{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11981376","patent":{"patent_number":"US-11981376","title":"Systems and methods for automatic air and electrical connections on autonomous cargo vehicles","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2023-04-03T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["B62D","G05D","B62D","B62D","G05D","B62D"],"num_claims":20,"abstract":"The technology relates to autonomous vehicles having hitched or towed trailers for transporting cargo and other items between locations. Aspects of the technology provide a smart hitch connection between the fifth-wheel of a tractor unit and the kingpin of a trailer. This avoids requiring a person to make physical pneumatic and electrical connections between the fifth-wheel and kingpin using external hoses and cables. Instead, the necessary connections are made internally, autonomously. For instance, the fifth-wheel may provide air pressure via one or more slots arranged on a connection surface, and the trailer is configured to receive the air pressure through one or more openings on a contact surface of the kingpin. An electrical connection section of the fifth-wheel may also provide electrical signals and/or power to an electrical contact interface of the kingpin. Rotational information about relative alignment of the trailer to the tractor unit may also be provided."},"analysis":{"summary":null,"layman_explanation":null,"technical_analysis":null,"business_analysis":null,"faqs":null,"topics":[],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Systems and methods for automatic air and electrical connections on autonomous cargo vehicles","description":"The technology relates to autonomous vehicles having hitched or towed trailers for transporting cargo and other items between locations. Aspects of the technology provide a smart hitch connection betw","keywords":[]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11981376","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11981376","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Systems and methods for automatic air and electrical connections on autonomous cargo vehicles\" (US-11981376). https://patentable.app/patents/US-11981376","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11981376","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-11981376","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-05-31T09:44:29.972Z"}