# US 2024/0199152 A1 · Modular Vehicle System and Wheel Assembly

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- Number: US 2024/0199152 A1
- Document ID: US20240199152A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/588,858
- Filed: 2024-02-27
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-27
- Assignees: farm-ng Inc.
- Applicants: Farm-ng Inc.
- Inventors: Ethan Rublee; Matthew Bitterman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240199152A1

## CPC

- B60L 53/80: Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
- B62D 63/025: {Modular vehicles (superstructures for busses having modular sections B62D31/025)}
- B60B 35/005: {with adaptations at chassis structure}
- B60K 7/0007: {the motor being electric}
- B60L 15/20: for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
- B60L 50/60: using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75)
- B62D 65/04: Joining preassembled modular units composed of sub-units performing diverse functions, e.g. engine and bonnet (B62D65/06 - B62D65/16 take precedence)
- B60L 2200/40: Working vehicles
- B60L 2220/42: with use of more than one motor
- B60L 2220/46: Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
- B60L 2260/32: Auto pilot mode
- 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
- 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)
- B60B: VEHICLE WHEELS (making wheels or wheel parts by rolling B21H1/00, by forging, hammering or pressing B21K1/28); CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES

## Abstract

Provided is a wheel assembly including a housing having a top side, an attachment arrangement on the top side of the housing and configured to be removably attached to an external support, a wheel supported by the housing and arranged below the top side of the housing, a motor supported by the housing and configured to move the wheel, a network interface supported by the housing, and a controller in communication with the motor and the network interface, the controller configured to control the motor based on at least one command received via the network interface. A modular vehicle system is also described.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wheel assembly comprising:
a housing having a top side;
an attachment arrangement on the top side of the housing and configured to be removably attached to an external support;
a wheel supported by the housing and arranged below the top side of the housing;
a motor supported by the housing and configured to move the wheel;
a network interface supported by the housing; and
a controller in communication with the motor and the network interface, the controller configured to control the motor based on at least one command received via the network interface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the motor is configured to move the wheel by at least one of rotationally driving the wheel and turning the wheel at an angle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The wheel assembly of claim 1, further comprising a battery dock supported by the housing and in communication with the motor, the battery dock configured to receive a removable battery.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the attachment arrangement comprises a clamp.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the attachment arrangement is configured to receive the external support and to slide along the external support.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing is fork-shaped such that two portions of the housing extend downward from the top side of the housing to a center axis of the wheel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive the at least one command from at least one other wheel assembly.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the attachment arrangement is fixed to or integral with the top side of the housing.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The wheel assembly of claim 1, further comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon a unique identifier uniquely identifying the wheel assembly from a plurality of wheel assemblies.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The wheel assembly of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to control the motor based on the unique identifier received via the network interface.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a sheet of material folded over a portion of the wheel.

### Claim 12

A modular vehicle system comprising:
a lateral support;
a first wheel assembly removably attached to the lateral support, the first wheel assembly comprising a first controller;
a second wheel assembly removably attached to the lateral support, the second wheel assembly comprising a second controller;
a processor configured to communicate commands to the first controller and the second controller to control the first wheel assembly and the second wheel assembly; and
a device network establishing communication between the processor, the first controller, and the second controller.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The modular vehicle system of claim 12, wherein the first wheel assembly and the second wheel assembly are configured to slide along a length of the lateral support and to be removably attached to the lateral support at a chosen position.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The modular vehicle system of claim 12, wherein the device network comprises at least one of the following: a mesh network, a daisy-chained network, a hub-and-spoke network, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The modular vehicle system of claim 12, further comprising a vehicle chassis including the lateral support.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The modular system of claim 14, further comprising a camera in communication with the device network.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The modular system of claim 12, further comprising a battery dock configured to receive a removable battery.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The modular system of claim 12, further comprising an attachment arrangement configured to removably attach at least one of the first wheel assembly and the second wheel assembly to the lateral support.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The modular system of claim 18, wherein the attachment arrangement is configured to slide along the lateral support while unsecured.

### Claim 20

A modular vehicle system comprising at least one processor programmed or configured to:
determine a configuration of at least one wheel assembly of the modular vehicle;
generate a kinematic control model based on the configuration of the at least one wheel assembly and dimensions of the modular vehicle; and
control the modular vehicle based on the kinematic control model.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The wheel assembly of claim 1, further comprising a data bus interface configured to communicate with other devices on a common data bus.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The wheel assembly of claim 21, further comprising a power bus interface configured to receive power from a power bus independent of the common data bus and the data bus interface.

### Claim 23 (depends on 12)

The modular vehicle system of claim 12, wherein the device network comprises a data bus connected to each of the processor, the first controller, and the second controller.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The modular vehicle system of claim 23, further comprising a power bus independent of the data bus and having a higher voltage than the data bus, the power bus configured to provide power to a motor of the first wheel assembly, a motor of the second wheel assembly, and the data bus.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The modular vehicle system of claim 24, further comprising a connector including a power injector configured to provide power from the power bus to the data bus.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The modular vehicle system of claim 24, further comprising at least one agricultural tool connected to the data bus.

### Claim 27 (depends on 12)

The modular vehicle system of claim 12, further comprising a bumper.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The modular vehicle system of claim 27, wherein the bumper comprises at least one sensor in communication with the processor via the device network.

### Claim 29 (depends on 12)

The modular vehicle system of claim 12, wherein the processor comprises a central controller configured to issue commands to the first controller and the second controller based on a kinematic control model.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The modular vehicle system of claim 29, wherein the central controller is arranged on a vehicle chassis external from the first wheel assembly and the second wheel assembly.