Platooning Control via Error Propagation Ratios

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle platooning control systems face challenges in maintaining a safe vehicle-to-vehicle distance as errors propagate to the rear vehicles due to communication delays and response times, leading to reduced safety allowances and smoother movement issues.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle platooning control system that determines target vehicle-to-vehicle distances based on error propagation ratios, ensuring safe distances by exponentially increasing the gap between vehicles as they move to the rear, and adjusts acceleration instructions based on frequency characteristics to minimize error propagation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is controlled to be short to improve traffic flow and fuel efficiency, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to error propagation to rear vehicles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraffic flowVSAvoidsafety allowance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making the vehicle-to-vehicle distance non-uniform across the platoon. Specifically, the distance is set to be shorter for front vehicles and progressively longer for rear vehicles based on their position in the row. This resolves the contradiction by allowing short distances (high productivity) where error propagation is minimal (front), while maintaining longer distances (high reliability) where error propagation is significant (rear), thus optimizing both traffic flow and safety throughout the entire platoon.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Use of energy by moving object

If the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is controlled to be short to reduce air resistance and improve fuel efficiency, then use of energy is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to error propagation to rear vehicles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel efficiencyVSAvoidsafety allowance

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making the vehicle-to-vehicle distance non-uniform across the platoon. Specifically, the distance is set to be shorter for front vehicles and progressively longer for rear vehicles based on their position in the row. This resolves the contradiction by allowing short distances (high productivity) where error propagation is minimal (front), while maintaining longer distances (high reliability) where error propagation is significant (rear), thus optimizing both traffic flow and safety throughout the entire platoon.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If uniform vehicle-to-vehicle distance is maintained across all vehicles, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates as safety allowance becomes smaller for rear vehicles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol simplicityVSAvoidsafety allowance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making the vehicle-to-vehicle distance non-uniform across the platoon. Specifically, the distance is set to be shorter for front vehicles and progressively longer for rear vehicles based on their position in the row. This resolves the contradiction by allowing short distances (high productivity) where error propagation is minimal (front), while maintaining longer distances (high reliability) where error propagation is significant (rear), thus optimizing both traffic flow and safety throughout the entire platoon.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies dynamics by making the vehicle-to-vehicle distance adaptive rather than static. The distance is dynamically adjusted based on the vehicle's position in the row and the error propagation characteristics. This allows the system to automatically optimize safety allowances for each vehicle without complex manual control, resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS8660779B2Row-running control system and vehicle

Publication Date: 2014.02.25 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

A vehicle platooning control system is a vehicle platooning control system that controls a relative relationship between vehicles so that a plurality of vehicles runs in a row. In this system, each target value of a relative relationship between vehicles continuous in the longitudinal direction of a row is determined on the basis of a relative relationship error propagation ratio which is a ratio of an error of the relative relationship propagated to the rear vehicles running in the row.