US 11,708,102 B2
System and/or method for platooning
Matthew Soule, Los Angeles, CA (US); John Howard, Los Angeles, CA (US); and Benjamin Stuart Stabler, Los Angeles, CA (US)
Assigned to Parallel Systems, Inc., Los Angeles, CA (US)
Filed by Parallel Systems, Inc., Los Angeles, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 20, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/948,944.
Application 17/948,944 is a continuation of application No. 17/732,143, filed on Apr. 28, 2022, granted, now 11,548,542.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/180,867, filed on Apr. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/195,617, filed on Jun. 1, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/299,786, filed on Jan. 14, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0017057 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B61L 27/10 (2022.01); B61L 27/70 (2022.01)
CPC B61L 27/10 (2022.01) [B61L 27/70 (2022.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
based on a first set of instructions from a remote dispatcher, controlling traversal of a first platoon in a direction of transit along a track within a rail network, the first platoon comprising a first rail car;
receiving a second set of instructions from the remote dispatcher at a second rail car trailing the first platoon along the track;
based on the second set of instructions, autonomously controlling traversal of the second rail car along the track in the direction of transit;
determining a distance between the second vehicle and the first platoon;
based on the distance, joining the second rail car to the first platoon; and
after joining the second rail car to the first platoon, autonomously controlling the second rail car by:
determining a compressive force at a leading end in the direction of transit; and
with a feedback controller, controlling a powertrain of the second rail car based on the compressive force.