Message conveying system of rendezvous locations for stranded autonomous vehicles
AssigneeRobotic Research OpCo, LLC
InventorAlberto Daniel Lacaze
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A message conveying system comprising a set of sensors that can detect features such as a camera, LADAR, ranging sensors, or acoustic sensors in which the lead autonomous vehicle conveys messages to the other autonomous vehicles that follow behind of rendezvous locations for the entire convoy to meet when they get separated from the lead autonomous vehicle. The rendezvous locations are derived from paths entered by the operator, by using the general direction of travel, or by using the old route. In addition, different rendezvous points can be chosen based on exactly where the loss of communication occurs. These rendezvous points may or may not lead to the final destination dictated by the lead autonomous vehicle.
Claims16
A system for controlling a convoy of multiple autonomous vehicles, the system comprising:
- a first message conveying system mounted on a lead autonomous vehicle in the convoy, the first message conveying system comprising:
- a transmitter;
- and
- a first database storing data about a road network traversed by the lead autonomous vehicle;
- and
- a second message conveying system mounted on a follower autonomous vehicle in the convoy, the second message conveying system comprising:
- a receiver;
- and
- a second database storing data about the road network,
- wherein the first message conveying system is configured to:
- determine, based at least in part on a predetermined first travel route for the lead autonomous vehicle and the data in the first database, a rendezvous location;
- and
- transmit, via the transmitter to the receiver of the second message conveying system, a message indicating the determined rendezvous location, and
- wherein the second message conveying system is configured to:
- receive, via the receiver from the transmitter of the first message conveying system, the message indicating the determined rendezvous location;
- determine that communication between the first message conveying system and the second message conveying system has been lost;
- and
- in response to the determination of loss of communication, control the follower autonomous vehicle to follow a second travel route to the determined rendezvous location.
A system for controlling a convoy of multiple autonomous vehicles, the system comprising:
- a first message conveying system mounted on a lead autonomous vehicle in the convoy, the first message conveying system comprising:
- a first transmitter;
- a first receiver;
- and
- a first database storing data about a road network traversed by the lead autonomous vehicle;
- and
- a second message conveying system mounted on a follower autonomous vehicle in the convoy, the second message conveying system comprising:
- a second transmitter;
- a second receiver;
- and
- a second database storing data about the road network,
- wherein the first message conveying system is configured to:
- determine, based at least in part on a current first location along a predetermined travel route for the lead autonomous vehicle and the data in the first database, a first rendezvous location;
- and
- transmit, via the first transmitter to the second receiver of the second message conveying system, a first message indicating the determined first rendezvous location,
- wherein the second message conveying system is configured to:
- receive, via the second receiver from the first transmitter of the first message conveying system, the first message indicating the determined first rendezvous location;
- and
- transmit, via the second transmitter to the first receiver of the first message conveying system, a second message acknowledging that communications are still active,
- wherein the first message conveying system is further configured to:
- receive, via the first receiver, the second message from the second transmitter of the second message conveying system;
- determine, based at least in part on a current second location along the predetermined travel route, a second rendezvous location different from the first rendezvous location;
- transmit, via the first transmitter to the second receiver, a third message indicating the determined second rendezvous location, and
- wherein the second message conveying system is further configured to:
- receive, via the second receiver from the first transmitter, the third message indicated the determined second rendezvous location;
- after receiving the third message, determine that communication between the first message conveying system and the second message conveying system has been lost;
- and
- in response to the determination of loss of communication, control the follower autonomous vehicle to follow a second travel route to the determined second rendezvous locations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.