Vehicle Platooning Status Indication via Wireless Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manual vehicle following methods are unsafe and inefficient, leading to potential accidents and fuel wastage, while automated systems lack effective communication to external authorities about their operational status, causing unnecessary delays and misunderstandings.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a wireless communication system that allows vehicles to indicate their platooning status through sensors and transceivers, using protocols like DSRC, cellular, and Wi-Fi, to provide real-time information about their operational mode, position, and intentions to law enforcement and other vehicles, thereby preventing misunderstandings and ensuring safe and efficient convoying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If vehicles follow closely together to save fuel, then fuel efficiency is improved, but safety deteriorates under manual driver control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control with automated electronic control systems. The automated vehicle control system uses sensors, processors, and actuators to control the following vehicle's acceleration, braking, and steering, substituting the driver's mechanical control with an automated system that can safely maintain close following distances while preserving fuel efficiency benefits.
2Loss of energy
If automated systems control vehicle speed to maintain constant headway, then fuel efficiency is improved, but the system lacks full control capability for emergency situations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic control system that can adapt its behavior based on situational requirements. The automated vehicle control system transitions between different control modes: normal fuel-efficient following mode for routine operation, and full emergency control mode when safety requires immediate intervention, allowing the system to have both efficiency and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated vehicle control system is designed to perform multiple functions: it can operate in fuel-efficient cruise control mode for normal operation, switch to emergency braking mode for safety-critical situations, and provide full vehicle control capability when needed, making it a universal system that handles both efficiency and safety requirements.
3Loss of information
If vehicles use wireless communication to indicate platooning status, then communication with authorities is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless communication system is integrated into the existing automated vehicle control system, serving multiple functions: it communicates platooning status to authorities, exchanges data with other vehicles in the platoon, and provides telemetry information, making the communication subsystem multi-functional and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the wireless communication functionality with the existing sensor and control systems. The same processors and data buses used for vehicle control are also used for communication, merging multiple functions into integrated subsystems rather than adding separate independent communication hardware.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of example systems and methods described herein discuss providing indications from a vehicle to other locations based on a variety of attributes. Indications may take the form of an indicator message. Indications may include information associated with whether one or more vehicles are platooning. Indications may be prevented from being distributed if one or more vehicles are not platooning. Law enforcement may be able to receive information indicating whether a vehicle is platooning in order to know whether to issue a ticket to the vehicle.