Method and a device for stabilization control of a vehicle traffic volume

• US 20060195250A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
• Original Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
• Inventors: Kawaguchi, Junichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,623,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for improving a phenomenon of traffic congestion, that could occur even if there is no particular obstacles existing on the way, in an automobile or vehicle traffic on a highway or a railway, in which the method allows for a driver to be incorporated in a controlling operation effectively and safely. The present invention provides a method and a device, which is in one hand implemented as a man-machine system in which the operations are shared such that a driver takes in charge of an inter-vehicle distance and speed control, while on the other hand a quantity of controls for stabilizing the inter-vehicle distance sequence is calculated automatically and additionally incorporated by the addition in respective vehicles. The stabilization of the inter-vehicle distance can be realized by employing the distributed control method in which a set of acceleration and deceleration information from a vehicle traveling ahead is appropriately integrated and transmitted in relay to a following vehicle. This enables the stabilization of the inter-vehicle distance sequence without requiring the inter-vehicle distance measurement in itself and the easy installation of equipment, and realizes a method in which safety is ensured by allowing the driver to still take charge of a local control. The suggested control provides an inter-vehicle distance control as well as a stabilization control of a traffic volume including a solution for eliminating the traffic congestion, which can be obtained through said inter-vehicle distance control.

Claims

1. A stabilization control method of a vehicle traffic volume in a group of subject vehicles, comprising:

a receiving step in one vehicle in said group of subject vehicles for receiving a quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration that has been required in another vehicle immediately ahead of said one vehicle to control a distance between vehicles and a speed;

a measuring step in said one vehicle for measuring a quantity of operations for acceleration or deceleration to be applied by a driver of said one vehicle to control the distance between vehicles and the speed;

an addition step for adding said quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration to said quantity of operations for acceleration or deceleration to determine a quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration;

a supply step for supplying said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration to a driving section of said one vehicle to drive said one vehicle based on said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration; and

a transmission step for transmitting said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration to another vehicle immediately after said one vehicle so that said other vehicle immediately after said one vehicle can receive said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration as the quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration, wherein all of said steps subject to said one vehicle are executed in respective vehicles in said group of subject vehicles.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, in which if said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration obtained in said addition step exceeds an acceleration or deceleration limit value for said one vehicle, said supply step executes a step of supplying said acceleration or deceleration limit value for said one vehicle to the driving section of said one vehicle.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, in which if said one vehicle comprises an automatic speed control means for maintaining a certain cruising speed by using a set of speed information thereof, said addition step executes a step of summing up said quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration, said quantity of operations for acceleration or deceleration and a quantity of requirements for automatic speed control which is arithmetically produced from said automatic speed control means, to determine said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, in which said quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration in said addition step represents a value determined by multiplying said quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration received in said receiving step by any arbitrary ratio.

5. A device for controlling an acceleration or deceleration of a subject vehicle in a semi-automatic manner by using a set of acceleration or deceleration information in a group of vehicles traveling ahead of said subject vehicle in order to provide a stabilization control of a vehicle traffic volume, said device comprising:

a reception means in said subject vehicle for receiving a quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration that has been required in other vehicle immediately ahead of said subject vehicle to control a distance between vehicles and a speed;

a measuring means in said subject vehicle for measuring a quantity of operations for acceleration or deceleration to be applied by a driver of said subject vehicle to control the distance between vehicles and the speed;

an addition means for adding said quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration to said quantity of operations for acceleration or deceleration to determine a quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration;

a supply means for supplying said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration to a driving section of said subject vehicle to drive said subject vehicle based on said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration; and

a transmission means for transmitting said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration to another vehicle immediately after said subject vehicle so that said other vehicle immediately after said subject vehicle can receive said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration as the quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration.

6. A device in accordance with claim 5, in which if said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration obtained in said addition means exceeds an acceleration or deceleration limit value for said subject vehicle, said supply means supplies said acceleration or deceleration limit value for said subject vehicle to the driving section of said subject vehicle.

7. A device in accordance with claim 5, in which if said subject vehicle comprises an automatic speed control means for maintaining a certain cruising speed by using a set of speed information thereof, said addition means sums up said quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration, said quantity of operations for acceleration or deceleration and a quantity of requirements for automatic speed control which is arithmetically produced from said automatic speed control means, to determine said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration.

8. A device in accordance with claim 5, in which said quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration in said addition means represents a value determined by multiplying said quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration received in said reception means by any arbitrary ratio.

9. A stabilization control system of a vehicle traffic volume in a group of subject vehicles, comprising:

a reception means in one vehicle in said group of subject vehicles for receiving a quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration that has been required in another vehicle immediately ahead of said one vehicle to control a distance between vehicles and a speed;

a measuring means in said one vehicle for measuring a quantity of operations for acceleration or deceleration to be applied by a driver of said one vehicle to control the distance between vehicles and the speed;

an addition means for adding said quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration to said quantity of operations for acceleration or deceleration to determine a quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration;

a supply means for supplying said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration to a driving section of said one vehicle to drive said one vehicle based on said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration; and

a transmission means for transmitting said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration to another vehicle immediately after said one vehicle so that said other vehicle immediately after said one vehicle can receive said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration as the quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration, wherein

all of said means for said one vehicle are implemented in respective vehicles in said group of subject vehicles.

10. A system in accordance with claim 9, in which if said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration obtained in said addition means exceeds an acceleration or deceleration limit value for said one vehicle, said supply means supplies said acceleration or deceleration limit value for said one vehicle to the driving section of said one vehicle.

11. A system in accordance with claim 9, in which if said one vehicle comprises an automatic speed control means for maintaining a certain cruising speed by using a set of speed information thereof, said addition means sums up said quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration, said quantity of operations for acceleration or deceleration and a quantity of requirements for automatic speed control which is arithmetically produced from said automatic speed control means, to determine said quantity of requirements for vehicle acceleration or deceleration.

12. A system in accordance with claim 9, in which said system is configured to employ said quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration in said addition means as a value determined by multiplying said quantity of input requirements for acceleration or deceleration received in said reception means by any arbitrary ratio.