Dynamic autonomous vehicle train

• US 10,698,421 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2018
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Harris, Steven J, Leung, Theobolt N, Hieb, Jay T
• Primary Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US16/057,937
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 701 25
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0289 with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 Convoy travelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/42 for mass transport vehicles, e.g. buses, trains or aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Autonomous vehicles may be dynamically directed to rendezvous with autonomous vehicle trains or convoys. Current location and/or route information of the Autonomous Vehicle Train (AVT) may be received by an autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may compare its current location and/or route information to determine a rendezvous point with the AVT. The autonomous vehicle may route itself to the rendezvous point with the AVT. Once there, the autonomous vehicle may verify the identification of the AVT, such as by using sensors/cameras to verifying a lead vehicle of the AVT (e.g., by verifying make/model, color, and/or license plate). The autonomous vehicle and lead vehicle may communicate to allow the autonomous vehicle to join the AVT. A minimum level of autonomous vehicle functionality may be verified prior to the autonomous vehicle being allowed to join the AVT. As a result, vehicle traffic flow and travel experience by passengers may be enhanced.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of dynamically controlling vehicles within an autonomous vehicle train while the autonomous vehicle train is traveling, the method comprising:

receiving, via one or more processors and/or associated transceivers of an autonomous vehicle train including two or more autonomous vehicles, while the autonomous vehicle is traveling, a request to join the autonomous vehicle train from a requesting autonomous vehicle;

transmitting, via the one or more processors and/or associated transceivers of the autonomous vehicle train, a communication to the requesting autonomous vehicle indicating that the requesting autonomous vehicle is allowed to join the autonomous vehicle train; and

adjusting, via one or more processors and/or associated transceivers of the autonomous vehicle train, while the autonomous vehicle train is traveling, at least one of the following;

(i) a first speed of a first autonomous vehicle of the autonomous vehicle train and/or a second speed of a second autonomous vehicle of the autonomous vehicle train to allow the requesting autonomous vehicle to join the autonomous vehicle train;

or

(ii) a distance between the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle to allow the requesting autonomous vehicle to join the autonomous vehicle train.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting, after the requesting autonomous vehicle has joined the autonomous vehicle train, via the one or more processors and/or associated transceivers of the autonomous vehicle train, while the autonomous vehicle train is traveling, at least one of the following;

(i) a speed of one or more autonomous vehicles of the autonomous vehicle train;

(ii) a distance between two or more consecutive autonomous vehicles of the autonomous vehicle train.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, the method further comprising one or more of:

(i) a speed of one or more autonomous vehicles of the autonomous vehicle train to be equal;

or

(ii) a distance between two or more consecutive autonomous vehicles of the autonomous vehicle train to be equal.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein adjusting, via the one or more processors and/or associated transceivers, the first distance between the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle to allow the requesting autonomous vehicle to join the autonomous vehicle train further comprises:

directing the requesting autonomous vehicle to join the autonomous vehicle train between the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising directing the autonomous vehicle to join the autonomous vehicle train by following a rear autonomous vehicle of the autonomous vehicle train at one or more of a particular distance or a particular speed.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors and/or associated transceivers are mounted on a lead autonomous vehicle of the autonomous vehicle train.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors and/or associated transceivers are mounted on the requesting autonomous vehicle.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors and/or associated transceivers are located remotely from the requesting autonomous vehicle and the autonomous vehicle train.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying, via one or more processors and/or associated transceivers, prior to transmitting the communication to the requesting autonomous vehicle indicating that the requesting autonomous vehicle is allowed to join the autonomous vehicle train, that autonomous functionalities of the requesting autonomous vehicle meet a threshold minimum autonomous functionality requirement for joining the autonomous vehicle train.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, via one or more processors and/or associated transceivers, an insurance quote for the requesting autonomous vehicle based upon at least one of traveling with the autonomous vehicle train, autonomous functionalities of the autonomous vehicle, and/or a threshold minimum autonomous functionality required for joining the autonomous vehicle train.

11. A computer system configured to remotely or locally dynamically control or adjust vehicles within an autonomous vehicle train including two or more autonomous vehicles traveling to at least one destination, the system comprising

one or more sensors;

a transceiver configured to communicate data via at least one network connection;

a memory configured to store non-transitory computer executable instructions;

a processor configured to interface with the sensors, transceiver, and memory, and configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to adjust at least one of;

(i) a first speed of a first autonomous vehicle in the autonomous vehicle train and a second speed of a second autonomous vehicle in the autonomous vehicle train to cause the first speed and the second speed to be equal;

or

(ii) a first distance between the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle, and a second distance between a third autonomous vehicle and a fourth autonomous vehicle to cause the first distance and the second distance to be equal;

or

(iii) the first speed of the first autonomous vehicle and the second speed of the second autonomous vehicle to allow a joining autonomous vehicle to join the autonomous vehicle train;

or

(iv) the first distance between the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle to allow the joining autonomous vehicle to join the autonomous vehicle train.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions that cause the processor to adjust the first distance between the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle to allow the joining autonomous vehicle to join the autonomous vehicle train further include instructions that cause the processor to direct the joining autonomous vehicle to join the autonomous vehicle train between the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions further cause the processor to direct the autonomous vehicle to join the autonomous vehicle train by following a rear autonomous vehicle of the autonomous vehicle train at one or more of a particular distance or a particular speed.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer executable intimations further cause the processor to:

adjust the distance between each autonomous vehicle in the autonomous vehicle train so that the distance between each autonomous vehicle in the autonomous vehicle train is equal.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions further cause the processor to:

the speed of each autonomous vehicle in the autonomous vehicle train so that the speed of each autonomous vehicle in the autonomous vehicle train is equal.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors and/or associated transceivers are mounted on a lead autonomous vehicle of the autonomous vehicle train.

17. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors and/or associated transceivers are mounted on the joining autonomous vehicle.

18. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors and/or associated transceivers are located remotely from the joining autonomous vehicle and the autonomous vehicle train.

19. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions further cause the processor to:

verify that autonomous functionalities of the joining autonomous vehicle meet a threshold minimum autonomous functionality requirement for joining the autonomous vehicle train.

20. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions further cause the processor to:

generate an insurance quote for the joining autonomous vehicle based upon at least one of traveling with the autonomous vehicle train, autonomous functionalities of the autonomous vehicle, and/or a threshold minimum autonomous functionality required for joining the autonomous vehicle train.