Claims:We claim:
1. A three-wheeled autonomous vehicle (100) comprising:
a front portion (F) defining a front frame structure (101) and a centre frame structure (102);
a rear portion (R) defining a rear frame structure (103); the rear frame structure (103) includes a left rear frame member (103a) and a right rear frame member (103b), the left rear frame member (103a) being disposed parallel to the right rear frame member (103b) at the rear portion (R);
a front wheel (105) being supported by the front frame structure (101) and one or more rear wheels (106) being supported by the rear frame structure (103);
one or more front seat (108) being supported by the centre frame structure (102) and one or more rear seat (111) being supported by the rear frame structure (103);
a vehicle control unit (107) equipped with a vehicle diagnostic monitor system (107a);
one or more vehicle perception module (201) being communicatively coupled with the vehicle control unit (107); and
a telemetry module (202) communicatively coupled with the vehicle control unit (107) to control the autonomous vehicle (100).
2. The autonomous vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control unit (107) being supported by the rear frame structure (103) and being disposed below the one or more rear seat (111) of the vehicle to securely place the control unit (107).
3. The autonomous vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle perception module (201) being supported by the frame structure (101,102,103) of the vehicle at a front side, left and right side, and rear side of the vehicle.
4. The autonomous vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the one or more vehicle perception module (201) being disposed at the rear side and behind the one or more rear seat (111) of the vehicle, the one or more vehicle perception module (201) being supported by a rear panel (113) supported by the rear frame structure (103) of the vehicle (100).
5. The autonomous vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the one or more vehicle perception module (201) includes a vehicle perception unit (201a), the vehicle perception unit (201a) comprising of one or more sensors (201b), a GPS, a camera, one or more RADAR, LIDAR, and one or more ultrasonic sensors.
6. The autonomous vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a wireless charging system (109) being disposed below a vehicle floorboard (110) supported on the centre frame structure (102).
7. The autonomous vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the wireless charging system (109) being movable to adjust the distance from a charger (not shown) of a charging station to ensure stable charging connection.
8. The autonomous vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control unit (107) being configured with a predetermined set of geographical data for end-to-end directional details, upon command received from the user, the autonomous vehicle (100) follows a required geographic end to end directions to provide end point connectivity.
9. A method for operating a three-wheeled autonomous vehicle (100), said method comprising the steps of:
initiating a request by a user by means of a user device (not shown) for unlocking the vehicle (100);
processing the request by a server and determining based on the sufficiency of state of charge (SOC) to travel the distance required to be travelled by the user;
unlocking the autonomous vehicle (100) by the user using the user device (not shown);
travelling the distance and dropping the user at the destination;
returning of the autonomous vehicle (100) back to the pick-up point station to be ready for the next trip;
determining the SOC of the autonomous vehicle (100); and
directing the autonomous vehicle (100) to a charging station for charging the power source (not shown) based on predetermined SOC level.
, Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present subject matter relates generally to a three-wheeled vehicle. More particularly but not exclusively the present subject matter relates to a three-wheeled autonomous vehicle.

BACKGROUND
[0002] Typically, an autonomous vehicle is capable of sensing its environment and driving the vehicle safely without any input from a rider of the vehicle. Such autonomous vehicle makes use of plurality of sensors to identify obstacles around them to avoid them and ride the vehicle safely. The autonomous vehicle utilizes advanced control system, various vehicle control units and different communication system to run the vehicle on roads. The safety and maintenance of such vehicles as well as safety of the user of the vehicle during riding is utmost importance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] The details are described with reference to an embodiment of an electric three-wheeled vehicle along with the accompanying figures. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference similar features and components.
[0004] Figure 1 exemplarily illustrates a top view of an autonomous three-wheeled electric vehicle.
[0005] Figure 2 exemplarily illustrates a side view of an autonomous three-wheeled electric vehicle.
[0006] Figure 3 exemplarily illustrates a block diagram explaining the control method of the autonomous vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0001] Generally, a vehicle provides a driving interface system to the vehicle users. The interfaces consist of a handle bar/steering wheel, a throttle, one or more brakes, a clutch pedal, a gear selector, one or more different electrical switches for multiple functionalities and the like. These interfaces are used by the vehicle user to control the motion of the vehicle in a safe and deterministic manner for self as well as for other users of the road. However, in case of an autonomous vehicle, these interfaces are not controlled manually by the user and are in full control of a control system of the autonomous vehicle. However, these autonomous vehicles are also provided with a manual mode in which the user controls the interfaces to drive the vehicle. As multiple automated features and related components as well as manual drive controls are provided in the autonomous vehicle, the cost of the vehicle increases. Additionally, maintenance frequency of autonomous vehicles is also high since the automated controls need frequent update to avoid any mishaps and accidents during autonomous driving. With the increased comfort of the autonomous vehicles, these vehicles are preferred by the users but due to high vehicle cost and additional high maintenance cost, these vehicles are not affordable to own. Therefore, now-a-days, shared mobility services are increasing particularly to provide the vehicle to their customers for commuting on daily basis.
[0002] Generally, two-wheeled autonomous vehicle has a lot of drawbacks, Particularly, two-wheeled autonomous vehicles are difficult to balance on their own, therefore, the user does not feel safe in taking ride on an autonomous two-wheeled vehicle. Additionally, if the vehicle is shared by two users, the two users will have to share the ride in the autonomous two-wheeled vehicle in a very limited space which can make the ride very uncomfortable. Therefore, autonomous two-wheeled vehicles in shared mobility services cannot successfully provide comfortable, safe, end to end point connectivity to the users. Therefore, there is need of an autonomous vehicle which addresses the above-mentioned problem as well as other problems of known art and is also cost-effective.
[0003] An objective of the present subject matter is to provide an intelligent mobility device which can ensure comfortable, safe, optimal end point connectivity in conjunction with public transport system for an urban user. The present subject matter is described using an exemplary three-wheeled vehicle, whereas the claimed subject matter is applicable to any type of three wheeled, and four wheeled vehicles, with required changes and without deviating from the scope of invention.
[0004] As per an aspect of the present subject matter, a three-wheeled autonomous vehicle is disclosed comprising: a front portion defining a front frame structure and a centre frame structure; a rear portion defining a rear frame structure; the rear frame structure includes a left rear frame member and a right rear frame member, the left rear frame member is disposed parallel to the right rear frame member at the rear portion; a front wheel being supported by the front frame structure and one or more rear wheels is supported by the rear frame structure; one or more front seat is supported by the centre frame structure and one or more rear seat is supported by the rear frame structure; a vehicle control unit equipped with a vehicle diagnostic monitor system; one or more vehicle perception module is communicatively coupled with the vehicle control unit; and a telemetry module communicatively coupled with the vehicle control unit to control the autonomous vehicle.
[0005] As per an aspect of the present subject matter, the vehicle control unit is supported by the rear frame structure and is disposed below the one or more rear seat of the vehicle to securely place the control unit.
[0006] As per an aspect of the present subject matter, the one or more vehicle perception module is supported by the frame structure of the vehicle at a front side, left and right side, and rear side of the vehicle.
[0007] As per an aspect of the present subject matter, the vehicle perception module disposed at the rear side and behind the one or more rear seat of the vehicle, the vehicle perception module is supported by a rear panel supported by the rear frame structure of the vehicle.
[0008] As per an aspect of the present subject matter, the vehicle perception module includes a vehicle perception unit, the vehicle perception unit comprising of one or more sensors, a GPS, a camera, one or more RADAR, LIDAR, and one or more ultrasonic sensors.
[0009] As per an aspect of the present subject matter, a wireless charging system being disposed below a vehicle floorboard supported on the centre frame structure.
[00010] As per an aspect of the present subject matter, the wireless charging system being movable to adjust the distance from a charger of a charging station to ensure stable charging connection.
[00011] As per an aspect of the present subject matter, the vehicle control unit (107), which is being configured with a predetermined set of geographical data for end-to-end directional details, upon command received from the user, the autonomous vehicle follows a required geographic end to end directions to provide end point connectivity.
[00012] As per an aspect of the present subject matter, a method for operating a three-wheeled autonomous vehicle is disclosed, said method comprising the steps of: initiating a request by a user by means of a user device for unlocking the vehicle; processing the request by a server and determining, based on the sufficiency of state of charge (SOC) to travel the distance required to be travelled by the user; unlocking the autonomous vehicle by the user using the user device; travelling the distance and dropping the user at the destination; returning of the autonomous vehicle back to the pick-up point station to be ready for the next trip; determining the SOC of the autonomous vehicle for the next trip; and directing the autonomous vehicle to a charging station for charging the power source based on the predetermined SOC level. The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to an embodiment in a three wheeled vehicle along with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the present embodiments. The present subject matter is further described with reference to accompanying figures. It should be noted that the description and figures merely illustrate principles of the present subject matter. Various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, encompass the principles of the present subject matter. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and examples of the present subject matter, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[0007] Fig.1 exemplarily illustrates a top view of an autonomous three-wheeled electric vehicle 100. Fig.2 exemplarily illustrates a side view of an autonomous three-wheeled electric vehicle 100. For brevity Fig.1 an Fig.2 shall be described together. The three-wheeled vehicle 100 has a front portion F and a rear portion R. The front portion F of the vehicle 100 includes a front frame structure 101 which is substantially L shape, a center frame structure 102 which is also substantially L shaped, a steering assembly 104, and a front wheel 105. The rear portion R of the vehicle 100 includes a rear frame structure 103, a pair of rear wheels 106 (shown with dotted line), and a control unit 107 of the vehicle 100. The front frame structure 101 of the vehicle 100 along with the steering assembly 104 is connected to the front wheel 105. The steering assembly 104 is a motorized steering assembly. The front frame structure 101 extends downward from the steering assembly 104 and the center frame structure 102 extends inclinedly downward and then rearward from a lower portion of the front frame structure 101. The rear frame structure 103 includes a left rear frame member (103a) and a right rear frame member (103b). The left rear frame member (103a) is disposed parallel to the right rear frame member (103b) at the rear portion (R). The rear frame structure 103, which is substantially L shaped, extends inclinedly upward from the center frame structure 102 and then rearward of the vehicle 100. A front seat 108 is supported by the center frame structure 102 for the user of the vehicle to be seated. A wireless charging system 109 is disposed below a floorboard 110 of the vehicle 100. The control unit 107 is supported by the rear frame structure 103 and a rear seat 111 is disposed above the control unit 107 of the vehicle 100. The location of the vehicle control unit 107 provides a secured space to be mounted. Also, this location protects the vehicle control unit 107 from the outside harsh environment and ensures proper functioning of the control unit 107 utilizing the available space in the vehicle. A traction motor system 112 is mounted on the rear wheel 106 to drive the vehicle 100. The traction motor system 112 can consist of either a single chassis mounted electric machine with/without gearbox or a twin wheel-hub mounted electric machine. The autonomous three-wheeled vehicle 100 includes one or more vehicle perception module 201. The one or more vehicle perception module 201 includes one or more vehicle perception unit 201a (shown in fig.3) and one or more sensors 201b (shown in fig.3). The perception module 201 acts as a sensing element and thus aids in the guidance of the vehicle 100 on the road. The perception module 201 is disposed on one or more locations on the vehicle body. In the present embodiment, one of the vehicle perception modules 201 is disposed in the front of the steering assembly 104 supported by the front frame structure 101. The other perception module 201 is disposed on the right (shown in fig.1) and left side of the vehicle 100 and is supported by the center frame member 102. One of the vehicle perception modules 201 is disposed behind the control unit 107 and the one or more rear seat 111 and is supported by a rear panel 113, the rear panel 113 is supported by the rear frame structure 103 of the vehicle 100. The location of the perception module unit 201 acts as the sensor of the vehicle to detect the nearby objects. Hence, the perception module unit 201 is configured to be placed in all above-mentioned four positions. Also, positioning the vehicle perception module 201 in all four positions provides mass balancing and dynamic stability to the vehicle 100. The vehicle perception module 201 are positioned such that inside space of the vehicle, where passengers are to be accommodated is not compromised. The vehicle perception modules 201 are positioned outside the vehicle passenger accommodating area, thus managing the space inside the vehicle and its layout. The structure of the three-wheeled autonomous vehicle 100 shows that the vehicle has sufficient layout space to package various components and accommodate one or more passengers comfortably and safely while still enabling design of a compact vehicle layout. The structure of the three-wheeled autonomous vehicle 100 also provide more stability and balance to the vehicle as compared to a two-wheeled vehicle.
[00013] Fig.3 exemplarily illustrates a block diagram explaining the control method of the autonomous vehicle 100. The autonomous three-wheeled vehicle 100 can function with limited maximum speed and in a defined geographical area. The control system includes the vehicle perception module 201, the vehicle control unit 107, the wireless charging system with battery management module 207, a telemetry module 202, a body control module 203, a traction power control module 204, a steering control module 205, and an active brake control module 206. The vehicle perception module 201 consists of the one or more sensing unit 201b and the vehicle perception unit 201a. The sensing unit 201b consists of one or more camera, RADAR, LIDAR, ultrasonic, GPS sensors, and the like. The vehicle perception module 201 is placed on the front, rear, left and right sides of the vehicle 100 as shown in fig.1. The configuration of one or more different sensors 201b can be selected based on the traffic density and terrain of the specific urban area in which the vehicle is to be operated. The one or more sensor 201b feed the sensed data to the vehicle perception unit 201a of the vehicle perception module 201. The vehicle perception unit 201a is a micro controller-based unit which identifies different objects external to the automated vehicle 100 based on the one or more sensor fusion algorithm. The vehicle perception module 201 provides understanding of the external environment to the vehicle control unit 107. The vehicle control unit 107 is equipped with a vehicle diagnostic monitor system (107a) to monitor the state and operation of the vehicle. The vehicle control unit 107 is a micro controller-based system, which is capable of communicating with the vehicle perception module 201, the telemetry module 202, the body control module 203, the steering control module 205, the active brake control module 206, a wireless charging module and a battery management module 207. The communication is not limited to a specific communication protocol.
[00014] The vehicle control unit 107 implements path planning algorithm and calculates most optimal way to navigate to the destination set by the user of the vehicle 100. The telemetry module 202 provides traffic and terrain information for different paths between the starting point and the destination point of the journey. The user can book the ride using a smart device (not shown) having an application configured to be in communication with the telemetry module 202. The body control module 203 controls different vehicle level indicators with respect to the path calculated by the vehicle control unit 107. The vehicle control unit 107 collects all the module related information centrally for the vehicle and performs critical diagnosis related to the different one or more vehicle sensors and actuators. The vehicle control unit 107 provides instruction to the body control module 203 to automatically clean the camera, RADAR and LIDAR sensors as and when it is required. The vehicle control unit 107 calculates vehicle speed trajectory for the whole journey based on the calculated path. The calculated vehicle speed trajectory ensures that maximum vehicle speed does not exceed safe limit for the journey and thus enhancing safety of the user and the vehicle as well. The reference vehicle speed for the traction power control module 204 is derived from the calculated vehicle speed trajectory and communicated to the traction control module 204 in specific time intervals. The traction power control module 204 consists of an internal torque control module (not shown) as well as different protections for the drive module as well as the traction motor 112.
[00015] The motorized steering assembly 104 is controlled by a modular controller referred as the steering control module 205. The vehicle control unit 107 provides reference position and reference ramp with respect to time for angular motion of the steering assembly 104 to the steering control module 205 in fixed time steps. The reference position and ramp are calculated by the vehicle control unit 107 based on vehicle path planning algorithms. The steering assembly 104 consists of an internal torque control module (not shown) as well as different protections for a drive module (not shown) and for a steering control motor (not shown). The vehicle control unit 107 provides a reference braking torque command to the traction control module 204 as well as the active brake control module 206. The braking torque is shared between regenerative braking and friction braking. The level of regenerative braking depends on the state of charge of the battery. The friction braking is achieved by modulating the hydraulic pressure of the brake line. The active brake control module 206 ensures the safe braking situation for the vehicle by avoiding the wheel locking.
[00016] The vehicle 100 is capable of auto navigating to the nearest charging point after the journey is completed. The vehicle control unit 107 checks whether the calculated distance to empty has reached below a threshold distance to ensure that the designated destination has been reached by the vehicle 100. The charging is achieved by a wireless means. The wireless charging system with battery management module 207 includes a wireless charger (not shown) which is mounted below the vehicle floorboard 110. In an embodiment, the wireless charger (not shown) is moveable so as to adjust the appropriate distance between a charger unit (not shown) of the charging station and the charger (not shown) fixed on the vehicle 100. This is done to ensure that stable wireless communication is established between the two chargers for charging. When the power source is fully charged, it automatically disconnects from the charging system of the charging station and is now ready for the next trip. The vehicle 100 is powered by one or more traction batteries (not shown) where the invention is not limited to the type of battery (not shown) used for the vehicle 100. The battery management system ensures cell balancing as well as monitors health of the batteries of the vehicle. Thus, the three-wheeled autonomous vehicle 100 ensures optimal end point connectivity for an urban user to a public transport system by enabling short distance commute at low speeds. Many other improvements and modifications may be incorporated herein without deviating from the scope of the invention.

List of Reference numerals
100: Three-wheeled autonomous vehicle
F: Front portion of 100
R: Rear portion of 100
101: Front frame structure of 100
102: Center frame structure of 100
103: Rear frame structure of 100
103(a): Left rear frame member of 103
103(b): Right rear frame member of 103
104: Steering assembly of 100
105: Front wheel of 100
106: One of the Rear wheels of 100
107: Control unit of 100
107a: Vehicle diagnostic monitor system of 107
108: Front seat of 100
109: Wireless charging system of 100
110: Floorboard of 100
111: Rear seat of 100
112: Traction motor system of 100
113: Rear panel of 100
201: Vehicle perception module of 100
201a: Vehicle perception unit of 201
201b: One or more sensors of 201
202: Telemetry module of 100
203: Body control module of 100
204: Traction power control module of 100
205: Steering control module of 100
206: Active brake control module of 100
207: Wireless charging module and a battery management module of 100