Vehicle docking structure with a passive latching system

A low-power docking station for a micromobility vehicle, the low-power docking station comprising:

• a housing having walls that define a vehicle opening capable of receiving a portion of the micromobility vehicle;
• a latching receiver configured to engage with a latching mount of the micromobility vehicle when the portion of the micromobility vehicle is positioned in the vehicle opening, the latching receiver comprising:
• a movable hook comprising a retention feature,
• a rotatable cam configured to selectively engage with the movable hook, and
• a movable latch comprising a latching protrusion and a receiving feature, the receiving feature configured to receive the latching mount when the latching mount is advanced into the receiving feature, and in response to the receiving feature receiving the latching mount, the movable latch is configured to move such that the latching protrusion of the movable latch is retained by the retention feature of the movable hook;
• and
• a low-power locking architecture coupled to the latching receiver and capable of locking the micromobility vehicle via the latching receiver, the low-power locking architecture comprising:
• an actuator for rotating the rotatable cam among a plurality of cam positions;
• and
• a low-power interface disposed on the housing and configured to provide a status of the latching receiver.

A method of operating a low-power docking station for a micromobility vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining whether the micromobility vehicle is authorized to be docked to a latching receiver of the docking station;
• and
• in a first position of a rotatable cam of the latching receiver,
• receiving, by a movable latch of the latching receiver and based on the latching receiver being unoccupied, a latching mount of the micromobility vehicle, wherein the rotatable cam is selectively engagable with a movable hook having a retention feature, and wherein the movable latch has a latching protrusion and a receiving feature, the receiving feature configured to selectively receive the latching mount, the latching protrusion of the movable latch selectively retainable by the retention feature of the movable hook;
• and
• retaining, by the movable latch and based on the latching receiver being occupied, the latching mount of the micromobility vehicle;
• in a second position of the rotatable cam,
• preventing retention, by the movable latch and based on the latching receiver being unoccupied, of the latching mount of the micromobility vehicle;
• and
• releasing, by the movable latch and based on the latching receiver being occupied, the latching mount of the micromobility vehicle;
• and
• in a third position of the rotatable cam,
• preventing receipt, by the movable latch and based on the latching receiver being unoccupied, of the latching mount of the micromobility vehicle;
• and
• locking, by the movable latch and based on the latching receiver being occupied, the latching mount of the micromobility vehicle.