# US 10,369,976 B1 · Systems and methods for rapidly decelerating a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,976 B1 - Document ID: US10369976B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/179,007 - Filed: 2018-11-02 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-02 - Assignees: Nuro, Inc. - Applicants: Nuro, Inc. - Inventors: Daniel Jason Ratner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369976B1 ## CPC - B60T 1/14: directly on road (portable devices, e.g. chocks B60T3/00) - B60T 7/12: for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger {(limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00)} - B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - B60T 2201/03: Brake assistants - B60W 2554/00: Input parameters relating to objects - B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES - 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 - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract A system for decelerating a vehicle includes a mount and a powered driver configured to propel an anchor toward a road surface to selectively secure the vehicle to the road surface. The mount is configured to couple the powered driver to a chassis of the vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for decelerating a driverless vehicle, comprising: a mount having a first end portion configured to be coupled to a chassis of a driverless vehicle, and a second end portion; and a powered driver coupled to the second end portion of the mount and supporting an anchor, the powered driver configured to propel the anchor from the powered driver into a road surface to fix the anchor in the road surface and to selectively secure the vehicle to the road surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the mount includes a first strap that couples the powered driver to the chassis of the vehicle, the first strap configured to maintain the anchor secured to the chassis of the vehicle when the anchor is propelled by the powered driver. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system according to claim 2, wherein the mount includes an axle secured to the powered driver. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system according to claim 3, wherein the mount includes a second strap coupled to the axle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system according to claim 4, wherein the mount includes: a first plate coupled to the first strap and the second strap; and a first damper captured between the first plate and the second strap to limit relative movement between the first plate and the second strap. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system according to claim 5, wherein the first damper is configured to compress between a stop of the first plate and a first end portion of the second strap. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system according to claim 5, wherein the mount includes: a second plate coupled to the second strap; and a second damper captured between the first plate and the second plate, the first strap wrapped around the second damper. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system according to claim 7, wherein the second damper is configured to compress between a stop of the first plate and a stop of the second plate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, further comprising an axle coupled to the powered drive, the axle configured to be coupled to the chassis and selectively detachable therefrom. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system according to claim 9, wherein the powered driver includes a body having a fastener protruding therefrom, the fastener configured to engage the road surface upon the axle detaching from the chassis. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, further comprising a linkage having a first end portion configured to be pivotably coupled to the chassis and axially restrained thereto, and a second end portion pivotably coupled to the axle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system according to claim 11, wherein the linkage is biased toward a deployed state, such that upon detaching the axle from the chassis, the linkage is configured to move the axle away from the chassis toward the road surface to engage the fastener of the powered driver with the road surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12, wherein the linkage is spring biased toward the deployed state. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system according to claim 9, further comprising another powered driver disposed along a length of the axle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein powered driver includes: a body; a fastener extending from a bottom portion of the body; the anchor deployable from the body; and an actuator configured to deploy the anchor from the body. ### Claim 16 An autonomous A driverless vehicle, comprising: a chassis; and a system for decelerating the chassis along a road surface, the system including: a mount having a first end portion coupled to the chassis, and a second end portion; and a powered driver coupled to the second end portion of the mount and configured to propel an anchor therefrom into the road surface to fix the anchor in the road surface to limit movement of the chassis relative to the road surface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The driverless vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the mount includes: an axle having the powered driver fixed thereto; and a first strap having a first end portion wrapped about a transverse bar of the chassis, and a second end portion coupled to the axle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The driverless vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the mount includes a second strap having a first end portion disposed adjacent the second end portion of the first strap, and a second end portion wrapped about the axle, the first strap configured to move with the chassis and away from the second strap. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The driverless vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the mount includes a damper disposed between the transverse bar of the chassis and the axle, at least one of the first strap or the second strap being configured to compress the damper as the first strap moves away from the second strap. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The driverless vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the mount includes: a first plate slidably disposed between the transverse bar of the chassis and the axle and coupled to the first strap; and a first damper captured between the first plate and the second strap, the first strap configured to advance the first plate upon moving away from the second strap, whereby the first damper inhibits without preventing the advancement of the first plate. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The driverless vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the axle is coupled to the chassis and selectively detachable therefrom. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The driverless vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the powered driver includes a body having a fastener protruding therefrom, the fastener configured to engage the road surface upon the axle detaching from the chassis. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The driverless vehicle according to claim 22, further comprising a linkage having a first end portion pivotably coupled to the chassis and axially restrained thereto, and a second end portion pivotably coupled to the axle. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The driverless vehicle according to claim 23, wherein the linkage is pivotable relative to the chassis from a stored position, in which the second end portion of the linkage maintains the powered driver in a retracted state, to a deployed position, in which the second end portion of the linkage positions the powered driver adjacent the road surface. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The driverless vehicle according to claim 24, wherein the linkage is biased toward the deployed state, such that upon detaching the axle from the chassis, the linkage is configured to move the axle away from the chassis toward the road surface to engage the fastener of the powered driver with the road surface.