System and method for warning of an imminent collision between a towing vehicle and its trailer when reversing

• US 10,106,082 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2015
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Ebner, Christian, Haslsteiner, Holger, Lechner, Martin, Rappl, Christian, Reichl, Karlheinz, Stoll, Thomas, Hammer, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US15/514,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20170232893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/245 for facilitating push back or parking of trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/305 Sway alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/002 for parking purposes, e.g. for warning the driver that his vehicle has contacted or is about to contact an obstacle warning arrangements in garages E04H6/42
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/025 comprising special mechanical means for correcting the field of view in relation to particular driving conditions, e.g. change of lane; scanning mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/20 specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of or overrunning by trailer inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

A system for warning of an imminent collision between a towing vehicle (2) and a trailer (3) when reversing includes an arrangement for providing a warning signal to a driver of the vehicle dependent on an angle between a longitudinal axis of the towing vehicle (2) and a longitudinal axis of the trailer (3), when there is the threat of a collision between the towing vehicle (2) and the trailer (3) while reversing.

Claims

1. A system for warning of a threat of collision between a towing vehicle and a trailer when reversing the towing vehicle with the trailer, comprising a monitoring facility for continuously monitoring an angle between a longitudinal axis of the towing vehicle and a longitudinal axis of the trailer when reversing the towing vehicle, in order to detect whether there is the threat of collision between the towing vehicle and the trailer, and to generate a warning signal when there is the threat of collision between the towing vehicle and the trailer;

wherein;

the monitoring facility features at least two reflectors arranged on a front side of the trailer facing the towing vehicle, wherein the at least two reflectors are arranged on the trailer such that when there is the threat of collision between the towing vehicle and the trailer, the reflectors reflect light emitted from at least one signal source of the towing vehicle into at least one interior and/or exterior mirror of the towing vehicle as the warning signal;

or

the monitoring facility features a signal lamp arranged on the front side of the trailer facing the towing vehicle, wherein the signal lamp is arranged on the trailer such that warning light signals emitted from the signal lamp hit an exterior mirror of the towing vehicle as the warning signal when there is the threat of collision between the towing vehicle and the trailer.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring facility features the at least two reflectors arranged on the front side of the trailer.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one signal source of the towing vehicle is a reversing lamp of the towing vehicle.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring facility features the signal lamp arranged on the front side of the trailer.

5. A method of warning of a threat of collision between a towing vehicle and a trailer when reversing the towing vehicle with the trailer, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

a) continuously monitoring an angle between a longitudinal axis of the towing vehicle and a longitudinal axis of the trailer when reversing the towing vehicle;

b) detecting whether there is the threat of collision between the towing vehicle and the trailer; and

c) generating a warning signal if there is the threat of collision between the towing vehicle and the trailer;

wherein;

the steps a), b) and c) comprise emitting light signals from at least one signal source of the towing vehicle when reversing the towing vehicle, providing at least two reflectors on a front side of the trailer facing the towing vehicle, wherein the reflectors are arranged on the trailer such that when there is the threat of collision between the towing vehicle and the trailer the reflectors reflect the light signals emitted from the at least one signal source of the towing vehicle into at least one interior and/or exterior mirror of the towing vehicle as the warning signal, and determining whether the emitted light signals are reflected in the at least one interior and/or exterior mirror of the towing vehicle in order to detect whether there is the threat of collision between the towing vehicle and the trailer;

or

the steps a), b) and c) comprise providing a signal lamp on the front side of the trailer facing the towing vehicle, wherein the signal lamp is arranged on the trailer such that when there is the threat of collision between the towing vehicle and the trailer warning light signals emitted by the signal lamp hit at least one exterior mirror of the towing vehicle as the warning signal, emitting the warning light signals from the signal lamp when reversing, and determining whether the emitted warning light signals hit the at least one exterior mirror of the towing vehicle in order to detect whether there is the threat of collision between the towing vehicle and the trailer.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the steps a), b) and c) comprise the emitting of the light signals from the at least one signal source of the towing vehicle, the providing of the at least two reflectors on the front side of the trailer, and the determining of whether the emitted light signals are reflected in the at least one interior and/or exterior mirror of the towing vehicle in order to detect whether there is the threat of collision between the towing vehicle and the trailer.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the steps a), b) and c) comprise the providing of the signal lamp on the front side of the trailer, the emitting of the warning light signals from the signal lamp, and the determining of whether the emitted warning light signals hit the at least one exterior mirror of the towing vehicle in order to detect whether there is the threat of collision between the towing vehicle and the trailer.

8. A system for warning a driver of a vehicle about a threat of collision between the vehicle and a trailer being towed by the vehicle,

wherein the vehicle has an interior and/or exterior mirror and a light source mounted on the vehicle,

wherein the light source is adapted to emit light, and

wherein the system comprises a reflector arranged on the trailer such that the reflector reflects the light from the light source onto the mirror so that the light further reflects from the mirror toward the driver to be perceptible by the driver as a warning of the threat of collision, only when the trailer is in an angular position relative to the vehicle that causes the threat of collision.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the reflector is arranged on a front side of the trailer.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the light source is a reversing lamp of the vehicle.

11. A method of operating the system according to claim 8, comprising the following steps when the trailer is in the angular position that causes the threat of collision:

emitting the light from the light source,

with the reflector, reflecting the light from the light source onto the mirror, and

with the mirror, reflecting the light toward the driver to be perceptible by the driver as the warning.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the emitting of the light is performed only when the vehicle is reversing.

13. A system for warning a driver of a vehicle about a threat of collision between the vehicle and a trailer towed by the vehicle,

wherein the vehicle has a mirror mounted on the vehicle, and

wherein the system comprises a signal lamp that is adapted to emit a warning light signal, and that is arranged on the trailer such that the warning light signal emitted by the signal lamp impinges on the mirror so that the warning light signal reflects from the mirror toward the driver to be perceptible by the driver as a warning of the threat of collision, only when the trailer is in an angular position relative to the vehicle that causes the threat of collision.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the warning light signal comprises light of a first color, the signal lamp is adapted to emit the warning light signal in a first angular range around the signal lamp, the signal lamp is adapted to emit light of a second color different from the first color in a second angular range different from the first angular range around the signal lamp, and the signal lamp is arranged on the trailer such that the light of the second color impinges on the mirror and reflects from the mirror toward the driver when the trailer is in a second angular position relative to the vehicle that does not cause the threat of collision.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the signal lamp is connected to the switched electrical supply of a reversing lamp of the vehicle.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the signal lamp is arranged on a front side of the trailer.

17. A method of operating the system according to claim 13, comprising the following steps when the trailer is in the angular position that causes the threat of collision:

emitting the warning light signal from the signal lamp onto the mirror, and

with the mirror, reflecting the warning light signal toward the driver to be perceptible by the driver as the warning.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the emitting of the warning light signal is performed only when the vehicle is reversing.