and the second housing 118. In another example, the coupling device may be configured such that both the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 104 can send a disconnection signal to the coupling device 114 via their respective tether strand 110, 112 and housing 116, 118.

[0028] FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate perspective views of the coupling device 114 in a coupled state, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure. The coupling device 114 is shown with a portion of the first tether strand 110 secured to the first housing 116 and a portion of the second tether strand secured to the second housing 118.

[0029] In embodiments, the first housing 116 includes a first contour 200, and the second housing 118 includes a second contour 202. When the first housing 116 and the second housing 118 are coupled (e.g., mated), the first contour 200 and the second contour 202 at an interlock 204. For example, the first contour 200 and the second contour 202 may interlock at an overlapping flange pair. The interlock 204 supports a portion of tension 206a-b applied to the coupling device 114.

[0030] In embodiments, the coupling device 114 includes a load cell 208 configured to sense the tension 206a-b between the first housing 116 and the second housing 118. The load cell converts the detected tension 206a-b into a signal that can be measured. The load cell 208 may include any type of tension sensing device or technology and may include one or more of a strain gauge, a capacitive load cell, vibrating wire load cells, or a piezoelectric transducer. For example, the load cell 208 may be constructed as a single point load cell, a planar beam load cell, a bending beam load cell, a shear beam load cell, an S-type load cell, a ring torsion load cell, a spoke-type load cell, a loadpin-based load cell, or other types of load cell. The load cell is shown mounted to the first housing 116 and electrically coupled to the first tether strand 110 via a load cell wire 210. Once tension is sensed, the load cell 208 transmits a load output signal that is received by the first vehicle 102, the second vehicle 104, and / or other componentry within the coupling device 114.

[0031] The load cell 208 is shown mechanically coupled to the first housing 116 and electrically coupled to the first tether strand 110 via a load cell wire 210. However, the load cell 208 may also be mechanically coupled to the second housing 118 and electrically coupled to the second tether strand 112. In some embodiments, the coupling device 114 includes two load cells 208 mechanically and electrically coupled to the respective housing 116, 118 and tether strand 110, 112.

[0032] FIG. 3A-3B illustrate perspective views of the coupling device 114 in an uncoupled state, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure. In embodiments, the coupling device 114 includes one or more electro-permanent magnets (EPMs) 304a-b configured to magnetically couple to ferromagnetic material, including one or more ferromagnetic surfaces 306a-b (e.g., as shown in FIG. 3B). The EPMs may be coupled to or integrated within either the first housing 116 and / or the second housing 118, and electrically coupled to at least one of the first tether strand 110 or the second tether strand 112 via an EPM wire 308.

[0033] EPMs 304a-b are a type of permanent magnet in which the external magnetic field can be switched on (e.g., to an ON state) or off (e.g., to an OFF state) in response to a pulse of electric current in a wire wound around the magnet. When the EPMs 304a-b are not subjected to an electric pulse, the EPMs 304a-b are switched to an ONstate (e.g., the EPM 304a-b presenting external magnet flux of a permanent magnet), and the EPM 304a-b bind magnetically to the to one or more ferromagnetic surfaces 306a-b. When the EPMs 304a-b are subjected to an electric pulse via the EPM wire 308, the EPMs 304a-b are switched to an OFF state (e.g., the EPM 304a-b presenting no external magnetic flux), and the EPM 304a-b releases from the one or more ferromagnetic surfaces 306a-b.

[0034] In embodiments, the coupling device includes a connector pair 310a-b. Each connector 310a, 310b of the connector pair 310a-b is integrated within a respective housing 116, 118 and electrically coupled to a respective tether strand 110, 112. The connector pair 310a-b is configured to electrically couple when the first housing 116 is coupled to the second housing 118. Once coupled, the connector pair 310a-b completes a circuit between the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 104. The connector pair 310a-b may use any type of electrical connector mechanism for coupling including, but not limited to, pin-and-socket connectors (e.g., spring-loaded pins or magnetic pins). For example, the connector pair 310a-b may include spring-loaded pogo pin connectors. In another example, the connector pair 310a-b may include spring-loaded magnetic pogo pin connectors.

[0035] The interlock 204 and the EPMs 304a-b together function to control the coupling and decoupling of the first housing 116 to the second housing 118. For example, when the first housing 116 and the second housing 118 are both electrically and mechanically coupled, the natural magnetic flux of the EPMs 304a-b mechanically couples the first housing 116 and the second housing 118 together in an orientation that allows the connector pair to couple, allowing electrical communication between the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 104. Simultaneously, the interlock 204 provides resistance to the tension force 206a-b between the coupled housings 116, 118, keeping the coupling between the first housing 116 and the second housing 118 stable.

[0036] When decoupling is initiated, a disconnect signal (e.g., from the load cell 208, the first vehicle 102, or the second vehicle 104) is sent, either as a set of electric pulses that are sent to the EPMs 304a-b directly or as a signal that converted to the set of pulses and sent to the EPMs 304a-b. Once received by the EPMs 304a-b, the electricpulses cause the external magnetic flux to dissipate, causing the EPMs 304a-b to lose magnetic force, releasing the EPMs 304a-b from one or more ferromagnetic surfaces 306a-b. The release from the EPMs 304a-b and the one or more ferromagnetic surfaces 306a-b destabilizes the mechanical coupling between the first housing 116 from the second housing 118, causing them to separate. The separation of the first housing 116 and the second housing 118 also decouples the connector pair 310a-b, disrupting electrical power / signals between the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 104.

[0037] In alternative and / or additional embodiments, the coupling device 114 includes an electromagnet configured to magnetically couple to the one or more ferromagnetic surfaces 306a-b. The electromagnet may be coupled to, or integrated within, either the first housing 116 and / or the second housing 118, and electrically coupled to at least one of the first tether strand 110 or the second tether strand 112. The electromagnet can be switched to the ON state or OFF state. For example, when the electromagnet is subjected to electric current, the electromagnet is switched to the ON state where the electromagnet may engage and act to magnetically couple to the one or more ferromagnetic surfaces 306a-b. In another example, when the electromagnet is not subjected to electric current, the electromagnet is switched to the OFF state where the electromagnet may not engage or act to magnetically couple to the one or more ferromagnetic surfaces 306a-b.

[0038] FIGS.4A-4C illustrate conceptual views of the autonomous vehicle system 100, in accordance with one or more views of the disclosure. Referring to FIG. 4A, the first vehicle 102 and / or the second vehicle 104 may include one or more controllers 400a-b electrically coupled to the EPMs 304a-b of the coupling device 114. In embodiments, the one or more controllers 400a-b include one or more processors 402a-b and one or more memory 404a-b. For example, the memory 404a-b may maintain program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors 402a-b to carry out any of the one or more process steps described throughout the present disclosure.

[0039] In embodiments, the one or more processors 402a-b are configured to cause a transmission of a disconnection signal to the coupling device 114. For example, the one or more processors 402a-b may transmit a disconnection signal comprisingelectrical pulses to the EPMs 304a-b, causing the EPMs 304a-b to switch from an ON state to an OFF state. In another example, the one or more processors 402a-b may cause a generation and transmission of a disconnection signal to a controller 400c of the coupling device 114. Once received, the controller 400c of the coupling device may then cause the EPMs 304a-b to switch from an ON state to an OFF state. The transmission of a disconnection signal may be due to a condition set within the instructions placed in memory 404a-b. For example, the one or more processors 402a-b may be instructed to send a disconnection signal to the coupling device 114 if the power supply (e.g., battery) on board the second vehicle 104 (e.g., a UGV) is getting low (e.g., the coupling device 114 disconnects so that another UGV with a charged battery can reconnect). The coupling device may include a signal receiver configured to receive the disconnection signal. The signal receiver may be configured as any receiving device and may be integrated with and / or communicatively coupled to the controller 400c and / or processor 402c.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 4B, the first vehicle 102 and / or the second vehicle 104 may include one or more controllers 400a-b electrically coupled to a load cell 208 and EPMs 304a-b of the coupling device 114. In embodiments, the one or more processors 402a-b may be configured to receive a load output signal from the load cell 208. For example, the one or more processors 402a-b may receive a load output signal from the load cells as the result of a tension being placed on the first tether strand 110 and the second tension strand 112, which then causes tension between the first housing 116 and the second housing 118.

[0041] In embodiments, the one or more processors 402a-b are configured to determine a tension force sensed by the load cell 208 (e.g., a sensed tension force) based on the load output signal. Once the tension force sensed by the load cell 208 is determined, the one or more processors can determine whether the determined tension force is above a predetermined threshold based on the load output signal. For example, the coupling device 114 may be rated for maximum tension. The operator or one or more processors may then set a threshold on the maximum tension force that should be placed on the coupling device 114. Once that maximum tension force is sensed by the load cell and determined by the one or more processors 402a-b, theone or more processors can send disconnection signals to the coupling device 114 (e.g., to the EPMs 304a-b or controller 204c) to disconnect.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 4C, the coupling device 114 may include one or more controllers 400c that include one or more processors 402c and memory 404c. The one or more processors 402a may be communicatively coupled to the first vehicle 102, the second vehicle 104 (e.g., via respective processors 402a-b), the load cell 208, and or the one or more EPMs 304a-b.

[0043] In embodiments, the one or more processors 402c of the coupling device 114 are powered by the electricity from the first vehicle 102, the second vehicle 104, or from an internal battery. In embodiments, the one or more processors 402 of the coupling device 114 may detect and receive a load output signal from the load cell 208, and transmit load cell data based on the load output signal to the one or more processors 402a-b of the first vehicle 102 and / or the second vehicle 104. In embodiments, the one or more processors 402a-b of the first vehicle 102 and or the second vehicle 104 receive the load cell data and determine a tension force 206a-b of the coupling device 114 based on the load cell data. In embodiments, the one or more processors 402a-b determine whether the tension force 206a-b is above a maximum threshold level. If the tension force 206a-b is found to be above the maximum threshold lever the one or more processors 402a-b then send a disconnect signal to the one or more processors 402c of the coupling device 114, which then send the disconnect signal to the one or more EPMs 204a-b. In embodiments, the one or more processors 102a-b of the first vehicle 102 and / or second vehicle 104 may send a disconnect signal to the one or more processors 402c or one or more EPMs 304a-b without receiving load output signals from the load cell (e.g., the disconnect signal sent due to an instruction not related to the tension force 206a-b between the first housing 116 and the second housing 118).

[0044] In embodiments, the one or more processors 402a-c may be configured to receive an output load signal from the load cell 208 and send a disconnect signal to the one or more EPMs 304a-b (e.g., the coupling device 114 generating the disconnect signal instead of receiving the disconnect signal from the first vehicle 102 or the second vehicle 104. For example, coupling device 114 may include a load cell 208that can detect a tension force 206a-b and transmit load output signals, and a battery that powers the coupling device 114, including the one or more processors 402c, enabling the one or more processors to receive the load output signal, determine a tension force 206a-b of the coupling device 114 based on the load output signal, and generate a disconnect signal if the tension force 206a-b is equal or greater to a tension force threshold, and transmit the disconnect signal to the one or more EPMs 304a-b.

[0045] FIG. 5 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a method 500 for decoupling a first vehicle 102 and a second vehicle 104, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure. For example, the method 500 may include decoupling a paired UAV (e.g., the first vehicle 102) and UGV (e.g., the second vehicle). For instance, the UAV may be encountering a gust of wind that is putting a tension strain on the tether assembly 106 and causing the UAV to be unstable during flight, where decoupling the paired UAV and UGV may prevent damage to the tether assembly 106 and prevent the UAV from crashing. In another instance, the tether assembly 106 may be inadvertently caught (e.g., on a cornstalk or tree branch) causing a tension strain on the tether assembly, wherein the decoupling the paired UAV and UGV may again prevent damage to the tether assembly 106 and prevent the UAV from crashing. One or more steps of the method 500 may be performed by the one or more processors 402a-c of the one or more controllers 400a-c (e.g., the one or more processors 402a-c being configured to execute a set of program instructions for one or more steps of the method 500 that are stored in memory 404a-c).

[0046] In embodiments, the method 500 includes a step 502 of obtaining the first vehicle and the second vehicle coupled by a tether assembly 106. The tether assembly 106 includes a first tether strand 110 connected to the first vehicle 102, a second tether strand 112 connected to the second vehicle 104, and a coupling device 114 that couples the first tether strand 110 to the second tether strand 112. The coupling device includes a load cell 208 and an electro-permanent magnet 304a-b switchable from an ON state to an OFF state.

[0047] In embodiments, the method 500 includes a step 504 of applying a tension force 206a-b between the first tether strand 110 and the second tether strand 112. In embodiments, the method 500 includes a step 506 of detecting the tension force 206a-b by the load cell 208. In embodiments, the method 500 includes a step 508 of generating a load output signal based on the tension force 206a-b. In embodiments, the method 500 includes a step 510 of transmitting the load output signal to the first vehicle or the second vehicle (e.g., via the load cell wire 210 and one or more of the first tether strand 110 and the second tether strand 112).

[0048] In embodiments, the method 500 includes a step 512 of determining if the tension force of a coupling device 114 is above a predetermined or defined threshold based on the load output signal. In embodiments, the method 500 includes a step 514 of generating a disconnection signal if the tension force is above the predetermined threshold. In embodiments, the method 500 includes a step 516 of transmitting the disconnection signal to the coupling device 114.

[0049] The disconnection signal may include the series of electrical pulses necessary to switch the one or more EPMs 306a-b from the ON state to the OFF state, or may include an instruction that is sent to or within the coupling device 114, where the electronic circuitry within the coupling device 114 (e.g., the one or more processors 304c) receives the disconnect signal and transmits electrical pulses to the one or more EPMs 306a-b to switch the one EPMs from the ON state to the OFF state, the electrical pulses based on the disconnect signal. In embodiments, the method 500 includes a step 518 of switching the electro-permanent magnet from the ON state to the OFF state based on the disconnection signal, wherein switching the electro-permanent magnet from the ON state to the OFF state causes the first tether strand to decouple from the second tether strand.

[0050] The one or more processors 402a-c of the one or more controllers 400a-c may include any one or more processing elements known in the art. In this sense, the one or more processors 402a-c may include any microprocessor-type device configured to execute software algorithms and / or instructions. In embodiments, the one or more processors 402a-c may consist of a laptop computer, an image computer, parallel processor, or other computer system (e.g., networked computer or single-board microcomputer (Raspberry Pi, Arduino, etc.)) configured to execute a program configured to operate the autonomous vehicle system 100 and or coupling device 114, as described throughout the present disclosure. It should be recognized that the stepsdescribed throughout the present disclosure may be carried out by a single computer system or, alternatively, multiple computer systems. In general, the term “processor” may be broadly defined to encompass any device having one or more processing elements, which execute program instructions from a non-transitory memory medium 404a-c. Moreover, different subsystems of the autonomous vehicle system 100 (e.g., coupling device 114) may include one or more processors 402a-c or logic elements suitable for carrying out at least a portion of the steps described throughout the present disclosure.

[0051] The memory medium 404a-c may include any memory medium known in the art suitable for storing program instructions executable by the associated one or more processors 402a-c. For example, the memory medium 404a-c may include, but is not limited to, a read-only memory, a random-access memory, a magnetic or optical memory device (e.g., disk), a magnetic tape, a solid-state drive and the like. In embodiments, the memory medium 404a-c is configured to store one or more results from the coupling device 114 and / or the output of the various data processing steps described herein. It is further noted that memory medium 404a-c may be housed in a common controller housing with the one or more processors 402a-c. In an alternative embodiment, the memory medium 404a-c may be located remotely with respect to the physical location of the processors one or more processors 402a-c and one or more controllers 400a-c. For instance, the one or more processors 402a-c of the one or more controllers 400a-c may access a remote memory (e.g., server), accessible through a network (e.g., internet, intranet and the like).

[0052] All of the methods described herein may include storing data, values, and / or results of one or more steps of the method embodiments in a memory medium. The results may include any of the results described herein and may be stored in any manner known in the art. The memory medium may include any memory medium described herein or any other suitable memory medium known in the art. After the results have been stored, the results can be accessed in the memory medium and used by any of the method or system embodiments described herein, formatted for display to a user, used by another software module, method, or system, etc. Furthermore, the results may be stored “permanently,” “semi-permanently,” temporarily,” or for some period of time. For example, the memory medium may berandom access memory (RAM), and the results may not necessarily persist indefinitely in the memory medium.

[0053] As used throughout, “at least one” means one or a plurality of; for example, “at least one” may comprise one, two, three,..., one hundred, or more. Similarly, as used throughout, “one or more” means one or a plurality of; for example, “one or more” may comprise one, two, three,..., one hundred, or more. Further, as used throughout, “zero or more” means zero, one, or a plurality of; for example, “zero or more” may comprise zero, one, two, three,..., one hundred, or more.

[0054] It is to be understood that embodiments of the methods disclosed herein may include one or more of the steps described herein. Further, such steps may be carried out in any desired order and two or more of the steps may be carried out simultaneously with one another. Two or more of the steps disclosed herein may be combined in a single step, and in another embodiment, one or more of the steps may be carried out as two or more sub-steps. Further, other steps or sub-steps may be carried in addition to, or as substitutes to one or more of the steps disclosed herein.

[0055] In the present disclosure, the methods, operations, and / or functionality disclosed may be implemented as sets of instructions or software readable by a device. Further, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods, operations, and / or functionality disclosed are examples of exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods, operations, and / or functionality can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. The accompanying claims may present elements of the various steps in a sample order and are not necessarily meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0056] Before explaining at least one embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein in detail, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components or steps or methodologies set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. In the following detailed description of embodiments of the instant inventiveconcepts, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the inventive concepts. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure that the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features may not be described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the instant disclosure. The inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0057] As used herein a letter following a reference numeral is intended to reference an embodiment of the feature or element that may be similar, but not necessarily identical, to a previously described element or feature bearing the same reference numeral (e.g., 1, 1a, 1b). Such shorthand notations are used for purposes of convenience only and should not be construed to limit the inventive concepts disclosed herein in any way unless expressly stated to the contrary.

[0058] Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, "or" refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any of the following: A is true (or present), and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present), and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

[0059] In addition, use of the "a" or "an" are employed to describe elements and components of embodiments of the instant inventive concepts. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the inventive concepts, and "a” and "an" are intended to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

[0060] Finally, as used herein, any reference to "one embodiment," or "some embodiments" means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. The appearances of the phrase "in some embodiments" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, and embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed mayinclude one or more of the features expressly described or inherently present herein, or any combination of sub-combination of two or more such features, along with any other features which may not necessarily be expressly described or inherently present in the instant disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed:

1. A coupling device for coupling a first vehicle to a second vehicle comprising:a first housing comprising:a ferromagnetic material; anda first electrical connector: anda second housing couplable to the first housing comprising:a second electrical connector couplable to the first electrical connector; andan electro-permanent magnet electrically coupled to the second electrical connector and magnetically couplable to the ferromagnetic material; wherein the electro-permanent magnet is configured to switch between an ON state and an OFF state in response to a disconnection signal.

2. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein when the electro-permanent magnet is switched to the ON state, the ferromagnetic material is magnetically coupled to the electro-permanent magnet and the first housing resists separation from the second housing, wherein when the electro-permanent magnet is switched to the OFF state, the ferromagnetic material is not magnetically coupled to the electro-permanent magnet.

3. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein the first housing is secured to and electrically coupled to a first tether strand, wherein the second housing is secured to and electrically coupled to a second tether strand.

4. The coupling device of claim 3, further comprising the first tether strand and the second tether strand.

5. The coupling device of claim 3, wherein the coupling device further comprises a load cell configured to sense a tension force between the first tether strand and the second tether strand and transmit a load output signal based on a sensed tensionforce, wherein the electro-permanent magnet is configured to switch from the ON state to the OFF state based on the sensed tension force.

6. The coupling device of claim 5, wherein the load output signal comprises the disconnection signal.

7. The coupling device of claim 5, wherein the first vehicle is coupled to the first housing via the first tether strand, wherein the second vehicle is coupled to the second housing via the second tether strand, wherein the load output signal is received by the first vehicle or the second vehicle, wherein the first vehicle or the second vehicle transmits the disconnection signal to the coupling device based upon the load output signal.

8. The coupling device of claim 7 wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are unmanned vehicles.

9. The coupling device of claim 1, further comprising a signal receiver configured to receive the disconnection signal, wherein upon receiving the disconnection signal, the electro-permanent magnet is switched from the ON state to the OFF state.

10. The coupling device of claim 3, further comprising an interlock between the first housing and the second housing, the interlock comprising:a first contour of the first housing; anda second contour of the second housing that mates with the first contour when the first housing is coupled to the second housing, wherein the interlock resists a tension load between the first tether strand and the second tether strand when the electro-permanent magnet is switched to the ON state.

11. A system comprising:a first vehicle;a second vehicle; anda tether assembly for securing the first vehicle to the second vehicle comprising:a coupling device configured to mechanically couple and electrically couple a first tether strand connected to the first vehicle to a second tether strand connected to the second vehicle comprising:a first housing secured to the first tether strand comprising:a ferromagnetic material; anda first electrical connector; anda second housing secured to the second tether strand and couplable to the first housing comprising:a second electrical connector configured to couple with the first electrical connector; andan electro-permanent magnet electrically coupled to the second electrical connector and magnetically couplable with the ferromagnetic material; wherein the electro-permanent magnet is configured to switch between an ON state and an OFF state in response to a disconnection signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein when the electro-permanent magnet is switched to the ON state, the ferromagnetic material is magnetically coupled to the electropermanent magnet and the first housing resists separation from the second housing, wherein when the electro-permanent magnet is switched to the OFF state, the ferromagnetic material is not magnetically coupled to the electro-permanent magnet.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the coupling device further comprises a lead cell configured to sense a tension force between the first tether strand and the second tether strand and transmit a load output signal based on a sensed tension force, wherein the electro-permanent magnet is configured to switch from the ON state to the OFF state based on the sensed tension force.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the load output signal comprises the disconnection signal.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a signal receiver configured to receive the disconnection signal, wherein upon receiving the disconnection signal, the electropermanent magnet is switched from the ON state to the OFF state.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising an interlock between the first housing and the second housing, the interlock comprising:a first contour of the first housing; anda second contour of the second housing that mates with the first contour when the first housing is coupled to the second housing, wherein the interlock resists a tension load between the first tether strand and the second tether strand when the electro-permanent magnet is switched to the ON state.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle comprise unmanned vehicles.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first vehicle or the second vehicle comprises one or more controllers communicatively coupled to the coupling device, the one or more controllers comprising one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in a memory, the set of program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to transmit the disconnection signal to the coupling device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the set of program instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to:before transmitting the disconnection signal to the coupling device, receiving a load output signal;determining if a tension force is above a predetermined threshold based on the load output signal; andgenerating the disconnection signal if the tension force is above the predetermined threshold.

20. A method of decoupling a first vehicle and a second vehicle comprising: obtaining the first vehicle and the second vehicle coupled by a tether assembly comprising:a first tether strand connected to the first vehicle;a second tether strand connected to the second vehicle: and a coupling device that couples the first tether strand to the second tether strand, the coupling device comprising a load cell and an electro-permanent magnet switchable from an ON state to an OFF state;applying a tension force between the first tether strand and the second tether strand;detecting the tension force by the load cell;generating a load output signal based on the tension force;transmitting the load output signal to the first vehicle or the second vehicle; determining if the tension force of the coupling device is above a predetermined threshold based on the load output signal;generating a disconnection signal if the tension force is above the predetermined threshold;transmitting the disconnection signal to the coupling device; andswitching the electro-permanent magnet from the ON state to the OFF state, wherein switching the electro-permanent magnet from the ON state to the OFF state causes the first tether strand to decouple from the second tether strand.

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