Autonomous Vehicle Coupling for User Transfer Between Routes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle platooning systems do not effectively manage the transfer of users between vehicles with different destinations, leading to reduced convenience for multiple users sharing autonomous vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A server and vehicle operation management system that allows for the coupling and uncoupling of autonomous vehicles to facilitate user transfer between them, using a server to manage vehicle and user information and control vehicle communication interfaces to enable seamless transitions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If vehicles are platooned with short distances between them, then energy consumption is reduced, but user convenience for transferring between vehicles deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the coupled state between vehicles based on user transfer requirements. Vehicles can transition between coupled and uncoupled states, allowing the distance between vehicles to be adjusted from short (for energy efficiency) to larger (for user convenience), resolving the contradiction through temporal and spatial flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle group is segmented into individually controllable units that can be coupled or uncoupled based on specific needs. This allows the system to maintain short distances for energy efficiency when no transfers are needed, while enabling temporary separation or reconfiguration when user transfers require convenience
2Device complexity
If each vehicle operates independently, then vehicle control is simple, but transport convenience for multiple users with different destinations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple vehicles are merged into a coupled vehicle group that operates as a coordinated unit under centralized server control. This allows the system to provide integrated transport services for multiple users with different destinations while maintaining relatively simple individual vehicle controls through the coordination managed by the server
Solution Approach 2:
A server acts as an intermediary between individual vehicles and users, managing the complex coordination of coupled vehicles. The server handles route planning, coupling/uncoupling decisions, and user transfer coordination, allowing individual vehicles to maintain simple control systems while the overall system provides complex multi-user transport services
3Ease of operation
If vehicles are coupled to form a vehicle group, then user transfer between vehicles is enabled, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The server serves as an intermediary that manages the complexity of coupling and uncoupling operations. It coordinates communication between vehicles, manages the coupled state transitions, and handles user transfer logistics, thereby enabling user transfer capability while containing system complexity within the centralized management layer rather than requiring complex distributed control
Data Source
AI summary
A server manages operation of a plurality of vehicles that are autonomous and used for transporting a plurality of users. The server includes a server communication interface and a server controller. The server communication interface is configured to be able to transmit/receive information to/from the plurality of vehicles. The server controller is configured to be able to transmit, via the server communication interface, an instruction to couple a first vehicle and a second vehicle which are included in the plurality of vehicles to thereby form a vehicle group which includes the first vehicle and the second vehicle in a coupled state, and control the first vehicle and the second vehicle so that a user in either one vehicle of the first vehicle and the second vehicle can move to another vehicle, and an instruction to release at least part of the coupled state of the vehicle group.