Patent ID: 8160765

Claim:
A method for controlling a stopping trajectory for a pair of vehicles traversing a respective pair of overall trajectories, using a control system including an onboard computer and a wireless communication device disposed on each vehicle, and a vehicle location tracking system, said method comprising the steps of: specifying for each overall trajectory of the pair of overall trajectories, a plurality of successive waypoints along the overall trajectory, a safe stopping interval and an intermediate interval greater than the safe stopping interval; exchanging through the wireless communication device a forecasted trajectory associated with each vehicle to the other vehicle of the pair of vehicles, the forecasted trajectory comprising a subset of the associated overall trajectory; controlling in coordination the relative motion of each vehicle of the pair of vehicles along the respective forecasted trajectory; for each forecasted trajectory, determining the distance from the associated vehicle to an end of the safe stopping interval; updating a position of the vehicles periodically; sequentially updating the forecasted trajectory with additional waypoints in response to the respective vehicles bypassing waypoints of the forecasted trajectory; in response to sensing a reduction in a rate of exchanging additional waypoints, determining a remainder length of the forecasted trajectory and comparing the remainder length to the intermediate interval and the safe stopping interval; and: continuing to traverse the forecasted trajectory in response to the remainder length being greater than the intermediate interval; generating a warning signal in response to the remainder length being less than or equal to the intermediate interval and greater than the safe stopping interval; and gradually controlling the associated vehicle to a stop within the safe stopping interval in response to the remainder length being less than or equal to the safe stopping interval.