| CPC B60W 60/0025 (2020.02) [B60W 30/165 (2013.01); B62D 13/00 (2013.01); G08G 1/16 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
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1. A method for orchestrating movement between an autonomous electric-powered (AEP) trailer and a towing entity, the method comprising:
detecting a presence of a towing entity;
while the autonomous electric-powered (AEP) trailer is in an unpaired state with the towing entity:
capturing, via one or more sensors of the autonomous electric-powered (AEP) trailer, a plurality of images of the towing entity from different angles;
detecting, via one or more machine learning models of the autonomous electric-powered (AEP) trailer, one or more features of the towing entity, including a license plate number of the towing entity;
generating, by the autonomous electric-powered (AEP) trailer, a movement synchronization pairing proposal between the autonomous electric-powered (AEP) trailer and the towing entity based on detecting the presence of the towing entity, wherein the movement synchronization pairing proposal includes the one or more features of the towing entity and the plurality of images of the towing entity from different angles;
transmitting, by the autonomous electric-powered (AEP) trailer, the movement synchronization pairing proposal to a mobile phone of a target user for accepting or rejecting the movement synchronization pairing proposal between the autonomous electric-powered (AEP) trailer and the towing entity; and
obtaining, from the mobile phone, user input accepting the movement synchronization pairing proposal; and
orchestrating a virtual tow-link between the AEP trailer and the towing entity based on obtaining the user input accepting the movement synchronization pairing proposal, wherein orchestrating the virtual tow-link includes:
(1) sourcing, via the one or more sensors of the AEP trailer, real-time sensing data indicative of current driving dynamics of the towing entity, including a lateral position of the towing entity,
(2) estimating a trajectory of the towing entity based on the real-time sensing data, wherein:
the trajectory indicates a current driving maneuver associated with the towing entity, and
estimating the trajectory of the towing entity includes estimating that the towing entity is performing a lane change driving maneuver when the lateral position of the towing entity changes by more than a threshold amount during a specified time interval,
(3) computing a following distance for the AEP trailer based on the trajectory of the towing entity, wherein the following distance for the AEP trailer is different when the current driving maneuver is a steady state driving maneuver compared to when the current driving maneuver corresponds to a turning driving maneuver,
(4) generating a set of movement synchronization actuator commands based on the trajectory of the towing entity and the following distance computed for the AEP trailer, wherein when the trajectory of the towing entity relates to the lane change driving maneuver, generating the set of movement synchronization actuator commands at least includes generating one or more actuator commands that cause a lateral movement of the AEP trailer to match a lateral movement of the towing entity within the specified time interval,
(5) executing, at the AEP trailer, the set of movement synchronization actuator commands to emulate the trajectory of the towing entity at the following distance, wherein when the trajectory of the towing entity relates to the lane change driving maneuver, executing the set of movement synchronization actuator commands causes the AEP trailer to proceed into a target lane contemporaneously with the towing entity instead of directly following a rear of the towing entity, and
(6) repeating (1)-(5) until the virtual tow-link is deactivated.
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