VEHICLE TRAILER CONTROL SYSTEM WITH WIRELESS CAPABILITY

• US 20160096549A1
• Filed: 10/02/2015
• Published: 04/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Autonomous Mobility US LLC (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Payant, Andre, McClain, Jeremy J., Muharemovic, Ibro, Froehlich, Dominik, Agnew, David, Herzog, Brandon, Fletcher, Graham, Weber, Jeffrey, Linkenbach, Steffen
• Granted Patent: US 10,196,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer

Abstract

A method of controlling a backing system for a vehicle and trailer assembly comprises initiating a backing system mode with an electronic control unit (ECU) for the backing system when a start system input is received from a control device. At least one input is received by the ECU from the control device which includes information about a desired vehicle action. The ECU interprets from the at least one input the desired vehicle action and calculates a required vehicle response to achieve the desired vehicle action. The ECU then sends a request to at least one vehicle system to perform the calculated vehicle response.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a backing system for a vehicle and trailer assembly comprising:

initiating a backing system mode with an electronic control unit for a backing system when a start system input is received from a control device, the control device is wirelessly connected to the electronic control unit;

receiving at least one input with the electronic control unit from the control device which includes information about a desired vehicle action;

interpreting from the at least one input the desired vehicle action;

calculating with the electronic control unit a required vehicle response to achieve the desired vehicle action; and

sending a request from the electronic control unit to at least one vehicle system to perform the calculated vehicle response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle and trailer assembly move in real time with the at least one inputs received by the electronic control unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one input requests include requests to perform on:

shift gears of the vehicle, apply the brakes, press emergency stop to park the car and cease control, steer the vehicle, and change the surround view of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the control device has a display screen configured to be a human machine interface capable of receiving at least one of the input requests.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one input is a steering input and the desired vehicle action is a change in hitch angle, and wherein the steering input is an accelerometer signal from the control device, and the electronic control unit interprets the accelerometer signal to determine desired change in hitch angle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the electronic control unit determines a current hitch angle for the vehicle and trailer assembly based on camera information and determines the required vehicle response as a change in hitch angle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the control device is a joystick assembly including a joystick, moveable relative to a joystick base, a display screen, a control knob rotatable relative to the joystick and a control safety control button.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the calculated vehicle response is performed only when the control safety button is depressed.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the control device is a joystick assembly including a joystick, moveable relative to a joystick base, a display screen, a control knob rotatable relative to the joystick and a control safety control button.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the calculated vehicle response is performed only when the control safety button is depressed.

9. A backing system for a vehicle and trailer assembly comprising:

a wireless control device; and

an electronic control unit, wirelessly connected to the control device to receive at least one input from the control device, wherein the electronic control unit includes instructions for;

initiating a backing system mode for the vehicle when a start system input is received from the control device;

receiving at least one input from the control device which includes information about a desired vehicle action;

interpreting from the at least one input the desired vehicle action;

calculating a required vehicle response to achieve the desired vehicle action; and

sending a request to at least one vehicle system to perform the calculated vehicle response.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle and trailer assembly move in real time with the at least one inputs received by the electronic control unit.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one input requests include requests to perform on of:

shift gears of the vehicle, apply the brakes, press emergency stop to park the car and cease control, steer the vehicle, and change the surround view of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control device has a display screen configured to be a human machine interface capable of receiving at least one of the input requests.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one input is a steering input and the desired vehicle action is a change in hitch angle, and wherein the steering input is an accelerometer signal from the control device, and the electronic control unit interprets the accelerometer signal to determine desired change in hitch angle.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a camera, wherein the electronic control unit utilizes the camera information to determine a current hitch angle between the vehicle and the trailer.