Vector-based driver assistance for towing vehicle

• US 9,956,909 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Bosch LLC (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Bochenek, Jeffrey Allen, Diedrich, Jonathan Charles, Gehrke, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gordon, Mathew Franklin
• Application Number:
  US15/035,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20160264046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/30 for sway control , e.g. stabilising or anti-fishtail devices; Sway alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/003 for viewing trailer hitches
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/06 Tractor-trailer swaying
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/248 Trailer sway, e.g. for preventing jackknifing
• 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 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/105 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/00 Steering specially adapted for trailers combined traction and steering hitches B60D
• 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

Systems and methods are described for monitoring movement of a trailer relative to the towing vehicle and providing driver-assistance information to the driver of the towing vehicle. The system determines a velocity vector for the host vehicle at a location near a rear of the host vehicle at a defined lateral distance from a trailer hitch installed on the host vehicle. The system also determines a velocity vector for the trailer at a corresponding location on the trailer—that is a location on the front of the trailer at approximately the same defined lateral distance from the trailer hitch. The system compares the velocity vector for the host vehicle to the velocity vector for the trailer and determines, based on the comparison, whether a jack-knife condition is likely to occur. If a jack-knife condition is likely to occur, the system generates a warning signal.

Claims

1. A driver-assistance system for a host vehicle towing a trailer, the system comprising:

an acceleration sensor;

a second vehicle sensor;

a processor coupled to the acceleration sensor and the second vehicle sensor; and

a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

determine a first vector for the host vehicle based on a signal from the acceleration sensor;

determine a second vector for the host vehicle based on a signal from the second vehicle sensor;

determine, based on the first vector for the host vehicle and the second vector for the host vehicle, a velocity vector for the host vehicle at a location near a rear of the host vehicle at a defined lateral distance from a trailer hitch installed on the host vehicle;

determine a velocity vector for the trailer at a location near a front of the trailer at approximately the same defined lateral distance from the trailer hitch;

compare the velocity vector for the host vehicle to the velocity vector of the trailer;

determine, based on the comparison of the velocity vector of the host vehicle to the velocity vector of the trailer, whether a jackknife condition is likely to occur; and

generate a warning signal when a jackknife condition is about to occur.

2. The driver-assistance system of claim 1, wherein wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to determine the first vector for the host vehicle by determining an acceleration vector for the host vehicle based at least in part on a signal from the acceleration sensor.

3. The driver-assistance system of claim 1, wherein the second vehicle sensor includes a steering angle sensor and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to determine the second vector for the host vehicle by determining a steering vector for the host vehicle based at least in part on a signal from the steering angle sensor.

4. The driver-assistance system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to:

determine a hitch vector for the host vehicle;

determine a hitch vector for the trailer based on the hitch vector for the towing vehicle; and

determine a second vector for the trailer,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to determine the velocity vector for the trailer based on the hitch vector for the trailer and the second vector for the trailer.

5. The driver-assistance system of claim 4, further comprising a rear-facing camera positionable proximate to the rear of the host vehicle,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to:

receive an image from the rear-facing camera, the image including the trailer, and

determine, based on the received image, a trailer angle of the trailer relative to the host vehicle, and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to determine the second vector for the trailer based on the determined trailer angle.

6. The driver-assistance system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to determine that the trailer is uniformly tracking the host vehicle when a difference between the velocity vector for the host vehicle and the velocity vector for the trailer remains substantially constant over a period of time.

7. The driver-assistance system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to determine that the vehicle and the trailer are moving straight when a difference between the velocity vector for the host vehicle and the velocity vector for the trailer is between zero and a predetermined minimum threshold.

8. The driver-assistance system of claim 1, further comprising a user output device, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to provide a signal to the user output device indicative of a difference between the velocity vector for the host vehicle and the velocity vector for the trailer.

9. The driver-assistance system of claim 8, wherein the user output device is configured to provide vehicle operating instructions to a driver of the host vehicle based on the signal indicative of the difference between the velocity vector for the host vehicle and the velocity vector for the trailer.

10. The driver-assistance system of claim 1, further comprising a user output device, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to generate the warning signal when the jackknife condition is about to occur by transmitting a warning signal to the user output device.

11. The driver-assistance system of claim 10, wherein the user output device is configure to provide an output in response to receiving the warning signal, and wherein the output is at least one selected from a group consisting of a visual alert, an audible alert, and a haptic alert.

12. A method of monitoring a trailer, the method comprising:

determining, with a processor, a first vector for a host vehicle based on a signal received from an acceleration sensor coupled to the processor;

determining, with the processor, a second vector for the host vehicle based on a signal received from a second vehicle sensor coupled to the processor;

determining, based on the first vector for the host vehicle and the second vector for the host vehicle, a velocity vector for the host vehicle at a location near a rear of the host vehicle at a defined lateral distance from a trailer hitch installed on the host vehicle;

determining a velocity vector for the trailer at a location near a front of the trailer at approximately the same defined lateral distance from the trailer hitch;

comparing the velocity vector for the host vehicle to the velocity vector of the trailer;

determining, based on the comparison of the velocity vector of the host vehicle to the velocity vector of the trailer, whether a jackknife condition is likely to occur; and

generating a warning signal when a jackknife condition is about to occur.

13. A method of monitoring a trailer, the method comprising:

determining a velocity vector for a host vehicle at a location near a rear of the host vehicle at a defined lateral distance from a trailer hitch installed on the host vehicle;

determining a hitch vector for the host vehicle at a location of the trailer hitch;

determining a hitch vector for the trailer at the location of the trailer hitch based on the hitch vector for the host vehicle, the hitch vector for the trailer being substantially similar to the hitch vector for the vehicle due to a mechanical coupling between the host vehicle and the trailer at the location of the trailer hitch;

determining a trailer angle of the trailer based on image data captured by a rear-facing camera positioned on the host vehicle;

determining a velocity vector for the trailer at a location near a front of the trailer at the defined lateral distance from the trailer hitch, wherein the velocity vector for the trailer is determined based at least in part on the hitch vector for the trailer and the determined trailer angle;

comparing the velocity vector for the host vehicle to the velocity vector for the trailer; and

generating an output signal indicative of movement of the trailer relative to the host vehicle based on the comparison.