Vehicular platooning using distributed receding horizon control
First Claim
1. A controller for a vehicle i within a platoon, the controller comprising:
- a computer processor, which is configured to execute instructions stored on a memory to calculate a local optimal control problem, velocity control of the vehicle i, and a position and velocity error trajectory for the vehicle i; and
a communication terminal configured to receive a position and velocity error trajectory for an immediately preceding vehicle i−
1 from the immediately preceding vehicle i−
1, and to transmit the position and velocity error trajectory calculated by the computer processor for the vehicle i to an immediately following vehicle i+1.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This disclosure relates to distributed control of a platoon of vehicles with nonlinear dynamics. Distributed receding horizon control algorithms are presented to derive sufficient conditions that guarantee asymptotic stability, leader-follower string stability, and predecessor-follower string stability, following a step speed change in the platoon. Vehicles compute their own control in parallel, and receive communicated position and velocity error trajectories from their immediate predecessor. Leader-follower string stability requires additional communication from the lead car at each update, in the form of a position error trajectory. Communication from the lead car is required only once at initialization. Provided an initially feasible solution can be found, subsequent feasibility of the algorithms are guaranteed at every update. The theory is generalized for nonlinear decoupled dynamics, and is thus applicable to fleets of planes, robots, or boats, in addition to cars.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A controller for a vehicle i within a platoon, the controller comprising:
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a computer processor, which is configured to execute instructions stored on a memory to calculate a local optimal control problem, velocity control of the vehicle i, and a position and velocity error trajectory for the vehicle i; and a communication terminal configured to receive a position and velocity error trajectory for an immediately preceding vehicle i−
1 from the immediately preceding vehicle i−
1, and to transmit the position and velocity error trajectory calculated by the computer processor for the vehicle i to an immediately following vehicle i+1. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for controlling a vehicle i within a platoon, the method comprising
receiving a position and velocity error trajectory for an immediately preceding vehicle i− - 1 from the immediately preceding vehicle i−
1;calculating a local optimal control problem and velocity control of the vehicle i based on the received position and velocity error trajectory for the immediately preceding vehicle i−
1;calculating a position and velocity error trajectory for the vehicle i; and transmitting the calculated position and velocity error trajectory for the vehicle i to an immediately following vehicle i+1.
- 1 from the immediately preceding vehicle i−
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11. A platoon control system comprising:
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a plurality of vehicles arranged in a platoon configuration, each vehicle (i=1, . . . , Nv) including a controller including; a computer processor, which is configured to execute instructions stored on a memory to calculate a local optimal control problem, including velocity control of the vehicle i, and to calculate a position and velocity error trajectory for the vehicle i; and a communication terminal configured to receive a position and velocity error trajectory for an immediately preceding vehicle i−
1 when i>
1, and transmit the position and velocity error trajectory calculated by the computer processor for the vehicle i to an immediately following vehicle i+1 when i<
Nv, whereina leader vehicle i=1 starts an initialization to initiate an update period to change a desired speed, and broadcasts to all other vehicles of the platoon, only at the initialization, a new desired speed broadcast by the leader vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification