Adaptive response to marshalling failure modes

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an adaptive response to a marshalling failure mode. A method of broadcasting a signal to group a plurality of autonomously operated vehicles, the method including broadcasting the signal to the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles, establishing a secure data connection with each of the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles based on the signal, determining an interruption of the secure data connection with one or more of the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles, and causing the one or more of the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles to initiate an action based on the interruption of the secure data connection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to managing a wireless connection between one or more vehicles and one or more infrastructure. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to one or more adaptive responses that one or more vehicles may initiate based on one or more failure modes associated with a wireless connection between one or more vehicles and one or more infrastructure. Background Art

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0003] In a vehicle marshalling environment, automated factory or yard marshalling techniques enable wireless control of vehicles entering the end of a production line in a manufacturing plant or a parking facility and guiding them to a parking facility by continuously monitoring and detecting the vehicle's sensing infrastructure controller. The loss of wireless communication or reliable wireless communication may potentially result in the loss of transmission of communication data packets between the vehicle and the sensing infrastructure controller. The present disclosure addresses these and other problems related to marshalling vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This section provides a general overview of the present disclosure and is not a full disclosure of its entire scope or all of its features.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a method for broadcasting a signal to group multiple autonomously operating vehicles, the method comprising: broadcasting the signal to the multiple autonomously operating vehicles, wherein the signal is associated with one or more commands for guiding the multiple autonomously operating vehicles to a waypoint; establishing a secure data connection with each of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles based on the signal; determining an interruption of the secure data connection with one or more of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles; and based on the interruption of the secure data connection, causing one or more of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles to initiate an action; wherein at least one of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles is a master vehicle, and wherein the master vehicle implements a collision avoidance algorithm configured to: at least estimate the position and orientation of each of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles based on one or more vehicle sensors associated with the master vehicle; and determine that the broadcast signal matches the information received by the master vehicle associated with the guidance of the autonomously operating vehicles to the waypoint; wherein the master vehicle transmits a potential collision to each of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles based on sensor data from the one or more vehicle sensors and further based on the received information not matching the broadcast signal; wherein the interruption of the secure data connection is determined based on one or more of the following: loss of one or more data packets between the one or more vehicles and a server; server sensing error; human takeover of the one or more vehicles and unscheduled deviation from a planned route based on a minimum displacement exceeded within a predetermined interval; malicious control of software associated with the one or more vehicles; or a pedestrian or another vehicle in the vicinity of the path area of the one or more vehicles at an unscheduled time; wherein causing one or more of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles to initiate the action further comprises: based on the one or more commands and the interruption of the secure data connection, causing one or more of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles that maintain the secure data connection to decelerate, thereby increasing a safety gap between each of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles for the one or more vehicles that have maintained the secure data connection, wherein the one or more vehicles that have maintained the secure data connection are behind the one or more vehicles having the interruption of the secure data connection; further comprising: based on the broadcast one or more commands and the restoration of the secure data connection, causing one or more of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles that maintain the secure data connection to accelerate, thereby reducing the safety gap between each of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles for the one or more vehicles that have maintained the secure data connection, wherein the one or more vehicles that have maintained the secure data connection are behind the one or more vehicles having the interruption of the secure data connection;Determining the interruption of the secure data connection further includes: determining that the interruption of the secure data connection exceeds the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets; wherein causing one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles to initiate an action further includes: based on the interruption of the secure data connection exceeding the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets, causing the one or more vehicles to maneuver away from the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles; or based on one or more instructions and the interruption of the secure data connection exceeding the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets, causing the one or more vehicles to output an external alert, wherein the external alert is a sound emitted, a flash pattern, or a combination thereof.;

[0006] The present disclosure provides a method for separately transmitting signals to marshal each of a plurality of autonomously operating vehicles, the method comprising: transmitting the signals to each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles, wherein the signals are associated with respective ones of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles and one or more commands for guiding each of the autonomously operating vehicles to a waypoint; establishing a secure data connection with each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles based on the signals; determining an interruption of the secure data connection with one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles; and transmitting one or more instructions based on the interruption of the secure data connection with one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles, wherein the one or more instructions cause one or more vehicles to initiate an action; wherein the interruption of the secure data connection is determined based on one or more of the following: loss of one or more data packets between the one or more vehicles and a server; a server sensed error; human takeover of the one or more vehicles and an unscheduled deviation from a planned route based on a minimum displacement exceeded within a predetermined interval; malicious control of software associated with the one or more vehicles; or a pedestrian or another vehicle in the vicinity of the path area of the one or more vehicles at an unscheduled time; further comprising: decelerating one or more vehicles that maintain the secure data connection and are behind one or more vehicles having an interruption of the secure data connection based on the one or more instructions and the interruption of the secure data connection, so as to increase a safety gap between each of the one or more vehicles having a maintained secure data connection among the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles; further comprising: accelerating one or more vehicles that maintain the secure data connection and are behind one or more vehicles having an interruption of the secure data connection based on the transmitted one or more instructions and the restoration of the secure data connection, so as to decrease a safety gap between each of the one or more vehicles having a maintained secure data connection among the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles; wherein determining an interruption of the secure data connection further comprises: determining that the interruption of the secure data connection exceeds the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets; further comprising: causing the one or more vehicles to maneuver away from the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles based on the one or more instructions and the interruption of the secure data connection exceeding the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets; or causing the one or more vehicles to output an external alert based on the one or more instructions and the interruption of the secure data connection exceeding the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets, wherein the external alert is a sound emitted, a flash pattern, or a combination thereof.

[0007] The present disclosure provides a system for marshalling a plurality of autonomously operating vehicles, the system comprising: a server configured to: broadcast a signal associated with one or more commands to the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles, wherein the one or more commands direct the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles to a waypoint, establish a secure data connection with each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles based on the signal, determine an interruption of the secure data connection, and based on the interruption of the secure data connection, cause one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles to initiate an action; and a plurality of autonomously operating vehicles configured to: receive the one or more commands, and initiate an action; wherein the interruption of the secure data connection is determined based on one or more of the following: loss of one or more data packets between the one or more vehicles and the server; a server sensed error; a human takeover of the one or more vehicles and an unscheduled deviation from a planned route based on a minimum displacement exceeded within a predetermined interval; malicious control of software associated with the one or more vehicles; or a pedestrian or another vehicle in the vicinity of the path area of the one or more vehicles at an unscheduled time; wherein the server configured to cause one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles to initiate an action is further configured to: based on the one or more commands and the interruption of the secure data connection, cause one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles that maintain the secure data connection and are behind the one or more vehicles having the interruption of the secure data connection to decelerate, so as to increase a safety gap between each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles having the maintained secure data connection; wherein the server configured to cause one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles to initiate an action is further configured to: based on the broadcast one or more commands and the restoration of the secure data connection, cause one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles that maintain the secure data connection and are behind the one or more vehicles having the interruption of the secure data connection to accelerate, so as to decrease a safety gap between each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles having the maintained secure data connection; wherein the server configured to determine the interruption of the secure data connection is further configured to: determine that the interruption of the secure data connection exceeds a time threshold or a threshold amount of lost data packets; wherein the server configured to cause one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles to initiate an action is further configured to: based on the interruption of the secure data connection exceeding the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets, cause the one or more vehicles to maneuver away from the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles;Alternatively, based on one or more instructions and the interruption of the secure data connection exceeding the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets, cause the one or more vehicles to output an external alert, where the external alert is a emitted sound, a flashing light pattern, or a combination thereof.

[0008] Based on the description provided herein, additional applicable fields will become apparent. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] For a better understanding of the present disclosure, various forms of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 A system for allocating a vehicle fleet according to various embodiments is shown;

[0011] Figure 2 An exemplary vehicle allocated by the system shown in Figure 1 is shown;

[0012] Figure 3 An exemplary system for marshaling one or more vehicles according to various embodiments is shown;

[0013] Figure 4 A current error within the exemplary system for marshaling one or more vehicles according to various embodiments is shown;

[0014] Figure 5 A solution to the current error shown in Figure 4 is shown;

[0015] Figure 6 Another current error within the exemplary system for marshaling one or more vehicles according to various embodiments is shown;

[0016] Figure 7 A solution to the current error shown in Figure 6 is shown;

[0017] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an exemplary method for adaptively responding to one or more marshaling fault modes; and

[0018] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing another exemplary method for adaptively responding to one or more marshaling fault modes.

[0019] The accompanying drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Detailed implementation manners

[0020] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts and features.

[0021] The present disclosure provides a means for an infrastructure to adapt in response to a communication loss with one or more formation vehicles so as to correctly guide the remaining connected formation vehicles to a waypoint. The present disclosure further provides a means for one or more formation vehicles to provide one or more alerts (such as emitting an external audible alert) to notify nearby pedestrians of the loss of connectivity and any deviation from the guiding route to the original waypoint.

[0022] Now referring to Figure 1 , a system 100 for dispatching autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles 102 (e.g., one or more vehicles 102a - 102e) located, for example, in a parking lot and / or a factory floor is shown. The system 100 includes an infrastructure server 104. The infrastructure server 104 further includes a sensor component 106 that communicates with a set of infrastructure sensors 108 (such as, for example, one or more cameras, lidars, radars, and / or ultrasonic devices). As the vehicles 102 move through, for example, a factory floor and / or a parking lot, the sensors 108 monitor the movement of the vehicles 102. The infrastructure server 104 also includes a wireless communication component 110 that provides communication between the infrastructure server 104 and the vehicles 102, as described in more detail herein.

[0023] Further referring to Figure 2 , in various forms, the vehicles 102 can be powered in various ways, such as by using an electric motor and / or an internal combustion engine. For example, the vehicles 102 can be any type of electric vehicle, such as a car, a truck, a robot, an airplane, and / or a ship. The vehicle 102 includes a controller 200, one or more actuators 202, a plurality of on-vehicle sensors 204, and a human-machine interface (HMI) 206. The vehicle 102 has a reference point 208, that is, a designated point within the space defined by the vehicle body, for example, the geometric center point where the corresponding longitudinal and lateral central axes of the vehicle 102 intersect. The reference point 208 identifies the position of the vehicle 102, for example, the point where the vehicle 102 is located when the vehicle 102 is navigating towards a waypoint.

[0024] The controller 200 operates the vehicle 102 in an autonomous or semi-autonomous mode. The autonomous mode is a mode in which each of the propulsion, braking, and steering of the vehicle 102 is controlled by the controller 200; in the semi-autonomous mode, the controller 200 controls one or two of the propulsion, braking, and / or steering of the vehicle 102. However, it should be understood that the controller 200 can control the propulsion, braking, and / or steering of any number of vehicles 102.

[0025] In some examples, the controller 200 is configured or programmed to control the operation of one or more of vehicle braking, propulsion (e.g., controlling the acceleration of the vehicle by controlling one or more of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a hybrid engine, etc.), steering, climate control, interior and / or exterior lights, etc., and to determine whether and when the controller 200 (rather than a human operator) controls such operations. Additionally, the controller 200 is programmed to determine whether and when a human operator controls such operations.

[0026] The controller 200 includes or is communicatively coupled to (e.g., via a vehicle communication bus) one or more processors, such as controllers included in the vehicle 102, etc., for monitoring and / or controlling various vehicle controllers, such as a powertrain controller, a brake controller, a steering controller, etc. The controller 200 is generally arranged to communicate on a vehicle communication network (which may include a bus in the vehicle 102, such as a controller area network (CAN), etc.) and / or other wired and / or wireless mechanisms.

[0027] The controller 200 transmits messages to and / or receives messages from various devices in the vehicle 102 via the vehicle network (e.g., one or more actuators 202, the HMI 206, etc.). Alternatively or additionally, in the case where the controller 200 includes multiple devices, the vehicle communication network is used to represent communication between the devices represented as the controller 200 in this disclosure. Further, as discussed below, various other controllers and / or sensors provide data to the controller 200 via the vehicle communication network.

[0028] Additionally, the controller 200 is configured to communicate with other traffic objects (e.g., vehicles, infrastructure, pedestrians, etc.) via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication network, such as through a wireless vehicle communication interface. The controller 200 is also configured to communicate via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication network, such as communicating with the wireless communication component 110 of the infrastructure server 104. The vehicle communication network represents one or more mechanisms through which the controller 200 of the vehicle 102 communicates with other traffic objects and can be one or more of wireless communication mechanisms, which include any desired combination of wireless (e.g., cellular, wireless, satellite, microwave, and radio frequency) communication mechanisms and any desired network topology (or multiple topologies when using multiple communication mechanisms). Examples of vehicle communication networks include cellular, IEEE 802.11, dedicated short-range communication (DSRC), and / or wide area network (WAN) (including the Internet), etc.

[0029] The vehicle actuator 202 is implemented via circuits, chips, or other electronic and / or mechanical components that can actuate various vehicle subsystems according to appropriate control signals. The actuator 202 can be used to control the braking, acceleration, and / or steering of the vehicle 102. The controller 200 can be programmed to actuate the vehicle actuator 202 (including propulsion, steering, and / or braking actuators) based on the planned acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle 102.

[0030] The sensors 204 include various devices that provide data to the controller 200. For example, the sensors 204 can include object detection sensors, such as lidar sensors disposed on or in the vehicle 102, which provide the relative position, size, and shape of one or more targets (e.g., additional vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, robots, drones, etc.) traveling beside, in front of, and / or behind the vehicle 102. As another example, one or more of the sensors can be radar sensors fixed to one or more bumpers of the vehicle 102, which can provide the position of the target relative to each vehicle 102.

[0031] The object detection sensors can include camera sensors that provide images from the area surrounding the vehicle 102, e.g., to provide a front view, side view, rear view, etc. For example, the controller 200 can be programmed to receive image data from the camera sensors and implement image processing techniques to detect roads, infrastructure elements, etc. The controller 200 can also be programmed to determine the current vehicle position based on the position coordinates (e.g., GPS coordinates) indicating the position of the vehicle 102 received from the vehicle 102 and from the GPS sensors.

[0032] The HMI 212 is configured to receive information from a user (such as a human operator) during operation of the vehicle 102. Additionally, the HMI 212 is configured to present information to a user (such as an occupant in one or more of the vehicles 102). In some variations, the controller 200 is programmed to receive destination data, such as location coordinates, from the HMI 212.

[0033] Accordingly, a combination of the infrastructure sensors 108 and vehicle sensors (e.g., on-vehicle sensors 204) can be used to autonomously guide the vehicle 102 towards a waypoint. Route selection can be accomplished using vehicle position, travel distance, queuing vehicle platoons, etc. Vehicles 102 that require additional power / fuel can be prepared before joining a queue. Other vehicles 102 going to a particular waypoint operate in the same manner, such that the movement of the entire vehicle fleet can be coordinated. The movement of the entire vehicle fleet is coordinated by a central vehicle fleet management system that guides all traffic and logistics from an assembly plant to a waypoint. For example, the entire vehicle fleet can be organized in a pre-sorted order.

[0034] In various examples, the centralized vehicle fleet management application has complete knowledge of the vehicles 102 under its control (e.g., current location, destination, special instructions, etc.), which increases the accountability and traceability of the allocation process. Vehicle fleet management is coordinated within and across sites to optimize the delivery timing of each vehicle 102 to a waypoint. A number of logistics applications can be used, which may involve a combination of infrastructure sensing systems integrated with traffic management algorithms to queue and resolve conflicts for vehicles in real time. Accordingly, the vehicle fleet management application queues the vehicles 102 based on unique characteristics (e.g., how far vehicle 102 needs to travel, traffic conditions along the route, when vehicle 102 needs to arrive there to queue in the correct order, etc.).

[0035] In one embodiment, the vehicle 102c can be a master vehicle, while each of the remaining vehicles in one or more of the vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102d can be a remote vehicle. It should be understood that any number of remote vehicles can exist. Infrastructure nodes (not shown) can utilize the infrastructure sensors 108 to sense and / or provide platooning Cartesian waypoint location information to each of the vehicles 102, including the master vehicle 102c and each of the remaining vehicles in one or more of the vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102d. For example, the master vehicle 102c receives location information associated with a waypoint. The master vehicle 102c also monitors the location information of each of the remaining vehicles in one or more of the vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102d. As another example, the master vehicle 102c includes a collision avoidance algorithm that utilizes sensors of the vehicle 102c (e.g., object detection sensors) to estimate the relative positions of the remaining vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102d.

[0036] The relative positions of the remaining vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102d allow the collision avoidance algorithm to determine the positions of the remaining vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102d relative to the original waypoints and any auxiliary waypoints received from the infrastructure server 104. For example, the host vehicle 102c can verify that the waypoint information received for the surrounding vehicles (e.g., vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102d) matches the waypoint information sent by the infrastructure server 104. As another example, the host vehicle 102c can verify that the waypoint information received for the surrounding vehicles (e.g., vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102d) matches any estimates and / or calculations associated with the waypoints made by the host vehicle 102a.

[0037] Additionally, the host vehicle 102c can dynamically estimate any collision threats based on information received from one or more sensors of the host vehicle 102c. For example, the host vehicle 102c can dynamically estimate any collision threats based on whether the waypoint information received for the surrounding vehicles (e.g., vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102d) matches any estimates and / or calculations associated with the waypoints made by the host vehicle 102c and / or whether the waypoint information received for the surrounding vehicles (e.g., vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102d) matches the waypoint information sent by the infrastructure server 104. As another example, the host vehicle 102c can alert any human operator (e.g., human operator 302) and / or the surrounding vehicles (e.g., vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102d) of a potential collision. For example, an alert can be provided via various means such as, but not limited to, an audible horn sound or any other audible notification or visual notification such as the flashing of any exterior lights of the vehicle 102. As another example, a potential collision can be indicated by a mismatch of the waypoint information received for the surrounding vehicles (e.g., vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102d) or the waypoint information sent by the infrastructure server 104. As an additional example, the collision avoidance algorithm is programmed to track the braking events of each of the surrounding vehicles (e.g., vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102d) associated with the host vehicle 102c for safe maneuvering of the vehicle 102.

[0038] Figure 3Illustrated is the marshalling of vehicles 102 when vehicle 102 is wirelessly connected to infrastructure server 104 in a guidance route 300. The sensor component 106 of infrastructure server 104 detects and / or tracks each of vehicles 102. The sensor component 106 of infrastructure server 104 also detects and / or tracks any pedestrians adjacent to each of vehicles 102. For example, the sensor component 106 of infrastructure server 104 detects and / or tracks each of vehicles 102 and / or any pedestrians adjacent to each of vehicles 102 (e.g., human operator 302). When each of vehicles 102 is wirelessly connected to infrastructure server 104, infrastructure server 104 guides each of vehicles 102 towards a waypoint. For example, as long as vehicle 102 remains connected to infrastructure server 104, infrastructure server 104 continues to guide each of vehicles 102 towards a waypoint. As another example, infrastructure server 104 guides each of vehicles 102 towards a waypoint at a target speed. It should be understood that the target speed can be any speed. In a case where vehicle 102 is fully autonomous, when vehicle 102 is being guided towards a waypoint, vehicle 102 can obey any commands received from infrastructure server 104 and move at a constant speed and a constant distance gap along the path assigned to vehicle 102.

[0039] Figure 4 Illustrated is the marshalling of vehicles 102 in a case where at least one of vehicles 102 exhibits a response associated with a wireless connection between vehicle 102 and infrastructure server 104 when vehicle 102 follows a guidance route 400. For example, data packets are sent from infrastructure server 104 to vehicle 102 via a plant control infrastructure message (PCIM). In a case where data packets sent to vehicle 102b are lost continuously for multiple times such that the PCIM exceeds a threshold, vehicle 102b starts to decelerate relative to the constant speed at which vehicle 102b is traveling. For example, any one of the vehicles (e.g., 102a, 102c, and / or 102d) may lose data packets continuously for multiple times such that the PCIM exceeds a threshold, in which case the affected vehicle starts to decelerate relative to the constant speed at which the surrounding vehicles are traveling.

[0040] As another example, in a case where data packets sent to vehicle 102b are lost continuously multiple times such that the PCIM exceeds a threshold, vehicle 102b (i.e., or any other affected vehicle) may decelerate to a stop. If one or more signals received by vehicle 102 from the infrastructure server (e.g., C-V2X PC5 broadcast) are broadcast, then vehicle 102c and 102d may simultaneously detect a situation where the loss of the PCIM exceeds the threshold and start to decelerate. For example, vehicle 102c and 102d decelerate and travel at a reduced speed until vehicle 102b reconnects to the infrastructure server 104. If one or more signals received by vehicle 102 from the infrastructure server 104 are sent to each of the vehicles in a cellular manner (e.g., unicast), then the infrastructure server 104 may detect, via the infrastructure sensor 108, a situation where the loss of the PCIM sent to vehicle 102b exceeds the threshold. For example, in a case where the infrastructure server 104 sends one or more signals to vehicle 102 in a cellular manner, the infrastructure server 104 may adjust the corresponding commands (e.g., one or more signals) sent to vehicle 102c and 102d so that vehicle 102c and 102d adapt or adjust one or more maneuvers to decelerate. For example, vehicle 102c and 102d decelerate and travel at a reduced speed until vehicle 102b reconnects to the infrastructure server 104. It should be understood that the vehicle (e.g., vehicle 102a) upstream of the affected vehicle (e.g., vehicle 102b) continues to move towards the waypoint.

[0041] Figure 5 Illustrates a case where vehicle 102b remains disconnected from the infrastructure server 104 in the guidance route 500 for a time exceeding a threshold. For example, in a case where vehicle 102b remains disconnected from the infrastructure server 104 for a time exceeding the threshold, vehicle 102b may maneuver away from the platoon of vehicles 102. As another example, vehicle 102b may maneuver away from the platoon of vehicles 102 to avoid obstructing the platoon traffic flow of vehicle 102. For example, one or more panel exciters associated with vehicle 102b emit an audio alert indicating the disconnection between vehicle 102b and the infrastructure server 104. It should be understood that each of vehicles 102a, 102c, and 102d also includes one or more panel exciters. In some examples, one or more panel exciters associated with vehicle 102b also emit an audio alert indicating the reconnection between vehicle 102b and the infrastructure server 104. It should be understood that one or more panel exciters associated with vehicle 102b may also emit an audio alert regarding any indication of the connectivity status of vehicle 102b at any time.

[0042] In one embodiment, a human operator can take over control of any of the autonomous vehicles 102. For example, a human operator can take over control of any of the autonomous vehicles 102 regardless of the connectivity status of the vehicle 102 and the infrastructure server 104. As another example, a human operator can take over control of any of the autonomous vehicles 102 whether the vehicle 102 is disconnected from or connected to the infrastructure server 104. The situation in which a human operator takes over any of the autonomous vehicles 102 is detected by one or more of a CAN signal associated with the opening or closing of the door of the vehicle 102 or a deviation from the position and / or speed assigned to the vehicle 102 by the infrastructure server 104 within a minimum interval (e.g., a deviation of more than 3 m within at least 5 seconds). However, it should be understood that the situation in which a human operator takes over any of the autonomous vehicles 102 can be detected in any way.

[0043] For example, a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 102b) that has deviated from the assigned path for a time period exceeding a threshold can be removed from the platoon of vehicles 102. As another example, a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 102b) that has deviated from the assigned path for a time period exceeding a threshold can be removed from the platoon of vehicles 102 and the PCIM can be adjusted for the remaining platoon vehicles (e.g., vehicles 102a, 102c, and 102d).

[0044] As an additional example, the platoon vehicle (e.g., vehicle 102b) whose control has been taken over by a human operator can start to stop its plant control vehicle message (PCVM). When, for example, the human operator leaves vehicle 102b, the stopped PCVM can resume. As another example, in the case where it is detected that a human has taken over control of a platoon vehicle (e.g., vehicle 102b), the infrastructure server 104 can start to adjust the platoon vehicle 102 topology and readjust the path and / or speed of the platoon vehicle 102. For example, in the case where it is detected that a human has taken over control of a platoon vehicle (e.g., vehicle 102b), the infrastructure server 104 can start to adjust the platoon vehicle 102 topology and readjust the path and / or speed of the platoon vehicle 102 by adapting the PCIM.

[0045] As another example, in the case where a human operator leaves vehicle 102b, infrastructure server 104 can reintroduce vehicle 102b into the platooning topology. In one embodiment, if any of the platooning vehicles 102 includes any type of sensor, the platooning vehicles 102 can detect obstacles that may appear along the path assigned to vehicle 102 by infrastructure server 104. For example, the sensors can utilize technologies such as but not limited to ultrasonic and / or electromagnetic. As another example, if any of the platooning vehicles 102 detects an obstacle that may appear along the path assigned to vehicle 102 by infrastructure server 104, vehicle 102 can stop, cease PCVM transmission, and / or emit an audio alert associated with the obstacle. As an additional example, any of the platooning vehicles 102 can detect an obstacle that may appear along the path assigned to vehicle 102 by infrastructure server 104 based on an unexpected positioning error.

[0046] Figure 6 Illustrated is a case where vehicle 102b reconnects to infrastructure 104 in guidance route 600. For example, in the case where vehicle 102b reconnects to infrastructure 104, vehicle 102b can be guided by infrastructure server 104 to travel at a speed that increases relative to a constant speed. For example, in the case where vehicle 102b reconnects to infrastructure 104, vehicle 102b can be guided by infrastructure server 104 to travel at a speed that increases relative to a constant speed such that lost time in the case where vehicle 102b has decelerated to a stop or may have deviated from a planned route can be made up. As an additional example, in the case where one or more signals (i.e., C-V2X PC5 signals) are broadcast, then vehicles 102c and 102d can start moving simultaneously in the case where vehicles 102c and 102d are stopped. For example, in the case where one or more signals are sent to each of the vehicles in a cellular manner (e.g., unicast), vehicles 102c and 102d can be individually guided by infrastructure server 104 to start moving in the case where vehicles 102c and 102d are stopped. As another example, vehicle 102b can be guided by infrastructure server 104 to travel at a speed that increases relative to a constant speed to catch up with the traveling speed of vehicle 102a. It should be understood that vehicles 102c and 102d also increase their speeds relative to a constant speed to catch up with the traveling speeds of vehicles 102a and 102b.

[0047] Figure 7Shows a current error associated with the lead vehicle 102a of a platoon of platooning vehicles 102 in a guidance route 700. For example, in a case where the lead vehicle 102a loses connection with the infrastructure server 104, one or more panel exciters associated with the vehicle 102a emit an audio alarm indicating the disconnection between the vehicle 102a and the infrastructure server 104. One or more panel exciters associated with the vehicle 102a also emit an audio alarm indicating the reconnection between the vehicle 102a and the infrastructure server 104. It should be understood that one or more panel exciters associated with the vehicle 102a may also emit an audio alarm for any indication of the connectivity status of the vehicle 102a at any time. For example, in response to the lead vehicle 102a losing connection with the infrastructure server 104, subsequent vehicles (e.g., vehicles 102b to 102d) are instructed to decelerate to increase the distance gap between the lead vehicle 102a and the next vehicle 102b. As another example, in response to the lead vehicle 102a re - establishing connection with the infrastructure server 104, subsequent vehicles (e.g., vehicles 102b to 102d) are instructed to accelerate to reduce the distance gap between the lead vehicle 102a and the next vehicle 102b.

[0048] Figure 8 Is a flowchart showing another exemplary method 800 of broadcasting a signal to platoon multiple autonomously operating vehicles (e.g., vehicle 102). At step 802, a signal is broadcast. It should be understood that the signal can be one or more instructions or any other data - related transmission. For example, the signal is broadcast to multiple autonomously operating vehicles. As another example, the signal is broadcast from an infrastructure server (e.g., infrastructure server 104). As an additional example, the signal is associated with one or more commands for guiding the multiple autonomously operating vehicles to a waypoint. For example, at least one of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles is a master vehicle. As another example, the master vehicle implements a collision avoidance algorithm that is configured to at least estimate the position and orientation of each of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles. For example, the master vehicle implements a collision avoidance algorithm that is also configured to determine whether the broadcast signal matches the received information associated with the guidance of the autonomously operating vehicle to the waypoint. As another example, it is determined by the master vehicle whether the broadcast signal matches the received information. Any comparison process can be used to perform the determination of whether the broadcast signal matches the received information, such as to determine whether the information in the broadcast signal is the same as the information associated with the guidance of the autonomously operating vehicle. It should be noted that any information can be used to determine the match (and perform the comparison), such as any information related to the guidance operation or progress of the autonomously operating vehicle.

[0049] As an additional example, the host vehicle implements a collision avoidance algorithm that at least estimates the position and orientation of each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles based on one or more vehicle sensors associated with the host vehicle. For example, the host vehicle transmits a potential collision to each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles. As another example, the host vehicle transmits a potential collision to each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles based on sensor data from the one or more vehicle sensors. As an additional example, the host vehicle further transmits a potential collision to each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles based on a mismatch between the received information and the broadcast signal. That is, in some examples, the potential collision is at least partially based on a comparison or match performed as described herein.

[0050] At step 804, a secure data connection is established. For example, a secure data connection is established with each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles. As another example, a secure data connection is established with each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles based on a signal. As an additional example, a secure data connection is established in response to a broadcast signal.

[0051] At step 806, an interruption of the secure data connection with one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles is determined (e.g., identified or detected). For example, the interruption of the secure data connection is determined based on one or more of the following: loss of one or more data packets between the one or more vehicles and the server; server sensing errors; human takeover of control of the one or more vehicles and unscheduled deviation from a planned route based on a minimum displacement exceeded within a predetermined interval; malicious control of software associated with the one or more vehicles; or a pedestrian or another vehicle near the path area of the one or more vehicles at an unscheduled time. As another example, it is determined whether the interruption of the secure data connection exceeds a time threshold or a threshold amount of lost data packets.

[0052] At step 808, one or more of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles initiate an action. For example, based on the interruption of the secure data connection, one or more of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles initiate an action. As another example, one or more of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles maintain the secure data connection to decelerate. For example, one or more vehicles maintain the secure data connection to decelerate, so that one or more vehicles that have maintained the secure data connection increase the safety gap between each of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles. As another example, one or more vehicles that have maintained the secure data connection are behind one or more vehicles with an interruption in the secure data connection. For example, one or more vehicles are maneuvered away from the multiple autonomously operating vehicles. As another example, based on the interruption of the secure data connection exceeding the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets, one or more vehicles are maneuvered away from the multiple autonomously operating vehicles. As a further example, one or more vehicles output an external alert. For example, based on one or more instructions and the interruption of the secure data connection exceeding the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets, one or more vehicles output an external alert. As another example, the external alert is a sound emitted, a flash pattern, or a combination thereof.

[0053] In one embodiment, one or more vehicles that maintain the secure data connection accelerate. For example, based on one or more broadcast commands and / or the restoration of the secure data connection, one or more vehicles that maintain the secure data connection accelerate. As another example, one or more vehicles that maintain the secure data connection accelerate, so that one or more vehicles that have maintained the secure data connection decrease the safety gap between each of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles. As an additional example, one or more vehicles that have maintained the secure data connection are behind one or more vehicles with an interruption in the secure data connection.

[0054] Figure 9 FIG. 900 is a flowchart illustrating another exemplary method of individually transmitting signals to group each of a plurality of autonomously operating vehicles (e.g., vehicle 102). At step 902, a signal is transmitted. It should be understood that the signal can be one or more instructions or any other data-related transmission. For example, the signal is transmitted to each of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles. As another example, the signal is associated with the respective vehicles of the multiple autonomously operating vehicles and / or one or more commands for guiding each of the autonomously operating vehicles to a waypoint.

[0055] At step 904, a secure data connection is established. For example, a secure data connection is established with each of a plurality of autonomously operating vehicles based on a signal. As another example, a secure data connection is established in response to a transmitted signal.

[0056] At step 906, an interruption of the secure data connection with one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles is determined. For example, the interruption of the secure data connection is determined based on one or more of the following: loss of one or more data packets between the one or more vehicles and the server; a server sensed error; a human takeover of the one or more vehicles and an unscheduled deviation from a planned route based on a minimum displacement exceeded within a predetermined interval; malicious control of software associated with the one or more vehicles; or a pedestrian or another vehicle near the path area of the one or more vehicles at an unscheduled time. As another example, it is determined whether the interruption of the secure data connection exceeds a time threshold or a threshold amount of lost data packets.

[0057] At step 908, one or more instructions are transmitted. For example, one or more instructions are transmitted based on the interruption of the secure data connection with the one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles. As another example, the one or more instructions cause one or more vehicles to initiate an action.

[0058] In one embodiment, one or more vehicles that maintain a secure data connection and are behind one or more vehicles with an interruption of the secure data connection are decelerated. For example, one or more vehicles that maintain a secure data connection and are behind one or more vehicles with an interruption of the secure data connection are decelerated based on one or more instructions and / or the interruption of the secure data connection. As another example, one or more vehicles that maintain the secure data connection and are behind the one or more vehicles with the interruption of the secure data connection are decelerated so that the one or more vehicles with the maintained secure data connection increase a safety gap between each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles.

[0059] In another embodiment, one or more vehicles that maintain a secure data connection and are behind one or more vehicles with an interruption of the secure data connection are accelerated. For example, one or more vehicles that maintain a secure data connection and are behind one or more vehicles with an interruption of the secure data connection are accelerated based on the transmitted one or more instructions and the restoration of the secure data connection. As another example, one or more vehicles that maintain the secure data connection and are behind the one or more vehicles with the interruption of the secure data connection are accelerated so that the one or more vehicles with the maintained secure data connection decrease a safety gap between each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles.

[0060] In yet another embodiment, one or more vehicles are moved away from a plurality of autonomously operating vehicle maneuvers. For example, based on one or more instructions and / or the interruption of the secure data connection exceeding the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets, the one or more vehicles are moved away from the plurality of autonomously operating vehicle maneuvers. As another example, the one or more vehicles output an external alert. For example, based on one or more instructions and / or the interruption of the secure data connection exceeding the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets, the one or more vehicles output an external alert. As an additional example, the external alert is a sound emitted, a flash light pattern, or a combination thereof.

[0061] Unless expressly indicated otherwise herein, all numerical values indicating mechanical / thermal properties, percentage compositions, dimensions, and / or tolerances or other characteristics should be understood to be modified by the word "about" or "approximately" when describing the scope of the present disclosure. This type of modification is desired for various reasons, including: industrial practice; material, manufacturing, and assembly tolerances; and test capabilities.

[0062] As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be construed to represent the logic (A or B or C) using non-exclusive logic "or", and should not be construed to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C".

[0063] In the present application, the terms "controller" and / or "module" may refer to, be part of, or include the following: application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuits; digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuits; combinational logic circuits; field programmable gate array (FPGA); processor circuits (shared, dedicated, or grouped) that execute code; memory circuits (shared, dedicated, or grouped) that store code executed by the processor circuits; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality (e.g., operational amplifier circuit integrators as part of a heat flux data module); or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system-on-chip.

[0064] The term memory is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. As used herein, the term computer-readable medium does not cover transitory electrical or electromagnetic signals propagated through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); thus, the term computer-readable medium can be considered 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 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).

[0065] The devices and methods described in this application can be implemented, in part or in whole, by a special-purpose computer created by configuring a general-purpose computer to execute one or more specific functions embodied in a computer program. Functional blocks, flowchart components, and other elements described above serve as software specifications that can be translated into a computer program by routine work of a technician or programmer.

[0066] The description of the present disclosure is merely exemplary in nature, and thus, variations that do not depart from the essence of the present disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Such variations should not be regarded as departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0067] According to the present invention, a method for individually transmitting signals to marshal each of a plurality of autonomously operating vehicles includes: transmitting the signals to each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles, wherein the signals are associated with respective ones of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles and one or more commands for guiding each of the autonomously operating vehicles to a waypoint; establishing a secure data connection with each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles based on the signals; determining an interruption of the secure data connection with one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles; and transmitting one or more instructions based on the interruption of the secure data connection with one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles, wherein the one or more instructions cause one or more vehicles to initiate an action.

[0068] According to an embodiment, the interruption of the secure data connection is determined based on one or more of the following: loss of one or more data packets between the one or more vehicles and a server; server sensing errors; human takeover of the one or more vehicles and unscheduled deviation from a planned route based on a minimum displacement exceeded within a predetermined interval; malicious control of software associated with the one or more vehicles; or a pedestrian or another vehicle near the path area of the one or more vehicles at an unscheduled time.

[0069] According to an embodiment, the features of the above invention further lie in: based on the one or more instructions and the interruption of the secure data connection, causing one or more vehicles that maintain the secure data connection and are behind the one or more vehicles with the interruption of the secure data connection to decelerate, so as to increase the safety gap between each of the one or more vehicles with the maintained secure data connection among the multiple autonomously operating vehicles.

[0070] According to an embodiment, the features of the above invention further lie in: based on the one or more transmitted instructions and the restoration of the secure data connection, causing one or more vehicles that maintain the secure data connection and are behind the one or more vehicles with the interruption of the secure data connection to accelerate, so as to reduce the safety gap between each of the one or more vehicles with the maintained secure data connection among the multiple autonomously operating vehicles.

[0071] According to an embodiment, determining the interruption of the secure data connection further includes: determining that the interruption of the secure data connection exceeds a time threshold or a threshold amount of lost data packets.

[0072] According to an embodiment, the features of the above invention further lie in: based on the one or more instructions and the fact that the interruption of the secure data connection exceeds the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets, causing the one or more vehicles to maneuver away from the multiple autonomously operating vehicles; or based on the one or more instructions and the fact that the interruption of the secure data connection exceeds the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets, causing the one or more vehicles to output an external alarm, where the external alarm is a emitted sound, a flashing light pattern, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method of broadcasting a signal to group a plurality of autonomously operated vehicles, the method comprising: broadcasting the signal to the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles, wherein the signal is associated with one or more commands to direct the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles to a waypoint; establishing a secure data connection with each of the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles based on the signal; determining an interruption of the secure data connection with one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles; as well as Based on the interruption of the secure data connection, the one or more vehicles of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles are caused to initiate an action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles is a host vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the host vehicle implements a collision avoidance algorithm configured to: estimating at least a position and an orientation of each of the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles based on one or more vehicle sensors associated with the host vehicle; and A determination is made that the broadcasted signal matches information received by the host vehicle associated with guidance of the autonomously operated vehicle to the waypoint.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the host vehicle communicates a potential collision to each of the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles based on sensor data from the one or more vehicle sensors and further based on a mismatch between the received information and the broadcasted signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interruption of the secure data connection is determined based on one or more of: loss of one or more data packets between the one or more vehicles and a server; a server sensing error; human takeover of the one or more vehicles and an unscheduled deviation from a planned route based on a minimum displacement exceeded within a predetermined interval; malicious control of software associated with the one or more vehicles; or a pedestrian or another vehicle in the vicinity of a path zone of the one or more vehicles at an unscheduled time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles to initiate the action further comprises: Based on the one or more commands and the interruption of the secure data connection, one or more vehicles among the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles that maintain the secure data connection are decelerated to increase a safety gap between the one or more vehicles that have maintained the secure data connection, wherein the one or more vehicles that have maintained the secure data connection are behind the one or more vehicles that have the interruption of the secure data connection.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Accelerating one or more vehicles maintaining the secure data connection based on the broadcasted one or more commands and restoration of the secure data connection, thereby reducing a safety gap between each of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles by the one or more vehicles maintaining the secure data connection, wherein the one or more vehicles maintaining the secure data connection are behind the one or more vehicles having the interruption of the secure data connection.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the interruption of the secure data connection further comprises: A determination is made as to whether the interruption of the secure data connection exceeds a threshold time or a threshold amount of lost data packets.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein causing the one or more of the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles to initiate an action further comprises: removing the one or more vehicles from the plurality of autonomously operated vehicle maneuvers based on the interruption of the secure data connection exceeding the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets; or Based on one or more instructions and the interruption of the secure data connection exceeding the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets, the one or more vehicles are caused to output an external alert, wherein the external alert is an audible sound, a flashing light pattern, or a combination thereof.

10. A system for marshaling a plurality of autonomously operated vehicles, the system comprising: A server, wherein the server is configured to: broadcasting a signal associated with one or more commands to the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles, wherein the one or more commands direct the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles to a waypoint, establishing a secure data connection with each of the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles based on the signal, determining a disruption of the secure data connection, and causing the one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles to initiate an action based on the interruption of the secure data connection; and A plurality of autonomously operated vehicles, the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles being configured to: receiving the one or more commands, and Initiate an action.

11. A system as described in claim 10, wherein the interruption of the secure data connection is determined based on one or more of the following: loss of one or more data packets between the one or more vehicles and the server; a server sensing error; human takeover of the one or more vehicles and an unscheduled deviation from a planned route based on a minimum displacement exceeded within a predetermined interval; malicious control of software associated with the one or more vehicles; or a pedestrian or another vehicle near a path zone of the one or more vehicles at an unscheduled time.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the server configured to cause the one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles to initiate an action is further configured to: Based on the one or more commands and the interruption of the safety data connection, one or more vehicles among the multiple autonomously operated vehicles maintain the safety data connection and slow down one or more vehicles behind the one or more vehicles having the interruption of the safety data connection, thereby increasing a safety gap between each of the multiple autonomously operated vehicles by the one or more vehicles having the maintained safety data connection.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the server configured to cause the one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles to initiate an action is further configured to: One or more vehicles among the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles maintaining the secure data connection and accelerating behind the one or more vehicles having the interruption of the secure data connection based on the broadcasted one or more commands and the restoration of the secure data connection, thereby reducing a safety gap between each of the plurality of autonomously operated vehicles by the one or more vehicles having the maintained secure data connection.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the server configured to determine the interruption of the secure data connection is further configured to: A determination is made as to whether the interruption of the secure data connection exceeds a threshold time or a threshold amount of lost data packets.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the server configured to cause the one or more of the plurality of autonomously operating vehicles to initiate an action is further configured to: removing said one or more vehicles from said plurality of autonomously operated vehicle maneuvers based on said interruption of said secure data connection exceeding said time threshold or said threshold amount of lost data packets; or Based on one or more instructions and the interruption of the secure data connection exceeding the time threshold or the threshold amount of lost data packets, the one or more vehicles are caused to output an external alert, wherein the external alert is an audible sound, a flashing light pattern, or a combination thereof.

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