Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Enhanced systems, apparatus, and methods for improved automated and autonomous operation of logistics ground support equipment
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Application No.: US16524723Application Date: 2019-07-29
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Publication No.: US11157011B2Publication Date: 2021-10-26
- Inventor: Reuben F. Burch, V , Sherif Abelwahed , John E. Ball , Matt Doude , James R. Gafford , Tyler J. Hannis , Yucheng Liu , Michael S. Mazzola , Howard McKinney
- Applicant: FEDEX CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
- Applicant Address: US TN Collierville
- Assignee: FEDEX CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
- Current Assignee: FEDEX CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
- Current Assignee Address: US TN Collierville
- Agency: Withers & Keys, LLC
- Main IPC: G05D1/02
- IPC: G05D1/02 ; G06K9/00 ; G05D1/00

Abstract:
An improved retrofit assembly for ground support equipment providing autonomous operation of the logistics ground support equipment (GSE). The assembly has a refit control system attached to the GSE (with a vehicle dynamics control processor and a data preprocessing control processor), retrofitted proprioceptive sensors coupled to the vehicle dynamics control processor monitoring operating parameters and characteristics of the GSE, retrofitted exteroceptive sensors coupled to the data preprocessing control processor that monitor an exterior environment of the GSE, and refit actuators for different control elements on the GSE and to autonomously alter motion of the GSE. The refit control system programmatically receives sensor data from the proprioceptive sensors and exteroceptive sensors; optimizes a path for the GSE based upon the different sensor data; and activates at least one of the actuators according to the optimized path for the GSE.
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