Autonomous vehicle train

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11046313-B2
Application number	US-201816216784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2018
Priority date	Dec 11, 2018
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for forming a vehicle train. An exemplary method may comprise: detecting, by a first vehicle, a second vehicle traveling in the same direction as the first vehicle on a road; receiving travel information of the second vehicle; determining, by the first vehicle, a lead vehicle of the vehicle train between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on travel information of the first vehicle and the travel information of the second vehicle; and connecting the first vehicle and the second vehicle to form the vehicle train.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
detecting, by a first vehicle, a second vehicle traveling in the same direction as the first vehicle;
receiving, by the first vehicle, a plurality of features of the second vehicle, wherein the plurality of features of the second vehicle comprise at least one of the following: a planned travel distance of the second vehicle, a battery or gas level of the second vehicle, a quantity of sensors equipped on the second vehicle, and an amount of sensor data that the second vehicle is capable of capturing;
determining, by the first vehicle, a lead vehicle of a vehicle train between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on a plurality of features of the first vehicle and the plurality of features of the second vehicle, the determination comprises at least one of the following:
determining one of the first and second vehicles that has a longer planned travel distance as the lead vehicle,
determining one of the first and second vehicles that has a higher battery or gas level as the lead vehicle,
determining one of the first and second vehicles that is equipped with a greater quantity of sensors as the lead vehicle, and
determining one of the first and second vehicles that is capable of capturing a greater amount of sensor data as the lead vehicle; and

connecting, by the first vehicle, with the second vehicle to form the vehicle train, wherein the determined lead vehicle is connected in front of the other vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein connecting with the second vehicle comprises:
matching a speed of the first vehicle and the second vehicle;
aligning the first vehicle and the second vehicle; and
moving the first vehicle and the second vehicle toward each other until a latch of the first vehicle engages with a latch of the second vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
connecting a control line of the first vehicle with a control line of the second vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprises:
determining whether the control lines of the first and second vehicles have been connected; and
if yes, connecting a power line between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
communicating, by the lead vehicle, a brake signal to the other vehicle, wherein the brake signal includes an instruction on braking the other vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the lead vehicle, to change from a current lane to another lane;
communicating, by the lead vehicle, a change-lane signal to the other vehicle;
disconnecting the first vehicle and the second vehicle; and
re-connecting the first vehicle and the second vehicle after the first vehicle and the second vehicle both have changed to the another lane.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the lead vehicle, a request to join the vehicle train from a third vehicle, wherein the request comprises a plurality of features of the third vehicle;
determining, by the lead vehicle, whether to approve the request from the third vehicle based on the plurality of features of the third vehicle;
if approved, determining, by the lead vehicle, a position in the vehicle train of the third vehicle based on the plurality of features of the third vehicle; and
connecting the third vehicle in the vehicle train at the determined position.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining whether to approve the request from the third vehicle is further based on the number of vehicles in the vehicle train.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining, by the lead vehicle, a position in the vehicle train of the third vehicle is further based on a plurality of features of the other vehicles in the vehicle train.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the lead vehicle, a request to exit from the vehicle train from one of a plurality of vehicles in the vehicle train;
determining, by the lead vehicle, whether to approve the request to exit from the vehicle train based on environment information detected by sensors of the plurality of vehicles in the vehicle train; and
in response to determining to approve the request to exit from the vehicle train, releasing the connection of each of one or more neighbor vehicles in the vehicle train to allow the vehicle to exit from the vehicle train.

11. A computer-implemented method for joining a vehicle train, comprising:
identifying, by a first vehicle, a lead vehicle of the vehicle train traveling in the same direction as the first vehicle on a road;
sending, by the first vehicle, a request to join the vehicle train to the lead vehicle, the request including a plurality of features of the first vehicle, wherein the plurality of features comprise at least one of the following: a planned travel distance of the first vehicle, a battery or gas level of the first vehicle, a quantity of sensors equipped on the first vehicle, and an amount of sensor data that the first vehicle is capable of capturing;
receiving, by the first vehicle, position information indicating a position in the vehicle train assigned to the first vehicle from the lead vehicle, wherein the position is determined based on the plurality of features of the first vehicle; and
connecting, by the first vehicle, to the vehicle train at the position.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first vehicle is a lead vehicle of another vehicle train, and wherein the method further comprises connecting vehicles in the other vehicle train to the vehicle train.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the position information is determined based on the plurality of features of the first vehicle.

14. A system for forming a vehicle train, the system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
detecting a second vehicle traveling in the same direction as a first vehicle associated with the system on a road;
receiving a plurality of features of the second vehicle, wherein the plurality of features of the second vehicle comprise at least one of the following: a planned travel distance of the second vehicle, a battery or gas level of the second vehicle, a quantity of sensors equipped on the second vehicle, and an amount of sensor data that the second vehicle is capable of capturing;
determining a lead vehicle of the vehicle train between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on a plurality of features of the first vehicle and the plurality of features of the second vehicle, the determination comprises at least one of the following:
determining one of the first and second vehicles that has a longer planned travel distance as the lead vehicle,
determining one of the first and second vehicles that has a higher battery or gas level as the lead vehicle,
determining one of the first and second vehicles that is equipped with a greater quantity of sensors as the lead vehicle, and
determining one of the first and second vehicles that is capable of capturing a greater amount of sensor data as the lead vehicle; and
connecting the first vehicle and the second vehicle to form the vehicle train, wherein the determined lead vehicle is connected in front of the other vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein connecting with the second vehicle comprises:
matching a speed of the first vehicle and the second vehicle;
aligning the first vehicle and the second vehicle; and
moving the first vehicle and the second vehicle toward

Assignees

• Beijing Voyager Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takhirov Zafar
• Takhirov Alice Tsing

Classifications

• B60W30/1819

  Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links · CPC title

• B60W2556/65

  Data transmitted between vehicles · CPC title

• B60W2754/10

  Spatial relation or speed relative to objects · CPC title

• B60W2554/80

  Spatial relation or speed relative to objects · CPC title

• B60W30/165 Primary

  Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar" · CPC title