Identification and formation of vehicular platoon
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems, such as 5G NR, face challenges in efficiently facilitating the formation and management of vehicular platoons, particularly in verifying the non-malicious nature of participating vehicles and avoiding single points of failure.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus at a first vehicle that identifies non-malicious vehicles based on data and communication from other vehicles or roadside units, transmits request messages, receives acceptance messages, and configures platoons in a distributed manner, reducing reliance on central entities and enhancing security and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a centralized entity is used to manage platoon formation, then coordination and control are simplified, but the system creates a single point of failure and reduces reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized platoon management function into distributed components where each vehicle independently performs identification, verification, and formation operations. The platoon manager function is distributed across multiple vehicles rather than concentrated in a single central entity, eliminating the single point of failure while maintaining coordinated control through peer-to-peer communication and consensus mechanisms.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional communication systems are used for platoon formation, then existing infrastructure can be leveraged, but the systems cannot effectively verify non-malicious nature of vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary verification actions where vehicles exchange and verify identification information, cryptographic credentials, and capability data before platoon formation. This pre-verification process ensures that only non-malicious vehicles with valid credentials are admitted to the platoon, addressing the verification capability gap in traditional systems while utilizing existing communication infrastructure.
3Reliability
If distributed platoon formation is implemented, then reliability and security are improved, but communication overhead and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where vehicles autonomously perform identification, verification, and formation operations without requiring complex centralized coordination protocols. Each vehicle independently manages its credentials, verifies others, and makes formation decisions based on pre-established rules and cryptographic proofs, reducing communication overhead despite the distributed architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus, methods, and computer program products for platoon formation are provided. An example method may include identifying a set of non-malicious vehicles based on at least one of data associated with the set of non-malicious vehicles or communication from a second vehicle or a RSU. The example method may further include transmitting a request message to the set of non-malicious vehicles. The example method may further include receiving an acceptance message from at least one vehicle of the set of non-malicious vehicles. The example method may further include configuring a platoon with the at least one vehicle of the set of non-malicious vehicles.