# US 12,111,667 B2 · Transporter and method for transporting object > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,111,667 B2 - Document ID: US12111667B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/759,549 - Filed: 2020-05-06 - Published: 2023-02-16 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2020-05-06 - Assignees: ABB Schweiz AG - Applicants: ABB Schweiz AG - Inventors: Funing Hu; Fabrice Legeleux - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111667B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0293: {Convoy travelling} - G05D 1/0214: {in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas (monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13)} - G05D 1/0234: {using optical markers or beacons (optical beacons per se G01S1/70)} - G05D 1/0295: {by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet} - G05D 1/617: Safety or protection, e.g. defining protection zones around obstacles or avoiding hazards (arrangements for controlling the position or course of two or more vehicles for avoiding collisions therebetween G05D1/693; arrangements for reacting to or preventing system or operator failure G05D1/80) - G05D 1/695: for maintaining a fixed relative position of the vehicles, e.g. for convoy travelling or formation flight - G05D 1/6985: {using a lead vehicle, e.g. primary-secondary arrangements} - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract Transporters and methods for transporting an object. The transporter includes a carrier comprising a plurality of coupling members; a support assembly adapted to support the carrier; and a plurality of automatic guided vehicles configured to obtain kinematic information from a leading automatic guided vehicle of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles. Each of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles includes a carrier connecting member coupled to the respective coupling member of the carrier to enable the carrier to move with the plurality of automatic guided vehicles; and a patrol assembly adapted to enable the respective automatic guided vehicle to move along the predetermined path. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A transporter comprising: at least one carrier comprising a plurality of coupling members; a support assembly adapted to support the at least one carrier and enable the at least one carrier to transport an object along a predetermined path; and a plurality of automatic guided vehicles connected to each other in a wired or wireless manner and configured to obtain kinematic information from one of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles designated as a leading automatic guided vehicle, wherein each of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles comprises: a carrier connecting member coupled to a respective coupling member of the plurality of coupling members to enable the at least one carrier to move with the plurality of automatic guided vehicles; and a patrol assembly adapted to enable a respective automatic guided vehicle of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles to move along the predetermined path; wherein the leading automatic guided vehicle configured to provide the kinematic information based at least on a radian of the predetermined path and a positional relationship between the plurality of coupling members relative to the predetermined path. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The transporter of claim 1, wherein any other of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles can be re-designated as the leading automatic guided vehicle during a transportation of the object in case of a failure of the previously designated leading automatic guided vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The transporter of claim 1, wherein the at least one carrier comprises: a plurality of carriers connected in series via connecting members arranged between the plurality of carriers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The transporter of claim 3, wherein the connecting members each comprise a coupling portion adapted to be coupled to the carrier connecting member of the respective automatic guided vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The transporter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of automatic guided vehicles are arranged in at least two columns along a direction parallel to the predetermined path. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The transporter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of automatic guided vehicles each comprise a monitoring member configured to provide safety information indicating whether an obstacle is within a predetermined range, and wherein the leading automatic guided vehicle is configured to provide the kinematic information to the plurality of automatic guided vehicles further based on the safety information from the plurality of automatic guided vehicles. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The transporter of claim 6, wherein the predetermined range is adjustable. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The transporter of claim 1, further comprising: a scheduling member configured to provide scheduling information on the predetermined path and a destination for the object to the leading automatic guided vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The transporter of claim 8, wherein the plurality of automatic guided vehicles comprise at least two distance detection members each configured to provide distance information on a distance from the respective distance detection member to a reference marker, and wherein the leading automatic guided vehicle is configured to, in response to a request of lateral movement of the transporter, generate the kinematic information indicating the lateral movements based on the distance information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The transporter of claim 1, wherein the kinematic information indicates speeds of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles, moving directions of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles, or both the speeds and the moving directions of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles. ### Claim 11 A method of transporting an object, comprising: obtaining scheduling information indicating a predetermined path for at least one carrier carrying the object, the at least one carrier comprising a plurality of coupling members coupled to respective carrier connecting members of a plurality of automatic guided vehicles, the plurality of automatic guided vehicles connected to each other in a wired or wireless manner; generating kinematic information for the plurality of automatic guided vehicles based on the obtained scheduling information, wherein generating the kinematic information comprises: generating the kinematic information based at least on a radian of the predetermined path and a positional relationship between the plurality of coupling members relative to the predetermined path; and providing the kinematic information to each of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles to cause each of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles to move along the predetermined path. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein generating the kinematic information comprises: generating the kinematic information based on a safety information indicating whether an obstacle is within a predetermined range. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein obtaining the scheduling information comprises: obtaining the scheduling information indicating the predetermined path and a destination for the object from a scheduling member. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein generating the kinematic information comprises: in response to a request of lateral movement of the at least one carrier, generating the kinematic information indicating the lateral movements based on a distance information on a distance from a distance detection member to a reference marker.