Gap measurement for vehicle convoying

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10514706-B2
Application number	US-201815936271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2018
Priority date	Jul 6, 2011
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

A variety of methods, controllers and algorithms are described for identifying the back of a particular vehicle (e.g., a platoon partner) in a set of distance measurement scenes and/or for tracking the back of such a vehicle. The described techniques can be used in conjunction with a variety of different distance measuring technologies including radar, LIDAR, camera based distance measuring units and others. The described approaches are well suited for use in vehicle platooning and/or vehicle convoying systems including tractor-trailer truck platooning applications. In another aspect, technique are described for fusing sensor data obtained from different vehicles for use in the at least partial automatic control of a particular vehicle. The described techniques are well suited for use in conjunction with a variety of different vehicle control applications including platooning, convoying and other connected driving applications including tractor-trailer truck platooning applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
at a first vehicle, sensing a distance from the first vehicle to a second vehicle using a first sensor while the first and second vehicles are in motion;
receiving at the first vehicle from the second vehicle, information about the second vehicle via a communication link;
utilizing, at the first vehicle, the received second vehicle information in a determination of an estimated distance to the second vehicle;
comparing, at the first vehicle, the sensed distance to the second vehicle to the estimated distance to the second vehicle;
determining at the first vehicle, at least partially based on the comparison, whether the sensed distance from the first vehicle to the second vehicle is a valid measurement of an actual distance from the first vehicle to the second vehicle; and
at least partially automatically controlling the first vehicle based at least in part on the validated measurement of the distance from the first vehicle to the second vehicle.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the communication link is a wireless radio frequency communication link selected from the group consisting of:
a Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) protocol,
a Citizen's Band (CB) Radio channel,
one or more General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) bands, and
one or more Family Radio Service (FRS) bands.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is a radar sensor located on the first vehicle and additionally senses information about the relative position and relative velocity of the second vehicle.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is selected from the group consisting of:
a LIDAR sensor,
a sonar sensor,
a time-of-flight distance sensor,
a sensor configured to receive a signal transmitted from a beacon on the second vehicle,
a camera, and
a stereo camera.

5. A method a recited in claim 1 , wherein the received second vehicle information includes one or more of:
a current position or relative position of the second vehicle;
a global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) position measurement of a current position of the second vehicle;
speed information indicative of a speed or relative speed of the second vehicle;
an indication of at least one of an acceleration, an orientation, a steering angle, a yaw rate, a tilt, an incline, or a lateral motion of the second vehicle; and
a predicted state of the second vehicle, the predicted state including at least one of: a predicted position, a predicted speed, a predicted acceleration, a predicted orientation, a predicted yaw rate, a predicted tilt, a predicted incline and a predicted lateral motion of the second vehicle.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the received second vehicle information received at the first vehicle is used to estimate a state of the second vehicle, and the estimated state of the second vehicle is used to help validate the measured distance to the second vehicle.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the received second vehicle information received at the first vehicle is received in response to a request for such information from the first vehicle.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least partially automatically controlling the first vehicle comprises:
at the first vehicle, utilizing the first sensor data and the received second vehicle information to determine a set of actuator commands; and
at the first vehicle, at least partially automatically controlling actuators in the first vehicle based at least in part on the actuator commands.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicles are tractor-trailer trucks.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the received second vehicle information received at the first vehicle includes at least one of:
an indication that the second vehicle has activated or will be activating at least one of brake lights, hazard lights or a turn signal;
an indication that the second vehicle has activated or will be activating brakes or a retarder;
a planned maneuver; or
an indication that the second vehicle has changed or will be changing lanes.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving at the first vehicle from an external source other than the second vehicle, second information about the second vehicle; and
utilizing, at the first vehicle, the received second information to help determine whether the sensed distance to the second vehicle is a valid measurement of the actual distance to second vehicle.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting information about the second vehicle to a third vehicle to help facilitate at least partially autonomous control of the third vehicle.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving at the first vehicle from the second vehicle an indication of an observable characteristic of the second vehicle selected from the group consisting of a visual characteristic of the second vehicle, and a radar signature of the second vehicle; and
utilizing at the first vehicle the received indication of an observable characteristic in the determination of whether the sensed distance to the second vehicle is a valid measurement of the actual distance to the second vehicle.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein distance measurements of the distance from the first vehicle to the second vehicle that are not validated are not used in the at least partially automatic control of the first vehicle.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the validated measurement of the distance from the first vehicle to the second vehicle is used to update an estimate of a position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle and the estimated position is used in the at least partial automatic control of the first vehicle to thereby at least partially automatically control the first vehicle based at least in part on the validated measurement of the distance from the first vehicle to the second vehicle.

16. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein distance measurements of the distance from the first vehicle to the second vehicle that are not validated are not used in the estimate of the position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the method is performed while the first and the second vehicles are platooning and the first vehicle is controlled to maintain a designated gap between the first and second vehicles; and
the validated measurement performed at the first vehicle is used in the control of a the gap between the first and second vehicles.

18. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the received second vehicle information received at the first vehicle is used to update a Kalman filter or a particle filter that estimates a state of the second vehicle that includes the estimated distance to the second vehicle.

19. A connected vehicle control system as recited in claim 1 , wherein distance measurements of the distance from the host vehicle to the second vehicle that are not validated are not used in the estimate of the position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle.

20. A connected vehicle control system for at least partially automatically controlling a host vehicle based at least in part on a measured distance to a second vehicle, the connected vehicle control system comprising:
a distance measurement sensor, located on the host vehicle, capable of sensing a distance from

Assignees

• Peloton Tech Inc

Inventors

• Schuh Austin B
• Erlien Stephen M
• Pleines Stephan
• Jacobs John L
• Switkes Joshua P

Classifications

• G08G1/22

  Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles · CPC title

• G01S2013/9318

  Controlling the steering · CPC title

• G01S2013/93185

  Controlling the brakes · CPC title

• G01S2013/9319

  Controlling the accelerator · CPC title

• G01S2013/9316

  combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations · CPC title