System and method for operating and managing an autonomous vehicle interchange zone
This provides a system and method for handling the interchange of trailers between an over the road (OTR) truck and an autonomous vehicle (AV) yard truck in a facility yard includes an interchange zone (IZ) that is bounded by a predetermined boundary structure, having an OTR entry gate and an OTR exit gate on a first side and an AV entry gate and an AV exit gate on a second side. The system and method further includes a management process that selectively opens and closes each of the OTR entry gate, the OTR exit gate, the AV entry gate and the AV exit gate according to a predetermined set of rules.
1 . A shipping yard that performs the interchange of trailers between an over the road (OTR) truck and an autonomous vehicle (AV) yard truck in a facility yard comprising:
an interchange zone (IZ) that is bounded by a predetermined boundary structure, and having a plurality of gates including an OTR entry gate and an OTR exit gate on a first side, and having an AV entry gate and an AV exit gate on a second side, wherein the IZ is a single, shared handoff area alternately used by OTR trucks and AV yard trucks; and
a management process that selectively opens and closes each of the OTR entry gate, the OTR exit gate, the AV entry gate and the AV exit gate according to a predetermined set of rules that ensure that OTR trucks and AV yard trucks are not concurrently in the IZ, wherein the management process interlocks the plurality of gates to prevent concurrent OTR and AV presence within the IZ.
2 . The shipping yard as set forth in claim 1 wherein the management process is arranged to determine whether the IZ is free of vehicles as an initial assumption in performing an interchange procedure.
3 . The shipping yard as set forth in claim 2 wherein the management process is arranged to open the AV entry gate following the initial assumption and, after passage of the AV yard truck therethrough, to close the AV entry gate.
4 . The shipping yard as set forth in claim 3 wherein, after the passage of the AV yard truck and dropoff or pickup of a trailer thereby in the IZ, the management process is arranged to open the AV exit gate to allow passage of the AV yard truck therethrough.
5 . The shipping yard as set forth in claim 2 wherein the management process is arranged to allow opening of at least one of the OTR entry gate and the OTR exit gate following the initial assumption and, after passage of the OTR truck therethrough, allow closing the OTR entry gate.
6 . The shipping yard as set forth in claim 5 wherein, after the passage of the OTR truck and dropoff or pickup of a trailer thereby in the IZ, the management process is arranged to allow closing of the OTR exit gate after passage of the OTR truck therethrough.
7 . The shipping yard as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of the OTR entry gate, the OTR exit gate, the AV entry gate and the AV exit gate include sensors that detect an open or closed state and report the state to the management process.
8 . The shipping yard as set forth in claim 1 wherein the management process interacts with a controller for the AV yard truck to direct movement with respect to the IZ.
9 . The shipping yard as set forth in claim 8 wherein the boundary structure restricts vehicle entry into the IZ except via the OTR entry gate, the OTR exit gate, the AV entry gate and the AV exit gate, and separates an OTR region accessible through the OTR entry or exit gate from an AV region accessible through the AV entry or exit gate.
10 . The shipping yard as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of the AV yard truck and the OTR truck include a tracking mechanism that interfaces with the management process to predict and manage arrival to and departure from the IZ.
11 . The shipping yard as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a standby zone that allows for waiting of OTR trucks scheduled to enter the IZ, the standby zone located along a path of travel between an entrance of the facility and the IZ.
12 . The shipping yard as set forth in claim 1 wherein the management process includes a GateComms process that communicates with one or more AV gate controllers and other peripherals associated with the facility using one or more of RF and wired communications links.
13 . The shipping yard as set forth in claim 12 wherein the GateComms process is arranged to facilitate standard and emergency procedures associated with the facility.
14 . A computer-readable medium of non-transitory program instructions for handling the interchange of trailers between an over the road (OTR) truck and an autonomous vehicle (AV) yard truck in a facility yard, the program instructions executing the steps of:
providing an interchange zone (IZ) that is bounded by a predetermined boundary structure, having a plurality of gates including an OTR entry gate and an OTR exit gate on a first side and an AV entry gate and an AV exit gate on a second side, wherein the IZ is a single, shared handoff area alternately used by OTR trucks and AV yard trucks; and
selectively opening and closing each of the OTR entry gate, the OTR exit gate, the AV entry gate and the AV exit gate according to a predetermined set of rules that ensure interlocking the plurality of gates so that that OTR trucks and AV yard trucks are not concurrently in the IZ.
15 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 14 , further comprising, providing a standby zone that allows for waiting of OTR trucks scheduled to enter the IZ, the standby zone located along a path of travel between an entrance of the facility and the IZ.
16 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 14 , further comprising, determining whether the IZ is free of vehicles as an initial assumption in performing an interchange procedure.
17 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 16 , further comprising, opening the AV entry gate following the initial assumption and, after passage of the AV yard truck therethrough, closing the AV entry gate.
18 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 17 , further comprising, after the passage of the AV yard truck and dropoff or pickup of a trailer, opening the AV exit gate to allow passage of the AV yard truck therethrough.
19 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 16 , further comprising, opening of at least one of the OTR entry gate and the OTR exit gate following the initial assumption and, after passage of the OTR truck therethrough, closing the OTR entry gate.
20 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 19 , further comprising, after the passage of the OTR truck and dropoff or pickup of a trailer thereby in the IZ, closing of the OTR exit gate after passage of the OTR truck therethrough.