System and method for autonomously maneuvering vehicle nodes in a platoon
View Patent ↗Techniques are provided for autonomously maneuvering vehicle nodes in a platoon. The method includes receiving a value of a position at a first time increment of a second vehicle node. The method further includes determining a value of a first parameter based on the first data. The method further includes receiving, at the first vehicle node, a value of the position of the second vehicle node at a second time increment. The method further includes determining a value of a second parameter based on the second data. The method further includes determining a value of a third parameter based on the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter. The method further includes comparing the value of the third parameter with a threshold value for the third parameter and controlling a value of a speed of the first vehicle node.
1 . A vehicle node, comprising:
a positioning sensor configured to measure a location of the vehicle node;
an antenna configured to transmit and receive signals from other vehicle nodes of a platoon within a communication range of the vehicle node;
a mobility component configured to facilitate movement of the vehicle node;
a support to couple the mobility component with the positioning sensor and the antenna;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including one or more sequences of instructions,
the at least one memory and the one or more sequences of instructions configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the vehicle node to perform at least the steps of
a) receiving directly from a second vehicle node, at the antenna, first data that indicates a value of a location at a first time increment of the second vehicle node within the platoon traveling along the path;
b) determining, with the processor, a value of a first parameter based on the first data and a measured location of the vehicle node at the first time increment from the positioning sensor;
c) receiving directly from a second vehicle node, at the antenna, second data that indicates a value of the location of the second vehicle node at a second time increment after the first time increment;
d) determining, with the processor, a value of a second parameter based on the second data and a measured location of the vehicle node at the second time increment from the positioning sensor;
e) determining, with the processor, a value of a third parameter based on the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter received directly from the second vehicle node;
f) comparing, with the processor, the value of the third parameter with a threshold value for the third parameter; and
g) controlling, with the mobility component, a value of a speed of the vehicle node based on the comparing step;
wherein the value of the first parameter is an inverse of a value of a gap between the vehicle node and the second vehicle node at the first time increment;
wherein the value of the second parameter is an inverse of a value of a gap between the vehicle node and the second vehicle node at the second time increment; and
wherein the value of the gap is based on a difference between the measured value of the position of the vehicle node and the value of the position of the second vehicle node.
2 . The vehicle node as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the one or more sequences of instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the vehicle node to further perform at least the steps of:
determining, with the processor, a value of a speed of the second vehicle node between the first time increment and the second time increment, based on the first data and the second data;
wherein step g) comprises controlling the value of the speed of the vehicle node based on the value of the speed of the second vehicle node.
3 . The vehicle node as recited in claim 1 , wherein step g) comprises increasing, with the mobility component, the value of the speed of the vehicle node above the value of the speed of the second vehicle node based on the comparing step indicating that the value of the third parameter is less than the value of the threshold value of the third parameter.
4 . The vehicle node as recited in claim 2 , wherein step g) comprises decreasing the value of the speed of the vehicle node below the value of the speed of the second vehicle node based on the comparing step indicating that the value of the third parameter is greater than the value of the threshold value of the third parameter.
5 . The vehicle node as recited in claim 2 , wherein the receiving steps a) and c) each comprise receiving, at the vehicle node, a message at each time increment from the second vehicle node, said message having a plurality of data fields comprising a first data field that indicates the value of the position of the second vehicle node at each time increment, a second data field that indicates an identifier of the platoon and a third data field that indicates a role of the second vehicle node within the platoon having the identifier in the second field.
6 . The vehicle node as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the one or more sequences of instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the vehicle node to further perform at least the step of storing, in a data structure, a plurality of data fields with data pertaining to the vehicle node including a first data field to store an identifier of a platoon that includes the vehicle node and a second data field to store a role of the vehicle node within the platoon having the identifier in the first field, wherein the stored role in the second data field is a joining member role.