Platooning controller, system including same, and platooning control method

Abstract

This invention discloses a platooning controller, a vehicle system including the platooning controller, and a platooning control method. The platooning controller includes: a communication device configured to transmit and receive sensor fault information among vehicles in a platooning queue; and a processor configured to rearrange the platooning queue based on the sensor fault information and the faults of the sensors of the vehicles in the platooning queue. The processor assigns numbers to vehicles according to their positions in the platooning queue based on the type, location, and / or sensing range of the faulty sensor, and rearranges the vehicles in positions corresponding to the numbers.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0130197, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on October 18, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to a platooning controller, a system including the platooning controller, and a platooning control method. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a technique for controlling a platooning queue based on the type and location of faulty sensors in the platooning vehicles. Background Technology

[0004] Placing vehicles in platooning is a technology that enables autonomous driving by having multiple vehicles arranged in a queue at predetermined intervals. When multiple vehicles are in platooning, a leading vehicle, positioned at the head of the queue, controls one or more following vehicles. The leading vehicle maintains the spacing between the vehicles in the platoon. The leading vehicle can further utilize vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication to exchange information about the behavior and status of the vehicles in the platoon. The leading vehicle can also utilize information collected by its own sensors to perform platooning control.

[0005] Existing technologies consider the environmental sensing capabilities of each vehicle in a platoon to determine the vehicle arrangement in the platoon and control platooning. However, a limitation of existing technologies is that they cannot handle and maintain platooning control when sensors malfunction. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure is made to address the aforementioned problems in the prior art while fully preserving the advantages achieved by the prior art.

[0007] One aspect of this disclosure provides a platooning controller, a system including the platooning controller, and a platooning control method that, when one or more sensors of a platooning vehicle malfunction, rearranges the platooning queue and maintains platooning by considering the type, location, sensing range, etc., of the one or more sensors.

[0008] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a platooning controller, a system including the platooning controller, and a platooning control method that replaces and applies the collection and integration of the type and location information of faulty sensors and controls the position of the lead vehicle in the platooning queue in a flexible manner via V2V communication to prevent platooning control from being duplicated or confused.

[0009] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those described above, and any other technical problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0010] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a platooning controller may include: a communication device configured to transmit and receive sensor fault information among vehicles in a platooning queue; and a processor configured to rearrange the platooning queue based on the sensor fault information, according to the fault of a sensor in one of the vehicles in the platooning queue. The processor may assign numbers to vehicles based on their positions in the platooning queue, according to one or more of the type, location, and sensing range of the faulty sensor, and may rearrange the vehicles to positions corresponding to those numbers.

[0011] In one embodiment, when a vehicle's front radar malfunctions in one of its sensors, the processor can rearrange the malfunctioning vehicle to the position of the leading vehicle in the queuing.

[0012] In one embodiment, when a vehicle whose current radar malfunctions moves to the position of a lead vehicle, the processor can transfer control of the old lead vehicle to the rearranged vehicle whose front radar malfunctions.

[0013] In one embodiment, when a vehicle's sensor camera malfunctions, the processor can rearrange the malfunctioning vehicle in the position of the following vehicle in the queuing.

[0014] In one embodiment, when a vehicle's blind spot radar malfunctions, the processor can reposition the malfunctioning vehicle as the last vehicle in the following vehicle queue.

[0015] In one embodiment, when a vehicle's front LiDAR sensor malfunctions, the processor can reposition the malfunctioning vehicle to either the tail of a following vehicle or the lead vehicle in a convoy.

[0016] In one embodiment, when there are no other vehicles with malfunctioning sensors in the convoy, the processor can rearrange the vehicle with the malfunctioning front LiDAR to the position of the last vehicle in the following convoy.

[0017] In one embodiment, the processor can control the position of the last vehicle in the following vehicles in a convoy where the front lidar malfunctions and is rearranged to maintain the maximum inter-vehicle distance.

[0018] In one embodiment, when another vehicle in the convoy has a malfunctioning blind spot radar, the processor can rearrange the vehicle with the malfunctioning front lidar to the position of the leading vehicle in the convoy.

[0019] In one embodiment, when there is another vehicle with a malfunctioning blind spot radar and another vehicle with a malfunctioning front lidar in the queuing, the processor can control the rearranged vehicle with the malfunctioning front lidar to leave the queuing.

[0020] In one embodiment, the platooning controller may further include a display device configured to display information for platooning.

[0021] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle system may include: a sensing device configured to sense the vicinity of a master vehicle; and a platooning controller configured to transmit and receive sensor fault information among vehicles in a platooning queue, and to rearrange the platooning queue based on the sensor fault information and according to the sensor faults of the vehicles in the platooning queue. The platooning controller may assign numbers to vehicles based on their positions in the platooning queue according to one or more of the type, location, and sensing range of the faulty sensor, and may rearrange vehicles to positions corresponding to the assigned numbers.

[0022] In an embodiment, the sensing device may include: a front radar configured to sense remote obstacles in front of the driver vehicle; a camera configured to acquire lane information; a blind spot radar configured to sense obstacles approaching the rear of the driver vehicle; and a front lidar configured to sense a collision between the driver vehicle and an obstacle in front of it.

[0023] In one embodiment, when a vehicle's front radar malfunctions in one of its sensors, the platooning controller can rearrange the malfunctioning vehicle in the position of the leading vehicle in the platooning queue and transfer control of the old leading vehicle to the rearranged malfunctioning vehicle.

[0024] In one embodiment, when a vehicle's sensor camera malfunctions, the queuing controller can rearrange the malfunctioning vehicle in the position of the following vehicle in the queuing queue.

[0025] In one embodiment, when a vehicle's blind spot radar malfunctions, the platooning controller can rearrange the malfunctioning vehicle to the position of the last vehicle in the following vehicles in the platooning queue.

[0026] In one embodiment, when a vehicle's front lidar malfunctions, the platooning controller can rearrange the malfunctioning vehicle in the platooning queue to either the position of the last vehicle in the following vehicles or the position of the leading vehicle in the platooning queue.

[0027] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a platooning control method may include: transmitting and receiving sensor fault information among vehicles in a platooning queue; assigning numbers to vehicles in the platooning queue based on the sensor fault information, according to one or more of the type, location, and sensing range of the faulty sensor; and rearranging the vehicles in positions corresponding to the numbers.

[0028] In an embodiment, assigning a number based on the location of each vehicle may include: when there is a vehicle whose front radar has malfunctioned in its sensors, rearranging the vehicle with the malfunctioning front radar in the position of the leading vehicle in the queuing, and transferring control of the old leading vehicle to the rearranged vehicle with the malfunctioning front radar.

[0029] In one embodiment, assigning a number based on the location of each vehicle may include: when a vehicle's sensor camera malfunctions, rearranging the vehicle with the malfunctioning camera in the position of the following vehicle in the queuing. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0031] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle system including a platooning controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the sensor and communication operating environment during vehicle platooning according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the sensing range of a sensing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing a specific screen of rearranging a platoon of vehicles according to sensor fault information of the platooned vehicles, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing a specific scene of rearranging the queuing procession when the current radar malfunctions according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 6This is a diagram illustrating a specific scene of rearranging a queuing procession when a camera malfunctions, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating a specific scene of rearranging a queuing procession when a blind spot radar malfunctions, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing a specific scene of rearranging the queuing procession when the current lidar malfunctions according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 9 and Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a queuing for driving based on the type and location of fault sensing devices in a vehicle, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0040] Figure 11 This is a block diagram illustrating a computing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0041] In the following, some embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that identical or equivalent components are indicated by the same reference numerals even if shown in other drawings. Furthermore, in describing embodiments of the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of well-known features or functions are excluded to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the gist of the disclosure.

[0042] In describing components according to embodiments of the present disclosure, terms such as “first,” “second,” “A,” “B,” “(a),” and “(b)” may be used. These terms are intended only to distinguish one component from another. These terms do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of the constituent components. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms such as those defined in a general dictionary shall be interpreted as having a meaning equivalent to that in the context of the relevant technical field. Unless expressly defined in this application as having an ideal or overly formal meaning, these terms shall not be interpreted as having an ideal or overly formal meaning.

[0043] Embodiments of this disclosure disclose a technique that allows for maintaining platooning even when several types of sensors used in an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) fail individually or when sensors in multiple vehicles fail simultaneously. This is achieved by rearranging the platooning based on factors such as the type of faulty sensor, its location, and its sensing range. Sensors may include, for example, front radar, cameras, blind spot radar, and lidar (LiDAR).

[0044] In the following text, refer to Figures 1 to 11 The embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail.

[0045] A platooning system, consisting of a lead vehicle (LV) and a follower vehicle (FV), can perform platooning on a road. LVs and FVs can travel while maintaining a prescribed distance. When LVs and FVs are traveling, the distance between them can be adjusted based on sensor information and platooning information shared via vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication.

[0046] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle system including a platooning controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] Reference Figure 1 The vehicle system according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include a platooning controller 100, a sensing device 200, a steering controller 300, a brake controller 400, and an engine controller 500.

[0048] The platooning controller 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in a host vehicle. In this embodiment, the platooning controller 100 can be integrated with a control unit in the host vehicle. In another embodiment, the platooning controller 100 can be implemented as a separate device and connected to the control unit of the host vehicle via a separate connection means.

[0049] The platooning controller 100 can transmit and receive sensor fault information among vehicles in a platooning queue. The platooning controller 100 can further rearrange the platooning queue based on the sensor fault information, according to the fault of the sensors in the vehicles within the platooning queue. In other words, the platooning controller 100 can assign numbers based on one or more of the faulty sensor's type, location, and sensing range, according to its position in the platooning queue. The platooning controller 100 can further rearrange the vehicles to positions corresponding to these numbers.

[0050] The platooning controller 100 may include a communication device 110, a storage device 120, a display device 130, and a processor 140.

[0051] The communication device 110 can be a hardware device that utilizes various electronic circuits to transmit and receive signals via wireless or wired connections. In embodiments, the communication device 110 can perform inter-vehicle communication via vehicle network communication. For example, vehicle network communication can be Controller Area Network (CAN) communication, Local Interconnect Network (LIN) communication, Flex-Ray communication, etc.

[0052] The communication device 110 can perform wireless communication with servers outside the main vehicle, infrastructure outside the main vehicle, and other vehicles in a convoy. In this embodiment, the communication device 110 can transmit and receive sensor fault information with vehicles in the convoy. In this embodiment, the communication device 110 can utilize wireless internet technology or short-range communication technology to perform vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. In this embodiment, wireless internet technology may include wireless local area network (WLAN), wireless broadband (WiBro), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), global microwave access interoperability (WiMAX), etc. Furthermore, short-range communication technologies may include Bluetooth, ZigBee, ultra-wideband (UWB), radio frequency identification (RFID), infrared data communication (IrDA), etc.

[0053] The storage device 120 can store the sensing results of the sensing device 200 as well as the data and algorithms required for the operation of the processor 140.

[0054] In this embodiment, storage device 120 may store platooning information, such as sensor malfunction information received from vehicles in the platooning queue via communication device 110. Furthermore, storage device 120 may store information about obstacles sensed by sensing device 200, such as vehicles ahead.

[0055] Storage device 120 may include at least one type of storage medium such as flash memory, hard disk memory, micro memory, card memory (e.g., security digital (SD) card or extreme digital (XD) card), random access memory (RAM), static RAM (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), magnetic disk and optical disk.

[0056] Display device 130 may include an input device for receiving control commands from a user and an output device for outputting the operating status and results of platooning controller 100. In this embodiment, the input device may include buttons and may further include a mouse, joystick, jog-shuttle, stylus, etc. Furthermore, the input device may further include soft keys implemented on the display. The output device may include a display and may further include an audio output device, such as a speaker. In this embodiment, the display can function as a touchscreen when a touch sensor, such as a touch film, touch pad, or touch panel, is provided in the display. The display may be implemented with the input and output devices integrated with each other. In embodiments of this disclosure, the output device may output platooning information such as sensor fault information, lead vehicle information, platooning queue information, platooning speed, destination, via, route, etc.

[0057] In this embodiment, the display may include at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-LCD (TFT-LCD), an organic LED (OLED) display, a flexible display, a field emission display (FED), and a three-dimensional (3D) display.

[0058] Processor 140 can be electrically connected to communication device 110, storage device 120, display device 130, etc. Processor 140 can electrically control various components. Processor 140 can be a circuit configured to execute software instructions and can perform various data processing and calculations described below.

[0059] The processor 140 can process signals transmitted between the various components of the platooning controller 100.

[0060] The processor 140 can rearrange the queuing based on sensor fault information, according to the sensor faults of the vehicles in the queuing.

[0061] When a vehicle's front radar malfunctions in one of its sensors, the processor 140 can reposition the malfunctioning vehicle as the lead vehicle in the queuing.

[0062] When the vehicle whose radar is currently malfunctioning moves to the position of the lead vehicle, the processor 140 can transfer control of the old lead vehicle to the rearranged vehicle whose radar is currently malfunctioning.

[0063] When a vehicle's sensor camera malfunctions, the processor 140 can rearrange the malfunctioning vehicle in the position of the following vehicles in the queuing.

[0064] When a vehicle's blind spot radar malfunctions, the processor 140 can reposition the vehicle with the malfunctioning blind spot radar to the position of the last vehicle in the following vehicle queue.

[0065] When a vehicle has a malfunctioning front lidar (LiDAR) sensor, the processor 140 can reposition the malfunctioning vehicle to either the position of the last vehicle in the following vehicle queue or the position of the leading vehicle in the convoy.

[0066] When there are no other vehicles in the convoy whose sensors have malfunctioned, the processor 140 can rearrange the vehicle with the malfunctioning front lidar to the position of the last vehicle in the following vehicles in the convoy.

[0067] When another vehicle in the convoy has a malfunctioning blind spot radar, the processor 140 can rearrange the vehicle with the malfunctioning front lidar to the position of the leading vehicle in the convoy.

[0068] When there is another vehicle with a malfunctioning blind spot radar and another vehicle with a malfunctioning front lidar in the convoy, the processor 140 can control the rearranged vehicle with the malfunctioning front lidar to leave the convoy.

[0069] The processor 140 can rearrange a vehicle whose collision avoidance function has been degraded due to a malfunction of the front LiDAR into the position of a leading vehicle or a following vehicle. In this embodiment, when a vehicle is rearranged into the position of a following vehicle, the processor 140 can control the vehicle with the malfunctioning front LiDAR to travel while maintaining the maximum inter-vehicle distance. In this embodiment, the inter-vehicle distance control phase can be divided into a first stage, a second stage, a third stage, and a fourth stage of a headway state. The first stage can have the shortest inter-vehicle distance. The inter-vehicle distance can increase in the order of the second, third, and fourth stages. In embodiments of this disclosure, control to maintain the maximum inter-vehicle distance may include control utilizing the fourth stage of the headway state.

[0070] The sensing device 200 may include one or more sensors that sense obstacles located around the host vehicle, such as vehicles in front or behind. The one or more sensors may further measure the distance to the obstacle and / or the relative speed with respect to the obstacle.

[0071] For this purpose, the sensing device 200 may include a camera 210, a front radar 220, a blind spot radar 230, and a front lidar (LiDAR) 240, etc. The front radar 220 may be a long-range radar. The blind spot radar 230 may be a medium- or short-range radar. The camera 210 can capture images of the lane to obtain lane information. The front lidar 240 can measure the time it takes for a laser pulse to be emitted to the ground and reflect back from the vehicle in front, in order to pre-measure whether a collision with the main vehicle is possible. Therefore, collisions with the main vehicle can be avoided.

[0072] In addition, the sensing device 200 may further include ultrasonic sensors, laser scanners and / or corner radar, acceleration sensors, yaw rate sensors, torque sensors and / or wheel speed sensors, steering angle sensors, etc.

[0073] The steering controller 300 can be configured to control the steering angle of the main vehicle. The steering controller 300 may include a steering wheel, an actuator linked to the steering wheel, and a controller for controlling the actuator.

[0074] The brake controller 400 can be configured to control the braking of the main vehicle and may include a controller for controlling the brakes.

[0075] The engine controller 500 can be configured to control the engine drive of the main vehicle and may include a controller for controlling the speed of the main vehicle.

[0076] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the sensor and communication operating environment during vehicle platooning according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the sensing range of a sensing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0077] Reference Figure 2 The platooning vehicles LV, FV1, and FV2 can perform platooning control based on their own sensors mounted on the vehicles and platooning information transmitted between the platooning vehicles LV, FV1, and FV2 via communication. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the front radar among the sensors installed in the vehicle can be a long-range radar that senses distant obstacles in front of the vehicle. The sensing range of a front lidar can be shorter than that of a front radar but longer than that of a blind spot radar. A front lidar can sense collisions in front of the vehicle. A camera can capture and identify lanes around the vehicle. A blind spot radar can be a short-to-medium range radar that senses obstacles approaching the rear of the vehicle.

[0078] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating a specific screen showing the rearrangement of a platooning queue based on sensor fault information of platooning vehicles according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0079] Reference Figure 4 According to reference numeral 401, the lead vehicle LV and following vehicles FV1, FV2 and FV3 traveling in a convoy can transmit and receive sensor fault signals through vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication.

[0080] Reference Figure 4 Referring to reference numeral 402, the lead vehicle LV can receive sensor fault information from all following vehicles FV1, FV2, and FV3. The lead vehicle LV can further assign a number to each position. For example, the lead vehicle LV can assign number 1 to the lead vehicle LV located at the very front. The lead vehicle LV can further assign number 2 to the following vehicle FV1 at the second position. The lead vehicle LV can further assign number 3 to the following vehicle FV2 at the third position. The lead vehicle LV can further assign number 4 to the following vehicle FV3 at the fourth position.

[0081] Subsequently, when the following vehicle FV1 has difficulty sensing the front due to a malfunction in its front radar, FV1 can be designated as the new leading vehicle LV. 新 As shown by reference numeral 403 in the attached diagram, the new lead vehicle LV 新 It can be moved to the very front. The old lead vehicle LV 旧 Control can be transferred to the new lead vehicle LV 新 And it can be moved to the new lead vehicle LV 新 The car will drive on from behind.

[0082] In the following text, refer to Table 1 and... Figures 5 to 8 The method for re-forming a queuing of vehicles based on the type of faulty sensor is described in detail.

[0083] [Table 1]

[0084]

[0085] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing a specific scene of rearranging a queuing procession when the current radar malfunctions according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0086] Reference Figure 5 As shown in Table 1 above, since vehicles with malfunctioning front radars in a convoy cannot sense targets ahead, a new convoy can be formed so that the vehicles with malfunctioning front radars are at the front of the convoy.

[0087] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating a specific scene of rearranging a queuing procession when a camera malfunctions, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0088] Reference Figure 6 As shown in Table 1 above, vehicles with malfunctioning cameras in a platoon cannot sense their lanes and therefore cannot perform functions such as Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) and Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS). Therefore, since vehicles with malfunctioning cameras are unlikely to act as leading vehicles, they can be repositioned to follow the other vehicles. Figure 6 In this embodiment, a vehicle whose camera malfunctions is rearranged as a following vehicle FV1 in a second position.

[0089] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating a specific scene of rearranging a queuing procession when a blind spot radar malfunctions, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0090] Reference Figure 7As shown in Table 1 above, because a vehicle with a malfunctioning blind spot radar in a platoon cannot detect vehicles approaching from behind, this malfunctioning vehicle could cause serious situations when changing lanes or leaving the platoon. Therefore, a vehicle with a malfunctioning blind spot radar can be repositioned as a following vehicle FV3 at the rear of the platoon that does not require lane changes during platooning.

[0091] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing a specific scene of rearranging the queuing procession when the current lidar malfunctions according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0092] Reference Figure 8 As shown in Table 1 above, a vehicle with a malfunctioning front lidar in a convoy may experience a degraded function, such as emergency braking or collision avoidance. Therefore, when a vehicle with a degraded function, such as emergency braking or collision avoidance, is located in the middle of the convoy, it is preferable to position it at the very front of the convoy. This is because a collision with the vehicle in front is possible. Furthermore, vehicles with a degraded function, such as emergency braking or collision avoidance, can be rearranged to be located at the rear of the convoy. Figure 1 The platooning controller 100 can control vehicles to travel while maintaining the maximum inter-vehicle distance. In this embodiment, the inter-vehicle distance control phase can be divided into a first stage, a second stage, a third stage, and a fourth stage of vehicle spacing states. The first stage can have the shortest inter-vehicle distance. The inter-vehicle distance can increase in the order of the second, third, and fourth stages. Controlling to maintain the maximum inter-vehicle distance can include control utilizing the fourth stage of the vehicle spacing states.

[0093] When no other vehicles have malfunctioning sensors, the vehicle with the faulty front lidar can be repositioned as the follower vehicle FV3 at the rear of the convoy. When another vehicle's blind spot radar malfunctions, the vehicle with the faulty front lidar can be repositioned as the lead vehicle LV at the front of the convoy. This is because the position of the vehicle with the faulty blind spot radar overlaps with the position of the follower vehicle FV3 at the rear of the convoy.

[0094] In the event of a malfunction in the front lidar of the lead vehicle, if the front lidar of another vehicle malfunctions and the blind spot radar of yet another vehicle malfunctions, the lead vehicle with the malfunctioning front lidar can be removed from the convoy. This is because in this situation, it is impossible to reposition the lead vehicle to the position of the lead vehicle (LV) or the position of the following vehicle (FV3) at the end of the convoy.

[0095] In the following text, refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10 A platooning method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail. Figure 9 and Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating a platooning method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] In the following text, it is assumed that... Figure 1 The platoon driving controller 100 executes Figure 9 and Figure 10 The process. Furthermore, in Figure 9 and Figure 10 In the description, the operations described as being performed by the device can be understood as being controlled by the processor 140 of the platoon driving controller 100.

[0097] When the master vehicle is selected as the lead vehicle for platooning in S101, in S102, the device can receive information from the vehicles in the platooning queue indicating whether a sensor has malfunctioned.

[0098] In S103, the device can determine whether there are vehicles with malfunctioning sensors based on information indicating whether a sensor has malfunctioned. This information is received from vehicles in the queuing.

[0099] When a vehicle in a convoy has a sensor malfunction, in S104 the device can determine whether the malfunctioning sensor is the front radar.

[0100] When the malfunctioning sensor is a front radar, in S105, the device can determine whether the number of malfunctioning front radars is one. If the number of malfunctioning front radars is one, in S106, the device can assign vehicle number 1 in the queuing to the vehicle with the malfunctioning front radar. In other words, the device can rearrange the vehicle with the malfunctioning front radar to the position of the lead vehicle LV. On the other hand, when the number of malfunctioning front radars is greater than one, that is, when the front radars of two or more vehicles malfunction, in S110, the device can control the vehicle to leave the queuing. In S111, the device can rearrange the queuing according to position, including other vehicles that have not yet left the queuing.

[0101] In S107, the device can determine whether there is a vehicle with a malfunctioning camera based on information indicating whether a sensor has malfunctioned. This information is received from vehicles in the queuing procession. When there is a vehicle with a malfunctioning camera, in S108, the device can determine whether the number of malfunctioning cameras is 1.

[0102] When the number of malfunctioning cameras is one, in S109, the device can assign the vehicle with the malfunctioning camera number 2 or 3 in the queuing. In other words, when a camera malfunctions, the vehicle with the malfunctioning camera can be rearranged to the position of the middle following vehicle. This is because a vehicle with a malfunctioning camera is unlikely to act as a lead vehicle. On the other hand, when the number of malfunctioning cameras is greater than one, that is, when the cameras of two or more vehicles malfunction, in S110, the device can control the vehicles to leave the queuing. In S111, the device can rearrange the queuing according to position, including the other vehicles that have not left the queuing.

[0103] In S112, the device can determine whether there is a vehicle with a malfunctioning blind spot radar based on information indicating whether a sensor has malfunctioned. This information is received from vehicles in the queuing. When there is a vehicle with a malfunctioning blind spot radar, in S113, the device can determine whether the number of malfunctioning blind spot radars is 1.

[0104] When the number of malfunctioning blind spot radars is one, in S114, the device can assign number 4 in the queuing to the vehicle with the malfunctioning blind spot radar. In other words, when a blind spot radar malfunctions, the vehicle with the malfunctioning blind spot radar can be rearranged at the end of the queuing without needing to change lanes. This is because a vehicle with a malfunctioning blind spot radar has difficulty sensing another vehicle approaching from behind. On the other hand, when the number of malfunctioning blind spot radars is greater than one, that is, when the blind spot radars of two or more vehicles malfunction, in S120, the device can control the vehicles to leave the queuing. In S121, the device can rearrange the queuing according to position, including the other vehicles that have not left the queuing.

[0105] In S115, the device can determine whether there is a vehicle with a malfunctioning front lidar based on information indicating whether a sensor has malfunctioned. This information is received from vehicles in the queuing. When there is a vehicle with a malfunctioning front lidar, in S116, the device can determine whether the number of malfunctioning front lidars is 1.

[0106] When the number of malfunctioning front lidar sensors is greater than one, in other words, when the front lidar sensors of two or more vehicles malfunction, in S120, the device can control the vehicles to leave the platoon. In S121, the device can rearrange the platoon according to position, including the other vehicles that have not left the platoon.

[0107] Simultaneously, when the number of malfunctioning front lidars is 1, in S117, the device can determine whether the number of malfunctioning blind spot radars is 1. When the number of malfunctioning blind spot radars is not 1 (in other words, when the number of malfunctioning blind spot radars is 0 or greater than 1), in S118, the device can assign number 4, which is the tail end of the queuing, to the vehicle with the malfunctioning blind spot radar. This is because there are multiple other vehicles with malfunctioning blind spot radars. The device can then proceed to drive the vehicle in the fourth stage of the vehicle spacing state.

[0108] Simultaneously, when the number of malfunctioning front lidars is 1 and the number of malfunctioning blind spot radars is 1, in S119, the device can determine whether the number of malfunctioning front lidars is 1. When the number of malfunctioning front lidars is 1, the number of malfunctioning blind spot radars is 1, and the number of malfunctioning front lidars is not 1, in S122, the device can reposition the vehicle with the malfunctioning front lidars to the position of the lead vehicle numbered 1 in the queuing.

[0109] When the number of malfunctioning front lidars is 1, the number of malfunctioning blind spot radars is 1, and the number of malfunctioning front lidars is 1, in S120, the device can control the vehicle with the malfunctioning front lidar to leave the platoon. In S121, the device can rearrange the platoon according to position, including the other vehicles that have not left the platoon.

[0110] Therefore, this disclosure can maintain platooning even if any one of the several types of sensors installed for ADAS fails during platooning. This disclosure can maintain platooning in response to the failure of a total of four sensors (e.g., front lidar, front radar, blind spot radar, and camera) instead of the failure of a single type of sensor. Because platooning can be maintained even with sensor failure, this disclosure can improve fuel efficiency and enhance driver convenience.

[0111] Furthermore, this disclosure allows vehicles with malfunctioning sensors to be repositioned at specific locations within a queuing procession. This repositioning is based on the type, location, and sensing range of the malfunctioning sensor. In another embodiment, this disclosure allows vehicles with malfunctioning sensors to be controlled to leave the queuing procession. Therefore, queuing can be maintained.

[0112] Furthermore, this disclosure allows lead vehicles to rearrange their convoys by integrating sensor fault information and assigning numbers. This disclosure also allows for flexible replacement of lead vehicles, thereby preventing confusion of control entities.

[0113] Furthermore, this disclosure allows for the comparison of vehicle position numbers when the queuing is rearranged, when a vehicle leaves the queuing, and when a new vehicle joins the queuing. Therefore, this disclosure allows for immediate re-establishment of the queuing without causing confusion.

[0114] Figure 11 This is a block diagram illustrating a computing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0115] Reference Figure 11 The computing system 1000 may include at least one processor 1100, a memory 1300, a user interface input device 1400, a user interface output device 1500, a storage device 1600, and a network interface 1700 connected to each other via a bus 1200.

[0116] Processor 1100 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or a semiconductor device configured to process instructions stored in memory 1300 and / or storage device 1600. Memory 1300 and storage device 1600 may include various types of volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, memory 1300 may include ROM (Read-Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0117] Therefore, the operation of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be directly implemented as hardware or software modules or a combination of hardware and software modules executed by processor 1100. Software modules may reside on storage media such as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disks, removable disks, and CD-ROMs (in other words, memory 1300 and / or storage device 1600).

[0118] The storage medium can be coupled to the processor 1100. The processor 1100 can read information from the storage medium and can record information in the storage medium. In another embodiment, the storage medium can be integrated with the processor 1100. The processor 1100 and the storage medium can reside in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC can reside within the user terminal. In another embodiment, the processor 1100 and the storage medium can reside as separate components in the user terminal.

[0119] This disclosure allows for the rearrangement of the platooning queue and maintenance of platooning when one or more sensors of platooning vehicles fail, taking into account the type, location, sensing range, etc. of one or more sensors.

[0120] Furthermore, this disclosure allows for flexible replacement and application of the lead vehicle. The lead vehicle collects and integrates information on the type and location of faulty sensors. The lead vehicle further controls its position within the platooning queue in a flexible manner via V2V communication. Therefore, duplicate or confused platooning control can be prevented.

[0121] In addition, various effects that can be directly or indirectly determined through this disclosure may be provided.

[0122] Although this disclosure has been described above with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings, it is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains may make various modifications and alterations to this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as claimed in the appended claims.

[0123] Therefore, specific embodiments of this disclosure are provided to explain the spirit and scope of this disclosure, but do not limit the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Thus, the spirit and scope of this disclosure are not limited by the embodiments. The scope of this disclosure should be interpreted based on the appended claims. All technical ideas within the scope of the claims should be included within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A platooning control system, comprising: Communication devices transmit and receive sensor fault information between vehicles in a convoy. as well as The processor, based on the sensor fault information, rearranges the queuing queue according to the sensor faults of the vehicles in the queuing queue. The processor determines, based on one or more of the type, location, and sensing range of the faulty sensors, whether the vehicle is unable to sense vehicles ahead, whether the vehicle is unable to perform lane departure warning or lane keeping functions due to the inability to obtain lane information, whether the vehicle poses a risk when changing lanes or leaving the queuing due to the inability to sense vehicles approaching from behind, and whether the vehicle's emergency braking or collision avoidance capabilities are reduced. It assigns a number to the vehicle based on its position in the queuing and rearranges the vehicle in the position corresponding to the number.

2. The platooning controller according to claim 1, wherein, When a vehicle's front radar malfunctions in one of its sensors, the processor rearranges the vehicle with the malfunctioning front radar in the position of the leading vehicle in the convoy.

3. The platooning controller according to claim 2, wherein, When the vehicle whose front radar has malfunctioned moves to the position of the lead vehicle, the processor transfers control of the old lead vehicle to the rearranged vehicle whose front radar has malfunctioned.

4. The platooning controller according to claim 1, wherein, When a vehicle's sensor camera malfunctions, the processor rearranges the position of the vehicle with the malfunctioning camera in the position of the following vehicles in the convoy.

5. The platooning controller according to claim 1, wherein, When a vehicle's blind spot radar malfunctions, the processor repositions the vehicle with the malfunctioning blind spot radar to the position of the last vehicle in the following vehicle in the convoy.

6. The platooning controller according to claim 1, wherein, When a vehicle's front LiDAR sensor malfunctions, the processor repositions the vehicle with the malfunctioning front LiDAR to the position of the last vehicle in the following vehicle group or the position of the leading vehicle in the convoy.

7. The platooning controller according to claim 6, wherein, When there are no other vehicles in the convoy whose sensors have malfunctioned, the processor rearranges the vehicle with the malfunctioning front lidar into the position of the last vehicle in the following vehicles in the convoy.

8. The platooning controller according to claim 7, wherein, The processor controls the position of the tail vehicle in the following vehicles of the convoy to maintain the maximum inter-vehicle distance when the front lidar malfunctions and is rearranged in the convoy.

9. The platooning controller according to claim 6, wherein, When another vehicle in the convoy has a malfunctioning blind spot radar, the processor rearranges the vehicle with the malfunctioning front lidar in the position of the lead vehicle in the convoy.

10. The platooning controller according to claim 6, wherein, When there is another vehicle with a malfunctioning blind spot radar and another vehicle with a malfunctioning front lidar in the convoy, the processor controls the rearranged vehicle with the malfunctioning front lidar to leave the convoy.

11. The platooning controller according to claim 1, further comprising: The display device shows information for convoy driving.

12. A vehicle system comprising: Sensing devices detect the area around the main vehicle; as well as The platooning controller transmits and receives sensor fault information among vehicles in the platooning queue, and rearranges the platooning queue based on the sensor faults of the vehicles in the queue. The platooning controller determines, based on one or more of the type, location, and sensing range of faulty sensors, whether a vehicle is unable to sense vehicles ahead, whether a vehicle is unable to perform lane departure warning or lane keeping functions due to the inability to obtain lane information, whether a vehicle poses a risk when changing lanes or leaving the platooning due to the inability to sense vehicles approaching from behind, and whether the vehicle's emergency braking or collision avoidance capabilities are reduced. It assigns a number to the vehicle based on its position in the platooning and rearranges the vehicle in the position corresponding to the number.

13. The vehicle system according to claim 12, wherein, The sensing device includes: Front radar detects remote obstacles in front of the main vehicle; Cameras obtain lane information; Blind spot radar detects obstacles approaching the rear side of the main vehicle; and A front-facing lidar sensor detects collisions between the main vehicle and obstacles in front.

14. The vehicle system according to claim 12, wherein, When a vehicle's front radar malfunctions in one of its sensors, the platooning controller rearranges the malfunctioning vehicle in the platooning queue and transfers control of the old leading vehicle to the rearranged malfunctioning vehicle.

15. The vehicle system according to claim 12, wherein, When a vehicle's sensor camera malfunctions, the platooning controller rearranges the vehicle with the malfunctioning camera into the position of the following vehicles in the platooning queue.

16. The vehicle system according to claim 12, wherein, When a vehicle's blind spot radar malfunctions, the platooning controller rearranges the vehicle with the malfunctioning blind spot radar into the position of the last vehicle in the platooning queue.

17. The vehicle system according to claim 12, wherein, When a vehicle's front lidar sensor malfunctions, the platooning controller rearranges the vehicle with the malfunctioning front lidar into either the position of the last vehicle in the platooning queue or the position of the leading vehicle in the platooning queue.

18. A platooning control method, comprising: Transmit and receive sensor fault information between vehicles in a convoy; Based on the sensor fault information, and according to one or more of the faulty sensor type, location, and sensing range, it is determined whether the vehicle is unable to sense the vehicle in front, whether the vehicle is unable to perform lane departure warning or lane keeping functions because it cannot obtain lane information, whether the vehicle poses a risk when changing lanes and leaving the queuing because it cannot sense the vehicle approaching the rear, and whether the vehicle's emergency braking or collision avoidance functions are reduced, and a number is assigned according to the vehicle's position in the queuing. as well as Rearrange the vehicles in the positions corresponding to the stated numbers.

19. The platooning control method according to claim 18, wherein, The numbering is assigned based on the location of each vehicle, including: When a vehicle's front radar malfunctions, the vehicle with the malfunctioning front radar is repositioned in the lead vehicle position within the convoy, and control of the old lead vehicle is transferred to the repositioned vehicle with the malfunctioning front radar.

20. The platooning control method according to claim 18, wherein, The numbering is assigned based on the location of each vehicle, including: When a vehicle has a camera malfunctioning in its sensor, the vehicle with the malfunctioning camera is rearranged in the position of the following vehicles in the convoy.

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