Vehicle Platoon Acknowledgement Signaling for Reliable Maneuvers

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Solution Overview

Problem

The reliability of direct communication between vehicles in a platoon is compromised in situations without a direct line of sight or due to signal collisions, leading to potential abortion of driving maneuvers and dissolution of the platoon.

Innovation Solution

Introducing additional acknowledgement messages that are transmitted to both the first and second vehicles involved in a platoon control instruction, rather than just the leading vehicle, to enhance communication reliability during maneuvers like merging, splitting, and vehicle departure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If direct vehicle-to-vehicle messages are used for coordination, then communication speed is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to signal collision and line of sight requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication speedVSAvoidcommunication reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements an acknowledgement message system where receiving vehicles send feedback to transmitting vehicles to confirm successful reception of platoon control instructions. This feedback mechanism ensures that critical coordination messages are reliably delivered and understood by all relevant vehicles, resolving the reliability issue while maintaining the direct communication speed advantage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transmits platoon control instructions to multiple vehicles simultaneously before the actual maneuver is executed. This preliminary action ensures all vehicles receive and process the same coordination information in advance, preventing communication failures during critical maneuver execution while maintaining efficient direct communication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If acknowledgement messages are transmitted to multiple vehicles, then communication reliability is improved, but message quantity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidmessage quantity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a single platoon control instruction message that serves multiple functions simultaneously: it coordinates the maneuver, identifies all affected vehicles through platoon member identification, and triggers acknowledgement messages from each relevant vehicle. This multi-functionality approach improves reliability through comprehensive coverage without proportionally increasing message quantity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically generates and transmits acknowledgement messages from receiving vehicles without requiring additional manual intervention or control overhead. Each vehicle autonomously confirms receipt of instructions, improving reliability while the message quantity increase is limited to essential confirmation signals rather than extensive data exchanges.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3614355B1Apparatuses, methods and computer programs for vehicles of a platoon of vehicles
Publication Date: 2025.04.23 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP3614355B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1c
  • EP3614355B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP3614355B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

The present invention relates to apparatuses, methods and computer programs for vehicles of a platoon of vehicles. A method for a vehicle of a platoon of vehicles comprises receiving a platoon control instruction. The platoon control instruction is related to the platoon of vehicles. The platoon control instruction relates to a first vehicle and a second vehicle. The method comprises transmitting an acknowledgement message in response to the platoon control instruction to the first vehicle and to the second vehicle.