Personal modular trunk and modular trunk system employing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11524734-B2
Application number	US-201916571450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2019
Priority date	Sep 14, 2018
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A personal modular trunk and a modular trunk system employing the personal modular trunk for reducing privacy issues and inconveniences that may arise when a vehicle is shared. The personal modular trunk includes: a trunk body; a first communication unit installed in the trunk body and configured to communicate with a vehicle; a first driving unit installed in the trunk body and configured to transport the trunk body; a first engagement unit installed in the trunk body and configured to engage or disengage with a loading space of the vehicle; and a first control unit configured to control the first communication unit to communicate with the vehicle, control the first driving unit to transport the trunk body toward the vehicle, and control the first engagement unit to engage or disengage with the loading space of the vehicle so that the trunk body is coupled to or separated from the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A personal modular trunk comprising:
a trunk body;
a first communication unit installed in the trunk body and configured to communicate with a vehicle;
a first driving unit installed in the trunk body and configured to transport the trunk body;
a first engagement unit installed in the trunk body and configured to engage or disengage with a loading space of the vehicle;
a first control unit configured to control the first communication unit to communicate with the vehicle, control the first driving unit to transport the trunk body toward the vehicle, and control the first engagement unit to engage or disengage with the loading space of the vehicle so that the trunk body is coupled to or separated from the vehicle; and
a lifting unit configured to lift one or more wheels of the first driving unit responsive to the trunk body being coupled to the loading space of the vehicle.

2. The personal modular trunk of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first positioning unit installed in the trunk body,
wherein the first control unit controls the first positioning unit to measure a position of the personal modular trunk and controls the coupling or separation between the vehicle and the trunk body based on position information.

3. The personal modular trunk of claim 1 , further comprising:
a connection unit installed in the trunk body,
wherein the first control unit controls the connection unit, such that the connection unit is coupled to or separated from a connection unit of another personal modular trunk.

4. A modular trunk system comprising:
a vehicle comprising a loading space formed in one side; and
a personal modular trunk configured to communicate with the vehicle, move toward the vehicle to be coupled to the loading space, and be separated from the loading space;
wherein the personal modular trunk comprises:
a trunk body;
a first driving unit installed in the trunk body and configured to transport the trunk body; and
a lifting unit configured to lift one or more wheels of the first driving unit responsive to the trunk body being coupled to the loading space of the vehicle.

5. The modular trunk system of claim 4 , wherein the personal modular trunk further comprises:
a first communication unit installed in the trunk body and configured to communicate with the vehicle;
a first engagement unit installed in the trunk body and configured to engage or disengage with the loading space of the vehicle; and
a first control unit configured to control the first communication unit to communicate with the vehicle, control the first driving unit to transport the trunk body toward the vehicle, and control the first engagement unit to engage or disengage with the loading space of the vehicle so that the trunk body is coupled to or separated from the vehicle.

6. The modular trunk system of claim 5 , wherein the personal modular trunk further comprises:
a first positioning unit installed in the trunk body,
wherein the first control unit controls the first positioning unit to measure a position of the personal modular trunk and controls the coupling or separation between the vehicle and the trunk body based on position information of the personal modular trunk.

7. The modular trunk system of claim 5 , wherein the vehicle comprises:
a vehicle body;
a second communication unit installed in the vehicle body and configured to communicate with the personal modular trunk;
a second engagement unit installed in the vehicle body and configured to engage or disengage with the personal modular trunk; and
a second control unit configured to control the second communication unit to communicate with the personal modular trunk, and control the second engagement unit to engage or disengage with the personal modular trunk so that the trunk body is coupled to or separated from the vehicle.

8. The modular trunk system of claim 7 , wherein the second communication unit uses a short-range wireless communication scheme or a mobile communication scheme for communications with the personal modular trunk.

9. The modular trunk system of claim 7 , wherein the vehicle further comprises:
a second positioning unit installed in the vehicle body,
wherein the second control unit controls the second positioning unit to measure a position of the vehicle and controls the coupling or separation between the vehicle and the trunk body based on position information of the vehicle.

10. The modular trunk system of claim 9 ,
wherein the second control unit controls the second communication unit to transmit the position information of the vehicle to the personal modular trunk,
wherein the first communication unit receives the position information of the vehicle from the vehicle,
wherein the first control unit controls the first positioning unit to measure a position of the personal modular trunk, and controls the first driving unit to transport the trunk body toward the vehicle based on the position information of the vehicle and the position information of the personal modular trunk.

11. The modular trunk system of claim 9 , wherein the personal modular trunk further comprises:
a first positioning unit installed in the trunk body,
wherein the first control unit controls the first positioning unit to measure a position of the personal modular trunk, and controls the first communication unit to transmit the position information of the personal modular trunk to the vehicle,
wherein the second communication unit receives the position information of the personal modular trunk,
wherein the second control unit controls the second positioning unit to measure the position of the vehicle, and controls the second communication unit to transmit a movement command signal to the personal modular trunk based on the position information of the personal modular trunk and the position information of the vehicle,
wherein the first communication unit receives the movement command signal,
wherein the first control unit controls the first driving unit to transport the trunk body toward the vehicle based on the movement command signal.

12. The modular trunk system of claim 10 , wherein the first control unit controls the first engagement unit to approach to the second engagement unit and be coupled to the second engagement unit.

13. The modular trunk system of claim 11 , wherein the first control unit controls the first engagement unit to approach to the second engagement unit and be coupled to the second engagement unit.

14. The modular trunk system of claim 10 , wherein the second control unit controls the second engagement unit to approach to the first engagement unit and be coupled to the first engagement unit.

15. The modular trunk system of claim 11 , wherein the second control unit controls the second engagement unit to approach to the first engagement unit and be coupled to the first engagement unit.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Kim Chansoo
• Cho Haneol
• Baek Kyung O

Classifications

• B60R16/023

  for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems · CPC title

• H04Q2209/40

  using a wireless architecture · CPC title

• B62D47/00 Primary

  Motor vehicles or trailers predominantly for carrying passengers (superstructures B62D31/00) · CPC title

• B62D63/025

  Modular vehicles (superstructures for busses having modular sections B62D31/025) · CPC title

• B60R11/0264 Primary

  for control means · CPC title