Platooning control apparatus and method

1. A platooning control apparatus comprising:

a navigation unit configured to guide an ego vehicle to a destination set by a driver;

a driving module configured to drive the ego vehicle; and

a control unit configured to primarily select a plurality of platooning groups based on the destination set in the navigation unit, analyze platooning information of the plurality of primarily selected platooning groups, the plurality of primarily selected platooning groups being led by different leader vehicles, respectively, decide a platooning group among the plurality of primarily selected platooning groups based on accumulated platooning distances of the different leader vehicles within the plurality of primarily selected platooning groups, each of the accumulated platooning distances being a total platooning distance that each of the different leader vehicles is driven so far, and then control the driving module to drive the ego vehicle to join the decided platooning group, wherein:

the control unit is configured to decide a joining point where the ego vehicle will join the decided platooning group, according to a location of the ego vehicle and a platooning trajectory of the decided platooning group, and

when a plurality of joining points are found, the control unit is configured to decide the joining point according to a distance to each of the joining points from the location of the ego vehicle, traffic condition information of the joining point, an accident risk of the joining point, and a cost to the joining point,

wherein the control unit is configured to output vehicle information and the accumulated platooning distances of the leader vehicles within the plurality of primarily selected platooning groups through a user interface unit, and to decide the decided platooning group according to a driver's selection, and

wherein the control unit is configured to apply weights to the distance to each of the joining points from the location of the ego vehicle, the traffic condition information of the joining point, the accident risk of the joining point and the cost to the joining point, in order to decide the joining point.

2. The platooning control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the primarily selected platooning groups comprise a platooning group having a same destination as the destination set in the navigation unit.

3. The platooning control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the primarily selected platooning groups comprise a platooning group of which the destination is closest to the destination set in the navigation unit.

4. The platooning control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to decide the decided platooning group according to one or more of vehicle information and the accumulated platooning distances of the leader vehicles within the plurality of primarily selected platooning groups.

5. The platooning control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the ego vehicle is not an autonomous vehicle, the control unit is configured to control a user interface unit to select any one of a manual joining method and an automatic joining method.

6. The platooning control apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:

when the manual joining method is selected, the driving module is configured to be driven to join in the decided platooning group according to the driver's selection, and the control unit is configured to turn on a driving support function comprising a smart cruise control function, a lane keeping assistance function, or an auto cruise control function,

when the automatic joining method is selected, the control unit is configured to control the driving module to turn on the driving support function, and drive a semi-autonomous function to join a tail of the decided platooning group.

7. The platooning control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to output one or more of the distance to each of the joining points from the location of the ego vehicle, the traffic condition information of the joining point, the accident risk of the joining point and the cost to the joining point through a user interface unit, and decides the joining point according to a driver's selection.

8. The platooning control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the ego vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, the control unit is configured to control the ego vehicle to autonomously follow a leader vehicle within the decided platooning group.

9. A platooning control method comprising:

primarily selecting, by a control unit, a plurality of platooning groups based on a destination set in a navigation unit;

analyzing, by the control unit, platooning information of the plurality of primarily selected platooning groups, the plurality of primarily selected platooning groups being led by different leader vehicles, respectively, and deciding a platooning group among the plurality of primarily selected platooning groups based on accumulated platooning distances of the different leader vehicles within the plurality of primarily selected platooning groups, each of the accumulated platooning distances being a total platooning distance that each of the different leader vehicles is driven so far; and

controlling, by the control unit, a driving module to drive an ego vehicle, such that the ego vehicle joins the decided platooning group, wherein:

in the controlling of the driving module to drive the ego vehicle,

the control unit is configured to decide a joining point to join the platooning group, according to a location of the ego vehicle and a platooning trajectory of the platooning group, and

when a plurality of joining points are found, the control unit is configured to decide the joining point according to a distance to each of the joining points from the location of the ego vehicle, traffic condition information of the joining point, an accident risk of the joining point and a cost to the joining point,

wherein in the deciding of the platooning group of the primarily selected platooning groups, the control unit is configured to output one or more of vehicle information and the accumulated platooning distances of the leader vehicles within the plurality of primarily selected platooning groups through a user interface unit, and to decide the platooning group according to a driver's selection, and

wherein the control unit is configured to apply weights to the distance to each of the joining points from the location of the ego vehicle, the traffic condition information of the joining point, the accident risk of the joining point and the cost to the joining point, in order to decide the joining point.

10. The platooning control method of claim 9 , wherein the primarily selected platooning groups comprise a platooning group having a same destination as the destination set in the navigation unit.

11. The platooning control method of claim 9 , wherein the primarily selected platooning groups comprise a platooning group of which the destination is closest to the destination set in the navigation unit.

12. The platooning control method of claim 9 , wherein in the deciding of the platooning group of the primarily selected platooning groups,

the control unit is configured to decide the platooning group according to the one or more of vehicle information and the accumulated platooning distances of the leader vehicles within the plurality of primarily selected platooning groups.

13. The platooning control method of claim 9 , wherein the control unit is configured to output one or more of the distance to each of the joining points from the location of the ego vehicle, the traffic condition information of the joining point, the accident risk of the joining point and the cost to the joining point through a user interface unit, and decide the joining point according to the driver's selection.

14. The platooning control method of claim 9 , wherein in the controlling of the driving module to drive the ego vehicle, the control unit controls the ego vehicle to autonomously follow a leader vehicle within the platooning group, when the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

15. The platooning control method of claim 9 , wherein when the ego vehicle is not an autonomous vehicle, the control unit controls a user interface unit to select any one of a manual joining method and an automatic joining method.

16. The platooning control method of claim 15 , wherein:

when the manual joining method is selected, the driving module is driven to join in the decided platooning group according to the driver's selection, and the control unit turns on a driving support function comprising a smart cruise control function, a lane keeping assistance function, or an auto cruise control function,

when the automatic joining method is selected, the control unit controls the driving module to turn on the driving support function, and drive a semi-autonomous function to join a tail of the decided platooning group.