Apparatus and method for lateral control of a host vehicle during travel in a vehicle platoon

• US 8,775,060 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2013
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Solyom, Stefan, Salamah, Badr Bin, Idelchi, Arash
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US13/938,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20140019031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/23, 701/24, 701/117, 701/118, 701/41, 701/70, 701/96, 701/300, 701/301, 340/435, 340/901, 340/902, 340/903, 340/915, 340/910, 340/911, 340/913, 340/914, 340/917, 340/920, 340/932, 340/933, 340/934, 340/936, 340/988, 89/332, 891/42, 891/92, 422/24, 422/186.3, 700/3, 700/83, 318/587, 180/168
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/083 using active brake actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/087 using active steering actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17557 specially adapted for lane departure prevention road vehicle drive control systems for lane keeping otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/001 Planning or execution of driving tasks
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 Convoy travelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

An apparatus and method are described for lateral control of a host vehicle (F) during travel in a vehicle platoon. The apparatus and method include acquiring a control signal u and a lateral error ε relative to a target vehicle (L) of a preceding vehicle (T) travelling in the vehicle platoon, filtering the received lateral error ε, filtering the received control signal u, and executing via a processor a control algorithm for actuating lateral control of the host vehicle (F).

Claims

1. An apparatus for lateral control of a host vehicle (F) during travel in a vehicle platoon, the apparatus comprising:

means for acquiring a control signal u and a lateral error ε

relative to a target vehicle (L) of a preceding vehicle (T) travelling in the vehicle platoon;

filter means (F₁) for filtering the received lateral error ε

;

filter means (F₂) for filtering the received control signal u; and

controller means (C) for executing a control algorithm for actuating lateral control of the host vehicle (F).

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for acquiring a control signal u and a lateral error ε

relative to a target vehicle (L) of a preceding vehicle (T) comprises one or more sensors such as radar based sensors, vision based sensors or lidar based sensors.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising means for receiving a control signal u and a lateral error ε

relative to the target vehicle (L) from a preceding vehicle (T) travelling in the vehicle platoon.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the filter means (F₁) for filtering the received lateral error ε

relative to the target vehicle (L) are arranged to perform filtering such that, given the host vehicles (F) capabilities G<sub>Δ

y</sub> and the host vehicles (F) controller C, the lateral error ε

is prevented from increasing when relayed downwards in the chain of vehicles travelling in the vehicle platoon, and the filter means (F₂) for filtering the received control signal u are arranged to cancel unwanted effects on the chain of the control signal u of the target vehicle (L), and the controller means (C) are arranged to guarantee local stability of the immediate following of the target vehicle (L).

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for relaying information on the host vehicle'"'"'s (F) control signal u and the host vehicle'"'"'s (F) lateral error ε

relative to the target vehicle (L) to a following vehicle (F2) in the vehicle platoon.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the filter means (F₁) for filtering the received lateral error ε

relative to the target vehicle (L) are arranged to perform filtering such that, given the host vehicles (F) capabilities G<sub>Δ

y</sub> and the host vehicles (F) controller C, the lateral error ε

is prevented from increasing when relayed downwards in the chain of vehicles travelling in the vehicle platoon, and the filter means (F₂) for filtering the received control signal u are arranged to cancel unwanted effects on the chain of the control signal u of the target vehicle (L), and the controller means (C) are arranged to guarantee local stability of the immediate following of the target vehicle (L).

7. An apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising means for receiving a control signal u and a lateral error ε

relative to the target vehicle (L) from a preceding vehicle (T) travelling in the vehicle platoon.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the filter means (F₁) for filtering the received lateral error ε

relative to the target vehicle (L) are arranged to perform filtering such that, given the host vehicles (F) capabilities G<sub>Δ

y</sub> and the host vehicles (F) controller C, the lateral error ε

is prevented from increasing when relayed downwards in the chain of vehicles travelling in the vehicle platoon, and the filter means (F₂) for filtering the received control signal u are arranged to cancel unwanted effects on the chain of the control signal u of the target vehicle (L), and the controller means (C) are arranged to guarantee local stability of the immediate following of the target vehicle (L).

9. An automotive vehicle comprising an apparatus for lateral control of a host vehicle (F) during travel in a vehicle platoon according to claim 1.

10. A method for lateral control of a host vehicle (F) during travel in a vehicle platoon, the method comprising:

acquiring, via a sensor, a control signal u and a lateral error ε

relative to a target vehicle (L) of a preceding vehicle (T) travelling in the vehicle platoon;

filtering the received lateral error ε

;

filtering the received control signal u; and

executing, via a processor, a control algorithm for actuating lateral control of the host vehicle (F).

11. An apparatus for lateral control of a host vehicle (F) during travel in a vehicle platoon, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor for acquiring a control signal u and a lateral error ε

relative to a target vehicle (L) of a preceding vehicle (T) travelling in the vehicle platoon;

a filter (F₁) for filtering the received lateral error ε

;

a filter (F₂) for filtering the received control signal u; and

a controller (C) for executing a control algorithm for actuating lateral control of the host vehicle (F).

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the sensor for acquiring a control signal u and a lateral error ε

relative to a target vehicle (L) of a preceding vehicle (T) comprises one or more radar based sensors, vision based sensors or lidar based sensors.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising a receiver for receiving a control signal u and a lateral error ε

relative to the target vehicle (L) from a preceding vehicle (T) travelling in the vehicle platoon.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the filter (F₁) for filtering the received lateral error ε

relative to the target vehicle (L) is arranged to perform filtering such that, given the host vehicles (F) capabilities G<sub>Δ

y</sub> and the host vehicles (F) controller C, the lateral error ε

is prevented from increasing when relayed downwards in the chain of vehicles travelling in the vehicle platoon, and the filter (F₂) for filtering the received control signal u is arranged to cancel unwanted effects on the chain of the control signal u of the target vehicle (L), and the controller (C) is arranged to guarantee local stability of the immediate following of the target vehicle (L).

15. An apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising a transmitter for relaying information on the host vehicle'"'"'s (F) control signal u and the host vehicle'"'"'s (F) lateral error ε

relative to the target vehicle (L) to a following vehicle (F2) in the vehicle platoon.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 further comprising a receiver for receiving a control signal u and a lateral error ε

relative to the target vehicle (L) from a preceding vehicle (T) travelling in the vehicle platoon.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the filter (F₁) for filtering the received lateral error ε

relative to the target vehicle (L) is arranged to perform filtering such that, given the host vehicles (F) capabilities G<sub>Δ

y</sub> and the host vehicles (F) controller C, the lateral error ε

is prevented from increasing when relayed downwards in the chain of vehicles travelling in the vehicle platoon, and the filter (F₂) for filtering the received control signal u is arranged to cancel unwanted effects on the chain of the control signal u of the target vehicle (L), and the controller (C) is arranged to guarantee local stability of the immediate following of the target vehicle (L).

18. An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the filter (F₁) for filtering the received lateral error ε

relative to the target vehicle (L) is arranged to perform filtering such that, given the host vehicles (F) capabilities G<sub>Δ

y</sub> and the host vehicles (F) controller C, the lateral error ε

is prevented from increasing when relayed downwards in the chain of vehicles travelling in the vehicle platoon, and the filter (F₂) for filtering the received control signal u is arranged to cancel unwanted effects on the chain of the control signal u of the target vehicle (L), and the controller (C) is arranged to guarantee local stability of the immediate following of the target vehicle (L).

19. An automotive vehicle comprising an apparatus for lateral control of a host vehicle (F) during travel in a vehicle platoon according to claim 11.