Detachable powertrain control in autonomous vehicles during collaborative movement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12202373-B2
Application number	US-202217655557-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2022
Priority date	Mar 21, 2022
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

The present invention may include a processor that coupling vehicles into a linked vehicle, where each vehicle has a powertrain device with an attachment device, where the attachment device detaches the powertrain device from one of the vehicles. The processor causes the attachment device to detach the powertrain device from at least one of the vehicles based on determining that a weight of the linked vehicle should be reduced.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processor-implemented method for detachable powertrain control, the method comprising:
coupling a plurality of vehicles into a linked vehicle, wherein each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles has a powertrain device with an attachment device, wherein the attachment device is configured to detach the powertrain device from one of the plurality of vehicles; and
based on determining that a weight of the linked vehicle should be reduced, causing the attachment device to detach the powertrain device from at least one of the plurality of vehicles, wherein causing the attachment device to detach the powertrain device includes:
controlling a remote controlled vehicle to relocate to a geolocation of the powertrain device; and
lowering, by the attachment device, the powertrain device from underneath the at least one of the plurality of vehicles onto the remote controlled vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weight of the linked vehicle is determined by a weight sensor of the powertrain device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
analyzing a route of the linked vehicle to determine a detachment location before a decoupling of at least one of the plurality of vehicles from the linked vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
based on determining the linked vehicle reached the detachment location of at least one vehicle within the plurality of vehicles without an attached powertrain device, causing the attachment device to attach the powertrain device to the at least one vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying the plurality of vehicles to be coupled in the linked vehicle based on analyzing historical route data of the plurality of vehicles using K means clustering algorithm.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
based on determining that the weight of the linked vehicle is above a threshold value, causing the attachment device to detach another powertrain device from at least one vehicle within the plurality of vehicles.

7. A computer system for detachable powertrain control, the computer system comprising:
one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, wherein the computer system is capable of performing a method comprising:
coupling a plurality of vehicles into a linked vehicle, wherein each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles has a powertrain device with an attachment device, wherein the attachment device is configured to detach the powertrain device from one of the plurality of vehicles; and
based on determining that a weight of the linked vehicle should be reduced, causing the attachment device to detach the powertrain device from at least one of the plurality of vehicles, wherein causing the attachment device to detach the powertrain device includes:
controlling a remote controlled vehicle to relocate to a geolocation of the powertrain device; and
lowering, by the attachment device, the powertrain device from underneath the at least one of the plurality of vehicles onto the remote controlled vehicle.

8. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the weight of the linked vehicle is determined by a weight sensor of the powertrain device.

9. The computer system of claim 7 , further comprising:
analyzing a route of the linked vehicle to determine a detachment location before decoupling of at least one of the plurality of vehicles from the linked vehicle.

10. The computer system of claim 9 , further comprising:
based on determining the linked vehicle reached the detachment location of at least one vehicle within the plurality of vehicles without an attached powertrain device, causing the attachment device to attach the powertrain device to the at least one vehicle.

11. The computer system of claim 7 , further comprising:
identifying the plurality of vehicles to be coupled in the linked vehicle based on analyzing historical route data of the plurality of vehicles using K means clustering algorithm.

12. The computer system of claim 7 , further comprising:
based on determining that the weight of the linked vehicle is above a threshold value, causing the attachment device to detach another powertrain device from at least one of the plurality of vehicles.

13. A computer program product for detachable powertrain control, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to couple a plurality of vehicles into a linked vehicle, wherein each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles has a detachable powertrain device with an attachment device, wherein the attachment device is configured to detach the powertrain device from one of the plurality of vehicles; and
based on determining that a weight of the linked vehicle should be reduced, program instructions to cause the attachment device to detach the powertrain device from at least one of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the program instructions to cause the attachment device to detach the powertrain device includes:
program instructions to control a remote controlled vehicle to relocate to a geolocation of the powertrain device; and
program instructions to lower, by the attachment device, the powertrain device from underneath the at least one of the plurality of vehicles onto the remote controlled vehicle.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the weight of the linked vehicle is determined by a weight sensor of the powertrain device.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 , further comprising:
program instructions to analyze a route of the linked vehicle to determine a detachment location before decoupling of at least one of the plurality of vehicles from the linked vehicle.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , further comprising:
based on determining the linked vehicle reached the detachment location of at least one vehicle within the plurality of vehicles without an attached powertrain device, program instructions to cause the attachment device to attach the powertrain device to the at least one vehicle.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 , further comprising:
program instructions to identify the plurality of vehicles to be coupled in the linked vehicle based on analyzing historical route data of the plurality of vehicles using K means clustering algorithm.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Perumalla Saraswathi Sailaja
• Rakshit Sarbajit K
• Akella Sirisha

Classifications

• G05D1/223

  Command input arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. joysticks or touch screens · CPC title

• B62D47/006

  Vehicles which can be divided in sub-vehicles; nestable vehicles · CPC title

• B60L53/57

  Charging stations without connection to power networks · CPC title

• G05D1/0011

  associated with a remote control arrangement · CPC title

• B60L53/80 Primary

  Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries · CPC title