Sensor failure mitigation system and mode management

• US 9,533,683 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga X
• Application Number:
  US14/562,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20160159347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.2, 701/41, 701/70, 701/36, 340/431
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering 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 2400/00 Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/207 Oversteer or understeer
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/22 Articulation angle, e.g. between tractor and trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/207 Steering angle of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18036 Reversing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/045 Monitoring control system parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer

Abstract

A trailer backup assist system includes a sensor that senses a hitch angle between a vehicle and a trailer. The trailer backup assist system also includes a steering input device that provides a backing path of the trailer. Further, the trailer backup assist system includes a controller that generates a steering command for the vehicle based on the hitch angle and the backing path. The controller generates a countermeasure for operating the vehicle when the sensor fails to sense the hitch angle.

Claims

1. A trailer backup assist system, comprising:

a sensor sensing a hitch angle between a vehicle and a trailer;

a steering input device providing a backing path of the trailer; and

a controller generating a steering command for the vehicle based on the hitch angle and the backing path, wherein the controller generates a countermeasure for operating the vehicle when the sensor fails to sense the hitch angle.

2. The trailer backup assist system of claim 1, wherein the countermeasure includes at least one of a braking command, a powertrain command, and a steering command.

3. The trailer backup assist system of claim 1, further comprising:

a steering wheel of the vehicle for commanding a steering angle of the vehicle, wherein the controller disengages the countermeasure when an external torque is applied to the steering wheel.

4. The trailer backup assist system of claim 3, wherein the steering wheel includes a torque sensor for sensing an internal torque applied by a power assist steering system and the external torque applied by a driver of the vehicle.

5. The trailer backup assist system of claim 1, wherein the countermeasure is generated after the hitch angle is not sensed for a threshold period of time, and wherein the countermeasure is configured to prevent a jackknife condition.

6. The trailer backup assist system of claim 1, wherein the steering input device includes a rotatable knob configured to provide a curvature of the trailer, defining the backing path.

7. A sensor failure mitigation system for a trailer backup assist system, comprising:

a sensor measuring a hitch angle between a vehicle and a trailer; and

a controller detecting failure of the sensor to measure the hitch angle, engaging a countermeasure when the sensor fails, and disengaging the countermeasure upon a driver intervention to operate the vehicle.

8. The sensor failure mitigation system of claim 7, further comprising:

a steering input device providing a backing path of the trailer, wherein the controller generates a steering command for the vehicle to guide the trailer along the backing path based on the hitch angle and a kinematic relationship.

9. The sensor failure mitigation system of claim 8, further comprising:

a steering wheel of the vehicle for commanding a steering angle of the vehicle, wherein the controller disengages the countermeasure when an external torque is applied to the steering wheel.

10. The sensor failure mitigation system of claim 7, wherein the countermeasure includes at least one of a braking command, a powertrain command, and a steering command.

11. The sensor failure mitigation system of claim 7, further comprising:

a steering wheel of the vehicle having a torque sensor for sensing an internal torque applied by a steering system of the vehicle and an external torque applied by a driver of the vehicle for manually steering the vehicle, wherein the controller disengages the countermeasure when the external torque is sensed.

12. The sensor failure mitigation system of claim 7, further comprising:

a brake control system of the vehicle sensing when a brake pedal is depressed, wherein the countermeasure is disengaged when the brake pedal is depressed.

13. The sensor failure mitigation system of claim 7, wherein the countermeasure is configured to prevent at least one of a jackknife condition and an over-speed condition.

14. The sensor failure mitigation system of claim 7, wherein the steering input device includes a rotatable knob configured to provide a curvature of the trailer, defining a backing path.

15. A method for mitigating sensor failure of a trailer backup assist system, comprising;

sensing a hitch angle between a vehicle and a trailer;

generating a steering command for the vehicle based on the hitch angle;

generating a countermeasure command for the vehicle when the hitch angle fails to be sensed; and

disengaging the countermeasure command upon a driver intervention.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating an alert for a driver of the vehicle when the hitch angle fails to be sensed.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the driver intervention includes at least one of sensing an external steering torque on a steering wheel and sensing a braking command on a brake pedal.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the steering command is generated based on a backing path for the trailer provided by a steering input device and a kinematic relationship between the vehicle and the trailer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the steering input device includes a rotatable knob configured to provide a curvature of the trailer, defining the backing path, and wherein the countermeasure is configured to prevent a jackknife condition defined by the kinematic relationship.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the countermeasure includes at least one of a braking command, a powertrain command, and a steering command.