System and method for determining a hitch angle based on an input from a sensor and a kinematic model of a vehicle and a trailer, and for controlling the vehicle based on the hitch angle

• US 10,173,722 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Pourrezaei Khaligh, Sepehr, Abdel-Rahman, Akram M., Emmanuel, Anston, Meade, Grant L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US15/343,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20180127024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/245 for facilitating push back or parking of trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/246 for actuating the hitch by powered means
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/025 the pivoted movement being initiated by the coupling means between tractor and trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/021 Determination of steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/023 by measuring on the king pin
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/938 in the bumper area radar in bumper area G01S2013/93275; bumper with obstacle sensor of electric or electronic type B60R19/483

Abstract

A system according to the present disclosure includes an estimated hitch angle module, a measured hitch angle module, a corrected hitch angle module, and at least one of a driver assist module and an actuator control module. The estimated hitch angle module estimates a hitch angle, which is an angle between a longitudinal axis of a vehicle and a longitudinal axis of a trailer that is attached to the vehicle. The measured hitch angle module determines a measured hitch angle based on an input from a sensor. The corrected hitch angle module determines a corrected hitch angle based on the estimated and measured hitch angles. The driver assist module controls a user interface device to assist a driver of the vehicle based on the corrected hitch angle. The actuator control module controls an actuator of at least one of the vehicle and the trailer based on the corrected hitch angle.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an estimated hitch angle module that estimates a hitch angle, wherein the hitch angle is an angle between a longitudinal axis of a vehicle and a longitudinal axis of a trailer that is attached to the vehicle;

a measured hitch angle module that determines a measured hitch angle based on an input from a sensor;

a corrected hitch angle module that determines a corrected hitch angle based on the estimated hitch angle and the measured hitch angle; and

at least one of;

a driver assist module that controls a user interface device to assist a driver of the vehicle based on the corrected hitch angle; and

an actuator control module that controls an actuator of at least one of the vehicle and the trailer based on the corrected hitch angle.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the estimated hitch angle module determines the estimated hitch angle based on a speed of the vehicle and a steer angle of the vehicle, wherein the steer angle is an angle between the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and a vertical plane extending through a steered wheel of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the estimated hitch angle module determines the estimated hitch angle based on the vehicle speed and the steer angle of the vehicle using a kinematic model of the vehicle and the trailer.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the estimated hitch angle module:

determines a rate of change in the estimated hitch angle based on the vehicle speed and the steer angle of the vehicle, and

determines the estimated hitch angle by integrating the rate of change in the estimated hitch angle with respect to a sampling period associated with the rate of change in the estimated hitch angle.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the estimated hitch angle module determines the rate of change in the estimated hitch angle further based on a previous value of the estimated hitch angle.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the estimated hitch angle module determines the rate of change in the estimated hitch angle further based on a wheelbase of the vehicle, a distance between a rear axle of the vehicle and a trailer hitch of the vehicle, and a distance between a tongue of the trailer to a rear axle of the trailer.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the sensor includes a first ultrasonic sensor that transmits a first ultrasonic wave in a first direction toward the trailer and receives the first ultrasonic wave after the first ultrasonic wave is reflected back to the first ultrasonic sensor by the trailer; and

the measured hitch angle module determines the measured hitch angle based on a first period from a first time when the first ultrasonic sensor transmits the first ultrasonic wave and a second time when the first ultrasonic sensor receives the first ultrasonic wave.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein:

the sensor further includes a second ultrasonic sensor that transmits a second ultrasonic wave in a second direction toward the trailer and receives the second ultrasonic wave after the second ultrasonic wave is reflected back to the second ultrasonic sensor by the trailer; and

the measured hitch angle module determines the measured hitch angle further based on a second period from a third time when the second ultrasonic sensor transmits the first ultrasonic wave and a fourth time when the second ultrasonic sensor receives the first ultrasonic wave.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a trailer distance module that:

determines a first distance between the first ultrasonic sensor and the trailer based on the first period; and

determines a second distance between the second ultrasonic sensor and the trailer based on the second period, wherein the measured hitch angle module determines the measured hitch angle based on the first and second distances.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the corrected hitch angle determines the corrected hitch angle based on the estimated hitch angle and the measured hitch angle using a Kalman filter.

11. A method comprising:

estimating a hitch angle, wherein the hitch angle is an angle between a longitudinal axis of a vehicle and a longitudinal axis of a trailer that is attached to the vehicle;

determining a measured hitch angle based on an input from a sensor;

determining a corrected hitch angle based on the estimated hitch angle and the measured hitch angle; and

at least one of;

controlling a user interface device to assist a driver of the vehicle based on the corrected hitch angle; and

controlling an actuator of at least one of the vehicle and the trailer based on the corrected hitch angle.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining the estimated hitch angle based on a speed of the vehicle and a steer angle of the vehicle, wherein the steer angle is an angle between the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and a vertical plane extending through a steered wheel of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining the estimated hitch angle based on the vehicle speed and the steer angle of the vehicle using a kinematic model of the vehicle and the trailer.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

determining a rate of change in the estimated hitch angle based on the vehicle speed and the steer angle of the vehicle, and

determining the estimated hitch angle by integrating the rate of change in the estimated hitch angle with respect to a sampling period associated with the rate of change in the estimated hitch angle.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining the rate of change in the estimated hitch angle further based on a previous value of the estimated hitch angle.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining the rate of change in the estimated hitch angle further based on a wheelbase of the vehicle, a distance between a rear axle of the vehicle and a trailer hitch of the vehicle, and a distance between a tongue of the trailer to a rear axle of the trailer.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the sensor includes a first ultrasonic sensor that transmits a first ultrasonic wave in a first direction toward the trailer and receives the first ultrasonic wave after the first ultrasonic wave is reflected back to the first ultrasonic sensor by the trailer; and

the method further comprises determining the measured hitch angle based on a first period from a first time when the first ultrasonic sensor transmits the first ultrasonic wave and a second time when the first ultrasonic sensor receives the first ultrasonic wave.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the sensor further includes a second ultrasonic sensor that transmits a second ultrasonic wave in a second direction toward the trailer and receives the second ultrasonic wave after the second ultrasonic wave is reflected back to the second ultrasonic sensor by the trailer; and

the method further comprises determining the measured hitch angle further based on a second period from a third time when the second ultrasonic sensor transmits the first ultrasonic wave and a fourth time when the second ultrasonic sensor receives the first ultrasonic wave.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

determining a first distance between the first ultrasonic sensor and the trailer based on the first period;

determining a second distance between the second ultrasonic sensor and the trailer based on the second period; and

determining the measured hitch angle based on the first and second distances.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining the corrected hitch angle based on the estimated hitch angle and the measured hitch angle using a Kalman filter.