Vehicle controllability during trailer backup operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12005900-B2
Application number	US-202217653942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2022
Priority date	Mar 8, 2022
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided in a vehicle to reduce the likelihood of a trailer jackknife condition. The method includes: receiving trailer profile information; receiving a dynamic vehicle steering angle (δ) and dynamic hitch articulation angle (θ) while the vehicle is moving in a reverse direction; continuously calculating a maximum safe vehicle speed (vmax) at which to proceed in reverse without jackknifing based on the trailer profile information, the δ, the θ, a predetermined safe time to jackknife (TTJ_ne), and a maximum hitch articulation angle (θJK); comparing a current vehicle longitudinal speed (v) to the vmax; automatically generating a speed correction signal to cause the vehicle to slow down below the vmax when the v exceeds the vmax; and sending the speed correction signal to a vehicle motion control system to instruct the vehicle motion control system to reduce the v below the vmax.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A trailer backup system in a vehicle for automatically adjusting vehicle dynamics while the vehicle is hitched to a trailer to reduce a likelihood of a trailer jackknife occurring, the trailer backup system comprising a controller, the controller configured to:
receive trailer profile information, wherein the trailer profile information comprises a vehicle wheelbase distance (L), a vehicle's rear axle to hitch point distance (d), and a trailer rear axle distance (D);
receive a dynamic vehicle steering angle (δ) and dynamic hitch articulation angle (θ) while the vehicle is moving in a reverse direction;
continuously calculate a maximum safe vehicle speed (v max ) at which to proceed in reverse without jackknifing based on the trailer profile information, the δ, the θ, a predetermined safe time to jackknife (TTJ_ne), and a maximum hitch articulation angle (θ JK ), wherein the TTJ_ne is a calibratable time value that specifies a safety margin in time before a jackknife condition would be predicted to occur;
wherein:

V
max

=

L

TTJ_ne
·
E

⁢

ln
⁡
(

|

[

(

C
-
B

)

⁢
tan
⁢

θ
JK

2

+

(

A
-
E

)

]

[

(

C
-
B

)

⁢
tan
⁢

θ
JK

2

+

(

A
+
E

)

]

⁢

[

(

C
-
B

)

⁢
tan
⁢

θ
2

+

(

A
+
E

)

]

[

(

C
-
B

)

⁢
tan
⁢

θ
2

+

(

A
-
E

)

]

|

)

A
=

L
D

,

B
=

d
D

⁢
tan
⁢

δ

,

C
=

tan
⁢

δ

,

E
=

A
2

+

B
2

-

C
2

,

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Goodarzi Avesta
• Saini Utkarsh

Classifications

• B60W40/105

  Speed · CPC title

• B60W2300/14

  Tractor-trailers, i.e. combinations of a towing vehicle and one or more towed vehicles, e.g. caravans; Road trains · CPC title

• B60W2520/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W2520/22

  Articulation angle, e.g. between tractor and trailer · CPC title

• B60D1/14

  Draw-gear or towing devices characterised by their type · CPC title