Vehicle Platoon Formation Around Occupant Travel Preferences

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies do not adequately support the platooning of multiple vehicle trains, as occupant preferences for vehicle travel can vary, leading to inconsistent platooning control that may not satisfy individual travel preferences.

Innovation Solution

A travel support system that includes a management server to acquire travel preference information from vehicles, form vehicle trains with similar preferences, and control platooning based on this information, using wireless communication and remote control for vehicles with automated driving capabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If platooning control is performed uniformly for all vehicles, then control simplicity is maintained, but individual travel preferences of occupants are not satisfied

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to individual travel preferencesVSAvoidplatooning control system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The platooning control system is segmented into multiple independent control units, each responsible for a specific vehicle train. Each control unit acquires and processes travel preference information for its assigned vehicle train, enabling customized control without requiring a monolithic complex system. This segmentation allows individualized preference-based control while maintaining overall system manageability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies local quality by tailoring platooning control parameters specifically to each vehicle train's occupant preferences. Travel preference information is acquired and processed locally for each vehicle train, allowing customized acceleration, deceleration, and spacing control that matches individual occupant needs rather than applying uniform control to all vehicles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If multiple vehicle trains with different preferences are controlled together, then system efficiency is improved, but control accuracy for individual preferences deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplatooning system efficiencyVSAvoidpreference-based control accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The management server divides the plurality of vehicles into multiple independent vehicle trains, with each train having its own control unit that processes travel preference information separately. This segmentation enables the system to maintain high efficiency by managing multiple trains simultaneously while ensuring accurate preference-based control for each individual train through dedicated processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary acquisition of travel preference information for each vehicle train before executing platooning control. By obtaining and processing preference data in advance for each vehicle train, the system prepares customized control parameters that ensure accurate preference-based control while maintaining overall system efficiency through pre-planned coordination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If travel preference information is acquired from each vehicle, then personalized platooning control is enabled, but information processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepersonalization capabilityVSAvoidinformation processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The information processing workload is segmented across multiple control units, each responsible for acquiring and processing travel preference information for a specific vehicle train. This distribution of processing tasks enables personalized platooning control for each train while preventing any single processing unit from becoming overwhelmed, thus managing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The management server acts as an intermediary that coordinates information processing across multiple control units. It receives travel preference information from various vehicles, processes it through distributed control units, and synthesizes the results into coordinated platooning control commands, thereby managing information processing complexity while enabling personalization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20260018063A1Travel support device, travel support method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

Publication Date: 2026.01.15 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

A travel support device supports platooning of a plurality of vehicles. The travel support device includes one or more processors configured to: acquire travel preference information indicating a preference of an occupant regarding vehicle traveling, from each of the plurality of vehicles; based on the travel preference information, execute vehicle train formation support processing of supporting formation of a support target vehicle train in which vehicles having similar preferences perform the platooning; and when there is a plurality of support target vehicle trains, execute first travel control processing of acquiring at least one of the travel preference information and vehicle train travel information from each of the plurality of support target vehicle trains and controlling the platooning of each of the plurality of support target vehicle trains based on the acquired at least one of the travel preference information and the vehicle train travel information.