Method for controlling a group of vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019064848-A1
Application number	US-201816106432-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 23, 2017
Publication date	Feb 28, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for controlling a group of vehicles, the group of vehicles including at least two vehicles. The method includes transmitting a piece of driving information from at least one of the vehicles to a vehicle-independent processing unit; ascertaining individual control rules for the individual vehicles of the group of vehicles as a function of the transmitted piece of driving information; transmitting the ascertained individual control rules back to the respective vehicles; and controlling each vehicle of the group of vehicles as a function of the transmitted piece of driving information, using the individual control rule for the respective vehicle, with the aid of the vehicle-independent processing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for controlling a group of vehicles, the group of vehicles including at least two vehicles, the method comprising:
transmitting a piece of driving information from at least one of the vehicles to a vehicle-independent processing unit; ascertaining individual control rules for the individual vehicles of the group of vehicles as a function of the transmitted piece of driving information; transmitting the ascertained individual control rules back to the respective vehicles; and controlling each vehicle of the group of vehicles as a function of the transmitted piece of driving information, using the individual control rule for the respective vehicle, with the aid of the vehicle-independent processing unit.

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control of a vehicle of the group of vehicles includes an activation of at least one of: (i) an acceleration unit, (ii) a braking unit, and/or (iii) a steering unit, of the respective vehicles.

3 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
confirming a receipt of the back-transmitted individual control rules by the respective vehicle, a confirmation signal being transmitted from the respective vehicle to at least one of: (i) the vehicle-independent processing unit, and/or (ii) at least one further vehicle of the group of vehicles, for confirmation.

4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the piece of driving information is at least one of: (i) a piece of driving state information, (ii) a piece of vehicle information, (iii) a piece of driver information, and/or (iv) a piece of driving route information of a vehicle of the group of vehicles.

5 . The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein at least one of: (i) the piece of vehicle information is a fill level of a fuel tank of the vehicle, and/or (ii) the piece of driver information is a driving period or rest period of a driver of the vehicle.

6 . The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the piece of driving state information is an operating state of a driver assistance system of a vehicle.

7 . The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the piece of driving state information is a piece of information about an implemented or a provided change of a driving state of a vehicle of the group of vehicles.

8 . The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the implemented or provided change of the driving state of a vehicle of the group of vehicles is an emergency braking process of a vehicle or a maneuver to avoid an object or a change of the traffic lane.

9 . The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the provided change of the driving state of a vehicle of the group of vehicles is an intended withdrawal of the vehicle from the group of vehicles.

10 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein, in the step of controlling the group of vehicles, one of the variables of distance between the vehicles, speed of the vehicles, steering angles of the vehicles, and/or an operating state of a driver assistance system and/or a defined driving route of the vehicles and/or a change of these variables is predefined by the vehicle-independent processing unit.

11 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the vehicles of the group of vehicles are trucks and/or passenger cars.

12 . A non-transitory machine-readable memory medium on which is stored a computer program for controlling a group of vehicles, the group of vehicles including at least two vehicles, the computer program, when executed by a processing unit, causing the processing unit to perform:
transmitting a piece of driving information from at least one of the vehicles to a vehicle-independent processing unit; ascertaining individual control rules for the individual vehicles of the group of vehicles as a function of the transmitted piece of driving information; transmitting the ascertained individual control rules back to the respective vehicles; and controlling each vehicle of the group of vehicles as a function of the transmitted piece of driving information, using the individual control rule for the respective vehicle, with the aid of the vehicle-independent processing unit.

13 . A processing unit, which is configured to control a group of vehicles, the group of vehicles including at least two vehicles, the processing unit configured to:
transmitting a piece of driving information from at least one of the vehicles to a vehicle-independent processing unit; ascertaining individual control rules for the individual vehicles of the group of vehicles as a function of the transmitted piece of driving information; transmitting the ascertained individual control rules back to the respective vehicles; and controlling each vehicle of the group of vehicles as a function of the transmitted piece of driving information, using the individual control rule for the respective vehicle, with the aid of the vehicle-independent processing unit.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Hofsaess Volker
• Wegend Christian
• Rous Martin

Classifications

• G08G1/22

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

• G08G1/127

  to a central station {; Indicators in a central station} · CPC title

• H04W4/44 Primary

  for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H] · CPC title

• G08G1/164

  Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/0289

  with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93) · CPC title