Peloton Technology, Inc.

Google Inc.

Other

Austin Bennett Schuh

Joshua P Switkes

Stephen Michael Erlien

Stephan Pleines

Colleen Twitty

John L Jacobs

Cedric Fung Lam

Charles A Price

James Fintan Kelly

James Kuszmaul

Todd Christopher Klaus

John Connelly Kegelman

Brian Eric Smartt

Oliver Thomas Bayley

Shad Mitchell Laws

Trevor Laing

Mark S Luckevich

Brian Jeremy Silverman

Mark Herbert

Marc Tange

Art Gavrysh

Carlos Rosario

Dean Hogle

Andrew Tamoney

Eric Monsler

Louis Donayre

Joyce Tam

Laurenz Laubinger

Richard Pallo

Brian Silverman

Tabitha Jarvis

Murad Bharwani

Steven Erlein

Stephen Erlein

A variety of methods, controllers and algorithms are described for identifying the back of a particular vehicle (e.g., a platoon partner) in a set of distance measurement scenes and/or for tracking the back of such a vehicle. The described techniques can be used in conjunction with a variety of different distance measuring technologies including radar, LIDAR, camera based distance measuring units and others. The described approaches are well suited for use in vehicle platooning and/or vehicle convoying systems including tractor-trailer truck platooning applications. In another aspect, technique are described for fusing sensor data obtained from different vehicles for use in the at least partial automatic control of a particular vehicle. The described techniques are well suited for use in conjunction with a variety of different vehicle control applications including platooning, convoying and other connected driving applications including tractor-trailer truck platooning applications.

Gap measurement for vehicle convoying

Systems and methods for platooning using aspects of various cruise control systems are described. In one aspect, a platooning system may cause an engine to provide a desired amount of torque by commanding a cruise control system to cause an amount of torque provided by the engine to be limited. In one aspect, a platooning system may cause a platoon to end in response to the detection of a condition that would cause a cruise control system to exit a cruise control state, such as pressing a brake pedal.

Systems and methods for platooning

Various applications for use of mass estimations of a vehicle, including to control operation of the vehicle, sharing the mass estimation with other vehicles and/or a Network Operations Center (NOC), organizing vehicles operating in a platoon and/or partially controlling the operation of one or more vehicles operating in a platoon based on the relative mass estimations between the platooning vehicles. When vehicles are operating in a platoon, the relative mass between a lead and a following vehicle may be used to scale torque and/or brake commands generated by the lead vehicle and sent to the following vehicle.

Applications for using mass estimations for vehicles

Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for automated following behind a lead vehicle. The lead vehicle navigates a path from a starting point to a destination. The lead vehicle and the following vehicle are connected via V2V communication, allowing one or more following vehicles to detect the path taken by the lead vehicle. A computerized control system on the following vehicle (a Follow-the-Leader, or FTL, system) allows the following vehicle to mimic the behavior of the lead vehicle, with the FTL system controlling steering to guide the following vehicle along the path previously navigated by the lead vehicle. In some embodiments, the lead vehicle and following vehicle may both use Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) position coordinates. In some embodiments, the following vehicle may also have a system of sensors to maintain a gap between the following and lead vehicles.

Control of automated following in vehicle convoys

Controllers, control architectures, systems and methods are described for controlling a host vehicle's participation in a platoon. Described vehicle platooning control systems may include a platoon controller and a vehicle interface controller. The platoon controller is configured to determine torque and braking requests for at least partially automatically controlling the host vehicle to platoon with a platoon partner. The vehicle interface controller manages communications between the platoon controller and one or more host vehicle control units. The vehicle interface controller may also include a safety monitor including one or more safety monitoring algorithms In some embodiments, the vehicle interface controller is at least ASIL-C compliant, whereas the platoon controller and an optional gateway processor may be QM rated under ISO 26262. The platoon controller may be configured as a listener capable of receiving but not transmitting messages on the host vehicle's control related communication bus(es).

Automated vehicle control system architecture

A variety of methods, controllers and algorithms are described for controlling a vehicle to closely follow one another safely using automatic or partially automatic control. The described control schemes are well suited for use in vehicle platooning and/or vehicle convoying applications, including truck platooning and convoying controllers. In one aspect, a power plant (such as an engine) is controlled using a control scheme arranged to attain and maintain a first target gap between the vehicles. Brakes (such as wheel brakes) are controlled in a manner configured to attain and maintain a second (shorter) target gap. Such control allows a certain degree of encroachment on the targeted gap (sometimes referred to as a gap tolerance) before the brakes are actuated. The described approaches facilitate a safe and comfortable rider experience and reduce the likelihood of the brakes being actuated unnecessarily.

Dynamic gap control for automated driving

A variety of methods, controllers and algorithms are described for fusing sensor data obtained from different vehicles for use in the at least partial automatic control of a particular vehicle. The described techniques are well suited for use in conjunction with a variety of different vehicle control applications including platooning, convoying and other connected driving applications including tractor-trailer truck platooning applications.

Sensor fusion for autonomous or partially autonomous vehicle control

Controllers, control architectures, systems and methods are described for controlling a host vehicle's participation in a platoon. In some embodiments, a vehicle control system includes a vehicle controller configured to determine vehicle control commands for at least partially automatically controlling the host vehicle based at least in part on sensor information. The vehicle control commands are arranged to be directly or indirectly utilized by one or more host vehicle control units resident on the host vehicle. The vehicle control system also includes one or more safety monitoring algorithms that, during at least partially automated driving, verify that selected vehicle control commands received from the vehicle controller meet selected safety criteria. At least some of the safety algorithms utilize sensor data in the verification of the commands received from the vehicle controller. The sensor data used by the safety algorithms may come from the host vehicle and/or a second vehicle.

Distributed safety monitors for automated vehicles

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Austin Bennett Schuh