Virtual Tow-Link Control for Autonomous Electric Trailers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern vehicle trailers are misaligned with the evolution of electric-powered towing vehicles, leading to concerns about driving range and towing capability, especially for vehicles with lesser towing capacity.

Innovation Solution

An autonomous electric-powered trailer system that synchronizes movement with a towing entity through a virtual tow-link, using real-time sensing data to emulate the towing entity's trajectory, adjust speed, and maintain a predetermined trailing distance, with modes for physical and virtual tethering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a passive trailer is used with electric-powered towing vehicles, then the trailer can be简单地 towed, but the driving range of the towing vehicle is reduced due to increased load

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetowing capabilityVSAvoiddriving range

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The trailer is equipped with its own electric power system, allowing it to autonomously propel itself and even provide torque assistance to the towing vehicle. This self-service capability eliminates the energy burden on the towing vehicle while maintaining adaptability to various towing scenarios.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of the towing vehicle providing all the force to move the trailer, the trailer uses its own power system to propel itself and can even return energy to assist the towing vehicle during regenerative braking, inverting the traditional unidirectional force relationship.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a passive trailer is used with lesser towing-capable vehicles, then the vehicle can maintain its original performance, but the trailer cannot be effectively moved when carrying challenging loads

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetowing capabilityVSAvoidtowing force

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The trailer's integrated electric power system enables it to autonomously generate the force needed to move challenging loads, eliminating the need for the towing vehicle to provide excessive towing force. The trailer serves itself by providing the necessary propulsion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The trailer combines propulsion, steering, and braking systems into an integrated autonomous package, merging multiple functions that were traditionally handled by the towing vehicle into a unified self-sufficient system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If real-time sensing and trajectory emulation are implemented, then the trailer can synchronize movement with the towing entity, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemovement synchronizationVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously sources real-time sensing data from the towing entity, estimates its trajectory, and adjusts the trailer's movement accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures reliable movement synchronization while managing complexity through iterative correction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical coupling and force transmission with electronic sensing, data processing, and actuator control systems, substituting mechanical complexity with electronic control sophistication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Loss of energy

If the trailer operates in virtual tethering mode, then aerodynamic drag is reduced compared to physical towing, but the precision of trajectory following may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaerodynamic dragVSAvoidtrajectory following precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses real-time sensing data and trajectory estimation algorithms as intermediaries to translate the towing entity's movements into appropriate trailer responses, maintaining precision without physical connection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The virtual tethering system dynamically adjusts the trailer's position and orientation in real-time based on sensed towing entity movements, maintaining adaptive precision without the constraints of physical coupling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20250340217A1Systems and methods for virtually towing an autonomous electric-powered trailer

Publication Date: 2025.11.06 PEBBLE MOBILITY INC

AI summary

A system and method for operating an autonomous electric-powered (AEP) trailer includes detecting a presence of a towing entity, while the AEP trailer is in an unpaired state with the towing entity, capturing a plurality of images of the towing entity, generating a movement synchronization pairing proposal including the plurality of images of the towing entity, transmitting the movement synchronization pairing proposal to a user device of a target user, obtaining, from the user device, a user input accepting the movement synchronization pairing proposal, and orchestrating a virtual tow-link between the AEP trailer and the towing entity based on obtaining the user input.