Trailer curvature control and mode management with powertrain and brake support

• US 10,279,803 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2017
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lavoie, Erick Michael, Trombley, Roger Arnold, Pilutti, Thomas Edward, Rolfes, Nathaniel Abram, Hafner, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US15/450,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20170174209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 701 41
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/08 Driving in reverse
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/20 specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of or overrunning by trailer inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/32 responsive to a speed condition, e.g. acceleration or deceleration using electrical circuitry or regulation means B60T8/17 ; B60T8/28 takes precedence; electric devices on electrically propelled vehicles indicating the wheel slip B60L3/10; measuring linear or angular speed per se G01P3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/001 Proportional integral [PI] controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/14 Tractor-trailers, i.e. combinations of a towing vehicle and one or more towed vehicles, e.g. caravans; Road trains
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/22 Articulation angle, e.g. between tractor and trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0605 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/182 Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/207 Steering angle of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18036 Reversing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 : Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/147 : Trailers, e.g. full trailers or caravans
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 : for backing a normally drawn trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 : Parking performed automatically

Abstract

A backup assist system for a vehicle reversing a trailer includes a brake module and a throttle module. The system further includes a controller having a vehicle speed detector and coupled with the brake module and the throttle module for implementing a backup mode including detecting an adverse operating condition and then adjusting at least one of the brake module and the throttle module and terminating the backup mode upon detecting the adverse operating condition for a time interval.

Claims

1. A backup assist system for a vehicle reversing a trailer, comprising:

a vehicle brake system;

a vehicle throttle;

a vehicle speed sensor; and

a controller;

coupled with the brake system, the throttle, and the speed sensor;

implementing a backup mode including controlling at least one of the brake system or the throttle to attempt to maintain a vehicle speed below a threshold speed; and

terminating the backup mode upon detecting that the vehicle speed is above the threshold speed for a predetermined time interval.

2. The backup assist system of claim 1, further including a vehicle steering system, wherein:

the controller further implements the backup mode including controlling the vehicle steering system to maintain the vehicle and trailer along a predetermined backing path.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein controlling the brake system includes causing the brake system to increase a brake torque applied thereby according to a non-linear proportional-integral control scheme.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein controlling the throttle includes adjusting a position of the throttle to reduce an output thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold speed is a predetermined backup threshold speed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system further includes a trailer angle sensor; and

the controller adjusts the threshold vehicle speed downward in response to input from the trailer angle sensor indicating a trailer angle being in excess of a threshold trailer angle.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the system, while in the backup mode produces a driver warning in response to detection of the trailer angle being in excess of the threshold trailer angle; and

the system further terminates the backup mode and presents a driver instruction upon input from the trailer angle sensor indicating the trailer angle being in excess of a maximum trailer angle that is greater than the threshold trailer angle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein during terminating of the backup mode, the controller ramps out the controlling of at least one of the brake system or the throttle.

9. The system of claim 1, further including at least one object sensor associated with a side of the vehicle and coupled with the controller, wherein:

while in the backup mode, the controller adjusts the threshold vehicle speed downward upon detecting the trailer within a predetermined distance of the side of the vehicle.

10. A vehicle, comprising:

a steering system;

a vehicle speed detector;

a brake system;

a controller coupled with steering system for implementing;

a backup mode for reversing a trailer including controlling the steering system to maintain the trailer along a path; and

a non-linear proportional-integral control scheme to control the brake system to maintain a vehicle speed below a threshold speed.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the controller is coupled with the brake system and outputs a brake torque demand to the brake system based on the proportional-integral control scheme.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the controller implements the non-linear proportional-integral control scheme as a part of implementing the backup mode.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the first controller further terminates the backup mode and the non-linear proportional-integral control scheme upon detecting an adverse condition for a time interval.

14. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the proportional-integral control scheme uses a zero integral gain if the vehicle speed is below a reference speed that is less than the threshold speed.

15. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the path corresponds to a trailer curvature commanded by a driver of the vehicle.

16. A method for assisting reversing of a vehicle with a trailer, comprising:

implementing a backup control scheme to control a steering angle of a steering system to maintain the trailer along a user-selected backing path; and

attempting to maintain a vehicle speed below a threshold speed;

wherein the backup control scheme automatically terminates after a time interval of detecting that the vehicle speed is above the threshold speed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein attempting to maintain the speed of the vehicle below the threshold speed is achieved by the control scheme at least one of actuating a braking system of the vehicle or lowering a throttle output of the vehicle according to a non-linear proportional-integral control scheme.

18. The method of claim 17, further including, after the time interval of detecting that the vehicle speed is above the threshold speed, ramping out the non-linear proportional-integral control scheme.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the threshold vehicle speed is a predetermined backup threshold speed.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the threshold vehicle speed is derived by a comparison of the vehicle speed with a reference speed; and

attempting to maintain a vehicle speed below a threshold speed includes controlling a brake system of the vehicle to maintain the vehicle speed within a predetermined range of the reference speed.