METHOD OF CONTROLLING INTER-VEHICLE GAP(S) IN A PLATOON

• US 20180137763A1
• Filed: 02/26/2015
• Published: 05/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: DERAGRDEN, Hans, CIDER, Lennart
• Granted Patent: US 10,388,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0233 Vehicle tilting, overturning or roll over
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/10 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/125 Heavy duty trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 Convoy travelling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet
• 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

A method of controlling inter-vehicle gap(s) in a platoon that includes a lead vehicle and one or more following vehicles includes the steps of: obtaining an indicator of a potential collision threat identified by an autonomous emergency braking system of the lead vehicle, wherein the autonomous emergency braking system of the lead vehicle includes pre-defined control phases, and wherein the indicator at least partly determines a current control phase of the autonomous emergency braking system; and sending the obtained indicator to the one or more following vehicles.

Claims

1. A method of controlling inter-vehicle gap(s) in a platoon comprising a lead vehicle and one or more following vehicles, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

obtaining an indicator of a potential collision threat identified by an autonomous emergency braking system of the lead vehicle, wherein the autonomous emergency braking system of the lead vehicle comprises pre-defined control phases, and wherein the indicator at least partly determines a current control phase of the autonomous emergency braking system; and

sending the obtained indicator to the one or more following vehicles wherein the indicator is time to collision.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, in the one or more following vehicles, the indicator; and

automatically adjusting the inter-vehicle gap(s) based on the received indicator.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein automatically adjusting the inter-vehicle gap(s) based on the received indicator includes:

a following vehicle of the one or more following vehicles subtracting a predetermined time from the time to collision depending on the following vehicle'"'"'s position in the platoon, resulting in a reduced time to collision (TTC14c); and

the following vehicle adjusting its gap to the preceding vehicle based on the reduced time to collision.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein automatically adjusting the inter-vehicle gap(s) based on the received indicator starts with the last vehicle of the platoon increasing its gap to the preceding vehicle.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein automatically adjusting the inter-vehicle gap(s) based on the received indicator is initiated prior to a full brake phase of the autonomous emergency braking system of the lead vehicle.

6. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

presenting information relating to how the last vehicle of the platoon adjusts its gap to the preceding vehicle for a driver of the lead vehicle.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein sending the indicator is performed using vehicle-to-vehicle communication means.

8. A method according to claim 2, wherein receiving the indicator is performed using vehicle-to-vehicle communication means.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a deceleration capacity for the lead vehicle based on a friction estimation.

10. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

determining a deceleration capacity for the lead vehicle based on a friction estimation, wherein automatically adjusting the inter-vehicle gap(s) based on the received indicator includes taking into account also the deceleration capacity.

12. A computer comprising a computer program for performing the steps of claim 1 when the program is run on the computer.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying a computer program for performing the steps of claim 1 when the program product is run on a computer.

14. A control unit for controlling inter-vehicle gap(s) in a platoon, the control unit being configured to perform the steps of the method according to claim 1.

15. A vehicle configured to perform the steps of the method according to claim 1.

11. A method of controlling inter-vehicle gap(s) in a platoon comprising a lead vehicle and one or more following vehicles, wherein the method is characterized by the steps of:

receiving, in the one or more following vehicles, an indicator of a potential collision threat identified by an autonomous emergency braking system of the lead vehicle, wherein the autonomous emergency braking system of the lead vehicle comprises pre-defined control phases, and wherein the indicator at least partly determines a current control phase of the autonomous emergency braking system; and

automatically adjusting the inter-vehicle gap(s) based on the received indicator.

16. (canceled)