# US 10,481,600 B2 · Systems and methods for collaboration between autonomous vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,600 B2 - Document ID: US10481600B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/705,394 - Filed: 2017-09-15 - Published: 2019-03-21 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-15 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Inventors: Chih-hung Yen; Yao Hu; Yilu Zhang; Paul E. Krajewski; Steven W. Holland; Mutasim A. Salman; Xiaoyu Huang; Azeem Sarwar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481600B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0022: {characterised by the communication link (data switching networks in general H04L12/00)} - G05D 1/0027: {involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00)} - G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)} - G05D 1/0293: {Convoy travelling} - G05D 1/0295: {by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet} - G05D 1/0297: {by controlling means in a control room} - H04L 67/1046: {Joining mechanisms} - H04L 67/1051: {Group master selection mechanisms} - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Systems and method are provided for collaboration between autonomous vehicles. In one embodiment, a processor-implemented method for coordinating travel between multiple autonomous vehicles is provided. The method includes sending a collaboration request to one or more vehicles in an area to form a group to perform a mission, receiving an acceptance of the collaboration request to join the group wherein the group includes a plurality of vehicles, cooperating in assigning leading functions for the group to one or more of the plurality of vehicles in the group, cooperating in mission negotiations for the group, cooperating in determining a formation for the group, and cooperating in generating a trajectory for the group. The vehicles in the group are operated in accordance with the determined formation and generated trajectory. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A processor-implemented method for coordinating travel between multiple autonomous vehicles, the method comprising: sending, by a first processor in a first autonomously driven vehicle, a collaboration request to one or more autonomously driven vehicles to travel together along a roadway as a group of autonomous vehicles; receiving, by the first processor, an acceptance of the collaboration request to join the group of autonomous vehicles; calculating, by a second processor, a relative strength index for the software, controller, and hardware sensors onboard an autonomous vehicle for each vehicle in the group, wherein the second processor may or may not be in the first autonomously driven vehicle; assigning, by the second processor, an autonomous vehicle to function as a leader for mission planning for the group based on the relative strength index of the autonomous vehicle and an autonomous vehicle to function as a leader for formation planning and trajectory planning for the group based on the relative strength index of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the autonomous vehicle assigned as the leader for mission planning may or may not be the same autonomous vehicle assigned as the leader for formation planning and trajectory planning; identifying, by a third processor which is in the vehicle assigned to function as a leader for mission planning, a mission for a group and a target for optimization during the mission when agreement on the mission is reached by a plurality of the vehicles in the group; determining, by a fourth processor which is in the vehicle assigned to function as a leader for formation planning and trajectory planning, a formation for the group; generating, by the fourth processor, a trajectory for the group; translating, by the fourth processor, the formation and trajectory into instructions for the vehicles in the group, and providing, by the fourth processor, the instructions to the vehicles in the group; wherein the vehicles in the group are operated in accordance with the determined formation and generated trajectory. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sending a collaboration request comprises receiving at a first vehicle a request from a remote-control center to form a group and sending a collaboration request from the first vehicle responsive to the request by the remote-control center. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sending a collaboration request comprises receiving a request from an occupant of a first vehicle to form a group and sending a collaboration request from the first vehicle responsive to the request by the occupant of the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sending a collaboration request comprises an automatic determination by a first vehicle to form a group and sending a collaboration request from the first vehicle responsive to the automatic determination by the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second processor is in a remote-control center. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second processor is in one of the plurality of autonomous vehicles. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein assigning an autonomous vehicle to function as a leader comprises assigning leading functions to one or more vehicles based on the relative strength of the software, controller and sensors of the one or more assigned vehicles. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the target for optimization comprises reducing the time to a destination. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the target for optimization comprises lengthening vehicle service life. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the mission comprises travelling to a destination. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the mission comprises assisting a vehicle experiencing abnormal operations. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the target for optimization comprises improving energy efficiency during travel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining a formation for the group and generating a trajectory for the group comprise receiving vehicle data from each of the other vehicles in the group, the received vehicle data including one or more of vehicle speed, direction, obstacles detected, requests to leave the group, and a distress call. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining a formation for the group and generating a trajectory for the group comprise determining a formation based on agreed to rescue operations or target for optimization, and based on shared data from the vehicles in the group. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising operating one of the vehicles in the group in accordance with the determined formation and generated trajectory by applying instructions calculated for the group, the instructions including one or more of throttle, steering and braking instructions. ### Claim 16 A processor-implemented method in an autonomous vehicle for collaboration with another autonomous vehicle, the method comprising: detecting, by a processor in a first autonomous vehicle, abnormal driving behavior by a second autonomous vehicle caused by a faulty sensor on the second autonomous vehicle; sending, by the processor, a collaboration request to the second autonomous vehicle responsive to detection of the abnormal driving behavior by the second autonomous vehicle; receiving, by the processor, an acceptance of the collaboration request; detecting, by the processor, a condition the second autonomous vehicle is unable to detect due to the faulty sensor; and communicating, using the processor, information regarding the condition to the second autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein receiving an acceptance of the collaboration request comprises receiving an indication of the condition the second vehicle is unable to detect. ### Claim 18 A processor-implemented method in an autonomous vehicle for collaboration with another autonomous vehicle, the method comprising: detecting, by a processor in a first vehicle, a desire by a first autonomous vehicle for collaboration with a second autonomous vehicle due to a faulty or uncalibrated sensor on the first autonomous vehicle; sending, by the processor, a collaboration request to the second autonomous vehicle; receiving, by the processor, an acceptance of the collaboration request; waiting for the second autonomous vehicle to detect a condition that could not be detected by the first autonomous vehicle due to the faulty or uncalibrated sensor; and receiving, by the processor, detected information from the second autonomous vehicle that could not be detected by the first autonomous vehicle due to the faulty or uncalibrated sensor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein sending a collaboration request comprises searching for an autonomous vehicle in the area and sending the collaboration request to the autonomous vehicle in the area located during the searching. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising calibrating the uncalibrated sensor using the received information.