Apparatus and method for controlling platooning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10854088-B2
Application number	US-201816018104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2018
Priority date	Feb 19, 2018
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A platooning control apparatus includes: a communication device configured to perform communication between a leading vehicle and following vehicles, which follow the leading vehicle, in a platoon; and a controller configured to control platooning by requesting checking of functions of the following vehicles through the communication device after the platoon is formed, by identifying whether a specific function among checked functions of the following vehicles operates, and by determining whether the platoon is maintained according to an identification result.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A platooning control apparatus comprising:
a communication device configured to perform communication between a host vehicle and following vehicles, which follow the host vehicle, in a platoon; and
a controller configured to control platooning by requesting checking of functions of the following vehicles through the communication device after the platoon is formed, by identifying whether a specific function, among the checked functions, of the following vehicles operate, and by determining whether the platoon is maintained according to an identification result,
wherein the controller checks an operation time point of the specific function of each of the following vehicles for synchronization of functional operation of the following vehicles.

2. The platooning control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the specific function includes a function of operating lamps, a function of deceleration, a function of acceleration, a function of steering, and an automatic platooning releasing function.

3. The platooning control apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller determines whether an operation of a function of each of the following vehicles is normal, by transmitting a lamp operation command to each of the following vehicles through the communication device and by identifying a lamp operation start time of each of the following vehicles according to the lamp operation command.

4. The platooning control apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller determines whether the operation of the function of each of the following vehicles is normal, by decelerating the host vehicle by controlling a vehicle controller of the host vehicle, and by identifying whether a deceleration start time of each of the following vehicles is a reference time and whether each of vehicle-to-vehicle distances between the host vehicle and each of the following vehicles is within a reference distance range.

5. The platooning control apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller determines whether the operation of the function of each of the following vehicles is normal, by accelerating the host vehicle by controlling the vehicle controller, and by identifying whether an acceleration start time of each of the following vehicles is a reference time and whether each of vehicle-to-vehicle distances between the host vehicle and each of the following vehicles is within a reference distance range.

6. The platooning control apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller determines whether the operation of the function of each of the following vehicles is normal, by controlling steering of the host vehicle through the vehicle controller and identifying steering responsiveness of each of the following vehicles to the steering control of the host vehicle.

7. The platooning control apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the controller transmits a platooning releasing command to the following vehicles through the communication device and determines whether the operation of the function of each of the following vehicles is normal according to whether completion of release of the platooning is received from each of the following vehicles within a predetermined time.

8. The platooning control apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller transmits the platooning releasing command when the operation of the function of each of the following vehicle is abnormal, and transmits a reason for the release of the platooning with the following vehicles.

9. The platooning control apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a display configured to output various information,
wherein the controller controls the display to display the reason for the release of the platooning.

10. The platooning control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communication device uses vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication.

11. A method for controlling platooning, the method comprising steps of:
starting, by a controller, a platooning initializing mode after a platoon is formed between a host vehicle and the following vehicles which follow the host vehicle;
requesting, by the controller, checking of functions of the following vehicles in the platooning initializing mode and identifying whether a specific function among the checked functions of the following vehicles operates; and
controlling, by the controller, platooning by determining whether the platoon is maintained according to an identification result of whether the specific function of the following vehicles operates,
wherein the step of identifying whether a specific function among the checked functions of the following vehicles operates includes checking an operation time point of the specific function of each of the following vehicles for synchronization of functional operation of the following vehicles.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the specific function include a function of operating lamps, a function of deceleration, a function of acceleration, a function of steering, and an automatic platooning releasing function.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of identifying whether a specific function among the checked functions of the following vehicles operates includes:
determining whether an operation of a function of each of the following vehicles is normal, by transmitting a lamp operation command to each of the following vehicles through the communication device and by identifying a lamp operation start time of each of the following vehicles according to the lamp operation command.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of identifying whether a specific function among the checked functions of the following vehicles operates includes:
determining whether the operation of the function of each of the following vehicles is normal, by decelerating the host vehicle by controlling a vehicle controller of the host vehicle, and by identifying a deceleration start time of each of the following vehicles is a reference time and whether each of vehicle-to-vehicle distances between the host vehicle and each of the following vehicles is within reference distance range.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of identifying whether a specific function among the checked functions of the following vehicles operates includes:
determining whether the operation of the function of each of the following vehicles is normal, by accelerating the host vehicle by controlling a vehicle controller, and by identifying whether an acceleration start time of each of the following vehicles is a reference time and whether each of vehicle-to-vehicle distances between the host vehicle and each of the following vehicles is within a reference distance range.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of identifying whether a specific function among the checked functions of the following vehicles operates includes:
determining whether the operation of the function of each of the following vehicles is normal, by controlling steering of the host vehicle through the vehicle controller and identifying steering responsiveness of each of the following vehicles to the steering control of the host vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of identifying whether a specific function among the checked functions of the following vehicles operates includes:
transmitting a platooning releasing command to each of the following vehicles through the communication device and then determining whether the operation of the function of each of the following vehicles is normal according to whether completion of release of the platooning is received from each of the following vehicles within a predetermi

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp
• Kia Motors Company

Inventors

• Kim Dong Hyuk

Classifications

• G08G1/22 Primary

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

• B60Q1/508

  specific to vehicles driving in fleets or convoys · CPC title

• B60W2554/802

  Longitudinal distance · CPC title

• B60W10/20

  including control of steering systems · CPC title

• B60W2556/65

  Data transmitted between vehicles · CPC title