SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANEUVERING A VEHICLE-TRAILER UNIT IN REVERSE TRAVEL

• US 20120185131A1
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Autonomous Mobility US LLC (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Headley, Philip Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,108,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/245 for facilitating push back or parking of trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/08 Driving in reverse
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations
• 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 system and method of maneuvering a vehicle-trailer unit in reverse travel uses at least one sensor generating output information representative of the a relative position between the vehicle rear and the trailer front. An electronic processing unit compares the measured quantity with a reference value and determines from the comparison whether the trailer deviates from a straight alignment with the vehicle. If the trailer is not aligned with the vehicle, the system can interfere with the vehicle'"'"'s steering system, the trailer'"'"'s brake system, or both.

The sensor can be a distance sensor or a camera, and the quantity can be a distance or a marker position. As a reference value for comparison, the method can use a stored value or previously or simultaneously measured values. The method can be activated automatically or by a switch operated by the vehicle driver.

Claims

1. A method of maneuvering a vehicle-trailer unit in reverse travel, the trailer having a front with a trailer tongue and the vehicle having a rear with a trailer hitch, the trailer tongue being connected to the trailer hitch allowing a horizontal swivel movement of the trailer around the hitch, and the vehicle having an active power steering system the method comprising the steps of

determining that the vehicle-trailer unit is backing up,

measuring a quantity representing a relative position between the vehicle rear and the trailer front,

comparing the measured quantity with a reference value,

determining from the comparison that the trailer deviates from an intended path with respect to the vehicle,

determining that the deviation exceeds a predetermined threshold, and

implementing a path-correcting measure correcting the course of at least one of the vehicle and the trailer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a steering system with active steering intervention and the path-correcting measure adds a corrective steering angle to an existing steering angle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the measured quantity is representative of the distance between the front of the trailer and the rear of the vehicle at a location laterally offset from the location of the trailer hitch.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the reference value represents the distance between the rear of the vehicle and the front of the trailer when the vehicle and the trailer are in straight alignment at the location where the quantity is measured.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the vehicle-trailer unit has a first and a second distance sensor laterally spaced from each other and generating output information representative of the distance between the front of the trailer and the rear of the vehicle, and wherein measured quantity is a distance value established from the output information of the first sensor and the reference value is a distance value established from the output information of the second distance sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a driver-operable back-up assistance switch activating an automatic back-up, the method including the step of detecting that the switch has been set to activate the method.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a manual interface generating input information representative of the intended path, the method comprising the step of determining the intended path from the generated input information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the measured quantity is the lateral position of a marker fixed on the front of the trailer and the reference value is the location of the marker when trailer and vehicle are in straight alignment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the measured quantity is an angle representing a deviation of the trailer from a straight alignment with the vehicle and the reference value is an angle representing a deviation of the trailer from the straight alignment with the vehicle when the trailer is on the intended path.

11. A system for maneuvering a vehicle-trailer unit in reverse travel, the trailer having a front and the vehicle having a rear, the trailer'"'"'s front and the vehicle'"'"'s rear being connected with a trailer hitch allowing a horizontal swivel movement of the trailer around the hitch, the system comprising

at least a first sensor configured to measure a quantity representing a relative position between the vehicle rear and the trailer front, and

an electronic processing device programmed to compare the measured quantity with a reference value, to determine from the comparison that the trailer deviates from an intended path, and to implement a path-correcting measure correcting the course of at least one of the vehicle and the trailer.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first sensor is a distance sensor configured to generate output information representative of the distance between the front of the trailer and the rear of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a second distance sensor configured to generate output information representative of the distance between the front of the trailer and the rear of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first sensor is a camera configured to be mounted on the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a back-up assistance activation switch communicating with the electronic processing device to start to perform the program.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a manual interface generating input information representative of the intended path.

18. The electronic processing device of claim 16, wherein the measured quantity represents a distance.

19. The electronic processing device of claim 16, wherein the measured quantity represents a location of a marker.

20. The electronic processing device of claim 16, wherein the measured quantity represents an angle.

17. An electronic processing device programmed to receive information of a measured quantity representative of position of a trailer relative to a position of a vehicle, to compare the measured quantity with a reference value, to determine from the comparison that the trailer deviates from an intended path, and to calculate a path-correcting measure correcting the course of at least one of a vehicle and a trailer.