Platooning control apparatus and method

Abstract

A platooning control apparatus may include: a navigation unit configured to guide an ego vehicle to a destination set by a driver; a driving module configured to drive the ego vehicle; and a control unit configured to primarily select platooning groups based on the destination set in the navigation unit, analyze platooning information of the primarily selected platooning groups, finally decide any one of the primarily selected platooning groups, and then control the driving module to join the finally decided platooning group.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling a potential following vehicle in a platooning group, the method comprising:
 transmitting a join request to the leading vehicle included in the platooning group, wherein the platooning group includes a leading vehicle and at least one following vehicle, wherein the leading vehicle is a first vehicle in the platooning group, and the at least one following vehicle is one or more vehicle operating in the platooning group behind the leading vehicle and connected using a V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) communication;   receiving vehicle information from the leading vehicle included in the platooning group, wherein the vehicle information comprises vehicle type information of the leading vehicle; and   beginning a cruising operation after a join process is completed, wherein the potential following vehicle is controlled in a platoon based on data obtained from at least one sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a radar, a lidar or a camera. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the potential following vehicle joins the last following vehicle in the platooning group. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the join process fails based on a planned route of the leading vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the potential following vehicle comprises at least one truck. 
     
     
         6 . A potential following vehicle in a platooning group, the potential following vehicle comprising:
 a transceiver configured to transmit a join request to the leading vehicle included in the platooning group and receive vehicle information from the leading vehicle included in the platooning group,   wherein the platooning group includes a leading vehicle and at least one following vehicle,   wherein the leading vehicle is a first vehicle in the platooning group, and the at least one following vehicle is one or more vehicle operating in the platooning group behind the leading vehicle and connected using a V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) communication,   wherein the vehicle information comprises vehicle type information of the leading vehicle; and   a controller configured to begin a cruising operation after a join process is completed, wherein the potential following vehicle is controlled in a platoon based on data obtained from at least one sensor.   
     
     
         7 . The potential following vehicle of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a radar, a lidar or a camera. 
     
     
         8 . The potential following vehicle of  claim 7 , wherein the potential following vehicle joins the last following vehicle in the platooning group. 
     
     
         9 . The potential following vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the join process fails based on a planned route of the leading vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The potential following vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein the potential following vehicle comprises at least one truck.