Method and system for control of trailer sway

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11951964-B2
Application number	US-202217648501-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2022
Priority date	Jan 20, 2022
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle towing a trailer. In an exemplary embodiment, one or more sensors onboard a vehicle are configured to provide sensor data, and a processor onboard the vehicle is configured to at least facilitate: monitoring a trailer sway of the trailer using the sensor data, based on one or more parameters of the sensor data representing the trailer sway and application of a band-pass filter to the one or more parameters; and mitigating the trailer sway, via instructions provided by the processor to one or more braking systems of the vehicle, the trailer, or both, when it is determined that the trailer sway of the trailer is sufficient to warrant mitigation based on the one or more parameters of the sensor data representing the trailer sway and the application of the band-pass filter to the one or more parameters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
obtaining sensor data from one or more sensors onboard a vehicle that is towing a trailer, the vehicle and trailer collectively comprising a vehicle-trailer system;
monitoring, via a processor disposed onboard the vehicle, a trailer sway of the trailer using the sensor data, based on one or more parameters of the sensor data representing the trailer sway and application of a band-pass filter to the one or more parameters; and
mitigating the trailer sway, via instructions provided by the processor to one or more braking systems of the vehicle-trailer system, when it is determined that the trailer sway of the trailer is sufficient to warrant mitigation based on the one or more parameters of the sensor data representing the trailer sway and the application of the band-pass filter to the one or more parameters, wherein:
the monitoring comprises monitoring, via the processor onboard the vehicle, the trailer sway of the trailer using the sensor data, based on a hitch articulation angle of the vehicle-trailer system and a yaw rate of the vehicle, along with an application of the band-pass filter to the hitch articulation angle and to the yaw rate;
the mitigating comprises mitigating the trailer sway, via the instructions provided by the processor to the one or more braking systems of the vehicle-trailer system, when it is determined that the trailer sway of the trailer is sufficient to warrant mitigation based on the hitch articulation angle, the yaw rate, and the application of the band-pass filter to the hitch articulation angle and to the yaw rate; and
the mitigating of the trailer sway further comprises mitigating the trailer sway, via the instructions provided by the processor to a trailer braking system of the trailer for application of a calculated uniform braking based on a driver trailer brake gain setting in addition to yaw-rate and hitch articulation angle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the monitoring further comprises monitoring, via the processor onboard the vehicle, the trailer sway of the trailer using the sensor data, based on the hitch articulation angle of the vehicle-trailer system and application of the band-pass filter to the hitch articulation angle; and
the mitigating further comprises mitigating the trailer sway, via the instructions provided by the processor to the one or more braking systems of the vehicle-trailer system, when it is determined that the trailer sway of the trailer is sufficient to warrant mitigation based on the hitch articulation angle and the application of the band-pass filter to the hitch articulation angle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the monitoring further comprises monitoring, via the processor onboard the vehicle, the trailer sway of the trailer using the sensor data, based on the yaw rate of the vehicle and application of the band-pass filter to the yaw rate; and
the mitigating further comprises mitigating the trailer sway, via the instructions provided by the processor to the one or more braking systems of the vehicle-trailer system, when it is determined that the trailer sway of the trailer is sufficient to warrant mitigation based on the yaw rate and the application of the band-pass filter to the yaw rate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mitigating of the trailer sway further comprises mitigating the trailer sway, via the instructions provided by the processor to the one or more braking systems of the vehicle-trailer system, when it is determined that the trailer sway of the trailer is sufficient to warrant mitigation based on an oscillation of the trailer sway, as represented via an oscillation signal of the one or more parameters, including a plurality of peak values of the oscillation signal.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the mitigating of the trailer sway further comprises mitigating the trailer sway, via the instructions provided by the processor to the one or more braking systems of the vehicle-trailer system, when it is determined that the trailer sway of the trailer is sufficient to warrant mitigation based on a number of the plurality of peak values and respective magnitudes of the plurality of peak values of the oscillation signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mitigating of the trailer sway further comprises mitigating the trailer sway, via the instructions provided by the processor to a vehicle braking system of the vehicle for application of uniform or differential braking on a rear axle of the vehicle based on the application of the band-pass filter to the hitch articulation angle and the yaw rate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mitigating of the trailer sway further comprises mitigating the trailer sway, via the instructions provided by the processor to a vehicle braking system of the vehicle for application of differential braking on a front axle of the vehicle based on the application of the band-pass filter to the hitch articulation angle and the yaw rate.

8. A system comprising:
one or more sensors configured to provide sensor data from onboard a vehicle that is towing a trailer, the vehicle and trailer collectively comprising a vehicle-trailer system; and
a processor configured to be coupled to the one or more sensors while onboard the vehicle and configured to at least facilitate:
monitoring a trailer sway of the trailer using the sensor data, based on one or more parameters of the sensor data representing the trailer sway and application of a band-pass filter to the one or more parameters; and

mitigating the trailer sway, via instructions provided by the processor to one or more braking systems of the vehicle-trailer system, when it is determined that the trailer sway of the trailer is sufficient to warrant mitigation based on the one or more parameters of the sensor data representing the trailer sway and the application of the band-pass filter to the one or more parameters, wherein the processor is further configured to at least facilitate:
monitoring the trailer sway of the trailer using the sensor data, based on a hitch articulation angle of the vehicle, the trailer, or both and a yaw rate of the vehicle, along with an application of the band-pass filter to the hitch articulation angle and to the yaw rate;
mitigating the trailer sway, via the instructions provided by the processor to the one or more braking systems of the vehicle, the trailer, or both, when it is determined that the trailer sway of the trailer is sufficient to warrant mitigation based on the hitch articulation angle, the yaw rate, and the application of the band-pass filter to the hitch articulation angle and to the yaw rate; and
mitigating the trailer sway, via the instructions provided by the processor to a trailer braking system of the trailer for application of a calculated uniform braking based on a driver trailer brake gain setting in addition to yaw-rate and hitch articulation angle.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to at least facilitate:
monitoring the trailer sway of the trailer using the sensor data, based on a hitch articulation angle of the vehicle-trailer system and application of the band-pass filter to the hitch articulation angle; and
mitigating the trailer sway, via the instructions provided by the processor to the one or more braking systems of the vehicle-trailer system, when it is determined that the trailer sway of the trailer is sufficient to warrant mitigation based on the hitch articulation angle and the application of the band-pass filter to the hitch articulation angle.

10. A vehicle configured to tow a trailer, the vehicle comprising:
a braking system;
one or more sensors disposed onboard the vehicle and config

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc
• Gm Global Tech Operation Llc

Inventors

• Zengin Halit
• Moore Joseph K
• Eles Benjamin J

Classifications

• B60T8/1708 Primary

  for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations · CPC title

• B60T7/20

  specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of {or overrunning by} trailer (inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08) · CPC title

• B60T8/1755 Primary

  Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve (road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02) · CPC title

• B60T2230/06

  Tractor-trailer swaying · CPC title

• B60D1/30 Primary

  for sway control {; Sway alarm means} · CPC title