Method and control device for assembling a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11807323-B2
Application number	US-201917421035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2019
Priority date	Jan 16, 2019
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A method for assembling a vehicle from a set of modules for travelling a planned route, wherein the set of modules comprises at least one functional module and a plurality of drive modules. Each drive module comprises a pair of wheels, electrical motor, and an interface releasably connectable to a corresponding interface on another module, wherein each drive module is configured to operate autonomously and has an individual set of energy parameters. The method comprising obtaining route information associated with route segments of the planned route, selecting a first drive module having an individual set of energy parameters matching route information associated with a first route segment and selecting a second drive module having an individual set of energy parameters matching route information associated with a second route segment, and thereafter commanding the drive modules to connect together and with a functional module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, performed in a control device, for assembling a vehicle from a set of modules to be arranged for travelling a planned route, wherein the set of modules comprises: at least one functional module; and a plurality of drive modules, wherein each drive module comprises a pair of wheels, at least one electrical motor arranged to operate the pair of wheels, each said drive module is configured to be autonomously operated and is individually associated with an individual set of energy parameters, and wherein each module in the set of modules comprises at least one interface releasably connectable to a corresponding interface on another module, the method comprising:
obtaining route information associated with route segments of the planned route;
selecting a first drive module from the plurality of drive modules in which the individual set of energy parameters of said first drive module matches route information associated with a first route segment of the planned route;
selecting a second drive module from the plurality of drive modules in which the individual set of energy parameters of said second drive module matches route information associated with a second route segment of the planned route; and
commanding the first drive module and the second drive module to connect themselves with the at least one functional module.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the route information comprises information about at least one of topology, speed restrictions, road conditions, and/or traffic conditions.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the individual set of energy parameters for each of the plurality of drive modules is indicative of a gear ratio for the respective drive module,
wherein the selecting a first drive module comprises selecting a first drive module having a gear ratio matching route information associated with the first route segment of the planned route; and
wherein the selecting a second drive module comprises selecting a second drive module having a gear ratio matching route information associated with the second route segment of the planned route; wherein the gear ratio of the first drive module includes a gear ratio being different from any gear ratio of the second drive module.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the individual set of energy parameters for each of the plurality of drive modules is indicative of at least one of: a weight of the at least one functional module and/or type of load of the at least one functional module; a motor power available for the drive module; and/or a state of charge available for the drive module.

5. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the selecting of the first drive module comprises selecting a first drive module having an associated individual set of energy parameters that is matching route information associated with the first route segment of the planned route such that the vehicle is predicted to meet at least one efficiency criterion while travelling along the first route segment; and/or
wherein the selecting of a second drive module comprises selecting a second drive module having an associated individual set of energy parameters that is matching route information associated with the second route segment of the planned route such that the vehicle is predicted to meet at least one efficiency criterion while travelling along the second route segment.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the individual set of energy parameters is indicative of a most efficient speed or speed interval, where the drive module associated with the individual set of energy parameters is driving most efficiently, and
wherein the selecting a first drive module comprises selecting a first drive module having a most efficient speed or speed interval matching route information associated with the first route segment of the planned route; and
wherein the selecting a second drive module comprises selecting a second drive module having a most efficient speed or speed interval matching route information associated with the second route segment of the planned route, wherein the most efficient speed of the first drive module is different from the most efficient speed of the second drive module, and/or wherein the most efficient speed interval of the first drive module and the most efficient speed interval of the second drive module are at least partly non-overlapping.

7. A computer program product comprising computer program code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer program product used for assembling a vehicle from a set of modules to be arranged for travelling a planned route, wherein the set of modules comprises: at least one functional module; a plurality of drive modules, wherein each drive module comprises a pair of wheels, at least one electrical motor arranged to operate the pair of wheels, each said drive module is configured to be autonomously operated and is individually associated with an individual set of energy parameters, and wherein each module in the set of modules comprises at least one interface releasably connectable to a corresponding interface on another module, said computer program code comprising computer instructions to cause one or more control devices to perform the following operations:
obtaining route information associated with route segments of the planned route;
selecting a first drive module from the plurality of drive modules in which the individual set of energy parameters of said first drive module matches route information associated with a first route segment of the planned route;
selecting a second drive module from the plurality of drive modules in which the individual set of energy parameters of said second drive module matches route information associated with a second route segment of the planned route; and
commanding the first drive module and the second drive module to connect themselves with the at least one functional module.

8. A control device ( 100 , 200 , 300 ) for assembling a vehicle from a set of modules to be arranged for travelling a planned route, wherein the set of modules comprises: at least one functional module; a plurality of drive modules, wherein each drive module comprises a pair of wheels, at least one electrical motor arranged to operate the pair of wheels, each said drive module is configured to be autonomously operated and is individually associated with an individual set of energy parameters, and wherein each module in the set of modules comprises at least one interface releasably connectable to a corresponding interface on another module, wherein the control device is configured to:
obtain route information associated with route segments of the planned route;
select a first drive module from the plurality of drive modules in which the individual set of energy parameters of said first drive module matches route information associated with a first route segment of the planned route;
select a second drive module from the plurality of drive modules in which the individual set of energy parameters of said second drive module matches route information associated with a second route segment of the planned route; and
command the first drive module and the second drive module to connect themselves with the at least one functional module.

9. The control device according to claim 8 , wherein the route information comprises information about at least one of topology, speed restrictions, road conditions, and/or traffic conditions.

10. The control device according to claim 8 , wherein the individual set of energy parameters for each of the plurality of drive modules is indicative of a gear ratio for the respective drive module,

Assignees

• Scania Cv Ab

Inventors

• Claesson André
• Ährlig Linus
• Sjödin Robert

Classifications

• B62D65/04 Primary

  Joining preassembled modular units composed of sub-units performing diverse functions, e.g. engine and bonnet (B62D65/06 - B62D65/16 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60K1/02

  comprising more than one electric motor · CPC title

• B60K7/0007

  the motor being electric · CPC title

• B60P3/42

  convertible from one use to a different one (vehicles capable of travelling in or on different media, rail-and-road vehicles B60F) · CPC title

• B60W60/0023

  in response to energy consumption · CPC title