Patent ID: 8825367
Filing Date: 2014-09-02
Classification: G05D

Abstract:
1. A vehicle system comprising: a travel route including a merging section including a first entrance and a second entrance; a plurality of vehicles configured to travel on the travel route; a ground controller configured and programmed to communicate with the plurality of vehicles; a mapping unit configured to map any other vehicle expected to enter the merging section from the first entrance when a first vehicle is expected to enter the merging section from the second entrance, on the travel route of the first vehicle, based on a position and a velocity of the first vehicle and a position and a velocity of the other vehicle; a determining unit configured to determine a preceding-following relationship between the first vehicle and the other vehicle from the position of the first vehicle and the position of the other vehicle mapped by the mapping unit; and a control unit configured and programmed to control travel of the first vehicle so as to avoid a collision with the other vehicle; wherein each of the plurality of vehicles is configured to periodically transmit, to the ground controller, an expected time that the respective vehicle is expected to pass through a predetermined point at an exit of the merging section.