Platoon vehicle management

1. Method for controlling a plurality of vehicles to operate the plurality of vehicles in a platoon, the method comprising:

within a leader vehicle selected from the plurality of vehicles:

monitoring through a vehicle-to-vehicle communication a respective actual position of each of the plurality of vehicles that is not the leader vehicle based upon data from a respective global positioning device within each of the plurality of vehicles that is not the leader vehicle;

determining distances to operate the plurality of vehicles in the platoon based upon the respective actual positions of each of the plurality of vehicles; and

selecting a respective commanded vehicle position comprising a respective global positioning coordinate for each of the plurality of vehicles based upon the determined distances;

transmitting each respective commanded vehicle position to the respective one of the plurality vehicles that is not the leader vehicle; and

operating each respective one of the plurality of vehicles that is not the leader vehicle based upon the respective commanded vehicle position.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the distances to operate the vehicles is further based upon a minimum desirable inter-vehicle distance and a maximally fuel efficient inter-vehicle distance.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the distances to operate the vehicles comprises determining a desirable platoon envelope comprising a region in which a violation of the platoon envelope can be determined; and

further comprising alerting to a violation of the platoon envelope.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the desirable platoon envelope comprises:

monitoring a velocity of the platoon;

determining a forward margin, a rearward margin, and sideward margins of the desirable platoon envelope based upon the velocity of the platoon; and

defining the desirable platoon envelope based upon the respective actual position of each of the plurality of vehicles, the forward margin, the rearward margin, and the sideward margins.

5. Method for controlling a plurality of vehicles to operate the plurality of vehicles in a platoon, the method comprising:

within a leader vehicle selected from the plurality of vehicles:

monitoring through a vehicle-to-vehicle communication a respective actual position of each of the plurality of vehicles that is not the leader vehicle based upon data from a respective global positioning device within each of the plurality of vehicles that is not the leader vehicle;

determining for each of the plurality of vehicles a respective minimum desirable inter-vehicle distance based upon the actual position of each of the plurality of vehicles;

determining for each of the plurality of vehicles a maximally fuel efficient inter-vehicle distance based upon the actual position of each of the vehicles; and

selecting a respective commanded vehicle position for each of the plurality of vehicles based upon the maximum one of the minimum desirable inter-vehicle distances for all of the plurality of vehicles and the respective maximally fuel efficient inter-vehicle distance;

transmitting each respective commanded vehicle position to the respective one of the plurality of vehicles that is not the leader vehicle; and

operating each respective one of the plurality of vehicles that is not the leader vehicle based upon the respective commanded vehicle position.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining for each of the plurality of vehicles the respective minimum desirable inter-vehicle distance is performed dynamically.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining for each of the plurality of vehicles the respective minimum desirable inter-vehicle distance comprises determining the respective minimum desirable inter-vehicle distance based upon at least one of:

speeds of the plurality of vehicles;

braking characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles;

a present weather condition; and

a road condition.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining for each of the plurality of vehicles the maximally fuel efficient inter-vehicle distance comprises determining the maximally fuel efficient inter-vehicle distance based upon a leading position, an interior position, or a trailing position for each of the plurality of vehicles.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the maximally fuel efficient inter-vehicle distance is further based upon the number of the plurality of vehicles.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining for each of the plurality of vehicles the maximally fuel efficient inter-vehicle distance comprises utilizing a calibrated distance.

11. The method of claim 5 , further comprising monitoring a commanded operation of the leader vehicle; and

wherein selecting the respective commanded vehicle position for each of the plurality of vehicles is further based upon the commanded operation of the leader vehicle.

12. Method for controlling a plurality of vehicles to operate the plurality of vehicles in a platoon, the method comprising:

within a leader vehicle selected from the plurality of vehicles:

monitoring through a vehicle-to-vehicle communication a respective actual position of each of the plurality of vehicles that is not the leader vehicle based upon data from a respective global positioning device within each of the plurality of vehicles that is not the leader vehicle;

monitoring operation of the platoon comprising a velocity of the platoon;

determining a forward margin of a desirable platoon envelope based upon the monitored operation of the platoon;

defining the desirable platoon envelope based upon the respective actual position of each of the plurality of vehicles that is not the leader vehicle and the forward margin;

monitoring an operating environment around the platoon;

determining a violation of the desirable platoon envelope based upon the operating environment; and

selecting a respective commanded vehicle position for each of the plurality of vehicles based upon the violation of the desirable platoon envelope;

transmitting each respective commanded vehicle position to the respective one of the plurality of vehicles that is not the leader vehicle; and

operating each respective one of the plurality of vehicles that is not the leader vehicle based upon the respective commanded vehicle position.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, within the leader vehicle, determining a rearward margin of the desirable platoon envelope based upon the operation of the platoon; and

wherein defining the desirable platoon envelope is further based upon the rearward margin.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, within the leader vehicle, determining sideward margins of the desirable platoon envelope based upon the operation of the platoon; and

wherein defining the desirable platoon envelope is further based upon the sideward margins.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein operating each respective one of the plurality of vehicles that is not the leader vehicle based upon the respective commanded vehicle position comprises changing a formation of the platoon based upon the violation of the desirable platoon envelope.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein monitoring the operating environment around the platoon comprises monitoring tracked objects that are outside of the platoon envelope.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein monitoring the operating environment around the platoon comprises monitoring a road geometry proximate the platoon.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising monitoring a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication; and

wherein defining the desirable platoon envelope is further based upon the vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein monitoring the operating environment around the platoon comprises monitoring communications with a vehicle that is not in the platoon; and

selecting the respective commanded vehicle position for each of the plurality of vehicles based upon the violation of the desirable platoon envelope comprises selecting the respective commanded vehicle positions based upon avoiding a collision with the vehicle that is not in the platoon.