Motor stall and trailer lift
AssigneeOutrider Technologies, Inc.
InventorsTessa Ronan, Vittorio Ziparo, Lawrence Klein, Ky Woodard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device and method operated thereby may control a hydraulic pump to pump a hydraulic fluid into a chamber of a piston coupled to a fifth wheel of the tractor to raise the fifth wheel. The device, and method operated thereby, may sense, at intervals as the fifth wheel rises, a pressure value of the hydraulic fluid in the chamber. The device, and method operated thereby, may process the pressure values to determine when the landing gear is lifted off the ground.
Claims12
A method for detecting and preventing stall of a drive motor of an autonomous electric tractor, comprising:
- receiving, at intervals, a motor current value from a drive circuit of the autonomous electric tractor;
- determining when the motor current value reaches or exceeds a first current threshold;
- when the motor current value reaches or exceeds the first current threshold, inhibiting a throttle controlling the drive motor;
- setting a motor stall flag;
- determining a stall location based on a current location of the autonomous electric tractor;
- starting a timer;
- determining when, after exceeding the first current threshold, the motor current value is below a second current threshold or when the timer reaches a first time-limit;
- and
- when the motor current value is below the second current threshold or when the timer reaches the first time-limit:
- clearing the motor stall flag;
- and
- un-inhibiting the throttle.
A method for preventing stall of a motor of an autonomous electric tractor, comprising:
- receiving, at intervals, a motor current value from a drive circuit of the autonomous electric tractor;
- and
- when the motor current value reaches or exceeds a first current threshold, inhibiting a throttle controlling the drive motor for a predefined period;
- determining a stall location based on a current location of the autonomous electric tractor;
- and
- implementing, after the predefined period, a stall recovery routine for the autonomous electric tractor, the stall recovery routine comprising:
- determining the stall location indicates the autonomous electric tractor is attempting to hitch to a trailer;
- controlling the autonomous electric tractor to move forward a predetermined distance;
- and
- controlling the autonomous electric tractor to attempt coupling with the trailer using a greater throttle setting than previously used.
A method for preventing stall of a motor of an autonomous electric tractor, comprising:
- receiving, at intervals, a motor current value from a drive circuit of the autonomous electric tractor;
- and
- when the motor current value reaches or exceeds a first current threshold, inhibiting a throttle controlling the drive motor for a predefined period;
- determining a stall location based on a current location of the autonomous electric tractor;
- and
- implementing, after the predefined period, a stall recovery routine for the autonomous electric tractor, the stall recovery routine comprising:
- determining the stall location indicates the autonomous electric tractor is attempting to reverse a trailer against at least one dock pad of a loading dock;
- controlling the autonomous electric tractor to move forward a predetermined distance;
- controlling the autonomous electric tractor to reverse the trailer against the at least one dock pad;
- and
- determining the trailer is docked when the motor current value reaches or exceeds the first current threshold.
A method for preventing stall of a motor of an autonomous electric tractor, comprising:
- receiving, at intervals, a motor current value from a drive circuit of the autonomous electric tractor;
- and
- when the motor current value reaches or exceeds a first current threshold, inhibiting a throttle controlling the drive motor for a predefined period;
- determining a stall location based on a current location of the autonomous electric tractor;
- and
- implementing, after the predefined period, a stall recovery routine for the autonomous electric tractor, the stall recovery routine comprising:
- determining the stall location indicates the autonomous electric tractor is traversing an apron of an autonomous yard;
- controlling the autonomous electric tractor to reverse direction for a predetermined distance;
- and
- controlling the autonomous electric tractor to repeat the traversing of the apron with a higher throttle setting.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.