Fleet-Managed Vehicle Communication for Low-Latency Data Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Self-driving vehicles face challenges in managing data communication due to infrastructure limitations, communication overhead, and latency, making it difficult for them to share updated information effectively with each other and a central authority, especially in dynamic environments.
Innovation Solution
A communication system and method that involve a fleet management system receiving and transmitting data from self-driving vehicles based on specific conditions, such as proximity and functionality, to optimize data sharing and minimize resource strain, allowing vehicles to transmit data during critical periods or when within proximity thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If self-driving vehicles constantly transfer data to each other and central authority, then information freshness is improved, but communication resource strain increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different communication strategies to different vehicles based on their local characteristics. Vehicles are assigned different data transmission priorities and frequencies according to their specific roles, sensor capabilities, and operational states, rather than treating all vehicles uniformly. This selective approach maintains information freshness for critical vehicles while reducing overall communication resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system dynamically adjusts data transmission parameters based on real-time conditions. Transmission frequency, data volume, and priority levels are modified according to current traffic density, vehicle proximity, environmental factors, and mission criticality. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize information freshness while responding to changing resource availability.
2Productivity
If data transmission occurs without restrictions, then data communication effectiveness is improved, but infrastructure limitations are exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements selective data transmission where only essential or high-priority information is transmitted based on current operational needs. Rather than transmitting all available data from every vehicle, the system identifies and transmits only the subset of data that is critical for safety and coordination, reducing infrastructure burden while maintaining communication effectiveness for key operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The central authority acts as an intermediary that manages and coordinates communications between vehicles. It receives data from vehicles, processes priorities, and selectively forwards critical information to relevant vehicles or infrastructure components. This intermediary layer prevents direct peer-to-peer communication overload by filtering and routing only necessary data through the infrastructure.
3Reliability
If all vehicles transmit data at all times, then inter-vehicle awareness is improved, but communication overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
Vehicles transmit data at periodic intervals rather than continuously, with transmission frequency adjusted based on operational context. During normal operations, vehicles may transmit less frequently, while during critical events or when approaching other vehicles, transmission frequency increases. This periodic approach maintains sufficient inter-vehicle awareness while significantly reducing communication overhead and energy consumption compared to continuous transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for providing inter-vehicle communication are disclosed. The method includes receiving, at a fleet management system, operating data from one or more self-driving vehicles via a communication network, and operating the fleet management system to determine a characteristic of a set of vehicles of one or more self-driving vehicles satisfies at least one communication condition. In response to determining the set of vehicles satisfies the at least one communication condition, the fleet management system can operate to select a stored data portion from a manager storage unit based at least on the characteristic of the set of vehicles; and transmit the data portion to the set of vehicles via the communication network. A method of providing inter-vehicle communication between one or more self-driving vehicles is also disclosed.