# US 10,121,376 B2 · Vehicle assistance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,376 B2 - Document ID: US10121376B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/285,542 - Filed: 2016-10-05 - Published: 2018-04-05 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-10-05 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Eric She; Scott J. Lauffer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121376B2 ## CPC - G08G 1/162: {event-triggered} - B60W 10/04: including control of propulsion units - B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems - B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems - B60W 30/00: Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units - B60W 50/029: Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts - G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means} - G05D 1/0289: {with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93)} - G05D 1/0295: {by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet} - G07C 5/0816: {Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction} - G07C 5/0841: {Registering performance data (recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B)} - G08G 1/165: {for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees} - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - G08G 1/20: {Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles} - G08G 1/205: {Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental} - H04W 84/00: Network topologies - B60W 2050/0292: {Fail-safe or redundant systems, e.g. limp-home or backup systems} - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar - B60W 2554/80: Spatial relation or speed relative to objects - B60W 2556/45: External transmission of data to or from the vehicle - B60W 2556/65: Data transmitted between vehicles - B60W 2710/00: Output or target parameters relating to a particular sub-units - B60W 2756/10: Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A computer is programmed to receive a message from a second vehicle indicating a fault in a second vehicle component. The computer is further programmed to modify an area of control of the first vehicle to include a location of the second vehicle, and to provide a control instruction to the second vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A first vehicle computer, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to: receive a message from a second vehicle indicating a fault in a second vehicle component; upon receipt of the message, expand an area of control beyond first vehicle boundaries to include a second vehicle location; and provide a control instruction to actuate a second vehicle actuator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer of claim 1, further programmed to receive data from a sensor of the first vehicle, and to provide the control instruction to the second vehicle at least partially based on the received data from the sensor of the first vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computer of claim 2, further programmed to provide the control instruction at least partially based on a distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer of claim 1, wherein the control instruction is based in part on the expanded area of control. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer of claim 1, further programmed to identify a stopping location for the second vehicle and to provide a plurality of control instructions to navigate the second vehicle to the identified stopping location. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The computer of claim 5, further programmed to set a second vehicle computer to an inactive state upon determining that the second vehicle reached the identified stopping location. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer of claim 1, further programmed to receive, from the second vehicle, data specifying a location of the second vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer of claim 1, further programmed to broadcast a message indicating that the second vehicle is at least partially controlled by the first vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer of claim 1, wherein the expanded area of control is defined by an area at least including the first vehicle and the second vehicle. ### Claim 10 A computer for a first vehicle, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to: detect a fault in a first vehicle subsystem; detect a second vehicle in a first vehicle sensing area; transmit a message indicating the fault to the second vehicle; and apply a control signal specified in a reply from the second vehicle to actuate a first vehicle actuator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer for a first vehicle of claim 10, further programmed to verify whether a vehicle-to-vehicle communication interface of the first vehicle is operational. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The computer for a first vehicle of claim 10, further programmed to verify whether an actuator of the first vehicle is operational. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The computer for a first vehicle of claim 10, wherein the computer is further programmed to detect the second vehicle by at least: detecting a plurality of other vehicles in the first vehicle sensing area; and selecting the second vehicle based on the detected plurality of other vehicles. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer for a first vehicle of claim 13, wherein the computer is further programmed to receive data associated with the plurality of other vehicles from at least one of (i) sensors of the first vehicle and (ii) the detected plurality of other vehicles. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer for a first vehicle of claim 14, wherein the received data include at least one of distance, location, and speed of the plurality of other vehicles relative to the first vehicle, and the computer is further programmed to select the second vehicle based at least in part on one of the distance, location, and speed of the plurality of other vehicles. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The computer for a first vehicle of claim 10, wherein applying the control instruction includes instructions to actuate at least one of a brake, a powertrain, and steering. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The computer for a first vehicle of claim 10, further programmed to broadcast a message indicating that the first vehicle is controlled by the second vehicle. ### Claim 18 A method, comprising: detecting a fault in a first vehicle subsystem; detecting a second vehicle in a first vehicle sensing area of the first vehicle; transmitting a message indicating the detected fault to the second vehicle; and receiving, in the second vehicle, the message from the first vehicle indicating the fault; expanding an area of control beyond second vehicle boundaries to include a first vehicle location; providing, by the second vehicle, one or more control instructions to actuate a first vehicle actuator; and applying a control signal specified in a reply from the second vehicle to actuate the first vehicle actuator. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising broadcasting a message, by at least one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, indicating that the first vehicle is at least partially controlled by the second vehicle. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising verifying whether a vehicle-to-vehicle communication interface of the first vehicle is operational.