Cascaded Vehicle Platoon Links for Low-Latency Highway Merging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle platooning systems are limited by communication range, leading to suboptimal highway throughput, increased latency, and safety concerns due to separate platoons maintaining large following distances, while modifying antennas or vehicle exteriors for improved communication can be costly and affect aerodynamics.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a cascaded connection technology where lead vehicles establish direct communication links to form larger platoons, minimizing latency and eliminating the need for exterior modifications by enabling local control of platoon participation without involving the second lead vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the communication range is increased by improving antenna designs, then the maximum size of the platoon is increased, but the cost of exterior design changes increases and aerodynamics are negatively impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the platoon communication into multiple hops through intermediate vehicles. Instead of requiring each vehicle to communicate directly with the lead vehicle over long distances, the communication is divided into shorter segments passed through follower vehicles, eliminating the need for extended antenna ranges while avoiding exterior modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
Follower vehicles act as intermediaries or relays to forward control messages from the lead vehicle to distant followers. This intermediary approach extends the effective communication range without modifying any vehicle's antenna or exterior, as each vehicle only needs to communicate with its immediate neighbors.
2Length of stationary object
If wireless relaying is used to extend communication range, then the maximum size of the platoon is increased, but latency is increased which gives rise to safety concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes direct communication links between the lead vehicle and follower vehicles within range before platoon formation is complete. This preliminary action allows vehicles to join the platoon without requiring messages to traverse the entire platoon length, minimizing latency for new joiners while maintaining extended platoon size.
3Reliability
If separate platoons maintain large following distances for safety, then safety is improved, but highway throughput is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The platoon is segmented into multiple communication hops where each vehicle communicates only with its immediate neighbor. This segmentation allows vehicles to maintain small physical following distances while safety is preserved through the distributed communication architecture, thereby increasing highway throughput without compromising safety.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for technology that sends first operation instructions to a first platoon of autonomous vehicles positioned behind a first lead vehicle, wherein the first operation instructions correspond to a manual operation of the first lead vehicle. The technology may also establish a direct communications link between the first lead vehicle and a second lead vehicle positioned ahead of the first lead vehicle, wherein the second lead vehicle is to be associated with a second platoon of autonomous vehicles. Additionally, the technology broadcasts second operation instructions from the direct communications link to the first platoon of autonomous vehicles while the first lead vehicle is in an autonomous mode, wherein the second operation instructions correspond to a manual operation of the second lead vehicle. The technology may also discontinue the direct communications link between the first lead vehicle and the second lead vehicle.