Platooning autonomous vehicle navigation sensory exchange

• US 10,068,485 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dudar, Aed M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US15/236,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20180047293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/54 Audio sensitive means, e.g. ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4026 Cycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0231 using optical position detecting means position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 Convoy travelling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle system includes a communication interface programmed to communicate with a plurality of platooning vehicles, including a rear vehicle, and receive sensor signals transmitted from the rear vehicle. The vehicle system further includes a processor programmed to command the rear vehicle to turn around and programmed to output control signals to the plurality of platooning vehicles. The control signals control at least one of the plurality platooning vehicles to travel in a reverse direction according to the sensor signals received from the rear vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle system, for a lead vehicle, comprising:

a communication interface programmed to communicate with a plurality of platooning vehicles, including the lead vehicle and a rear vehicle, and receive sensor signals transmitted from the rear vehicle, wherein the lead vehicle is first among the plurality of platooning vehicles relative to a first direction of travel and the rear vehicle is last among the plurality of platooning vehicles relative to the first direction of travel; and

a processor programmed to command the rear vehicle to turn around to face a second direction of travel and wherein the processor is further programmed to command the rear vehicle to output control signals to the plurality of platooning vehicles, wherein the control signals control at least one of the plurality platooning vehicles to travel in reverse in the second direction of travel according to the sensor signals received from the rear vehicle.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the rear vehicle includes forward-facing sensors programmed to output the sensor signals, and wherein the processor is programmed to transmit the control signals in accordance with the sensor signals output by the forward-facing sensors of the rear vehicle.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein commanding the rear vehicle to turn around to face the second direction of travel includes commanding the rear vehicle to move from a forward facing direction relative to the first direction of travel to a rear facing direction relative to the first direction of travel.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one of the plurality of platooning vehicles to travel in reverse in the second direction of travel includes commanding the lead vehicle to travel in reverse in the second direction of travel while facing a forward direction relative to the first direction of travel.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to generate the control signals in accordance with a LIDAR sensor incorporated into the rear vehicle.

6. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to generate the control signals in accordance with a RADAR sensor incorporated into the rear vehicle.

7. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to generate the control signals in accordance with an ultrasound sensor incorporated into the rear vehicle.

8. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to generate the control signals in accordance with a camera incorporated into the rear vehicle.

9. A vehicle system, for a lead vehicle, comprising:

autonomous driving sensors;

a communication interface programmed to communicate with a plurality of platooning vehicles, including the lead vehicle and a rear vehicle, and receive sensor signals transmitted from the rear vehicle, wherein the lead vehicle is first among the plurality of platooning vehicles relative to a first direction of travel and the rear vehicle is last among the plurality of platooning vehicles relative to the first direction of travel; and

a processor programmed to command the rear vehicle to turn around to face a second direction of travel and wherein the processor is further programmed to command the rear vehicle to output control signals to the plurality of platooning vehicles, wherein the control signals control at least one of the plurality platooning vehicles to travel in reverse in the second direction of travel according to the sensor signals received from the rear vehicle.

10. The vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the rear vehicle includes forward-facing sensors programmed to output the sensor signals, and wherein the processor is programmed to transmit the control signals in accordance with the sensor signals output by the forward-facing sensors of the rear vehicle.

11. The vehicle system of claim 9, wherein commanding the rear vehicle to turn around to face the second direction of travel includes commanding the rear vehicle to move from a forward facing direction relative to the first direction of travel to a rear facing direction relative to the first direction of travel.

12. The vehicle system of claim 9, wherein controlling at least one of the plurality of platooning vehicles to travel in reverse in the second direction of travel includes commanding the lead vehicle to travel in reverse in the second direction of travel while facing a forward direction relative to the first direction of travel.

13. The vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the processor is programmed to generate the control signals in accordance with at least one of a LIDAR sensor, a RADAR sensor, an ultrasound sensor, and a camera incorporated into the rear vehicle.

14. A method comprising:

determining that at least a lead vehicle in a plurality of vehicles traveling in a platoon in a first direction of travel need to travel in reverse in a second direction of travel, wherein the plurality of vehicles traveling in the platoon further includes a rear vehicle, wherein the lead vehicle is first among the plurality of platooning vehicles relative to the first direction of travel and the rear vehicle is last among the plurality of platooning vehicles relative to the first direction of travel;

commanding a rear vehicle in the platoon to turn around to face a second direction of travel;

receiving sensor signals from the rear vehicle; and

transmitting control signals to the plurality of vehicles in the platoon to travel in reverse in the second direction of travel according to the sensor signals received from the rear vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the rear vehicle includes forward-facing sensors programmed to output the sensor signals, and further comprising generating the control signals according to the sensor signals output by the forward-facing sensors of the rear vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein commanding the rear vehicle to turn around to face the second direction of travel includes commanding the rear vehicle to move from a forward facing direction relative to the first direction of travel to a rear facing direction relative to the first direction of travel.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein controlling at least one of the plurality of platooning vehicles to travel in reverse in the second direction of travel includes commanding the lead vehicle to travel in reverse in the second direction of travel while facing a forward direction relative to the first direction of travel.