Systems and methods for semi-autonomous vehicular convoys

• US 10,281,927 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2017
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peloton Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Peloton Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Switkes, Joshua P., Gerdes, Joseph Christian, Berdichevsky, Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Application Number:
  US15/607,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20170261997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/00 Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/92 for velocity measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• 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: G05D 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for vehicles to safely closely follow one another through partial automation. Following closely behind another vehicle has significant fuel savings benefits, but is unsafe when done manually by the driver. On the opposite end of the spectrum, fully autonomous solutions require inordinate amounts of technology, and a level of robustness that is currently not cost effective.

Claims

1. A computerized vehicular convoying control system, useful in association with a plurality of vehicles to identify one or more opportunities to form a convoy, the control system comprising:

a central server remote from the plurality of vehicles, the central server responsive to information regarding the plurality of vehicles to determine a linking opportunity between at least a first vehicle and a second vehicle in the plurality of vehicles to form the convoy, wherein the central server determines the linking opportunity between the first and second vehicles using the location and the destination of each of the first and second vehicles;

the information regarding the plurality of vehicles being selected from the group consisting of;

vehicle location, vehicle destination, vehicle load, vehicle type, and trailer type; and

a long-range vehicular transceiver configured to enable the central server to communicate the linking opportunity to at least one of the first and second vehicles in the plurality of vehicles;

the communication of the linking opportunity being such that the first and second vehicles can initiate formation of the convoys;

wherein the central server determines an ordering of the first and second vehicles in accordance with at least one of;

a vehicle weight, a vehicle load, weather condition, road condition, fuel remaining, fuel saving, accrued linking time, braking technology, brake pad wear, a vehicular linking location, and a destination address.

2. The convoying control system of claim 1, wherein the central server determines the linking opportunity by minimizing a cost function computed using a distance between the first and second vehicles and a distance between destinations of the first and second vehicles.

3. The convoying control system of claim 1 wherein the central server is configured to receive vehicular information with the central server via the long-range vehicular transceiver, the vehicular information including one of actual fuel savings of one of the lead vehicle and the at least one follower vehicle, a vehicle location, a vehicular speed, a direction of travel, a vehicular load, a vehicular destination, driver information, a vehicular origin, a cargo classification, an engine operating parameter, a controller performance parameter such as a vehicular spacing, lateral positions relative to another vehicle and the lane, a relative speed, video data, and a control system malfunction.

4. The convoying control system of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are trucks.

5. In a computerized vehicular convoying control system, a method useful in association with a plurality of vehicles to identify one or more opportunities to form a convoy of at least first and second vehicles within the plurality of vehicles, the method comprising:

communicating with the plurality of vehicles remote from a central server, the central server responsive to information regarding the plurality of vehicles to determine a linking opportunity between at least the first vehicle and the second vehicle to form the convoy, wherein the central server determines the linking opportunity between the first and second vehicles using the location and the destination of each of the first and second vehicles;

the information regarding the plurality of vehicles being selected from the group consisting of;

vehicle location, vehicle destination, vehicle load, vehicle type, and trailer type; and

via the central server, communicating the linking opportunity to at least one of the first and second vehicles in the plurality of vehicles;

the communication of the linking opportunity being such that the first and second vehicles can initiate formation of the convoy;

wherein the central server determines an ordering of the first and second vehicles in accordance with at least one of;

a vehicle weight, a vehicle load, weather condition, road condition, fuel remaining, fuel saving, accrued linking time, braking technology, brake pad wear, a vehicular linking location, and a destination address.

6. A computerized vehicular convoying control system, useful in association with a plurality of vehicles to implement a convoy, the control system comprising:

a central server remote from the plurality of vehicles, the central server responsive to information regarding the plurality of vehicles to identify at least a first vehicle and a second vehicle in the plurality of vehicles for the convoy;

the information regarding the plurality of vehicles being selected from the group consisting of;

vehicle location, vehicle destination, vehicle load, vehicle type, and trailer type; and

a long-range vehicular transceiver configured to enable the central server to instruct at least one of the first and second vehicles in the plurality of vehicles to form the convoy, wherein the central server instructs at least one of the first and second vehicles in the plurality of vehicles to form the convoy; and

wherein the central server minimizes a cost function calculated using a distance between the first and second vehicles and a distance between destinations of the first and second vehicles prior to instructing the at least one vehicle to form a convoy.

7. The convoying control system of claim 6, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are trucks.

8. In a computerized vehicular convoying control system, a method useful in association with a plurality of vehicles to implement a convoy of at least first and second vehicles within the plurality of vehicles, the method comprising:

communicating with the plurality of vehicles remote from a central server, the central server responsive to information regarding the plurality of vehicles to identify at least the first vehicle and the second vehicle for the convoy;

the information regarding the plurality of vehicles being selected from the group consisting of;

vehicle location, vehicle destination, vehicle load, vehicle type, and trailer type; and

instructing, via the central server, at least one of the first and second vehicles in the plurality of vehicles to form the convoy; and

computing at least one vehicular trajectory for smoothly and efficiently managing long range coordination of the first and second vehicles in the plurality of vehicles.

9. A vehicle communications system useful in association with a plurality of vehicles, the vehicle communications system comprising:

a processor, configured to select a lead vehicle and at least one follower vehicle from the plurality of vehicles for autonomous or semi-autonomous linking, the linking selection based on two or more elements selected from the group consisting of a vehicular location, a vehicular destination, a vehicular type, and a trailer type;

a first communications link, responsive to remotely communicated information about the linking selection, to communicate the linking selection to one or more of the lead vehicle and the at least one follower vehicle, and

a second communications link for communication between the lead vehicle and the at least one follower vehicle;

wherein the processor is further configured to compute at least one vehicular trajectory for smoothly and efficiently managing long range coordination of the at least one follower vehicle with the lead vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first communications link is further configured to facilitate communications between the lead vehicle and the at least one follower vehicle.

11. In a server-based system useful in association with a plurality of vehicles, a vehicular convoying method comprising:

selecting, by a server, a lead vehicle and at least one follower vehicle from a plurality of vehicles for autonomous or semi-autonomous linking,

the linking selection based on two or more elements selected from the group consisting of;

a vehicular location, a vehicular destination, a vehicular type, and a trailer type;

receiving remotely communicated information about the linking selection via a first communications link, and communicating the linking selection to one or more of the lead vehicle and the at least one follower vehicle;

communicating between the lead vehicle and the at least one follower vehicle via a second communications link; and

computing at least one vehicular trajectory for smoothly and efficiently managing long range coordination of the at least one follower vehicle with the lead vehicle.

12. The convoying method of claim 11, further comprising facilitating communications between the lead vehicle and the at least one follower vehicle via the first communications link.

13. A central server useful in association with a plurality of vehicles, the server being located remotely from the plurality of vehicles, the server comprising:

a processor configured to select, for either autonomous or semi-autonomous linking, a lead vehicle and at least one follower vehicle from the plurality of vehicles, the processor determining the selected vehicles from a database comprising data relating to the plurality of vehicles, wherein the processor is further configured to compute at least one vehicular trajectory for smoothly and efficiently managing long range coordination of the at least one follower vehicle with the lead vehicle;

the data for each of the plurality of vehicles comprising two or more elements selected from the group consisting of a vehicular location, a vehicular destination, a vehicular type, and a trailer type; and

a first communications link, responsive to the processor and configured to communicate the linking selection to the lead vehicle and the at least one follower vehicle.