Patent · US Expired

Automatic vehicle following control system

US6128559A · kind A · utility

172Cited by
16References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 24, 1999
Grant dateOct 3, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 24, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB61L2205/04
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

When vehicles run in a platoon, a status indicative of a malfunction or the like of a following vehicle is transmitted to a leading vehicle, so that the leading vehicle can take an appropriate action. Specifically, an automatic vehicle following control system controls a plurality of unattended following vehicles, each comprising an electric vehicle, to run in tandem in follow mode to an attended leading vehicle. Each of said following vehicles has a remaining capacity detecting unit for detecting a remaining capacity of a battery on the following vehicle, and transmitting information of the detected remaining capacity via vehicle-to-vehicle antennas to the leading vehicle. The remaining capacities of the batteries on the following vehicles are displayed on a display unit of the leading vehicle. When a remaining capacity of a battery on an electric vehicle is lowered, since the maximum output power of a motor on the electric vehicle is reduced, the electric vehicle cannot run in a platoon at a high speed. If the remaining capacity of the battery on the electric vehicle is detected as being lower than a predetermined level, then the speed of the leading vehicle is automatically lowe…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.