Method for Controlling the Steering Angle of the Vehicle Guiding Wheels

• US 20100222964A1
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Renault Trucks (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Renault Trucks (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Dechamp, Francois
• Application Number:
  US11/993,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20100222964A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• 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

The invention relates to a method for controlling the steering angle β of the guiding wheels of a vehicle (1) consisting of a tow truck (2) and a trailer (8) hinged with respect thereto. The inventive method makes it possible to produce an instruction β₀ usable by an actuator acting on the steering angle β. The inventive method used during a reverse running consists in selecting a target point (C), which the vehicle path should pass through, in determining the instruction for an angle θ_c between the axes of the truck and trailer according to said target point (C) and the vehicle geometry and in controlling the steering angle β of the guiding wheels according to a close-loop control for slacking the measured steering angle ? between the truck and trailer axes towards the instruction value of the angle θ_c.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the steering angle (β

) of the steered wheels of a vehicle (1) comprising a tractor (2) and a trailer (8) that is articulated with respect to the tractor (2), so that a setpoint value (β

₀) to be applied to an actuator (51) acting on the steering angle (β

) can be formulated, characterized in that, during the backing-up maneuvers;

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

a setpoint value (θ

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

the steering angle (β

) for the steered wheels is controlled as a result of feedback control that causes the measured angle (θ

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

_c).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the selection of the target point (20) is displayed in the cab of the vehicle on a display screen (15) that displays the field of view behind the vehicle.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the selection of the target point is made by action on the steering control member (21).

4. 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.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the selected target point (C) is situated at a predetermined distance (x_c) behind the trailer.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that control of the steering angle for the steered wheels involves 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 control of the steering angle for the wheels involves a component (β

₂) which is a function of the difference between the measured angle (8) between the axes of the tractor (38) and of the trailer (33), and said setpoint angle (θ

_c).

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that control of the steering angle of the steered wheels involves a component (β

₃) taken into account when the angle (θ

) between the axes (33, 38) of the tractor and of the trailer crosses a predetermined threshold (θ

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

).