Sensor fusion for autonomous or partially autonomous vehicle control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10520581-B2
Application number	US-201715590803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2017
Priority date	Jul 6, 2011
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A variety of methods, controllers and algorithms 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

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for coordinating driving between platooning vehicles, comprising:
on a following vehicle, sensing information about a lead vehicle using a first sensor while the following and the lead vehicles are driving;
receiving, at the following vehicle from the lead vehicle, information about the lead vehicle, the information transmitted over a communication link between the following vehicle and the lead vehicle;
verifying as valid the sensed information about the lead vehicle utilizing the received lead vehicle information by comparing the sensed information with the received information about the lead vehicle to confirm that the sensed information about the lead vehicle is an actual representation of the lead vehicle, whereby the received lead vehicle information is utilized to help determine whether the sensed information about the lead vehicle is valid; and
at least partially automatically controlling the following vehicle based at least in part on an aspect of the sensed information about the lead vehicle when the sensed information is verified as valid,
wherein at least some of the information transmitted over the communication link is indicative of an action to be taken by the lead vehicle and the at least some information is used by the following vehicle in preparation for the action.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the communication link is 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. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first sensor measures a distance to the lead vehicle.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is a radar unit and the sensed information includes a relative position and a relative velocity of the lead vehicle.

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

6. The method a recited in claim 1 , wherein the received lead vehicle information indicates a current position or relative position of the lead vehicle.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the received lead vehicle information includes a global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) position measurement of a current position of the lead vehicle.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the received lead vehicle information includes speed information indicative of a speed or relative speed of the lead vehicle.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the received lead vehicle information includes 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 lead vehicle.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the received lead vehicle information includes predictive information that is indicative of a predicted state of the lead vehicle.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the predicted state includes 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 lead vehicle.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the received lead vehicle information is used to estimate a state of the lead vehicle.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the estimate of the state of the lead vehicle is used to help verify a state of the lead vehicle.

14. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the estimate of the state of the lead vehicle is generated using an observer algorithm.

15. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the received lead vehicle information is used to update a Kalman filter or a particle filter that estimates a state of the lead vehicle.

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

17. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the received lead vehicle information is received in response to a request from the following vehicle.

18. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving at the following vehicle from an external source other than the lead vehicle, second information about the lead vehicle; and
verifying the sensed information utilizing the received second information to help determine whether the sensed information about the lead vehicle is valid.

19. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the verified sensed information about the lead vehicle to a third vehicle to help facilitate at least partially autonomous control of the third vehicle.

20. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sensed information senses a state of the lead vehicle.

21. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising transmitting information about the state of the lead vehicle to the following vehicle.

22. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising receiving from the lead vehicle an indication of an observable characteristic of the lead vehicle selected from the group consisting of:
a visual characteristic of the lead vehicle; and
a radar signature of the lead vehicle.

23. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the following vehicle and the lead vehicle are trucks.

24. A method comprising:
on a following vehicle, using a first sensor to sense information about a distance to and a relative speed of a lead vehicle while the following and the lead vehicles are in motion and operating in a platoon;
receiving at the following vehicle from the lead vehicle information about the lead vehicle via a communication link, wherein at least some of the information transmitted over the communication link is indicative of an action to be taken by the lead vehicle; and
verifying at the following vehicle that the first sensor information about the distance to and relative speed of the lead vehicle is valid at least partially using the received lead vehicle information to confirm that the sensed information about the distance to and the relative speed of the lead vehicle are representative of an actual relative distance to and relative speed of the second vehicle with respect to the following vehicle;
using the verified first sensor information at the following vehicle to determine a set of actuator commands; and
at least partially automatically controlling actuators in the following vehicle based at least in part on the set of actuator commands determined using the validated first sensor information, the actuator commands implemented by the following vehicle in response to the action to be taken by the lead vehicle.

25. The method as recited in claim 24 , wherein the step of at least partially automatically controlling actuators in the following vehicle maintains a gap distance behind the lead vehicl

Assignees

• Peloton Tech Inc

Inventors

• Schuh Austin B
• Erlien Stephen M
• Switkes Joshua P

Classifications

• G01S2013/9325

  for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons · CPC title

• G08G1/202

  Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching · CPC title

• G01S2013/9321

  Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control · CPC title

• G08G1/166

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title

• G01S2013/9316

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