US 12,451,009 B2
Method and system for coordinating driverless transport vehicles
Georg Floerchinger, Sinzing (DE)
Assigned to Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (DE)
Appl. No. 18/265,309
Filed by Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (DE)
PCT Filed Nov. 10, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/081250
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 5, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/128265, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 23, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 133 674.8 (DE), filed on Dec. 16, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0038067 A1, Feb. 1, 2024
Int. Cl. G08G 1/0967 (2006.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01); G08G 1/01 (2006.01)
CPC G08G 1/096725 (2013.01) [B60W 60/0027 (2020.02); G08G 1/0112 (2013.01); G08G 1/0145 (2013.01); G08G 1/096775 (2013.01); B60W 2556/45 (2020.02)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for coordinating driverless transport vehicles, the method comprising:
receiving, by a central electronic computing installation, a first trajectory of a first driverless transport vehicle of the driverless transport vehicles, which is computed by the first driverless transport vehicle;
receiving, by the central electronic computing installation, a second trajectory of a second driverless transport vehicle of the driverless transport vehicles, which is computed by the second driverless transport vehicle;
ascertaining, by the central electronic computing installation, a first space requirement of the first driverless transport vehicle along the first trajectory, and a second space requirement of the second driverless transport vehicle along the second trajectory; and
in a case in which it is ascertained by the central electronic computing installation that the first and second space requirements at least partially overlap one another:
selecting, by the central electronic computing installation, the first driverless transport vehicle or the second driverless transport vehicle, based on a criterion; and
transmitting, by the central electronic computing installation, a signal to a selected driverless transport vehicle, wherein, based on the signal, the selected driverless transport vehicle is controlled to change its movement along its trajectory and/or to change its trajectory;
wherein the signal controls the selected driverless transport vehicle to change its movement along its trajectory in such a manner that the selected driverless transport vehicle, initially traveling along the trajectory, stops;
wherein, once the selected driverless transport vehicle has stopped and while the selected driverless transport vehicle is stopped, the other driverless transport vehicle travels along its trajectory; and
wherein the selected driverless transport vehicle is instructed to end its stoppage and to travel onward based on a determination that the other driverless transport vehicle is negotiating a curve or is in a convoy with one or more other vehicles.