Vehicle Control Using Modeled Swarming Behavior

• US 20140129075A1
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dennis M Carleton
• Original Assignee: Dennis M Carleton
• Inventors: Carleton, Dennis M.
• Application Number:
  US13/668,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20140129075A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/27
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/10 Number of lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/408 Traffic behavior, e.g. swarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/55 using telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/24 Direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• 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 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/001 Planning or execution of driving tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 Convoy travelling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0213 Road vehicle, e.g. car or truck
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

A system for controlling a group of vehicles as a whole in which each individual member of the group receives telemetry from other members of the group or from the group as a whole, and makes decisions regarding the setting and/or changing of local operating parameters based on the received telemetry.

Claims

1. A system for autonomously controlling a vehicle comprising:

a communications interface for exchanging telemetry with a group of one or more other vehicles;

a control agent; and

a speed controller for controlling the speed of said vehicle, said speed controller being controlled by said control agent;

wherein said control agent receives information via said communications interface regarding the speed of said group of one or more other vehicles and causes said speed controller to set the speed of said vehicle to match the speed of said group of one or more other vehicles.

2. The system of claim 1 said vehicle becomes a member of said group of one or more vehicles, wherein membership in said group is defined by receiving telemetry from one or more other vehicles in said group and acting upon said telemetry.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the speed of said group of vehicles is set by one member vehicle of said group.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the speed of said group of vehicles is set by a consensus of the control agents associated with each of said vehicles in said group.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said control agent received telemetry regarding changes in et speed of said group of vehicles and adjusts its own speed in accordance therewith.

6. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

one or more sensors on said vehicle, said sensors providing information to said control agent regarding the proximity of other vehicles in said group of vehicles;

wherein said control agent varies the speed of said vehicle to maintain a minimum spacing between said vehicle and other vehicles in said group.

7. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

a braking controller for controlling a brake system in said vehicle, said braking controller being controlled by said control agent.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein said vehicle received telemetry regarding other member of said group.

10. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

a directional controller, for controlling the orientation of said vehicle, said directional controller being controlled by said control agent.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said group of vehicles can coordinate the movement of individual members of said group such that complex maneuvers of the group as a whole may be carried out.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said complex maneuvers include avoidance of obstacles detected by sensors on one or more members of said group.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein each vehicle in said group responds to global commands from the group for changes in orientation, configuration and speed of the group as a whole and further wherein each vehicle in said group makes local adjustments independent of said group to maintain a minimum spacing between said vehicle and other vehicles in said group.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said control agent receives supplementary information from one or more sources outside of said group of vehicles.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said supplementary information includes one or more of location information, road condition information, traffic signal information, weather information and road configuration information.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein said group can plan future maneuvers based on said one or more sources of supplementary information.

17. The system of claim 2 wherein said vehicle signals to an operator when it is not longer following control information from said group, indicating that that manual operation of the vehicle is necessary.

9. The system of claim 9 wherein said telemetry includes vehicle identification information, vehicle location information and operating parameters of said vehicle.

18. A system for autonomously controlling a vehicle comprising:

a communications interface for exchanging telemetry with a group of one or more other vehicles;

a control agent; and

one or more controllers for controlling various operating parameters of said vehicle under the control of said control agent;

wherein said control agent receives information via said communications interface regarding the various operating parameters said group of one or more other vehicles and uses said received information to make decisions regarding the control of said operating parameters of said vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said vehicle is considered a member of said group of vehicles when said control agent is receiving telemetry from one or more member of said group and using said received telemetry to control said one or more operating parameters of said vehicle.

20. A system for coordinating the operating parameters of a group of vehicles as a whole, wherein each of said vehicles is equipped with:

a communications interface for exchanging telemetry with a group of one or more other vehicles or with an outside source;

a control agent; and

one or more controllers for controlling various operating parameters of said vehicle under the control of said control agent;

wherein said control agent controls said various operating parameters of said vehicle in response to said telemetry received from other members of said group, from said group as a whole or from said outside source.