AUTONOMOUS CONVOYING TECHNIQUE FOR VEHICLES

• US 20130030606A1
• Filed: 07/25/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: ZENG, Shuqing, MUDALIGE, Upali Priyantha
• Granted Patent: US 9,165,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• 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 2201/0213 Road vehicle, e.g. car or truck
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

A method of autonomously convoying vehicles traveling along a route with a leader vehicle being in communication with at least one follower vehicle. The at least one follower vehicle receives a communication relating to a target offset position and route data. Tracking data is generated and derived from on-board sensing devices of the at least one follower vehicle that includes a traveled path of the leader vehicle sensed by the at least one follower vehicle. The route data is compared to the tracking data for identifying accuracy between the route data relative to the tracking data. An adjusted target offset position and a set of trajectory points that provides a trajectory path of travel from a current position of the at least one follower vehicle to the adjusted target offset position are determined based on the accuracy between the route data and the tracking data.

Claims

1. A method for autonomously convoying vehicles traveling along a route with a leader vehicle being in communication with at least one follower vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

the at least one follower vehicle receiving a communication relating to a target offset position and route data, the target offset position identifying a target position relative to the leader vehicle and the route data including a path history and predicted path of the leader vehicle, the route data further including a global position and a GPS solution of the leader vehicle;

generating tracking data derived from on-board sensing devices of the at least one follower vehicle, wherein the tracking data includes a traveled path of the leader vehicle sensed by the at least one follower vehicle;

comparing the route data and the tracking data for identifying an accuracy between the route data relative to the tracking data;

determining an adjusted target offset position and a set of trajectory points that provides a trajectory path of travel from a current position of the at least one follower vehicle to the adjusted target offset position based on the accuracy between the route data and the tracking data; and

the at least one follower vehicle generating control signals for autonomously transitioning the at least one follower vehicle along the set of trajectory points to the adjusted target offset position.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein comparing the accuracy of the route data relative to the tracking data comprises the following steps:

determining whether the route data and the tracking data are within a predetermined tracking error threshold; and

if the route data and tracking data are within a predetermined tracking error threshold, then determining whether a GPS solution of the leader vehicle and the at least one follower vehicle are within a GPS error threshold.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

in response to determining that the GPS solution is within a GPS error threshold, setting the target offset position as transmitted by the leader vehicle as the adjusted target offset position for the at least one follower vehicle.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein if either the route data or the tracking data are not within a predetermined tracking error threshold or the GPS solution of the leader vehicle or the at least one follower vehicle is outside of the GPS error threshold, then the at least one follower vehicle adjusts the target offset position by weighting parameter data, wherein the parameter data includes sensor data, sensor bias data, and global positioning system data.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein weighting the parameter data includes applying respective weighting factors to each of the parameter data, wherein each of the weighting factors adds up to 1.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the weighting factors are determined by a data fusion procedure that includes a sensor registration technique, a data association technique, and a fixed-lag smoother technique.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein a bias of each sensor is estimated, wherein the estimated bias is provided as feedback for sensor registration.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the bias of each sensor is estimated simultaneously.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the target offset position is determined by back-propagating along a path of travel.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein communications between the leader vehicle and the at least one follower vehicle utilizes a vehicle-to-vehicle communications network.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein a dedicated short range communication protocol is used to broadcast messages within the vehicle-to-vehicle communication network.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the target offset position is determined by the leader vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the target offset position received by the at least one follower vehicle is communicated from the leader vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the route data further includes GPS accuracy of the leader vehicle.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the route data further includes GPS accuracy of the at least one follower vehicle.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein if a leader is not identified within a predetermined period of time, the following vehicle will maintain a longitudinal offset distance from a vehicle forward of the following vehicle that is a function of a speed and the GPS accuracy of the at least one follower vehicle.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the leader vehicle broadcasts target offset positions and the route data to the at least one follower vehicle.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the leader vehicle is controlled autonomously.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the leader vehicle is controlled manually.