Patent ID: 9740213
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: B62D,G05D

Claim:
1. A method for forming and operating a vehicle combination, wherein the vehicle combination includes at least a first autonomous vehicle and a second autonomous vehicle, each of the first and second autonomous vehicles configured to automatically control its motion in a state wherein the first and second autonomous vehicles do not form the vehicle combination, the method comprising: automatically generating a communication connection between the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle; and automatically controlling a motion of the second autonomous vehicle by the first autonomous vehicle via the communication connection in order to form the vehicle combination from the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle; wherein each of the first and second autonomous vehicles comprises a separate bus system, wheels for moving the respective autonomous vehicle, drive devices for driving the respective wheels, sensors, and an electronic control device communicating with the sensors and the drive devices of the respective autonomous vehicle via the respective bus system, whereby, in the state in which the autonomous vehicles do not form the vehicle combination, the autonomous vehicles move by automatic control of the drive devices of the respective autonomous vehicles; automatically generating the communication connection between the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle comprises automatically generating the communication connection between the bus system of the first autonomous vehicle and the bus system of the second autonomous vehicle to form a common bus system; and automatically controlling the drive devices of the second autonomous vehicle using the electronic control device of the first autonomous vehicle via the common bus system in order to form the vehicle combination from the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle.