Control architecture for a self-powered dolly vehicle
AssigneeVolvo Truck Corporation
InventorsLeo Laine, Leon Henderson, José Vilca, Mats Jonasson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dolly vehicle includes at least one motion support device, MSD, and a control unit arranged for vehicle motion management, VMM, wherein the control unit is configurable in a master mode where the at least one MSD is controlled based on a set of capabilities of a vehicle combination comprising the dolly vehicle to fulfil an assigned task. The control unit is configurable in a slave mode where the at least one MSD is controlled based on requests received from an external master control unit.
Claims13
A dolly vehicle comprising at least one motion support device, MSD, and a control unit arranged for vehicle motion management, VMM,
- wherein the control unit is configurable in a master mode where the at least one MSD is controlled based on a set of capabilities of a vehicle combination comprising the dolly vehicle to fulfil an assigned task, and
- wherein the control unit is configurable in a slave mode where the at least one MSD is controlled based on requests received from an external master control unit,
- wherein the slave mode is automatically configured when the control unit of the dolly vehicle is connected via wireless link to an external control unit, wherein the slave mode is automatically configured when a drawbar of the dolly vehicle is at least indirectly connected to a master vehicle, and wherein the master vehicle comprises a control unit arranged to operate in the master mode.
A method for managing dolly vehicle motion, where the dolly vehicle comprises at least one motion support device, MSD, the method comprising:
- determining if the dolly vehicle is to operate in a master mode or in a slave mode, where the dolly vehicle is to operate in slave mode at least when a control unit of the dolly vehicle is connected via wireless link to an external control unit, wherein the slave mode is automatically configured when a drawbar of the dolly vehicle is at least indirectly connected to a master vehicle,
- when the dolly vehicle is to operate in the master mode
- controlling the at least one MSD based on a set of capabilities of a vehicle combination
- comprising the dolly vehicle to fulfil an assigned task, and
- when the dolly vehicle is to operate in the slave mode
- controlling the at least one MSD based on requests received from an external master control unit,
- wherein the master vehicle comprises a control unit arranged to operate in the master mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.