# US 2021/0276533 A1 · Cart, work machine, and travel system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0276533 A1 - Document ID: US20210276533A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/181,170 - Filed: 2021-02-22 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-09 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Toru KAWAI; Masaya HONJI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210276533A1 ## CPC - B60L 50/61: by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles - B60W 20/13: in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion - B60L 53/00: Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles - B60L 53/68: Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control - B60L 2200/40: Working vehicles - Y02P 90/60: Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - Y02T 90/167: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV] - Y04S 30/12: Remote or cooperative charging - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract There is provided a cart. An electric motor generates a travel driving force based on a control signal from an external control unit configured to perform control related a travel path of the cart. A battery supplies power to the electric motor. An engine drives a power generator which is configured to be capable of charging the battery. A determination unit determines whether the engine is to be operated, based on a predetermined condition. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cart comprising: an electric motor configured to generate a travel driving force based on a control signal from an external control unit configured to perform control related a travel path of the cart; a battery configured to supply power to the electric motor; an engine configured to drive a power generator which is configured to be capable of charging the battery; and a determination unit configured to determine whether the engine is to be operated, based on a predetermined condition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cart according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmission unit configured to transmit a determination result obtained by the determination unit to the control unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The cart according to claim 2, wherein the control unit can be mounted. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cart according to claim 1, wherein the control unit can execute autonomous travel control of the cart. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cart according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the engine is to be operated, based on whether first information related to a vehicle body of the cart satisfies the predetermined condition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cart according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the engine is to be operated, based on whether second information related to a state of the periphery of the cart satisfies the predetermined condition. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The cart according to claim 6, wherein the second information includes information about the presence/absence of a person in the periphery of the cart. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The cart according to claim 6, wherein the second information includes information about the concentration of carbon monoxide in the periphery of the cart. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The cart according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the engine is to be operated in a case in which a voltage of the battery is not more than a threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A work machine comprising: a cart defined in claim 1; and a work unit mounted on the cart and configured to perform a predetermined task. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The machine according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined task is a conveyance task for carrying and conveying a target object. ### Claim 12 A travel system that comprises a cart and an external control unit configured to perform control related to a travel path of the cart, wherein the cart comprises an electric motor configured to generate a travel driving force based on a control signal from the external control unit, a battery configured to supply power to the electric motor, an engine configured to drive a power generator which is configured to be capable of charging the battery, and a determination unit configured to determine whether the engine is to be operated based on a predetermined condition. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The travel system according to claim 12, further comprising: a server configured to be capable of communicating with the cart, wherein the server includes the external control unit.