US 12,403,892 B2
Controllable electric vehicle and a control system therefor
Amir Ben Shoshan, D.N. Chevel Korazim (IL); and Asaf Engel, M.P. Marom Hagalil (IL)
Assigned to Plasan Sasa Ltd., M.P. Marom Hagalil (IL)
Filed by Plasan Sasa Ltd., M.P. Marom Hagalil (IL)
Filed on May 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/737,350.
Claims priority of application No. 283080 (IL), filed on May 10, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0371576 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. B60W 20/40 (2016.01); B60W 50/08 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 20/40 (2013.01) [B60W 50/082 (2013.01); B60W 50/085 (2013.01); B60W 2510/18 (2013.01); B60W 2510/20 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A controllable electric vehicle operable
to be articulated as a slave vehicle (SV) to a master vehicle (MV) having a master driving system, a master computer and a master onboard sensors arrangement,
to be articulated to another controllable electric vehicle and to serve as a master vehicle for said another controllable electric vehicle when articulated thereto and to control said another controllable electric vehicle, and
to be independently driven when not articulated to the master vehicle;
said electric vehicle comprising:
an electric driving system (EDS) having an electric motor and an electric battery;
said electric motor, when operating as an electric generator, being capable of regenerating electric energy for charging said battery;
a slave control unit capable of selecting a control source from at least two selectable control sources for establishing control and data communication there-with,
a slave onboard sensors arrangement;
wherein said slave control unit is operable to control the electric driving system using instructions received from the control source selected by the slave control unit and an input from at least the slave onboard sensors arrangement, wherein:
at a first control mode, at least when the electric vehicle is the slave vehicle articulated to the master vehicle, to select from said at least two control sources a control source providing the instructions via said master computer, to enable establishing communication between said master computer and said slave control unit, to enable at least partial self-driving of the slave vehicle based on electric energy accumulated in said battery, and to share driving force with the master vehicle (MV) by applying at least a part of power required to drive the master vehicle (MV) by at least partially pushing the master vehicle (MV) and assisting in maneuver thereof,
at a second control mode, at least when the electric vehicle is not articulated to the master vehicle, to drive the electric vehicle autonomously.