Speed optimized trajectory control for motor vehicles

• US 10,286,950 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2015
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2015
• 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, Rolfes, Nathaniel A., Hochrein, Bradley G., Recker, Darrel Alan, Mattern, Donald Jacob, Hafner, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Whittington, Jess
• Application Number:
  US14/618,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20160229452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• 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 2520/22 Articulation angle, e.g. between tractor and trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18036 Reversing
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/027 Parking aids, e.g. instruction means

Abstract

A trailer backup assist system for motor vehicles includes an auxiliary user input feature that can be used by a vehicle operator to provide a steering curvature command corresponding to a desired vehicle path curvature without requiring a user to move a steering wheel of the motor vehicle. The trailer backup assist system is configured to control a vehicle speed while the vehicle is backing up with a trailer attached thereto utilizing an input comprising at least one of a steering curvature command and an angle of a trailer relative to the vehicle. The trailer backup assist system controls at least one of a brake system, an engine torque, and a transmission gear selection to thereby control vehicle speed in a reverse direction.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a speed of a motor vehicle and trailer, comprising:

utilizing a controller to;

determine a desired vehicle and trailer path while the vehicle is moving in reverse utilizing input from a rotatable knob inside the vehicle; and

limit a speed of a vehicle such that the vehicle does not exceed a maximum allowable speed for a measured trailer angle and moves along the desired vehicle path within predefined error criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, including:

utilizing a steering command that is generated by a vehicle'"'"'s active park assist system as an input to control a speed of a vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, including:

limiting a speed of the vehicle to account for at least one of a maximum angular velocity of a power steering system and a time lag of a power steering system.

4. The method of claim 1, including:

controlling a path of a vehicle to avoid a collision; and

generating a warning to a vehicle operator that a collision mitigation function is active.

5. The method of claim 1, including:

utilizing at least one of a vehicle brake system and a trailer brake system to limit vehicle speed in a reverse direction.

6. The method of claim 1, including:

controlling a vehicle transmission to limit vehicle speed.

7. The method of claim 1, including:

determining a maximum allowable vehicle speed in a reverse direction as a function of at least one of a trailer angle and an input comprising a steering curvature command received from the rotatable knob;

controlling at least one of a braking system, an engine torque, and a transmission gear selection to prevent the motor vehicle from exceeding the maximum allowable vehicle speed.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the maximum allowable vehicle speed is a linear function of the trailer angle.

9. The method of claim 7, including:

determining a maximum allowable vehicle speed in a reverse direction as a function of both a trailer angle measured while the vehicle is moving in reverse and an input comprising a steering curvature command from the rotatable knob.