# US 2019/0168971 A1 · Power wheel and cooperative carrying method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168971 A1 - Document ID: US20190168971A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/831,397 - Filed: 2017-12-05 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-05 - Assignees: Metal Industries Research & Development Centre - Applicants: Metal Industries Research & Development Centre - Inventors: Kuang-Shine Yang; Ping-Hua Su; Cheng-Yu Lu; Chiu-Feng Lin; Ying-Cherng Lu; Pao-Hsien Hsieh; Chia-Lung Huang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168971A1 ## CPC - B65G 43/10: Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination - B62D 63/025: {Modular vehicles (superstructures for busses having modular sections B62D31/025)} - B65G 35/00: Mechanical conveyors not otherwise provided for - G05D 1/0231: {using optical position detecting means (position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16)} - G05D 1/0278: {using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS} - G05D 1/0287: {involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16)} - G05D 1/0293: {Convoy travelling} - B65G 2201/02: Articles - B65G 2203/044: Optical - B65G 2207/34: Omni-directional rolls - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract A power wheel including a positioning device, a wireless communication module, and a controller is provided, where the controller is configured to operate in an active mode or a passive mode. When operating in the passive mode, the controller is configured to: acquire route information and moving information from the power wheel operating in the active mode by the wireless communication module, and acquire relative position information with the other power wheels by the positioning device; and determine a rotation strategy of the power wheel according to the route information, the moving information and the relative position information. When operating in the active mode, the controller is configured to: acquire the route information, and transmit the route information to the other power wheels; and determine the rotation strategy of the power wheel according to the route information. In addition, a cooperative carrying method of the power wheel is also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power wheel, configured to cooperatively carry an object with a plurality of other power wheels, each of said power wheels comprising: a positioning device; a wireless communication module, configured to communicate with the other power wheels; and a controller, coupled to the positioning device and the wireless communication module, and configured to operate in one of an active mode and a passive mode, wherein when operating in the passive mode, the controller is configured to: acquire route information and moving information from the power wheel operating in the active mode by the wireless communication module, and acquire relative position information with the other power wheels by the positioning device; and determine a rotation strategy of the power wheel according to the route information, the moving information and the relative position information, wherein when operating in the active mode, the controller is configured to: acquire the route information, and transmit the route information and the moving information to the other power wheels; and determine the rotation strategy according to the route information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power wheel according to claim 1, wherein when operating in the active mode, the controller is further configured to: generate the moving information according to the rotation strategy of the power wheel; and transmit the moving information to the power wheels operating in the passive mode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power wheel according to claim 1, wherein the rotation strategy comprises a rotation speed and a rotation orientation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power wheel according to claim 1, wherein each of said power wheels comprises: a securing device, configured to secure the carried object. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The power wheel according to claim 1, wherein each of said power wheels comprises: an identification tag, disposed on a lateral side of each of said power wheels; and an image sensing device, coupled to the controller, and configured to capture the identification tags of the other power wheels so as to identify the other power wheels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power wheel according to claim 1, wherein the positioning device is an optical distance measuring device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The power wheel according to claim 1, wherein the positioning device is a global positioning system module. ### Claim 8 A cooperative carrying method, applicable to a plurality of power wheels for cooperatively carrying an object, wherein a first power wheel among the power wheels operates in an active mode, a plurality of second power wheels among the power wheels operate in a passive mode, and the cooperative carrying method comprises: acquiring route information and transmitting the route information to the second power wheels by the first power wheel; respectively acquiring relative position information with the first power wheel and the second power wheels by the second power wheels; determining a rotation strategy of the first power wheel according to the route information by the first power wheel; generating moving information according to the rotation strategy of the first power wheel and transmitting the moving information to the second power wheels by the first power wheel; and respectively receiving the route information and the moving information and determining a rotation strategy for each of the second power wheels according to the route information, the moving information and the relative position information by the second power wheels. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The cooperative carrying method according to claim 8, wherein the step of respectively acquiring the relative position information with the first power wheel and the second power wheels by the second power wheels comprises: identifying the first power wheel and the second power wheels through identification tags of the first power wheel and the second power wheels by the second power wheels; and respectively acquiring the relative position information with the first power wheel and the second power wheels by the second power wheels using optical distance measuring devices. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The cooperative carrying method according to claim 8, wherein the rotation strategy comprises a rotation speed and a rotation orientation.