Patent Description:
Automated or autonomous driving is a field of research and development. One concept of dealing with high traffic loads is platooning, in which vehicles are grouped and which may allow making more efficient use of the road capacity. The groups of vehicles, also referred to as convoys or platoons, may be used to operate the vehicles in the platoon with a short distance or headway between the vehicles, as the vehicles within the platoon may react within a short time delay or simultaneously. This can be achieved by control mechanisms being active between the vehicles of the platoon.

Forming and driving vehicles in platoons has shown many advantages for transportation systems. It may allow fuel reduction by reducing drag force, while coordinated driving may allow more efficient braking and acceleration maneuvers. Additionally, a road operator may benefit from trucks driving in platoons since they occupy less space on the road.

The efficiency of a platoon decreases if the involved trucks cannot follow the desired coordination rules, such as to maintain the optimal distance. If the distance between the trucks is sufficiently large, it is possible that some other vehicle (intentionally or unintentionally) may drive-in and position itself in-between the platoon vehicles. This problem may create challenges for maintaining the desired platoon efficiency.

Document <CIT> describes a concept for projecting a warning indication to an outside of a vehicle to be recognized by other vehicles. Document <CIT> describes a concept for adapting a color of a headlight of a vehicle dependent on a road surface condition. Document <CIT> describes a projector device mounted into an inside mirror of a vehicle to project a light signal onto a projection surface in or on the vehicle. Document <CIT> discloses a vehicle-mounted projection system for projecting a navigation image onto a specified position on the road surface in front of the vehicle.

Document <CIT> provides a system and method, which include a light source projector with a positional actuator mounted on a subject vehicle that projects a laser line on a roadway upon which the subject vehicle is traveling. A controller is in communication with a platoon vehicle traveling in front or behind the subject vehicle in a platoon and controls the positional actuator to project the laser line on the roadway between the subject vehicle and the at least one platoon vehicle.

Document <CIT> describes electronic components that may be integrated in objects used by the trucking industry, such as truck, tractor trailer, cargo, and loading bay. These objects may then communicate with each other and with a gateway device to transmit or receive data or commands. The gateway may be configured to attach to the truck, such as by securing to the truck frame or securing to an interior of the truck cab. The gateway may couple to one or more input devices and receive sensor data through the one or more input devices. The gateway may execute steps that allow the gateway to determine safety margins for operating a vehicle and communicating that information to other nearby vehicles.

Document <CIT> discloses indicators, which show the existence of a convoy of vehicles and the position of a vehicle in the convoy. Safety on the highway is improved for both the convoy and non-convoy vehicles. The ability of convoy vehicles to maintain position in the convoy is improved by the use of indicators. A variety of indicators may be used, such as flags, magnetic signs, projected images, illuminated signs, window decals, or beacons.

There is a demand for an improved concept for controlling a platoon. The independent claims provide an improved concept for controlling a platoon.

Embodiments are based on the finding that likelihood for an intrusion of a platoon can be reduced by making vehicles outside the platoon aware of the platoon and an area occupied by the platoon. It is another finding that such awareness may be achieved using generally intelligible communication. Embodiments may enable vehicles outside the platoon to recognize the platoon before intruding it.

Embodiments provide an apparatus for a platooning vehicle. The platooning vehicle is a member of a platoon of two or more vehicles. The apparatus comprises a communication module configured to make information available to other vehicles. The apparatus further comprises a control module, which is configured to control the communication module. The control module is further configured to determine information on an area of the platoon, and mark the area of the platoon for other vehicles using the communication module. Embodiments enable vehicles outside the platoon to obtain information on the existence of the platoon and its area.

In further embodiments the communication module may be configured to make the information available to other vehicles using one or more elements of the group of optical, acoustical, radar and radio communication signals. Embodiments may use generally intelligible signals to indicate the area of the platoon. Vehicles or operators of vehicles outside the platoon may hence be enabled to receive the information on the area of the platoon without any need of extra communication equipment, e.g. when using optical or visible signals. In some embodiments the communication module comprises a projection module, which is configured to project visual information on a road surface. The control module may be configured to project information on the area of the platoon on the road surface using the projection module. The area of the platoon may hence be seen by other drivers or detected by other vehicles. In further embodiments the communication module may comprise one or more interfaces configured to communicate in a mobile communication system. Embodiments may further use a mobile communication system for communication among vehicles. According to the invention, the control module is configured to provide further information on the platoon using the communication module. The further information comprises one or more elements of the group of information on a status of the platoon, information on a current maneuver of the platoon, and at least information on an upcoming maneuver of the platoon, and information for vehicles outside the platoon. At least in some embodiments additional information may be provided to vehicles outside the platoon. The additional information may support decision making in such vehicles, e.g. whether or not to pass or overtake the platoon.

The control module may be further configured to coordinate the marking of the area with other vehicles being members of the platoon using the communication module. In some embodiments the marking of the platoon may be adapted to the platoon's situation and members. The control module may be further configured to determine the position of the platooning vehicle within the platoon, and mark the area of the platoon depending on the position of the platooning vehicle within the platoon. Using different markings depending on a position within the platoon may allow marking the beginning and the end of the platoon for external vehicles. In further embodiments a distance to a beginning or an end of the platoon or to a gap for intrusion (to slip in) may be indicated, directional information to the next gap for intrusion (or slipping in), respectively.

The control module may be further configured to communicate further information to other vehicles depending on the position of the platooning vehicle within the platoon. Hence, a vehicle leading the platoon may communicate other information than a vehicle at the tail of a platoon. For example, a leading vehicle may inform oncoming traffic on the platoon and potential external vehicles passing the platoon. A vehicle at the tail end of a platoon may communicate with vehicles behind the platoon, which are potential intruders in case they try to pass the platoon. In further embodiments the control module may be configured to project a visual boundary of the platoon onto a road surface using the communication module. The control module may be further configured to use different boundary projections depending on a position of the platooning vehicle in the platoon. Embodiments may enable marking of the platoon as a whole. The control module may be configured to project a visual text message on the road surface using the communication module. The control module may be further configured to use different text messages depending on a position of the platooning vehicle in the platoon. In some embodiments projected text messages may be used to mark the head and the tail of a platoon.

In some embodiments the control module is further configured to monitor whether a vehicle outside the platoon crosses the marked area of the platoon, and to trigger a safety procedure in case a vehicle enters the area of the platoon. Embodiments may enable to define a safety or protected area around a platoon and to trigger safety measures when an outside vehicle enters said area.

Another embodiment is a platooning vehicle comprising the above-described apparatus. A further embodiment is a platoon of multiple platooning vehicles. Yet a further embodiment is a method for a platooning vehicle. The platooning vehicle is a member of a platoon of two or more vehicles. The method comprises determining information on an area of the platoon, and marking the area of the platoon for other vehicles using the communication module.

Embodiments further provide a computer program having a program code for performing one or more of the above described methods, when the computer program is executed on a computer, processor, or programmable hardware component. A further embodiment is a computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, processor, or programmable hardware component, cause the computer to implement one of the methods described herein.

As used herein, the term, "or" refers to a non-exclusive or, unless otherwise indicated (e.g., "or else" or "or in the alternative").

It will be further understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes" or "including", when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components or groups thereof.

Some embodiments may differentiate intruders by their ability to communicate and cooperate with other road partners, i.e. to distinguish between "cooperative" and "non-cooperative" intruders. It may be assumed that a "cooperative" intruder enters the platoon unintentionally (for example to avoid a collision on the road) and is willing to cooperate with platoon, e.g. via V2X (vehicle to anything) or C-V2X (cellular V2X) communication to reduce a possible negative impact. The situation may be more challenging if an intruder is not "cooperative" or has no communication capabilities. Even though, there exist a number of approaches for intruder detection, embodiments may also use efficient methods of intruder prevention, i.e. to reduce the likelihood that a potential intruder starts the actual intruding process.

<FIG> illustrates an embodiment of an apparatus <NUM> for a platooning vehicle <NUM> and an embodiment of a platooning vehicle <NUM>. The platooning vehicle <NUM> is a member of a platoon <NUM> of two or more vehicles. In <FIG> the exact position of the platooning vehicle in the platoon <NUM> is indicated at the back end or tail of the platoon <NUM>, however, any other position within the platoon <NUM> is also conceivable in embodiments. <FIG> further illustrates a vehicle <NUM> following the platoon <NUM> and a vehicle <NUM> located in front of the platoon <NUM>. All vehicles <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are assumed to move from the left to the right in <FIG>. The apparatus <NUM> comprises a communication module <NUM> configured to make information available to other vehicles. The communication module <NUM> is coupled to a control module <NUM>, which is configured to control the communication module <NUM>. The control module <NUM> is further configured to determine information on an area of the platoon <NUM>, and to mark the area of the platoon <NUM> for other vehicles <NUM>, <NUM> using the communication module <NUM>. <FIG> also illustrates an embodiment of a platooning vehicle <NUM> comprising an embodiment of the apparatus <NUM>. Another embodiment is a platoon <NUM> of multiple platooning vehicles <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> the communication module <NUM> is coupled to the control modules <NUM> at the apparatus <NUM>. In embodiments the control module <NUM> may be implemented using one or more processing units, one or more processing devices, any means for processing, such as a processor, a computer or a programmable hardware component being operable with accordingly adapted software. In other words, the described functions of the control modules <NUM> may as well be implemented in software, which is then executed on one or more programmable hardware components. Such hardware components may comprise a general purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a micro-controller, etc..

In some embodiments, the communication module <NUM> may be configured to make the information available to other vehicles using one or more elements of the group of optical, acoustical, radar and radio communication signals. The communication module <NUM> may hence comprise optical communication means, such as one or more elements of the group of an optical lens, a light source, a light emitting diode, a laser, an optical filter, a camera, a photo sensor, a projector, etc. For example, the communication module <NUM> may comprise a projection module, which is configured to project visual information on a road surface. In some embodiments the control module <NUM> is configured to project information on the area of the platoon <NUM> on the road surface using the projection module. The projection module may hence comprise optical projection means, a projector, a laser, etc..

<FIG> shows a traffic scenario of an embodiment in a platoon <NUM> comprising multiple platooning vehicles 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d. <FIG> further shows a vehicle <NUM> behind the platoon <NUM> and an oncoming vehicle <NUM>. As indicated in <FIG> the last vehicle 100a of the platoon projects a text message "Platoon End" on the road surface and the heading vehicle 100d projects a text message "Platoon Start" on the road surface. According to the invention, the control module <NUM> is configured to provide further information on the platoon using the communication module <NUM>. According to the invention, the further information comprises information on an upcoming maneuver of the platoon. The further information may further comprise one or more elements of the group of information on a status of the platoon, information on a current maneuver of the platoon, and information for vehicles outside the platoon. As indicated in <FIG> using the arrows, the oncoming vehicle <NUM> may communicate with the vehicles 100d, 100c, 100b of the platoon <NUM>. For example, information on the vehicle's speed and location may be communicated. The platoon <NUM> may then make such information available to vehicle <NUM> following the platoon <NUM>.

Again, optical means may be used, for example, through projection of text messages. <FIG> only shows boundary marking; however, in embodiments any information may be projected in terms of text or light messages to be read by other drivers or sensed by other vehicles. In case of sensing by other vehicles other communication possibilities are possible in embodiments. For example, optical or acoustical codes may be used in terms of on-off keying to signal certain messages. The control module <NUM> may be further configured to determine the position of the platooning vehicle <NUM> within the platoon <NUM>, and mark the area of the platoon <NUM> depending on the position of the platooning vehicle <NUM> within the platoon <NUM>. This is indicated in <FIG> by the first vehicle 100d marking the beginning or head of the platoon <NUM> and the last vehicle 100a marking the end or the tail of the platoon <NUM>. The control module <NUM> may be further configured to communicate further information to other vehicles depending on the position of the platooning vehicle <NUM> within the platoon. For example, the last vehicle 100a may communicate with following vehicles <NUM>, e.g. to mark the platoon's <NUM> area and inform whether there is oncoming traffic <NUM>. The first vehicle 100d may communicate with oncoming traffic <NUM> and inform whether there are vehicles passing the platoon <NUM>.

In the embodiments shown by <FIG> the control modules <NUM> (of the vehicles 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d) are configured to project a visual boundary of the platoon <NUM> onto a road surface using the communication module <NUM>. The control module <NUM> is further configured to use different boundary projections depending on a position of the platooning vehicle <NUM> in the platoon <NUM>, for example, the projections differ depending on whether a vehicle is in front or the back of the platoon. Moreover, the control module <NUM> is configured to project a visual text message on the road surface using the communication module <NUM>. The control module <NUM> is further configured to use different text messages depending on a position of the platooning vehicle <NUM> in the platoon <NUM>, e.g. to mark the beginning and the end of the platoon. In further embodiments the control module <NUM> may be further configured to coordinate the marking of the area with other vehicles 100b, 100c, 100d being members of the platoon <NUM> using the communication module <NUM>. The communication module <NUM> may comprise one or more interfaces configured to communicate in a mobile communication system <NUM>.

Embodiments may reduce a likelihood of a manually driven vehicle <NUM> to become a platoon intruder. For example, a manual driver <NUM> might not always know that its certain driving behavior might have a negative impact on the platoon <NUM>, such that for a platoon <NUM> the driver's behavior might be classified as an intruder. In some embodiments, a platooning vehicle <NUM>, 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d may provide some visual sign on the road surface (the term visual means not only visible directly by human's eye but could also be detectable by vehicular sensors). For example, each vehicle 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d in the platoon <NUM> may project a so-called "safe platoon area", which can be visible for any manual driver passing the platoon, or vehicle sensors of a passing vehicle. Such sign or marked region projected on the road, besides showing the platoon-area, could also inform the driver about the potential consequences of entering such area. It may also serve as trigger point for certain maneuvers of the platoon. if a potential intruder crosses the marked area, gaps may be opened between the platooning vehicles to let a passing vehicle slip in in case of oncoming traffic. Some examples of messages communicated are:.

In embodiments the communication module <NUM> may comprise one or more interfaces, which may correspond to any means for obtaining, receiving, transmitting or providing analog or digital signals or information, e.g. any connector, contact, pin, register, input port, output port, conductor, lane, etc. which allows providing or obtaining a signal or information. An interface or the communication module <NUM> may communicate in a wireless or wireline manner and it may be configured to communicate, i.e. transmit or receive signals, information with further internal or external components. The communication module <NUM> may comprise further components to enable according communication in a mobile communication system <NUM>, such components may include transceiver (transmitter and/or receiver) components, such as one or more Low-Noise Amplifiers (LNAs), one or more Power-Amplifiers (PAs), one or more duplexers, one or more diplexers, one or more filters or filter circuitry, one or more converters, one or more mixers, accordingly adapted radio frequency components, etc. The communication module <NUM> may be coupled to one or more antennas, which may correspond to any transmit and/or receive antennas, such as horn antennas, dipole antennas, patch antennas, sector antennas etc. The antennas may be arranged in a defined geometrical setting, such as a uniform array, a linear array, a circular array, a triangular array, a uniform field antenna, a field array, combinations thereof, etc. In some examples the communication module <NUM> may serve the purpose of transmitting or receiving or both, transmitting and receiving, information, such as information related to capabilities, application requirements, requests, message interface configurations, feedback, information related to control commands, information on the platoon area, information on the platoon boundary, etc..

<FIG> also shows an embodiment of a system <NUM> comprising embodiments of vehicles <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, which may correspond to base stations and/or mobile transceivers, respectively. In embodiments, communication, i.e. transmission, reception or both, may take place among mobile transceivers/vehicles <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> directly and/or between mobile transceivers/vehicles <NUM>, <NUM> and a network infrastructure component (e.g. a base station, a network server, a backend server, etc.). Such communication may make use of a mobile communication system <NUM>. In other words such communication may be carried out directly, e.g. by means of Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, which may also comprise Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) or car-to-car communication in case of vehicles <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. Such communication may be carried out using the specifications of a mobile communication system <NUM>.

The mobile communication system <NUM> may, for example, correspond to one of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)-standardized mobile communication networks, where the term mobile communication system is used synonymously to mobile communication network. The mobile or wireless communication system may correspond to a mobile communication system of the 5th Generation (<NUM>) and may use mm-Wave technology. The mobile communication system may correspond to or comprise, for example, a Long-Term Evolution (LTE), an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) or a UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), an evolved-UTRAN (e-UTRAN), a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) or Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network, a GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), or mobile communication networks with different standards, for example, a Worldwide Inter-operability for Microwave Access (WIMAX) network IEEE <NUM> or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) IEEE <NUM>, generally an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) network, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Wideband-CDMA (WCDMA) network, a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) network, a Spatial Division Multiple Access (SDMA) network, etc..

A base station transceiver can be operable or configured to communicate with one or more active mobile transceivers/vehicles <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and a base station transceiver can be located in or adjacent to a coverage area of another base station transceiver, e.g. a macro cell base station transceiver or small cell base station transceiver. Hence, embodiments may provide a mobile communication system <NUM> comprising two or more mobile transceivers/vehicles <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and one or more base station transceivers, wherein the base station transceivers may establish macro cells or small cells, as e.g. pico-, metro-, or femto cells. A mobile transceiver may correspond to a smartphone, a cell phone, user equipment, a laptop, a notebook, a personal computer, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a Universal Serial Bus (USB) -stick, a car, a vehicle etc. A mobile transceiver may also be referred to as User Equipment (UE) or mobile in line with the 3GPP terminology. A vehicle <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may correspond to any conceivable means for transportation, e.g. a car, a bike, a motorbike, a van, a truck, a bus, a ship, a boat, a plane, a train, a tram, etc..

A base station transceiver can be located in the fixed or stationary part of the network or system. A base station transceiver may correspond to a remote radio head, a transmission point, an access point, a macro cell, a small cell, a micro cell, a femto cell, a metro cell etc. A base station transceiver can be a wireless interface of a wired network, which enables transmission of radio signals to a UE or mobile transceiver. Such a radio signal may comply with radio signals as, for example, standardized by 3GPP or, generally, in line with one or more of the above listed systems. Thus, a base station transceiver may correspond to a NodeB, an eNodeB, a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), an access point, a remote radio head, a relay station, a transmission point etc., which may be further subdivided in a remote unit and a central unit.

A mobile transceiver <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> can be associated with a base station transceiver or cell. The term cell refers to a coverage area of radio services provided by a base station transceiver, e.g. a NodeB (NB), an eNodeB (eNB), a remote radio head, a transmission point, etc. A base station transceiver may operate one or more cells on one or more frequency layers, in some embodiments a cell may correspond to a sector. For example, sectors can be achieved using sector antennas, which provide a characteristic for covering an angular section around a remote unit or base station transceiver. In some embodiments, a base station transceiver may, for example, operate three or six cells covering sectors of <NUM>° (in case of three cells), <NUM>° (in case of six cells) respectively. A base station transceiver may operate multiple sectorized antennas. In the following a cell may represent an according base station transceiver generating the cell or, likewise, a base station transceiver may represent a cell the base station transceiver generates.

Mobile transceivers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may communicate directly with each other, i.e. without involving any base station transceiver, which is also referred to as Device-to-Device (D2D) communication. An example of D2D is direct communication between vehicles, also referred to as Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication (V2V), car-to-car using <NUM> p, respectively. In embodiments the communication module <NUM> can be configured to use this kind of communication. In order to do so radio resources are used, e.g. frequency, time, code, and/or spatial resources, which may as well be used for wireless communication with a base station transceiver. The assignment of the radio resources may be controlled by the base station transceiver, i.e. the determination which resources are used for D2D and which are not. Here and in the following radio resources of the respective components may correspond to any radio resources conceivable on radio carriers and they may use the same or different granularities on the respective carriers. The radio resources may correspond to a Resource Block (RB as in LTE/LTE-A/LTE-unlicensed (LTE-U)), one or more carriers, sub-carriers, one or more radio frames, radio sub-frames, radio slots, one or more code sequences potentially with a respective spreading factor, one or more spatial resources, such as spatial sub-channels, spatial precoding vectors, any combination thereof, etc..

For example, direct Cellular Vehicle-to-Anything (C-V2X), where V2X includes at least V2V, V2-Infrastructure (V2I), etc., transmission according to 3GPP Release <NUM> can be managed by infrastructure (so-called mode <NUM>) or run in a User Equipment (UE) Autonomous mode (UEA), (so-called mode <NUM>). In embodiments the two or more mobile transceivers 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> as indicated by <FIG> and <FIG> may be registered in the same mobile communication system <NUM>. In other embodiments one or more of the mobile transceivers 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may be registered in different mobile communication systems <NUM>. The different mobile communication systems <NUM> may use the same access technology but different operators or they may use different access technologies as outlined above.

In further embodiments the control module <NUM> may be further configured to monitor whether a vehicle outside the platoon <NUM> crosses the marked area, and to trigger a safety procedure in case a vehicle enters the marked area of the platoon <NUM>. For example, if a vehicle enters the marked area of the platoon, a control mechanism may be in place to open up gaps between the platooning vehicles 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d.

<FIG> shows a block diagram of a flow chart of an embodiment of a method <NUM> for a platooning vehicle <NUM>. The platooning vehicle <NUM> is a member of a platoon <NUM> of two or more vehicles 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d. The method <NUM> comprises determining <NUM> information on an area of the platoon <NUM>, and marking <NUM> the area of the platoon for other vehicles 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d.

As already mentioned, in embodiments the respective methods may be implemented as computer programs or codes, which can be executed on a respective hardware. Hence, another embodiment is a computer program having a program code for performing at least one of the above methods, when the computer program is executed on a computer, a processor, or a programmable hardware component. A further embodiment is a (non-transitory) computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, processor, or programmable hardware component, cause the computer to implement one of the methods described herein.

The description and drawings merely illustrate the principles of the invention. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claim 1:
An apparatus (<NUM>) for a platooning vehicle (<NUM>), the platooning vehicle (<NUM>) being a member of a platoon (<NUM>) of two or more vehicles, the apparatus (<NUM>) comprising
a communication module (<NUM>) configured to make information available to other vehicles; and
a control module (<NUM>) configured to control the communication module (<NUM>), wherein the control module (<NUM>) is further configured to
determine information on an area of the platoon (<NUM>), and
mark the area of the platoon (<NUM>) for other vehicles using the communication module (<NUM>), wherein the control module (<NUM>) is configured to provide a message with further information on the platoon using the communication module (<NUM>), wherein the further information comprises information on an upcoming maneuver of the platoon.