Method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance and equitably sharing fuel benefits in a vehicle platoon

• US 10,017,179 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Alden, Jeffrey M., Camden, Andrew R., Dzurka, Matthew Allen, Samii, Soheil, Zhou, Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US15/174,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20170349176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 701 25
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0023 in response to energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 Convoy travelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for optimizing inter-vehicle order and distance includes communicating vehicle characteristics representative of a first and at least one second vehicle as the first vehicle approaches the at least one second vehicle. Based on the vehicle characteristics, a position in a driving order of the first vehicle with respect to the at least one second vehicle is selected and executed. A real-time fuel economy is recorded as the vehicle in the trailing position moves from a maximum following distance to a minimum following distance from the vehicle in the lead position. Based on at least the recorded real-time fuel economy, an optimal inter-vehicle distance between the vehicles in the lead and trailing positions is selected and executed.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance, comprising:

communicating at least one of a frontal area and a drag coefficient representative of a first and at least one second vehicle to a processor at an information exchange point, as the first vehicle approaches the at least one second vehicle;

selecting, based on the at least one of the frontal area and the drag coefficient, a position in a driving order of the first vehicle with respect to the at least one second vehicle;

transmitting the position in the driving order from the processor to at least one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle;

maneuvering the first vehicle into the selected position in the driving order, wherein one of the first and at least one second vehicles moves into a lead position and another of the first and at least one second vehicles moves into a trailing position;

recording a real-time fuel economy of both the vehicle in the trailing position and the vehicle in the lead position in the processor, as the vehicle in the trailing position moves from a maximum following distance to a minimum following distance from the vehicle in the lead position;

selecting, based on at least the recorded real-time fuel economy, an optimal inter-vehicle distance between the vehicles in the lead and trailing positions; and

moving the vehicle in the trailing position to the optimal inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle in the lead position.

2. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 1, wherein the at least one second vehicle is a platoon of two or more vehicles.

3. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 2, wherein maneuvering the first vehicle into the selected position further comprises:

providing a space for the first vehicle to enter the platoon in a central position within the platoon.

4. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 2, further comprising:

re-establishing optimal inter-vehicle distances between each vehicle in the platoon when a vehicle enters or leaves the platoon.

5. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 1, wherein the processor provides a command for maneuvering the first vehicle into the selected position in the driving order.

6. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 1, wherein all steps are autonomously performed by the vehicles.

7. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 1, wherein prior to the step of communicating, the method further comprises:

approaching the at least one second vehicle on a stretch of road; and

indicating, via a communications device, a desire to enter into a vehicle platoon with the at least one second vehicle.

8. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 7, wherein the communications device indicates the driving order and the optimal inter-vehicle distance, and wherein the steps of maneuvering the first vehicle into the selected position and moving the vehicle into the trailing position are performed semi-autonomously.

9. A server comprising:

at least one processor programmed to;

establish communication with at least one of a remote wireless communications system and a remote satellite system;

receive a vehicle characteristic of a first and at least one second vehicle from the at least one remote wireless communications system and remote satellite system, wherein the vehicle characteristic is at least one of a vehicle frontal area and a vehicle drag coefficient;

select, based on the vehicle characteristics, a driving order of the first vehicle with respect to the at least one second vehicle; and

in response to the selected driving order, send a control action to the first vehicle, which in turn, moves into the selected driving order with the at least one second vehicle.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein one of the first and at least one second vehicles is moved into a lead position and another of the first and at least one second vehicles is moved into a trailing position;

and wherein the at least one processor further receives a value representative of a real-time fuel economy of the vehicle in the trailing position and the vehicle in the lead position as the vehicle in the trailing position moves from a maximum following distance to a minimum following distance from the vehicle in the lead position.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

select, based on the received real-time fuel economy values, an optimal inter-vehicle distance between the vehicles in the lead and trailing positions; and

in response to the selected optimal inter-vehicle distance, automatically execute a control action to move the vehicle in the trailing position to the optimal inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle in the lead position.

12. The server of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

receive a value indicative of a real-time fuel economy of the first and the at least one second vehicle before and after moving into the selected driving order;

calculate an individual fuel economy value and an average combined fuel economy improvement value of the first and the at least one second vehicle as a result of moving into the selected driving order;

calculate an equitable distribution of the fuel economy improvement value for the first and the at least one second vehicle; and

distribute a credit to the first and the at least one second vehicle over one or more communication channels as a result of the equitable distribution.

13. The server of claim 9, wherein the at least one second vehicle is a platoon of two or more vehicles.