Vehicle control system for automated vehicle fleet driving

Abstract

A vehicle control system for automated vehicle fleet driving. A method for automated vehicle driving control in a fleet includes obtaining a first operating parameter of a first vehicle, the first operating parameter including at least a first measured braking performance of the first vehicle, obtaining a second operating parameter of a second vehicle, the second operating parameter including at least a first measured braking performance of the second vehicle, determining a fleet sequence according to the operating parameters by assigning any one of the first and second vehicles having a lesser measured braking performance as a leading vehicle in the fleet sequence and the other of the first and second vehicles as a follower vehicle in the fleet sequence, initiating a fleet sequence driving route, and controlling automated driving of the follower vehicle according to the tracking of the lead vehicle, wherein the automated driving includes automated steering control, automated acceleration, and automated braking based on the tracked movement of the lead vehicle.

Description

[0001] introduce

[0002] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. The work of the presently named inventors is neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art against the present disclosure to the extent it is described in this section and in aspects of the description that might not otherwise be prior art at the time of filing.

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to vehicle control systems for automated vehicle platoon driving, including methods of sequencing vehicles in an automated platoon.

[0004] Mixed traffic conditions represent a challenging environment for autonomous vehicles, including leader and follower semi-autonomous implementations where an unmanned vehicle / pod closely follows the leader vehicle. The leader vehicle makes higher-level path planning decisions, and the follower vehicles safely follow the leader. To enable this functionality, the vehicles are tightly coupled together to ensure that the follower vehicles only follow the leader vehicle. Each vehicle in the convoy may have different braking performance (stopping distance), different tire characteristics (mu), and different payloads. In situations where the lead vehicle needs to apply brakes quickly, it is expected that the follower vehicles avoid colliding with the leader vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0005] A method for automated vehicle driving control in a convoy includes obtaining first operating parameters of a first vehicle, the first vehicle including a first front vehicle sensor and a first vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the first vehicle, the first operating parameters including at least a first measured braking performance of the first vehicle, obtaining second operating parameters of a second vehicle, the second vehicle including a second front vehicle sensor and a second vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the second vehicle, the second operating parameters including at least the first measured braking performance of the second vehicle, determining a convoy sequence according to the first operating parameters and the second operating parameters by assigning any one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle having a smaller measured braking performance as a leading vehicle in the convoy sequence and assigning the other of the first vehicle and the second vehicle as a following vehicle in the convoy sequence, initiating a convoy sequence driving route, and controlling automated driving of a follower vehicle according to tracking of the leading vehicle, wherein the automated driving includes automated steering control, automated acceleration, and automated braking based on tracking movement of the leading vehicle.

[0006] In other features, the method includes, before controlling automated driving of a follower vehicle based on tracking of a lead vehicle, performing a first performance test of a first vehicle to obtain updated first operating parameters, the first performance test including measuring a current braking performance of the first vehicle, performing a second performance test of a second vehicle to obtain updated second operating parameters, the second performance test including measuring a current braking performance of the second vehicle, and correcting a convoy sequence in response to the updated first operating parameters and the updated second operating parameters indicating that the lead vehicle has a stronger measured braking performance than the follower vehicle.

[0007] In other features, the method includes periodically obtaining an updated first operating parameter during control of automated driving of a follower vehicle, the updated first operating parameter comprising measuring a current braking performance of the first vehicle, periodically obtaining an updated second operating parameter comprising measuring a current braking performance of the second vehicle, determining a difference in the measured current braking performance between a lead vehicle and a follower vehicle, and in response to the difference exceeding a specified sequence change threshold indicating that the lead vehicle has greater measured braking performance than the follower vehicle, correcting at least one of a platoon sequence, a platooning following distance, or a speed of the lead vehicle.

[0008] In other features, the first operating parameter includes at least one of a state of charge of a battery of the first vehicle, a load of the first vehicle, an acceleration performance of the first vehicle, a fuel mileage of the first vehicle, or an aerodynamic profile of the first vehicle.

[0009] In other features, the method includes controlling automated driving of a lead vehicle according to the convoy sequence driving route, wherein the automated driving includes automated steering control, automated acceleration, and automated braking based on a specified navigation route to a target destination.

[0010] In other features, determining the convoy sequence includes determining the convoy sequence based on at least one of measured acceleration performance of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, driving mileage of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or a convoy exit order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

[0011] In other features, the method includes obtaining third operating parameters of a third vehicle, the third vehicle including a third front vehicle sensor and a third vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the third vehicle, the third operating parameters including at least a first measured braking performance of the third vehicle, and assigning the third vehicle in the convoy sequence at a position relative to the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the third operating parameters.

[0012] In other features, the second vehicle is a mobile video surveillance system (MVSS) vehicle including at least one of a drive-by-wire subsystem, a steer-by-wire subsystem, and a brake-by-wire subsystem, and the second vehicle control module is configured to control at least one of the drive-by-wire subsystem, the steer-by-wire subsystem, and the brake-by-wire subsystem based on input received from a second front vehicle sensor, and to increase a following distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle when the first vehicle and the second vehicle share connected data, the follower vehicle has activated cruise control, and the follower vehicle has a determined inferior braking performance compared to the lead vehicle.

[0013] In other features, the method includes first operating parameters including an axle load assessment and a tire grip assessment.

[0014] In other features, the method includes an axle load assessment that includes a static weight estimate of the first vehicle and a longitudinal dynamic model of the first vehicle, a tire grip assessment that includes remaining tire tread, road surface type, and tire type of the first vehicle, and a first measured braking performance that includes a normal load estimate of the first vehicle and a monitored brake pad wear value of the first vehicle.

[0015] A system for automated vehicle driving control in a convoy includes a first vehicle including a first front vehicle sensor and a first vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the first vehicle, the first vehicle control module configured to obtain first operating parameters including at least a first measured braking performance of the first vehicle, a second vehicle including a second front vehicle sensor and a second vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the second vehicle, the second vehicle control module configured to obtain second operating parameters including at least the first measured braking performance of the second vehicle, and a convoy sequence control module configured to determine a convoy sequence according to the first operating parameters and the second operating parameters by assigning any one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle having a smaller measured braking performance as a leading vehicle in the convoy sequence and assigning the other of the first vehicle and the second vehicle as a follower vehicle in the convoy sequence, and initiating a convoy sequence driving route, wherein the follower vehicle is configured to operate via automated driving according to tracking of the leading vehicle, wherein the automated driving includes automated steering control, automated acceleration, and automated braking based on the tracking movement of the leading vehicle.

[0016] In other features, the method includes a platoon sequence control module configured to perform a first performance test of a first vehicle to obtain updated first operating parameters before controlling automated driving of a follower vehicle based on tracking of a lead vehicle, the first performance test including measuring a current braking performance of the first vehicle, perform a second performance test of a second vehicle to obtain updated second operating parameters, the second performance test including measuring a current braking performance of the second vehicle, and modify the platoon sequence in response to the updated first operating parameters and the updated second operating parameters indicating that the lead vehicle has a stronger measured braking performance than the follower vehicle.

[0017] In other features, the platoon sequence control module is configured to, during control of automated driving of a follower vehicle, periodically obtain an updated first operating parameter, the updated first operating parameter comprising a measured current braking performance of the first vehicle, periodically obtain an updated second operating parameter, the updated second operating parameter comprising a measured current braking performance of the second vehicle; determine a difference in the measured current braking performance between the lead vehicle and the follower vehicle, and correct at least one of the platoon sequence, the formation following distance, or the speed of the lead vehicle in response to the difference exceeding a specified sequence change threshold indicating that the lead vehicle has greater measured braking performance than the follower vehicle.

[0018] In other features, the first operating parameter includes at least one of a state of charge of a battery of the first vehicle, a load of the first vehicle, an acceleration performance of the first vehicle, a fuel mileage of the first vehicle, or an aerodynamic profile of the first vehicle.

[0019] In other features, the lead vehicle is configured to control automated driving of the lead vehicle according to the convoy sequence driving route, and the automated driving includes automated steering control, automated acceleration, and automated braking based on a specified navigation route to a target destination.

[0020] In other features, determining the convoy sequence includes determining the convoy sequence based on at least one of measured acceleration performance of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, driving mileage of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or a convoy exit order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

[0021] In other features, the platoon sequence control module is configured to obtain third operating parameters of a third vehicle, the third vehicle including a third front vehicle sensor and a third vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the third vehicle, the third operating parameters including at least a first measured braking performance of the third vehicle, and assign the third vehicle in the platoon sequence at a position relative to the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the third operating parameters.

[0022] In other features, the second vehicle is a mobile video surveillance system (MVSS) vehicle including at least one of a drive-by-wire subsystem, a steer-by-wire subsystem, and a brake-by-wire subsystem, and the second vehicle control module is configured to control at least one of the drive-by-wire subsystem, the steer-by-wire subsystem, and the brake-by-wire subsystem based on input received from a second front vehicle sensor, and to increase a following distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle when the first vehicle and the second vehicle share connected data, the follower vehicle has activated cruise control, and the follower vehicle has a determined inferior braking performance compared to the lead vehicle.

[0023] In other features, the first operating parameter includes an axle load assessment and a tire grip assessment.

[0024] In other features, the axle load assessment includes a static weight estimate of the first vehicle and a longitudinal dynamic model of the first vehicle, the tire grip assessment includes remaining tire tread, road surface type, and tire type of the first vehicle, and the first measured braking performance includes a normal load estimate of the first vehicle and a monitored brake pad wear value of the first vehicle.

[0025] A method for automated vehicle driving control in a convoy is disclosed, the method comprising: obtaining first operating parameters of a first vehicle, the first vehicle comprising a first front vehicle sensor and a first vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the first vehicle, the first operating parameters comprising at least a first measured braking performance of the first vehicle; obtaining second operating parameters of a second vehicle, the second vehicle comprising a second front vehicle sensor and a second vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the second vehicle, the second operating parameters comprising at least the first measured braking performance of the second vehicle; determining a convoy sequence according to the first operating parameters and the second operating parameters by assigning any one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle having a smaller measured braking performance as a leading vehicle in the convoy sequence and assigning the other of the first vehicle and the second vehicle as a following vehicle in the convoy sequence; initiating a convoy sequence driving route; and controlling automated driving of a follower vehicle according to tracking of the leading vehicle, wherein the automated driving comprises automated steering control, automated acceleration, and automated braking based on tracking movement of the leading vehicle.

[0026] The method further includes: before controlling the automated driving of the follower vehicle according to the tracking of the lead vehicle, performing a first performance test of the first vehicle to obtain an updated first operating parameter, the first performance test including measuring the current braking performance of the first vehicle; performing a second performance test of the second vehicle to obtain an updated second operating parameter, the second performance test including measuring the current braking performance of the second vehicle; and correcting the convoy sequence in response to the updated first operating parameter and the updated second operating parameter indicating that the lead vehicle has a measured braking performance that is stronger than that of the follower vehicle.

[0027] The method further includes: during automated driving of controlling a follower vehicle, periodically obtaining an updated first operating parameter, the updated first operating parameter comprising measuring a current braking performance of the first vehicle; periodically obtaining an updated second operating parameter, the updated second operating parameter comprising measuring a current braking performance of the second vehicle; determining a difference in the measured current braking performance between the lead vehicle and the follower vehicle; and in response to the difference exceeding a specified sequence change threshold indicating that the lead vehicle has greater measured braking performance than the follower vehicle, correcting at least one of the convoy sequence, the formation following distance, or the speed of the lead vehicle.

[0028] The first operating parameter includes at least one of a state of charge of a battery of the first vehicle, a load of the first vehicle, an acceleration performance of the first vehicle, a fuel mileage of the first vehicle, or an aerodynamic profile of the first vehicle.

[0029] The method further includes controlling automated driving of a lead vehicle according to the convoy sequence driving route, wherein the automated driving includes automated steering control, automated acceleration, and automated braking based on a specified navigation route to a target destination.

[0030] Determining the convoy sequence includes determining the convoy sequence according to at least one of measured acceleration performance of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, driving mileage of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or a convoy exit order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

[0031] The method further includes: obtaining third operating parameters of a third vehicle, the third vehicle including a third front vehicle sensor and a third vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the third vehicle, the third operating parameters including at least a first measured braking performance of the third vehicle; and assigning the third vehicle in the convoy sequence at a position relative to the first vehicle and the second vehicle according to the third operating parameters.

[0032] The second vehicle is a mobile video surveillance system (MVSS) vehicle including at least one of a drive-by-wire subsystem, a steer-by-wire subsystem, and a brake-by-wire subsystem; and the second vehicle control module is configured to: control at least one of the drive-by-wire subsystem, the steer-by-wire subsystem, and the brake-by-wire subsystem based on input received from a second front vehicle sensor; and increase a following distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle when the first vehicle and the second vehicle share connected data, the follower vehicle has activated cruise control, and the follower vehicle has a determined inferior braking performance compared to the lead vehicle.

[0033] The first operating parameter includes an axle load assessment and a tire grip assessment.

[0034] The axle load assessment includes a static weight estimate of the first vehicle and a longitudinal dynamic model of the first vehicle; the tire grip assessment includes remaining tire tread, road surface type, and tire type of the first vehicle; and the first measured braking performance includes a normal load estimate of the first vehicle and a monitored brake pad wear value of the first vehicle.

[0035] A system for automated vehicle driving control in a convoy is disclosed, the system comprising: a first vehicle including a first front vehicle sensor and a first vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the first vehicle, the first vehicle control module configured to obtain a first operating parameter including at least a first measured braking performance of the first vehicle; a second vehicle including a second front vehicle sensor and a second vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the second vehicle, the second vehicle control module configured to obtain a second operating parameter including at least the first measured braking performance of the second vehicle; a convoy sequence control module configured to: determine a convoy sequence according to the first operating parameter and the second operating parameter by assigning any one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle having a smaller measured braking performance as a leading vehicle in the convoy sequence, and assigning the other of the first vehicle and the second vehicle as a following vehicle in the convoy sequence; and initiate a convoy sequence driving route, wherein the following vehicle is configured to operate via automated driving according to tracking of the leading vehicle, wherein the automated driving includes automated steering control, automated acceleration, and automated braking based on the following movement of the leading vehicle.

[0036] The platoon sequence control module is configured to: before controlling the automated driving of the follower vehicle according to the tracking of the lead vehicle, perform a first performance test of the first vehicle to obtain an updated first operating parameter, the first performance test including measuring the current braking performance of the first vehicle; perform a second performance test of the second vehicle to obtain an updated second operating parameter, the second performance test including measuring the current braking performance of the second vehicle; and correct the platoon sequence in response to the updated first operating parameter and the updated second operating parameter indicating that the lead vehicle has a stronger measured braking performance than the follower vehicle.

[0037] The platoon sequence control module is configured to: during control of automated driving of a follower vehicle, periodically obtain an updated first operating parameter, the updated first operating parameter comprising a measurement of a current braking performance of the first vehicle; periodically obtain an updated second operating parameter, the updated second operating parameter comprising a measurement of a current braking performance of the second vehicle; determine a difference in the measured current braking performance between a lead vehicle and a follower vehicle; and in response to the difference exceeding a specified sequence change threshold indicating that the lead vehicle has a greater measured braking performance than the follower vehicle, modify at least one of the platoon sequence, the formation following distance, or the speed of the lead vehicle.

[0038] The first operating parameter includes at least one of a state of charge of a battery of the first vehicle, a load of the first vehicle, an acceleration performance of the first vehicle, a fuel mileage of the first vehicle, or an aerodynamic profile of the first vehicle.

[0039] The lead vehicle is configured to control automated driving of the lead vehicle according to the convoy sequence driving route, and the automated driving includes automated steering control, automated acceleration, and automated braking based on a specified navigation route to a target destination.

[0040] Determining the convoy sequence includes determining the convoy sequence according to at least one of measured acceleration performance of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, driving mileage of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or a convoy exit order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

[0041] The platoon sequence control module is configured to: obtain third operating parameters of a third vehicle, the third vehicle including a third front vehicle sensor and a third vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the third vehicle, the third operating parameters including at least a first measured braking performance of the third vehicle; and assign the third vehicle in the platoon sequence at a position relative to the first vehicle and the second vehicle according to the third operating parameters.

[0042] The second vehicle is a mobile video surveillance system (MVSS) vehicle including at least one of a drive-by-wire subsystem, a steer-by-wire subsystem, and a brake-by-wire subsystem; and the second vehicle control module is configured to: control at least one of the drive-by-wire subsystem, the steer-by-wire subsystem, and the brake-by-wire subsystem based on input received from a second front vehicle sensor; and increase a following distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle when the first vehicle and the second vehicle share connected data, the follower vehicle has activated cruise control, and the follower vehicle has a determined inferior braking performance compared to the lead vehicle.

[0043] The first operating parameter includes an axle load assessment and a tire grip assessment.

[0044] The axle load assessment includes a static weight estimate of the first vehicle and a longitudinal dynamic model of the first vehicle; the tire grip assessment includes remaining tire tread, road surface type, and tire type of the first vehicle; and the first measured braking performance includes a normal load estimate of the first vehicle and a monitored brake pad wear value of the first vehicle.

[0045] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] The present disclosure will be more fully understood based on the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0047] Figure 1 is a diagram of an example vehicle including a front vehicle sensor for driving in an automated vehicle convoy.

[0048] Figure 2 is a block diagram of multiple vehicles driving in an automated vehicle fleet.

[0049] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example vehicle sequencing module for determining a convoy sequence for a plurality of automated vehicles.

[0050] Figure 4 is a flow chart depicting an example process for sequencing vehicles in an automated vehicle driving fleet.

[0051] Figure 5 is used to describe Figure 4 A flow chart of an example process for determining a sequence of vehicles during a process.

[0052] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example vehicle assessment module for obtaining vehicle parameters to determine automated vehicle fleet sequencing.

[0053] In the drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] In a vehicle convoy lead-follow (LF) architecture, each vehicle in the convoy may be capable of autonomous driving, such as a Mobile Video Surveillance System (MVSS) certified motor vehicle with a drive-by-wire subsystem, a steer-by-wire subsystem, and a brake-by-wire subsystem. These subsystems may be directed by a leader-follower feature controller supported by a perception / path planning subsystem (e.g., as part of a vehicle control module).

[0055] Additional sensory data from the vehicle, such as weight distribution and estimated road tire grip, may be used to determine vehicle performance values.In general, each vehicle in a convoy may be considered for assignment as either a lead vehicle or a follower vehicle.

[0056] To facilitate a closely coupled following distance, it may be desirable to select a vehicle with the best braking capability as the follower vehicle. The braking capability may account for the vehicle's current mass, current road surface, etc. When a vehicle follower function is selected at the beginning of a convoy automated driving route (e.g., via a remote interface, through a connected interface, within a vehicle interface, etc.), the convoy vehicle sequencing module may use the specified current vehicle performance test combined with previously stored measured performance results from a priori operating cycles of the vehicle, and knowledge of the convoy's travel route to the target destination, to assign a preferred lead vehicle.

[0057] In some example embodiments, historical vehicle performance data may be stored locally via a cloud-based storage system or the like, and each vehicle may provide connectivity to transfer measured vehicle operating parameters to the storage device. The fleet vehicle sequencing module may provide an indication of the assigned lead vehicle to a user via a local user interface display, to another user interface of a mobile computing device through a cloud network, or the like. Once a lead vehicle is selected, the braking performance of each vehicle may be continuously monitored, and if the braking performance changes (e.g., due to cargo being unloaded during a route, etc.), those changes may cause a re-sequencing of the preferred lead vehicle. This may generate an alert to the driver (or an automated fleet of vehicles) that the order of the vehicles in the fleet needs to be re-sequenced.

[0058] Reference now Figure 1 , the vehicle 10 includes front wheels 12 and rear wheels 13. Figure 1 , the drive unit 14 selectively outputs torque to the front wheels 12 and / or the rear wheels 13 via drive lines 16, 18, respectively. The vehicle 10 may include different types of drive units. For example, the vehicle may be an electric vehicle, such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle, a vehicle including an internal combustion engine (ICE), or other types of vehicles.

[0059] Some examples of drive unit 14 may include any suitable electric motor, a power inverter, and a motor controller configured to control a power switch within the power inverter to adjust motor speed and torque during propulsion and / or regeneration. During propulsion or regeneration, the battery system provides power to or receives power from the electric motor of drive unit 14 via the power inverter.

[0060] Although in Figure 1 The vehicle 10 includes one drive unit 14, but the vehicle 10 may have other configurations. For example, two separate drive units may drive the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13, one or more individual drive units may drive individual wheels, etc. As can be appreciated, other vehicle configurations and / or drive units may be used.

[0061] The vehicle control module 20 may be configured to control the operation of one or more vehicle components, such as the drive unit 14 (e.g., by commanding torque settings of the electric motor of the drive unit 14). The vehicle control module 20 may receive inputs for controlling components of the vehicle, such as signals received from a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, vehicle cameras, a braking system, etc. The vehicle control module 20 may monitor the vehicle's telematics, such as vehicle speed, vehicle position, vehicle braking and acceleration, etc., for safety purposes.

[0062] The vehicle control module 20 may receive signals from any suitable components for monitoring one or more aspects of the vehicle, including one or more vehicle sensors 28 (such as cameras, microphones, pressure sensors, wheel position sensors, brake sensors, position sensors such as a global positioning system (GPS) antenna, etc.). Some sensors may be configured to monitor the current motion of the vehicle, the acceleration of the vehicle, the braking of the vehicle, steering torque, etc.

[0063] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG, the vehicle 10 includes a front vehicle sensor 26 that is configured to detect objects in front of the vehicle 10. For example, the front vehicle sensor 26 may include one or more cameras, lasers, lidar systems, etc. configured to detect or identify objects in front of the vehicle, such as other target vehicles (e.g., the nearest vehicle in the path).

[0064] In some example embodiments, the front vehicle sensor 26 may be used for automated driving control (e.g., automated steering, braking, acceleration, etc.) to follow a lead vehicle in an automated vehicle driving convoy. In various implementations, the vehicle 10 may include an optional rear vehicle camera, an optional side vehicle camera, etc.

[0065] The vehicle control module 20 can be configured to control the movement of vehicle 10 based on the tracking movement of a leading vehicle in the driving convoy (or another vehicle in the convoy immediately in front of vehicle 10), such as by increasing or decreasing automated acceleration of vehicle 10 to keep up with the leading vehicle, automatically applying brakes of vehicle 10 when the leading vehicle slows down, steering vehicle 10 to follow the driving path of the leading vehicle, etc.

[0066] The vehicle control module 20 can communicate with another device (such as another vehicle in an automated vehicle driving fleet) via a wireless communication interface, which wireless communication interface may include one or more wireless antennas for transmitting and / or receiving wireless communication signals. For example, the wireless communication interface can communicate via any suitable wireless communication protocol, including but not limited to vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, Wi-Fi communication, wireless area network (WAN) communication, cellular communication, personal area network (PAN) communication, short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth), etc. The wireless communication interface can communicate with a remote computing device via one or more wireless and / or wired networks. With respect to vehicle-to-vehicle (V2X) communication, the vehicle 10 may include one or more V2X transceivers (e.g., V2X signal transmission and / or reception antennas).

[0067] The vehicle 10 also includes a user interface. The user interface may include any suitable display (such as on a dashboard, console, or elsewhere), a touch screen or other input device, speakers for generating audio, and the like.

[0068] Figure 2 1 is a block diagram of a plurality of vehicles driving in an automated vehicle fleet 100. A lead vehicle 102 includes a vehicle control module 122 and a front vehicle sensor 128, and a follower vehicle 104 includes a vehicle control module 120 and a front vehicle sensor 126.

[0069] Follower vehicle 104 is configured to track the lead vehicle via a detection range 130 using front vehicle sensors 126 in order to follow the movement of lead vehicle 102 using automated driving (eg, automated control of steering, acceleration, and braking of follower vehicle 104 ).

[0070] In some implementations, each vehicle may be a mobile video surveillance system (MVSS) certified motor vehicle including a drive-by-wire subsystem, a steer-by-wire subsystem, and a brake-by-wire subsystem. The follower vehicle 104 is configured to follow the lead vehicle 102 in a convoy driving route, wherein the follower vehicle 104 may closely follow the lead vehicle 102 (e.g., one meter behind the lead vehicle 102, three meters behind the lead vehicle 102, etc.) to avoid other vehicles on the road from cutting in between the lead vehicle 102 and the follower vehicle 104.

[0071] A platoon may be fully autonomous, where both the follower vehicles 104 and the lead vehicle use fully automated driving (e.g., with the lead vehicle 102 following a specified navigation route to a target destination). A platoon may be semi-autonomous, where a human manually drives the lead vehicle 102, but the follower vehicles 104 are configured to follow the lead vehicle 102 using automated driving.

[0072] In some implementations, the lead vehicle 102 and the follower vehicle 104 may communicate with each other via vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications 118. This may allow the lead vehicle 102 to communicate braking events, acceleration events, steering events, etc., to the follower vehicle 104 in real time, so the follower vehicle 104 does not have to rely solely on tracking detection via the front vehicle sensors 126. Figure 2 Only two vehicles are illustrated, but other embodiments may include more vehicles arranged in a row for platoon sequencing, where each vehicle (except the lead vehicle) follows the vehicle immediately preceding it in the sequence.

[0073] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example vehicle sequencing module for determining a fleet sequence 200 of a plurality of automated vehicles. Figure 3 As shown in , the lead vehicle 102 includes a vehicle sensor 134 , and the follower vehicle 104 includes a vehicle sensor 132 .

[0074] The vehicle control module 122 is configured to obtain operating parameters (such as measured braking performance, etc.) of the lead vehicle 102 via the vehicle sensor 134, and provide the operating parameters to the convoy vehicle sequencing module 140 via the cloud network 220. The vehicle control module 120 is configured to obtain operating parameters of the follower vehicle 104 via the vehicle sensor 134, and provide the operating parameters to the convoy vehicle sequencing module 140 via the cloud network 220.

[0075] The platoon vehicle sequencing module 140 is configured to determine a platoon sequence of vehicles based on the obtained vehicle operating parameters. For example, the platoon vehicle sequencing module 140 may be configured to assign a vehicle with the worst braking performance as a lead vehicle to reduce the possibility of a follower vehicle hitting the lead vehicle. Figure 4 and Figure 5 Additional details of an example process for determining a formation sequence are further described.

[0076] Figure 4 is a flow chart depicting an example process for sequencing vehicles in an automated vehicle driving fleet. Figure 4 The process illustrated in the figure may be performed by, for example, one or more Figure 1 and Figure 2 The vehicle control modules 20, 120 and 122 and Figure 3 The fleet vehicle sequencing module 140 is executed.

[0077] At 404, the process begins by performing a dynamic vehicle performance evaluation on each vehicle in the fleet. For example, Figure 1 The vehicle sensors 28 may obtain the braking performance of the vehicle 10 , the tire grip level of the vehicle 10 , the charge state of the battery of the vehicle 10 , the load of the vehicle 10 , the acceleration performance of the vehicle 10 , the fuel mileage of the vehicle 10 , the aerodynamic profile of the vehicle 10 , and the like.

[0078] In some implementations, the vehicle control module 20 may obtain operating parameters of the vehicle 10 , which may include some or all of the above measured vehicle performance values ​​(or others), via the vehicle sensors 28 . Some operating parameters may be stored for the vehicle and accessed by the vehicle control module 20 .

[0079] At 408 , the controller is configured to initiate a vehicle following mode. The vehicle following mode may include automated vehicle convoys, where one vehicle is selected as a lead vehicle and the other vehicles are assigned as follower vehicles in a convoy sequence to follow the lead vehicle via automated driving.

[0080] At 412, the controller is configured to determine an initial sequence of the vehicle fleet. Figure 5 The example of further describes additional details of determining the initial convoy sequence. In some implementations, determining the initial sequence may include assigning a vehicle with the worst braking performance as a leading vehicle in the convoy sequence.

[0081] The vehicle control module is configured to optionally perform a braking maneuver assessment before the platooning route driving begins. For example, each vehicle may perform a controlled acceleration and braking test on the same road surface to measure the stopping distance of the vehicle. This test may confirm whether any previous braking assessment has changed due to, for example, a decrease in braking performance since the last measurement, an increased load on the vehicle, different braking performance on a different road surface, etc.

[0082] At 420, the vehicle control module is configured to determine whether the initial evaluation tests for each vehicle support the initial sequence determined at 412. For example, control determines whether any currently measured performance characteristics of the vehicle are sufficiently different from the originally obtained parameters to indicate that the initial fleet sequence should be changed.

[0083] If it is determined at 420 that the follower vehicle has worse braking performance than the lead vehicle, control proceeds to 428 to reorder the vehicles based on the evaluation (e.g., moving the follower vehicle with the worst measured braking performance in the brake maneuver test at 416 to become the lead vehicle). Then, at 432, control starts automated vehicle platooning with the updated sequence.

[0084] If control determines at 420 that the original platoon sequence is correct (e.g., the brake maneuver test performed at 416 is consistent with the original platoon sequence), control proceeds to 424 to initiate vehicle platooning with the current sequence. Initiating automated vehicle platooning may include initiating travel of a lead vehicle along a designated platoon route toward a target destination, with one or more platoon vehicles following the lead vehicle via automated driving.

[0085] At 436 , control is configured to continue to perform dynamic evaluations of each vehicle during the platooning journey. For example, the vehicle control module may continue to collect operating parameters, such as braking performance and acceleration performance, as each vehicle drives along the platooning route.

[0086] Periodically (e.g., every minute, every ten minutes, every hour, etc.) control may perform a dynamic evaluation at 440 to determine if resequencing is needed. For example, control may compare the difference between the dynamically monitored braking performance of the lead vehicle and the follower vehicles to determine if the platoon sequence should be changed.

[0087] In various implementations, control may compare the difference to a specified threshold (e.g., a reordering threshold that indicates that the performance difference between the lead vehicle and the follower vehicle is significant enough that the vehicles should be reordered. For example, if the dynamically determined difference indicates that the follower vehicle currently has worse braking performance than the lead vehicle, five percent worse braking performance than the lead vehicle, ten percent worse braking performance, etc., control may proceed to 444 to reorder the vehicle. Control then returns to 436 to continue performing dynamic performance evaluations during automated platooning driving. If the evaluation difference is below the specified reordering threshold, but the follower vehicle still has worse evaluation performance than the lead vehicle, control may proceed to 448 to dynamically adjust the following distance between the lead vehicle and the follower vehicle to account for the follower vehicle's worse stopping distance performance, and / or transmit a signal to the lead vehicle to reduce speed.

[0088] Figure 5 is a depiction of the Figure 4 process (such as in Figure 5 412 of step 412). At 504, the process begins by arranging the vehicles in the formation sequence from the longest stopping distance (e.g., the leading vehicle) to the shortest stopping distance (e.g., the following vehicle). In some implementations, vehicle braking performance may be considered a first tier criterion for safety reasons.

[0089] At 508 , the fleet vehicle sequencing module 140 is configured to determine whether the fleet sequencing is to be modified based on the acceleration and / or deceleration. For example, the sequence of vehicles may be determined using various factors including the acceleration and / or deceleration performance of each vehicle.

[0090] If acceleration and / or deceleration can be used for vehicle sequencing, control proceeds to 512 to selectively adjust sequence prioritization based on vehicle acceleration and / or deceleration performance by assigning a preference for the slowest accelerating and / or decelerating vehicle as the lead vehicle and assigning a preference for the faster accelerating and / or decelerating vehicle as the follower vehicle (e.g., so that the lead vehicle will not drive too far in front of the follower vehicle). In some implementations, vehicle acceleration and / or deceleration can only be used as a tiebreaker after vehicle braking sequencing, where vehicle acceleration and / or deceleration is only used to sequence vehicles with equal braking performance.

[0091] In other implementations, weights may be assigned to each ranking parameter rating. For example, a vehicle with five percent better braking performance relative to another vehicle may be assigned as the leading vehicle anyway if it has fifty percent worse acceleration and / or deceleration performance.

[0092] At 516, control determines whether the platoon sequence can be determined based at least in part on the driving range. If so, control proceeds to 520 to selectively adjust the platoon sequence prioritization based on longest to shortest driving range. For example, a vehicle with a longer estimated driving range (e.g., due to a larger battery charge, a larger fuel tank, a more aerodynamic profile, etc.) can be assigned as a lead vehicle in order to bear the greatest aerodynamic load and keep the driving range of the follower vehicle shorter.

[0093] At 524, control determines whether the convoy sequence can be determined at least in part based on convenience. If so, control proceeds to 528 to selectively adjust the sequence prioritization based on, for example, the order in which vehicles leave the convoy. For example, a vehicle that will not drive as far along the route as other vehicles may be assigned to a follower role to make it easier to drop a follower vehicle from the convoy at a future point in time. Then, at 532, control sets the initial convoy sequence based on the selected ranking factor.

[0094] Figure 6 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example vehicle assessment module for obtaining vehicle parameters to determine automated vehicle platooning sequencing. The vehicle platooning sequence module 602 is configured to receive vehicle parameters such as wheel speed, steering wheel angle, longitudinal speed, lateral speed, vehicle traction value, braking torque value, tire wear assessment value, brake pad sensor wear value, suspension height sensor value, etc. of the vehicle.

[0095] The vehicle fleet sequencing module 602 includes an axle load assessment 606 that estimates the static weight of the vehicle via a static weight estimate 612 and combines the static weight estimate with a vehicle longitudinal dynamics model 614 .

[0096] Tire grip evaluation 608 is configured to determine remaining tire tread depth 616 and obtain the surface type 618 of the road (such as whether the road is currently dry, wet, snow-covered, ice-covered, etc.) At 620, these values ​​are combined with the obtained tire type and tire capacity.

[0097] Braking performance evaluation 610 is configured to estimate the normal load of the vehicle via normal load estimation 622 and obtain monitored brake pad wear 624 (e.g., via one or more brake pad sensors). These values ​​can be combined with braking performance values ​​626 such as measured stopping distance of the vehicle from a specified speed.

[0098] An environmental classifier 628 may be applied to each assessment (such as whether the driving condition is currently raining, icy, dry, snowing, etc.), and a vehicle score generator 630 is configured to combine the classified assessment values ​​to generate an overall performance score for the vehicle. The overall performance score may be used to place the vehicle in a sequence, with higher scoring vehicles near the follower end of the sequence and lower performance scoring vehicles near the lead of the convoy sequence.

[0099] Each assessment can work together by providing a key value and distribution such as mass or brake pad performance. The output of each assessment can include a distribution, which can be fused together using any suitable algorithm, such as Bayesian fusion, to create a final unified distribution that can be considered as a score given to each vehicle in the fleet. A voting algorithm such as a decision tree can be applied to the vehicle scoring to rank the vehicles in the fleet based on the worst performing vehicle to the best performing vehicle (e.g., where the vehicle with the worst performance is assigned as the lead vehicle). An example algorithm for determining a vehicle score based on vehicle braking performance, road conditions, and vehicle weight is:

[0100] For icing brake events

[0101] For wet braking events

[0102] For gravel braking events.

[0103] where i represents each braking instance, m is the vehicle weight, and a xis the vehicle acceleration, and p is the percentage of braking applied. The vehicle score can be thought of as the acceleration normalized by the percentage of braking applied over the braking instance from t1 to t2, where the percentage of braking applied Δp and the change in vehicle deceleration Δa x is calculated together with the determined road conditions.

[0104] Vehicles are rated based on their average vscore_avg / m, where m is the current vehicle mass and vscore_avg is the value of the current road condition. The vehicle with the lowest vscore_avg / m is recommended as the lead vehicle, and the vehicle with the highest vscore_avg / m is recommended as the last vehicle in the queue. If the formation occurs on a dry road, the vscore_avg / m dry value will be considered. Similarly, if the formation occurs on an icy road, the vscore_avg / m icy value will be considered. Any suitable detection technology such as a vison-based road classifier may be used to determine the road condition.

[0105] In some implementations, at the start of platooning, a validation of the determined platoon sequence is performed (e.g., a validation braking maneuver is performed). For example, multiple braking stops can be used to estimate and validate the stopping distance performance of each vehicle in the leader-follower platoon on the same road surface to confirm whether the initial platoon sequence is correct. The example uses the applied braking percentage to the deceleration response to generate vehicle deceleration values ​​within two qualified deceleration events to evaluate and validate the order of the vehicles.

[0106] In various implementations, the example methods described herein may be used to adjust an adaptive cruise control following distance, such as by increasing the following distance when vehicles share connected data, when a following vehicle with cruise control has a determined worse braking performance than the lead vehicle, and the like.

[0107] The foregoing description is essentially merely illustrative and is by no means intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because after studying the drawings, the specification and the appended claims, other modifications will become clear. It should be understood that one or more steps in the method can be performed in different orders (or simultaneously) without changing the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the features of any other embodiment and / or implemented in combination with the features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and the replacement of one or more embodiments with each other is still within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0108] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms including: "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "near," "on top," "above," "below," and "disposed." Unless explicitly described as "direct," when describing a relationship between a first and a second element in the above disclosure, the relationship may be a direct relationship in the absence of other intervening elements between the first and second elements, but may also be an indirect relationship in the presence of one or more intervening elements (spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be interpreted to mean a logical (A or B or C), using a non-exclusive logical or, and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0109] In a diagram, the direction of the arrow, as indicated by the arrow, generally indicates the flow of information (such as data or instructions) of interest for the diagram. For example, when element A and element B exchange various information but the information transmitted from element A to element B is relevant to the diagram, the arrow may point from element A to element B. This unidirectional arrow does not mean that no other information is transmitted from element B to element A. In addition, for information sent from element A to element B, element B may send a request or receipt confirmation to element A for the information.

[0110] In this application, including the definitions below, the term "module" or the term "controller" may be replaced with the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to, be part of, or include: an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0111] The module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuit may include a wired or wireless interface connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. The functionality of any given module of the present disclosure may be distributed in multiple modules connected via the interface circuit. For example, multiple modules may allow load balancing. In another example, a server (also referred to as a remote or cloud) module may complete some functionality on behalf of a client module.

[0112] The term code as used above may include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term shared processor circuit includes a single processor circuit that executes some or all code from multiple modules. The term group processor circuit includes a processor circuit that, in combination with additional processor circuits, executes some or all code from one or more modules. References to multiple processor circuits include multiple processor circuits on discrete dies, multiple processor circuits on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination of the above. The term shared memory circuit includes a single memory circuit that stores some or all code from multiple modules. The term group memory circuit includes a memory circuit that is combined with additional memory to store some or all code from one or more modules.

[0113] The term memory circuit is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium as used herein does not include transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagated through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); therefore, the term computer-readable medium may be considered to be tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital magnetic tape or hard disk drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0114] The apparatus and methods described in this application may be implemented in part or in whole by a special-purpose computer, which is created by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions embodied in a computer program. The functional blocks, flow chart components and other elements described above serve as software specifications, which can be translated into computer programs by routine work of a skilled technician or programmer.

[0115] The computer program includes processor executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer program may also include or rely on stored data. The computer program may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of the special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0116] A computer program may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation); (ii) assembly code; (iii) object code generated by a compiler from source code; (iv) source code executed by an interpreter; (v) source code compiled and executed by a just-in-time compiler, etc. By way of example only, source code may be written using syntax from a language including: C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language Revision 5), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Visual Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and

Claims

1. A method for automated vehicle driving control in a fleet, the method comprising: obtaining first operating parameters of a first vehicle, the first vehicle comprising a first front vehicle sensor and a first vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the first vehicle, the first operating parameters comprising at least a first measured braking performance of the first vehicle; obtaining second operating parameters of a second vehicle, the second vehicle comprising a second front vehicle sensor and a second vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the second vehicle, the second operating parameters comprising at least a first measured braking performance of the second vehicle; determining a convoy sequence according to the first operating parameter and the second operating parameter by assigning any one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle having a smaller measured braking performance as a leading vehicle in the convoy sequence and assigning the other of the first vehicle and the second vehicle as a following vehicle in the convoy sequence; Initiate a convoy sequence driving route; and Automated driving of a follower vehicle is controlled based on the following of the lead vehicle, wherein the automated driving includes automated steering control, automated acceleration, and automated braking based on the following movement of the lead vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Prior to controlling automated driving of the follower vehicle according to the tracking of the lead vehicle, performing a first performance test of the first vehicle to obtain updated first operating parameters, the first performance test comprising measuring a current braking performance of the first vehicle; performing a second performance test of the second vehicle to obtain updated second operating parameters, the second performance test comprising measuring a current braking performance of the second vehicle; and The platoon sequence is modified in response to the updated first operating parameter and the updated second operating parameter indicating that the lead vehicle has a greater measured braking performance than the follower vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: periodically obtaining updated first operating parameters during control of automated driving of a follower vehicle, the updated first operating parameters comprising measuring current braking performance of the first vehicle; periodically obtaining updated second operating parameters, the updated second operating parameters comprising measuring current braking performance of the second vehicle; determining a difference in measured current braking performance between a leading vehicle and a following vehicle; and In response to the difference exceeding a specified sequence change threshold indicating that the lead vehicle has greater measured braking performance than the follower vehicle, at least one of the platoon sequence, the formation following distance, or the speed of the lead vehicle is modified.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first operating parameter includes at least one of a state of charge of a battery of the first vehicle, a load of the first vehicle, an acceleration performance of the first vehicle, a fuel mileage of the first vehicle, or an aerodynamic profile of the first vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling automated driving of a lead vehicle according to the convoy sequence driving route, wherein the automated driving includes automated steering control, automated acceleration, and automated braking based on a specified navigation route to a target destination.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Determining the convoy sequence includes determining the convoy sequence according to at least one of measured acceleration performance of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, driving mileage of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or a convoy exit order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: obtaining third operating parameters of a third vehicle, the third vehicle comprising a third front vehicle sensor and a third vehicle control module configured to control automated driving of the third vehicle, the third operating parameters comprising at least a first measured braking performance of the third vehicle; and A third vehicle in the convoy sequence is assigned at a position relative to the first vehicle and the second vehicle according to a third operating parameter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein: the second vehicle is a mobile video surveillance system (MVSS) vehicle including at least one of a drive-by-wire subsystem, a steer-by-wire subsystem, and a brake-by-wire subsystem; and The second vehicle control module is configured to: controlling at least one of the drive-by-wire subsystem, the steer-by-wire subsystem, and the brake-by-wire subsystem based on input received from a second front vehicle sensor; and When the first vehicle and the second vehicle share connected data, the follower vehicle has activated cruise control, and the follower vehicle has a determined inferior braking performance compared to the lead vehicle, increasing a following distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first operating parameter includes an axle load assessment and a tire grip assessment.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The axle load assessment includes a static weight estimate of the first vehicle and a longitudinal dynamic model of the first vehicle; The tire grip assessment includes remaining tire tread, road surface type, and tire type of the first vehicle; and The first measured braking property includes a normal load estimate of the first vehicle and a monitored brake pad wear value of the first vehicle.

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