# US 12,603,522 B2 · Caravanning autonomous vehicle train > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,603,522 B2 - Document ID: US12603522B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/789,968 - Filed: 2021-01-06 - Published: 2023-02-02 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-06 - Assignees: The Trustees of Indiana University - Applicants: The Trustees of Indiana University - Inventors: M. Razi Nalim; Euzeli C. Dos Santos, Jr.; Clayton L. Nicholas; Omar Nezamuddin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12603522B2 ## CPC - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - G05D 1/0293: {Convoy travelling} - G08G 1/22: {Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles} - H02J 50/80: involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices - H02J 50/90: involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment - H04W 4/46: for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V] - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - 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}) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Embodiments presented herein disclose techniques for providing an autonomous vehicle caravanning system (AVCS) allowing for continuous wireless charging between vehicles thereof. The AVCS includes a pilot generator vehicle and one or more freight vehicles interconnected between one another without a mechanical connect. Further, the AVCS may also include one or more generator vehicles interspersed in various positions of the AVCS to provide wireless charging to vehicles therein. Passenger vehicles may be added to the caravan to receive wireless charging from the generator vehicles of the AVCS. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a pilot vehicle comprising a controller unit and a battery; one or more freight vehicles in communication with at least the pilot vehicle, and wherein the pilot vehicle and one or more freight vehicles are arranged in a caravan configuration, wherein the pilot vehicle provides wireless electric charging to the one or more freight vehicles in the caravan configuration, and wherein the controller unit is configured to: maintain a state of charge (SOC) of the battery above a specified threshold, regulate the wireless electric charge to the one or more freight vehicles such that prior to disengagement from the caravan configuration, a first one of the freight vehicles is charged to a SOC within a first SOC range, and upon reengagement, the first one of the freight vehicles is charged to a SOC within a second SOC range different from the first SOC range, establish a connection with a second vehicle unassociated with the caravan configuration, receive a request from the second vehicle to join the caravan configuration, the request comprising one or more credentials associated with the second vehicle, determine whether the request is valid based on a transmission of the request to a management service validating the one or more credentials, and upon a determination that the request is valid, modify the caravan configuration to include the second vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more generator vehicles interspersed within the caravan configuration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the caravan configuration separates the pilot vehicle, freight vehicles, and generator vehicles within a specified distance from a preceding vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein each of the pilot vehicle, freight vehicles, and generator vehicles use magnetic repulsion to maintain distance in the caravan configuration. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the magnetic repulsion regenerates electrical power and recharges a battery in each of the pilot vehicle, freight vehicles, and generator vehicles. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, further comprising one or more passenger vehicles, the one or more passenger vehicles in communication with at least the pilot vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more passenger vehicles are further in communication with at least one of the one or more generator vehicles. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one or more generator vehicles provides electric charging to the one or more passenger vehicles. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising, a server comprising a management service to manage logistics of the system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller unit is further configured to: determine whether the caravan configuration has availability to allow the second vehicle to join the caravan configuration. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller unit is further configured to: determine one or more services available to the second vehicle; upon a determination that charging services are available second vehicle, provide wireless charging to the second vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller unit is further configured to: receive a request from one of the one or more freight vehicles to disengage from the caravan configuration; modify the caravan configuration to remove the one of the one or more freight vehicles therefrom. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the controller unit is further configured to: receive a second request from the one of the one or more freight vehicles to reengage with the caravan configuration; and modify the caravan configuration to readd the one of the one or more freight vehicles thereto. ### Claim 14 A method comprising: maintaining, by a controller unit of a pilot vehicle in a caravan configuration with one or more generator vehicles and one or more freight vehicles, a state of charge of a battery of the pilot vehicle above a specified threshold; regulating, by the control unit, a wireless electric charge to the one or more freight vehicles such that prior to disengagement from the caravan configuration, a first one of the freight vehicles is charged to a SOC within a first SOC range, and upon reengagement, the first one of the freight vehicles is charged to a SOC within a second SOC range different from the first SOC range; establishing, by the controller unit , a connection with a second vehicle unassociated with the caravan configuration; receiving, by the controller unit, a request from the second vehicle to join the caravan configuration, the request including one or more credentials associated with the second vehicle; determining, by the controller unit, whether the request is valid based on a transmission of the request to a management service validating the one or more credentials, and upon determining that the request is valid, modifying, by the controller unit, the caravan configuration to include the second vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: determining, by the controller unit, whether the caravan configuration has availability to allow the second vehicle to join the caravan configuration. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: determining, by the controller unit, one or more services available to the second vehicle; upon determining that charging services are available second vehicle, causing, by the controller unit, at least one of the one or more generator vehicles to provide wireless charging to the second vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: receiving, by the controller unit, a request from one of the one or more generator vehicles or the one or more freight vehicles to disengage from the caravan configuration; and modifying, by the controller unit, the caravan configuration to remove the one of the one or more generator vehicles or the one or more freight vehicles. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: receiving, by the controller unit, a second request from the one of the one or more generator vehicles or the one or more freight vehicles to reengage with the caravan configuration; and modifying, by the controller unit, the caravan configuration to include the one of the one or more generator vehicles or the one or more freight vehicles thereto.