Platoon behaviors that influence drivers of other vehicles
AssigneeStack AV Co.
InventorsTekin Alp Meriçli, Alonzo James Kelly
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for platoon behaviors that discourage other vehicles from interfering.
Claims15
A method of operating platoon vehicles to discourage interference by another vehicle that is not a platoon vehicle, the platoon vehicles including a leader and a follower, the method performed by a system comprising one or more processors and one or more computer readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to execute the method, the method comprising:
- determining a velocity of a point associated with a gap between the platoon vehicles. wherein the point is a predetermined point within a space between a leader vehicle and a follower vehicle in the platoon;
- determining a velocity of the other vehicle;
- detecting, based at least in part on the velocity of the point associated with the gap and on the velocity of the other vehicle, an interference state where the other vehicle may potentially interfere or has interfered with the platoon;
- determining that no justification for a maneuver to interfere is present;
- and
- in accordance with the determination that no justification is present, performing a maneuver to discourage the other vehicle from interfering, wherein the maneuver to discourage the other vehicle from interfering comprises adjusting a lateral lane position without changing lanes of at least one vehicle in the platoon.
An apparatus configured for operating platoon vehicles to discourage interference by another vehicle that is not a platoon vehicle, the platoon vehicles including a leader and a follower, the apparatus comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- one or more computer readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, are arranged to cause the one or more processors to perform a process for:
- determining a velocity of a point associated with a gap between the platoon vehicles, wherein the point is a predetermined point within a space between a leader vehicle and a follower vehicle in the platoon;
- determining a velocity of the other vehicle;
- detecting, based at least in part on the velocity of the point associated with the gap and on the velocity of the other vehicle, an interference state where the other vehicle may interfere or has interfered with the platoon;
- determining whether justification for the maneuver to interfere is present;
- and
- if no justification is present, then performing a maneuver to discourage the other vehicle from interfering, wherein the maneuver to discourage the other vehicle from interfering comprises adjusting a lateral lane position without changing lanes of at least one vehicle in the platoon;
- and
- if justification is present, then either (a) taking no action or (b) performing a maneuver to encourage the other vehicle to take some other action.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.