Autonomous Vehicle Collaboration via Dynamic Platooning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current autonomous vehicle systems lack effective collaboration methods to enhance sensor data sharing and mission coordination among vehicles, leading to inefficiencies in navigation and operation.

Innovation Solution

A processor-implemented method for coordinating travel between multiple autonomous vehicles, including sending collaboration requests, assigning leading functions, negotiating missions, determining formations, and generating trajectories based on shared vehicle data, with options for automatic or user-initiated requests and responses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If autonomous vehicles operate independently without collaboration, then each vehicle maintains operational independence and simple control systems, but navigation efficiency and mission coordination are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation efficiencyVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple autonomous vehicles are merged into collaborative groups to share sensor data and coordinate missions, improving navigation efficiency through combined capabilities while managing control complexity through structured role assignment and centralized trajectory generation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The control system is segmented into distinct functional modules: collaboration management module for group coordination, role assignment module for distributing tasks, and trajectory generation module for path planning. This segmentation allows complex collaboration control to be managed through specialized, modular components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If vehicles form collaborative groups for missions, then sensor data sharing and mission coordination improve, but communication overhead and coordination complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor data sharingVSAvoidcoordination complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Different vehicles within the group are assigned different roles (leader, follower, specialized functions) based on their specific sensor capabilities and mission requirements. This local quality approach allows each vehicle to contribute its unique strengths while maintaining overall group coordination through defined role-based responsibilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

A collaboration management module acts as an intermediary that coordinates communication between vehicles, manages role assignments, and facilitates trajectory generation. This intermediary structure reduces direct coordination complexity by providing a standardized interface for inter-vehicle communication and decision-making

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Use of energy by moving object

If vehicles optimize for energy efficiency through platooning, then energy consumption is reduced, but formation maintenance and group coordination require additional control efforts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidformation maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The vehicle formation is made dynamic rather than static, allowing automatic adjustment of platoon configurations based on real-time conditions such as road gradient, traffic conditions, and vehicle performance. This dynamic adaptation optimizes energy efficiency while reducing manual formation maintenance through automated control adjustments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Adaptability or versatility

If multiple vehicles share sensor data and coordinate missions, then overall mission capability is enhanced, but data processing requirements and communication bandwidth increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemission capabilityVSAvoiddata processing volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and processes only the essential sensor data needed for collaborative mission execution, rather than sharing all raw sensor data between vehicles. This selective data extraction reduces communication bandwidth requirements and processing volume while maintaining enhanced mission capability through relevant information sharing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS10481600B2Systems and methods for collaboration between autonomous vehicles

Publication Date: 2019.11.19 GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

AI summary

Systems and method are provided for collaboration between autonomous vehicles. In one embodiment, a processor-implemented method for coordinating travel between multiple autonomous vehicles is provided. The method includes sending a collaboration request to one or more vehicles in an area to form a group to perform a mission, receiving an acceptance of the collaboration request to join the group wherein the group includes a plurality of vehicles, cooperating in assigning leading functions for the group to one or more of the plurality of vehicles in the group, cooperating in mission negotiations for the group, cooperating in determining a formation for the group, and cooperating in generating a trajectory for the group. The vehicles in the group are operated in accordance with the determined formation and generated trajectory.