Transportation system including autonomous detachable engine modules and passenger module

• US 10,245,994 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Delp, Michael J., Higgins, Christopher M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney A
• Application Number:
  US15/239,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20180050626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/00 Traction couplings; Hitches; Draw-gear; Towing devices devices specially adapted for connection between tractors and agricultural machines or implements A01B59/00; fifth-wheel couplings B62D
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/073 Vehicle retainers specially adapted for fixing semi-trailers on railway vehicles B61D45/004
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 63/025 Modular vehicles superstructures for busses having modular sections B62D31/025
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A transportation system includes at least one passenger module and at least one autonomous engine module configured to operatively couple with the at least one passenger module to form an autonomous passenger vehicle.

Claims

1. A transportation system comprising:

at least one passenger module;

a plurality of autonomous engine modules, each autonomous engine module of the plurality of autonomous engine modules being physically separable from, and configured to operatively couple with, the at least one passenger module to form an autonomous passenger vehicle, each engine module of the plurality of autonomous engine modules including an engine module computing system comprising one or more engine module computing system processors for controlling operation of the engine module computing system, and an engine module computing system memory for storing data and program instructions usable by the one or more engine module computing system processors, each engine module computing system memory storing a self-driving capability;

another computing system separate from the autonomous engine module computing systems, the other computing system comprising one or more processors for controlling operation of the computing system, and a memory for storing data and program instructions usable by the one or more processors, the memory storing an engine module use candidate determination capability including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to;

determine, responsive to a user request for use of an autonomous engine module of the plurality of autonomous engine modules, at least one suitable autonomous engine module use candidate from the plurality of autonomous engine modules;

generate, responsive to a determination of at least one suitable autonomous engine module use candidate from the plurality of autonomous engine modules, a notification directed to the user and including information relating to the at least one suitable autonomous engine module use candidate; and

receive a selection, by the user, of an autonomous engine module use candidate from the at least one suitable autonomous engine module use candidate,

wherein the self-driving capability of each engine module computing system includes instructions that when executed by the one or more engine module computing system processors cause the one or more engine module computing system processors to control the autonomous engine module use candidate selected from the at least one suitable autonomous engine module use candidate, to autonomously drive the selected autonomous engine module use candidate to a designated pickup location.

2. The transportation system of claim 1 wherein at least one engine module of the plurality of autonomous engine modules is optimized to generate a torque exceeding a predetermined threshold.

3. The transportation system of claim 1 wherein at least one engine module of the plurality of autonomous engine modules is optimized to provide a fuel-efficiency exceeding a predetermined threshold.

4. The transportation system of claim 1 wherein at least one engine module of the plurality of autonomous engine modules is optimized to generate a horsepower exceeding a predetermined threshold.

7. The transportation system of claim 1 wherein the memory of the other computing system stores instructions that when executed by the one or more processors of the other computing system cause the one or more processors to determine, responsive to the request for use of an autonomous engine module, at least one autonomous engine module use candidate capable of satisfying at least one key threshold parameter.

8. The transportation system of claim 7 wherein the memory of the other computing system stores instructions that when executed by the one or more processors of the other computing system cause the one or more processors to determine, responsive to the request for use of an autonomous engine module, at least one autonomous engine module use candidate capable of satisfying at least one user preference.

9. The transportation system of claim 1 wherein the at least one passenger module includes a first rolling surface formed on the at least one passenger module and at least one passenger module docking mechanism, and wherein the at least one autonomous engine module of the plurality of autonomous engine modules includes:

at least one engine module docking mechanism structured to dockingly engage the at least one passenger module docking mechanism;

at least one front wheel in contact with a surface on which the at least one autonomous engine module resides; and

another wheel positioned above the surface on which the at least one autonomous engine module resides, the other wheel being positioned so as to engage the first rolling surface and roll up the first rolling surface as the at least one autonomous engine module moves in a direction toward the at least one passenger module,

wherein the at least one autonomous engine module is configured to rotate about the at least one front wheel as the other wheel rolls up the first rolling surface,

and wherein rotation of the at least one engine module about the at least one front wheel as the other wheel rolls up the first rolling surface causes the at least one engine module docking mechanism to dockingly align with the at least one passenger module docking mechanism.

10. The transportation system of claim 9 wherein the at least one passenger module further includes a second rolling surface formed thereon adjacent the first rolling surface,

wherein the other wheel is positioned so as to engage the second rolling surface and roll along the second rolling surface after rolling up the first rolling surface as the at least one autonomous engine module moves in the direction toward the at least one passenger module,

and wherein movement of the at least one autonomous engine module in the direction toward the at least one passenger module as the other wheel moves along the second rolling surface causes the at least one engine module docking mechanism to dockingly engage the at least one passenger module docking mechanism.

11. The transportation system of claim 1 wherein the memory of the other computing system stores instructions that when executed by the one or more processors of the other computing system cause the one or more processors of the other computing system to compare at least one of usage requirements and user preferences set forth in the request for use of an autonomous engine module with known characteristics and capabilities of each autonomous engine module to determine suitability of the autonomous engine module for an intended usage.

12. The transportation system of claim 1 wherein the memory of the other computing system stores instructions that when executed by the one or more processors of the other computing system cause the one or more processors of the other computing system to eliminate an autonomous engine module as an autonomous engine module use candidate based on a failure of the autonomous engine module to satisfy at least one of a usage requirement and a user preferences.

5. A transportation system comprising:

at least one passenger module;

a plurality of autonomous engine modules, each autonomous engine module of the plurality of autonomous engine modules being physically separable from, and configured to operatively couple with, the at least one passenger module to form an autonomous passenger vehicle, each engine module of the plurality of autonomous engine modules including an engine module computing system comprising one or more engine module computing system processors for controlling operation of the engine module computing system, and an engine module computing system memory for storing data and program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to;

determine, by communication with other autonomous engine modules of the plurality of autonomous engine modules, and responsive to a user request for use of an autonomous engine module of the plurality of autonomous engine modules, at least one suitable autonomous engine module use candidate from the plurality of autonomous engine modules;

generate, responsive to determination of at least one suitable autonomous engine module use candidate from the plurality of autonomous engine modules, a notification directed to the user including information relating to the at least one suitable autonomous engine module use candidate; and

receive a selection, by the user, of an autonomous engine module use candidate from the at least one suitable autonomous engine module use candidate; and

control the autonomous engine module use candidate selected from the at least one suitable autonomous engine module use candidate, to autonomously drive the selected autonomous engine module use candidate to a designated pickup location.

6. The passenger vehicle of claim 5 wherein the at least one passenger module is not configured for self-propulsion.

13. The transportation system of claim 5 wherein the memory of each engine module computing system stores instructions that when executed by the one or more processors of the engine module computing system cause the one or more processors to compare at least one of usage requirements and user preferences set forth in the request for use of an autonomous engine module with known characteristics and capabilities of the autonomous engine module to determine suitability of the autonomous engine module for an intended usage.

14. The transportation system of claim 5 wherein the memory of each engine module computing system stores instructions that when executed by the one or more processors of the engine module computing system cause the one or more processors to eliminate the autonomous engine module as an autonomous engine module use candidate based on a failure of the autonomous engine module to satisfy at least one of a usage requirement and a user preference.