Method, apparatus and computer program product for grouping vehicles into a platoon

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program products are provided for grouping a plurality of vehicles together into a platoon and using navigation and other available data to optimize the efficiencies of operating the vehicles together as a platoon. Methods may include receiving a first trip request including a first vehicle identification, trip destination, and associated preferences; receiving a second trip request including a second vehicle identification, trip destination, and associated preferences; and generating a platooning plan including assignment of platoon leader to the first vehicle identification and a joining location where a vehicle of the first vehicle identification is to form a platoon with a vehicle of the second identification. Methods may include joining the first vehicle and the second vehicle in a secure vehicle-to-vehicle communication session.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a first trip request including a first vehicle identification, first vehicle origin, first vehicle trip destination, and associated first vehicle preferences;   receiving a second trip request including a second vehicle identification, second vehicle origin, second vehicle trip destination, and associated second vehicle preferences;   receiving a third trip request including a third vehicle identification, third vehicle origin, third vehicle trip destination, and associated third vehicle preferences;   generating a platooning plan including assignment of a platoon leader and a platoon order of vehicles, wherein assignment of the platoon leader to lead the platoon is based, at least in part, on a determination of fuel economy savings of assigning one vehicle to be platoon leader versus at least one other vehicle to be the platoon leader;   providing the platooning plan to vehicles of the first vehicle identification, the second vehicle identification, and the third vehicle identification; and   providing route guidance to each of the vehicles to follow the platooning plan.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein assignment of the platoon leader to lead the platoon based, at least in part, on a determination of fuel economy savings comprises identifying the platoon leader based on an aerodynamic profile of vehicles of the platoon. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the platoon order of vehicles is established based, at least in part, according to an efficiency calculation to arrange the platoon order of the vehicles in a most fuel efficient order. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein assignment of the platoon leader further comprises rotating the platoon leader periodically. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the rotation of the platoon leader position comprises using a Belgian tourniquet method of drafting rotation to rotate vehicles through the platoon leader position. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the platooning plan includes a first joining location where a vehicle of the first vehicle identification is to form a platoon with a vehicle of the second vehicle identification, and a second joining location where a vehicle of the third vehicle identification is to join the platoon of the vehicle of the first vehicle identification and the vehicle of the second vehicle identification. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein assignment of the platoon leader to lead the platoon based, at least in part, on a determination of fuel economy savings comprises: determining a drag coefficient of the first vehicle, a drag coefficient of the second vehicle, and a drag coefficient of the third vehicle and assigning a vehicle selected from a group consisting of the first vehicle, second vehicle, and third vehicle having the lowest drag coefficient as the platoon leader. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:
 receive a first trip request including a first vehicle identification, first vehicle origin, first vehicle trip destination, and associated first vehicle preferences;   receive a second trip request including a second vehicle identification, second vehicle origin, second vehicle trip destination, and associated second vehicle preferences;   receive a third trip request including a third vehicle identification, third vehicle origin, third vehicle trip destination, and associated third vehicle preferences;   generate a platooning plan including assignment of a platoon leader and a platoon order of vehicles, wherein assignment of the platoon leader to lead the platoon is based, at least in part, on a determination of fuel economy savings of assigning one vehicle to be platoon leader versus at least one other vehicle to be the platoon leader;   provide the platooning plan to vehicles of the first vehicle identification, the second vehicle identification, and the third vehicle identification; and   provide route guidance to each of the vehicles to follow the platooning plan.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein causing the apparatus to assign the platoon leader to lead the platoon based, at least in part, on a determination of fuel economy savings comprises identifying the platoon leader based on an aerodynamic profile of vehicles of the platoon. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the platoon order of vehicles is established based, at least in part, according to an efficiency calculation to arrange the platoon order of the vehicles in a most fuel efficient order. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein assignment of the platoon leader further comprises rotating the platoon leader periodically. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the rotation of the platoon leader position comprises using a Belgian tourniquet method of drafting rotation to rotate vehicles through the platoon leader position. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the platooning plan includes a first joining location where a vehicle of the first vehicle identification is to form a platoon with a vehicle of the second vehicle identification, and a second joining location where a vehicle of the third vehicle identification is to join the platoon of the vehicle of the first vehicle identification and the vehicle of the second vehicle identification. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein assignment of the platoon leader to lead the platoon based, at least in part, on a determination of fuel economy savings comprises causing the apparatus to: determine a drag coefficient of the first vehicle, a drag coefficient of the second vehicle, and a drag coefficient of the third vehicle and assigning a vehicle selected from a group consisting of the first vehicle, second vehicle, and third vehicle having the lowest drag coefficient as the platoon leader. 
     
     
         15 . A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions for:
 receiving a first trip request including a first vehicle identification, first vehicle origin, first vehicle trip destination, and associated first vehicle preferences;   receiving a second trip request including a second vehicle identification, second vehicle origin, second vehicle trip destination, and associated second vehicle preferences;   receiving a third trip request including a third vehicle identification, third vehicle origin, third vehicle trip destination, and associated third vehicle preferences;   generating a platooning plan including assignment of a platoon leader and a platoon order of vehicles, wherein assignment of the platoon leader to lead the platoon is based, at least in part, on a determination of fuel economy savings of assigning one vehicle to be platoon leader versus at least one other vehicle to be the platoon leader;   providing the platooning plan to vehicles of the first vehicle identification, the second vehicle identification, and the third vehicle identification; and   providing route guidance to each of the vehicles to follow the platooning plan.   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the program code instructions for assigning the platoon leader to lead the platoon based, at least in part, on a determination of fuel economy savings comprises program code instructions for identifying the platoon leader based on an aerodynamic profile of vehicles of the platoon. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the platoon order of vehicles is established based, at least in part, according to an efficiency calculation to arrange the platoon order of the vehicles in a most fuel efficient order. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein assignment of the platoon leader further comprises rotating the platoon leader periodically. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein the rotation of the platoon leader position comprises using a Belgian tourniquet method of drafting rotation to rotate vehicles through the platoon leader position. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the platooning plan includes a first joining location where a vehicle of the first vehicle identification is to form a platoon with a vehicle of the second vehicle identification, and a second joining location where a vehicle of the third vehicle identification is to join the platoon of the vehicle of the first vehicle identification and the vehicle of the second vehicle identification.