Method for platooning of vehicles and vehicle using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10719084-B2
Application number	US-201816129491-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2018
Priority date	Sep 13, 2017
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

Abstract

A method and a device for vehicle platooning in which a leader vehicle of a group of vehicles provides a control signal and one or more follower vehicles in the group travel according to the control signal, the method can include determining a communication state of the group of vehicles; and adjusting, by the leader vehicle, a distance between at least two vehicles included in the group of vehicles based on the communication state of the group of vehicles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for vehicle platooning in which a leader vehicle of a group of vehicles provides a control signal and one or more follower vehicles in the group of vehicles travel according to the control signal, the method comprising:
determining a communication state of the group of vehicles by determining a communication level of the group of vehicles indicating a degree of communication quality; and
adjusting, by the leader vehicle, a distance between at least two vehicles included in the group of vehicles based on the communication state of the group of vehicles,
wherein the method further comprises:
setting, by the leader vehicle, a reference value for a number of vehicles in the group based on the communication level; and
transmitting a first control signal, by the leader vehicle, to vehicles in the group to adjust the vehicles included in the group to be less than or equal to the reference value, and

wherein transmitting the first control signal comprises:
transmitting a second control signal for traveling individually to a destination of the group to follower vehicles within the group that exceed the reference value.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining a communication state of the group of vehicles comprises:
determining communication levels of a plurality of vehicles included in the group of vehicles; and
determining an average value of the communication levels for the plurality of vehicles or a minimum value of the communication levels of the plurality of vehicles as the communication level of the group of vehicles.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
transmitting a third control signal, by the leader vehicle, to a vehicle having a communication level less than or equal to a preset reference value among the plurality of vehicles included in the group for withdrawing from the group and traveling individually to a destination.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining a communication level comprises:
determining a communication level of the group by the leader vehicle or a road infrastructure.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusting a distance between the vehicles comprises:
adjusting a distance between vehicles in the group of vehicles to be inversely proportional to the communication level by increasing the distance between the vehicles as the communication level is degraded.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the adjusting a distance between the vehicles comprises:
adjusting the distance between the vehicles to a preset first distance, when the communication level is determined to be greater than or equal to a first reference value;
adjusting the distance between the vehicles to a second distance larger than the first distance, when the communication level is less than the first reference value and greater than or equal to a second reference value; and
transmitting a fourth control signal, by the leader vehicle, to the vehicles for withdrawing from the group and traveling individually to a destination when the communication level is determined to be less than the second reference value.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
setting, by the leader vehicle, a platooning area that is a virtual zone restricting positions of vehicles included in the group based on the communication level; and
performing platooning within the platooning area by the vehicles included in the group.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
setting a size of the platooning area in proportion to the communication level; and
transmitting a fifth control signal, by the leader vehicle, to vehicles in the group that are positioned outside of the platooning area for withdrawing from the group and traveling individually to a destination, when the platooning area is adjusted or when a distance between vehicles in the group is adjusted.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
dividing the group into a plurality of subgroups, when the communication level is determined to be less than or equal to a preset reference value, and
performing platooning individually by each of the plurality of subgroups.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of subgroups includes a single sub-leader vehicle and one or more follower vehicles, respectively, and each of the plurality of subgroups have a same destination, and
wherein each single sub-leader vehicle in the plurality of subgroups transmits a sixth control signal to follower vehicles within the corresponding subgroup to which each single sub-leader vehicle belongs.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a communication range of the leader vehicle; and
relaying a sixth control signal to a first vehicle in the group by a follower vehicle positioned within the communication range of the leader vehicle, when the first vehicle is positioned outside of the communication range of the leader vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the relaying the sixth control signal comprises:
relaying the sixth control signal by a vehicle closest to the first vehicle, among a plurality of follower vehicles within the group of vehicles that are positioned within the communication range of the leader vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the relaying the sixth control signal comprises:
broadcasting the sixth control at a predetermined position in the group by a second vehicle having a largest communication range, among a plurality of follower vehicles within the group of vehicles that are positioned within the communication range of the leader vehicle.

14. A method for vehicle platooning in which a leader vehicle of a group of vehicles provides a control signal and one or more follower vehicles in the group of vehicles travel according to the control signal, the method comprising:
determining a communication state of the group of vehicles; and
adjusting, by the leader vehicle, a distance between at least two vehicles included in the group of vehicles based on the communication state of the group of vehicles,
wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, by the leader vehicle, signal information of a traffic light installed in a section through which the group is expected to pass, the signal information including an amount of time for passing through the traffic light during one interval of the traffic light;
determining, by the leader vehicle, whether all vehicles in the group are able to pass through the traffic light during the one interval of the traffic light based on the signal information, a length of the group and a position of the group;
based on the determination that all vehicles in the group are able to pass through the traffic light during the one interval of the traffic light, transmitting, by the leader vehicle, a control signal to vehicles in the group to pass through the traffic light; and
based on the determination that all vehicles in the group are not able to pass through the traffic light during the one interval of the traffic light, dividing, by the leader vehicle, the group into a plurality of subgroups, and individually performing platooning by the plurality of subgroups, and

wherein the individually performing platooning by the plurality of subgroups comprises:
determining a number of subgroups for the plurality of subgroups, a number of vehicles included in each of the plurality of subgroups, and a position of each of the plurality of subgroups, for allowing all vehicles in the group to pass through the traffic light d

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Yoon Jaehwan
• KI Hyunho
• Kim Hansung
• Park Suho
• Bae Jaeseung

Classifications

• B60W2556/65

  Data transmitted between vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/0116

  from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons · CPC title

• B60W30/16

  Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle · CPC title

• H04B17/318

  Received signal strength · CPC title

• G08G1/22 Primary

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