Drive Assisting Method for Reversal Path with Drawn Vehicle

• US 20080312792A1
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Renault Trucks (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Dechamp, Francois
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/00 Steering of agricultural machines or implements; Guiding agricultural machines or implements on a desired track
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/48 for parking purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 9/22 Means for attaching lifting, supporting, or manoeuvring devices to vehicles for separate devices B60S11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 12/02 for vehicles operating in tandem
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00

Abstract

The invention relates to a drive assisting method for the reversal path of a vehicle which consists of a tow track and a trailer pivotable with respect thereto and is provided with a conventional mechanical steering device. The inventive method consists in selecting a target point (C), which the vehicle path should pass through, Determination in calculating the steering angle instruction β₀ according to said target point (C) and the vehicle geometry and in displaying said steering angle instruction β₀ in comparison with an actual steering angle β, which corresponds to the position of the member (21) of the steering device, on a display device accessible to a driver.

Claims

1. A method for assisting with driving, for backing-up maneuvers with a vehicle (1) comprising a tractor (2) and a trailer (8) that is articulated with respect to said tractor (2), said vehicle (1) being equipped with a steering device in which the steering angle of the steered wheels is an image of the position of a steering control member (21) moved by the driver, characterized in that:

a target point (C) through which the path of the vehicle is to pass is selected;

a steering angle setpoint value (β

₀) is calculated as a function of said target point (C) and of the geometry of the vehicle (1);

said steering angle setpoint value (PO) is displayed, on a display device (15) accessible to the driver, in comparison with the actual steering angle value (β

) that corresponds to the position of the steering control member (21).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the target point is selected using an aiming system (20) that can be actuated by the driver, interfaced with a display screen (15) for viewing the field of view behind the vehicle.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the target point is selected automatically by choosing a maneuver that is to be performed.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the steering angle setpoint value (β

₀) is displayed in the form of an angular range.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that calculating the steering angle setpoint value involves the following steps during which:

a first setpoint angle value (θ

_c) is calculated for the angle between the axes of the trailer (33) and of the tractor (38) as a function of the target point (C) and of the geometry of the vehicle;

the steering angle setpoint value (β

₀) is calculated as the result of feedback control that causes the measured angle (θ

) between the axes of the trailer and of the tractor to tend toward said first setpoint value (θ

_c).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the steering angle setpoint value (β

₀) takes account of a component (β

₁) which is a function of the radius of curvature of the path of the point (B) at which the trailer (8) is articulated to the tractor (2).

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the steering angle setpoint value (β

₀) takes account of a component (β

₂) that is a function of the difference between the measured angle (θ

) between the axes (33, 38) of the tractor and of the trailer, and said first setpoint angle (θ

_c).

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the steering angle setpoint value takes account of a component (β

₃) evaluated when the angle (θ

) between the axes of the tractor and of the trailer crosses a predetermined threshold (θ

₀) and which is intended to reduce said angle (θ

).