Communication method and communication device for vehicles running in queue

Abstract

The invention relates to a communication method for vehicles running in a queue, and the method comprises the steps: enabling a first vehicle at the head of the queue to detect the motion state of a front vehicle in front of the queue when a plurality of vehicles which are parked in the queue enter a grouping state; when the first vehicle determines that the front vehicle is driven away based on the motion state of the front vehicle, each vehicle in the queue sequentially transmits a driving preparation signal to the rear vehicle according to the front-back position relation, and the rear vehicle executes preparation operation based on the received driving preparation signal and sequentially transmits a preparation completion signal of each vehicle to the front vehicle; and under the condition that the first vehicle receives the preparation completion signals of all other vehicles in the queue, the multiple vehicles start to run, and each vehicle transmits a vehicle state signal to the following vehicle in the team running process. According to the application, the starting response time of the motorcade vehicles is greatly shortened, and the disjoint driving of the motorcade caused by the fact that other vehicles not belonging to the motorcade run among the motorcade vehicles in a queue jumping manner is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicle communications, and in particular to a communication method for vehicles traveling in a platoon, a communication device for vehicles traveling in a platoon, a vehicle including the communication device according to the present application, and a computer program product for at least assisting in implementing the steps of the communication method described in the present application. Background Art

[0002] With the advancement of vehicle technology, connected vehicles with the same or similar itineraries can form platoons and travel together, reducing vehicle energy consumption and alleviating the driver's operational burden. Although most of these vehicles are currently equipped with automatic following functions, in congested areas, the following vehicle in the platoon requires a certain amount of time to react after detecting the leading vehicle pulling away before it can start and follow. This often leads to vehicles not belonging to the platoon cutting in, causing the entire platoon to become disconnected and unable to operate properly.

[0003] Therefore, how to prevent convoy vehicles from being cut in line by other vehicles in traffic congested sections has become a technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present application is to provide a communication method for vehicles traveling in a platoon, a communication device for vehicles traveling in a platoon, a vehicle including the communication device according to the present application, and a computer program product, so as to at least partially solve the problems in the prior art.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present application, a communication method for vehicles traveling in a platoon is provided, and the method may include:

[0006] - When a plurality of vehicles parked in a queue enter a platoon state, the first vehicle at the head of the queue detects the movement state of the preceding vehicle in front of the queue;

[0007] - when the first vehicle determines that the leading vehicle has left based on the motion state of the leading vehicle, each vehicle in the queue may sequentially transmit a travel preparation signal to the following vehicle according to the front-to-back positional relationship, and the following vehicle may perform a preparation operation based on the received travel preparation signal and sequentially transmit a preparation completion signal of each vehicle to the leading vehicle according to the front-to-back positional relationship; and

[0008] -When the first vehicle receives a preparation completion signal from all other vehicles in the queue, the multiple vehicles start to drive, and during the platoon driving process, each vehicle transmits the operating status signal of the corresponding vehicle to the following vehicle.

[0009] The core concept of this application is that a convoy is formed by multiple vehicles parked in a queue, and when the leading vehicle detects that the vehicle in front has left, an information exchange process is initiated between adjacent vehicles in the convoy, so that each vehicle can complete the preparation operation in advance based on the received driving preparation signal and start driving synchronously, thereby greatly shortening the starting reaction time of the convoy vehicles and avoiding other vehicles that do not belong to the convoy cutting in and driving between the vehicles in the convoy, causing the convoy to be disjointed.

[0010] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, when the first vehicle detects that the vehicle in front has started driving and the distance from the first vehicle exceeds a preset distance threshold, the first vehicle can determine that the vehicle in front has left and send a first driving preparation signal to a second vehicle following the first vehicle. The second vehicle performs a preparation operation based on the received first driving preparation signal and transmits the first preparation completion signal of the second vehicle to the first vehicle.

[0011] According to another optional embodiment of the present application, the second vehicle can transmit the second driving preparation signal to a third vehicle following the second vehicle, the third vehicle performs a preparation operation based on the received second driving preparation signal and transmits the second preparation completion signal of the third vehicle to the second vehicle, and the second vehicle transmits the received second preparation completion signal to the first vehicle.

[0012] According to another optional embodiment of the present application, after the first vehicle receives the first preparation completion signal from the second vehicle and the second preparation completion signal from the third vehicle, the first vehicle, the second vehicle and the third vehicle may start to drive.

[0013] According to another optional embodiment of the present application, the preparation operation may include releasing the automatic parking function and / or releasing the automatic start-stop function, etc.

[0014] According to another optional embodiment of the present application, during platoon driving, each vehicle may transmit a vehicle speed signal and / or a starting instruction signal of the corresponding vehicle to the following vehicle.

[0015] According to another optional embodiment of the present application, the communication method may further include:

[0016] -If the first vehicle does not receive a preparation completion signal from all other vehicles in the queue within a preset time period, the first vehicle can start driving, and the other vehicles in the queue can follow the vehicle based on the detected movement status of the preceding vehicle.

[0017] According to another optional embodiment of the present application, adjacent vehicles in a queue exchange information through short-range communication technology and / or vehicle-to-cloud communication links, wherein the short-range communication technology includes, for example, Bluetooth technology, and / or WiFi technology, and / or ZigBee technology, and / or UWB (ultra-wideband) technology, etc.

[0018] According to a second aspect of the present application, a communication device for vehicles traveling in a platoon is provided, and the communication device may include the following components:

[0019] - an information transceiver unit configured for information exchange between adjacent vehicles in a platoon; and

[0020] A control unit configured to execute the communication method according to the present application.

[0021] According to a third aspect of the present application, a vehicle is provided, comprising the communication device according to the present application.

[0022] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, a computer program product, such as a computer-readable program carrier, is provided, which contains or stores computer program instructions, and when the computer program instructions are executed by a processor, at least assists in implementing the steps of the communication method described in the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The principles, features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by describing the present invention in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 A flowchart showing a communication method for vehicles traveling in a platoon according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a driving scene according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0026] Figure 3 A flowchart showing a communication method for vehicles traveling in a platoon according to another exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic block diagram showing a communication device for vehicles traveling in a platoon according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application; and

[0028] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial technical effects to be solved by this application more clearly understood, this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and multiple exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] Figure 1 The following is a flowchart showing a communication method for vehicles traveling in a platoon according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The following exemplary embodiments describe the method according to the present application in more detail.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the method may include steps S1 to S3. In step S1, when a plurality of vehicles parked in a queue enter a platoon state, the first vehicle 1 at the head of the queue may detect the motion state of the vehicle 4 in front of the queue. In traffic congestion sections, vehicles are usually arranged in queues and travel at a low speed, and they also need to start and brake frequently. Considering that more and more vehicles are equipped with automatic following functions, these vehicles can be grouped into platoons through cloud servers to reduce the vehicle's driving wind resistance, save driving time, and reduce the driver's operating burden. Figure 2 The schematic diagram of a driving scenario according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown. The first vehicle 1, the second vehicle 2, and the third vehicle 3 arranged in a queue can send a team request signal to a cloud server (not shown). In particular, when these vehicles have overlapping routes in a traffic congestion section, the cloud server can send a pairing instruction to these vehicles based on the received team request information, so that, for example, the first vehicle 1, the second vehicle 2, and the third vehicle 3 enter a team state. For simplicity, in Figure 2 The figure only shows the first vehicle 1, the second vehicle 2 and the third vehicle 3 constituting the convoy. In an actual driving scenario, the convoy may also be composed of a larger number of vehicles parked in a queue.

[0032] Here, the first vehicle 1 at the head of the queue can detect the motion state of the front vehicle 4 in front of the queue through an environmental detection device 20 such as a vehicle-mounted camera, a millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic radar and / or a lidar, for example, including the driving speed of the front vehicle 4 and the distance from the front vehicle 4 to the first vehicle 1, so as to determine whether the front vehicle 4 that does not belong to the fleet has left.

[0033] In step S2, when the first vehicle 1 determines that the front vehicle 4 has left based on the movement state of the front vehicle 4, each vehicle in the queue can transmit a travel preparation signal to the rear vehicle in turn according to the front and rear position relationship, and the rear vehicle performs a preparation operation based on the received travel preparation signal and transmits the preparation completion signal of each vehicle to the front vehicle in turn according to the front and rear position relationship.

[0034] For example, if the first vehicle 1 detects that the preceding vehicle 4 has started moving and the distance between the first vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle 4 exceeds a preset distance threshold, the first vehicle 1 may determine that the preceding vehicle 4 has moved away and transmit a first travel preparation signal to a second vehicle 2 immediately following the first vehicle 1. The second vehicle 2 may perform preparation operations based on the received first travel preparation signal, such as disabling an automatic parking function and / or an automatic start-stop function, and transmit a first preparation completion signal of the second vehicle 2 to the first vehicle 1.

[0035] In a convoy consisting of at least three vehicles, while second vehicle 2 is performing its preparation operation, it can transmit the second travel preparation signal to a third vehicle 3 immediately following it. Based on the received second travel preparation signal, the third vehicle 3 can perform its preparation operation—which may also include disabling the automatic parking function and / or the automatic start-stop function. After completing the preparation operation, the third vehicle 3 can transmit its second preparation completion signal to the second vehicle 2. Upon receiving the second preparation completion signal, the second vehicle 2 can then transmit the received second preparation completion signal to the first vehicle 1.

[0036] Here, adjacent vehicles in a queue in a teaming state can exchange information through short-range communication methods such as Bluetooth technology, and / or WiFi technology, and / or ZigBee technology, and / or UWB (ultra-wideband) technology, that is, information is sent and received between the first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle 2, and between the second vehicle 2 and the third vehicle 3 through the above-mentioned short-range communication methods.

[0037] Optionally, adjacent vehicles in a queue can also exchange information via a vehicle-to-cloud communication link. For example, vehicle 1 uploads the first travel preparation signal to the cloud server, which then sends the first travel preparation signal to vehicle 2. After completing the preparation process, vehicle 2 uploads the first preparation completion signal to the cloud server, which then sends the first preparation completion signal to vehicle 1. This allows information to be exchanged between vehicle 1 and vehicle 2 via the vehicle-to-cloud communication link. Similarly, vehicle 2 and vehicle 3 can also exchange information via the vehicle-to-cloud communication link.

[0038] In step S3, when the first vehicle 1 receives the preparation completion signal from all other vehicles in the queue, the multiple vehicles start to drive, and during the platoon driving process, each vehicle transmits the corresponding vehicle's operating status signal to the following vehicle. Figure 2 In the driving scenario, after the first vehicle 1 receives the first preparation completion signal from the second vehicle 2 and the second preparation completion signal from the third vehicle 3, the first vehicle 1, the second vehicle 2 and the third vehicle 3 start to drive. During platoon driving, the first vehicle 1 can transmit the speed signal of the first vehicle 1 and / or the start command signal of the first vehicle 1 to the second vehicle 2 that is following closely, so that the second vehicle 2 can start to drive synchronously with the first vehicle 1 according to the speed signal of the first vehicle 1 and / or the start command signal of the first vehicle 1. In contrast, in the traditional platoon driving method, the second vehicle 2 will only start to drive when it recognizes that the first vehicle 1 has left through the environmental detection device 20. The communication method according to the present application can greatly reduce the starting reaction time of the second vehicle 2, so that the following distance between the first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle 2 is kept short during the starting phase, avoiding other vehicles that do not belong to the platoon from cutting in between the first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle 2.

[0039] Similarly, the second vehicle 2 can transmit the speed signal of the second vehicle 2 and / or the starting command signal of the second vehicle 2 to the third vehicle 3 that is following closely, so that the third vehicle 3 can start driving synchronously with the second vehicle 2 according to the speed signal of the second vehicle 2 and / or the starting command signal of the second vehicle 2, and so on.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present application, a plurality of vehicles parked in a queue form a convoy, and when the leading vehicle detects that the vehicle in front is leaving, an information interaction process is initiated between adjacent vehicles in the convoy, so that each vehicle can complete the preparation operation in advance based on the received driving preparation signal and start driving synchronously, thereby greatly shortening the starting reaction time of the convoy vehicles and avoiding other vehicles that do not belong to the convoy cutting in line and driving between the vehicles in the convoy, causing the convoy to be disjointed.

[0041] Figure 3 The following is a flowchart showing a communication method for vehicles traveling in a platoon according to another exemplary embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 The differences between the embodiments shown in FIG and FIG are omitted, and the same steps are not described again for the sake of brevity.

[0042] The communication method may further include step S4. In step S4, if the first vehicle 1 does not receive a preparation completion signal from all other vehicles in the platoon within a preset time period, the first vehicle 1 may begin driving, and the other vehicles in the platoon may follow the vehicle based on the detected motion state of the preceding vehicle. To account for the fact that some vehicles in the platoon may be unable to complete the preparation operation due to special settings and / or may experience communication signal loss during the communication process, the leading first vehicle 1 may set a preset time period as a determination threshold for the entire information exchange process of the platoon. If the leading first vehicle 1 does not receive a preparation completion signal from all other vehicles in the platoon within the preset time period, it will no longer wait for preparation completion signals from other vehicles, but instead will utilize traditional platoon driving methods, namely: the first vehicle 1 begins driving, the second vehicle 2 starts driving and follows the first vehicle 1 upon detecting the departure of the first vehicle 1 through its environmental detection device 20, the third vehicle 3 starts driving and follows the second vehicle 2 upon detecting the departure of the second vehicle 2 through its environmental detection device 20, and so on.

[0043] This method can avoid the convoy from having to wait for a long time when some vehicles in the convoy cannot complete the information exchange as required, and can flexibly realize the switching of the following mode.

[0044] In addition, it should be noted that the step numbers described herein do not necessarily represent a chronological order, but are merely a reference mark. The order can be changed according to specific circumstances as long as the technical purpose of this application can be achieved.

[0045] Figure 4 FIG2 shows a schematic block diagram of a communication device 10 for vehicles traveling in a platoon according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0046] like Figure 4 As shown, the communication device 10 may include the following components:

[0047] - an information transceiver unit 11, which is configured for information exchange between adjacent vehicles in the queue;

[0048] and

[0049] A control unit 12 configured to execute the communication method according to the present application.

[0050] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 5 As shown, the first vehicle 1, the second vehicle 2 and / or the third vehicle may include the communication device 10, and optionally also include an environmental detection device 20 such as a vehicle-mounted camera, a millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic radar and / or a lidar.

[0051] It should be understood that, in this document, the expressions "first", "second", "third", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, nor should they be understood as implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features.

[0052] If an embodiment includes an "and / or" relationship between a first feature and a second feature, it should be interpreted as follows: according to one embodiment, the embodiment has both the first feature and the second feature, and according to another embodiment, the embodiment has either only the first feature or only the second feature.

[0053] Although specific embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, even when only a single embodiment is described with respect to specific features. The feature examples provided in the present disclosure are intended to be illustrative and not limiting, unless otherwise stated. In specific implementations, multiple features may be combined with each other, depending on actual needs, where technically feasible. Various substitutions, changes, and modifications may be contemplated without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method for vehicles traveling in a platoon, the method comprising: When a plurality of vehicles parked in a queue enter a platoon state, a first vehicle (1) at the head of the queue detects a motion state of a preceding vehicle (4) in front of the queue; When the first vehicle (1) determines that the front vehicle (4) has left based on the motion state of the front vehicle (4), each vehicle (1, 2, 3) in the queue sequentially transmits a travel preparation signal to the following vehicle according to the front-to-back position relationship, and the following vehicle performs a preparation operation based on the received travel preparation signal and sequentially transmits a preparation completion signal of each vehicle to the front vehicle according to the front-to-back position relationship; as well as When the first vehicle (1) receives a readiness completion signal from all other vehicles (2, 3) in the queue, the multiple vehicles (1, 2, 3) start to drive, and during the platoon driving process, each vehicle (1, 2, 3) transmits the operating status signal of the corresponding vehicle to the following vehicle.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein: When the first vehicle (1) detects that the vehicle (4) ahead has started to move and the distance from the first vehicle (1) exceeds a preset distance threshold, the first vehicle (1) determines that the vehicle (4) ahead has left and sends a first travel preparation signal to a second vehicle (2) following the first vehicle (1), and the second vehicle (2) performs a preparation operation based on the received first travel preparation signal and transmits a first preparation completion signal of the second vehicle (2) to the first vehicle (1).

3. The communication method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The second vehicle (2) transmits the second travel preparation signal to a third vehicle (3) immediately following the second vehicle (2), the third vehicle (3) performs a preparation operation based on the received second travel preparation signal and transmits a second preparation completion signal of the third vehicle (3) to the second vehicle (2), and the second vehicle (2) transmits the received second preparation completion signal to the first vehicle (1); After the first vehicle (1) receives a first preparation completion signal from the second vehicle (2) and a second preparation completion signal from the third vehicle (3), the first vehicle (1), the second vehicle (2) and the third vehicle (3) start to drive.

4. The communication method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The preparation operation includes releasing the automatic parking function and / or releasing the automatic start-stop function.

5. The communication method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: During platoon driving, each vehicle (1, 2, 3) transmits a vehicle speed signal and / or a starting instruction signal of the corresponding vehicle to the following vehicle (2, 3).

6. The communication method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The communication method further includes: When the first vehicle (1) does not receive a readiness completion signal from all other vehicles (2, 3) in the queue within a preset time period, the first vehicle (1) starts to drive, and the other vehicles (2, 3) in the queue follow the vehicle according to the detected motion state of the preceding vehicle.

7. The communication method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Adjacent vehicles in a queue exchange information via short-range communication technology and / or vehicle-to-cloud communication links, wherein the short-range communication technology includes Bluetooth technology, and / or WiFi technology, and / or ZigBee technology, and / or UWB technology.

8. A communication device (10) for vehicles traveling in a platoon, the communication device (10) comprising the following components: An information transceiver unit (11) configured for information exchange between adjacent vehicles in a queue; and A control unit (12) configured to perform a communication method according to any one of the preceding claims.

9. A vehicle (1, 2, 3) comprising a communication device (10) according to claim 8.

10. A computer program product, such as a computer-readable program carrier, comprising or storing computer program instructions, wherein when the computer program instructions are executed by a processor, they at least assist in implementing the steps of the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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