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US 11,691,521 B2Granted
Autonomous vehicle fueling with centralized scheduling
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsShiqi Qiu, Oliver Lei, Jayanthi Rao, John Robert Van Wiemeersch
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Abstract
Vehicles can be equipped to operate in both autonomous and occupant piloted mode. Refueling stations can be equipped to refuel autonomous vehicles without occupant assistance. Refueling stations can be equipped with a fueling control computer that communicates with vehicles via wireless networks to move vehicles between waiting zones, service zones and served zones. Refueling stations can include liquid fuel, compressed gas and electric charging.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- receiving, in a fueling control computer, fueling request signals from a plurality of vehicles;
- and
- providing one or more control signals from the fueling control computer to respective vehicles in the plurality of vehicles in response to the fueling request signals;
- wherein the control signals are determined based on minimizing fueling times for the plurality of vehicles according to an order in which the fueling request signals were received while meeting occupant preferences;
- wherein the control signals instruct one or more of the vehicles in the plurality of vehicles to move to one or more fueling zones.
2 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
- receive fueling request signals from a plurality of vehicles;
- and
- provide one or more control signals to respective vehicles in the plurality of vehicles in response to the fueling request signals;
- wherein the control signals are determined based on minimizing fueling times for the plurality of vehicles according to an order in which the fueling request signals were received while meeting occupant preferences;
- wherein the control signals instruct one or more of the vehicles in the plurality of vehicles to move to one or more fueling zones.
5 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
- transmit a first fueling request signal from a vehicle to a fueling control computer;
- and
- receive, from the fueling control computer, one or more control signals in response to the fueling request signal;
- wherein the control signals are determined based on minimizing fueling times for a plurality of vehicles according to an order in which fueling request signals, including the first fueling request signal, were received while meeting occupant preferences;
- wherein the control signals instruct one or more of the vehicles in the plurality of vehicles to move to one or more fueling zones.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.