Applications using vehicle mass estimation

Abstract

To set an appropriate platoon position in platoon travel.SOLUTION: Sensor data of a vehicle is acquired via communication at a network operation center (NOC) and mass estimation of each vehicle is shared. Vehicles to operate in a platoon are organized. On the basis of a relative mass estimation between the vehicles in platoon travel, a head vehicle and a subsequent vehicle are selected, and / or operation of the vehicles in the platoon travel is partially controlled by scaling a command transmitted from the head vehicle to the subsequent vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is directed to a "System and Method for Platooning Vehicles" s for Vehicular Platooning and Methods T The international application PCT / PCT / This application claims priority from US2017 / 047771 (PEL1P005WO), The entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. [Technical field]

[0002] The present application relates generally to applications using vehicle mass estimation, and more specifically to Specifically, the vehicle's mass estimation is used to control the vehicle's motion and to coordinate with other vehicles and / or networks. Share mass estimates with the Network Operations Center (NOC) and travel in platoons. Between vehicles traveling in formation and / or platoons of vehicles or other configurations on a road and controlling, in part, the motion of one or more vehicles traveling in a platoon based on the relative mass estimates of the vehicles. Regarding. [Background technology]

[0003] Vehicle mass estimation is known. More details on vehicle mass estimation can be found in Non-Patent Document 1 and and Non-Patent Document 2, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] Algorithms for estimating vehicle mass are known, but the application or use of such information is unclear. In certain vehicles, the mass is used to control the car's automatic braking system (ABS). However, the applicant has not yet determined whether the vehicle or other vehicle controls are suitable for braking control. Be aware of other uses or applications of the mass estimation information you share with your vehicle or data center. not present. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 605,456 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 607902 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 542622 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 542627 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 377970 [Patent Document 6] U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 343,819 [Patent Document 7] International Application No. PCT / US2014 / 030770 [Patent Document 8] International Application No. PCT / US2016 / 049143 [Patent Document 9] International Application No. PCT / US2016 / 060167 [Patent Document 10] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 590,715 [Patent Document 11] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 590803 [Patent Document 12] U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 489662 [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] Bae et al., “Road Grade and Vehicle Parameter Estimation for Longitudinal Control Using GPS,” 2001 IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference Proceedings, Oakland, CA, August 25-29, 2001. [Non-Patent Document 2] Holm, “Vehicle Mass and Road Grade Estimation Using Kalman Filter”, MSc Thesis, Department of Electrical Engineering, Sweden, August 2011. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present application is directed to the use of vehicle mass estimation for many applications.

[0008] In some applications, the mass of the vehicle is determined using the mass of the vehicle as part of a multi-step method to determine the vehicle's own mass. Controlling body actions and systems (e.g. throttle, brakes, steering, etc.) It is possible.

[0009] In yet another embodiment, the use of vehicle mass estimation has many applications in platooning. Such applications typically involve forming a train of cars and calculating the estimated relative mass of each car. Use to arrange vehicles to operate in a platoon and select leading and trailing vehicles and transmits the signal from the lead vehicle to the trailing vehicles based on the relative mass of the vehicles operating in the platoon. Scale the received commands and, if possible, use vehicle mass estimates to model the vehicle motion. One example is controlling the

[0010] In yet another embodiment, the mass estimate, or the sensor data used to calculate the mass estimate, A network operation center that can remotely adjust vehicle platooning For example, the data can be sent to a data processing center such as a network of exchanges (NOC). By adjusting the mass of two (or more) vehicles before joining, the vehicles At the contact point, the vehicle immediately assumes the appropriate platoon position (e.g., either the leading vehicle or the trailing vehicle). In yet another embodiment, the data used to calculate the vehicle mass estimate is A reset function is used in the processing pipeline. In one example, the first mass estimate is In parallel, a second mass estimate will be carried out over a short period of time. If they differ by more than a threshold, the calculation of the primary mass is considered to be compromised. The next mass calculation is reset and starts anew with the new sensor data. In this case, the reset function is based on (a) the vehicle stopping for more than a threshold time, and (b) (c) based on the vehicle's GPS location In various embodiments, the reset function can be triggered by (a) to (b). or any combination of (a), (b), and / or (c). The trigger may be based on a match.

[0011] The invention and its advantages will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: I can understand it well. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a controller architecture suitable for use in an automated or partially automated vehicle control system that supports platooning. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary platoon controller architecture suitable for use in the automated or partially automated vehicle control system of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a gap controller according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 4A-4C are a series of diagrams illustrating different control states used by a gap regulator according to one embodiment during different operating conditions. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a state space diagram illustrating a sliding mode control scheme. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates a particular ASIL-compliant controller hardware architecture suitable for use in an automated or partially automated vehicle control system that supports platooning. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 illustrates components of a gateway according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates a method for modeling vehicle mass estimation. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 illustrates how multiple mass estimation sample points are plotted and averaged over time to arrive at a mass estimate for the vehicle. [Figure 10] 1A-1C illustrate various possibilities for reporting vehicle mass estimation according to different non-exclusive embodiments of the present application. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating steps performed by a Network Operations Center (NOC) using mass estimation data received from multiple vehicles to coordinate and arrange the order of vehicles traveling in a platoon. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for a trailing vehicle to scale motion commands received from the lead vehicle of a platoon based on a relative mass estimate between the two vehicles. [Figure 13]FIG. 1 illustrates how a vehicle can use its mass estimation to control vehicle operations and systems. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 illustrates a reset function used in conjunction with the data processing pipeline used to determine a vehicle mass estimate. [Figure 15] 1 is a flow chart of steps for performing a primary mass estimation algorithm and a secondary mass estimation algorithm. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram for resetting a vehicle's mass estimate based on the vehicle's stopping, speed and / or position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The present invention will now be described with reference to some embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: The following description provides multiple embodiments of the present invention, possibly including one or more alternatives. In order to fully understand the embodiments of the present invention, including the description of a number of different aspects, a number of specific It is possible to practice the invention without implementing all of the features disclosed herein. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that such a method may be used.

[0014] Platooning Applicant believes that a second, and potentially additional, vehicle may be automatically or semi-automatically controlled. Various vehicle platooning systems allow vehicles to closely follow the lead vehicle in a safe manner by For example, Patent Documents 1 to 9 propose a method in which the following vehicle is at least partially Various vehicle platooning systems are automatically controlled to closely follow a designated lead vehicle. Each of these prior applications is incorporated herein by reference. Can be enjoyed.

[0015] One of the goals of platooning is generally to determine the desired longitudinal distance between the platooning vehicles. or maintaining a time gap, which is often referred to herein as a "desired gap." That is, the following vehicle (e.g., the following truck) is called the leading vehicle. It is advisable to maintain a specified gap between the vehicles involved in the platoon. Both normally start platooning, maintain the gap under a variety of different operating conditions, and It has an advanced control system suited to disbanding the Rathone with appropriate grace.

[0016] Architecture and design of a control system suitable for implementing vehicle platooning The design of a particular controller depends on the automation expected for the controller. the level of the host vehicle in the platoon, as well as the nature of the host vehicles and the availability of the host vehicles. For example, FIG. 1 shows a platooning tractor trailer truck. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a vehicle control architecture suitable for use with the The specific controller is a Platooning system in which both vehicles have active drivers. It is primarily designed to be used in conjunction with a steering system. The driver of the following vehicle assumes full responsibility for the control of the following vehicle. The platoon controller 110 is in charge of steering, while the platoon controller 110 is in charge of steering. It is responsible for controlling the torque and the braking demand during active platooning. While considering more automated control of one or both platoon partners, It should be understood that a similar control scheme may generally be used in the system.

[0017] In the illustrated embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the platoon controller 110 controls the tractor and and / or several sensors 130 on one or more trailers or other connected units, and some actuators and powertrains of tractors and other vehicle systems. The actuator controller 150 is arranged to control the operation of the actuator system. The platoon controller 110 and the actuator controller 150 receive the An actuator interface 160 may be provided to facilitate communication between the actuators. do.

[0018] The platoon controller 110 also controls the vehicles to coordinate communications with the platoon partners. An inter-communications controller 170 and a network operations center that coordinates communications with the NOC. The vehicle also interacts with a NOC communications controller 180. Preferably, the system also has a selected configuration file 190 that contains known information about the

[0019] Some of the functional components of the platoon controller 110 are the gap controller 112, various estimators 114, one or more partner vehicle trackers 116, and various In many applications, the platoon controller 110 may include a variety of other The platoon controller 110 and the gap An exemplary embodiment of the controller 112 is described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. It is explained.

[0020] Some of the sensors utilized by the platoon controller 110 are GNSS (GPS ) unit 131, wheel speed sensor 132, inertial measurement unit 134, radar unit 13 7, LIDAR unit 138, camera 139, accelerator pedal position sensor 141, steering wheel position sensor 142, brake pedal position sensor 143, and various acceleration Of course, all of these sensors can be used to Not all of these sensors are available in all vehicles, and not all of these sensors may be available in any particular implementation. In other embodiments, various other sensors 149 (existing or or later developed or commercially deployed) by the Platoon Controller. In the main embodiment described herein, GPS position data is used. However, GPS is not a part of the currently available global positioning satellite system. It is only one of the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). It is therefore not used as an alternative to the GPS system or in conjunction with the GPS. In addition to the S system, any other GNSS system or other suitable position sensing system It should be understood that data from these sources may also be used.

[0021] Wheel speed sensor 132, radar unit 137, accelerator pedal position sensor 141, A steering wheel position sensor 142, a brake pedal position sensor 143, and an accelerometer Many (if not all) of the sensors described, including the 144, are designed to pull semi-trailers. This is relatively standard equipment on modern trucks (tractors) used for , GNSS unit 131 and LIDAR unit 138 (if used), etc. Others are not currently standard equipment on such tractors or may not be available for certain May not be present on the vehicle and may be used as needed or available to assist with platooning. It can be installed as desired.

[0022] Vehicle actuators that can be at least partially directed by the platoon controller Part of the engine controller 150 is an engine torque controller 152 (often Integration of Sinn Control Unit (ECU) or Powertrain Control Module (PCM) (part of the transmission controller 154, the brake controller 156 , steering controller 157 (if automatic steering is provided), and the clutch. Of course, all of these actuator controllers Not available or required in any particular embodiment, the controlled vehicle 1. Interfaces with a variety of other vehicle actuator controllers 159 also available Therefore, it may be desirable to provide platoon control for any particular controlled vehicle. The particular actuator controller 150 that is directed or utilized by the controller It should be understood that the number of actuators may vary widely. The capabilities of the controller (e.g., engine torque controller 152) and its interface ( For example, the commands, instructions, requests, and messages that it can process or generate. The nature and type of actuator will depend on the make and model of the particular actuator controller. Therefore, requests, commands, messages from the platoon controller 110 are different. The messages and commands are transmitted to the specific actuator controller hardware utilized in the controlled vehicle. The actuators are then converted into a format suitable for the hardware and software. Preferably, an actuator interface 160 is provided. messages, commands, instructions and It also provides a mechanism for communicating / translating requests to the platoon controller 110. In general, appropriate actuators are used to interact with each particular vehicle controller being utilized. In various embodiments, this is done through an engine train. 161, brake interface 162, transmission interface interface 164, retarder interface 165 (if a separate retarder controller is used) if applicable), steering interface 167, and / or any other suitable control The device may include one or more of the controller interfaces 169.

[0023] Large trucks and other large vehicles often have multiple brakes to "brake" the truck. These include conventional brake systems mounted on the wheels of a vehicle. This includes a brake assembly, which is often referred to in the industry as the "foundation brake." Most large trucks / vehicles also have a mechanism called a "retarder" which This augments the foundation braking and slows the vehicle or prevents the vehicle from accelerating downhill. In most cases, retarders act as an alternative mechanism to help reduce engine torque. In such an embodiment, the appropriate torque command (which may be negative) to the engine torque controller 152. In another embodiment, a separate retarder controller (not shown) can be used to control the retarder. ) is connected to the platoon controller 110 via a suitable retarder interface 165. The platoon controller 110 can access the platoon and thus directs the platoon controller 110. In this embodiment, the platoon controller 110 is connected to the actuator interface 16 0. In such an embodiment, the actuator may determine the retarder command to be sent to the actuator. The retarder interface interprets the retarder command and generates the appropriate retarder control command. to the ECU or other appropriate vehicle controller.

[0024] Communications between the vehicles may be directed over any suitable channel and may include a vehicle-to-vehicle communication controller. For example, a two-way communication system developed for vehicle-to-vehicle communication may be used. Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) protocol (e.g. , IEEE802.11p protocol) works well. Of course, DSRC links Other communication protocols and channels may be used in addition to or instead of the DSRC link. For example, vehicle-to-vehicle communication may additionally or alternatively be achieved using 4G LTE Direct , 5G, Citizen's Band (CB) radio channel, one or more Genera l Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) band and one or more F Federal Radio Service (FRS) bands, or any suitable communications protocol. Any other existing or later developed communication channel that uses the same protocol. The signal can be transmitted via a communication channel.

[0025] In various embodiments, the information transmitted includes the desired / commanded engine torque 280, the desired The current control generated by the platoon controller 110, such as the command braking / deceleration rate 282, The information transmitted may also include commands regarding whether these aspects are 10, it may also include steering commands, gear commands, etc. The information is sent to the platoon controller or other A suitable controller (e.g. adaptive cruise control system (ACC) or whether it was generated by a collision mitigation system (CMS) or by, for example, bar input (e.g. accelerator pedal position, brake position, steering wheel position etc.), whether generated through other or more traditional mechanisms The signal is received from the partner vehicle.

[0026] In many embodiments, tractor sensor information provided to the platoon controller 110 Most or all of the information provided by the Platoon Partners will also be transmitted to the Platoon Partners, and the corresponding information will be By receiving the information from the partner, the platoon controller 110 of each vehicle - It is possible to develop an accurate model of what the vehicle is doing. platoon controller, including any vehicle configuration information 190 related to the platoon controller. This also applies to any other relevant information provided to the Platoon. The requirements of the controller 110, the sensors and actuators available on each vehicle, and It should be understood that this can vary widely based on the particular knowledge a vehicle may have about itself. .

[0027] Information transmitted between vehicles may also include information regarding intended future operations. For example, If the lead vehicle knows it is approaching a hill, it will increase its torque request in the near future. (or reduce torque demand in the case of downhill slopes) and Transmitting the signal to the following vehicles for appropriate use by the platoon controller 110 Of course, there are many different types of torque and braking requirements that can be used to predict future torque or braking demands. Other information such as the name, address, and other characteristics may exist and may be communicated in a variety of different formats. In some embodiments, the nature of the expected event itself (e.g., a hill, a curve, or Exit approaching, etc.) along with the predicted timing of such events. In other embodiments, predictions such as expected torque and / or other control parameters can be implemented. Intention, in terms of the expected control commands and the expected timing of such changes. It is possible to report future actions that are plotted. Of course, this may be relevant for controlling the platoon. ,There are a wide variety of anticipated events.

[0028] Communication between the vehicles and the NOC is carried out via cellular networks, various Wi-Fi networks, , satellite communication networks, and / or any of a variety of other networks as desired, etc. Communication with the NOC is carried out through a variety of different networks. may be coordinated by the C communications controller 180. The information received from the NOC can vary widely based on the overall system design. In some circumstances, the NOC may provide certain control parameters, such as target gap tolerances. These control parameters or constraints are speed limits, road / terrain characteristics (e.g. hilly vs. flat), factors known to the NOC, such as road conditions, weather conditions, traffic conditions or road conditions, etc. In other circumstances, the NOC may provide such information to a platoon controller. The NOC can also provide configuration information and current operational status such as weight, trailer length, etc. Provide information about the Partner Vehicle, including any known relevant information about its operational status. It is also possible.

[0029] The configuration file 190 stores various information about the host vehicle that may be associated with the controller. It can contain a variety of information. For example, some of the information might include engine performance characteristics, available the nature of the braking system, the location of the GNSS antenna relative to the front of the cab, The vehicle specifications may include transmission gear ratios, differential ratios, etc.

[0030] 2 illustrates a specific embodiment of the platoon controller 110. Illustrated embodiment In the example, the platoon controller 110 includes a gap controller 112 and a number of estimators 113. 14, one or more trackers 116, any desired monitors 118, and possibly any The system may include a variety of other components 119 as desired.

[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, the gap controller 112 includes a target and state setter 200; A gap regulator 210 and a gap estimator 240. In general, the target and The state setter 200 determines the intended mode (state) of operation of the gap regulator 210 and and determining values ​​of any variable control parameters appropriate for use in that mode of operation. It is done.

[0032] The gap regulator 210 operates in a manner specified by the target and state setter 200. In the gap control operation mode, the following platoon partners are controlled by the gap control operation mode. The gap regulator 210 is configured to operate in response to any specified condition specified by the state setter 200. The vehicle is controlled in a manner that seeks to achieve and maintain the desired gap according to the control parameters set. In other modes, the gap regulator 210 controls the To control the vehicle in a manner that seeks to achieve an appropriate response.

[0033] The gap estimator 240 uses the actual measurements and / or the platoon controller 110 is configured to estimate / determine the current gap based on other information available. An accurate understanding of the current gap is important to the successful operation of a gap regulator. At the same time, every measurement system has inherent tolerances and may report invalid or inaccurate errors and / or may be unusable in some circumstances. Thus, the gap estimator 240 receives information from sensors related to multiple positions or relative positions. and configured to receive such data into a reliable estimate of the current gap. can be.

[0034] The torque and brake demands generated by the GAP regulator 210 are appropriately Actuator interfaces (e.g., engine torque interface 161 and 162). Next, the engine torque interface The interface 161 sends the appropriate torque command to the engine torque controller 152. The engine torque controller 152 controls the fuel charge, valve timing, retard By appropriately indicating various engine operating parameters such as engine speed, torque demand, etc., The brake interface 162 sends a command to the brake controller 156. The brake controller 100 generates an appropriate brake request to

[0035] A particular embodiment of the gap controller 112 is described in more detail below with reference to FIG. It will be revealed.

[0036] Returning to FIG. 2, there are a variety of estimators 114 that are useful in the gap controller 112 . In various embodiments, these include a mass estimator 271, a drag estimator 273, a ground speed estimator 275, one or more of the gyro bias estimator 277 and / or other estimators 279 The above may include.

[0037] The mass estimator 271 is configured to estimate the mass of each of the platoon partners. These mass estimates are used by the gap controller 112 to The torque and brake demands are adjusted appropriately based on the weight (mass) of each of the toners. It can help to scale.

[0038] The drag estimator 273 is configured to estimate the drag resistance of each of the platoon partners. These drag resistance estimates are used by the gap controller to determine the torque requirement. In general, the speed and braking demands of any particular track can be adjusted accordingly. or other vehicle drag is measured using (a) the drag profile (when a truck is being towed) (b) if it varies based on the trailer (if any) being used or other characteristics of the load; (c) the current speed of the vehicle, (d) the wind speed and direction, (e) the rolling resistance, and (f) the platoon Status (e.g. whether the platoon is active or not, position of the vehicles in the platoon, gaps) , (f) may vary based on various factors, including bearing wear, etc.

[0039] The ground speed estimator 275 is adapted to estimate the actual ground speed of each platoon partner. Many trucks and other vehicles use a very precise method of regulating the rotational speed of the associated wheels. The actual ground speed is measured by wheel speed sensors that measure the actual ground speed for each wheel diameter and The exact wheel alignment may vary depending on the tire slip condition. The diameter may vary depending on the tire used. Furthermore, the wheel diameter may vary depending on the tire wear, ambient temperature, etc. Wheel diameter will change over time due to changes in the temperature and other factors. It may even change during a particular journey as the tire heats up (or changes temperature). In practice, all these variations in wheel diameter are a factor in the gap estimation and gap control. Therefore, the ground speed estimator 275 is Based on the measured wheel speed and other available information such as GNSS information, the actual ground The ground speed estimation is based on a tracker-based gap measurement. (e.g. radar, camera, LIDAR, etc.) is not available (this is e.g. This is especially useful when line changes cause platoon partners to shift sideways. .

[0040] Some of the measurements utilized by the gap controller 112 are gyro-based inertial These include yaw measurements, which indicate the relative rotational speed of the vehicle, and measurements of longitudinal acceleration. Gyros have an inherent measurement bias called gyro bias that can affect the measurements. The gyro bias estimator 277 estimates these biases. and compensating for such gyro-based measurement errors by a gap controller. can be done.

[0041] The platoon controller 110 is also useful for any particular gap controller 112. The estimator 279 may include any other estimator that may be

[0042] The platoon controller 110 may also include one or more trackers 116 . Each tracker 116 is configured to measure or determine the gap. One type of tracker used in the field is the radar-based radar tracker. The newer commercial trucks come with radar units as standard equipment. Vehicles are often equipped with radar sensors, and radar trackers are designed specifically for use on such vehicles. Of course, to facilitate the use of the Radar Tracker 283, - Any vehicle not pre-equipped with a radar device may be fitted with one or more radar devices. For example, co-pending patent application Ser. No. 2010 / 0136634 and Ser. No. 2010 / 0136674, both filed on May 9, 2017, Several specific radar trackers are described in more detail in reference 11, both of which are Both are incorporated herein by reference.

[0043] LIDAR is another distance measuring technology that is well suited to measuring the gap between vehicles. LIDAR is rapidly gaining popularity for use in automated and autonomous driving applications. The AR tracker 286 may include a LIDAR unit or may include a LIDAR unit. Cameras and stereo cameras are also well suited for use in various automated driving applications. It is becoming a more common distance measurement tool for use in advanced autonomous driving applications.

[0044] Of course, other distance measurement techniques can be used, as represented by other trackers 289 For example, the gap between vehicles can be measured or estimated at each G of the reported vehicles. A GPS tracker based primarily on PS location can be used.

[0045] In many embodiments, the tracker fuses data from multiple sensors to Configured to assist in validating measurements of key sensors used by the tracker The radar tracker application mentioned above involves fusing data to verify the measurements of the primary sensor. Various methods have been described to assist in this.

[0046] In various embodiments, the gap estimator 240 is adapted to receive input from multiple sensors. Based on this, the gap is determined / estimated, so one or more trackers can be replaced or one It can be replaced by any of the above trackers or considered to be a tracker itself. In the illustrated embodiment, the gap estimator 240 estimates the distance between the tracker and each vehicle. Since it fuses distance data from any other available sources such as GNSS sensors on the 1 is shown separately as part of the cap controller 112.

[0047] The platoon controller 110 monitors certain components related to gap control. The device may also include one or more monitors 118 configured to display a plateau image. One particular monitor that is particularly useful for controlling training tracks is the Brake Health Monitor 291 The brake health monitor 291 monitors the brake system and controls the platoon. to identify situations in which the brakes are unable to provide the normally expected level of braking. For example, this can be done by applying a brake to the base brakes while driving downhill to the point of near overheating. This can occur when the brakes are used while the vehicle is in operation. If the KiHealth Monitor 291 identifies such a situation, it notifies the Platoon Controller. Appropriate corrective action can then be taken by the platoon controller. will vary based on the specific circumstances identified by the brake health monitor, but may include, for example: Break up the platoon and increase the target gap to a level more suitable for braking conditions. Of course, the brake health monitor can also be used to monitor the brake status. Identify improved conditions (e.g. brakes are cooled sufficiently) and By notifying the troller of these conditions, the platoon controller can respond accordingly. It may also be configured to take action, for example to improve the condition of the brakes. This could help narrow the target gap, re-establish the platoon, or or perform any other appropriate action.

[0048] The platoon controller may control other components, systems, etc. that may be involved in the platoon control. Any device configured to monitor a situation or condition, such as a system, environmental conditions, road or traffic conditions, etc. The system may include various other monitors 299 of any type. For example, the system may monitor DSRC communications between platoon partners. A DSRC link monitor may be provided to monitor the status of the communication link.

[0049] Referring now to FIG. 3, another embodiment of the gap controller 112 will be described in more detail. As with the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the gap controller 112 is The embodiment of FIG. 3 includes a gap estimator 200, a gap regulator 210, and a gap estimator 240. In an embodiment, the goal and state setter 200 includes an operating state selector 203 and a selected Gap regulation determines the value of any variable control parameter appropriate for use in the operating mode. The control parameter selector 206 determines, selects, sets or instructs the controller 202 to determine, select, set or instruct ...

[0050] The operating state selector 203 selects the intended operating mode (state) of the gap regulator 210. In some particular embodiments, the operational mode is configured to determine a gated state. The gap regulator controls the vehicle to maintain a specified gap between the vehicles. The present invention may include a "normal" or "gap controlled" mode of operation, configured to In the controlled operating mode, the control parameter variable specified by the control parameter selector is The target gap itself (e.g., 10 m, 12 m, etc.) may be included. This is (e.g. weather, terrain, road conditions, traffic, etc.) during normal operation. Other control parameters include retraction speed, control strictness, and the balance between torque control and braking control. In another embodiment, the parameters may include parameters that affect the tolerance or variation of the "Initiate tone" and / or "draw in" or "attract" to establish a platoon and / or under at least partial automated control to ensure safety of platoon partners There may be one or more separate states that are used to group together in a meaningful way.

[0051] Another potential mode of operation is the "disband" mode, in which: The platoon controller automatically notifies the driver (or automatic cruise control) of the following vehicle. the vehicle towards / until a position where the vehicle control system can safely take over control of the vehicle. In general, the dissolution of Plato requires that Plato be dissolved, And vehicle control is left to manual control by the driver or adaptive cruise control to a point where it is possible to safely transition to control via the use of a different system, such as The breakup mode includes, for example, increasing the gap between the vehicles. If one of the partners or the NOC decides to end the platoon, Detection of vehicles cutting in between vehicles, loss of communication between vehicles for long periods, and vehicles in front of the lead vehicle This can be caused by a wide variety of situations, such as detecting objects too late or too close for the platoon. It can be arbitrarily triggered by

[0052] Another potential mode of operation is the velocity control mode or the relative velocity control mode. Speed ​​control, or relative speed control, can be used to maintain a specific gap in a variety of specific situations. For example, radar (or other) tracking of a following vehicle may be desirable. This may occur if the device loses sight of the partner vehicle due to a lane change or other conditions. This can occur when there is lateral misalignment between the vehicles.

[0053] Of course, various other modes of operation are possible.

[0054] The gap regulator 210 operates in a manner specified by the target and state setter 200. In the embodiment shown in FIG. The gap regulator 210 includes a scaler 212 and two separate controllers. These are used in different combinations in different operating modes. In an embodiment, the controller is a sliding mode controller 215 (gap control ) and a velocity / relative velocity controller 218. A single controller, additional and / or different controllers may be used as appropriate for a particular implementation. It is to be appreciated that a roller may be provided.

[0055] In the illustrated embodiment, the torque signal and the brake signal from the forward vehicle are slid In addition to the outputs from the mode and relative speed controllers 215, 218, the engine and Before generating the torque and brake demands to the brake controller, The forward scaler 212 scales the torque and brake signals from the forward vehicle. Such scaling is structured to scale the the weight (mass) of each vehicle, the respective drag of the vehicle, the severity of the braking event (e.g. high braking In a braking scenario, a small increase in brake command improves braking performance and response. This can be based on factors such as: In other embodiments, such scaling functions may be implemented in different controllers as desired. It can be integrated into the controller itself.

[0056] The sliding mode controller 215 selects the target gap and the control parameters. Achieve the desired gap according to any other control parameters specified by the controller 206. The vehicle is configured to control the following vehicle in a manner that seeks to achieve and maintain the vehicle's position. The important function is gap control. The speed controller 218 controls the leading vehicle to a specified speed. It controls the vehicles behind it to maintain a certain speed, or in some cases simply to maintain a specified speed. In the illustrated embodiment, two separate controllers are provided. By being configured, the gap regulator 210 can be configured with different Several types of control can be provided. Some specific examples are shown in Figures 4A-4C. In the described embodiment, both controllers 215 and 218 It operates continuously during platooning and also uses the selector / adder 250 to select the current Selects the appropriate signal to output based on the mode of operation. Optional Brake Monitor 255 The brake command output by the selector / adder 250 is for safety / anti-crash purposes. This helps ensure that following vehicles are not braked too aggressively unless necessary from a safety perspective. This is a safety feature that can be used to stand behind a trailing platoon partner. A traffic is subject to the unexpected aggressive braking of a following platoon partner This is to reduce risk.

[0057] The sliding mode controller 215 is configured to detect whether the relative speed of the vehicle in front is greater than the gear ratio between the vehicles. The characteristic is configured to control the following vehicle so as to vary as a function of gap. , is shown in the state space diagram of FIG. 5, which illustrates the control scheme according to one embodiment. More specifically, FIG. 5 plots the relative speed between vehicles (Y-axis) versus the gap between vehicles (X-axis). 5 also shows the target control line 320 of the torque demand controller. In the illustrated embodiment, the average desired gap is 12 meters, which is represented by line 310. Therefore, the target control point 311 is 12 meters with a relative velocity of zero, which is , the intersection of line 310 (12 meter gap) and line 312 (zero relative velocity) It is the point represented by:

[0058] The torque demand controller component 221 of the gap regulator 210 is 3. Configured to generate an appropriate torque demand to control the gap according to control line 320. The torque request is then implemented by the engine torque controller 152. As shown in FIG. 5, if the gap is larger than the desired gap, the phase of the rear track The rear truck travels slightly faster than the front truck so that the relative velocity has a small positive value. As the rear truck approaches the front truck, it is controlled to travel slightly faster. The relative velocity of the two smoothly decreases until the gap decreases to the target control point 311, at which point If perfect control is achieved, the relative velocity will be zero. When it gets closer than the gap, it has a negative relative velocity to the leading track and the desired gap is slowed down so that the

[0059] The sliding mode controller 215 controls the platooning pull and gear. The proposed method utilizes an integrated sliding mode control scheme during both the control and hold phases. A sliding mode controller is configured to control the get control line 320. By forming the gap, the relationship between the relative velocity and the gap is within the region where the gap is safe from platooning. It helps ensure that they stay.

[0060] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the sliding mode controller 215 controls the different gaps. A separate controller configured to control towards a control goal (e.g., torque demand Controller 221 and brake request generator component 223). The control objective is illustrated in the state space diagram of FIG. 5, which shows a control method according to one particular embodiment. More specifically, FIG. 5 shows the torque demand controller target control line 3 20, brake demand controller target control line 330 is shown. Representative transition paths from various points in the state space to the torque demand target control line 320 This shows that.

[0061] Most open highway driving conditions require the use of foundation brakes. Instead, adjusting the torque demand is sufficient to adequately control the gap. partially by using engine braking and / or retarder (if available) This is because torque demand can go negative to some extent without the need to apply the foundation brake. As mentioned above, when fuel is cut off, there are some pumping losses and Since there are some friction losses, simply reducing the fuel charge appropriately will result in a normal It is possible to provide some negative torque while still using valve timing. If a large negative torque is required, the engine torque controller 152 activates the retarder. and / or take other appropriate measures to reduce the negative impact of A torque can be generated.

[0062] Separately, the brake demand controller component 22 of the gap regulator 210 3 generally targets a different gap than the torque demand controller 221 targets, particularly 2. A brake request generating device configured to maintain a small gap during normal operation by The torque demand and brake demand controller controls the gap. This difference in tolerance is sometimes referred to herein as the gap tolerance 340. The brake demand 213 is at least equal to the gap tolerance below the torque demand target control line 320. Brake Since the gear ratio can only be used to slow down the vehicle, the effect of this difference is When the gap regulator 210 cannot maintain the desired gap by controlling only the torque demand , before applying the foundation brakes, the following truck must move a relatively small distance (2 meters in this example). The point is that the vehicle is allowed to approach as close as possible to the target brake control line 330. In some cases, the desired gap can be restored by adjusting only the torque demand without In this case, there is no need to use the foundation brakes at all. This includes the risk of the foundation brakes being deployed unnecessarily. This has the effect of safely maintaining the gap while reducing the chance of being compromised.

[0063] Normal gap control is shown in FIG. 4A. During normal gap control, sliding The mode controller 215 is used to control the Determine the appropriate torque and brake demands to achieve and maintain the target gap. If appropriate, the torque requirements generated by the sliding mode controller 215 The brake demand and the brake demand are based on the input from the feedforward scaler 212. This can then be scaled appropriately by the selector / adder 250. In gap control mode, the output of the relative speed controller 218 is used to control the following vehicle. It won't be done.

[0064] In some embodiments, the sliding mode controller 215 may be configured as shown in FIG. The torque demand and brake demand controllers 221, 223 are included to The torque demand and brake demand controllers 221, 223 are configured to target different gaps. The engine and the brake are controlled by the respective and brakes are controlled to the same target gap, resulting in a smoother and more Provides a comfortable ride and wheel brakes (e.g. foundation brakes on tractor-trailer rigs) Such a gap control architecture is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,633. This is described in more detail in US Pat. No. 6,399,433, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0065] The sliding mode controller 215 works very well to control the gap. Although this will work, there will be operating environments in which different types of control may be appropriate. For example, If it is necessary to break up the platoon and return the following vehicles to manual or other automatic control, In some cases, other types of control may be desirable. Usually, the gap between vehicles during platooning is smaller, and often much smaller, than a driver can safely maintain under manual control. Therefore, breaking up a platoon for the purpose of regaining manual control of the following vehicle is generally not recommended. In this case, the driver is advised to increase the gap to a distance appropriate for manual control before relinquishing control. This can be smoothly achieved by the relative speed controller 218. It is.

[0066] When the operating state selector 203 determines that the platoon should be broken up, the process shown in FIG. The operating state selector 203 is set to the gear shift position so as to transition to the disbanding mode as represented by B. In the breakup mode, the relative speed controller 218 The control parameter selector 206 provides primary control over the selection of the subsequent track during disbanding. A desired (target) relative velocity of the vehicle can be specified. The specific target relative velocity depends on the nature of the situation. and / or may vary based on the vehicles involved in the platoon. without having to slow down every time (which could unduly impede following traffic), and preferably Allows the vehicles to be separated gradually but quickly, without requiring either vehicle to change its travel plan. It is advisable to select a relative velocity that is approximately 0.5 to 4 meters per second, e.g., 1 to 2 meters per second. A breakup relative velocity of 2 m / s was found to work well for platooning tracks. It is clear.

[0067] During the breakup, the lead vehicle can take various actions. For example, the lead truck can move its torque command In such a case, the following truck may be actively accelerated or increased in speed. By attempting to accelerate, the lead vehicle is pulled further away from the lead vehicle than would occur under relative speed control. One way to achieve this on a platooning track is to , ignore or nullify the positive torque command from the feedforward scaler 212. There are several ways to make this more effective.

[0068] Another potential scenario is when the lead truck brakes heavily while under speed control. In some scenarios, the speed controller 2 18 allows for a certain amount of gap shrinkage when the gap is relatively large, thereby In the illustrated embodiment, ,Sliding mode controllers are concerned with the occurrence of (reasonably) unexpected events. The gap between the cars is large enough to prevent the following cars from running into the rear of the leading car. It is constructed to ensure that the vehicle is always given enough time to respond. Therefore, the sliding mode controller is more efficient than the relative velocity controller. If a larger brake or negative torque signal is being output, the larger brake / negative Torque commands must be passed to the vehicle's engine and brake controllers. During the dissolution, the selector / adder 250 receives the signal from the sliding mode controller 215. Only negative commands (i.e. brake commands and negative torque commands) are used, and the relative Such frames are generated only if their magnitude is greater than the command from the speed controller 218. The device is configured to use the

[0069] There may also be operating environments other than dispersal where relative speed control or simply speed control is desirable. For example, the rear of the leading vehicle may become invisible to the tracker 116 of the following vehicle, or the track may become There may be a situation where car 116 loses sight of the rear of its platoon partner. For example, this could occur as a result of a lane change by one of the platoon partners. In such a situation, the gap regulator must accurately regulate the longitudinal gap between the cars. It may not be possible to measure the vehicle's respective GNSS positions, etc. to determine the gap In such situations, it may be necessary to rely on less accurate approaches to Then, have the trailing vehicle slowly back up until the rear of the lead vehicle is within the tracker's field of view. In some cases, it may be desirable to control the relative velocity in this way. Although well suited for use in the Specifically, goals are generally not likely to occur as quickly or as quickly as they do during dissolution. The goal is to not move back as far, and therefore to have a smaller relative velocity (e.g., 0.5 m / sec vs. 2 m / sec) may be appropriate.

[0070] One approach to such relative velocity control is shown in Figure 4C. In this scheme, the speed controller 218 receives the normal This is used in conjunction with scaling, so that subsequent platoon partners are The increased acceleration and / or torque of the leading vehicle than occurs during the breakup condition shown in FIG. 4B. At the same time, for safety purposes, the approach described above with respect to FIG. In a manner similar to that of the IF1000, the selector / summer 250 selects the sliding mode control. Braking and negative torque requests from brake 215 can be utilized as appropriate.

[0071] A specific platoon and gap controller architecture is shown in Figures 2 and 3. However, the particular architecture utilized may vary depending on the particular platooning or It should be understood that the present invention may be widely varied to meet the needs of any vehicle or other automotive control system. .

[0072] As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, the described controller may be implemented on one or more processors. Programmable logic using software or firmware algorithms implemented using digital or analog components, or Any combination can be used and implemented algorithmically.

[0073] In the above detailed description, the controlled power plant is, for example, a diesel engine. It is assumed to be an internal combustion engine, however it does provide torque to drive the host vehicle. Regardless of the nature of the power plant used to It should be understood that the controller design and functions described herein may be implemented in a variety of ways. The capabilities and architectures are typically based on electric motors, turbines, fuel cells, or other types of Hybrid vehicles are made by combining multiple types of power plants. Hybrid vehicles (e.g., hybrid vehicles incorporating both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine) Suitable for controlling a vehicle that provides power to a drivetrain or directly to one or more wheels. If the power plant is or includes an internal combustion engine, Gas-powered engines, diesel-powered engines, 2-stroke engines, 4-stroke engines Gin, variable stroke engine, engine using 4 strokes or more, rotary engine Any type of internal combustion engine may be utilized, including diesel, turbine engines, and the like.

[0074] The above discussion has focused primarily on tractor-trailer truck platooning applications. However, the control approaches described may involve the use of a single control system for one or more of the vehicles involved. has 2, 3, 4, 18, or any other number of wheels, and Regardless of the nature of the power plant used in such vehicles, It should be understood that it is suitable for use.

[0075] Figure 6 shows the hardware architecture of a platoon control system that is particularly suited for ASIL-compliant platoon control. The illustrated embodiment has three separate controllers. These include the platoon controller 410, the vehicle interface A face controller 460 and a gateway processor 470 are included. Selected components of a gateway processor 470 are illustrated in FIG.

[0076] As best seen in FIG. 6, the platoon controller 410 includes an interface 4 20 to the vehicle interface controller 460 via a direct link 478 In some embodiments, link 478 is a dedicated direct It is a direct wired connection, and no other devices are connected to that link. Wired connections may be, for example, coaxial cable, twisted pair wiring, fiber optics, or any The physical connection may be provided in any suitable form, such as a cable or trace, or any other suitable physical connection medium. It is possible.

[0077] In the illustrated embodiment, the platoon controller 410 is The vehicle interface controller 460 (system The system manager (also called the system manager) performs the functions of the actuator interface 160. , and further including several safety monitors. In some embodiments, the safety monitors are compliant safety monitoring algorithm, The La460 is designed as an ASIL-compliant device.

[0078] Typically, the vehicle interface controller 460 performs In addition, it independently verifies the commands sent by the platoon controller 110. These include processors and software (including safety monitors) with a higher level of safety. For validation, we use a platoon controller with a subset of the available sensor inputs. It uses a separate verification algorithm that is independent of the one used by

[0079] The gateway processor 470 handles communications between the host vehicle and the platoon partners. Coordinate and host the network operations center and / or external to the vehicle 1. The IEEE 802.11b protocol is configured to coordinate communications between the IEEE 802.11b protocol and any other entity. In a particular embodiment of the system, the gateway processor 470 is best shown in FIG. Thus, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication controller 170 and the NOC communication controller 180 are included. Typically, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication controller uses a short-range, vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication protocol, such as the DSRC protocol. NOC communication controllers typically use cellular or satellite Use communications to communicate with a network operations center.

[0080] In some embodiments, the gateway processor 470 and the platoon controller 410 The connection between the two (link 478) is a dedicated, direct wired connection; no other devices are connected to the link. In some embodiments, Ethernet or a similar standardized wired communication protocol may be used. A protocol is used to pass information between the gateway processor and the platoon controller. This allows for fast and reliable communication between the gateway processor and the platoon controller. In a specific example, 100BASE or higher (e.g., 1000BA Although a standard Ethernet physical layer (such as 10GBASE-SE or 10GBASE-T) can be used, other implementations may be used. It should be appreciated that various other physical layers may be used in embodiments.

[0081] In some embodiments, the gateway processor 470 may include a front camera mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle is also configured to communicate with the camera 477 and the dashboard display 475. If the strike vehicle is the lead vehicle in a platoon, the driver of the following vehicle must move in front of the lead vehicle. The gateway processor uses the forward-facing camera 477 to see what is there. The host vehicle transmits the video image received from the host vehicle to the following vehicle. In this case, the gateway processor 470 receives such a notification from the gateway processor of the leading vehicle. and transmits the image to a dashboard display 475 where the So the driver of the host vehicle can see what is ahead of the lead vehicle. It is not possible to show the driver of the following vehicle a view of what is ahead of the leading vehicle. This provides the drivers of the following vehicles with comfort, better situational awareness, and the ability to avoid collisions occurring at the front of the platoon. This is desirable because it gives the individual the ability to react independently to the situation at hand. In a platoon (e.g., a platoon including tractor trailer trucks), the following vehicles may be unable to follow the leading vehicle. They are always close together (much closer than in normal manual driving) and the leading vehicle is behind the trailing vehicle. (This is especially true for what is happening ahead of the platoon.) If you cannot see the driver of the following platoon partner and / or This is particularly important in cases where passengers are unable to board a plane due to the nature of the aircraft, which can be an unpleasant experience for passengers.

[0082] The video streams that pass through the gateway are managed by the video manager 474. The gateway 470 may include a camera 477 and / or a dashboard display. To communicate directly with the play 475, the platoon controller 410 It is not burdened in any way by the need to manage the law.

[0083] In some embodiments, the gateway 470 provides records for diagnostic purposes, etc. It also has a message logger 473 that records various messages and other information that pass through it. The functionality of the message logger 473 is described in more detail below.

[0084] The platoon controller 410 detects the current wheel speed of the vehicle, any brake or accelerator pedal Vehicle settings such as accelerator pedal input, steering wheel position (if necessary), and transmission A listener on any suitable vehicle communication bus from which information about operating conditions can be obtained directly. The platoon controller 410 also controls the vehicle position. A sensor unit such as a GPS unit 131 for receiving information and a sensor unit for detecting objects outside the vehicle. Forward-looking radar units for receiving information about their position (e.g., radar scene) The same information is also provided by other devices such as LIDAR 138, cameras 139, etc. The platoon controller 410 controls the vehicle communication bus. is strictly configured as a snare and does not itself transmit information over such a bus. Therefore, the platoon controller 410 outputs The control commands are sent to the Vehicle Interface Controller 460 in compliance with ASIL standards. There is no need to comply with ASIL as long as it is confirmed that the

[0085] ASIL-compliant Vehicle Interface Controller 460 (System Manager 460 and The engine controller (EECU), brake controller (B ECU), and / or one or more communication buses, either directly or via the vehicle's CAN bus or send commands to any other suitable controller via The device is configured to communicate with the

[0086] In the illustrated embodiment, the platoon controller 410 and the vehicle interface controller The interface 420 between the controller 460 (also called the system manager 460) is Very narrowly defined. The interface 420 is controlled by the platoon controller. The actual commands that are generated include, in the illustrated embodiment, torque demand 422, brake Demand 424, and optionally retarder demand 426. If it also controls other aspects of the ring or host vehicle, steering and / or other appropriate Appropriate control commands (not shown) may also be included.

[0087] The interface 420 includes a programmable logic circuit that indicates whether its output should direct vehicle operation. It also includes a platooning status indicator 428, which is a signal from the tone controller. The latone status indicator 428 is, for example, Platooning is being carried out / Platooning should be carried out, and the torque, brake High indication that rake and retarder commands 422, 424, 426 should be obeyed In such an arrangement, the low flag The state indicates that the platoon controller has determined that it is not controlling the vehicle. Both interface controllers 460 are connected to the platooning status indicator 428. Any torque, brake, or brake position is disabled whenever platoon control indicates it is not active. It does not transmit brake, retarder or other control commands (although this is generally unlikely to occur). If the platoon controller 410 determines that the platoon is valid, of the safety monitor 465 (as indicated by the lato-ning status indicator 428) If one of the vehicles indicates that the platoon is not appropriate, the Vehicle Interface Controller / The system manager 460 initiates the termination of the platoon.

[0088] The interface 420 also provides host vehicle and partner truck connectivity useful for safety monitoring. The present invention facilitates the transmission of specific status information (preferably ASIL certification status information) regarding both the Specifically, the host vehicle status information 441 includes the following information as confirmed by the system manager 460: Contains status information about the host vehicle that has been certified (e.g., ASIL C certified) and Useful for one or more safety monitors on the toner vehicle. Partner vehicle status information 444 includes ,State regarding the partner vehicle confirmed by the system manager of the partner,vehicle The information is available to one or more safety monitors 465 on the host vehicle. The state information 441 is transmitted to the platoon controller 410, and the platoon controller 41 0 forwards such information to gateway 470 without modification, and gateway 47 0 forwards the host vehicle status information to the partner vehicle's gateway. Partner vehicle status information 444 received by the gateway 470 from the gateway The data is forwarded unmodified to the platoon controller 410, which then Preferably, the host status information 441 is forwarded (again unmodified) to the The receiving system manager can then verify that the received data is not corrupted. along with a checksum or other appropriate data integrity verification mechanism to Any corrupted information can be ignored. ASIL certification status information is provided for certain ASIL-compliant devices (first platoon partner System Manager 460) to another ASIL-compliant device (second platoon part The data is passed unmodified to the data server's system manager 460, so that the data is not For example, the platoon controller 410 and the gateway 470 themselves are ASIL compliant. Suitable for use in ASIL-compliant safety check algorithms, even if they are not do.

[0089] Host and partner vehicle status information is available to any safety monitor This can include ASIL certification status information, e.g. vehicle wheel speed, brake brake demand, torque demand and / or supplied torque, brake air supply pressure, steering position position, accelerometer readings, and / or safety monitoring by the System Manager 460 Any other information about the partner vehicle that is used as part of the data may be included. The zone controller 410 supervises the state information used by the system manager 460. As long as the partner status information emitted by the ASIL-certified device is used, The information may also be optionally included in the vehicle status information 441, 444, although such inclusion is It is not mandatory and generally not desirable because such information is not available to the Partner Vehicles' The signal can be acquired and transmitted by the tone controller, which allows the interface This is because it reduces the bandwidth that needs to be allocated to the resource 420.

[0090] Some of the host vehicle's sensor information (e.g., wheel speed, brake pedal position, radar signal, etc.) The platoon controller 410 and the system manager 460 control the It should be noted that the platoon partner 410 may be any suitable vehicle control system. Since it is desirable for the platoon controller to be an authorized listener of the bus, There is no need to wait to receive such information from the system manager. The controller receives any desired signal from any suitable sensor via any suitable connection, such as a suitable CAN bus. The host vehicle directly obtains the relevant sensor information of the partner vehicle. Any sensor information relevant to the system manager is read by the system manager. (whether or not it is also read by the platoon controller) and the host vehicle By including the two status information 441, the system manager of the partner vehicle can Such information is guaranteed to be ASIL certified. The controller uses some host vehicle sensor information that it cannot directly access. The information may be received via a system manager 460 that functions as a proxy for the system.

[0091] Although there is some overlap in the sensor information used, the host vehicle platoon controller 410 and the host vehicle sensor used by the host vehicle system manager 460 The information changes frequently and may be further modified by sensor information from the target partner vehicle. For example, the host platoon controller may determine the torque demand and the brake GNSS position data is used to determine requirements, but the GNSS position information is ASIL compliant. may not be used by system managers because they are not

[0092] Some of the sensor information used by the safety monitor on the host vehicle is may not be required by the vehicle safety monitors. This includes radar scenes, accelerator Pedal position, input from the host vehicle driver interface device 469, etc. Unless such sensor information is used by the partner vehicle, Such information does not need to be included in the vehicle status information 441, 444.

[0093] Host vehicle sensor information used by partner vehicle platoon controllers Some of these may not be ASIL compliant and therefore may not be used in partner vehicle safety monitors. Therefore, sensor information that is not relevant to the safety monitor of the partner vehicle may not be used. Such information need not be included as part of the vehicle status information 441, 444. Rather, such The relevant data is acquired by the platoon controller 410 and transmitted to the corresponding partner vehicle. The platoon controller may then transmit the platoon information to the corresponding platoon controller (via the communication controller 470). For example, However, it is very difficult to ASIL certify GPS or other GNSS position data. Therefore, it is preferable that the GNSS position data is not included in the vehicle state information 441, 444. Rather, such information is sent from the host vehicle's platoon controller to Gateway 4. The information is then passed to the partner vehicle's platoon controller via

[0094] The driver interface device 469 may be mounted on the dashboard of the host vehicle or on the A button or other suitable mechanism located somewhere conveniently within the vehicle cabin. The driver interface device 469 may be configured to notify the driver when the platoon begins. to show that he was ready for Plato during the A mechanism that the driver can push at any time to initiate the breakup of the platoon if the driver is not ready to The use of the driver interface device 469 is described in detail in Patent Document 2. No. 6,393,636, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the illustrated embodiment, Commands from the optical fiber interface device 469 (preferably ASIL compliant) are sent to the vehicle The signal is sent to both interface controllers 460, from which the signal is sent to the platoon controller 41. 0. Similarly, requests to the Driver Interface Device are passed to the platoon control from the controller to the vehicle interface controller 460 and The controller 460 passes the signal to the driver interface device 469. What needs to be done to make the Driver Interface Device 469 ASIL compliant? However, in other embodiments, the platoon controller 410 , or it can be a direct listener for commands from the Driver Interface Device. It should be understood that in the embodiment shown in FIG. Requests sent to the interface device 469 and the driver interface device Driver platoon related requests and commands 42 representing commands received from 469 Includes 7.

[0095] In some particular embodiments, the vehicle interface controller 460 is a single dedicated The platoon controller 410 and the gateway processor 412 are implemented as integrated circuit chips. Each processor 470 is implemented as a separate system on module (SOM).

[0096] The platoon control system hardware architecture shown in Figure 6 is itself an ASI ASIL compliance using information available from various sources, including non-L sources As described above, the present invention is particularly suitable for efficiently handling platoon control related tasks. In this configuration, the powertrain control commands ultimately issued by the control system are Can be SIL rated.

[0097] The hardware architecture in Figure 6 also offers several advantages from a security perspective: In the illustrated embodiment, the gateway processor 470 is associated with controlling the vehicle. It is not connected to any communication bus (e.g., CAN bus). So, potentially, Gateway Processor 470 is the least secure of the four hardware components may transmit any information directly to one of the more secure vehicle communication buses or This means that the device cannot receive information directly from such a bus. Hacking into the gateway processor 470 could allow an unauthorized entity to take control of the vehicle. This is advantageous from a safety standpoint, since it makes it impossible to The Gateway Processor 470 does not need to be ASIL compliant, greatly simplifying its certification It will be turned into.

[0098] Applications for using vehicle mass estimation Vehicle mass estimation can have many applications.

[0099] In one application, the mass of the vehicle is used to control the motion of the vehicle itself and its systems (e.g., throttle). The system can control the torque, brakes, steering, and other actuators.

[0100] Vehicle mass estimation also plays a role in platooning and the relative positioning of vehicles. For such purposes, the train is generally made up of cars, with a leading car and a trailing car The vehicles are arranged to operate in a platoon using the estimated relative mass of each vehicle to select the The transmission from the leading vehicle to the trailing vehicles is based on the relative mass of the vehicles operating in the platoon. Scales the received commands and potentially uses vehicle mass estimates to control vehicle motion. This may include controlling the

[0101] Furthermore, the mass estimate, or the sensor data used to calculate the mass estimate, may be A network operations center ( For example, the platoon can be coordinated and transmitted to a data processing center such as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Control (NOC). By communicating the masses of two (or more) vehicles before joining, the vehicles can Immediately assume an appropriate platoon position (e.g., either the lead car or the trailing car) The terms data processing center and NOC each encompass a wide variety of implementations. Please note that the term should be interpreted broadly as follows: A management center and / or NOC consists of one or more servers located in a single physical location. In other embodiments, the data processing center and / or NOC may include a distributed are located in different geographic locations but connected over a network to share data and other communications. The system may include one or more servers interconnected by a network.

[0102] FIG. 8 shows how vehicle mass estimation is typically modeled. The example shows the rolling resistance, especially when the vehicle is traveling either uphill or downhill. Anti(F ローリング ), air resistance (F 空気 ), gravity (F 重力 ), and tractors or other Any tractor force (F) generated by the vehicle pulling the load 牽引 ) while driving The forces acting on the vehicle are measured or modeled. In addition, the acceleration of the vehicle is measured or modeled. All known forces are measured or modeled, and accelerations are modeled / known. Once identified, it uses an algorithm based on Newton's second law (force = mass x acceleration) The mass is calculated.

[0103] Figure 9 shows how multiple mass estimation sample points are taken over time to arrive at an accurate mass estimate for the vehicle. For example, the mass estimation calculations are performed while the vehicle is in motion. The mass estimation data points are collected at fixed intervals of 100 ms. Once a sufficient number of samples have been collected, they are plotted based on force versus acceleration. Once the data points are plotted, they typically converge, as represented by line 90 on the plot. When combined, this typically results in a very accurate estimate within five percent (5%) of the vehicle's true mass. Manifest.

[0104] Averaging the mass estimates tends to yield more accurate mass estimates in the presence of disturbances. For example, a large tractor trailer can carry approximately 2000 lbs of fuel when the tank is full. As this fuel is consumed, the mass will drift downwards. By equalizing, the mass estimation tracks the change in mass due to fuel consumption.

[0105] FIG. 10 illustrates a method for estimating and reporting vehicle mass estimates according to different non-exclusive embodiments of the present application. FIG. 1000 illustrates various possibilities for and / or use.

[0106] In a non-exclusive embodiment, a sensor 130 (i.e., 1 Sensors such as those described in the literature (e.g., 31-149) provide force and mass measurements that are used to generate an estimate of the mass of a given vehicle. The sensor data used to determine various measurements of speed and acceleration. The sensor data includes, for example, engine torque, transmission ratio, wheel speed, retarder information, and and / or GPS or other positioning and / or velocity or acceleration information. In addition, the sensor data may include, but is not limited to, braking events and braking However, in principle, the magnitude of the sensor data collected during the braking event may also be included. Sensor data are not included in the mass estimation sample. In general, braking events are not accurately monitored. This results in very large forces that are difficult to model. Small errors in the modeling process typically result in large errors in the modeled forces, which can affect the quality of the This leads to large errors in the mass estimation calculations. It is difficult to model the brakes precisely (e.g. converting brake pressure into braking force or deceleration). Because of the difficulty of doing so, data collected during a braking event is usually Not used. In yet another embodiment, other data may be included in the sensor data. Other data such as vehicle ID, metadata, information contained in the vehicle configuration file 190 A vehicle ID may be included to tag the sensor data to a particular vehicle. This function allows the sensor data to be collected from a data processing center such as a NOC or from another vehicle. This is useful in situations where a vehicle mass estimate is computed at a location remote from the host vehicle.

[0107] The above represents a non-exhaustive list of sensor data that can be used in the mass estimation calculation. Other sensor data to acquire includes data generated by the actuator interfaces. For example, the torque command can be calculated based on the engine torque. A sensor can be used to measure the actual torque delivered. In some cases, especially in tractor-trailers, adjustable trailer axles, tire pressure, type and condition of ears, presence and / or position of any aerodynamic aids (fixed or Adjustable), specific trailer configuration or number of trailers, etc. All generated data can be considered in the same way.

[0108] In step 1002, the vehicle mass estimate is calculated, as described above, and averaged over time. In one embodiment, the vehicle's "raw" sensor data is collected from a network, such as a NOC. The data is then wirelessly transmitted to a remote data processing center located on the work station 1006. Mass estimates are calculated by the data processing center using the raw data. In one embodiment, the mass estimation calculations are performed on the host vehicle that collects the sensor data. In an embodiment, sensor data collected at a vehicle is transmitted to one or more other vehicles. In response, one or more other vehicles calculate a mass estimate.

[0109] In step 1004, a number of calculated mass estimates are calculated depending on where the calculations were performed. It can be shared with several different entities, for example a remote data processing center such as a NOC. When the center 1006 performs the calculation, the mass estimate is based on one or more other vehicles 1008 and and / or may be reported back to the original vehicle that generated the sensor data or to the host vehicle 1010. Similarly, the computations may be performed by either the host vehicle 1010 or another vehicle 1008. In this case, the calculation may be optionally performed by the center 1006, one or more other vehicles 1008 and / or the The strike vehicle 1010 may be notified.

[0110] The above-described embodiments are directed to a location where sensor data generated on a host vehicle is sent, mass estimation, and Where the calculations are performed, and just a few of the entities receiving the mass estimation calculations These embodiments are merely illustrative and not limiting. It should be understood that this should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the present invention. The sensor data is sent to one or more locations, and the vehicle mass estimation calculations are performed in the same way at one or more locations. Calculated and monitored by multiple vehicles, including the NOC, data processing center, another vehicle and / or the host vehicle. Vehicle mass estimation calculations may be shared with other entities, including platooning. It can also be used in a wide variety of applications, including but not limited to.

[0111] Figure 11 shows the results of a study of vehicle platooning using mass estimation data received from multiple vehicles. Flow diagram showing the steps a Network Operations Center (NOC) takes to The value is 0.

[0112] In step 1102, the sensor data is collected from multiple sensors as they travel from location to location. The NOC receives the signal from a number of vehicles. During operation, each vehicle can use 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, existing Other existing or future cellular protocols, WiFi, Google's Rem LTE Procedure Call (GRPC) protocol, or any other A wireless network is typically created using one of many wireless protocols, such as the Radio Communications Protocol. The vehicle periodically transmits sensor data over the network. For example, the vehicle transmits sensor data every 100 milliseconds. Sample and transmit sensor data.

[0113] In step 1104, upon receiving the sensor data, the NOC calculates the mass of each reporting vehicle. Thus, the NOC calculates the estimated number of vehicles as they move from location to location. Maintain up-to-date mass estimate calculations of these.

[0114] In step 1106, the NOC identifies vehicles suitable for platooning. Decide whether or not (or more) vehicles should be combined to operate in platoons. Several variables must be considered when making a decision, such as the type or These factors include the class, the surroundings of the candidate vehicle, the direction of travel of the candidate vehicle, and other factors. For example, two tractor-trailers are traveling in the same direction, along the same highway, and in roughly the same vicinity. If you are traveling in the opposite direction, you are usually an ideal pair for platooning. , two identical tractor-trailers traveling on different highways and miles apart. is not a good candidate for platooning.

[0115] In step 1108, if two or more vehicles for platooning are identified, The NOC will determine the lead and trailing vehicles based on the relative mass estimates of each vehicle. The vehicle with the largest mass is then assigned the lead position. The remaining vehicles are then assigned the lead position. They are ordered from most to least mass, behind the head vehicle. Other orderings by mass For example, in hilly terrain, the power-to-weight ratio may be chosen instead of the mass. Sometimes that is more important.

[0116] In step 1110, the NOC notifies the vehicles and encourages them to platoon. The mass estimate and position of each vehicle shall also be reported to the other vehicles in the platoon. do.

[0117] In step 1112, the vehicles discover each other on the road. With help from the NOC The drivers of the two vehicles will then be instructed to meet up and join a platoon.

[0118] Finally, in step 1114, the vehicle takes its assigned position sequence and When two or more vehicles are driving in a platoon, all vehicles It is not necessary for the two vehicles to converge at one location to start the platoon. It is also possible to start platooning at a location and then other vehicles can join at subsequent locations. When an additional vehicle joins, all the vehicles will move in a parallel trajectory, for example with the vehicle with the largest mass leading the way. The vehicle with the smallest mass should follow at the rear of the platoon (or should be partially or entirely covered by the vehicle). (based on the masses of both stars) and their allocation within the platoon as determined by relative mass estimates Take the position specified.

[0119] There are many reasons for assigning the largest vehicle to the front of the platoon, including: do. (1) In principle, the greater the mass of a vehicle, the more likely it is that the vehicle's braking ability will be reduced. For example, a vehicle with a higher mass will have a higher As a result, the axle load increases, the vehicle experiences more fade, and requires more brake pressure. , placing more stress on the braking system. As a result, vehicles with a larger mass Typically, braking is less predictable and slows down and / or accelerates during a braking event. Therefore, the vehicle with the largest mass is placed in the leading position. By placing the vehicle in a position that reduces the risk of the leading vehicle being hit from behind during a braking event, is reduced. (2) Massier vehicles, in principle, have a lower power-to-weight ratio and therefore are Also, in the case of platooning, the following positions can accelerate more quickly. It is generally advantageous to have vehicles that are in a platooning mode so that the vehicle behind can take the lead. It is often necessary to accelerate relative to the lead vehicle to maintain the desired gap distance. If a "slower" vehicle with a larger mass is in the trailing position, the trailing vehicle will increase its speed to the desired position. It is more difficult to maintain the gap.

[0120] Usually, the vehicle with the largest mass is assigned the lead position in the platoon, but this is by no means necessary. It should be understood that this is not a requirement. There are several reasons why the EV-1000 actually provides better braking performance than a conventional EV-1000. For example: Vehicles with smaller masses have poorly maintained brake systems and suffer from wear and tear. Less grip is possible with worn tyres and high levels of worn brake pads. For these and other reasons, ,Vehicles with a heavier mass actually have better braking performance than vehicles with a lower mass. Also, vehicles with lower masses are likely to be more susceptible to collisions than vehicles with higher masses. For example, in a two-tractor trailer, the heavy payload is not necessarily accelerated as quickly as the The power-to-weight ratio of a vehicle equipped with a payload is actually higher than other vehicles equipped with lower mass payloads. The vehicle has a larger engine with more horsepower than a vehicle carrying a higher mass payload. If the vehicle is equipped with a vehicular tactical vehicle (TTV), it may be larger than other vehicles equipped with lower mass payloads. For at least these reasons, it is recommended to place a smaller vehicle at the front of the platoon. Therefore, the NOC may require that a platoon of two or more vehicles be arranged. Whether or not this is appropriate and, if so, the appropriate order for organising the vehicles into a platoon; Many factors are often taken into account when determining the relative quality of the vehicle. volume, type or class of vehicle, relative braking capabilities of the vehicles, relative power-to-weight ratios of the vehicles; This includes, but is not limited to, the maintenance status of the vehicle.

[0121] Once established, the relative mass estimates of the vehicles in the platoon are generated by the lead vehicle. This is useful for scaling commands that

[0122] Figure 12 shows how a trailing vehicle determines the distance between the leading vehicle in a platoon based on the relative mass estimation between the two vehicles. FIG. 12 is a flow diagram 1200 illustrating method steps for scaling motion commands received from both be.

[0123] In step 1202, the lead vehicle receives an actuator signal or an acceleration, speed or generates the action command to be taken by the lead vehicle in the form of a position profile, and For example, the action can be a throttle command or a brake command. In either case, the commands are usually of a certain magnitude (i.e., Acceleration or deceleration measured in meters, engine torque, brake torque, brake Define the pressure, etc.

[0124] In step 1204, the following vehicle interprets the received command and determines the course of action to be taken by the leading vehicle. Check the expected behavior.

[0125] In step 1206, the trailing vehicle determines whether the vehicle is in a position to move forward based on the relative mass estimates of the leading vehicle and the trailing vehicle. In a non-exclusive embodiment, the scaling factor of the command is determined based on the The factor ("SF") is a function of the magnitude of the command (M) and the mass estimate of the following vehicle (ME follo wing ) to estimate the mass of the leading vehicle (ME leading ) and multiply by the defined ratio In equation form, SC is calculated as follows: SF = M × (ME following / ME leading )

[0126] The SC is not necessarily based strictly on the ratio of mass estimates of the two vehicles. It will be understood that the types of vehicles involved, the number of trailers (if any) towed by either vehicle (if applicable), maintenance records, tire pressure and / or condition of both vehicles, engine The type, braking system and / or transmission of each vehicle, as well as driving and Many other factors may also be taken into account, such as the location of the vehicle and / or road conditions. If you are going down a big mountain pass, you can adjust the scaling of the command to report Therefore, the term scaling as used herein refers to the strict estimation of the mass between the vehicles. Interpreted broadly to mean both tight ratios and ratios that are adjusted for a wide variety of considerations. It should be understood that this should be done.

[0127] In step 1208, the following vehicle is scaled using the calculated scaling factor. For example, the leading track, which has a large mass, is subjected to high voltage. If a brake command is issued to the leading truck, the trailing truck will need to decelerate to achieve the same speed as the leading truck. The brakes know that they can use less braking pressure and therefore use the smaller mass of the following The vehicle can reduce the application of brake pressure. Similarly, the throttle command can be used When used in this way, the rear vehicle can perform better for the same torque application compared to the leading vehicle, which has a higher mass. Because the vehicle behind is accelerating at a faster rate, the vehicle behind reduces throttle response. A trailing vehicle may shift its acceleration and / or deceleration relative to a leading vehicle having a higher mass. The ability to scale provides enhanced gap control between the two vehicles.

[0128] As an illustrative example, an 80,000 lbs lead truck (e.g., a fully loaded tractor 53-foot trailer loaded on a 40,000-lb. truck (e.g. Consider two trucks (one with an almost empty trailer and one with a tractor). The rolling resistance (which increases with mass) and the wind resistance (which also increases with mass) In order to overcome the above problem, the engine can output 25% more torque. The track's system uses this knowledge to close the loop (using gap control). You can determine the starting point of the torque to be applied (before the start of the track) by, for example, applying 100 0 N-m may be applied to the front truck and 800 N-m may be applied to the rear truck. The head truck may require an additional 500 N-m. The rear truck may require, for example, Based on this, it can be determined that the rear truck only needs approximately 250 N-m more. can.

[0129] Figure 13 shows how the vehicle estimates mass to control vehicle operations and systems. 13 is a diagram 1300 listing the various ways in which the vehicle can be used. For example, the vehicle itself can calculate the vehicle speed. , or wirelessly from a data processing center such as a NOC. The estimation may be used to control or affect the operation of the vehicle itself. Such actions include path planning (e.g. braking or swerving / steering) ring), vehicle control (e.g. steering angle, braking force for a given deceleration, or torque Determination of the magnitude of the request) and / or the specific on-board actuators to implement the above. These may include vehicle speed, braking pressure, throttle, etc. One situation where estimating the mass of a vehicle is useful is route planning. This is important because it is one of the main factors that determine whether a given orbit is feasible. Consider a situation where a kuta-trailer encounters an obstacle on the road ahead, such as a parked car. The preemptive measures to be taken to avoid a collision may vary depending on the mass of the tractor-trailer. If the trailer is loaded with heavy cargo (e.g. high mass), sudden swarving may occur. can be dangerous and the trailer may tip over or not follow the desired path. Therefore, in these cases, the vehicle must use the quality control function to determine the route to be followed. For example, braking rather than swerving may be preferred in such a scenario. This decision can be communicated to the driver. or alternatively, can communicate with an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle and provide steering assistance. Instead, a braking action is performed.

[0130] The mass estimation is used intelligently for the control of various systems and actuators on the vehicle. This may be done.

[0131] For example, in a braking event, the magnitude of the braking force and therefore the braking actuator The amount of brake pressure generated can be scaled according to the mass of the vehicle. If the truck-trailer wants to brake at a speed of (-0.2 meters per second), The amount of braking force and pressure generated by the system varies depending on the mass of the tractor-trailer. If the mass is large, the braking force and pressure will be adjusted upwards, For vehicles with low mass, both can be reduced. This decision is based on the hardware It may also be based on other factors such as hardware and software. For example, a larger braking force A vehicle with more brake chambers will get more out of the same braking pressure. This may provide a deceleration of

[0132] Acceleration events can be similarly scaled based at least in part on mass. Typically, a low mass tractor trailer with a given acceleration (e.g. +0.3 meters per second) In comparison, a higher mass requires more engine torque. In addition to the torque regulation, the vehicle is weighted based on mass to account for differences in the speed at which the vehicle responds to the application of torque. The controller response can also be adjusted based on mass. Steering action is also based on mass. This is the steering position control loop (the target is the steering angle, and the where the choice is the amount of steering torque applied) or the desired trajectory In the former case, it is important to select the steering angle to satisfy the following: Torque is generated from the axle weight and vehicle dynamics which is proportional to the vehicle mass It depends directly on the force. In the case of steering angle, given the speed and steering angle The trajectory that the vehicle follows depends on the mass of the vehicle. The above examples are merely illustrative and not limiting. In practical implementations, the vehicle mass estimates are used It can control, in whole or in part, almost any system or actuator on the vehicle. Such systems include fuel injection systems, knock control systems, suspension systems, etc. Control systems, engine controller systems, autonomous or semi-autonomous driving control systems systems, cruise control systems and / or automatic transmission control systems Examples of such programs include, but are not limited to:

[0133] FIG. 14 shows the data processing used to determine the mass estimate for a vehicle with reset function. 14 is a diagram showing a processing pipeline 1400. As described above, the mass of the vehicle acts on the vehicle. Model the forces, measure the vehicle acceleration, and use Newton's 2nd law to calculate the mass , and is then calculated by averaging a number of mass estimation samples over time.

[0134] In this non-exclusive embodiment, the data pipeline 1400 includes a bad data mask 14 02, a finite impulse response (FIR) filter 1404, a vehicle model module 1406 , and an averaging module 1408.

[0135] As previously mentioned, the pipeline 1400 may be configured to measure engine torque, transmission ratio, GPS or Sensors that may contain data indicative of positioning information, wheel speeds, and / or braking events Data is received from the vehicle.

[0136] The bad data mask 1402 was collected while the vehicle was traveling on a particularly rough road. Sensor data collected while the vehicle was traveling at very low speeds (e.g., below 9 mph) data collected by roadside vehicles, or GPS information collected while the vehicle passes under bridges or through tunnels and the ability to filter out or remove data that is deemed "bad" or inaccurate. It works.

[0137] Once the bad data is removed, the remaining data is filtered by the FIR filter 1404. This is ringed, in a non-exclusive embodiment, with a low pass cutoff frequency of 0.5 Hz. The advantage of applying FIR filtering is that the detected data The advantages of this technique are that it removes phase lag from the input and provides a clearly defined "wind-up" time. do.

[0138] The filtered sensor data is then applied to the vehicle model module 1406. Within module 1406, certain sensor data may be masked or rejected. For example, ,Sensing data collected during the braking event and for a short time ,(e.g., 5 seconds) afterwards is Brake forces are usually removed due to the difficulty of modeling them. Data collected during high torque and / or high gear ratios may also affect the vehicle under these conditions. The forces that influence the outcome are often difficult to model and therefore may be masked. When a vehicle is selected, the module 1406 creates a force model for the specified vehicle. The model depends on a number of model parameters (e.g. wheel diameter, engine and rear Turbo efficiency, engine inertia, aerodynamic drag coefficient, etc. From these parameters, the total load on the vehicle is calculated. Force action (F total ) can be modeled using: (1)F total =m×a total , where: (2)F total =F engine -F aero_drag -F rolling_r esistance ,and (3)a total =a measured +gravity×sin(grade)

[0139] By periodically sampling the sensing data and executing it via module 1406 This generates multiple mass estimate (m) samples, which are then averaged by the averaging module. For example, a large number of samples are generated over a period of time and averaged by the filter 1408. , are plotted. Once the samples have "converged", an accurate estimate of the vehicle's mass is achieved.

[0140] For more information on Pipeline 1400, see Holm and Bae, Rye and G. See the above-mentioned publication by Erdes, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. This shall be included.

[0141] The above-described pipeline 1400 is merely exemplary and any existing or future developed pipeline may be used. It should be noted that other mass estimation algorithms may also be used. In this regard, the specific pipelines described and illustrated herein are not intended to be limiting in any way. should not be construed as

[0142] Regardless of the mass estimation algorithm or data pipeline used, Applicants believe that As implemented by a reset module 1410 provided in the pipeline 1400, We are not aware of any instances where the reset function is relied upon. The reset module 1410 may be configured to perform a specific reset operation, as described in the following two embodiments. If a situation arises, reset the pipeline and use new sensor data to generate a new mass estimate. can be used to start

[0143] In a non-exclusive embodiment, two mass estimation pipeline calculations are performed in parallel. 1 or 1st order is a "long horizon" mass estimation pipeline calculation, while the 2nd order is Or second order is a "short horizon" mass estimation pipeline calculation.

[0144] The first or primary calculations run indefinitely as long as the vehicle is running and moving. 1 or the first calculation is when the vehicle stops moving for more than a threshold time (e.g., 1 minute, 5 minutes, etc.). If such a stop occurs, the vehicle will be stopped after it resumes operation. Volumes can change dramatically. For example, trucks may deliver goods while stopped, or or swapping trailers, both of which can result in significant changes in mass. To take this possibility into account, the first calculation discards the sensor data already collected and restarts the operation. The mass estimation calculations are then restarted using any new data collected after the restart.

[0145] On the other hand, the second or secondary mass estimation calculations are performed over a short time interval (e.g., 2 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.). Once the time interval expires, the previously collected sensor data is discarded. The second mass estimation calculation is performed when the vehicle is still operating and moving, using the newly detected The second or secondary calculations are performed for a short period of time, so the Generally (but not necessarily) more accurate and stable than first or second order calculations Although this reduces accuracy, the second order calculation is a method to estimate how mass changes from one time interval to the next. In various embodiments, the interval is fixed and the This means that the expiration of each fixed interval causes a reset of the second mass estimate calculation. In an alternative embodiment, the short time interval may vary or vary between multiple reset time intervals. A range may be defined.

[0146] A useful "health" comparison of the primary and secondary mass estimates, performed in parallel, provides If the difference between the two is less than a threshold such as 10% to 15%, This is a strong indication that the mass of the vehicle has not changed significantly and that the first-order calculations are accurate. On the other hand, exceeding the threshold indicates that the vehicle's mass may have changed significantly. A flag is set. As a result, the mass estimation calculation is considered compromised and the first or primary The pipeline 1400 is reset by a reset module 1410 .

[0147] FIG. 15 shows the procedure for performing the first and second mass estimation calculations with the reset function 1408. A flow chart 1500 of the steps is shown.

[0148] In a first step 1502, it is determined whether the vehicle is moving.

[0149] If the vehicle is moving, the primary and secondary mass estimates are performed in steps 1504 and 1505, respectively. They will start in parallel at 08.

[0150] In step 1506, if the vehicle has not stopped for more than the threshold time, the primary mass thrust The constant calculation is carried out infinitely.

[0151] The primary mass estimation calculation continues at step 1507 if the vehicle is stopped for more than the threshold time. and is reset by module 1410.

[0152] When the vehicle resumes movement, as determined in step 1502, The first mass estimation calculation will then be resumed.

[0153] In parallel, a secondary mass estimation calculation is performed in step 1508 .

[0154] At decision 1510, a determination is made as to whether the short measurement period has expired. If so, the reset module resets the secondary mass calculation in step 1511. .

[0155] If the vehicle continues to move after the reset, steps 1508, 1510 and and step 1511 is repeated continuously.

[0156] As a result, the primary and secondary calculations produce a continuous mass estimate while the vehicle is moving. is.

[0157] In step 1512, the primary and secondary mass estimation calculations are continuously compared. If the value is less than a certain threshold (e.g., 10% to 15%), the above process is repeated continuously. do.

[0158] On the other hand, if the difference is greater than a threshold, the primary mass estimate is flagged as compromised. If a specified threshold is exceeded, it is assumed that something has happened that compromises the primary mass estimate. As a result, the primary mass estimate is reset in step 1507 and the process begins anew. It starts with new data.

[0159] When vehicles are operating in a platoon, mass estimation calculations may be deemed to be compromised. In this case, any number of actions can be taken, for example breaking up the platoon as a safety measure. or the gap may be expanded. If the next and second mass estimates are again within the threshold, restart the platoon and / or The gap can be reduced.

[0160] In yet another embodiment, the reset function performed by module 1410 is There are other settings that may not be suitable for toning that can be used as well. Here are some: Here is an example:

[0161] In a tractor trailer, sudden changes in mass can occur in a short period of time. For example, a tractor There may be cases where trailers need to be loaded or unloaded, or trailers need to be switched in a short period of time. The trailer may be significantly heavier or lighter after such a change. do.

[0162] Certain vehicles, such as gravel trucks, may load cargo (e.g. gravel) from the rear while moving at slow speeds. In some cases, they may be discarded.

[0163] The mass of a vehicle can also vary greatly depending on its location. When new concrete is picked up at a concrete yard, the mass increases significantly, but When the concrete is poured, the mass is significantly reduced.

[0164] In each of the above scenarios, the mass of the vehicle changed dramatically. Using the module 1410, new security measures can be implemented based on time, speed, or location. The mass estimation calculation is reset using sensor data to remove old data that is no longer accurate. is discarded.

[0165] FIG. 16 optionally includes a vehicle stop, speed, location, or any combination thereof. 16 shows a flow diagram 1600 for resetting a vehicle's mass estimate.

[0166] In a first step 1602, it is determined whether the vehicle is moving.

[0167] In step 1604, if the vehicle is moving, a mass estimation calculation is initiated.

[0168] In step 1606, it is determined whether a reset condition has been met. If not, the above process is repeated as long as the vehicle is moving. If so, the reset module 1410 resets the mass calculation estimate in step 1608. .

[0169] When a reset occurs as provided in step 1608, perform a mass estimation calculation. The steps are halted until the reset condition is no longer satisfied. If not, the process described above begins at step 1602. can either be paused or reset. In the former case, when the computation is resumed, At least some of the existing data used in the calculation before the stop is used. When you stop, all previous data is discarded and a new calculation starts from the data collected after the stop. It will begin.

[0170] As previously mentioned, the reset conditions can be time, speed, location, or any combination thereof. For example, according to different embodiments, the reset may be based on one or two It may be implemented only if one or all three conditions are met.

[0171] Accordingly, the present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the present invention is The invention should not be limited to the details given in this specification, but should be construed as limited to the scope of the appended claims and equivalents. It can be modified within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. identifying a first vehicle and a second vehicle at a data processing center; receiving, at the data processing center, sensor data from the first vehicle and the second vehicle useful for calculating a first mass estimate and a second mass estimate for the first vehicle and the second vehicle, respectively; performing, at the data processing center, calculation of a first mass estimation and a second mass estimation of the first vehicle and calculation of a first mass estimation and a second mass estimation of the second vehicle using the sensor data received from the first vehicle and the second vehicle, respectively; determining whether to assign a leading position and a trailing position within a platoon to the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on a comparison of the first mass estimate to the second mass estimate of the first vehicle and a comparison of the first mass estimate to the second mass estimate of the second vehicle; directing the first vehicle and the second vehicle to assemble and join the platoon; coordinating a platoon between the first vehicle and the second vehicle by communicating to and sharing between the first vehicle and the second vehicle assigned leading and trailing positions as determined from the calculated mass estimates of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, respectively; Including, adjusting the platoon between the first vehicle and the second vehicle includes at least one of widening a gap, shortening a gap, resuming platooning, and breaking up platooning; the second mass estimate operates over a shorter time interval than the first mass estimate; the first mass estimate and the second mass estimate are each calculated by averaging a plurality of mass estimation samples over time; By communicating and sharing the assigned leading and trailing positions, it becomes possible for the two vehicles to recognize the assigned positions at the time of contact during assembly; The method, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle each assume an assigned position at a contact time during convergence.

2. The step of determining assigned leading and trailing positions of the first and second vehicles further includes: comparing the first and second mass estimates of the first and second vehicles; determining that one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle determined to have a larger estimated mass will travel in an assigned leading position; determining that one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle determined to have a smaller estimated mass will travel to an assigned following location; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sharing the first mass estimate of the first vehicle with the second vehicle.

4. generating a command at the first vehicle while the first and second vehicles are operating in a platoon; sharing the commands generated by the first vehicle with the second vehicle; scaling the commands at the second vehicle when received from the first vehicle, the scaling the commands based at least in part on a relative difference between the first mass estimate and the second mass estimate of the two vehicles; executing the scaled command at the second vehicle; The method of claim 3 further comprising:

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the commands include a brake command and a throttle command.

6. The sensor data received at the data processing center includes: Engine torque command, The actual engine torque delivered, Gear ratio, GPS or location information, wheel speed, Braking Event Tire pressure, tire condition, the presence or location of aerodynamic aids; Trailer configuration, Number of trailers, and / or One or more trailer axles The method of claim 1 , further comprising data collected from or indicative of one or more of:

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the sensor data at the data processing center further comprises receiving the sensor data from the first vehicle and the second vehicle via a wireless communication network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating the platoon further comprises communicating with the first vehicle and the second vehicle via a wireless communications network.

9. receiving the sensor data from a number of vehicles at the data processing center; coordinating a plurality of platoons among said plurality of vehicles; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

10. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the platoon includes one or more additional vehicles in addition to the first and second vehicles, and the vehicles are arranged in the platoon in front-to-back order from largest to smallest mass estimate, respectively.

11. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data processing center is a network operations center (NOC) configured to remotely coordinate platooning between multiple tractor-trailers, and each of the multiple tractor-trailers reports sensor data to the NOC such that the NOC can selectively coordinate platooning between the multiple tractor-trailers.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are both tractor-trailer trucks.

13. (a) periodically updating a mass estimation calculation of the first vehicle from sensor data sensed by the first vehicle while the first vehicle is traveling; (b) detecting a braking event by the first vehicle; (c) interrupting periodic updates of a mass estimation calculation for the first vehicle during the detected braking event, the interruption excluding sensor data sensed during the braking event from being used in the periodic updates of a mass estimation calculation for the first vehicle; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

14. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising repeatedly performing steps (a), (b), and (c) while the first vehicle is traveling such that the first vehicle mass estimation calculation is repeatedly updated while excluding sensor data sensed during braking events.

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