Systems and methods for automated operation and handling of autonomous trucks and trailers hauled thereby

Abstract

A system and method for operation of an autonomous vehicle (AV) yard truck is provided. A processor facilitates autonomous movement of the AV yard truck, and connection to and disconnection from trailers. A plurality of sensors are interconnected with the processor that sense terrain/objects and assist in automatically connecting/disconnecting trailers. A server, interconnected, wirelessly with the processor, that tracks movement of the truck around and determines locations for trailer connection and disconnection. A door station unlatches/opens rear doors of the trailer when adjacent thereto, securing them in an opened position via clamps, etc. The system computes a height of the trailer, and/or if landing gear of the trailer is on the ground and interoperates with the fifth wheel to change height, and whether docking is safe, allowing a user to take manual control, and optimum charge time(s). Reversing sensors/safety, automated chocking, and intermodal container organization are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for an automated connection of at least one service line on a truck to a trailer comprising:
 a receiver on the trailer that is permanently or temporarily affixed thereto, the receiver interconnected with at least one of a pneumatic line and an electrical line;   a coupling that is manipulated by an end effector of a robotic manipulator to find and engage the receiver when the trailer is brought into proximity with, or hitched to, the truck; and   a processor that, in response to a position of the receiver, moves the manipulator to align and engage the coupling with the receiver so as to complete a circuit between the truck and the trailer.   
     
     
         2 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the end effector is mounted on at least one of (a) a framework moving along at least two orthogonal axes and having a rearwardly extending arm, (b) a multi-degree-of-freedom robot arm, and (c) a linear-actuator-driven arm with pivoting joints to allow for concurrent rearward extension and height adjustment. 
     
     
         3 . The system as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein a pivoting joint attached to the end effector includes a rotary actuator to maintain a predetermined angle in the coupling. 
     
     
         4 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the coupling includes an actuated, quick-disconnect-style fitting adapted to selectively and sealingly secure to a connector in the receptacle. 
     
     
         5 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the coupling comprises a glad hand. 
     
     
         6 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the processor that, in response to a position of the receiver, moves the manipulator to align and engage the coupling with the receiver so as to complete a circuit between the truck and the trailer, further moves the manipulator to twist and lock the coupling into place on the receiver. 
     
     
         7 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a gross sensing system that acquires at least one of a 2D and a 3D image of a front face of a trailer, and searches for glad hand-related image features. 
     
     
         8 . The system as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the gross sensing system locates features having a differing texture or color from the surrounding image features after identifying edges of the trailer front face in the image. 
     
     
         9 . The system as set forth in  claim 8 , further comprising a fine sensing system, located on the end effector of the robotic manipulator, that is moved in a gross motion operation to a location adjacent to a location on the front face containing candidate glad hand features. 
     
     
         10 . The system as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the fine sensing system includes a plurality of 2D and 3D imaging sensors. 
     
     
         11 . The system as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the robotic manipulator comprises a multi-axis robotic arm mounted on a multi-axis gross motion mechanism. 
     
     
         12 . The system as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the gross motion mechanism comprises a plurality of linear actuators mounted on the autonomous yard truck that move the robotic manipulator from a neutral location to the location adjacent to the glad hand candidate features. 
     
     
         13 . The system as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the fine sensing system locates a trained feature on the glad hand to determine pose thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the tag includes a fiducial matrix that assists in determining the pose. 
     
     
         15 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the receiver comprises a glad hand on the trailer, and wherein the end effector comprises a clamping assembly that selectively overlies an annular seal of the glad hand and that sealingly clamps the connector to the annular seal, wherein the end effector selectively engages and releases the connector. 
     
     
         16 . The system as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the clamping assembly includes a spring-loaded clamp that is normally closed and is opened by a gripping action of the end effector. 
     
     
         17 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the receiver comprises a glad hand on the trailer, and wherein the end effector comprises a probe member, containing a pressure port, that inserts into and becomes lodged in an annular seal of the glad hand based upon a placement motion of the end effector, wherein the probe member comprises one of (a) a frustoconical plug that is releasable press fit into the annual seal and (b) an inflatable plug that selectively engages a cavity in the glad hand beneath the annular seal and is inflated to become secured therein, wherein the end effector selectively engages and releases the connector. 
     
     
         18 . The system as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the frustoconical plug includes a circumferential barb to assist in retaining against the annular seal. 
     
     
         19 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the receiver comprises a trailer glad hand on the trailer, the system further comprising another glad hand secured to the trailer glad hand in a substantially conventional manner, the other glad hand including a quick-disconnect fitting that receives the selectively connector from the end effector. 
     
     
         20 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising, a hitching system for providing information when the truck is attempting to move in reverse to hitch to the trailer, the hitching system comprising a sensing system located to face rearward on the truck, the sensing device oriented to sense the front face of the trailer and acquire at least one of a 2D and a 3D image of the front face of the trailer. 
     
     
         21 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising, a hitching system for providing information when the truck is attempting to move in reverse to hitch to the trailer, the hitching system comprising a spatial sensing device located to face rearward on the truck, the sensing device oriented to sense space beneath an underside of the trailer and provide information about the underside of the trailer, wherein the information comprises one or more images. 
     
     
         22 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising, a hitching system for determining a relative angle of the trailer with respect to the truck in a confronting relationship in which the truck is attempting to move in reverse to hitch to the trailer, the hitching system comprising:
 a spatial sensing device located to face rearward on the truck, the sensing device oriented to sense space beneath an underside of the trailer; and   a hitching processor that identifies and analyzes data points generated by the sensing device with respect to at least one of landing gear legs of the trailer and wheel sets of the trailer and that thereby determines the relative angle.   
     
     
         23 . The system as set forth in  claim 22 , wherein the sensing device is a high-resolution LIDAR device that generates points using projected rings of structured light. 
     
     
         24 . A system for interconnecting an airline between an autonomous truck and a trailer comprising:
 an adapter that is mounted with respect to a trailer-side airline and directs pressurized air therethrough, the adapter having at least one glad hand connection thereon; and   a manipulator that carries and moves a connection tool into and out of engagement with the adapter, the connection tool being interconnected with a truck-side airline for delivering the pressurized air to the adapter when engaged therewith and the manipulator being arranged to selectively release from the tool when the tool is engaged to the adapter.   
     
     
         25 . The system as set forth in  claim 24 , wherein the tool includes a screw-driven clamp that selectively engages a truck-side glad hand connection and a guide pin that is arranged to engage one of a plurality of keyways at different rotational orientations about an axis of the truck-side glad hand connection. 
     
     
         26 . The system as set forth in  claim 24 , wherein the adapter includes a fiducial that identifies and assists in orienting the manipulator, based upon an operatively connected vision system. 
     
     
         27 . A method for an automated connection of at least one service line on a truck to a trailer, the method comprising:
 moving a robotic manipulator so that a truck glad hand held by an end effector on the robotic manipulator is near a trailer glad hand on a front face of the trailer;   engaging the truck glad hand with the trailer glad hand;   rotating the truck glad hand to twist and lock the truck glad hand onto the trailer glad hand; and   releasing the truck glad hand from the end effector.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising determining a pose of the trailer gladhand pose using at least one of 2D and 3D images sensed using at least one sensing device, and adjusting a pose of the truck gladhand based on the pose of the trailer glad hand so that the truck glad hand can engage the trailer glad hand. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising, reversing the truck so that a hitch of the truck is in engagement with a kingpin of the trailer, based on images collected from one or more sensing devices located to face rearward on the truck.