Patents by Inventor Lawrence S. Klein

Lawrence S. Klein has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220017110
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Andrew F. Smith, Joseph A. Welsh, William N. Klarquist, Peter James, Geoffrey W. Johnson, Kayla M. Holcomb, Lawrence S. Klein, Jason L. Williams, Floyd C. Henning, Jeremy M. Nett
  • Patent number: 11099560
    Abstract: A system and method for operation of an autonomous vehicle (AV) yard truck is provided. A processor facilitates autonomous movement of the AV yard truck, and connection to and disconnection from trailers. A plurality of sensors are interconnected with the processor that sense terrain/objects and assist in automatically connecting/disconnecting trailers. A server, interconnected, wirelessly with the processor, that tracks movement of the truck around and determines locations for trailer connection and disconnection. A door station unlatches/opens rear doors of the trailer when adjacent thereto, securing them in an opened position via clamps, etc. The system computes a height of the trailer, and/or if landing gear of the trailer is on the ground and interoperates with the fifth wheel to change height, and whether docking is safe, allowing a user to take manual control, and optimum charge time(s). Reversing sensors/safety, automated chocking, and intermodal container organization are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Outrider Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew F. Smith, Gary Seminara, Jeremy M. Nett, Lawrence S. Klein, Stephen A. Langenderfer, Martin E. Sotola, Vikas Bahl, Mark H. Rosenblum, Peter James, Dale Rowley, Matthew S. Johannes
  • Publication number: 20210053407
    Abstract: A system and method for operation of an autonomous vehicle (AV) yard truck is provided. A processor facilitates autonomous movement of the AV yard truck, and connection to and disconnection from trailers. A plurality of sensors are interconnected with the processor that sense terrain/objects and assist in automatically connecting/disconnecting trailers. A server, interconnected, wirelessly with the processor, that tracks movement of the truck around and determines locations for trailer connection and disconnection. A door station unlatches/opens rear doors of the trailer when adjacent thereto, securing them in an opened position via clamps, etc. The system computes a height of the trailer, and/or if landing gear of the trailer is on the ground and interoperates with the fifth wheel to change height, and whether docking is safe, allowing a user to take manual control, and optimum charge time(s). Reversing sensors/safety, automated chocking, and intermodal container organization are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Andrew F. Smith, Lawrence S. Klein, Stephen A. Langenderfer, Martin E. Sotola, Vikas Bahl, Mark H. Rosenblum, Peter James, Dale Rowley, Matthew S. Johannes, Gary Seminara, Jeremy M. Nett, Christopher T. Bate, Michael Patrick Cutter
  • Publication number: 20200264607
    Abstract: A system and method for operation of an autonomous vehicle (AV) yard truck is provided. A processor facilitates autonomous movement of the AV yard truck, and connection to and disconnection from trailers. A plurality of sensors are interconnected with the processor that sense terrain/objects and assist in automatically connecting/disconnecting trailers. A server, interconnected, wirelessly with the processor, that tracks movement of the truck around and determines locations for trailer connection and disconnection. A door station unlatches/opens rear doors of the trailer when adjacent thereto, securing them in an opened position via clamps, etc. The system computes a height of the trailer, and/or if landing gear of the trailer is on the ground and interoperates with the fifth wheel to change height, and whether docking is safe, allowing a user to take manual control, and optimum charge time(s). Reversing sensors/safety, automated chocking, and intermodal container organization are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Andrew F. Smith, Lawrence S. Klein, Stephen A. Langenderfer, Martin E. Sotola, Vikas Bahl, Mark H. Rosenblum, Peter James, Dale Rowley, Matthew S. Johannes, Gary Seminara, Jeremy M. Nett
  • Publication number: 20200139950
    Abstract: A system and method for allowing failover between an autonomously controlled braking system and a human controlled braking system in a truck having pneumatic brake lines is provided. A cab-mounted brake actuator is arranged to be handled by the human operator and is arranged to selectively deliver pressurized air to truck brakes and a trailer brake air supply. A controller performs autonomous braking operations in response to control inputs and senses when a human operator is handling the actuator. A plurality of valves, interconnected between a pressurized air source on the truck, the actuator, the truck brakes and the trailer brake air supply, are responsive to the controller, and are arranged to override selective delivery of pressurized air to the truck brakes of the truck and the trailer brake air supply in response to the autonomous braking operations in favor of selective delivery of pressurized air via the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Peter James, Gary Seminara, Lawrence S. Klein
  • Publication number: 20190322319
    Abstract: A system and method for operation of an autonomous vehicle (AV) yard truck is provided. A processor facilitates autonomous movement of the AV yard truck, and connection to and disconnection from trailers. A plurality of sensors are interconnected with the processor that sense terrain/objects and assist in automatically connecting/disconnecting trailers. A server, interconnected, wirelessly with the processor, that tracks movement of the truck around and determines locations for trailer connection and disconnection. A door station unlatches/opens rear doors of the trailer when adjacent thereto, securing them in an opened position via clamps, etc. The system computes a height of the trailer, and/or if landing gear of the trailer is on the ground and interoperates with the fifth wheel to change height, and whether docking is safe, allowing a user to take manual control, and optimum charge time(s). Reversing sensors/safety, automated chocking, and intermodal container organization are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Andrew F. Smith, Lawrence S. Klein, Stephen A. Langenderfer, Martin E. Sotola, Vikas Bahl, Mark A. Rosenblum, Peter James, Dale Rowley, Matthew S. Johannes, Gary Seminara, Jeremy M. Nett
  • Publication number: 20190299732
    Abstract: A system and method for operation of an autonomous vehicle (AV) yard truck is provided. A processor facilitates autonomous movement of the AV yard truck, and connection to and disconnection from trailers. A plurality of sensors are interconnected with the processor that sense terrain/objects and assist in automatically connecting/disconnecting trailers. A server, interconnected, wirelessly with the processor, that tracks movement of the truck around and determines locations for trailer connection and disconnection. A door station unlatches/opens rear doors of the trailer when adjacent thereto, securing them in an opened position via clamps, etc. The system computes a height of the trailer, and/or if landing gear of the trailer is on the ground and interoperates with the fifth wheel to change height, and whether docking is safe, allowing a user to take manual control, and optimum charge time(s). Reversing sensors/safety, automated chocking, and intermodal container organization are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Andrew F. Smith, Lawrence S. Klein, Stephen A. Langenderfer, Martin E. Sotola, Vikas Bahl, Mark A. Rosenblum, Peter James, Dale Rowley, Matthew S. Johannes, Gary Seminara, Jeremy M. Nett
  • Publication number: 20190302764
    Abstract: A system and method for operation of an autonomous vehicle (AV) yard truck is provided. A processor facilitates autonomous movement of the AV yard truck, and connection to and disconnection from trailers. A plurality of sensors are interconnected with the processor that sense terrain/objects and assist in automatically connecting/disconnecting trailers. A server, interconnected, wirelessly with the processor, that tracks movement of the truck around and determines locations for trailer connection and disconnection. A door station unlatches/opens rear doors of the trailer when adjacent thereto, securing them in an opened position via clamps, etc. The system computes a height of the trailer, and/or if landing gear of the trailer is on the ground and interoperates with the fifth wheel to change height, and whether docking is safe, allowing a user to take manual control, and optimum charge time(s). Reversing sensors/safety, automated chocking, and intermodal container organization are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Andrew F. Smith, Lawrence S. Klein, Stephen A. Langenderfer, Martin E. Sotola, Vikas Bahl, Mark H. Rosenblum, Peter James, Dale Rowley, Matthew S. Johannes, Gary Seminara, Jeremy M. Nett