Safe occlusion-aware cooperative adaptive cruise control under environmental interference

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by an engine control unit (ECU) of an ego vehicle, cause the ECU to perform actions to control speed of the ego vehicle while in a vehicle platoon that includes a preceding vehicle and the ego vehicle, the actions comprising:

• providing cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) commands to a speed controller, wherein the CACC commands are based on at least one of a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication control received via a wireless communication from the preceding vehicle and a feedback control based on a sensor output of a long-range sensor of the ego vehicle;
• and
• in response to detecting an occluded state:
• determining a minimum spacing value and a minimum relative velocity value between the ego vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on information received before the detection of the occluded state;
• determining a safety speed based on the minimum spacing value and the minimum relative velocity value;
• and
• providing an occluded adaptive cruise control command to the speed controller to maintain a speed of the ego vehicle that is less than or equal to the safety speed;
• wherein detecting the occluded state includes at least one of:
• detecting a missing or invalid V2V communication control;
• or
• detecting a missing or invalid sensor output from the long-range sensor.

A vehicle, comprising:

• a long-range sensor;
• a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) wireless interface;
• a short-range sensor;
• and
• an engine control unit (ECU);
• wherein the ECU includes a speed controller and is communicatively coupled to the long-range sensor, the V2V wireless interface, and the short-range sensor;
• and
• wherein the ECU is configured to perform a method for controlling speed of the vehicle as an ego vehicle in a vehicle platoon that includes the vehicle and a preceding vehicle, the method comprising:
• providing cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) commands to the speed controller, wherein the CACC commands are based on at least one of a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication control received via a wireless communication from the preceding vehicle and a feedback control based on a sensor output of the long-range sensor;
• and
• in response to detecting an occluded state:
• determining a minimum spacing value and a minimum relative velocity value between the ego vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on information received before the detection of the occluded state;
• determining a safety speed based on the minimum spacing value and the minimum relative velocity value;
• and
• providing an occluded adaptive cruise control command to the speed controller to maintain a speed of the ego vehicle that is less than or equal to the safety speed;
• wherein detecting the occluded state includes at least one of:
• detecting a missing or invalid V2V communication control;
• or
• detecting a missing or invalid sensor output from the long-range sensor.