Convoy travel apparatus
First Claim
1. A convoy travel apparatus disposed in a subject vehicle and in other vehicles, the apparatus comprising:
- a control unit generating convoy travel information of the subject vehicle, and performing convoy travel control of the subject vehicle, the convoy travel information including travel information of the subject vehicle; and
a wireless communication unit performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the wireless communication unit regularly transmitting the convoy travel information of the subject vehicle generated by the control unit and receiving convoy travel information from the other vehicles, whereinthe control unit determines whether each of the subject vehicle and the other vehicles is a follower vehicle of a convoy or a leader vehicle of the convoy,the control unit generates the convoy travel information to further include (i) leader information that allows the follower vehicle to determine the leader vehicle of the convoy and (ii) capacity information providing a current allowable number of vehicles of the convoy, when the control unit determines the leader vehicle of the convoy,the control unit performs the convoy travel control of the follower vehicle per the convoy travel information received from the leader vehicle of the convoy which includes the follower vehicle,the control unit determines whether the follower vehicle of the convoy is a wave blocker blocking a signal transmitted by the leader vehicle such that the convoy travel information from the leader vehicle is not reachable to a position of a rearmost vehicle in the convoy, when the convoy travel information from the leader vehicle includes the current allowable number of vehicles indicating that a convoy capacity has space for a new vehicle in the convoy, and when the follower vehicle is determined to be the wave blocker, the control unit designates the follower vehicle as a representative leader of the convoy and generates the convoy travel information to further include the leader information and the capacity information of the current allowable number of vehicles of the convoy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A convoy travel apparatus in a subject vehicle of a convoy transmits a convoy travel information, which includes the maximum allowable number and the currently-included number of vehicles in the convoy. The apparatus determines whether the subject vehicle is blocking a signal from a leader vehicle of the convoy in which the subject vehicle is traveling as a follower vehicle, where the signal being blocked by the subject vehicle may not reach a position of a rearmost vehicle in the convoy. When the subject vehicle is determined to be blocking the signal, the subject vehicle transmits the convoy travel information indicating that the subject vehicle as a leader vehicle (i.e., a representative leader vehicle) of the convoy, thereby enabling a newly-joining vehicle to receive the convoy travel information transmitted from the follower vehicle in the convoy.
40 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A convoy travel apparatus disposed in a subject vehicle and in other vehicles, the apparatus comprising:
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a control unit generating convoy travel information of the subject vehicle, and performing convoy travel control of the subject vehicle, the convoy travel information including travel information of the subject vehicle; and a wireless communication unit performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the wireless communication unit regularly transmitting the convoy travel information of the subject vehicle generated by the control unit and receiving convoy travel information from the other vehicles, wherein the control unit determines whether each of the subject vehicle and the other vehicles is a follower vehicle of a convoy or a leader vehicle of the convoy, the control unit generates the convoy travel information to further include (i) leader information that allows the follower vehicle to determine the leader vehicle of the convoy and (ii) capacity information providing a current allowable number of vehicles of the convoy, when the control unit determines the leader vehicle of the convoy, the control unit performs the convoy travel control of the follower vehicle per the convoy travel information received from the leader vehicle of the convoy which includes the follower vehicle, the control unit determines whether the follower vehicle of the convoy is a wave blocker blocking a signal transmitted by the leader vehicle such that the convoy travel information from the leader vehicle is not reachable to a position of a rearmost vehicle in the convoy, when the convoy travel information from the leader vehicle includes the current allowable number of vehicles indicating that a convoy capacity has space for a new vehicle in the convoy, and when the follower vehicle is determined to be the wave blocker, the control unit designates the follower vehicle as a representative leader of the convoy and generates the convoy travel information to further include the leader information and the capacity information of the current allowable number of vehicles of the convoy. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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2. A convoy travel apparatus disposed in a subject vehicle and in other vehicles of a convoy, the apparatus comprising:
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a control unit performing convoy travel control and generating convoy travel information of the subject vehicle, the convoy travel information including travel information of the subject vehicle; and a wireless communication unit performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the wireless communication unit regularly transmitting the convoy travel information of the subject vehicle and receiving convoy travel information from the other vehicles, wherein the convoy travel information includes a whole convoy ID representing a whole convoy and at least one sub-convoy ID representing a sub-convoy, the sub-convoy is organized by dividing the whole convoy, each sub-convoy including a number of vehicles less than or equal to a predetermined value defined by a communication capacity of the wireless communication unit of a sub-convoy leader vehicle, the control unit determines whether each of the subject vehicle and the other vehicles is a follower vehicle in a or the sub-convoy leader vehicle of the sub-convoy, the control unit generates the convoy travel information to further include (i) leader information that allows the follower vehicle of the sub-convoy to determine the sub-convoy leader vehicle and (ii) capacity information providing a current allowable number of vehicles of the sub-convoy, when the control unit determines the sub-convoy leader vehicle of the sub-convoy, the control unit performs the convoy travel control of the follower vehicle based on, the convoy travel information received from the sub-convoy leader vehicle of the sub-convoy in which the follower vehicle is traveling, when the control unit determines the follower vehicle of the sub-convoy and identifies the convoy travel information received from the sub-convoy leader by the sub-convoy ID and the leader information included therein, and the control unit determines whether the follower vehicle of the sub-convoy is a wave blocker blocking a signal from the leader vehicle such that the convoy travel information from the leader vehicle is not reachable to a position of a rearmost vehicle in the sub-convoy, when the convoy travel information from the sub-convoy leader vehicle includes the current allowable number of vehicles indicating that the sub-convoy has space for a new vehicle, when the follower vehicle is determined to be the wave blocker, the control unit designates the follower vehicle as serving as a sub-convoy leader vehicle of a next sub-convoy and generates the convoy travel information to further include a content of serving as the sub-convoy leader vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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Specification