Method and system for automatically controlling a following vehicle with a front vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017166207-A1
Application number	US-201615377361-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Dec 15, 2015
Publication date	Jun 15, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for automatically controlling a following vehicle. A leading vehicle is guided along an actual trajectory, and a desired trajectory is produced for the following vehicle. The actual trajectory of the leading vehicle is captured by the following vehicle, and a trajectory similarity is determined by comparing the captured actual trajectory of the leading vehicle and the produced desired trajectory of the following vehicle. Automatic control of the following vehicle along the desired trajectory is activated if the trajectory similarity exceeds a particular value. Also disclosed is a system for automatically controlling a following vehicle using a leading vehicle.

First claim

1 . A method for automatically controlling a following vehicle, the method comprising:
guiding a leading vehicle along an actual trajectory; producing a desired trajectory for the following vehicle; capturing the actual trajectory of the leading vehicle by the following vehicle; determining a trajectory similarity by comparing the captured actual trajectory of the leading vehicle and the produced desired trajectory of the following vehicle; and activating automatic control of the following vehicle along the desired trajectory in response to a determination that the trajectory similarity exceeding a particular value.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the actual trajectory of the leading vehicle is captured by sensors of the following vehicle.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein image data are captured by the sensors of the following vehicle.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the leading vehicle and/or the following vehicle is/are controlled so that their distance with respect to one another is less than or equal to the visual range.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein data relating to the actual trajectory of the leading vehicle are captured by the leading vehicle and are transmitted to the following vehicle by a data connection.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the data connection is established by an external server.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the leading vehicle is guided automatically.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the leading vehicle is guided manually by a leading vehicle driver.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in response to a determination that the trajectory similarity does not exceed the particular value, a safe driving mode of the following vehicle is activated.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein, in response to a determination that the safe driving mode of the following vehicle is activated, manual control of the following vehicle by a following vehicle driver is activated or an automatic operation of stopping the following vehicle is carried out.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the automatic control of the following vehicle comprises control of the movement of the following vehicle in the longitudinal and transverse directions.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a reliability value by the leading vehicle; transmitting the reliability value to the following vehicle; and activating the automatic control of the following vehicle based on the reliability value.

13 . A system for automatically controlling a following vehicle using a leading vehicle,
the leading vehicle comprising a leading vehicle control device which guides the leading vehicle along an actual trajectory, and the following vehicle comprising:
a capture device which captures the actual trajectory of the leading vehicle,
a following vehicle journey planner which produces a desired trajectory for the following vehicle, and
a following vehicle control device which controls the following vehicle along the desired trajectory,
wherein a trajectory similarity is determined by comparing the captured actual trajectory of the leading vehicle and the produced desired trajectory of the following vehicle, and wherein automatic control of the following vehicle along the desired trajectory is activated in response to the trajectory similarity exceeds a particular value.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the capture unit of the following vehicle comprises sensors, and image data is captured by the sensors.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein data relating to the actual trajectory of the leading vehicle is captured by the leading vehicle, a data connection at least temporarily exists between the leading vehicle and the following vehicle, and the data relating to the actual trajectory is transmitted to the following vehicle.

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Darms Michael
• Meinecke Marc-Michael
• Bartels Arne
• Junge Lutz

Classifications

• B60W2554/801

  Lateral distance · CPC title

• B60W2556/65

  Data transmitted between vehicles · CPC title

• B60W30/095

  Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision · CPC title

• B60W30/165 Primary

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

• G05D1/0212

  with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287) · CPC title