Abstract: Systems and methods for increasing the safely platooning are described. In one aspect, safely platooning includes verifying that a vehicle is not decelerating less than necessary, verifying that the vehicle is not accelerating unintendedly, verifying that the vehicle is not decelerating unintendedly, verifying that the vehicle is not platooning unintendedly, verifying that notifications provided by a platooning electronic control unit are being transmitted to their intended destinations, verifying that information received from a network operations center is correct, and verifying that the instability of the vehicle does not exceed a threshold amount.

Abstract: Systems and methods for increasing the efficiency of vehicle platooning systems are described. In one aspect, data associated with two or more vehicles is received by a system. The data received by the system may indicate where two or more vehicles may rendezvous such that they can platoon. In some examples, a rendezvous location may be determined based on the time it would take the vehicles to arrive at the location and/or the amount of fuel that would be spent if the vehicles were to travel out of their way to arrive at the location. Example user interfaces are described that include maps indicating where a rendezvous location is, and which may include information about where other vehicle(s) are that are also traveling to the rendezvous location.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for coordinating and controlling vehicles, for example heavy trucks, to follow closely to behind each other, or linking to form a platoon. In one aspect, on-board controllers in each vehicle interact with vehicle sensors to monitor and control, for example, gross vehicle weight, axle loads, and stopping distance. In some aspects, two vehicles can determine information associated with their gross weight and axle load, and apply that information to assist with determining a bounding box indicating which vehicle will take longer to stop. Based on which vehicle will take longer to stop, an order of vehicles in a potential platoon is determined.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for determining whether a platooning system is safe. In various aspects, a platooning system may collect information from various sensors included on one or more vehicles, and use the gathered information to determine whether the system achieves a threshold amount of safeness is achieved. In response to determining that a vehicle is unsafe, a system may prohibit vehicles from platooning or cause platooning vehicles to end their current platooning session.

Abstract: Systems and methods for coordinating and controlling vehicles, for example heavy trucks, to follow closely behind each other, or linking to form a platoon. In one aspect, on-board controllers in each vehicle interact with vehicular sensors to monitor and control, for example, relative distance, relative acceleration or deceleration, and speed. In some aspects, a lead vehicle can wirelessly transmit information from various electronic control units (ECUs) to ECUs in a rear vehicle. A rear vehicle can then apply transformations to the information to account for a desired following distance and a time offset. ECUs onboard the rear vehicle may then be controlled based on the ECUs of the lead vehicle, the desired following distance, and the time offset.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A system with one or more transceiver antenna assemblies for installation in vehicle side-view mirrors to enable communication with nearby vehicles. Each transceiver antenna assembly may have one or two antenna arrays implemented on a single printed circuit board, protected by an antenna housing used to mount the transceiver antenna inside the mirror assembly. Each antenna array in a dual-channel transceiver antenna may transmit and receive data over one of two DSRC channels. One channel may be used to transmit and receive vehicle data only and the other channel may be used to transmit and receive both vehicle data and audio/video (A/V) data. Each antenna array is connected to a radio in the vehicle that processes received signals and prepares signals for transmission. Such a transceiver antenna system may be especially useful for communication in truck platooning.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Systems and methods for coordinating and controlling vehicles, for example heavy trucks, to follow closely behind each other, or linking to form a platoon. In one aspect, on-board controllers in each vehicle interact with vehicular sensors to monitor and control, for example, relative distance, relative acceleration or deceleration, and speed. In some aspects, a lead vehicle can wirelessly transmit information from various electronic control units (ECUs) to ECUs in a rear vehicle. A rear vehicle can then apply transformations to the information to account for a desired following distance and a time offset. ECUs onboard the rear vehicle may then be controlled based on the ECUs of the lead vehicle, the desired following distance, and the time offset.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for enabling vehicles to closely follow one another through partial automation. Following closely behind another vehicle can have significant fuel savings benefits, but is unsafe when done manually by the driver. By directly commanding the engine torque and braking of the following vehicle while controlling the gap between vehicles using a sensor system, and additionally using a communication link between vehicles that allows information about vehicle actions, such as braking events, to be anticipated by the following vehicle, a Semi-Autonomous Vehicular Convoying System that enables vehicles to follow closely together in a safe, efficient and convenient manner may be achieved.

Abstract: Systems and methods for coordinating and controlling vehicles, for example heavy trucks, to follow closely behind each other, or linking, in a convenient, safe manner and thus to save significant amounts of fuel while increasing safety. In an embodiment, on-board controllers in each vehicle interact with vehicular sensors to monitor and control, for example, relative distance, relative acceleration/deceleration, and speed. Additional safety features in at least some embodiments include providing each driver with one or more visual displays of forward and rearward looking cameras. Long-range communications are provided for coordinating vehicles for linking, and for communicating analytics to fleet managers or others.

Abstract: A system and method for mitigating or avoiding risks due to hazards encountered by platooning vehicles. The system and method involve interrogating, with one or more sensors, a space radially extending from a lead vehicle as the lead vehicle travels over the road surface, perceiving the environment within the space, ascertaining a hazard caused by an object in the space, and causing a following vehicle, operating in a platoon with the lead vehicle, to take a preemptive braking action to avoid or mitigate risks resulting from the hazard caused by the object in the space.

Abstract: A system with one or more transceiver antenna assemblies for installation in vehicle side-view mirrors to enable communication with nearby vehicles. Each transceiver antenna assembly may have one or two antenna arrays implemented on a single printed circuit board, protected by an antenna housing used to mount the transceiver antenna inside the mirror assembly. Each antenna array in a dual-channel transceiver antenna may transmit and receive data over one of two DSRC channels. One channel may be used to transmit and receive vehicle data only and the other channel may be used to transmit and receive both vehicle data and audio/video (A/V) data. Each antenna array is connected to a radio in the vehicle that processes received signals and prepares signals for transmission. Such a transceiver antenna system may be especially useful for communication in truck platooning.

Abstract: The system and methods comprising various aspects of the invention described herein disclose the coordination the platooning vehicles, including embodiments in which the same subset of satellite signals from a GNSS is used by all platooning vehicles to determine coordinates for position, relative position, and/or velocity. By using a uniform set of satellites for navigation calculations, discrepancies between the systems on different vehicles can be reduced, and a more uniform accuracy is achieved, allowing more predictable platooning.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.