Systems and methods for collaboration between autonomous vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019086914-A1
Application number	US-201715705394-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 15, 2017
Priority date	Sep 15, 2017
Publication date	Mar 21, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and method are provided for collaboration between autonomous vehicles. In one embodiment, a processor-implemented method for coordinating travel between multiple autonomous vehicles is provided. The method includes sending a collaboration request to one or more vehicles in an area to form a group to perform a mission, receiving an acceptance of the collaboration request to join the group wherein the group includes a plurality of vehicles, cooperating in assigning leading functions for the group to one or more of the plurality of vehicles in the group, cooperating in mission negotiations for the group, cooperating in determining a formation for the group, and cooperating in generating a trajectory for the group. The vehicles in the group are operated in accordance with the determined formation and generated trajectory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A processor-implemented method for coordinating travel between multiple autonomous vehicles, the method comprising:
sending a collaboration request to one or more vehicles in an area to form a group to perform a mission; receiving an acceptance of the collaboration request to join the group, the group comprising a plurality of vehicles; cooperating in assigning leading functions for the group to one or more of the plurality of vehicles in the group; cooperating in mission negotiations for the group; cooperating in determining a formation for the group; and cooperating in generating a trajectory for the group; wherein the vehicles in the group are operated in accordance with the determined formation and generated trajectory.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein sending a collaboration request comprises receiving a request from a remote-control center to form a group and sending a collaboration request responsive to the request by the remote-control center.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein sending a collaboration request comprises receiving a request from an occupant of a vehicle to form a group and sending a collaboration request responsive to the request by the occupant of the vehicle.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein sending a collaboration request comprises an automatic determination by a vehicle to form a group and sending a collaboration request responsive to the automatic determination by the vehicle.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein cooperating in assigning leading functions comprises requesting that a remote-control center identify one leader vehicle to perform all leading function or a plurality of vehicles to perform different leader functions.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein cooperating in assigning leading functions comprises communicating the relative strength of software, a controller, and/or sensors to other vehicles in the group.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein cooperating in assigning leading functions comprises:
determining the relative strength of the software, controller, and sensors for each vehicle in the group; and assigning leading functions to one or more vehicles based on the relative strength of the software, controller and sensors of the one or more assigned vehicles.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein assigning leading functions comprises assigning one leader vehicle to perform all leading functions.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein assigning leading functions comprises assigning different leading functions to a plurality of the vehicles in the group.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein cooperating in mission negotiations comprises agreeing to perform at least part of a proposed group mission.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein cooperating in mission negotiations comprises agreeing to rescue operations or agreeing to a target for optimization during the performance of a mission.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein agreeing to a target for optimization comprises:
agreeing to optimize for improved energy efficiency during travel; agreeing to optimize to reduce the time to a destination; agreeing to optimize for combined goals; or agreeing to optimize to lengthen vehicle service life.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein cooperating in determining a formation and cooperating in generating trajectories comprise sharing vehicle data with the vehicles in the group, the shared data including one or more of vehicle speed, direction, obstacles detected, requests to leave the group, and a distress call.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein cooperating in determining a formation and cooperating in generating trajectories comprise determining a formation based on the agreed to rescue operations or target for optimization, and based on shared data from the vehicles in the group.

15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating one of the vehicles in the group in accordance with the determined formation and generated trajectory by applying instructions calculated for the group, the instructions including one or more of throttle, steering and braking instructions.

16 . A processor-implemented method in an autonomous vehicle for collaboration with another autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
detecting, by a processor in a first vehicle, an abnormal state of a second vehicle; sending, by the processor, a collaboration request to the second vehicle; receiving, by the processor, an acceptance of the collaboration request; detecting a condition the second vehicle is unable to detect; and communicating information regarding the condition to the second vehicle.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein receiving an acceptance of the collaboration request comprises receiving an indication of the condition the second vehicle is unable to detect.

18 . A processor-implemented method in an autonomous vehicle for collaboration with another autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
detecting a need on a first vehicle for collaboration with a second vehicle; sending, by the processor, a collaboration request to the second vehicle; receiving, by the processor, an acceptance of the collaboration request; waiting for the second vehicle to detect a condition the first vehicle requests to be detected; and receiving the detected information regarding the condition at the first vehicle.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein sending a collaboration request comprises searching for an autonomous vehicle in the area and sending the collaboration request to the autonomous vehicle in the area located during the searching.

20 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising calibrating a sensor using the received information.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Yen Chih-Hung
• Hu Yao
• Zhang Yilu
• Krajewski Paul E
• Holland Steven W
• Salman Mutasim A
• Huang Xiaoyu
• Sarwar Azeem

Classifications

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• H04L67/1051

  Group master selection mechanisms · CPC title

• H04L67/1046 Primary

  Joining mechanisms · CPC title

• G05D1/0022 Primary

  characterised by the communication link (data switching networks in general H04L12/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/0297

  by controlling means in a control room · CPC title