A method for controlling a plurality of vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024220896-A1
Application number	US-202118551923-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2021
Priority date	Mar 22, 2021
Publication date	Jul 4, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for controlling a plurality of vehicles performing missions along a respective route includes obtaining for each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, a first value of a balance parameter, indicative of a balance between a cost for operating the respective vehicle along at least a part of the route, and a progress of the respective vehicle along at least a part of the route, establishing, in dependence on the first balance parameter values, a desired number of completed missions as a function of time, after an initial of the missions has started, and before all missions are completed, determining a mission completion deviation comprising a deviation of an actual number of completed missions from the desired number of completed missions, obtaining for each of one or more of the vehicles a second balance parameter value, different from the respective first balance parameter value, the respective second balance parameter value being dependent on the mission completion deviation, and controlling the one or more of the vehicles in dependence on the respective second balance parameter value.

First claim

1 . A method for controlling a plurality of vehicles performing missions along a respective route, the method comprising,
obtaining for each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, a first value of a balance parameter, indicative of a balance between a cost for operating the respective vehicle along at least a part of the route, and a progress of the respective vehicle along at least a part of the route, characterized by establishing, in dependence on the first balance parameter values, a desired number of completed missions as a function of time, after an initial of the missions has started, and before all missions are completed, determining a mission completion deviation comprising a deviation of an actual number of completed missions from the desired number of completed missions, obtaining for each of one or more of the vehicles a second balance parameter value, different from the respective first balance parameter value, the respective second balance parameter value being dependent on the mission completion deviation, and controlling the one or more of the vehicles in dependence on the respective second balance parameter value.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the respective routes are identical to each other.

3 . A method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the respective first value of the balance parameter is determined in dependence on the cost for operating the respective vehicle along at least a part of the respective route, wherein said cost is dependent on one or more of fuel consumption, electrical energy consumption, battery degradation, and another degradation of the respective vehicle.

4 . A method according to claim 1 , characterized by establishing, in dependence on the respective first balance parameter value, for each of the vehicles a correlation set comprising a plurality of desired position and time correlations for the travel of the respective vehicle along at least a part of the respective route.

5 . A method according to claim 1 , characterized by determining for each of the one or more of the vehicles a progress deviation indicative of a deviation of an actual progress of the respective vehicle along the respective route from a desired progress of the respective vehicle.

6 . A method according to claim 5 , characterized by establishing, in dependence on the respective first balance parameter value, for each of the vehicles, a correlation set comprising a plurality of desired position and time correlations for the travel of the respective vehicle along at least a part of the respective route, wherein the respective progress deviation comprises a deviation, for said point in time, of an actual position of the vehicle from a desired position according to the respective correlation set.

7 . A method according to claim 5 , characterized in that the step of obtaining for each of the one or more of the vehicles a second balance parameter value comprises determining the respective second balance parameter value in dependence on the respective progress deviation.

8 . A method according to claim 5 , characterized by pre-determining a plurality of balance parameter values, each for a respective pair of an assumed progress deviation and an assumed mission completion deviation, wherein the step of obtaining for each of the one or more of the vehicles a second balance parameter value comprises selecting the respective second balance parameter value from the pre-determined balance parameter values in dependence on the progress deviation of the respective vehicle, and the mission completion deviation, determined after the initial of the missions had started.

9 . A method according to claim 1 , characterized by pre-determining a plurality of balance parameter values, each for a respective assumed mission completion deviation, wherein the step of obtaining for each of the one or more of the vehicles a second balance parameter value comprises selecting the respective second balance parameter value from the pre-determined balance parameter values in dependence on the mission completion deviation determined after the initial of the missions had started.

10 . A method according to claim 1 , characterized by determining, in dependence on the respective second balance parameter value, a respective velocity profile for a respective of the one or more of the vehicles for at least a portion of the respective remainder of the respective route, and controlling the respective of the one or more of the vehicles according to the respective determined velocity profile.

11 . A method according to claim 10 , characterized by obtaining a respective vehicle model in the form of a mathematical model for the respective of the one or more of the vehicles, wherein the respective velocity profile is determined by means of the respective vehicle model.

12 . A method according to claim 10 , characterized by obtaining data for the respective route, wherein the respective velocity profile is determined in dependence on the route data.

13 . A method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the missions that the vehicles perform form a present set of missions, the method comprising performing a previous set of missions, wherein the respective second balance parameter value is determined in dependence on the previous set of missions.

14 . A method according to claim 13 , characterized by determining, for the previous set of missions, a value of a reward parameter, in dependence of a deviation of an actual time to complete all missions in the previous set of missions, from a desired time to complete all missions in the previous set of missions, wherein the respective second balance parameter value is determined in dependence on the reward parameter value.

15 . A method according to claim 14 , characterized in that the respective second balance parameter value is determined in dependence on a cost for operating the vehicles at the previous set of missions.

16 . A method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the respective second balance parameter value is determined by a control unit located remotely from the vehicles.

17 . A computer program comprising program code means for performing the steps of claim 1 when said program is run on a computer, or a group of computers.

18 . A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying a computer program comprising program code for performing the steps of claim 1 when said program code is run on a computer, or a group of computers.

19 . A control unit, or a group of control units, configured to perform the steps of the method according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Volvo Autonomous Solutions AB

Inventors

• Hellgren Jonas
• Islam Mohammad Manjurul

Classifications

• G06Q30/0208

  Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards · CPC title

• G06Q50/40

  Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083) · CPC title

• G06Q10/047

  Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem · CPC title

• G06Q10/0639

  Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations · CPC title

• G06Q10/06316 Primary

  Sequencing of tasks or work · CPC title