Electronic control device and vehicle comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020184827-A1
Application number	US-201916711054-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 11, 2019
Priority date	Dec 11, 2018
Publication date	Jun 11, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle control device and a vehicle comprising the same are disclosed, which may control the vehicle and at least one of vehicle electronic units provided in the vehicle. The vehicle control device comprises a communication unit for performing communication with the other vehicles located within a predetermined range, and a processor for performing communication with the other vehicles through the communication unit to make sure of platooning, wherein the processor may configure a platoon with one or more of the other vehicles based on a traffic signal located at the front of the vehicle if the vehicle stops at the intersection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle, the vehicle control device comprising:
a communication unit configured to communicate with other vehicles located within a predetermined range from the vehicle; and a processor configured to control the communication unit to communicate with the other vehicles for platooning, wherein the platooning comprises:
receiving, by the processor, a plurality of traffic signals from at least one traffic light located at an intersection; and
setting, based on one or more of the received plurality of traffic signals, a platoon that includes the vehicle and one or more other vehicles.

2 . The vehicle control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to extract a time of a traffic signal that matches a driving direction of the vehicle at the intersection.

3 . The vehicle control device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate, based on the extracted time of the traffic signal, a number of vehicles that drive through the intersection within the extracted time.

4 . The vehicle control device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to set, based on the calculated number of vehicles, one or more platoons that include the number of vehicles, and
wherein the one or more platoons drive through the intersection within the extracted time and along the driving direction of the traffic signal.

5 . The vehicle control device of claim 4 , wherein the number of vehicles in each of the one or more platoons varies based on characteristics of vehicles in the one or more platoons.

6 . The vehicle control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
broadcast, from the vehicle, intention information to the other vehicles for setting a platoon; receive, from the other vehicles and based on the broadcasted intention information, platoon request messages for joining the platoon with the vehicle; select, based on a determination that the received platoon request messages satisfy a preset reference, platoon vehicles from the other vehicles; exchange platoon grant messages with the selected platoon vehicles; and set, based on the exchanged platoon grant messages, the platoon that includes the vehicle and the selected platoon vehicles.

7 . The vehicle control device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine, based on a switching timing of the traffic signals, a deadline for setting the platoon; and share the determined deadline with the other vehicles located within the predetermined range from the vehicle.

8 . The vehicle control device of claim 7 , wherein the platoon includes a first platoon vehicle based on a determination that a grant message of the first platoon vehicle is received prior to the deadline, and
wherein the platoon does not include a second platoon vehicle based on a determination that a grant message of the second platoon vehicle is received after the deadline.

9 . The vehicle control device of claim 8 , wherein the deadline is determined based on a switching timing of the traffic signals from a first signal to a second signal.

10 . The vehicle control device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the communication device to transmit platoon grant messages to the selected platoon vehicles only.

11 . The vehicle control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to search for relative positions of each of the other vehicles to the vehicle; and select platoon vehicles from the other vehicles based on the relative positions of each of the other vehicles to the vehicle.

12 . The vehicle control device of claim 11 , wherein, based on a determination that a platoon is configured to include an nth vehicle and an n+2th vehicle but not an n+1th vehicle in a state that m vehicles are sequentially located behind the vehicle and on the same lane of the vehicle, the processor is configured to set the platoon from a first vehicle to the nth vehicle, and wherein m and n are all natural numbers.

13 . The vehicle control device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to select at least one of the other vehicles that is located on a different lane to the vehicle and that drives along a driving direction of the vehicle, as one of the platoon vehicles.

14 . The vehicle control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to share driving information of the vehicle with one or more other vehicles included in the platoon.

15 . The vehicle control device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to stop sharing the driving information of the vehicle with one or more other vehicles included in the platoon based on a determination that a last vehicle in the platoon has passed through the intersection.

16 . The vehicle control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to set the platoon based on a determination that a position of the vehicle at the intersection satisfies a reference condition, and
wherein the processor is further configured to reject the platoon based on a determination that the position of the vehicle does not satisfy the reference condition.

17 . The vehicle control device of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the position of the vehicle at the intersection satisfies the reference condition based on an image taken in front of the vehicle.

18 . The vehicle control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to release the vehicle for driving through the intersection in response to a switching to a pass traffic signal, and cancel the platoon in response to a switching to a stop traffic signal.

19 . A vehicle control method for controlling m vehicles located within a predetermined range, the vehicle control method comprising:
broadcasting, from a first vehicle among the m vehicles, based on a traffic signal located in front of the first vehicle and a determination that the first vehicle satisfies a reference condition, intention information for setting a platoon to one or more remaining vehicles among the m vehicles; receiving, from the one or more remaining vehicles and based on the broadcasted intention information, platoon request messages to the first vehicle; selecting, based on a determination that the traffic signal matches a driving direction of a second vehicle from the one or more remaining vehicles and the platoon request message is received from the second vehicle, the second vehicle for platooning; and performing, based on a switching of the traffic signals from a first signal to a second signal, platooning to include the first vehicle and the second vehicle in the platoon.

20 . The vehicle control method of claim 19 , further comprising determining, by the first vehicle and based on an image taken in front of the first vehicle, whether a position of the first vehicle at an intersection satisfies the reference condition.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Suho
• Kim Hansung
• Bae Jaeseung
• Yoon Jaehwan
• KI Hyunho
• Sung Changhun

Classifications

• G08G1/096

  provided with indicators in which a mark progresses showing the time elapsed, e.g. of green phase · CPC title

• G08G1/096775

  where the origin of the information is a central station · CPC title

• G08G1/096741

  where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle · CPC title

• G08G1/096791

  where the origin of the information is another vehicle · CPC title

• H04L67/125

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title