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US 12,608,009 B2Granted
Method and control system for controlling a wired vehicle fleet
AssigneeAGCO International GmbH
InventorBernd Opitsch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wired vehicle fleet having a first vehicle connected with a supply unit by a first bendable connection element and a second vehicle connected with the supply unit by a second bendable connection element is controlled by a control unit to avoid a collision between the first and the second bendable connection elements.
Claims16
A method for controlling a wired vehicle fleet, the vehicle fleet comprising:
- a first vehicle connected with a moveable supply unit for supplying the first vehicle with at least one of electrical energy or fluid by a first bendable connection element;
- and
- a second vehicle connected with the moveable supply unit for supplying the second vehicle with at least one of electrical energy of fluid by a second bendable connection element,
- wherein the first or the second bendable connection element comprises a pipe for supplying a fluid or a wire for transferring electrical energy or a combination of a wire and a pipe, and
- wherein the method is for avoiding a collision between the first and second bendable connection elements and comprises:
- determining a minimum and a maximum height of the first bendable connection element;
- determining a minimum and a maximum height of the second bendable connection element;
- determining a first wayline of the first vehicle;
- determining a second wayline of the second vehicle depending on the heights of the first and second bendable connection elements and based on a path planning algorithm;
- determining a third wayline of the moveable supply unit,
- wherein the location of the moveable supply unit is defined by the third wayline,
- wherein, if the minimum height of the first bendable connection element is higher than the maximum height of the second bendable connection element, the second wayline runs between the first wayline and the third wayline;
- and
- wherein, if the maximum height of the first bendable connection element is lower than the minimum height of the second bendable connection element, the first wayline runs between the second wayline and the third wayline;
- and
- causing at least one of the first vehicle to travel along the first wayline or the second vehicle to travel along the second wayline.
13 more elements
A method for controlling a wired vehicle fleet, the vehicle fleet comprising:
- a first vehicle connected with a moveable supply unit for supplying the first vehicle with at least one of electrical energy or fluid by a first bendable connection element;
- and
- a second vehicle connected with the moveable supply unit for supplying the second vehicle with at least one of electrical energy or fluid by a second bendable connection element,
- wherein the first or the second bendable connection element is a pipe for supplying a fluid or a wire for transferring electrical energy or a combination of a wire and a pipe;
- wherein the method is for avoiding a collision between the first and second bendable connection elements and comprising:
- determining a first wayline of the first vehicle;
- determining a second wayline of the second vehicle;
- determining a first safety zone in consideration of a length of the first bendable connection element and a minimum and a maximum height of the first bendable connection element;
- determining a second safety zone in consideration of a length of the second bendable connection element and a minimum and a maximum height of the second bendable connection element;
- anticipating variations of the first safety zone based on anticipated variations of the first vehicle moving along the first wayline;
- anticipating variations of the second safety zone based on anticipated variations of the second vehicle moving along the second wayline;
- anticipating a collision of the first bendable connection element with the second bendable connection element if an anticipated variation of the first safety zone intersects an anticipated variation of the second safety zone;
- and
- causing at least one of the first vehicle to travel along the first wayline or the second vehicle to travel along the second wayline.
11 more elements
A control system for controlling a wired vehicle fleet, the control system comprising:
- a moveable supply unit;
- a first vehicle connected with the moveable supply unit for supplying the first vehicle with energy or any other resource by a first bendable connection element;
- a second vehicle connected with the moveable supply unit for supplying the second vehicle with energy or any other resource by a second bendable connection element;
- wherein the first or the second bendable connection element comprises a pipe for supplying a fluid or a wire for transferring electrical energy or a combination of a wire and a pipe;
- and
- a control unit configured to:
- determine a minimum and a maximum height of the first bendable connection element;
- determine a minimum and a maximum height of the second bendable connection element;
- determine a first wayline of the first vehicle;
- determine a second wayline of the second vehicle depending on the heights of the first and second bendable connection element and based on a path planning algorithm;
- determining a third wayline of the moveable supply unit,
- wherein the location of the moveable supply unit is defined by the third wayline,
- wherein, if the minimum height of the first bendable connection element is higher than the maximum height of the second bendable connection element, the second wayline runs between the first wayline and the third wayline, and
- wherein, if the maximum height of the first bendable connection element is lower than the minimum height of the second bendable connection element, the first wayline runs between the second wayline and the third wayline;
- and
- causing at least one of the first vehicle to travel along the first wayline or the second vehicle to travel along the second wayline.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.