Leading Vehicle Platooning Control for Collision Avoidance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional platooning systems fail to provide effective collision avoidance strategies, particularly for following vehicles with restricted views, making it difficult for them to react quickly to dangerous situations.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that includes sensors, a communication circuit, and a processor in a leading vehicle to predict collisions and generate probabilities for braking and lane changes, controlling both the leading and following vehicles' operations to prevent collisions, and transmitting control signals for coordinated actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the leading vehicle controls braking and lane change operations autonomously during platooning, then collision avoidance capability is improved, but the complexity of the control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into modular functional blocks: sensor module for detecting obstacles, probability calculation module for assessing collision risks, and control module for executing braking and lane change operations. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each function while maintaining overall system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary probability calculations for multiple potential collision avoidance strategies (braking, lane change) before executing any action. By pre-evaluating the effectiveness of different responses based on sensed conditions, the system prepares optimal control decisions in advance, improving reaction time and reliability.
2Loss of energy
If the following vehicle maintains restricted view due to platooning formation, then fuel efficiency and aerodynamic performance are improved, but the ability to detect obstacles and react quickly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The leading vehicle's sensor system performs multiple functions: it detects obstacles for the leading vehicle's own safety and simultaneously provides obstacle information to following vehicles for their safety. This multi-functionality allows following vehicles to maintain tight platooning formation for fuel efficiency while still having obstacle awareness through the leading vehicle's sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The leading vehicle acts as an intermediary between the environment and following vehicles. It senses obstacles that following vehicles cannot see directly and transmits this information via V2V communication, enabling following vehicles to react to obstacles without needing direct line of sight, thus maintaining both fuel efficiency and safety.
3Reliability
If the leading vehicle shares obstacle information with following vehicles via V2V communication, then coordinated collision avoidance is improved, but communication reliability requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements partial information sharing by transmitting only critical obstacle detection data and probability assessment results rather than complete sensor data streams. This selective transmission achieves coordinated collision avoidance while reducing communication bandwidth requirements and system complexity.
4Measurement precision
If the system calculates multiple probability values for different collision avoidance strategies, then decision-making accuracy is improved, but computational load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates probability values for multiple collision avoidance strategies (braking, lane change) based on current sensed conditions before a collision event occurs. By having these probability assessments ready in advance, the system achieves accurate real-time decision-making without excessive computational load during critical moments.
Solution Approach 2:
The probability calculation module dynamically adjusts assessment parameters based on the specific situation, focusing computational resources on the most relevant factors. When braking is likely effective, it prioritizes braking probability calculation; when lane change is more promising, it shifts focus accordingly, optimizing energy usage while maintaining accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for controlling platooning in a platooning group including a leading vehicle and one or more following vehicles can include: one or more sensors, a communication circuit, a display, and a processor. The processor can be configured to predict whether a collision with an object ahead of the leading vehicle will occur using information sensed by at least a portion of the one or more sensors; control one or more of a braking operation of the leading vehicle and a lane change operation of the leading vehicle based on the generated probability; and transmit a control signal to the following vehicle via the communication circuit for controlling one or more of a braking operation of the following vehicle and a lane change operation of the following vehicle based on a generated probability.