Method for assisting a driver in maneuvering a motor-vehicle combination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9988085-B2
Application number	US-201515319536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2015
Priority date	Jun 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for assisting a driver in maneuvering a motor-vehicle combination ( 1 ) comprising, as vehicles, at least one tractor motor vehicle ( 2 ) and at least two trailers ( 3 a, 3 b ) coupled thereto, wherein a target articulation angle (γ 2 ) at least between two of the vehicles ( 3 a, 3 b ) is externally specified and is adjusted by means of at least one steering actuator ( 5 a, 5 b ) of at least one of the vehicles ( 2 ). The method comprises at least the following steps: a) dividing the motor-vehicle combination ( 1 ) into at least two sub-combinations ( 1 a, 1 b ) in such a way that adjacent vehicles ( 2, 3 a, 3 b ) form a sub-combination ( 1 a, 1 b ) in pairs, in which sub-combination a first vehicle is used as a trailer unit ( 3 a, 3 b ) and a second vehicle is used as a tractor vehicle unit ( 2, 3 a ), at least virtually; b) repeatedly determining a target angle (α, γ 1 , γ 2 ) for a number of consecutive sub-combinations ( 1 a, 1 b ) from a specified target articulation angle (γ 1 , γ 2 ) between the tractor vehicle unit ( 2, 3 a ) and the trailer unit ( 3 a, 3 b ), beginning with the sub-combination ( 1 a ) whose target articulation angle (γ 2 ) was specified externally, wherein: —the determined target angle is adjusted as a target steering angle (α) for the tractor vehicle unit ( 2 ) of the sub-combination ( 1 b ) by means of the at least one steering actuator ( 5 a, 5 b ) of the associated vehicle ( 2 ) if the tractor vehicle unit ( 2 ) has the at least one steering actuator ( 5 a, 5 b ), or —the determined target angle is specified as the target articulation angle (γ 1 ) for the next sub-combination ( 1 b ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for assisting a driver when maneuvering a motor vehicle combination ( 1 ) comprising as vehicles at least one towing vehicle ( 2 ) and at least two trailers ( 3 a , 3 b ) that are coupled thereto, wherein a target articulation angle (γ 2 ) between at least two of the vehicles ( 3 a , 3 b ) is specified externally and is applied by at least one steering actuator ( 5 a , 5 b ) of at least one of the vehicles ( 2 ), comprising at least the following process steps:
a) subdividing the motor vehicle combination ( 1 ) into at least two sub-combinations ( 1 a , 1 b ) such that adjacent vehicles ( 2 , 3 a , 3 b ) in pairs form a sub-combination ( 1 a , 1 b ), in which, at least virtually, a first vehicle is used as the trailer unit ( 3 a , 3 b ) and a second vehicle is used as the towing vehicle unit ( 2 , 3 a );
b) repeated determination of a target angle (a, γ 1 , γ 2 ) for a number of successive sub-combinations ( 1 a , 1 b ) from a specified target articulation angle (γ 1 , γ 2 ) between the towing vehicle unit ( 2 , 3 a ) and the trailer unit ( 3 a , 3 b ), starting at the sub-combination ( 1 a ) of which the target articulation angle (γ 2 ) has been externally specified, wherein:
the determined target angle is applied as the target steering angle (α) for the towing vehicle unit ( 2 ) of the sub-combination ( 1 b ) by the at least one steering actuator ( 5 a , 5 b ) of the associated vehicle ( 2 ) if the towing vehicle unit ( 2 ) comprises the at least one steering actuator ( 5 a , 5 b ), or
the determined target angle is specified as the target articulation angle (γ 1 ) for the next sub-combination ( 1 b ).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step b) is ended if the target steering angle (α) for the towing vehicle ( 2 ) of the motor vehicle combination ( 1 ) has been applied by the at least one steering actuator ( 5 a , 5 b ).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a stand-alone sub-controller is associated with each sub-combination ( 1 a , 1 b ), and the stand-alone sub-controller determines the target angle (α, γ 1 ) from the specified target articulation angle (γ 1 , γ 2 ) between the towing vehicle unit ( 2 , 3 a ) and the trailer unit ( 3 a , 3 b ) of the sub-combination ( 1 a , 1 b ).

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the target articulation angle (γ 1 , γ 2 ) between the towing vehicle unit ( 2 , 3 a ) and the trailer unit ( 3 a , 3 b ) of the sub-combination ( 1 a , 1 b ) is specified externally or obtained from the sub-controller of the previous sub-combination ( 1 a , 1 b ).

5. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the sub-controllers of the sub-combinations ( 1 a , 1 b ) in series form an overall controller or cascade controller for determining the target steering angle (α) of the towing motor vehicle ( 2 ) of the motor vehicle combination ( 1 ) from the externally specified target articulation angle (γ 2 ).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the externally specified target articulation angle (γ 2 ) is obtained from an input unit by a user.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one steering actuator ( 5 a , 5 b ) of the at least one vehicle ( 2 ) applies a yaw torque and comprises at least one steerable wheel ( 5 a , 5 b ).

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein signals from articulation angle sensors of the vehicles ( 2 , 3 a , 3 b ) are used.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein vehicles ( 3 a ) that are not disposed at the front or at the rear of the motor vehicle combination ( 1 ) are part of two different sub-combinations ( 1 a , 1 b ).

10. A control unit of a towing vehicle ( 2 ) for a motor vehicle combination ( 1 ) that is arranged for carrying out a method as claimed in claim 1 .

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the externally specified target articulation angle (γ 2 ) is obtained from an input unit by an automatic driver assistance system.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert Automotive Steering

Inventors

• Greul Roland
• Boos Nicolas

Classifications

• B62D13/00

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

• B62D15/0295

  by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image · CPC title

• B62D13/06 Primary

  for backing a normally drawn trailer · CPC title

• B62D13/005

  operated from tractor steering system · CPC title

• B62D15/024

  Other means for determination of steering angle without directly measuring it, e.g. deriving from wheel speeds on different sides of the car · CPC title