Trailer connection state detection method and device, vehicle and medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a trailer connection state detection method and device, a vehicle and a medium, and relates to the technical field of vehicle control. The method comprises the steps that when it is detected that the electric tow hook is in an unfolded state, first illumination intensity data are obtained through a first ambient light sensor arranged in a tow ball base; comparing the first illumination intensity data with a preset illumination intensity threshold value to judge whether the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl or not; and generating a detection signal corresponding to the trailer connection state based on the judgment result, and outputting the detection signal to a vehicle control system so as to allow or forbid the electric trailer hook to execute withdrawing operation. According to the trailer connection state redundancy detection method, the trailer hook is effectively prevented from being withdrawn by mistake, and the use safety of a trailer system is guaranteed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of vehicle control, in particular to a trailer connection state detection method and device, a vehicle and a medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of automobile intelligence and multi-function, electric trailer hooks gradually become the standard configuration of many vehicle models, greatly facilitating users to carry out towing transportation, leisure and entertainment and other purposes. At present, the judgment of whether the trailer is connected by the vehicle mainly depends on the detection of the electrical connection state, that is, the state recognition is realized through the electrical interface communication between the trailer and the vehicle. However, in the actual use process, there are many situations such as no electrical connection capability of the trailer, interface oxidation, line fault or incorrect connection by human, which leads to the failure of electrical detection means. At this time, the vehicle system cannot accurately identify the actual state of the trailer, and the user may also misoperate to retract the trailer hook due to negligence, thereby causing mechanical damage or even safety accidents of the trailer or towed objects.

[0003] Therefore, how to provide a redundant detection method for the trailer connection state in addition to electrical detection to effectively prevent the misretraction of the trailer hook and ensure the safety of the towing system has become a technical problem urgently to be solved by those skilled in the art. SUMMARY

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present disclosure provides a trailer connection state detection method, device, vehicle and medium which overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems, and the technical solutions are as follows:

[0005] A trailer connection state detection method, the method comprising: when detecting that an electric trailer hook is in an unfolded state, acquiring first light intensity data through a first ambient light sensor arranged in a trailer ball base; comparing the first light intensity data with a preset light intensity threshold to determine whether the trailer ball base is covered by a trailer hook bowl; based on the determination result, generating a detection signal corresponding to the trailer connection state, and outputting the detection signal to a vehicle control system to allow or prohibit the electric trailer hook to perform a retraction operation.

[0006] The trailer connection state detection method provided by the present disclosure indirectly and non-contact detects the trailer connection state by arranging an ambient light sensor in the trailer ball base which forms a cooperation relationship with the trailer hook bowl and judging whether the trailer hook bowl covers the base based on the light intensity change perceived by the ambient light sensor. The present disclosure creatively applies the optical sensing principle to the judgment of the mechanical connection state, provides a redundant judgment basis independent of the electrical connection detection for the vehicle system, fundamentally avoids the misretraction operation caused by the system failing to identify the existence of the trailer when the trailer has no electrical connection or the electrical signal fails, and greatly improves the safety and reliability of the towing operation.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when comparing the first light intensity data with a preset light intensity threshold to determine whether the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl, the method further comprises: continuously monitoring the rate of change of the first light intensity data within a preset time threshold, and determining whether the rate of change reaches a preset rate of change threshold; when the rate of change threshold is reached, comparing the first light intensity data with the preset light intensity threshold, and determining that the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl when the first light intensity data is less than the light intensity threshold; when the rate of change threshold is not reached, determining that the trailer ball base is not covered by the trailer hook bowl.

[0008] In this embodiment, by introducing the monitoring and determination of the rate of change of light intensity, it is required that the light must change suddenly within a very short time to be recognized as an effective trailer signal. The key effect of this feature in the technical solution is that it can effectively distinguish between the instantaneous light blocking caused by the trailer hook bowl covering and the slow change of environmental light caused by the vehicle entering a tunnel, tree shade, etc. in nature, thereby significantly improving the anti-environmental interference ability of the detection algorithm and the accuracy of state recognition, and avoiding false triggering.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when comparing the first light intensity data with a preset light intensity threshold to determine whether the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl, the method further comprises: obtaining second light intensity data of a second on-board ambient light sensor; calculating a first difference between the first light intensity data and the second light intensity data; and if the first difference reaches a preset difference threshold and the first light intensity data is less than the light intensity threshold, determining that the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl.

[0010] In this embodiment, a second on-board ambient light sensor is introduced as a reference for ambient light, and the readings of the two sensors are compared by difference. The key effect of this feature in the technical solution is that a relative light intensity determination logic is constructed, which enables the system to eliminate the interference of the absolute intensity of the environmental background light on the determination. For example, in a generally dark environment such as dusk or a tunnel, as long as there is a significant difference between the readings of the trailer ball sensor and the on-board light sensor, it can be accurately determined that the trailer ball is covered by an additional object (the trailer hook bowl), thereby further improving the robustness and determination accuracy of the system in all-weather and complex light working conditions.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further comprises: when it is detected that the electric trailer hook switches from the retracted state to the deployed state, calculating a second difference value of the first light intensity data and the second light intensity data; if the second difference value is greater than a preset shielding threshold, determining that the first ambient light sensor in the trailer ball base is shielded by foreign matter, and generating prompt information for cleaning the first ambient light sensor and sending the prompt information to the vehicle-mounted interactive terminal.

[0012] In this embodiment, by detecting the difference value of the readings of the two sensors during the specific action of deploying the trailer hook, the key effect of this feature in the technical solution is that it can intelligently diagnose whether the first ambient light sensor is covered by foreign matter such as mud and snow and fails. Its direct beneficial effect is to realize the self-diagnosis function of the sensor and can actively prompt the user to clean in time, ensuring the long-term effectiveness and usability of the detection system, and avoiding system malfunction or misjudgment caused by sensor contamination.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further comprises: when it is determined that the first ambient light sensor in the trailer ball base is shielded by foreign matter, determining whether a conservative mode opening condition is met; wherein the conservative mode opening condition indicates that the electric trailer hook has an electrical connection state detection device, and the electrical connection state detection device is working normally; if the conservative mode opening condition is met, switching the control strategy of the electric trailer hook to a conservative mode; wherein the conservative mode indicates that the electric trailer hook performs a retraction operation based on the electrical connection state.

[0014] In this embodiment, after detecting that the sensor is shielded, it is further determined whether the condition for enabling the conservative mode (i.e., the electrical detection function is normal) is met. The key effect of this feature in the technical solution is to provide an elegant degradation processing strategy. Instead of simply prohibiting operation, it automatically and seamlessly switches back to relying on the reliable electrical connection state for judgment when the optical detection is temporarily invalid, thereby balancing the usability of the function and the continuity of the user experience on the premise of maximizing safety.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further comprises: if the conservative mode opening condition is not met, generating a foreign matter shielding detection signal and outputting the foreign matter shielding detection signal to a vehicle control system to prohibit the electric trailer hook from performing a retraction operation; continuously monitoring the second difference value, and when it is monitored that the second difference value is less than or equal to the shielding threshold, determining that the foreign matter has been removed, and generating a release signal output to the vehicle control system to allow the electric trailer hook to perform a retraction operation.

[0016] In the worst case where both optical and electrical detection may fail, the feature plays a key role in the technical solution by providing a final safety bottom-up strategy. It forces the user to clean the sensor to restore its function by forcibly prohibiting the retraction operation and continuous monitoring, thereby completely eliminating the risk of misoperation in the case of sensor failure and unknown to the user, and achieving the highest level of safety protection.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further comprises: determining whether the second light intensity data is less than a preset standard ambient light intensity data; and if so, dynamically adjusting the difference threshold value to match the difference threshold value to the light environment in which the current vehicle is located.

[0018] In the present embodiment, the difference threshold value is dynamically adjusted according to the reference ambient light intensity, and the key effect of this feature in the technical solution is that the judgment logic of the system has self-adaptive ability. It can intelligently adjust the sensitivity of the judgment according to the actual light environment (such as strong sunlight or dim night), so that the detection standard matches the environment background, avoiding the judgment deviation that may be caused by the fixed threshold in the extreme light environment, and further optimizing the detection precision and adaptability.

[0019] A detection device for detecting the connection state of a trailer, the device comprising: a first ambient light sensor embedded on the upper surface or side surface of the root of the trailer ball base, with its detection surface facing outward, for collecting first light intensity data of the environment around the trailer ball; a processing unit in communication with the first ambient light sensor and configured to execute any of the above-mentioned detection methods for detecting the connection state of a trailer; and a communication interface connected to the processing unit for sending the detection signal generated by the processing unit to the vehicle control system, or for sending the prompt information or vehicle-mounted interactive terminal generated by the processing unit.

[0020] The detection device for detecting the connection state of a trailer provided by the present disclosure integrates the sensor, processing unit and communication interface in the trailer ball base, which has the beneficial effect of providing an independent, complete and functionally integrated hardware execution carrier. This design enables the above-mentioned detection method to be implemented in a modular, easy-to-install and maintain physical form, and can directly interact with the vehicle control system, providing optimal hardware architecture support for the landing application of the method.

[0021] A vehicle, comprising:

[0022] a memory for storing executable program code;

[0023] a processor for calling and running the executable program code from the memory, so that the vehicle executes any of the above-mentioned detection methods for detecting the connection state of a trailer.

[0024] A computer readable storage medium stores computer executable instructions, when executed, implement a trailer connection state detection method according to any one of the above.

[0025] The above description is only a summary of the technical solutions of the present disclosure. In order to enable one skilled in the art to better understand the technical means of the present disclosure and implement the same according to the contents of the specification, and in order to enable the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present disclosure to be more apparent, the specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the application, constitute a part of this application and illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present application and its description, which serve to explain the present application, and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 A flow chart of a trailer connection state detection method provided for the embodiments of the present application;

[0028] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of a vehicle provided for the embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0030] With the continuous improvement of vehicle intelligence and functional safety requirements, reliable control of the electric trailer hook has become a key technical link to ensure the safety of towing. Currently, the judgment of the trailer connection state mainly depends on the electrical connection signal between the trailer and the vehicle. The system identifies whether the trailer is connected by detecting the on-off or communication state of the electrical interface. However, this method has obvious limitations: when the trailer itself does not have an electrical interface, the interface is oxidized and corroded, the connector is not plugged in place, or the line fails, the electrical detection method will completely fail. At this time, the vehicle cannot sense the actual existence of the trailer, and if the user does not pay attention and operate to retract the trailer hook, it is easy to cause mechanical damage to the trailer or the towed object, and even cause traffic accidents.

[0031] Specifically, the prior art solutions have the following technical shortcomings:

[0032] 1. Limited detection methods and lack of redundancy and fault tolerance mechanisms: Existing systems rely excessively on electrical signals as the sole basis for judgment, failing to establish effective redundancy detection strategies at the physical connection level. In situations where electrical signals fail for various reasons, the system lacks backup judgment logic, failing to provide safety protection against erroneous operation and exhibiting significant functional safety vulnerabilities.

[0033] 2. Poor environmental adaptability and susceptibility to interference from complex working conditions: A few solutions that attempt to introduce physical detection (such as pressure or image recognition) face severe challenges in practical applications. For example, mud, rainwater, and snow contamination at the connection between the trailer ball and the hook cup can seriously affect the reliability of contact sensors; while image recognition solutions are limited by the installation angle, insufficient lighting at night, and recognition rate under adverse weather conditions, and their robustness is difficult to meet the all-weather operation requirements of automotive-grade products.

[0034] 3. Lack of System Self-Diagnosis and Degradation Handling Capabilities: Existing solutions generally lack monitoring of the sensor's own health status. When a sensor malfunctions due to dirt or obstruction, the system cannot detect it or issue a warning, potentially leading to long-term, latent failure. Furthermore, after detection failure, the system lacks intelligent and safe degradation strategies, often resorting to a "one-size-fits-all" approach of complete disabling or blindly allowing operation, failing to maintain maximum functional availability while ensuring safety.

[0035] Therefore, this application provides a method for detecting the trailer connection status. Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for detecting the connection status of a trailer as provided in one or more embodiments of this specification. The method can be applied to different types of vehicles, and the process can be executed by a computing device in the relevant field (e.g., a controller installed in the vehicle, a vehicle-mounted system, or a server located in the cloud). Certain input parameters or intermediate results in the process can be manually adjusted to help improve accuracy.

[0036] The analysis method disclosed in this embodiment can be implemented using a terminal device or a server, and this application does not impose any special limitations on it. For ease of understanding and description, the following embodiments are all described in detail using a server as an example. It should be noted that the server can be a single device or a system composed of multiple devices, i.e., a distributed server, and this application does not impose any specific limitations on it.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this disclosure provides a method for detecting the trailer connection status, including:

[0038] Step 101: When the electric trailer hook is detected to be in the deployed state, the first ambient light sensor installed in the trailer ball base is used to acquire the first light intensity data.

[0039] In this embodiment, this step is the start-up and data acquisition link of the entire detection logic, its execution depends on a clear prerequisite condition, the electric trailer hook must be in a stable "deployed state". It can be understood that the detection of this state is usually realized by the vehicle body domain controller (BDCU) or the dedicated trailer hook control unit (TCU) by monitoring the Hall sensor pulse signal of the drive motor or analyzing the internal position encoder data. When the system determines that the trailer ball has been completely extended and mechanically locked in the preset deployed position, the subsequent optical detection process is triggered. This design cleverly avoids invalid detection during the dynamic process of retracting or deploying the trailer hook, ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of the subsequent logic judgment.

[0040] It should be noted that the core of this step is to perceive environmental information through the "first ambient light sensor arranged in the trailer ball base". Specifically, the "trailer ball base" refers to a metal structure assembly fixedly installed on the rear bumper beam or frame of the vehicle for supporting and retracting and deploying the trailer ball. The "first ambient light sensor" is preferably a digital chip (such as TSL2561 of AMS, VEML7700 of Vishay, etc.) integrating a photoelectric detection element (such as a photodiode) and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), which is precisely packaged and fixed in the upper surface or side surface of the base body root in an embedded process. For example, if it is installed on the upper surface, its detection surface should face upwards, directly opposite the cavity formed after the trailer hook bowl is closed; if it is installed on the side surface, its detection surface should face sideways, also ensuring that it is completely shielded by the inner wall of the trailer hook bowl after the trailer is connected. This embedded installation ensures that the sensor surface is flush with the outer contour of the base, effectively preventing scratches or physical damage caused by protrusions during towing operations, off-road bumps, or daily car washing, meeting the stringent requirements of vehicle-grade products for reliability and durability.

[0041] It can be understood that integrating the sensor inside the base instead of as an external component constitutes a separate, complete, and functionally integrated hardware module. This modular design not only facilitates assembly, but also has much higher mechanical strength and protection level (such as IP rating) than separate designs, providing an optimal physical carrier for the implementation of the method.

[0042] In the present embodiment, "acquiring first light intensity data" means that, after the system confirms that the trailer hook has been placed in the unfolded state, the host control unit (which can be a processing unit integrated in the base or a vehicle domain controller) sends a reading instruction to the first ambient light sensor through an on-board low-speed bus protocol such as Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) or Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI). The sensor converts the light energy perceived by its photodiode into an electric current, which is then processed by an internal ADC to finally output a digitized value reflecting the current visible light intensity incident on its surface, which is the "first light intensity data". This data is usually in units of lux or a RAW value proportional to it, which directly and in real time represents the light and dark conditions of the micro-environment in which the trailer ball base is located. For example, on a sunny outdoor afternoon, the sensor may read a high intensity data of more than 50,000 lux; when the vehicle enters an underground garage or under a tree, the reading may quickly drop to a few hundred lux; the most critical application scenario is when the trailer hook bowl successfully latches onto the trailer ball, the bowl structure forms a nearly airtight "dark room" that completely isolates the ambient light, at which time the sensor reading will drop to a very low level, such as below 10 lux, or even close to zero. This dramatic change from light to dark provides the most core and direct physical basis for subsequent judgment of whether the trailer is connected.

[0043] Step 102, comparing the first light intensity data with a preset light intensity threshold to determine whether the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl.

[0044] In the present embodiment, this step is the logical judgment core of the entire detection method, and its purpose is to convert the original light signal data collected in step 101 into a binary state with clear physical meaning, i.e., whether the trailer ball is covered. It can be understood that the "preset light intensity threshold" is a key threshold value calibrated through a large number of experiments and fixed in the system's non-volatile memory, which serves as the watershed between "light" and "dark" states. It should be noted that the threshold is not an absolute, fixed value applicable to all scenarios, but its core design intention is to reliably distinguish between "sensor exposed to ambient light" and "sensor completely shielded by trailer hook bowl", which are two fundamentally different physical states.

[0045] In particular, the calibration of the threshold value is usually performed in a wide range of lighting environments that most users are likely to encounter. For example, experiments can be conducted to measure the light intensity readings of the trailer ball sensor in the "uncovered" and "covered" (i.e. covered by the standard trailer hook bowl) states under various typical scenarios, such as sunny outdoor noon (light up to >60000 Lux), cloudy daytime (about 20000-30000 Lux), dusk (about a few hundred Lux), dark night on unlit road (<10 Lux), and underground parking lot with ceiling (about 100-200 Lux). Through statistical analysis of a large amount of data, a value is finally determined that can distinguish the two states with a very high confidence within a wide range of lighting. For example, the threshold value can be set to a value between 200 Lux and 500 Lux, the basic principle being that under any natural ambient light, the sensor reading should be significantly higher than the threshold value as long as it is not covered, and once it is effectively covered by the trailer hook bowl, the reading must be stably below the threshold value.

[0046] It can be understood that the logic subject performing the "comparison" operation can be a processing unit integrated with the trailer ball base, or a body domain controller of the vehicle. The logic unit simply compares the "first light intensity data" obtained in real time with the preset threshold value read from the memory. If the real-time data is consistently higher than the threshold value, the logic output is determined to be "uncovered", corresponding to the "unhitched" state; if the real-time data is consistently lower than the threshold value, the determination is "covered", corresponding to the "hitched" state.

[0047] However, it can also be understood that relying solely on a single threshold comparison may have limitations in the face of complex and variable external environments. For example, when the vehicle suddenly enters a dimly lit tunnel from a sunny highway, the ambient light will suddenly drop from tens of thousands of Lux to hundreds of Lux in a few seconds, and at this time the first light intensity data may also drop below the threshold value, and if only this simple comparison is relied on, the system is prone to misjudgment of "hitched". Similarly, on a rainy evening, the ambient light itself is already weak and can easily approach or even fall below the threshold value, interfering with the judgment. Therefore, although this step provides the most basic and necessary judgment, in order to improve the robustness of the system in the real world, it is also necessary to combine with subsequent advanced judgment strategies (such as sudden change detection, double sensor comparison) for comprehensive arbitration by the system, so as to filter out the interference caused by slow changes in the environment, thereby greatly improving the accuracy and reliability of state recognition.

[0048] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when comparing the first light intensity data with the preset light intensity threshold to determine whether the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl, the method further comprises: continuously monitoring the rate of change of the first light intensity data within a preset time threshold, and determining whether the rate of change reaches a preset rate of change threshold; when the rate of change threshold is reached, performing the comparison of the first light intensity data with the preset light intensity threshold, and determining that the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl when the first light intensity data is less than the light intensity threshold; when the rate of change threshold is not reached, determining that the trailer ball base is not covered by the trailer hook bowl.

[0049] It can be understood that in the present embodiment, the system will calculate the rate of change of the first light intensity data within a very short time window in parallel while continuously monitoring the first light intensity data. Exemplarily, the time window can be set to the order of hundreds of milliseconds to capture the instantaneous dramatic change in light. It should be noted that the core mechanism of this design is to distinguish between the "instantaneous shading" caused by the hook bowl closing and the "slow darkening" caused by environmental factors. When the trailer is hooked, the hook bowl closing action is rapid and usually completed within a very short time, which will cause the light intensity received by the first ambient light sensor to drop sharply within milliseconds, and the rate of change will be much higher than the natural change of the daily ambient light. Therefore, the system will preset a higher rate of change threshold.

[0050] Exemplarily, in one application scenario, the vehicle is driving on a tree-lined road, sunlight shines through the gaps between the leaves, causing the sensor reading to fluctuate within a few hundred lux, and the rate of change is low. At this time, if the user successfully hooks the trailer, the hook bowl is covered, and the light intensity drops from 500 Lux to 5 Lux within 200 milliseconds, the rate of change is extremely high, and the system will immediately capture this characteristic mutation event and combine it with the threshold comparison result to determine the effective trailer hooking event.

[0051] Conversely, when the vehicle is driving at a constant speed into a long tunnel, the ambient light gradually decreases from tens of thousands of lux to hundreds of lux within a few seconds. Although the final reading may be lower than the light intensity threshold, the change process is smooth, and the rate of change is much lower than the preset mutation threshold. The system will intelligently classify this event as an environmental disturbance, thereby avoiding misjudgment. This mechanism greatly enhances the system's anti-interference ability in common scenarios such as entering a tunnel, driving into a garage, passing under a bridge, etc.

[0052] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when comparing the first light intensity data with a preset light intensity threshold to determine whether the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl, the method further comprises: obtaining second light intensity data of a second ambient light sensor on the vehicle; calculating a first difference between the first light intensity data and the second light intensity data; and determining that the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl if the first difference reaches a preset difference threshold and the first light intensity data is less than the light intensity threshold.

[0053] It can be understood that, in the present embodiment, in order to construct a deeper layer of redundancy check and eliminate the influence of the absolute ambient light intensity on the judgment, the "comparison method" is introduced.

[0054] It should be noted that modern vehicles generally have a second ambient light sensor installed near the inner rearview mirror base inside the front windshield for controlling automatic headlights and automatic wipers. This sensor can reliably sense the macro environmental light intensity of the vehicle due to its high installation position and no obstruction, providing a stable ambient light reference benchmark for the present system.

[0055] Specifically, the system obtains the second light intensity data of the second ambient light sensor in real time and calculates the first difference between the first light intensity data at the trailer ball and the second light intensity data. It can be understood that, in the normal case where there is no trailer and the sensor is not obstructed, although the absolute values will differ due to different installation positions, the readings should be of the same order of magnitude and the change trend is synchronized. For example, in a sunny day, the windshield sensor reading is 50000 Lux and the trailer ball sensor reading is 45000 Lux, the difference is small; at dusk, the windshield sensor reading is 800 Lux and the trailer ball sensor reading is 700 Lux, the difference is still maintained in a relatively stable range. However, once the trailer ball is covered by the hook bowl, whether the external environment is bright or dim, the trailer ball sensor reading will drop to a very low level, while the windshield sensor reading will still reflect the ambient light intensity. At this time, a huge and abnormal positive difference will occur between the two. The system compares this difference with a preset difference threshold, and if the difference significantly exceeds the threshold and the first light intensity data itself is also very low, a very strong joint evidence chain is formed, which conclusively proves that the trailer ball is covered by "extra" and local covering, i.e. it is most likely caused by the trailer hook bowl covering, rather than the entire environment becoming dark. This relative comparison strategy enables the system to reliably detect the trailer state even in the dark night, heavy rain dusk or long tunnel where the ambient light itself is very weak, as long as the difference between the readings of the two sensors is large enough, achieving all-weather high-robustness detection.

[0056] It can be understood that the implementation of the "comparison method" provides a key solution for the system to cope with uniform low light environment. Exemplarily, on a stormy night, the intensity of the ambient light is extremely low, and the base readings of the windshield sensor and the trailer ball sensor can be only tens of lux, close to or below the preset threshold in the single threshold comparison. Without the comparison mechanism, the system is prone to failure or misjudgment. However, by calculating the difference, it can be found that the difference between the two is very small (for example, 5 Lux) when there is no trailer, and once the trailer is attached, the reading of the trailer ball can be reduced to below 1 Lux, which is a significant difference of nearly 30 Lux from the reading of the windshield sensor (such as 30 Lux), which is far beyond the difference threshold set for low light environment, thereby enabling the system to correctly determine the successful attachment of the trailer and effectively avoiding functional failure in adverse weather or light conditions.

[0057] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further comprises: determining whether the second light intensity data is less than a preset standard ambient light intensity data; and if so, dynamically adjusting the difference threshold value to match the difference threshold value to the light environment in which the current vehicle is located.

[0058] It can be understood that the "difference threshold value" used for comparison may still face challenges in some extreme light conditions if it is set as a fixed value. It should be noted that the dynamic range of ambient light is extremely wide, from more than 100,000 lux under the midday sun to less than 1 lux on a moonless night, spanning more than five orders of magnitude. In this wide range, a fixed difference threshold value that performs well in low light environment may be too sensitive in high light conditions; conversely, a fixed threshold value suitable for high light conditions may be completely ineffective in low light environment. Specifically, exemplarily, assume that the system sets a fixed difference threshold value of 300 Lux. In a strong sunlight in the afternoon, the windshield sensor reading is 80,000 Lux, and the trailer ball sensor reading is 78,000 Lux (without trailer), the difference between the two is 2,000 Lux, which is a normal and weak relative difference. However, if the trailer is attached at this time, the trailer ball sensor reading drops to 50 Lux, and the difference with the windshield sensor reading increases to 79,950 Lux, far exceeding the fixed threshold value of 300 Lux, and the system can easily determine. However, on a moonlit night, the windshield sensor reading is only 5 Lux, and the trailer ball sensor reading is 4 Lux (without trailer), the difference is only 1 Lux. If the trailer is successfully attached at this time, the trailer ball sensor reading drops to 0.5 Lux, and the difference with the windshield sensor reading is 4.5 Lux. Although this absolute difference of 4.5 Lux truly reflects the trailer attachment event, its value is much lower than the previously set fixed threshold value of 300 Lux. If the fixed threshold value is still used, the system will not be able to identify this obvious relative change, resulting in a failure of the detection function in extremely low ambient light.

[0059] Therefore, in order to make the comparison logic have optimal sensitivity and accuracy in the whole light range, the embodiment introduces a dynamic threshold adjustment strategy. Specifically, the system continuously monitors the second light intensity data as the ambient light reference, and judges whether it is less than a preset standard ambient light intensity data. The standard ambient light intensity data is a threshold representing a "low light environment", which can be set to 100 Lux, for example. It can be understood that when the second sensor reading is higher than this threshold, it indicates that the vehicle is in a normal or high light environment; when it is lower than this threshold, it indicates that the vehicle has entered a low light environment such as dusk, night, tunnel, garage, etc. It should be noted that the core logic of dynamic adjustment is that the system will adaptively select a most suitable difference threshold according to the current light level. For example, in a high light environment (such as second sensor reading >10000Lux), the system will automatically adopt a larger difference threshold (for example, 1000Lux) to avoid the background reading difference fluctuation caused by the difference in physical position and viewing angle of the two sensors in strong light. When the system judges that the vehicle has entered a low light environment (such as second sensor reading <100Lux), the threshold dynamic adjustment algorithm is started, which can be a simple linear or nonlinear mapping function, or an interpolation process based on a pre-stored lookup table. The output result is that the darker the ambient light, the smaller the difference threshold adopted. For example, when the ambient light is 50Lux, the difference threshold may be dynamically adjusted to 20Lux; when the ambient light decreases to 5Lux, the difference threshold may be further reduced to 2Lux. In this way, in the above example of the night trailer, the real difference of 4.5Lux can easily exceed the threshold of 2Lux dynamically adopted by the system at this time, so that the detection can be successfully triggered. This adaptive mechanism ensures that the system can always match the ambient background light level best in all possible scenarios from the scorching sun to the starry night, achieving high precision and high reliability detection in all-weather and all-light conditions, which is a key link to improve the overall performance of the system.

[0060] Step 103, based on the judgment result, a detection signal corresponding to the connection state of the trailer is generated, and the detection signal is output to the vehicle control system to allow or prohibit the electric trailer hook to perform the retracting operation.

[0061] In this embodiment, this step is the final decision and execution output link of the entire detection logic, which converts the abstract judgment conclusion of the previous steps into specific and executable control instructions. It can be understood that the "judgment result" in "based on the judgment result" is a comprehensive arbitration conclusion. It is not simply a direct single threshold comparison output, but a final, high-confidence determination of the trailer connection state obtained after the system integrates multiple judgment strategies such as basic light intensity comparison, light mutation detection, double sensor difference comparison, and dynamic threshold adjustment. It should be noted that the determination result is usually a binary state signal, for example, a high level '1' or a specific CAN message value represents "trailer detected", and a low level '0' or another message value represents "no trailer detected".

[0062] Specifically, the behavior of "generating a detection signal corresponding to the trailer connection state" can be a processing unit integrated in the trailer ball base or a vehicle body domain controller (BDCU) depending on the system architecture. For example, if it is generated by the processing unit in the base, the unit will send the packaged detection signal to the vehicle CAN bus through its communication interface (such as CAN transceiver); if it is generated by BDCU, it will directly determine the signal value through internal software functions. It can be understood that the detection signal carries the core output of the redundant detection system and is an important safety state information in addition to traditional electrical connection detection.

[0063] In this embodiment, "outputting the detection signal to the vehicle control system" clearly defines the flow and destination of the information. The vehicle control system as the receiver usually refers to the domain controller (BDCU) responsible for the whole vehicle body control and comfort function, or in some vehicle architectures, it may also be a dedicated trailer system controller. The signal is transmitted through the vehicle network (most commonly CAN bus), encoded and decoded according to the predefined database (such as DBC file), ensuring the reliability and accuracy of communication.

[0064] The ultimate purpose of the technical solution is to allow or prohibit the electric trailer hook to perform the retracting operation. After receiving the optical detection signal, the vehicle control system will perform redundant arbitration with the traditional electrical connection state detection signal. For example, in a typical safety strategy, only when both optical detection and electrical detection indicate "no trailer" (i.e., no connection in electrical detection and optical detection signal is '0'), the vehicle control system will issue a command to the actuator (usually a motor controller) of the electric trailer hook to allow retraction in response to the user's operation request. On the contrary, as long as the optical detection signal is '1' (representing the detection of a trailer), regardless of whether the electrical detection signal exists or is valid, the control system will immediately prohibit the retraction action of the trailer hook for the highest safety priority. This design directly solves the core problem described in the background art: when dragging items without electrical connection (such as bicycle racks, trailer boards) or electrical connection fails, the system can still perceive the risk through optical means and prevent misoperation, thereby effectively avoiding property loss and safety accidents. For example, a user is dragging a small trailer without electrical interface outside, and forgets its existence at the destination and tries to retract the trailer hook, the system will refuse to execute due to the optical detection of the trailer hook bowl coverage, and prompt the user through the instrument panel, thereby preventing an accident.

[0065] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further comprises: when it is detected that the electric trailer hook switches from the retracted state to the deployed state, calculating a second difference value of the first light intensity data and the second light intensity data; if the second difference value is greater than a preset shielding threshold, determining that the first ambient light sensor in the trailer ball base is shielded by foreign matter, and generating a prompt information for cleaning the first ambient light sensor and sending it to the vehicle-mounted interactive terminal.

[0066] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further comprises: when it is determined that the first ambient light sensor in the trailer ball base is shielded by foreign matter, determining whether a conservative mode opening condition is met; wherein the conservative mode opening condition indicates that the electric trailer hook has an electrical connection state detection device, and the electrical connection state detection device is working normally; if the conservative mode opening condition is met, switching the control strategy of the electric trailer hook to a conservative mode; wherein the conservative mode indicates that the electric trailer hook performs the retracting operation according to the electrical connection state.

[0067] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further comprises: if the conservative mode start condition is not met, generating a foreign object obstruction detection signal and outputting the foreign object obstruction detection signal to the vehicle control system to prohibit the electric trailer hitch from performing the retract operation; continuously monitoring the second difference value, determining that the foreign object has been removed when the second difference value is less than or equal to the obstruction threshold value is monitored, and generating a release signal output to the vehicle control system to allow the electric trailer hitch to perform the retract operation.

[0068] It can be understood that the first ambient light sensor of the present embodiment is extremely susceptible to being covered by mud, snow or sludge splashed from the road because it is installed near the chassis of the vehicle, resulting in the failure of its optical sensing window due to obstruction. This failure mode is extremely concealed because the system cannot distinguish between being covered by the trailer hook bowl or being covered by a foreign object, which will lead to serious misjudgment if not handled.

[0069] The method of the present embodiment ingeniously utilizes a specific, predictable vehicle state window for self-diagnosis: when the electric trailer hitch switches from the retract state to the deployed state. Specifically, during the short period of this mechanical action, it can be absolutely determined that the trailer ball is in the extended and exposed state, and the trailer hook bowl is absolutely impossible to have been connected. This is an ideal opportunity for sensor background state verification. The system will immediately read the data of the first and second ambient light sensors at this moment and calculate the second difference value between them. Exemplarily, in a sunny weather, the vehicle is parked outdoors, and the user presses the button to deploy the clean trailer hook. At this time, the windshield sensor reading is 50000Lux, and the trailer ball sensor reading should be a similar high value (such as 48000Lux), and the difference between the two is small, and the system determines that the sensor state is normal. However, after the vehicle drives on a muddy road, the sensor may be covered with mud. Also during deployment, the windshield sensor reading is 50000Lux, while the covered trailer ball sensor reading may be only 1000Lux or even lower, resulting in an abnormally large second difference value. The system compares this difference value with a preset "obstruction threshold value" for diagnosing obstruction, and if it exceeds, it conclusively determines that the first ambient light sensor is obstructed by a foreign object and is not working properly.

[0070] In one embodiment of the disclosure, after obtaining the diagnosis result, the system can not simply report an error and shut down, but start an intelligent degradation process. Specifically, the system first performs a conditional check, i.e., whether the "conservative mode start condition" is met. This condition means whether the vehicle has a normal electrical connection state detection device, and the device is currently verified to be working properly. It can be understood that this is a kind of functional redundancy thinking. Illustratively, the system will query the trailer system controller through the CAN bus to confirm that the electrical detection loop has no fault code and its current state (whether connected or not connected) is identified as valid. If this condition is met, the system performs an elegant strategy switching: the control logic is downgraded from "optical + electrical" double redundancy judgment to only relying on reliable electrical connection signal for single judgment. This means that in this "conservative mode", the optical detection result will be ignored by the system, and the retraction permission of the trailer hook will completely depend on whether the electrical connection is disconnected. This ensures that when the optical sensor is temporarily disabled, the core towing function of the vehicle can still be safely used, greatly improving the usability and user experience of the system, and the user can complete the necessary towing operation without immediately cleaning the sensor.

[0071] However, it can be understood that there is a most unfavorable working condition, which is the scene: the optical sensor is blocked, and the electrical connection detection function of the vehicle is also faulty or unavailable (for example, the trailer itself has no electrical function, and the vehicle cannot detect this). At this time, the "conservative mode start condition" is not established. In the face of this double failure extreme situation, the system will adopt the ultimate strategy of the most conservative and safety first. It will immediately generate an explicit "foreign matter blocking detection signal" and output to the vehicle control system, which will forcibly and continuously prohibit the electric trailer hook from performing any retraction operation. At the same time, the system will send clear prompt information to the user through the vehicle-mounted human-computer interaction terminal (such as the instrument panel or the central control screen), such as "trailer ball sensor is blocked, please use after cleaning" or similar warnings, clearly informing the user of the fault cause and solution. After that, the system does not sleep, but enters a continuous monitoring state, constantly calculating the difference between the first and second sensors. Once the user cleans the foreign matter on the sensor according to the prompt, the difference will quickly return to the normal range. When the system detects that the "second difference" is less than or equal to the "blocking threshold", it is determined that the foreign matter has been removed, and the sensor function is restored. Subsequently, it will automatically generate a "release signal" to the vehicle control system to release the prohibition of the retraction operation, so that the system fully recovers to normal work. This design ensures that even in the most severe failure situation, the system can still firmly hold the safety bottom line, and guide the user to eliminate the fault through explicit human-computer interaction, and finally restore full functionality, realizing fault closed-loop management.

[0072] The above is the method embodiment of the present application. Based on the same inventive concept, the present application embodiment also provides a trailer connection state detection device, which comprises: a first ambient light sensor embedded on the root upper surface or side surface of the base body, with its detection surface facing outward, for collecting first light intensity data of the environment around the trailer ball; a processing unit in communication connection with the first ambient light sensor, configured to execute any one of the above-mentioned trailer connection state detection methods; and a communication interface connected with the processing unit, for sending the detection signal generated by the processing unit to the vehicle control system, or for sending the prompt information or vehicle-mounted interactive terminal generated by the processing unit.

[0073] Based on the same inventive concept, the present application embodiment also provides a vehicle, the structure of which is shown in Figure 2

[0074] As for the device in the above-mentioned embodiments, the specific manner in which each unit performs operations has been described in detail in the embodiments related to the method, and will not be described in detail here.

[0075] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0076] For example, as shown in Figure 2 the vehicle comprises a memory 201 and a processor 202, wherein the memory 201 stores executable program code 2011, and the processor 202 is configured to invoke and execute the executable program code 2011 to execute the vehicle battery heat preservation method.

[0077] The present embodiment can divide the vehicle into functional modules according to the above-mentioned method examples, for example, each functional module can be corresponding, or two or more functions can be integrated in one processing module, and the above-mentioned integrated module can be realized in the form of hardware. It should be noted that the division of modules in the present embodiment is illustrative, and is only a logical functional division, and another division mode can be used in actual implementation.

[0078] In the case of dividing each functional module according to each function, the vehicle can execute the following logic:

[0079] When it is detected that the electric trailer hook is in the unfolded state, the first light intensity data is acquired by the first ambient light sensor arranged in the trailer ball base; the first light intensity data is compared with the preset light intensity threshold value to determine whether the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl; based on the determination result, a detection signal corresponding to the trailer connection state is generated, and the detection signal is output to the vehicle control system to allow or prohibit the electric trailer hook to perform the retracting operation. ​

[0080] Some embodiments of the present application provide a computer storage medium storing computer executable instructions corresponding to Figure 1

[0081] When the electric trailer hook is detected in the unfolded state, the first light intensity data is acquired by the first ambient light sensor arranged in the trailer ball base; the first light intensity data is compared with the preset light intensity threshold value to determine whether the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl; based on the determination result, a detection signal corresponding to the trailer connection state is generated, and the detection signal is output to the vehicle control system to allow or prohibit the electric trailer hook to perform the retracting operation.

[0082] Each of the embodiments in the present application is described in a progressive manner, and the same and similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment mainly describes the difference from other embodiments. Especially, the IoT device and medium embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the description of the method embodiments.

[0083] The system and medium provided by the embodiments of the present application are one-to-one corresponding to the method, so the system and medium also have the similar beneficial technical effects as the method. Since the beneficial technical effects of the method have been described in detail above, the beneficial technical effects of the system and medium will not be described here.

[0084] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as a method, a system, or a computer program product. Therefore, the present application can be in the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Moreover, the present application can be in the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer usable program code.

[0085] The present application is described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the method, device (system), and computer program product according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each flow and / or block in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, and the combination of the flows and / or blocks can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to the processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device that implements the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. Figure 1 Each flow or multiple flows and / or blocks Figure 1 ​an apparatus to perform each block or blocks of the flow or flows and / or steps of the function specified in the block or blocks.

[0086] These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer- readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the flow Figure 1 an apparatus to perform each block or blocks of the flow or flows and / or steps of the function specified in the block or blocks. Figure 1 an apparatus to perform each block or blocks of the flow or flows and / or steps of the function specified in the block or blocks.

[0087] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the flow Figure 1 an apparatus to perform each block or blocks of the flow or flows and / or steps of the function specified in the block or blocks. Figure 1 an apparatus to perform each block or blocks of the flow or flows and / or steps of the function specified in the block or blocks.

[0088] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPUs), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0089] The memory can include non-persistent memory and / or volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory. The memory can also include non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, or a combination of non-volatile memories. The memory is an example of computer-readable media.

[0090] Computer-readable media includes permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase-change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD), or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tapes, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transmission medium that can be used to store information accessible to a computing device. According to the definition herein, computer-readable media does not include transitory media, such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0091] It is also to be noted that the terms "comprising", "including", and any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but can also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by "comprises a... " does not, without more constraints, exclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

[0092] The above description is merely illustrative of the application, and not restrictive. Various modifications and changes can become apparent to those skilled in the art. Incorporating any modification, equivalent substitution, improvement, etc. within the spirit and principle of the application, shall be included in the scope of the claims of the application.

Claims

1. A method for detecting the connection status of a trailer, characterized in that, The method includes: When the electric trailer hook is detected to be in the deployed state, the first ambient light sensor installed in the trailer ball base acquires the first light intensity data. The first light intensity data is compared with a preset light intensity threshold to determine whether the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl; Based on the judgment result, a detection signal corresponding to the trailer connection status is generated, and the detection signal is output to the vehicle control system to allow or prohibit the electric trailer hook from performing a retraction operation.

2. The method for detecting the trailer connection status according to claim 1, characterized in that, When comparing the first light intensity data with a preset light intensity threshold to determine whether the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook cup, the method further includes: Continuously monitor the rate of change of the first light intensity data within a preset time threshold, and determine whether the rate of change reaches the preset rate of change threshold; When the change rate threshold is reached, the first light intensity data is compared with the preset light intensity threshold, and when the first light intensity data is less than the light intensity threshold, it is determined that the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl. If the change rate threshold is not reached, it is determined that the trailer ball base is not covered by the trailer hook bowl.

3. The method for detecting the trailer connection status according to claim 1, characterized in that, When comparing the first light intensity data with a preset light intensity threshold to determine whether the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook cup, the method further includes: Acquire the second illumination intensity data from the vehicle's second ambient light sensor; Calculate the first difference between the first light intensity data and the second light intensity data; If the first difference reaches a preset difference threshold and the first light intensity data is less than the light intensity threshold, then it is determined that the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl.

4. The method for detecting the trailer connection status according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the electric trailer hitch is detected to switch from the retracted state to the deployed state, a second difference between the first light intensity data and the second light intensity data is calculated; If the second difference is greater than the preset occlusion threshold, it is determined that the first ambient light sensor in the trailer ball base is blocked by a foreign object, and a prompt message to clean the first ambient light sensor is generated and sent to the vehicle interactive terminal.

5. The method for detecting the trailer connection status according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: When it is determined that the first ambient light sensor inside the trailer ball base is blocked by a foreign object, it is determined whether the conservative mode activation condition is met; wherein, the conservative mode activation condition indicates that the electric trailer hook has an electrical connection status detection device and the electrical connection status detection device is working normally. If the conditions for activating the conservative mode are met, the control strategy of the electric trailer hook will be switched to the conservative mode; wherein, the conservative mode means that when the electric trailer hook is triggered to perform a retraction operation, it is determined whether the trailer ball base is covered by the trailer hook bowl based on the electrical connection status.

6. The method for detecting the trailer connection status according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the conditions for activating the conservative mode are not met, a foreign object obstruction detection signal is generated and output to the vehicle control system to prevent the electric trailer hook from performing a retraction operation. The system continuously monitors the second difference. When the second difference is detected to be less than or equal to the obstruction threshold, it determines that the foreign object has been removed and generates a release signal to be output to the vehicle control system to allow the electric trailer hitch to perform a retraction operation.

7. The method for detecting the trailer connection status according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Determine whether the second light intensity data is less than the preset standard ambient light intensity data; If the difference is less than the threshold value, the difference threshold value is dynamically adjusted to match the current lighting environment of the vehicle.

8. A device for detecting the connection status of a trailer, characterized in that, The device includes: The first ambient light sensor is embedded in the upper or side surface of the root of the trailer ball base, with its detection surface facing outward, and is used to collect the first light intensity data of the environment around the trailer ball. The processing unit, which is communicatively connected to the first ambient light sensor, is configured to perform a method for detecting trailer connection status as described in any one of claims 1-7; A communication interface, connected to the processing unit, is used to send the detection signal generated by the processing unit to the vehicle control system, or to send the prompt information or vehicle interactive terminal generated by the processing unit.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicles include: At least one processor; And, a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; The memory stores instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor, which, when executed by the at least one processor, enables the at least one processor to perform a trailer connection status detection method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, characterized in that, When the computer-executable instructions are executed, a method for detecting trailer connection status as described in any one of claims 1-7 is implemented.

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