Vehicle convoy formation
Systems and methods for forming a convoy of vehicles are disclosed. In some embodiments, the method comprises communicating a request to form the convoy. In accordance with a determination that the first and second vehicles are traveling a same route for at least a threshold distance, the convoy is confirmed to form. The convoy may comprise a first vehicle traveling within a slipstream of a second vehicle, which is a leading vehicle of the convoy, or the second vehicle traveling within a slipstream of the first vehicle, which is the leading vehicle of the convoy.
1 . A method comprising:
communicating, by a first vehicle, a request to form a convoy, wherein:
the convoy comprises:
(1) the first vehicle traveling within a slipstream distance of a second vehicle, the second vehicle being a leading vehicle of the convoy, wherein the slipstream distance of the second vehicle is determined based on power consumption data of one or more past convoy formations, or
(2) the second vehicle traveling within the slipstream distance of the first vehicle, the first vehicle being the leading vehicle of the convoy, wherein the slipstream distance of the first vehicle is determined based on the power consumption data of the one or more past convoy formations, and
communicating the request comprises transmitting the request, receiving the request, or a combination thereof;
detecting, via one or more sensors, a geometry of the second vehicle;
in accordance with a determination that the first and second vehicles are traveling a same route for at least a threshold distance:
determining whether the second vehicle is the leading vehicle of the convoy based on the geometry of the second vehicle;
receiving, by the first vehicle, a confirmation to form the convoy; and
in response to receiving the confirmation:
in accordance with a determination that the first vehicle is the leading vehicle of the convoy, receiving, by the first vehicle, an instruction to allow the second vehicle to travel within the slipstream distance of the first vehicle; and
in accordance with a determination that the first vehicle is not the leading vehicle of the convoy, receiving, by the first vehicle, an instruction to travel within the slipstream distance of the second vehicle;
receiving, from the first vehicle and from the second vehicle, a first battery state-of-health and a second battery state-of-health, respectively:
determining whether one of the first battery state-of-health and the second battery state-of-health is above a threshold level; and
in response to the first battery state-of-health being above the threshold level, selecting the second vehicle as the leading vehicle.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising autonomously navigating, by the first vehicle, in accordance with the instruction to allow the second vehicle to travel within the slipstream distance of the first vehicle or the instruction to travel within the slipstream distance of the second vehicle.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, by the first vehicle, the instruction to allow the second vehicle to travel within the slipstream distance of the first vehicle or the instruction to travel within the slipstream distance of the second vehicle for a user to navigate the first vehicle.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising in accordance with a determination that the first vehicle is the leading vehicle of the convoy, receiving, by the first vehicle, an indication of a reward.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the convoy further comprises a third vehicle, wherein:
(1) the third vehicle traveling within the slipstream distance of the first or second vehicle, or
(2) the first or second vehicle is traveling within the slipstream distance of the third vehicle, and the third vehicle is the leading vehicle of the convoy.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the same route is an optimized common route of the first vehicle and a route of the second vehicle.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising in accordance with a determination that the first or second vehicle is traveling an updated route different from the same route, communicating, by the first vehicle, an instruction to disband the convoy.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the confirmation to form the convoy is received further in accordance with a determination that a route condition criterion is met.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second vehicle is determined to be the leading vehicle further in accordance with a determination that a lead vehicle criterion is met.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the confirmation to form the convoy is received further in accordance with a determination that a user criterion is met.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising in accordance with a determination that the first and second vehicles within a second threshold distance from an end of the same route, communicating, by the first vehicle, an instruction to disband the convoy.
12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting a battery state-of-health of the second vehicle, wherein the second vehicle is determined to be the leading vehicle further in accordance with a determination that the battery state-of-health of the first vehicle is above a threshold level.
13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting a battery state-of-health of the second vehicle, wherein the second vehicle is determined to not be the leading vehicle in accordance with a determination that the battery state-of-health of the second vehicle is not above a threshold level.
14 . A first vehicle comprising one or more processors configured to execute a method comprising:
communicating a request to form a convoy, wherein:
the convoy comprises:
(1) the first vehicle traveling within a slipstream distance of a second vehicle, the second vehicle being a leading vehicle of the convoy, wherein the slipstream distance of the second vehicle is determined based on power consumption data of one or more past convoy formations, or
(2) the second vehicle traveling within the slipstream distance of the first vehicle, the first vehicle being the leading vehicle of the convoy, wherein the slipstream distance of the first vehicle is determined based on the power consumption data of the one or more past convoy formations, and
communicating the request comprises transmitting the request, receiving the request, or a combination thereof;
detecting, via one or more sensors, a geometry of the second vehicle;
in accordance with a determination that the first and second vehicles are traveling a same route for at least a threshold distance:
determining whether the second vehicle is the leading vehicle of the convoy based on the geometry of the second vehicle;
receiving a confirmation to form the convoy;
in response to receiving the confirmation:
in accordance with a determination that the first vehicle is the leading vehicle of the convoy, receiving, by the first vehicle, an instruction to allow the second vehicle to travel within the slipstream distance of the first vehicle; and
in accordance with a determination that the first vehicle is not the leading vehicle of the convoy, receiving, by the first vehicle, an instruction to travel within the slipstream distance of the second vehicle;
receiving, from the first vehicle and from the second vehicle, a first battery state-of-health and a second battery state-of-health, respectively;
determining whether one of the first battery state-of-health and the second battery state-of-health is above a threshold level; and
in response to the first battery state-of-health being above the threshold level, selecting the second vehicle as the leading vehicle.
15 . The first vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises autonomously navigating in accordance with the instruction to allow the second vehicle to travel within a slipstream of the first vehicle or the instruction to travel within a slipstream of the second vehicle.
16 . The first vehicle of claim 14 , the method further comprising detecting a battery state-of-health of the second vehicle, wherein the second vehicle is determined to be the leading vehicle further in accordance with a determination that the battery state-of-health of the second vehicle is above a threshold level.
17 . The first vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the second vehicle is determined to be the leading vehicle further in accordance with a determination that a lead vehicle criterion is met.
18 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a system with one or more processors and memory, cause the system to perform a method comprising:
communicating, by a first vehicle, a request to form a convoy, wherein:
the convoy comprises:
(1) the first vehicle traveling within a slipstream distance of a second vehicle, the second vehicle being a leading vehicle of the convoy, wherein the slipstream distance of the second vehicle is determined based on power consumption data of one or more past convoy formations, or
(2) the second vehicle traveling within the slipstream distance of the first vehicle, the first vehicle being the leading vehicle of the convoy, wherein the slipstream distance of the first vehicle is determined based on the power consumption data of the one or more past convoy formations, and
communicating the request comprises transmitting the request, receiving the request, or a combination thereof;
detecting, via one or more sensors, a geometry of the second vehicle;
in accordance with a determination that the first and second vehicles are traveling a same route for at least a threshold distance:
determining whether the second vehicle is the leading vehicle of the convoy based on the geometry of the second vehicle;
receiving, by the first vehicle, a confirmation to form the convoy; and
in response to receiving the confirmation:
in accordance with a determination that the first vehicle is the leading vehicle of the convoy, receiving, by the first vehicle, an instruction to allow the second vehicle to travel within the slipstream distance of the first vehicle; and
in accordance with a determination that the first vehicle is not the leading vehicle of the convoy, receiving, by the first vehicle, an instruction to travel within the slipstream distance of the second vehicle; and
detecting a score that is based on a history of the second vehicle and a number of braking events associated with the second vehicle while in convoy formation, wherein the second vehicle is determined to be the leading vehicle based on a determination that the score is above a threshold score;
in accordance with a determination that the first and second vehicles are not traveling the same route for at least the threshold distance:
communicating an indication declining the request to form the convoy; and
in response to communicating the indication declining the request to form the convoy, forgoing transmitting the instruction to allow the second vehicle to travel within the slipstream distance of the first vehicle and the instruction to travel within the slipstream distance of the second vehicle.