METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING INTER-VEHICLE DISTANCE AND EQUITABLY SHARING FUEL BENEFITS IN A VEHICLE PLATOON

• US 20170349176A1
• Filed: 06/06/2016
• Published: 12/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Alden, Jeffrey M., Camden, Andrew R., Dzurka, Matthew Allen, Samii, Soheil, Zhou, Chen
• Granted Patent: US 10,017,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• 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 60/0023 in response to energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 Convoy travelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for optimizing inter-vehicle order and distance includes communicating vehicle characteristics representative of a first and at least one second vehicle as the first vehicle approaches the at least one second vehicle. Based on the vehicle characteristics, a position in a driving order of the first vehicle with respect to the at least one second vehicle is selected and executed. A real-time fuel economy is recorded as the vehicle in the trailing position moves from a maximum following distance to a minimum following distance from the vehicle in the lead position. Based on at least the recorded real-time fuel economy, an optimal inter-vehicle distance between the vehicles in the lead and trailing positions is selected and executed.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance, comprising:

communicating vehicle characteristics representative of a first and at least one second vehicle as the first vehicle approaches the at least one second vehicle;

selecting, based on the vehicle characteristics, a position in a driving order of the first vehicle with respect to the at least one second vehicle;

maneuvering the first vehicle into the selected position in the driving order, wherein one of the first and at least one second vehicles moves into a lead position and another of the first and at least one second vehicles moves into a trailing position;

recording a real-time fuel economy of both the vehicle in the trailing position and the vehicle the lead position, as the vehicle in the trailing position moves from a maximum following distance to a minimum following distance from the vehicle in the lead position,

selecting, based on at least the recorded real-time fuel economy, an optimal inter-vehicle distance between the vehicles in the lead and trailing positions; and

moving the vehicle in the trailing position to the optimal inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle in the lead position.

2. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 1, wherein the at least one second vehicle is a platoon of two or more vehicles.

3. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 2, wherein maneuvering the first vehicle into the selected position further comprises:

providing a space for the first vehicle to enter the platoon in a central position within the platoon.

4. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 2, further comprising:

re-establishing optimal inter-vehicle distances between each vehicle in the platoon when a vehicle enters or leaves the platoon.

5. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 1, wherein the vehicle characteristics are communicated to a processor at an information exchange point for determining the driving order of the first vehicle and the at least one second vehicle, and wherein the processor provides a command for maneuvering the first vehicle into the selected position in the driving order.

6. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 1, wherein all steps are autonomously performed by the vehicles.

7. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 1, wherein prior to the step of communicating vehicle characteristics the method further comprises:

approaching the at least one second vehicle on a stretch of road; and

indicating, via a communications device, a desire to enter into a vehicle platoon with the at least one second vehicle.

8. The method for optimizing inter-vehicle distance of claim 7, wherein the communications device indicates the driving order and the optimal inter-vehicle distance, and wherein the steps of maneuvering the first vehicle into the selected position and moving the vehicle into the trailing position are performed semi-autonomously.

9. A computer-implemented method for equitably sharing fuel benefits for a vehicle platoon, comprising:

detecting, via a vehicle controller, a real-time fuel economy of a vehicle before and after entering the vehicle platoon;

sending the detected vehicle fuel economy for all vehicles in the vehicle platoon to a processor at an information exchange point;

calculating, at the processor, a value of an average fractional fuel savings rate and a fractional fuel savings rate while participating in the platoon;

calculating, at the processor, an equitable distribution of the fuel economy improvement value for the vehicle platoon; and

distributing a credit for each vehicle in the vehicle platoon over one or lore communication channels as a result of the equitable distribution.

10. The method for equitably sharing fuel benefits for the vehicle platoon of claim 9, wherein the average fractional fuel savings rate is calculated with the following equation:

11. The method for equitably sharing fuel benefits for the vehicle platoon of claim 9, wherein the fractional fuel savings rate while participating in the platoon is calculated with the following equation:

12. The method for equitably sharing fuel benefits for the vehicle platoon of claim 9, wherein an equitable fuel economy improvement value is calculated with the following equation:

13. The method for equitably sharing fuel benefits for the vehicle platoon of claim 9, wherein the information exchange point is locally associated with one of the vehicles in the vehicle platoon.

14. The method for equitably sharing fuel benefits for the vehicle platoon of claim 9, wherein the information exchange point is located remotely on an external server.

15. The method for equitably sharing fuel benefits for the vehicle platoon of claim 9, further comprising:

communicating, via a user interface, the credit received from the equitable distribution.

16. A server comprising:

at least one processor programmed to;

establish communication with at least one remote system;

receive a vehicle characteristic of a first and at least one second vehicle from the at least one remote system;

select, based on the vehicle characteristics, a driving order of the first vehicle with respect to the at least one second vehicle; and

in response to the selected driving order, automatically execute a control action to move the first vehicle into the selected driving order with the at least one second vehicle.

17. The server of claim 16, wherein one of the first and at least one second vehicles is moved into a lead position and another of the first and at least one second vehicles is moved into a trailing position;

and wherein the at least one processor further receives a value representative of a real-time fuel economy of the vehicle in the trailing position and the vehicle in the lead position as the vehicle in the trailing position moves from a maximum following distance to a minimum following distance from the vehicle in the lead position.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

select, based on the received real-time fuel economy values, an optimal inter-vehicle distance between the vehicles in the lead and trailing positions; and

in response to the selected optimal inter-vehicle distance, automatically execute a control action to move the vehicle in the trailing position to the optimal inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle in the lead position.

19. The server of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

receive a value indicative of a real-time fuel economy of the first and the at least one second vehicle before and after coving into the selected driving order;

calculate an individual fuel economy value and an average combined fuel economy improvement value of the first and the at least one second vehicle as a result of moving into the selected driving order;

calculate an equitable distribution of the fuel economy improvement value for the first and the at least one second vehicle; and

distribute a credit to the first and the at least one second vehicle over one or more communication channels as a result of the equitable distribution.

20. The server of claim 16, wherein the at least one second vehicle is a platoon of two or more vehicles.