Method of reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of connected vehicle unit, control system, steering system, leading vehicle unit, and vehicle combination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022126917-A1
Application number	US-202117501083-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 14, 2021
Priority date	Oct 23, 2020
Publication date	Apr 28, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of at least one connected vehicle unit of a vehicle combination, the method comprising providing one or more parameters associated with a setup of the vehicle combination; determining, based on the one or more parameters, one or more critical frequencies having critical rearward amplification of a motion variable between the leading vehicle unit and the at least one connected vehicle unit; monitoring a steering input to the leading vehicle unit; determining whether the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies; and automatically triggering a countermeasure for reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of the at least one connected vehicle unit upon determining that the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies.

First claim

1 . A method of reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of at least one connected vehicle unit of a vehicle combination comprising the at least one connected vehicle unit connected to a leading vehicle unit, the method comprising:
providing, by a computing device, one or more parameters associated with a setup of the vehicle combination; determining, by the computing device, based on the one or more parameters, one or more critical frequencies having critical rearward amplification of a motion variable between the leading vehicle unit and the at least one connected vehicle unit; monitoring, by the computing device, a steering input to the leading vehicle unit; determining, by the computing device, whether the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies; and automatically triggering, by the computing device, a countermeasure for reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of the at least one connected vehicle unit upon determining that the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the critical rearward amplification is defined as a rearward amplification ratio of at least 1.1 between the at least one connected vehicle unit and the leading vehicle unit.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the motion variable is lateral movement, lateral acceleration, yaw, yaw rate, roll angle, or roll rate.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more parameters is associated with a geometry of the vehicle combination.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining stability information of the vehicle combination based on the one or more parameters.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the countermeasure comprises communicating the stability information to a driver or to an autonomous driving system of the leading vehicle unit.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a maximum speed of the vehicle combination based on the one or more critical frequencies.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the countermeasure comprises communicating the maximum speed to a driver or to an autonomous driving system of the leading vehicle unit, or warning the driver if a current speed of the leading vehicle unit exceeds the maximum speed.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a maximum steering angle for a given speed of the vehicle combination based on the one or more critical frequencies.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the countermeasure comprises communicating the maximum steering angle at the given speed to a driver or to an autonomous driving system of the leading vehicle unit, or warning the driver if the current steering angle of the leading vehicle unit exceeds the maximum steering angle at the given speed.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the countermeasure comprises a force feedback to a steering wheel of the leading vehicle unit.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the countermeasure comprises disabling a supporting steering torque.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the countermeasure comprises actively generating a counteracting steering torque that counteracts the steering input.

14 . A control system for reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of at least one connected vehicle unit of a vehicle combination comprising the at least one connected vehicle unit connected to a leading vehicle unit, the control system comprising:
at least one data processing device and at least one memory having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program comprising program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to: provide one or more parameters associated with a setup of the vehicle combination; determine, based on the one or more parameters, one or more critical frequencies having critical rearward amplification of a motion variable between the leading vehicle unit and the at least one connected vehicle unit; monitor a steering input to the leading vehicle unit; determine whether the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies; and automatically trigger a countermeasure for reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of the at least one connected vehicle unit upon determining that the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies.

15 . The control system of claim 14 , wherein the critical rearward amplification is defined as a rearward amplification ratio of at least 1.1, between the at least one connected vehicle unit and the leading vehicle unit.

16 . The control system of claim 14 , wherein the motion variable is lateral movement, lateral acceleration, yaw, yaw rate, roll angle, or roll rate.

17 . The control system of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the one or more parameters is associated with a geometry of the vehicle combination.

18 . The control system of claim 14 , wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to:
determine stability information of the vehicle combination based on the one or more parameters.

19 . The control system of claim 18 , wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to:
command communication of the stability information to a driver or to an autonomous driving system of the leading vehicle unit.

20 . The control system of claim 14 , wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to:
determine a maximum speed of the vehicle combination based on the one or more critical frequencies.

21 . The control system of claim 20 , wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to:
command communication of the maximum speed to a driver or to an autonomous driving system of the leading vehicle unit, or commanding issuance of a warning to the driver, if a current speed of the leading vehicle unit exceeds the maximum speed.

22 . The control system of claim 14 , wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to:
determine a maximum steering angle for a given speed of the vehicle combination based on the one or more critical frequencies.

23 . The control system of claim 22 , wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to:
command communication of the maximum steering angle at the given speed to a driver or to an autonomous driving system of the leading vehicle unit, or commanding issuance of a warning to the driver, if the current steering angle of the leading vehicle unit exceeds the maximum steering angle at the given speed.

24 . A steering system comprising:
a control system for reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of at least one connected vehicle unit of a vehicle combination comprising the at least one connected vehicle unit connected to a leading vehicle unit, the control system comprising:
at least

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Helfrich Thorsten
• Henderson Leon

Classifications

• B62D12/02 Primary

  for vehicles operating in tandem · CPC title

• B62D15/029

  Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system · CPC title

• B62D15/025 Primary

  Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60D1/30

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

• B62D13/00 Primary

  Steering specially adapted for trailers (combined traction and steering hitches B60D) · CPC title