Drive assisting method for reversal path with drawn vehicle

• US 8,798,860 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph M
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEAGLEY, DANIEL S
• Application Number:
  US11/993,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20080312792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,329 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/23, 701/41, 701/36, 180/204, 340/932.2
• 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 backing-up maneuvers of a vehicle comprising a tractor and a trailer that is articulated with respect to said tractor, said vehicle being equipped with a steering assist device in which a steering angle of steered wheels of said vehicle is displayed on a display device as a position within a displayed range of steering angle positions within which said steering angle should be maintained, the method comprising:

in response to selection of a target point (C) through which a path of the vehicle is to pass during said backing-up maneuvers, calculating a steering angle setpoint value (β

₀) as a function of said target point (C) and of a geometry of the tractor and trailer of the vehicle; and

displaying said steering angle setpoint value (β

₀) on said display device accessible to the driver of the vehicle, in comparison with said display of an actual steering angle value (β

) that corresponds to the position of the steered wheels with respect to a central axis of the vehicle.

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

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

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

₀) is displayed in a form of a range of values.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein calculating the steering angle setpoint value (β

₀) comprises;

calculating a first setpoint angle value (θ

_c) for a measured angle (θ

) between a central axis of the trailer and said central axis of the tractor as a function of the target point (C) and of the geometry of the vehicle; and

updating the steering angle setpoint value (β

₀) as a result of feedback control during said backing-up maneuver so that the measured angle (θ

) tends toward said first setpoint angle value (θ

_c).

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein calculating the steering angle setpoint value (β

₀) is also a function of a component (β

₁) determined as an optimal steering angle when the measured angle (θ

) between the axis of the trailer and the axis of the tractor is equal to the calculated first setpoint angle value (θ

_c).

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein calculating the steering angle setpoint value (β

₀) is also a function of a component (β

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

) and said first setpoint angle value (θ

_c).

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein calculating the steering angle setpoint value (β

₀) is also a function of a component (β

₃) evaluated when the measured angle (θ

) between the axis of the trailer and the axis of the tractor exceeds a predetermined threshold value for said calculated first setpoint angle value and acts to reduce said measured angle (θ

) between the axis of the trailer and the axis of the tractor.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the setpoint value (β

₀) is represented by an angular range within which said steering angle should be maintained.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said angular range is centered on the steering angle setpoint value (β

₀).

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the setpoint value (β

₀) is displayed on said display device together with a display of a field of view behind said vehicle.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actual steering angle value (β

) is represented on the display device by a slider icon on a representation of steering angle range limits.