Apparatus and method for controlling vehicles in a platoon
First Claim
1. A controller for controlling a following vehicle in a platoon, the controller comprising:
- an electrical port adapted to receive and transmit signals,wherein the controller;
receives, via the electrical port, a brake activation signal from another vehicle in the platoon, the other vehicle being positioned in front of the following vehicle,identifies a stopping distance of the other vehicle and transmits a first lookup signal to a lookup table on the following vehicle in response to receiving the brake activation signal, wherein the first lookup signal indicates an initial speed of the following vehicle and the identified stopping distance,receives a second lookup signal from the lookup table including a determined percentage of full service brake application of the following vehicle based on the first lookup signal andtransmits a brake application signal, via the electrical port, for applying a service brake of the following vehicle to achieve the determined percentage of full service brake application.
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Abstract
A system for controlling vehicles in a platoon includes a lead vehicle controller on a lead vehicle in the platoon and a following vehicle controller on a following vehicle in the platoon. The lead vehicle controller is adapted to determine a braking distance, based on an initial speed of the lead vehicle and a percent of full service brake application of the lead vehicle, and transmit a braking distance signal indicating the braking distance. The following vehicle controller is adapted to identify the braking distance upon receiving the braking distance signal, determine a percent of full service brake application of the following vehicle based on an initial speed of the following vehicle and the braking distance, and transmit a signal to a following vehicle service brake to apply the following vehicle service brake at the determined percent of full service brake application.
13 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A controller for controlling a following vehicle in a platoon, the controller comprising:
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an electrical port adapted to receive and transmit signals, wherein the controller; receives, via the electrical port, a brake activation signal from another vehicle in the platoon, the other vehicle being positioned in front of the following vehicle, identifies a stopping distance of the other vehicle and transmits a first lookup signal to a lookup table on the following vehicle in response to receiving the brake activation signal, wherein the first lookup signal indicates an initial speed of the following vehicle and the identified stopping distance, receives a second lookup signal from the lookup table including a determined percentage of full service brake application of the following vehicle based on the first lookup signal and transmits a brake application signal, via the electrical port, for applying a service brake of the following vehicle to achieve the determined percentage of full service brake application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for controlling vehicles in a platoon, the system comprising:
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a lead vehicle controller, on a lead vehicle in the platoon, i) that determines a braking distance based on an initial speed of the lead vehicle and a percent of full service brake application of the lead vehicle and ii) transmits a braking distance signal indicating the braking distance; and a following vehicle controller, on a following vehicle in the platoon, i) that identifies the braking distance upon receiving the braking distance signal, ii) determines a percent of full service brake application of the following vehicle based on an initial speed of the following vehicle and the braking distance and iii) transmits a brake application signal to the following vehicle service brake to apply the following vehicle service brake at the determined percent of full service brake application. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for controlling vehicles in a platoon, the method comprising:
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determining a braking distance of a lead vehicle based on an initial speed of the lead vehicle and a percent of full service brake application of the lead vehicle; transmitting a lead vehicle braking distance signal, indicting the braking distance, from the lead vehicle; receiving the lead vehicle braking distance signal at a following vehicle; determining a percent of full service brake application of the following vehicle based on an initial speed of the following vehicle and the lead vehicle braking distance; and transmitting a following vehicle brake application signal to the following vehicle to apply the following vehicle service brake at the determined percent of full service brake application. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification