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EP-4741245-A1 - OVERTAKING FOR VEHICLE COMBINATIONS

EP4741245A1EP 4741245 A1EP4741245 A1EP 4741245A1EP-4741245-A1

Abstract

A computer system and computer-implemented method are disclosed for identifying an overtaking opportunity for a host vehicle combination comprising a tractor unit and at least one trailing unit. The computer system comprises processing circuitry configured to: acquire parameters of at least one vehicle preceding the host vehicle combination; determine a visible range, R, from the host vehicle combination for an upcoming section of a route; and identify an overtaking opportunity by determining that the host vehicle combination can perform an overtaking manoeuvre over the at least one preceding vehicle within the visible range, R, in a stable manner based on the acquired parameters of the at least one preceding vehicle.

Inventors

  • GELSO, Esteban
  • SADEGHI KATI, Maliheh
  • LAINE, LEO

Assignees

  • Volvo Truck Corporation

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241112

Claims (15)

  1. A computer system (160, 180) for identifying an overtaking opportunity for a host vehicle combination (100, 302) comprising a tractor unit (110-1) and at least one trailing unit (110-2), the computer system (160, 180) comprising processing circuitry (170, 190) configured to: acquire parameters (305) of at least one vehicle (304) preceding the host vehicle combination (100, 302); determine a visible range, R, from the host vehicle combination (100, 302) for an upcoming section (206, 300) of a route (200); and identify an overtaking opportunity by determining that the host vehicle combination (100, 302) can perform an overtaking manoeuvre over the at least one preceding vehicle (304) within the visible range, R , in a stable manner based on the acquired parameters (305) of the at least one preceding vehicle (304).
  2. The computer system (160, 180) of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry (170, 190) is configured to: determine a first time or longitudinal distance for the host vehicle combination (100, 302) to travel the visible range, R ; determine a second time or longitudinal distance for the host vehicle combination (100, 302) to perform an overtaking manoeuvre on the at least one preceding vehicle (304) in a stable manner, based on the acquired parameters (305) of the at least one preceding vehicle (304); and determine that the second time or longitudinal distance is less than the first time or longitudinal distance.
  3. The computer system (160, 180) of claim 2, wherein the second time or longitudinal distance comprises: a time or longitudinal distance to make a first lateral movement beyond the width of the at least one preceding vehicle (304), a time or longitudinal distance to make a longitudinal movement past the length of the at least one preceding vehicle (304), and a time or longitudinal distance to make a second lateral movement in an opposite direction to the first lateral movement.
  4. The computer system (160, 180) of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry (170, 190) is configured to: determine a stability measure of an overtaking manoeuvre by the host vehicle combination (100, 302) over the at least one preceding vehicle (304) within the visible range, R, based on the acquired parameters (305) of the at least one preceding vehicle (304); and determine that the stability measure is above a threshold stability.
  5. The computer system (160, 180) of any preceding claim, wherein the parameters (305) of the at least one preceding vehicle comprise one or more of a longitudinal velocity, a longitudinal acceleration, a lateral velocity, a lateral acceleration, a length, a width, and a type of the at least one preceding vehicle (304).
  6. The computer system (160, 180) of any preceding claim, wherein the processing circuitry (170, 190) is configured to determine that the host vehicle combination (100, 302) can perform an overtaking manoeuvre over the at least one preceding vehicle (304) within the visible range, R, in a stable manner based on at least one of one or more route parameters (205), one or more host vehicle combination parameters (105), and one or more environmental parameters (210).
  7. The computer system (160, 180) of any preceding claim, wherein an overtaking manoeuvre performed in a stable manner comprises one or more of a rearward amplification, a rollover risk, and an off-tracking of the host vehicle combination (100, 302) being below a respective threshold value.
  8. The computer system (160, 180) of claim 7, wherein the rearward amplification is defined as: the ratio of the maximum absolute yaw rate of a trailing unit (110-2) of the host vehicle combination (100, 302) to the maximum absolute yaw rate of a tractor unit (110-1) of the host vehicle combination (100, 302); or the ratio of the maximum absolute lateral acceleration of a trailing unit (110-2) of the host vehicle combination (100, 302) to the maximum absolute lateral acceleration of a tractor unit (110-1) of the host vehicle combination (100, 302).
  9. The computer system (160, 180) of any preceding claim, wherein the processing circuitry (170, 190) is further configured to determine one or more control inputs for the host vehicle combination (100, 302) to perform the overtaking manoeuvre.
  10. The computer system (160, 180) of claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry (170, 190) is further configured to: determine that a stability measure during performance of the overtaking manoeuvre by the host vehicle combination (100, 302) is below a threshold stability; and update the one or more control inputs such that stability measure is above the threshold stability.
  11. The computer system (160, 180) of claim 9 or 10, wherein the processing circuitry (170, 190) is further configured to update the one or more control inputs during performance of the overtaking manoeuvre by the host vehicle combination (100, 302) based on updated parameters (305) of the at least one preceding vehicle.
  12. A vehicle () comprising the computer system (160, 180) of any preceding claim.
  13. A computer-implemented method (400) for identifying an overtaking opportunity for a host vehicle combination (100, 302) comprising a tractor unit (110-1) and at least one trailing unit (110-2), the computer-implemented method (400) comprising: acquiring (402), by processing circuitry (170, 190) of a computer system (160, 180), parameters (305) of at least one vehicle (304) preceding the host vehicle combination (100, 302); determining (404), by the processing circuitry (170, 190), a visible range, R, from the host vehicle combination (100, 302) for an upcoming section (206) of a route (200); and identifying (406), by the processing circuitry (170, 190), an overtaking opportunity by determining (500, 600) that the host vehicle combination (100, 302) can perform an overtaking manoeuvre over the at least one preceding vehicle (304) within the visible range, R, in a stable manner based on the acquired parameters (305) of the at least one preceding vehicle (304).
  14. A computer program product comprising program code for performing, when executed by processing circuitry (170, 190), the computer-implemented method (400) of claim 13.
  15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by processing circuitry (170, 190), cause the processing circuitry to perform the computer-implemented method (400) of claim 13.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The disclosure relates generally to vehicle control. In particular aspects, the disclosure relates to overtaking for vehicle combinations. The disclosure can be applied to heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks, buses, and construction equipment, among other vehicle types. Although the disclosure may be described with respect to a particular vehicle, the disclosure is not restricted to any particular vehicle. BACKGROUND In vehicle motion management, control of multi-unit vehicle combinations is challenging due to the complexity of coordinating and manoeuvring multiple vehicle units together. Unlike single vehicles, these vehicle combinations require careful consideration of each vehicle unit's dynamic and the interaction between them. These multi-unit configurations often exhibit complex interactions, such as inter-vehicle communication, varying states, and dynamic behaviours. Conventional navigation systems and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are often insufficient in addressing the specific needs of multi-unit vehicle combinations, leaving drivers with limited support and increased risk of accidents or damage to property and cargo. Existing solutions may not properly account for the dimensions and handling characteristics of these vehicles. This is a particular issue during overtaking manoeuvres, where driver visibility is also a concern. It is therefore desired to provide systems, methods and other approaches for vehicle motion management that attempt to resolve or at least mitigate one or more of these issues. SUMMARY This disclosure provides systems, methods and other approaches for determining an overtaking opportunity for a vehicle combination. In particular, it is proposed to determine opportunities along an upcoming section of road where a host vehicle combination can perform an overtaking manoeuvre on at least one preceding vehicle within a visible range from the host vehicle combination and in a stable manner. This can be achieved by determining if a time or distance for the host vehicle combination to perform a stable overtaking manoeuvre on a preceding vehicle is less than a time for the host vehicle combination to travel the visible range. Alternatively, this can be achieved by determining if a stability measure of an overtaking manoeuvre performed within the visible range is above a threshold stability. A stable overtaking manoeuvre can be defined by the amount of rearward amplification, rollover risk, or off-tracking experienced by the host vehicle combination during the overtaking manoeuvre. For example, the time or distance for the host vehicle combination to perform a stable overtaking manoeuvre may be longer in order to reduce trailer oscillations. In this way, overtaking opportunities for the vehicle combination can be determined that enable stable overtaking of a preceding vehicle. The overtaking opportunities can be determined based on one or more of route parameters (such as turn radii, road slope, and surface friction), vehicle combination parameters (such as length, width, mass, maximum velocity, and maximum acceleration, combination configuration, type of coupling, and load distribution), preceding vehicle parameters (such as length, width, and velocity), and environmental parameters (such as weather conditions and traffic). This ensures that appropriate overtaking opportunities are determined based on current conditions. The determination of overtaking opportunities can be used in a selection between two or more routes based on the availability and stability of overtaking possibilities. According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided computer system for identifying an overtaking opportunity for a host vehicle combination comprising a tractor unit and at least one trailing unit, the computer system comprising processing circuitry configured to: acquire parameters of at least one vehicle preceding the host vehicle combination; determine a visible range from the host vehicle combination for an upcoming section of a route; and identify an overtaking opportunity by determining that the host vehicle combination can perform an overtaking manoeuvre over the at least one preceding vehicle within the visible range in a stable manner based on the acquired parameters of the at least one preceding vehicle. The first aspect of the disclosure may seek to identifying overtaking opportunities for the vehicle combination that enable stable overtaking of a preceding vehicle. The overtaking opportunities can be determined based on one or more of route parameters, vehicle combination parameters, preceding vehicle parameters, and environmental parameters, which ensures that appropriate overtaking opportunities are determined based on current conditions. Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry is configured to: determine a first time or longitudinal distance for the host vehicle combination to travel the