Managing communication in a group of vehicles
AssigneesToyota Motor North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsNorman Lu, Maximilian Parness
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An example operation includes one or more of merging at least one vehicle from a first group of vehicles and at least one vehicle from a second group of vehicles, where the merged vehicles communicate with one another, and where a main vehicle in the second group is notified of the merging by the at least one vehicle in the second group after the merging.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- determining, by a main vehicle of a second group of vehicles, that the second group of vehicles is insufficient to perform a designated task;
- determining, by the main vehicle of the second group of vehicles, a number of vehicles required to be added to the second group of vehicles to perform the designated task;
- sending a request from the main vehicle of the second group of vehicles to a main vehicle of a first group of vehicles requesting merging the number of vehicles from the first group of vehicles with the second group of vehicles;
- merging the number of vehicles into the second group of vehicles by the main vehicle of the second group of vehicles to create a set of merged vehicles;
- in response to the merging, establishing direct communication between the number of vehicles and the second group of vehicles by the main vehicle of the second group of vehicles;
- and
- controlling actions of the set of merged vehicles with the main vehicle of the second group of vehicles.
A system comprising:
- a memory storing instructions;
- and
- a processor of a main vehicle of a second group of vehicles that, when executing the instructions, is configured to:
- determine that the second group of vehicles is insufficient to perform a designated task,
- determine a number of vehicles required to be added to the second group of vehicles to perform the designated task,
- send a request to a main vehicle of a first group of vehicles requesting a merger of the number of vehicles from the first group of vehicles with the second group of vehicles,
- merge the number of vehicles into the second group of vehicles by the main vehicle of the second group of vehicles to create a set of merged vehicles,
- in response to the merger, establish direct communication between the number of vehicles and the second group of vehicles by the main vehicle of the second group of vehicles, and
- control actions of the set of merged vehicles with the main vehicle of the second group of vehicles.
A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a main vehicle of a second group of vehicles, cause the processor to perform:
- determining that the second group of vehicles is insufficient to perform a designated task;
- determining a number of vehicles required to be added to the second group of vehicles to perform the designated task;
- sending a request to a main vehicle of a first group of vehicles requesting merging the number of vehicles from the first group of vehicles with the second group of vehicles;
- merging the number of vehicles into the second group of vehicles to create a set of merged vehicles;
- in response to the merging, establishing direct communication between the number of vehicles and the second group of vehicles;
- and
- controlling actions of the set of merged vehicles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.