The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
May. 25, 2021

Filed:

Oct. 19, 2018
Applicant:

Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);

Inventors:

Randol W. Aikin, Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Malcolm J. Northcott, Felton, CA (US);

Assignee:

Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B60L 53/14 (2019.01); B60L 15/42 (2006.01); B60L 58/12 (2019.01); B60L 53/16 (2019.01); B60L 53/18 (2019.01); B60L 53/34 (2019.01); G05D 1/02 (2020.01); B60L 53/30 (2019.01); G08G 1/00 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G05D 1/0293 (2013.01); B60L 15/42 (2013.01); B60L 53/14 (2019.02); B60L 53/32 (2019.02); B60L 58/12 (2019.02); G08G 1/22 (2013.01); B60L 2260/32 (2013.01); B60L 2260/52 (2013.01); G05D 2201/0213 (2013.01); Y02T 10/70 (2013.01);
Abstract

A vehicle configured to be autonomously navigated in a peloton along a roadway, wherein the peloton comprises at least the vehicle at least one additional vehicle, is configured to determine a position of the vehicle in the peloton which reduces differences in relative driving ranges among the vehicles included in the peloton. The vehicles can dynamically adjust peloton positions while navigating to reduce driving range differences among the vehicles. The vehicle can include a power management system which enables the vehicle to be electrically coupled to a battery included in another vehicle in the peloton, so that driving range differences between the vehicles can be reduced via load sharing via the electrical connection. The vehicle can include a power connector arm which extends a power connector to couple with an interface of another vehicle.


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