Vehicle convoy control system and method
A convoy management system and method determine determining an inter-vehicle spacing in a convoy formed from two or more vehicles traveling together along one or more routes. Controllers onboard the two or more vehicles are instructed to automatically change movement of at least one of the vehicles in the convoy to maintain the inter-vehicle spacing. The inter vehicle spacing is dynamically changed during movement of the convoy along the one or more routes.
1. A method comprising:
determining an inter-truck spacing in a convoy formed from two or more trucks traveling together along one or more routes, the inter-truck spacing determined based on an amount of traffic congestion on the one or more routes;
changing movement of at least one of the trucks in the convoy to maintain the inter-truck spacing; and
dynamically changing the inter-truck spacing during movement of the convoy along the one or more routes.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inter-truck spacing changes with respect to time during a trip of the convoy.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inter-truck spacing also is based on one or more of a size of at least one of the trucks, a weight of at least one of the trucks, a number of the trucks in the convoy, an engine rating of at least one of the trucks, a type of fuel consumed by at least one of the trucks, a type of powertrain of at least one of the trucks, a presence of a drag-altering device on at least one of the trucks, a wind speed, or a wind direction.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inter-truck spacing also is based on one or more planned speeds at which the convoy is to move along the one or more routes.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inter-truck spacing also is based on one or more terrain characteristics of the one or more routes on which the convoy moves.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inter-truck spacing also is based on a presence of one or more non-convoyed vehicles within a designated distance of the convoy.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
changing an order of the trucks in the convoy during the movement of the convoy along the one or more routes.
8. A convoy management system comprising:
one or more processors configured to determine an inter-truck spacing in a convoy formed from two or more trucks traveling together along one or more routes, the inter-truck spacing determined based on one or more of a presence of a drag-altering device on at least one of the trucks, a wind speed, or a wind direction, the one or more processors configured to instruct controllers onboard the two or more trucks to automatically change movement of at least one of the trucks in the convoy to maintain the inter-truck spacing,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to dynamically change the inter-truck spacing during movement of the convoy along the one or more routes.
9. The convoy management system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to change the inter-truck spacing with respect to time during a trip of the convoy.
10. The convoy management system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the inter-truck spacing also based on one or more terrain characteristics of the one or more routes on which the convoy moves.
11. The convoy management system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the inter-truck spacing based also on an amount of traffic congestion on the one or more routes.
12. The convoy management system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to direct the controllers of the trucks in the convoy to change an order of the trucks in the convoy during the movement of the convoy along the one or more routes.
13. A method comprising:
determining inter-vehicle spacings in a convoy formed from two or more vehicle systems traveling together along one or more routes, at least two of the vehicle systems in the convoy mechanically coupled with each other, the inter-vehicle spacings based on forecasted forces to be imparted on the vehicle systems during travel of the convoy;
directing controllers of the vehicle systems to automatically change movement of the vehicle systems to maintain the inter-vehicle spacings in the convoy;
directing the controllers of the vehicle systems to automatically change the movement of the vehicle systems to change an order of the vehicle systems in the convoy during the movement of the vehicle systems; and
dynamically changing the inter-vehicle spacings during the movement of the convoy along the one or more routes.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein two or more of the vehicle systems in the convoy are traveling toward different locations.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the inter-vehicle spacings are changed to reduce one or more upcoming accelerations or upcoming decelerations of one or more of the vehicle systems in the convoy relative to the inter-vehicle spacing remaining unchanged.
16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
identifying an additional vehicle system to be added to the convoy after the convoy has departed from a first location;
identifying a second location of the additional vehicle system; and
scheduling a logical coupling of the additional vehicle system to the convoy based on the second location of the additional vehicle system.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least two vehicle systems in the convoy are mechanically coupled with each other after departure of the convoy from a starting location.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein two or more of the vehicle systems in the convoy are different types of vehicle systems.