Vehicle Platooning Entry Control Using Cargo and Passenger Risk

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vehicle platooning systems do not adequately consider cargo and passenger information when allowing external vehicles to join a platooning convoy, leading to increased risks of accidents and potential large-scale damage.

Innovation Solution

A method and device where a leader vehicle in a platooning convoy collects and evaluates information about participating vehicles and external vehicles requesting to join, determining whether to approve entry based on factors like total vehicle number, passenger occupancy rate, and cargo safety levels, and arranges new vehicles to minimize accident damage by positioning them in areas of low passenger or cargo density.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If external vehicles are allowed to join the platooning convoy without evaluating cargo and passenger information, then the platoon size and transportation capacity increase, but the risk of large-scale accidents and damage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplatoon sizeVSAvoidaccident risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary evaluation of cargo and passenger information before allowing external vehicles to join the platooning convoy. The leader vehicle collects and assesses cargo types, passenger counts, and other relevant data in advance, making admission decisions based on pre-established safety criteria and thresholds, thereby preventing high-risk vehicles from joining the platoon

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts platoon admission thresholds and safety parameters based on current platoon conditions. When the platoon already contains vehicles with high passenger occupancy or hazardous cargo, the system raises the bar for external vehicle admission, effectively controlling the overall risk level while still allowing capacity expansion under safe conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If vehicles are arranged without considering cargo and passenger distribution, then the joining process is simplified and faster, but accident damage may be exacerbated due to poor vehicle positioning

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvejoining process simplicityVSAvoidaccident damage
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different arrangement strategies to different regions of the platoon based on cargo and passenger characteristics. High-risk vehicles carrying hazardous cargo or with high passenger occupancy are strategically positioned in low-density zones away from other high-risk vehicles, while low-risk vehicles can be placed in high-density areas, optimizing safety without complicating the overall joining process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The leader vehicle pre-calculates optimal vehicle positions before external vehicles actually join the platoon. By assessing the current cargo and passenger distribution and predicting the impact of new additions, the system determines safe positioning strategies in advance, ensuring that even simplified joining operations maintain appropriate safety distances and arrangements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4116952B1Method and device for vehicle platooning
Publication Date: 2024.03.06 HYUNDAI MOBIS CO LTD
  • EP4116952B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4116952B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4116952B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle platooning method includes an information collection operation in which a leader vehicle in a platooning convoy platooning receives information from other vehicles in the platooning convoy and checks the other vehicles; and a determination operation in which, when a request for joining the platooning convoy is received from an external vehicle not participating in the platooning convoy, the leader vehicle receives information about the external vehicle and determines whether to approve the request for joining the platooning convoy. The external vehicle is notified of a result of and a reason for the determination.