Method, apparatus and computer program product for grouping vehicles into a platoon

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10353387-B2
Application number	US-201715466273-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2017
Priority date	Apr 12, 2016
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program products are provided for grouping a plurality of vehicles together into a platoon and using navigation and other available data to optimize the efficiencies of operating the vehicles together as a platoon. Methods may include receiving a first trip request including a first vehicle identification, trip destination, and associated preferences; receiving a second trip request including a second vehicle identification, trip destination, and associated preferences; and generating a platooning plan including assignment of platoon leader to the first vehicle identification and a joining location where a vehicle of the first vehicle identification is to form a platoon with a vehicle of the second identification. Methods may include joining the first vehicle and the second vehicle in a secure vehicle-to-vehicle communication session.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a server, a first trip request including a first vehicle identification, first vehicle origin, first vehicle trip destination, and associated first vehicle preferences;
receiving, at the server, a second trip request including a second vehicle identification, second vehicle origin, second vehicle trip destination, and associated second vehicle preferences;
receiving, at the server, a third trip request including a third vehicle identification, third vehicle origin, third vehicle trip destination, and associated third vehicle preferences;
generating, by the server, a platooning plan including assignment of a platoon leader and a platoon order of vehicles, wherein the platooning plan includes a first joining location where a vehicle of the first vehicle identification is to form a platoon with a vehicle of the second vehicle identification, and a second joining location where a vehicle of the third vehicle identification is to join the platoon of the vehicle of the first vehicle identification and the vehicle of the second vehicle identification, wherein the platoon order of vehicles is determined, at least in part, on an origin of the vehicles and a trip destination of the vehicles in the platoon;
determining, by the server, a maximum number of vehicles for the platoon, wherein the maximum number of vehicles is based on vehicle size;
providing the platooning plan to vehicles of the first vehicle identification, the second vehicle identification, and the third vehicle identification; and
providing route guidance to each of the vehicles to follow the platooning plan.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
joining the vehicle of the first vehicle identification and the vehicle of the second vehicle identification in a secure vehicle-to-vehicle communication session.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
facilitating payment between an account associated with the first vehicle identification and an account associated with the second vehicle identification.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the associated preferences comprises a planned route, planned stops, and a desired time of arrival at the trip destination, and wherein the platooning plan includes a platoon route, platoon planned stops, and a platoon target arrival time generated in response to the associated preferences of the first trip request and the second trip request.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending the platooning plan to the platoon leader; and
directing the vehicle corresponding to the first vehicle identification to the joining location.

6. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:
receive a first trip request including a first vehicle identification, first vehicle origin, first vehicle trip destination, and associated first vehicle preferences;
receive a second trip request including a second vehicle identification, second vehicle origin, second vehicle trip destination, and associated second vehicle preferences;
receive a third trip request including a third vehicle identification, third vehicle origin, third vehicle trip destination, and associated third vehicle preferences;
generate a platooning plan including assignment of a platoon leader and a platoon order of vehicles, wherein the platooning plan includes a first joining location where a vehicle of the first vehicle identification is to form a platoon with a vehicle of the second vehicle identification, and a second joining location where a vehicle of the third vehicle identification is to join the platoon of the vehicle of the first vehicle identification and the vehicle of the second vehicle identification, wherein the platoon order of vehicles is determined, at least in part, on an origin of the vehicles and a trip destination of the vehicles;
determine, by the server, a maximum number of vehicles for the platoon, wherein the maximum number of vehicles is based on vehicle size;
provide the platooning plan to vehicles of the first vehicle identification, the second vehicle identification, and the third vehicle identification; and
provide route guidance to each of the vehicles to follow the platooning plan.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
join the vehicle of the first vehicle identification and the vehicle of the second vehicle identification in a secure vehicle-to-vehicle communication session.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
facilitate payment between an account associated with the first vehicle identification and an account associated with the second vehicle identification.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the associated preferences comprises a planned route, planned stops, and a desired time of arrival at the trip destination, and wherein the platooning plan includes a platoon route, platoon planned stops, and a platoon target arrival time generated in response to the associated preferences of the first trip request and the second trip request.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
send the platooning plan to the platoon leader; and
direct the vehicle corresponding to the first vehicle identification to the joining location.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
cause the vehicle corresponding to the first vehicle identification to proceed to the first joining location.

12. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions for:
receiving, by a server, a first trip request including a first vehicle identification, first vehicle origin, first vehicle trip destination, and associated first vehicle preferences;
receiving, by the server, a second trip request including a second vehicle identification, second vehicle origin, second vehicle trip destination, and associated second vehicle preferences;
receiving, by the server, a third trip request including a third vehicle identification, third vehicle origin, third vehicle trip destination, and associated third vehicle preferences;
generating, by the server, a platooning plan including assignment of a platoon leader and a platoon order of vehicles, wherein the platooning plan includes a first joining location where a vehicle of the first vehicle identification is to form a platoon with a vehicle of the second vehicle identification, and a second joining location where a vehicle of the third vehicle identification is to join the platoon of the vehicle of the first vehicle identification and the vehicle of the second vehicle identification, wherein the platoon order of vehicles is determined, at least in part, on an origin of the vehicles and a trip destination of the vehicles;
determine, by the server, a maximum number of vehicles for the platoon, wherein the maximum number of vehicles is based on vehicle size;
provide the platooning plan to vehicles of the first vehicle identification, the second vehicle identification, and the third vehicle identification; and
provide route guidance to each of the vehicles to follow the platooning plan.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , further comprising program code instructions for:
joining the vehicle of the first vehicle identification and the vehicle of the second vehicl

Assignees

• Here Global Bv

Inventors

• Stenneth Leon
• Giurgiu Gavril
• Averbuch Alex
• Boroditsky Vladimir
• Linder Eric
• Jang Dongwook
• Anastassov Anton

Classifications

• G01C21/3438

  Rendezvous; Ride sharing · CPC title

• G06Q10/06315

  Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis · CPC title

• G06Q10/047 Primary

  Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem · CPC title

• G05D1/0297

  by controlling means in a control room · CPC title

• G06Q20/10

  specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems · CPC title