VEHICLE DIAGNOSTICS BASED ON INFORMATION COMMUNICATED BETWEEN VEHICLES

• US 20090079839A1
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Original Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Inventors: Fischer, Jacob, Frampton, Dale, Yakes, Christopher K., Broggi, Alberto, Schmiedel, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 8,947,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/218.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0251 extracting 3D information from a plurality of images taken from different locations, e.g. stereo vision stereoscopic image analysis H04N13/00; depth recovery from images G06T7/593
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/158 Switching image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/246 Calibration of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a convoy of vehicles. The convoy of vehicles including a leader vehicle in communication with a plurality of autonomous follower vehicles. The leader vehicle is configured to receive a first autonomous follower vehicle data and compare the first autonomous follower vehicle data to at least one of a leader vehicle data, a second autonomous follower vehicle data and/or a threshold value. The first autonomous follower vehicle data, the leader vehicle data, the second autonomous follower vehicle data and the threshold value relate to a vehicle performance characteristic.

Claims

1. A convoy of vehicles comprising:

a leader vehicle in communication with a plurality of autonomous follower vehicles, the leader vehicle configured to receive a first autonomous follower vehicle data, the leader vehicle configured to compare the first autonomous follower vehicle data to at least one of a leader vehicle data, a second autonomous follower vehicle data and/or a threshold value; and

wherein the first autonomous follower vehicle data, the leader vehicle data, the second autonomous follower vehicle data and the threshold value relate to a vehicle performance characteristic.

2. The convoy of vehicles in claim 1, wherein the first autonomous follower vehicle data, the leader vehicle data and/or the second autonomous follower vehicle data is generated by an on-board diagnostics system.

3. The convoy of vehicles in claim 1, wherein a discrepancy report is generated based on a detected disparity between a comparison of first autonomous follower vehicle data to at least one of leader vehicle data, second autonomous follower vehicle data and/or threshold value.

4. The convoy of vehicles in claim 3, wherein a maintenance schedule is generated based on the discrepancy report.

5. A convoy of vehicles comprising:

a leader vehicle in communication with a plurality of autonomous follower vehicles, the leader vehicle configured to receive at least one autonomous follower vehicle data, the leader vehicle configured to transmit at least one command signal to the plurality of autonomous follower vehicles;

wherein the plurality of autonomous follower vehicles implements the at least one command signal.

6. The convoy of vehicles in claim 5, wherein a command function is configured to be transferred from the leader vehicle to at least one of the plurality of follower vehicles.

7. The convoy of vehicles in claim 6, wherein a command function transfer is implemented based on electronic commands.

8. The convoy of vehicles in claim 5, wherein an off-course follower vehicle receives a course data to rejoin the convoy.

9. The convoy of vehicles in claim 5, wherein the leader vehicle and the plurality of autonomous follower vehicles obtain data related to at least one of a terrain, an obstacle, an enemy installation and/or enemy personnel.

10. The convoy of vehicles in claim 9, wherein the obtain data is utilized to generate a first representative image of an area surrounding the convoy.

11. The convoy of vehicles in claim 10, wherein the leader vehicle is configured to receive a second representative image of an area surrounding the convoy from a terrain database.

12. The convoy of vehicles in claim 11, wherein the leader vehicle further comprises a control center configured to display a composite image of the first representative image of an area surrounding the convoy and the second representative image of an area surround the convoy.

13. The convoy of vehicles in claim 12, wherein an operator can select a subset of convoy in the composite image and change the location of the subset of convoy in the composite image;

and

wherein the leader vehicle is configured to transmit a command signal to maneuver subset of convoy to correspond to a change in location of the subset of convoy in the composite image.

14. A method for controlling a leader-follower convoy, comprising:

transmitting a first command from a leader vehicle to a first follower vehicle;

receiving the first command at the first follower vehicle;

transmitting a second command from the first autonomous follower vehicle to a second autonomous follower vehicle;

transmitting a first confirmation signal from the first autonomous follower vehicle to the leader vehicle; and

wherein the second command is a retransmission of the first command.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first command reconfigures a convoy formation.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein at least the first autonomous follower vehicle transmits a vehicle diagnostic data to the leader vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the leader vehicle transmits a third command based on a vehicle diagnostic comparison.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the vehicle diagnostic comparison is completed for a convoy.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein a leadership vehicle command center is switched from the leader vehicle to a follower vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the leadership vehicle command center is electronically switched.