Method and Device for Steering a Car/Trailer Combination into a Parking Space

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017008563-A1
Application number	US-201415113766-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Jan 25, 2014
Publication date	Jan 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for steering a car/trailer combination comprising a vehicle and at least one trailer, in which a mobile display unit is used for representing at least a part of the car/trailer combination and wherein the mobile display unit is in contact with the vehicle via a wireless connection and is used for monitoring the driving functions of the vehicle, and wherein at least one orientation aid is depicted on the mobile display unit. The present invention further relates to a corresponding device.

First claim

1 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . A method for steering a car/trailer combination, comprising:
depicting at least a part of the car/trailer combination on a mobile display unit, wherein the mobile display unit is in communication with the car/trailer combination via a wireless connection and is used to monitor driving functions of the vehicle and wherein the mobile display unit is a smartphone; depicting at least one orientation aid on the mobile display unit; detecting, current surroundings of the car/trailer combination during a drive-by; highlighting, graphically on the mobile display unit, at least one possible parking space for the car/trailer combination; receiving a parking space selection from a user, through the mobile display unit; and driving the vehicle/trailer combination into the selected parking space, wherein driving the vehicle/trailer combination into the selected parking space is performed automatically.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein depicting the at least one orientation aid further comprises depicting the at least one orientation aid together with at least a portion of the current surroundings of the car/trailer combination on the mobile display unit, for a navigation of the car/trailer combination in the current surroundings.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , in which the at least one orientation aid comprises at least one geometrical indication selected from the group consisting of: actual angle of the vehicle and the trailer, nominal angle of the vehicle and the trailer, maximum angle of the vehicle, current turning range of the car/trailer combination, current braking distance of the car/trailer combination, wheel position of the vehicle, bend angle, one optical axis of a camera, a perpendicular, a current turn radius of the car/trailer combination, and a trajectory of at least one receptor point of the trailer.

18 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising: depicting a recording of a sensor arranged on the vehicle/trailer combination on the mobile display unit.

19 . The method according to claim 15 , in which the mobile display unit is in communication with the vehicle via vehicle control software.

20 . The method according claim 15 , wherein at least one of depicting at least a part of the car/trailer combination on the mobile display unit and depicting the at least one orientation aid on the mobile display unit, are depicted using at least one type of representation selected from the group consisting of TopView graphics, BowlView graphics, 3D-camera graphics, camera graphics and model view.

21 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising highlighting, graphically on the display unit, surfaces swept by the at least one portion of the car/trailer combination.

22 . The method according to claim 21 , further comprising highlighting, graphically on the display unit, surfaces which will be swept by the car/trailer combination upon continuation of a current trajectory of the car/trailer combination.

23 . The method according to 22 , further comprising: receiving, from the mobile display unit, a user-selected trajectory; and automatically driving, the user-selected trajectory by the car/trailer combination.

24 . The method according to 15 , further comprising, braking upon the occurrence of at least one of: an unclear communication situation, a hazardous condition, a potential collision of the car/trailer combination with its surroundings, a loss of communication between the vehicle and the mobile display unit, an implausible sensor signal, a geometrical indication outside a control range, and an absence of a control signal from the mobile display unit.

25 . A device for steering a car/trailer combination, comprising:
a mobile display unit,
wherein the mobile display unit is configured to steer the car/trailer combination via a wireless connection such that the car/trailer combination moves in accordance with instructions provided by the mobile display unit,
wherein the mobile display unit is configured to display a graphical representation of at least a portion of the car/trailer combination and at least one orientation aid for navigating current surroundings of the car/trailer combination,
wherein the mobile display unit is further configured to display a graphical representation of a parking space located in the current surroundings of the vehicle/trailer combination, such that a user can select a displayed parking space, and upon receiving the user's selection, the vehicle drives automatically into the selected parking space, and
wherein the mobile display unit is a smartphone.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Popken Markus
• Graeff Michael
• Luebcke Michael

Classifications

• G05D1/0212

  with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287) · CPC title

• B60W30/06

  Automatic manoeuvring for parking · CPC title

• G08G1/168

  Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space · CPC title

• G05D1/0016

  characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00) · CPC title

• B62D15/021

  Determination of steering angle · CPC title