Trailer backup assist system with active trailer braking for curvature control

• US 9,540,043 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• 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): Butler, Rodney
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRUSHABER, FREDERICK M
• Application Number:
  US14/447,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20160031482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• 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 2520/06 Direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/22 Articulation angle, e.g. between tractor and trailer
• 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 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/22 Articulation angle, e.g. between tractor and trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18036 Reversing
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/147 Trailers, e.g. full trailers or caravans
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/28 related to towing or towed situations
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically

Abstract

A trailer backup assist system for a vehicle, according to one embodiment, includes a trailer coupled with the vehicle. The trailer of the trailer backup assist system has a braking system. The trailer backup assist system also includes a sensor that senses a hitch angle between the vehicle and the trailer. In addition, the trailer backup assist system includes a steering input device that provides a desired curvature of the trailer. The trailer backup assist system further includes a controller generating a steering command based on the hitch angle for the vehicle to guide the trailer on the desired curvature and an actuation command for the braking system to reduce a rearward travel distance for the trailer to achieve the desired curvature.

Claims

1. A trailer backup assist system for a vehicle, comprising:

a trailer having a braking system;

a steering input device providing a desired curvature for the trailer; and

a controller generating a steering command for the vehicle and an actuation command for the braking system to guide the trailer on the desired curvature and to reduce a rearward travel distance to achieve the desired curvature, wherein the steering command and the actuation command are configured for a first trailer to achieve the desired curvature in substantially the same rearward travel distance as a second shorter trailer.

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

a speed sensor sensing a velocity of the vehicle, wherein the controller generates the steering command and the actuation command based on the velocity.

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

a sensor sensing a hitch angle between the trailer and the vehicle, wherein the steering command is generated based on the hitch angle and a length of the trailer.

4. The trailer backup assist system of claim 1, wherein the controller generates a speed command for regulating a reversing speed of the vehicle.

5. The trailer backup assist system of claim 1, wherein the actuation command for the braking system includes independently braking a wheel of the trailer on an inside of the desired curvature.

6. The trailer backup assist system of claim 1, wherein the actuation command for the braking system is generated when the rearward travel distance for the trailer to achieve the desired curvature without the actuation command is greater than a threshold distance.

7. The trailer backup assist system of claim 6, wherein the threshold distance is determined based on a length of the trailer, such that a longer length has a greater threshold distance than a shorter length.

8. The trailer backup assist system of claim 1, wherein the steering input device includes a knob that is rotatable between a first position having a first curvature and a second position having a second curvature, whereby a rotated position of the knob defines the desired curvature.

9. A method for reversing a trailer having a braking system, comprising:

receiving a desired curvature of the trailer via a steering input device;

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

providing a controller configured to;

generate a steering command for the vehicle to guide the trailer on the desired curvature based on the hitch angle; and

generate an actuation command for the braking system to reduce a rearward travel distance to achieve the desired curvature, wherein the actuation command for the braking system is generated when the rearward travel distance for the trailer to achieve the desired curvature without the actuation command is greater than a threshold distance; and

wherein the threshold distance is determined based on a length of the trailer, such that a longer length has a greater threshold distance than a shorter length.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sensing a speed of the vehicle with a speed sensor, wherein the steering command and the actuation command are generated based on the speed.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the actuation command for the braking system includes independently braking a single wheel of the trailer on an inside of the desired curvature.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating a speed command via the controller for regulating output of a powertrain system of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the speed command, the steering command, and the actuation command are together configured for a first trailer to achieve the desired curvature in substantially the same rearward travel distance as a shorter second trailer.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing lengths of a plurality of trailers to a memory, wherein the speed command, the steering command, and the actuation command are together generated for the trailer coupled with the vehicle to achieve the desired curvature in substantially the same rearward travel distance as an average rearward travel distance for the plurality of trailers to reach the desired curvature.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the desired curvature is determined based on a rotated position of a knob that is rotatable between a plurality of positions corresponding with different curvatures.

16. A method for backing a trailer with a vehicle, comprising:

providing a desired curvature for the trailer; and

generating a steering command for the vehicle and an actuation command for a braking system of the trailer to guide the trailer on the desired curvature, wherein the steering command and the actuation command are configured for a first trailer to achieve the desired curvature in substantially a same rearward travel distance as a second shorter trailer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the steering command includes an angular change for steered wheels of the vehicle, and wherein the actuation command includes a braking force for at least one wheel of the trailer.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the steering command and the actuation command are generated such that a hitch angle between the vehicle and the trailer is prevented from exceeding a jackknife threshold that is determined based on a length of the trailer and a wheelbase of the vehicle.