Emergency vehicle detection and right-of-way deference control in platooning

A system for dynamically controlling a set of platooning vehicles travelling on an associated roadway to respond to a presence of a non-platooning emergency vehicle approaching the set of platooning vehicles on the associated roadway, the system comprising:

• a first platoon control unit configured to be disposed in a first associated platooning vehicle of the set of platooning vehicles, the first platoon control unit comprising:
• a processor;
• a non-transient memory device operatively coupled with the processor;
• and
• logic stored in the non-transient memory and executable by the processor to control a platooning operation of the first associated platooning vehicle;
• a first emergency vehicle sensor unit operatively coupled with the first platoon control unit and being configured to be disposed in the first associated platooning vehicle, the first emergency vehicle sensor unit being operable to:
• sense a presence of an associated emergency vehicle near to the first associated platooning vehicle;
• based on sensing the presence of the associated emergency vehicle near to the first associated platooning vehicle:
• determine a position of the emergency vehicle relative to the first associated platooning vehicle;
• generate emergency vehicle position data representative of the determined position of the associated emergency vehicle relative to the first associated platooning vehicle;
• determine a status of the associated emergency vehicle;
• and
• generate emergency vehicle status data representative of the determined status of the associated emergency vehicle;
• a roadway configuration sensor unit operatively coupled with the first platoon control unit and being configured to be disposed in the first associated platooning vehicle, the roadway configuration sensor unit being operable to:
• sense the associated roadway;
• determine a configuration of the associated roadway;
• and
• generate roadway configuration data representative of the determined configuration of the associated roadway;
• a first transceiver operatively coupled with the first platoon control unit and being configured to be disposed in the first associated platooning vehicle, the first transceiver being operable to receive signals from the set of platooning vehicles that are not the first associated platooning vehicle, and to transmit signals to the set of platooning vehicles that are not the first associated platooning vehicle,
• wherein the logic of the platoon control unit is executable by the processor to:
• based on the first emergency vehicle sensor unit sensing the presence of the associated emergency vehicle near to the first associated platooning vehicle:
• use the emergency vehicle position data, the emergency vehicle status data, and the roadway configuration data to determine emergency vehicle avoidance maneuver command data representative of an emergency vehicle avoidance maneuver for directing the set of platooning vehicles away from a path of the associated emergency vehicle on the associated roadway,
• wherein the first transceiver operates to transmit the emergency vehicle avoidance maneuver command data as an emergency vehicle avoidance maneuver command signal to the set of platooning vehicles that are not the first associated platooning vehicle for directing the set of platooning vehicles away from a path of the associated emergency vehicle on the associated roadway.