CONVOY TRAVEL APPARATUS

• US 20130079953A1
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kumabe, Seigou
• Granted Patent: US 8,855,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• 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 convoy travel apparatus in a subject vehicle of a convoy transmits a convoy travel information, which includes the maximum allowable number and the currently-included number of vehicles in the convoy. The apparatus determines whether the subject vehicle is blocking a signal from a leader vehicle of the convoy in which the subject vehicle is traveling as a follower vehicle, where the signal being blocked by the subject vehicle may not reach a position of a rearmost vehicle in the convoy. When the subject vehicle is determined to be blocking the signal, the subject vehicle transmits the convoy travel information indicating that the subject vehicle as a leader vehicle (i.e., a representative leader vehicle) of the convoy, thereby enabling a newly-joining vehicle to receive the convoy travel information transmitted from the follower vehicle in the convoy.

Claims

1. A convoy travel apparatus disposed in a subject vehicle and in other vehicles, the apparatus comprising:

a control unit for generating a convoy travel information of the subject vehicle, and performing a convoy travel control of the subject vehicle, the convoy travel information including travel information of the subject vehicle; and

a wireless communication unit for performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the wireless communication unit regularly transmitting the convoy travel information of the subject vehicle generated by the control unit and receiving the convoy travel information from the other vehicles, wherein

the control unit determines whether the subject vehicle is a follower of a convoy or a leader of a convoy,

the control unit generates the convoy travel information to further include (i) leader information that allows a follower vehicle to determine that the subject vehicle is the leader vehicle of the convoy and (ii) capacity information providing a current allowable number of vehicles of the convoy, when the control unit determines that the subject vehicle is the leader vehicle of the convoy,

the control unit performs the convoy travel control of the subject vehicle per the convoy travel information received from the leader vehicle of the convoy to which the subject vehicle is the follower vehicle, when the control unit determines that the subject vehicle is the follower vehicle of the convoy,

the control unit determines whether the subject vehicle, which is first determined to be the follower vehicle of the convoy, is a wave blocker blocking a signal transmitted by the leader vehicle such that the convoy travel information from the leader vehicle is not reachable to a position of a rearmost vehicle in the convoy, when the convoy travel information from the leader vehicle includes the current allowable number of vehicles indicating that a convoy capacity has space for a new vehicle in the convoy, and when the subject vehicle is determined to be the wave blocker, the control unit designates the subject vehicle as a representative leader of the convoy and generates the convoy travel information to further include the leader information and the capacity information of the current allowable number of vehicles of the convoy.

3. The convoy travel apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit uses the convoy travel information received from a farthest forward leader vehicle for the convoy travel control of the subject vehicle, when the subject vehicle is (i) a vehicle outside of a convoy, joining a rear end of a convoy and (ii) receives the convoy travel information that includes the current allowable number of vehicles from multiple leader vehicles.

4. The convoy travel apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit uses the convoy travel information received from the farthest forward leader vehicle for the convoy travel control of the subject vehicle from among many sets of the convoy travel information having a reception quality being equal to or above a predetermined standard received by the wireless communication unit.

5. The convoy travel apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the control unit transmits a convoy participation notice via the wireless communication unit to join a rear end of a convoy, when the subject vehicle is a vehicle outside of the convoy, and

the control unit notifies the leader vehicle of the convoy in which the subject vehicle is traveling as the follower vehicle that a new vehicle has joined the convoy, when the subject vehicle receives a convoy participation notice after the control unit determines that the subject vehicle is the wave blocker and designates the subject vehicle as the representative leader of the convoy.

6. The convoy travel apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that the subject vehicle is the wave blocker, when an out-of-convoy vehicle has not joined the convoy even when the wireless communication has been receiving the convoy travel information from the out-of-convoy vehicle in an above-standard reception quality for at least a predetermined period of time.

7. The convoy travel apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the convoy travel information includes information regarding a height of the subject vehicle, and

the control unit determines that the subject vehicle is the wave blocker when (i) the subject vehicle is the follower vehicle in the convoy, (ii) the subject vehicle is receiving the convoy travel information from a vehicle outside of the convoy in an above-standard reception quality, and (iii) the height of the subject vehicle is greater than the height of the vehicle outside of the convoy as provided in the convoy travel information received.

2. A convoy travel apparatus disposed in a subject vehicle and in other vehicles of a convoy, the apparatus comprising:

a control unit for performing a convoy travel control and generating a convoy travel information of the subject vehicle, the convoy travel information including travel information of the subject vehicle; and

a wireless communication unit for performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the wireless communication unit regularly transmitting the convoy travel information of the subject vehicle and receiving the convoy travel information from the other vehicles, wherein

the convoy travel information includes a whole convoy ID representing a whole convoy and at least one sub-convoy ID representing a sub-convoy, the sub-convoy is organized by dividing the whole convoy, each sub-convoy including a number of vehicles less than or equal to a predetermined value defined by a communication capacity of the wireless communication unit of a sub-convoy leader vehicle,

the control unit determines whether the subject vehicle is a follower vehicle in a sub-convoy or a sub-convoy leader vehicle of a sub-convoy,

the control unit generates the convoy travel information to further include (i) leader information that allows a follower vehicle of the sub-convoy to determine that the subject vehicle is the sub-convoy leader vehicle and (ii) capacity information providing a current allowable number of vehicles of the sub-convoy, when the control unit determines that the subject vehicle is the sub-convoy leader vehicle of the sub-convoy,

the control unit performs the convoy travel control of the subject vehicle based on, the convoy travel information received from the sub-convoy leader vehicle of the sub-convoy in which the subject vehicle is traveling, when the control unit determines that the subject vehicle is the follower vehicle of the sub-convoy and identifies the convoy travel information received from the sub-convoy leader by the sub-convoy ID and the leader information included therein, and

the control unit determines whether the subject vehicle, which is first determined to be the follower vehicle of the sub-convoy, is a wave blocker blocking a signal from the leader vehicle such that the convoy travel information from the leader vehicle is not reachable to a position of a rearmost vehicle in the sub-convoy, when the convoy travel information from the sub-convoy leader vehicle includes the current allowable number of vehicles indicating that the sub-convoy has space for a new vehicle, when the subject vehicle is determined to be the wave blocker, the control unit designates the subject vehicle as serving as a sub-convoy leader vehicle of a next sub-convoy and generates the convoy travel information to further include a content of serving as the sub-convoy leader vehicle.

8. The convoy travel apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit uses the convoy travel information received from a farthest forward leader vehicle for the convoy travel control of the subject vehicle, when the control unit determines that the subject vehicle is (i) a vehicle outside of a convoy, joining a rear end of a convoy and (ii) receives the convoy travel information that includes the current allowable number of vehicles from multiple leader vehicles.

9. The convoy travel apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit uses the convoy travel information received from the farthest forward leader vehicle for the convoy travel control of the subject vehicle from among many sets of the convoy travel information having a reception quality being equal to or above a predetermined standard received by the wireless communication unit.