Automated Vehicle Convoy Messaging for Safe Gap Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automated vehicle convoy systems face challenges in maintaining safe distances and preventing collisions, especially during unexpected interruptions in communication, as they rely on real-time vehicle-to-vehicle communication for steering and brake signals, which can lead to potential collisions if messages are not received correctly.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a unidirectional cyclical flow of messages from the leading vehicle to subsequent vehicles, including temporal information for minimum distance calculation, with features like time stamps, message validation, and cryptographic security measures to ensure safe driving operations, even in cases of communication disruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If real-time vehicle-to-vehicle communication is used for steering and brake signals, then coordination and fuel savings are improved, but collision risk increases if communication is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by calculating and transmitting the minimum distance value in advance before any collision risk arises. The leading vehicle computes the minimum safe distance based on its braking characteristics and transmits this value to following vehicles proactively, so that when communication is interrupted, following vehicles already have the necessary safety parameter to prevent collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by using a pre-calculated minimum distance value as a mediator between the leading vehicle's braking actions and the following vehicles' safety responses. This intermediate parameter encapsulates the safety requirements and can be used independently even when direct real-time communication fails.
2Use of energy by moving object
If vehicles drive at close distances to save fuel, then energy consumption is reduced, but safety risk increases if communication fails
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates the minimum distance required for safe braking in advance and transmits it to following vehicles before any emergency situation occurs. This allows following vehicles to maintain smaller safety margins during normal operation (saving fuel) while still having the pre-computed minimum distance available to ensure safety if communication fails.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter transmission approach by sending the minimum distance value (a derived safety parameter) rather than continuous real-time commands. This allows following vehicles to operate at smaller distances for fuel efficiency while the transmitted minimum distance parameter provides the safety boundary that prevents collisions even when communication is interrupted.
3Reliability
If message transmission frequency is increased to improve safety, then collision prevention is enhanced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential safety information (minimum distance value) from the continuous communication stream and transmits it as a discrete, standalone parameter. This single critical value contains all the necessary safety information needed by following vehicles, eliminating the need for frequent continuous message transmission while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system discards the need for continuous real-time communication by using the pre-calculated minimum distance value that can be stored and reused by following vehicles. This recovered safety parameter remains valid even when communication is interrupted, allowing the system to discard frequent message transmission while maintaining safety assurance.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for operating an automated vehicle convoy includes periodically wirelessly transmitting messages from preceding participants of the automated vehicle convoy to respective following participants of the automated vehicle convoy, proceeding from the leading participant of the automated vehicle convoy. The messages include at least one piece of, in particular temporal, information from which a minimum distance between each following participant and the respective preceding participant is ascertained. The following participants of the automated vehicle convoy are guided corresponding to the ascertained minimum distance.