VIRTUAL TETHERING FOR AUTONOMOUS CONVOY

Organization Name

GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor(s)

Michael J. Reinker of Beverly Hills MI (US)

Ethan Thomas Dietrich of Oak Park MI (US)

Constandi J. Shami of Ann Arbor MI (US)

Reza Zarringhalam of Whitby (CA)

Milad Jalaliyazdi of Richmond Hill (CA)

Benjamin L. Williams of Milford MI (US)

VIRTUAL TETHERING FOR AUTONOMOUS CONVOY - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18176810 titled 'VIRTUAL TETHERING FOR AUTONOMOUS CONVOY

The abstract of this patent application describes a method in a vehicle that involves providing indications to a following vehicle, entering a tether operating mode, selecting a tether goal, monitoring the headway between vehicles, adjusting trajectories, modifying driver assistance system operation, and generating control signals for vehicle actuators.

Providing indications to a following vehicle via an HMI
Entering a tether operating mode and selecting a tether goal
Monitoring the headway between the lead and following vehicles
Adjusting preplanned trajectories to facilitate the following vehicle maintaining the tether goal
Modifying driver assistance system operation based on headway levels
Generating control signals for vehicle actuators to control the lead vehicle

Potential Applications: - Autonomous driving systems - Vehicle platooning technology - Cooperative driving systems

Problems Solved: - Enhancing communication and coordination between vehicles - Improving safety and efficiency in vehicle platooning - Optimizing driving behavior for following vehicles

Benefits: - Increased safety on the road - Improved traffic flow and reduced congestion - Enhanced fuel efficiency and reduced emissions

Commercial Applications: Title: Vehicle Platooning Technology for Enhanced Safety and Efficiency Description: This technology can be utilized by automotive manufacturers to develop advanced driver assistance systems for commercial vehicles, leading to safer and more efficient transportation solutions. The market implications include increased demand for autonomous driving technologies and potential partnerships with fleet management companies.

Questions about Vehicle Platooning Technology: 1. How does this technology improve communication between vehicles in a platooning system? - This technology enhances communication through the use of tether operating modes and tether goals, allowing for coordinated driving behavior. 2. What are the potential challenges in implementing this technology on a large scale? - Challenges may include regulatory hurdles, infrastructure requirements, and ensuring compatibility with existing vehicle systems.

Original Abstract Submitted

A method in a vehicle, includes: providing, via an HMI, a request to be followed indication responsive to receipt of a request to be followed from a following vehicle; providing, via the HMI, a request to enter a tether operating mode; entering the tether operating mode and selecting a tether goal between the lead vehicle and the following vehicle; providing, via the HMI, a tether mode indication that indicates that the lead vehicle is in the tether operating mode; monitoring a headway between the lead vehicle and following vehicle; adjusting a preplanned trajectory calculated by a driver assistance system to facilitate the following vehicle obtaining and maintaining the tether goal; modifying driver assistance system operation based on a level at which the headway is greater than the tether goal; and generating control signals for vehicle actuators to control the lead vehicle to facilitate the following vehicle maintaining the tether goal.