MANAGING JACKKNIFE ENABLING CONDITIONS DURING BACKING OF A TRAILER BY REDUCING SPEED OF A VEHICLE BACKING THE TRAILER

• US 20120271522A1
• Filed: 04/10/2012
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), University of Michigan
• Original Assignee: University of Michigan
• Inventors: Trombley, Roger Arnold, Pilutti, Thomas Edward, Lavoie, Erick Michael, Rupp, Matt Y., Smit, David Dean, Shim, Taehyun
• Granted Patent: US 8,755,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• 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

A vehicle comprises a trailer angle detection apparatus and a trailer backup control system. The trailer angle detection apparatus is configured for outputting hitch angle information generated as a function of an angle between the vehicle and a trailer towably attached thereto. The trailer backup control system includes a jackknife enabling condition detector and a jackknife counter-measures controller coupled to the trailer angle detection apparatus. The jackknife enabling condition detector is coupled to the trailer angle detection apparatus for receiving the hitch angle information therefrom and for determining if a jackknife enabling condition has been attained at a particular point in time during backing of the trailer by the vehicle. The jackknife counter-measures controller implements a vehicle speed reducing action in response to the jackknife enabling condition detector determining that the jackknife enabling condition has been attained at the particular point in time during backing of the trailer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at least one data processing device accessing, from memory coupled to the at least one data processing device, instructions causing the at least one data processing device to assess jackknife determining information for a vehicle and a trailer towably to the vehicle; and

the at least one data processing device accessing, from the memory, instructions causing the at least one data processing device to implement a vehicle speed reducing action in response to the jackknife determining information indicating that a jackknife enabling condition has been attained at a particular point in time during backing of the trailer by the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein causing the at least one data processing device to implement the vehicle speed reducing action includes causing the at least one data processing device to alter at least one vehicle operating state of at least one vehicle operating system capable of changing speed of the vehicle such that a current speed of the vehicle is reduced.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one vehicle operating system comprises at least one of a vehicle operating system configured to control a position of a throttle of the vehicle and a vehicle operating system configured to control actuation of brakes of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein causing the at least one data processing device to implement the vehicle speed reducing action includes at least one of causing a position of a throttle of the vehicle to be decreased and causing brakes of the vehicle to be actuated.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein causing the at least one data processing device to implement the vehicle speed reducing action includes causing the at least one data processing device to:

issue a first configuration of jackknife warning indication in response to a lower speed threshold being reached by the vehicle during backing of the trailer; and

issue a second configuration of jackknife warning indication in response to a speed of the vehicle further increasing by a defined amount after the first configuration of jackknife warning indication is issued.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

causing the at least one data processing device to implement the vehicle speed reducing action includes causing the at least one data processing device to alter at least one vehicle operating state of at least one vehicle operating system capable of changing speed of the vehicle such that a current speed of the vehicle is reduced; and

causing the at least one data processing device to alter the at least one vehicle operating state is performed in conjunction with causing the at least one data processing device to issue the second configuration of jackknife warning indication.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one vehicle operating system comprises at least one of a vehicle operating system configured to control a position of a throttle of the vehicle and a vehicle operating system configured to control actuation of brakes of the vehicle.

8. An electronic control system having a set of instructions tangibly embodied on a non-transitory processor-readable medium thereof, the set of instructions are accessible from the non-transitory processor-readable medium by at least one data processing device of the electronic controller system for being interpreted thereby, and the set of instructions is configured for causing the at least one data processing device to carry out operations for:

assessing jackknife determining information for a vehicle and a trailer towably to the vehicle; and

implementing a vehicle speed reducing action in response to the jackknife determining information indicating that a jackknife enabling condition has been attained at a particular point in time during backing of the trailer by the vehicle.

9. The electronic control system of claim 8 wherein implementing the vehicle speed reducing action includes altering at least one vehicle operating state of at least one vehicle operating system capable of changing speed of the vehicle such that a current speed of the vehicle is reduced.

10. The electronic control system of claim 9 wherein the at least one vehicle operating system comprises at least one of a vehicle operating system configured to control a position of a throttle of the vehicle and a vehicle operating system configured to control actuation of brakes of the vehicle.

11. The electronic control system of claim 8 wherein implementing the vehicle speed reducing action includes at least one of causing a position of a throttle of the vehicle to be decreased and causing brakes of the vehicle to be actuated.

12. The electronic control system of claim 8 wherein implementing the vehicle speed reducing action includes:

issuing a first configuration of jackknife warning indication in response to a lower speed threshold being reached by the vehicle during backing of the trailer; and

issuing a second configuration of jackknife warning indication in response to a speed of the vehicle further increasing by a defined amount after the first configuration of jackknife warning indication is issued.

13. The electronic control system of claim 12 wherein:

implementing the vehicle speed reducing action includes altering at least one vehicle operating state of at least one vehicle operating system capable of changing speed of the vehicle such that a current speed of the vehicle is reduced; and

altering the at least one vehicle operating state is performed in conjunction with the second configuration of jackknife warning indication being issued.

14. The electronic control system of claim 13 wherein the at least one vehicle operating system comprises at least one of a vehicle operating system configured to control a position of a throttle of the vehicle and a vehicle operating system configured to control actuation of brakes of the vehicle.

15. A vehicle, comprising:

a trailer angle detection apparatus configured for outputting hitch angle information generated as a function of an angle between the vehicle and a trailer towably attached to the vehicle;

a trailer backup control system including a jackknife enabling condition detector and a jackknife counter-measures controller coupled to the trailer angle detection apparatus, wherein the jackknife enabling condition detector is coupled to the trailer angle detection apparatus for receiving the hitch angle information therefrom and for determining if a jackknife enabling condition has been attained at a particular point in time during backing of the trailer by the vehicle, and wherein the jackknife counter-measures controller implements a vehicle speed reducing action in response to the jackknife enabling condition detector determining that the jackknife enabling condition has been attained at the particular point in time during backing of the trailer by the vehicle.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the vehicle speed reducing action includes altering at least one vehicle operating state of at least one vehicle operating system capable of changing speed of the vehicle such that a current speed of the vehicle is reduced.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the at least one vehicle operating system comprises at least one of a vehicle operating system configured to control a position of a throttle of the vehicle and a vehicle operating system configured to control actuation of brakes of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the vehicle speed reducing action includes at least one of causing a position of a throttle of the vehicle to be decreased and causing brakes of the vehicle to be actuated.

19. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the vehicle speed reducing action includes:

issuing a first configuration of jackknife warning indication in response to a lower speed threshold being reached by the vehicle during backing of the trailer; and

issuing a second configuration of jackknife warning indication in response to a speed of the vehicle further increasing by a defined amount after the first configuration of jackknife warning indication is issued.

20. The vehicle of claim 19 wherein:

implementing the vehicle speed reducing action includes altering at least one vehicle operating state of at least one vehicle operating system capable of changing speed of the vehicle such that a current speed of the vehicle is reduced; and

altering the at least one vehicle operating state is performed in conjunction with the second configuration of jackknife warning indication being issued.