# US 10,118,627 B2 · Vehicle controls based on the measured weight of freight > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,627 B2 - Document ID: US10118627B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/385,613 - Filed: 2016-12-20 - Published: 2018-06-21 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-20 - Assignees: Uber Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Uber Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Donald Burnette - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118627B2 ## CPC - B60W 40/13: Load or weight - B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines - B60W 10/184: with wheel brakes - B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems - B60W 40/076: Slope angle of the road - B60W 40/105: Speed - B60W 40/107: Longitudinal acceleration - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B60W 60/00186: {related to the vehicle} - B60W 60/0053: {from vehicle to occupant} - G01G 19/02: for weighing wheeled or rolling bodies, e.g. vehicles - G01G 19/022: {for weighing wheeled or rolling bodies in motion (G01G19/045 takes precedence)} - G01G 23/36: Indicating the weight by electrical means, e.g. using photoelectric cells - B60W 2050/0031: {Mathematical model of the vehicle} - B60W 2050/0033: {Single-track, 2D vehicle model, i.e. two-wheel bicycle model} - B60W 2050/0035: {Multiple-track, 3D vehicle model, e.g. including roll and pitch conditions} - B60W 2050/0039: {of the propulsion unit} - B60W 2050/0072: {Controller asks driver to take over} - B60W 2050/046: {involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle, e.g. via telemetry, satellite, Global Positioning System [GPS]} - B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means} - B60W 2050/146: {Display means} - B60W 2300/12: Trucks; Load vehicles - B60W 2300/125: Heavy duty trucks - B60W 2510/0604: Throttle position - B60W 2510/182: Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc - B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed - B60W 2520/105: Longitudinal acceleration - B60W 2520/16: Pitch - B60W 2530/10: Weight - B60W 2530/16: Driving resistance - B60W 2540/18: Steering angle - B60W 2552/15: Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction - B60W 2710/0605: Throttle position - B60W 2710/182: Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc - B60W 2710/207: Steering angle of wheels - B60Y 2300/18133: Engine braking - B60Y 2300/433: Control of engine throttle - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16) - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY ## Abstract A computing system determines an estimated weight of a vehicle by measuring kinematic data of the vehicle, including at least one of a velocity or an acceleration of the vehicle. The computing system processes the data to determine an estimated weight of the vehicle. Based on the estimated weight of the vehicle, the computing system can autonomously operate the throttle, braking, and steering systems of the vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: throttle, braking, and steering systems; a computing system comprising one or more processors executing software, causing the computing system to: determine one or more of a velocity or an acceleration of the vehicle; based on the one or more of the velocity or the acceleration of the vehicle, determine an estimated weight of the vehicle; and autonomously operate the throttle, braking, and steering systems of the vehicle based on the estimated weight of the vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the executed software further causes the computing system to: activate the braking system on the vehicle while determining the one or more of the velocity or the acceleration of the vehicle; and determine a braking force on the vehicle while activating the braking system; wherein the executed software causes the computing system to determine the estimated weight of the vehicle based at least in part on the braking force. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the braking system comprises an engine brake, and wherein the executed software further causes the computing system to: activate the engine brake while determining the one or more of the velocity or the acceleration of the vehicle; and determine an engine braking force on the vehicle while activating the engine brake, wherein the executed software causes the computing system to determine the estimated weight of the vehicle based at least in part on the determined engine braking force. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the executed software further causes the computing system to: activate the throttle system on the vehicle while determining the one or more of the velocity or the acceleration of the vehicle; and determine an engine throttle force on the vehicle while activating the throttle system; wherein the executed software causes the computing system to determine the estimated weight of the vehicle based at least in part on the determined engine throttle force. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the executed software further causes the computing system to: deactivate the braking system on the vehicle while determining the one or more of the velocity or the acceleration of the vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the executed software further causes the computing system to: deactivate an engine of the vehicle while determining the one or more of the velocity or the acceleration of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the executed software further causes the computing system to: determine a pitch angle of the vehicle; wherein the executed software causes the computing system to further determine the estimated weight of the vehicle based at least in part on the pitch angle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the executed software further causes the computing system to: determine a drag force on the vehicle; wherein the executed software causes the computing system to determine the estimated weight of the vehicle by accounting for the drag force on the vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the executed software causes the computing system to determine the drag force on the vehicle by accounting for current wind conditions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the executed software further causes the computing system to: determine frictional losses in a drivetrain of the vehicle; wherein the executed software causes the computing system to determine the estimated weight of the vehicle by accounting for the frictional losses in the drivetrain. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the executed software further causes the computing system to: electronically transmit the estimated weight of the vehicle to a computing device remote from the vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the executed software causes the computing system to (i) repeatedly determine the at least one of the velocity or the acceleration of the vehicle, (ii) repeatedly determine the estimated weight of the vehicle, and (iii) adjust autonomous operation of the throttle, braking, and steering systems based on each repeatedly determined estimated weight of the vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the executed software further causes the computing system to: receive a stated weight of freight to be carried by the vehicle; determine an expected weight of the vehicle based on the stated weight of the freight; and compare the expected weight with the estimated weight. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the executed software further causes the computing system to: terminate autonomous operation of the throttle, braking, and steering systems of the vehicle if the estimated weight of the vehicle differs from the expected weight of the vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the executed software further causes the computing system to: transmit the estimated weight of the vehicle to a computing device remote from the vehicle if the estimated weight of the vehicle is substantially different from the expected weight of the vehicle. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable software that, when executed by one or more processors of a vehicle, causes the one or more processors to: determine one or more of a velocity or an acceleration of the vehicle; based on the one or more of the velocity or the acceleration of the vehicle, determine an estimated weight of the vehicle; and autonomously operate throttle, braking, and steering systems of the vehicle based on the estimated weight of the vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executed software further causes the one or more processors to: activate the braking system on the vehicle while determining the one or more of the velocity or the acceleration of the vehicle; and determine a braking force on the vehicle while activating the braking system; wherein the executed software causes the one or more processors to determine the estimated weight of the vehicle based at least in part on the braking force. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the braking system comprises an engine brake, and wherein the executed software further causes the one or more processors to: activate the engine brake while determining the one or more of the velocity or the acceleration of the vehicle; and determine an engine braking force on the vehicle while activating the engine brake; wherein the executed software causes the one or more processors to determine the estimated weight of the vehicle based at least in part on the determined engine braking force. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executed software further causes the one or more processors to: activate the throttle system on the vehicle while determining the one or more of the velocity or the acceleration of the vehicle; and determine an engine throttle force on the vehicle while activating the throttle system; wherein the executed software causes the one or more processors to determine the estimated weight of the vehicle based at least in part on the determined engine throttle force. ### Claim 20 A computing system for a vehicle comprising: a memory storing software; and one or more processors executing the software, causing the computing system to: determine one or more of a velocity or an acceleration of the vehicle; based on the one or more of the velocity or the acceleration of the vehicle, determine an estimated weight of the vehicle; and autonomously operate throttle, braking, and steering systems of the vehicle based on the estimated weight of the vehicle.