Vehicle trailer control system with wireless capability

• US 10,196,089 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2015
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Autonomous Mobility US LLC (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Herzog, Brandon, Payant, Andre, McClain, Jeremy J., Muharemovic, Ibro, Fletcher, Graham, Weber, Jeffrey, Froehlich, Dominik, Linkenbach, Steffen, Agnew, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/873,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20160096549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer

Abstract

A method of controlling a backing system for a vehicle and trailer assembly comprises initiating a backing system mode with an electronic control unit (ECU) for the backing system when a start system input is received from a control device. At least one input is received by the ECU from the control device which includes information about a desired vehicle action. The ECU interprets from the at least one input the desired vehicle action and calculates a required vehicle response to achieve the desired vehicle action. The ECU then sends a request to at least one vehicle system to perform the calculated vehicle response.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a backing system for a vehicle and trailer assembly, the method comprising:

initiating a backing system mode with an electronic control unit for a backing system when a start system input is received from a control device, the control device is wirelessly connected to the electronic control unit, the control device being a joystick assembly including a joystick, moveable relative to a joystick base, a display screen, a control knob rotatable relative to the joystick and a control safety control button;

receiving, with the electronic control unit, an accelerometer signal generated by an accelerometer of the control device;

receiving, at the electronic control unit, at least one other input from the control device, the at least one other input including information about a desired vehicle action including at least one of requests to shift gears of the vehicle, apply brakes, press emergency stop to park the vehicle and cease control, steer the vehicle, and change a surround view of the vehicle;

determining a desired hitch angle based on the accelerometer signal and the at least one other input;

receiving, with the electronic control unit, camera information from one or more cameras positioned on the vehicle, the one or more cameras in communication with the electronic control unit;

determining, with the electronic control unit, a current hitch angle for the vehicle and trailer assembly based on the camera information;

determining, with the electronic control unit, a vehicle steering angle based on the current hitch angle and the desired hitch angle to move the trailer to the desired hitch angle;

when the control safety control button is depressed, calculating, with the electronic control unit, a required vehicle response based on the vehicle steering angle to achieve the desired hitch angle; and

sending a request from the electronic control unit to at least one vehicle system to perform the calculated vehicle response causing a trailer of the vehicle and trailer assembly to move to the desired hitch angle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the desired vehicle action based on the at least one other input; and

calculating with the electronic control unit a required vehicle response to achieve the desired vehicle angle and the desired hitch angle;

wherein the vehicle and trailer assembly move in real time with the at least one other input received by the electronic control unit.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the control device has a display screen configured to be a human machine interface capable of receiving the at least one other inputs.

4. A backing system for a vehicle and trailer assembly, the backing system comprising:

a wireless control device having an accelerometer for producing an accelerometer signal, the wireless control device being a joystick assembly including a joystick, moveable relative to a joystick base, a display screen, a control knob rotatable relative to the joystick and a control safety control button; and

an electronic control unit, wirelessly connected to the wireless control device to receive at least one input from the wireless control device, wherein the electronic control unit includes instructions for;

initiating a backing system mode for the vehicle when a start system input is received from the control device;

receiving the accelerometer signal from the control device;

receiving at least one other input from the control device, the at least one other input including information about a desired vehicle action including at least one of requests to shift gears of the vehicle, apply brakes press emergency stop to park the vehicle and cease control, steer the vehicle, and change a surround view of the vehicle;

determining a desired hitch angle from the accelerometer signal and the at least one other input;

receiving camera information from one or more cameras positioned on the vehicle, the one or more cameras in communication with the electronic control unit;

determining a current hitch angle for the vehicle and trailer assembly based on the camera information, the current hitch angle being an angle between the vehicle and the trailer;

determining a vehicle steering angle based on the current hitch angle and the desired hitch angle to move the trailer to the drained hitch angle;

when the control safety control button is depressed, calculating a required vehicle response based on the determined vehicle steering angle to achieve the desired hitch angle; and

sending a request to at least one vehicle system to perform the calculated vehicle response causing the trailer to move to the desired hitch angle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the electronic control unit further comprises instructions for:

interpreting the desired vehicle action from the at least one other input; and

calculating a required vehicle response to achieve the desired vehicle angle and the desired hitch angle; and

wherein the vehicle and trailer assembly move in real time with the at least one other input received by the electronic control unit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the control device has a display screen configured to be a human machine interface capable of receiving the at least one other inputs.