Independent Steering, Power Torque Control and Transfer in Vehicles

1 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . A method performed by one or more processors, the method comprising:

determining a non-operational state of a first powertrain unit of an autonomous vehicle;

determining an operational state of a second powertrain unit of the autonomous vehicle;

disabling, based at least in part on the non-operational state of the first powertrain unit, at least one of a propulsion operation or a torque steering operation of the first powertrain unit; and

enabling a torque steering operation of the second powertrain unit; and

causing, based at least in part on the torque steering operation, the autonomous vehicle to follow a trajectory.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:

the torque steering operation of the second powertrain unit comprises introducing a yaw on the autonomous vehicle based, at least in part, on a change in a wheel speed associated with the second powertrain unit, and

the trajectory is a safe-stop trajectory.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the disabling the at least one of a propulsion operation or a torque steering operation of the first powertrain unit comprises:

disabling a propulsion operation of the first powertrain unit.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

determining an operational state of a third powertrain unit; and

disabling a propulsion operation of the third powertrain unit.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein:

the first powertrain unit is located on a first side of the autonomous vehicle;

the second powertrain unit is located on a second side of the autonomous vehicle, the second side opposite the first side; and

the third powertrain unit is located on the second side.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein:

the first side is a first end of the autonomous vehicle;

the second side is a second end of the autonomous vehicle; and

the method further comprises:

determining that the autonomous vehicle is travelling in a first direction; and

the causing the autonomous vehicle to follow the trajectory comprises:

causing the autonomous vehicle to move in a second direction, the second direction substantially opposite the first direction.

21 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:

the torque steering operation of the second powertrain unit comprises creating a yaw moment on the autonomous vehicle by adjusting a speed of a wheel associated with the second powertrain unit, and

adjusting the speed of the wheel comprises one or more of:

applying braking of the wheel; or

adjusting a speed of an electric motor associated with the wheel.

22 . A vehicle comprising:

a first powertrain unit;

a second powertrain unit; and

one or more controllers to:

determine a non-operational state of the first powertrain unit;

determine an operational state of the second powertrain unit;

disable, based at least in part on the non-operational state of the first powertrain unit, a propulsion operation of the first powertrain unit; and

enable a torque steering operation of the second powertrain unit to create a yaw moment; and

control, based at least in part on the torque steering operation of the second powertrain unit, the vehicle to follow a trajectory.

23 . The vehicle of claim 22 , the one or more controllers further to:

determine an operational state of a third powertrain unit; and

enable a torque steering operation of the third powertrain unit;

wherein to control the vehicle to follow the trajectory, the one or more controllers are to control the vehicle based at least in part on the torque steering operation of the third powertrain unit.

24 . The vehicle of claim 23 , wherein:

the first powertrain unit is located on a first side of the vehicle;

the second powertrain unit is located on a second side of the vehicle, the second side opposite the first side; and

the third powertrain unit is located on the second side.

25 . The vehicle of claim 22 , wherein the torque steering operation of the second powertrain unit comprises causing the yaw moment at a wheel associated with the second powertrain unit by one or more of:

causing a reduction in rotational speed of the wheel; or

changing a speed of an electric motor associated with the wheel.

26 . The vehicle of claim 25 , wherein causing the reduction in rotational speed of the wheel comprises:

causing the second powertrain unit to implement regenerative braking.

27 . The vehicle of claim 22 , wherein:

the vehicle comprises an autonomous vehicle;

the trajectory is a safe-stop trajectory for the autonomous vehicle; and

the one or more controllers are further to:

control, based at least in part on the safe-stop trajectory, navigation of the autonomous vehicle to a safe stop location.

28 . The vehicle of claim 22 , wherein:

the vehicle comprises an autonomous vehicle, and

the one or more controllers are further to determine the trajectory.

29 . A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a non-operational state of a first powertrain unit of a vehicle;

determining an operational state of a second powertrain unit of the vehicle;

disabling a propulsion operation of the first powertrain unit;

enabling a torque steering operation of the second powertrain unit; and

controlling, based at least in part on the torque steering operation of the second powertrain unit, the vehicle to follow a trajectory.

30 . The system of claim 29 , wherein

the trajectory is a safe-stop trajectory, and

the operations further comprise determining the safe-stop trajectory, based at least in part on determining the non-operational state of the first powertrain unit and the operational state of the second powertrain unit.

31 . The system of claim 29 , wherein:

the system further comprises a third powertrain unit; and

the operations further comprise:

determining an operational state of the third powertrain unit; and

disabling a propulsion operation of the third powertrain unit.

32 . The system of claim 31 , wherein the first and second powertrain units are on a first side of the vehicle, and the third powertrain unit is on a second side of the vehicle.

33 . The system of claim 29 , wherein the torque steering operation of the second powertrain unit comprises:

causing a reduction in rotational speed of a wheel associated with the second powertrain unit to change a steering vector of the wheel by a yaw moment created by the reduction in rotational speed of the wheel.

34 . The system of claim 33 , wherein the causing the reduction in rotational speed of the wheel associated with the second powertrain unit comprises:

causing the second powertrain unit to implement regenerative braking.