System and method for autonomously controlling fluid refill station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12358780-B2
Application number	US-202217819642-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2022
Priority date	Aug 15, 2022
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A system for autonomously controlling a fluid refill station (FRS) includes a sensor that generates an input signal indicative of an amount of fluid in a tank of an autonomous truck and a central controller. The central controller monitors the amount of fluid in the tank and assigns the autonomous truck to the FRS if the amount of fluid has reached a minimum threshold value. The central controller determines an alignment of the tank of the autonomous truck with a fluid outlet of the FRS, directs the FRS to refill the tank with fluid if the tank is in alignment with the fluid outlet of the FRS, and directs the FRS to stop refilling the tank when the amount of fluid in the tank has reached a maximum threshold value. The central controller marks the FRS as non-functional based on a determination of an anomaly with the FRS.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for autonomously controlling a fluid refill station (FRS), the FRS being configured to refill fluid in a tank of at least one autonomous truck operating at a worksite, the system comprising:
a sensor configured to generate an input signal indicative of an amount of fluid in the tank; and
a central controller coupled in communication with the sensor, wherein the central controller is configured to:
monitor the amount of fluid in the tank based on the input signal received from the sensor;
assign the at least one autonomous truck to the FRS if the amount of fluid in the tank has reached a minimum threshold value;
determine an alignment of the tank with a fluid outlet of the FRS;
if the tank is in alignment with the fluid outlet, generate a first control signal to direct the FRS to refill the tank;
transmit the first control signal to a first controller coupled in communication with the central controller;
receive a first feedback from the first controller confirming a receipt of the first control signal by the first controller;
direct the FRS to refill the tank of the at least one autonomous truck with fluid;
when the amount of fluid in the tank has reached a maximum threshold value, generate a second control signal to direct the FRS to stop refilling the tank;
transmit the second control signal to the first controller;
receive a second feedback from the first controller confirming a receipt of the second control signal by the first controller;
direct the FRS to stop refilling the tank;
generate a third control signal to mark the FRS as non-functional based on at least one of:
a failure in receipt of the first feedback from the first controller
a failure in receipt of the second feedback from the first controller, or
a determination of an anomaly with the FRS; and

mark the FRS as non-functional based on the third control signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the central controller is further configured to transmit the third control signal to a plurality of autonomous trucks at the worksite to indicate that the FRS is non-functional so as to prevent subsequent assignment of any of the plurality of autonomous trucks to the FRS.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a communication system at the worksite, wherein the communication system is configured to establish communication between the central controller and the first controller, and wherein the central controller is configured to generate at least one of the second control signal and the third control signal based on a determination of an anomaly with the communication system.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the central controller is further configured to:
monitor, based on receipt of the first feedback from the first controller, the amount of fluid in the tank to determine if the amount of fluid in the tank is increasing; and
generate at least one of the second control signal and the third control signal if the amount of fluid in the tank is not increasing.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the central controller is further configured to:
monitor, based on receipt of the second feedback from the first controller, the amount of fluid in the tank to determine if the amount of fluid in the tank is increasing; and
generate the third control signal if the amount of fluid in the tank is increasing.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the central controller is further configured to:
compare, based on receipt of the first feedback from the first controller, a first flow rate value at the FRS with a second flow rate value at which the amount of fluid in the tank is increasing; and
generate the second control signal if the first flow rate value is different from the second flow rate value.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the central controller is further configured to generate the second control signal based on an operational halt at any one of the worksite and a zone of the worksite.

8. A method of autonomously controlling a fluid refill station (FRS), the FRS being configured to refill fluid in a tank of at least one autonomous truck operating at a worksite, the method comprising:
monitoring an amount of fluid in the tank;
assigning the at least one autonomous truck to the FRS if the amount of fluid in the tank has reached a minimum threshold value;
determining an alignment of the tank with a fluid outlet of the FRS;
if the tank is in alignment with the fluid outlet, generating, by a central controller, a first control signal to direct the FRS to refill the tank;
transmitting, by the central controller, the first control signal to a first controller that is coupled in communication with the central controller;
receiving, by the central controller, a first feedback from the first controller confirming a receipt of the first control signal by the first controller;
directing the FRS to refill the tank with fluid;
when the amount of fluid in the tank has reached a maximum threshold value, generating, by the central controller, a second control signal to direct the FRS to stop refilling the tank;
transmitting, by the central controller, the second control signal to the first controller;
receiving, by the central controller, a second feedback from the first controller confirming a receipt of the second control signal by the first controller;
directing the FRS to stop refilling the tank;
generating, by the central controller, a third control signal to mark the FRS as non-functional based on at least one of:
a failure in receipt of the first feedback from the first controller,
a failure in receipt of the second feedback from the first controller, or
a determination of an anomaly with the FRS; and

marking the FRS as non-functional based on the third control signal.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising transmitting, by the central controller, the third control signal to a plurality of autonomous trucks at the worksite to indicate that the FRS is non-functional so as to prevent subsequent assignment of any of the plurality of autonomous trucks to the FRS.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising generating, by the central controller, at least one of the second control signal and the third control signal based on a determination of an anomaly with a communication system, wherein the communication system is configured to establish communication between the central controller and the FRS.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
monitoring, by the central controller, the amount of fluid in the tank to determine if the amount of fluid in the tank is increasing based on receipt of the first feedback; and
generating, by the central controller, at least one of the second control signal and the third control signal if the amount of fluid in the tank is not increasing.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
monitoring, by the central controller, the amount of fluid in the tank to determine if the amount of fluid in the tank is increasing based on receipt of the second feedback; and
generating, by the central controller, the third control signal if the amount of fluid in the tank is increasing.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
comparing, by the central controller, a first flow rate value at the FRS with a second flow rate value at which the amount of fluid in the tank is increasing based on receipt of the first feedback; and
generating, by the central controller, the second control signal if the first flow rate value is different from the second flow rate value.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising generating, by the central controller, the secon

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Bhatia Ruchi
• Banham Mark

Classifications

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• B67D2007/329

  Function indicator devices · CPC title

• B67D7/145

  by wireless communication means, e.g. RF, transponders or the like · CPC title

• B67D7/3281 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• B67D7/02 Primary

  for transferring liquids other than fuel or lubricants · CPC title