Decentralized Vehicle ETA Coordination for Quarry Logistics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle routing systems at construction sites, such as quarry plants, face inefficiencies due to vehicles often having to wait in line to load or unload, leading to suboptimal machine utilization and increased waiting times, which can be costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A decentralized system where vehicles equipped with transmitters and receivers communicate their estimated times of arrival to each other, allowing them to adjust their speeds based on the information received from nearby vehicles to minimize waiting times and optimize arrival times at target destinations, without the need for a hierarchical control unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If vehicles travel at constant speed without coordination, then vehicle operation is simple, but waiting time at loading and unloading positions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple vehicle communication and calculation functions into a single integrated system. Each vehicle is equipped with a communication unit that can both transmit and receive ETA information, and a calculation unit that processes this information to determine desired speeds. This merging of functions reduces the need for separate dedicated infrastructure while achieving coordinated arrival times at loading and unloading positions, thereby reducing waiting time without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables vehicles to autonomously calculate their own desired speeds based on received ETA information from other vehicles. Each vehicle's calculation unit independently determines the optimal speed profile to achieve a desired time of arrival, without requiring centralized control or manual intervention. This self-service approach allows vehicles to adapt their behavior dynamically while keeping the overall system relatively simple.
2Productivity
If vehicles arrive at target destinations simultaneously, then facility utilization is maximized, but fuel consumption increases due to speed adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates and communicates desired times of arrival in advance, allowing vehicles to plan their speed profiles before reaching critical locations. By determining the desired ETA based on received information from other vehicles and facility status, vehicles can adjust their speed proactively rather than making abrupt changes at the last moment. This preliminary action enables smoother acceleration and deceleration patterns, reducing energy consumption while still achieving coordinated arrivals that maximize facility utilization.
3Measurement precision
If a centralized control system is used to coordinate vehicles, then arrival time coordination is accurate, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the vehicle coordination function into independent segments distributed across individual vehicles. Instead of a single centralized controller, each vehicle is equipped with its own communication unit and calculation unit that can independently process ETA information and determine speed adjustments. This segmentation maintains accurate arrival time coordination through distributed decision-making while avoiding the infrastructure costs and complexity associated with centralized control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses communicated ETA information as an intermediary mechanism to coordinate vehicles without direct centralized control. Each vehicle transmits its estimated time of arrival to others, and this shared information serves as a mediator that enables all vehicles to independently calculate appropriate speed adjustments. This intermediary approach achieves accurate coordination while maintaining system decentralization and reducing overall complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a system (200) for calculating a desired time of arrival to a target destination (304, 406, 506) for a vehicle (1), comprising a device (202) mountable to a first vehicle (306, 410, 502), the device comprises: a transmitter (204); a receiver (206); and a logic unit (208) configured to receive signals for determining a current position and a current vehicle speed of the first vehicle (306, 410, 502), the logic unit (208) being further configured to determine an estimated time of arrival (210) at a target destination (304, 406, 506) for the first vehicle (306, 410, 502) based on predetermined route information, the current position of the first vehicle and the target destination of the first vehicle (306, 410, 502); wherein the device (202) is configured to transmit the estimated time of arrival (210) at the target destination (304, 406, 506) for the first vehicle (306, 410, 502); receive, from a second vehicle (308, 412, 504), an estimated time of arrival (212) at the target destination (304, 406, 506) for the second vehicle (308, 412, 504); calculate a desired estimated time of arrival at the target destination (304, 406, 506) for the first vehicle (306, 410, 502) based on the received estimated time of arrival (212) at the target destination (304, 406, 506) for the second vehicle (308, 412, 504); and calculate a desired vehicle speed for the first vehicle (306, 410, 502) for achieving the desired estimated time of arrival at the target destination for the first vehicle (306, 410, 502).