Global Platooning Control With Adaptive Feedback Rate Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current platooning systems face challenges in balancing communication load and safety, with open loop control offering higher safety margins but limited monitoring capabilities, while closed loop control provides better reaction times but risks overwhelming wireless channels, leading to suboptimal performance in high-density scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A global platooning controller system that adapts feedback and command communication rates based on overall signalling load and local deviations, using transceiver and control modules to dynamically adjust feedback transmission rates and command information, ensuring efficient communication and safety by optimizing wireless channel usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If closed loop control is used with high feedback frequency, then control loop performance is improved, but wireless channel becomes overloaded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adaptation of feedback frequency based on actual system needs. The global platooning controller adjusts the feedback rate from local controllers according to the current signalling load and safety requirements, transitioning from static high-frequency feedback to dynamic variable-frequency feedback. This resolves the contradiction by making the feedback frequency flexible rather than fixed, allowing optimization between control performance and channel load.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of feedback frequency dynamically. Instead of maintaining a constant high feedback rate, the system adjusts the feedback frequency parameter based on current conditions including safety requirements and channel capacity. This parameter adaptation allows the system to achieve adequate control performance while preventing wireless channel overload.
2Reliability
If open loop control is used, then safety margins are higher, but monitoring capabilities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces adaptive feedback mechanisms where local controllers provide feedback to the global controller at dynamically adjusted rates. This feedback enables monitoring capabilities by allowing the global controller to receive information about local vehicle states and deviations. The feedback is tuned to provide necessary monitoring while managing channel load, thus improving monitoring capabilities without completely sacrificing safety margins.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial feedback where not all controllers continuously send feedback at maximum rate. Instead, feedback is provided at selective rates based on local needs and global channel conditions. This partial feedback approach maintains adequate monitoring capabilities while conserving wireless resources, achieving a balance between information availability and channel capacity.
3Reliability
If feedback rate is increased to minimize inter-vehicle distance, then safety is improved, but wireless channel capacity is exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts feedback rates based on actual safety needs and channel conditions. Rather than using a fixed high feedback rate to ensure safety, the system adapts the feedback frequency in real-time, increasing it when safety requires and reducing it when channel capacity is constrained. This dynamic approach resolves the contradiction by making safety assurance flexible and adaptive rather than rigid.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic feedback transmission with variable periods. Instead of continuous high-rate feedback, the system uses periodic transmissions where the period length adjusts based on current conditions. This periodic action with adaptive timing allows the system to maintain safety monitoring while respecting wireless channel capacity constraints.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments relate to an apparatus, a method and a computer program for a global platooning controller, and to a platooning system. The apparatus (20) for a global platooning controller comprises a transceiver module (22) configured to transmit information related to control commands to one or more local platooning controllers (100), and to receive feedback information from the one or more local platooning controllers (100). The apparatus (20) comprises a control module (24) configured to control the transceiver module (22),determine information related to an overall signalling load for the one or more local platooning controllers (100) based on the feedback information from the one or more local platooning controllers (100), and determine information related to control commands for the one or more local platooning controllers (100) based on the information related to the overall signalling load and based on the feedback information.