Patent ID: 8086396

Claim:
A method for automatically controlling a first vehicle that is to follow a second vehicle with respect to movement of the second vehicle, comprising: in a first control loop that is updated at a first frequency: monitoring bearing and acceleration control inputs representing amounts of bearing and acceleration being applied to bearing and acceleration actuation elements, respectively, in the second vehicle that cause a change in bearing and acceleration of the second vehicle; transmitting to the first vehicle control status signals representing the bearing and acceleration control inputs to the bearing and acceleration actuation elements in the second vehicle; receiving at the first vehicle the control status signals from the second vehicle; adjusting bearing and acceleration control inputs made to bearing and acceleration actuation elements in the first vehicle based on the control status signals received from the second vehicle so as to mimic in the first vehicle the bearing and acceleration control inputs made in the second vehicle; in at least a second control loop that is updated at a second frequency that is less than the first frequency; monitoring deviation between velocity of the first vehicle and velocity of the second vehicle; generating first bias data for said bearing and acceleration control inputs in the first vehicle based on said deviation in velocity to counteract the deviation in velocity for a current update cycle of the second control loop; wherein said adjusting of bearing and acceleration control inputs in the first vehicle is based further on the first bias data.