A system that controls the vehicle's recovery mode.
The control system adjusts steering angles to counteract lateral movements and rotations, enhancing vehicle recovery by minimizing wheel slip and maintaining direction, addressing traction issues in towing scenarios.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JAGUAR LAND ROVER LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-30
Smart Images
Figure 2026521520000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control system and a control method for controlling a recovery assist mode of a vehicle. Aspects of the invention relate to a control system, a system, a vehicle, and a method.
Background Art
[0002] It is known to use a vehicle to provide recovery assistance to another malfunctioning vehicle, a slippery road surface such as mud or sand, or an object immobilized by an obstacle on the ground. When providing recovery assistance, usually, the vehicle is connected to a recovery vehicle via a hitch point and a towing rope. Thereafter, the vehicle starts driving and tow the object to another location. This is to obtain further assistance or to move the object to a position where it can move. However, due to factors such as the characteristics of the terrain on which the vehicle travels and the weight of the object, it may be difficult for the vehicle to maintain traction throughout the towing process, which may prevent the success of the towing.
[0003] The present invention aims to solve one or more drawbacks associated with the prior art.
Summary of the Invention
[0004] Aspects and embodiments of the present invention provide a control system, a system, a vehicle, and a method as recited in the appended claims.
[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique for improving the recovery assistance of a vehicle. This technique determines a steering angle to act on a wheel group of the vehicle in order to counteract a steering angle acting on another wheel group of the vehicle, and controls other lateral movements and / or rotations received by the vehicle.
[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a control system is provided for controlling a vehicle recovery mode for recovering an object connected to the vehicle's hitch point. The control system includes one or more processors collectively configured to receive lateral position data indicating the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle and steering angle data indicating the steering angle of a first group of wheels of the vehicle. The one or more processors are configured to control the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle based on the lateral position data and the steering angle data, to determine further steering to be applied to a second group of wheels of the vehicle to offset the steering angle of the first group of wheels, and to output a control signal causing the vehicle's steering system to apply further steering to the second group of wheels.
[0007] In this way, the influence of lateral movement and yaw rotation on the magnitude of the effective longitudinal force acting as torque on the drivetrain is reduced, thereby minimizing wheel slip. Furthermore, applying counter-rotation to the steering acting on one set of wheels helps maintain steering and the intended direction of travel.
[0008] The control system comprises one or more control devices, which include at least one electronic processor and at least one memory device. The electronic processor has an electrical input for receiving input signals. The memory device is electrically connected to at least one electronic processor and stores commands. At least one electronic processor is configured to access at least one memory device and execute the stored commands. Thus, at least one electronic processor receives lateral position data indicating the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle; receives steering angle data indicating the steering angle of the first wheel group of the vehicle; controls the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle and determines an additional steering angle to be applied to the second wheel group of the vehicle to offset the steering angle of the first wheel group based on the lateral position data and steering angle data; and outputs a control signal causing the vehicle's steering system to apply the additional steering angle to the second wheel group.
[0009] Optionally, one or more processors may be configured to determine an initial steering angle to offset the steering angle of the first wheel group based on steering angle data, and to adjust the magnitude and / or direction of the initial steering angle according to the magnitude and / or direction of the vehicle's lateral movement and / or rotation based on lateral position data, thereby determining a further steering angle to be applied to the second wheel group.
[0010] In this way, the steering angle applied to the second wheel group in opposition to the steering of the first wheel group can be adjusted to maintain the intended direction of travel while controlling the lateral movement and rotation experienced by the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle is experiencing lateral movement and / or yaw rotation in substantially the same direction as the steering angle applied to the first wheel group, the lateral movement and / or rotation can be offset by increasing the opposite angle applied to the second wheel group. Similarly, if the vehicle is experiencing lateral movement and / or yaw rotation in the opposite direction to the steering angle acting on the first wheels, the lateral movement and rotation experienced by the vehicle can be controlled by decreasing the opposite angle acting on the second wheels.
[0011] Optionally, one or more processors may be further configured to determine, based on lateral position data and steering wheel angle data, whether to activate one or more additional systems of the vehicle to further control the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle, and based on that decision, to output additional control signals to activate one or more additional systems of the vehicle to further control the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle.
[0012] In this way, the additional system can be used to further counteract the lateral movements and yaw rotations experienced by the vehicle, reducing their impact on the magnitude of the effective longitudinal force achieved by the torque applied to the drivetrain.
[0013] One or more processors may be configured to output additional control signals to operate one or more additional systems when the steering angle of the first wheel group is within a predetermined angular range. In this way, if only a small steering angle is given to the first wheel group, and therefore the lateral movement and yaw rotation experienced by the vehicle are not a result of steering, and the counter-rotation applied to the second wheel group is not sufficient to cancel out the lateral movement and yaw rotation of the vehicle, the lateral movement and yaw rotation can be canceled out using the additional systems. For example, the predetermined angular range may include a range of -5° to +5° for the steering wheel angle relative to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. As another example, the predetermined angular range may include a range of -3° to +3° for the wheel angle relative to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle.
[0014] Optionally, one or more processors may be configured to output additional control signals to operate one or more additional systems when the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle is in the opposite direction to the steering angle of the first wheel group.
[0015] Thus, even when a relatively large steering angle is applied, if the lateral movement and / or yaw rotation are in the opposite direction (i.e., not as a result of the steering angle), If the reverse rotation applied to the second wheel group could amplify lateral movement and / or rotation, an additional system can be used to counteract the lateral movement or yaw rotation.
[0016] Optionally, one or more processors may be configured to output additional control signals to activate one or more additional systems when the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle reaches an amount exceeding a threshold.
[0017] This method allows for the use of additional systems to provide the required level of offset if the vehicle is experiencing large lateral movements or yaw rotations, i.e., if the counter-rotation applied to the second wheel group is insufficient to offset the lateral movement. Conversely, if the lateral movement or rotation is below a threshold, the counter-angle applied to the second wheel group may be sufficient. For example, a threshold for lateral movement may be preset and correspond to an angle of ±30 degrees around the roll axis of the vehicle 200. Similarly, a threshold for rotation may be preset and correspond to an angle of ±30 degrees around the yaw axis of the vehicle 200. As another example, one or more processors may be configured to determine threshold amounts for lateral movement and / or rotation based on one or more of the vehicle's terrain mode, the rolling resistance between the wheels and the road surface, and the estimated coefficient of friction between the wheels and the road surface.
[0018] Optionally, one or more additional systems may include one or more of the vehicle's braking system, suspension system, and individual cornering motors. However, other systems capable of controlling the vehicle's orientation may also be used.
[0019] Optionally, one or more processors may be configured to receive steering angle data from the vehicle's steering angle sensors. The steering angle sensors may be located at any suitable location for measuring the steering angle applied to the vehicle's wheels, for example, on the steering column connecting the steering wheel and the steering system. Optionally, one or more processors may be configured to receive lateral position data from the vehicle's inertial measurement devices.
[0020] Optionally, the first wheel group may be positioned away from the hitch point, while the second wheel group may be positioned closer to the hitch point.
[0021] In this way, the counter-rotation applied to the loaded axle helps maintain the steering of the unloaded axle, thereby minimizing lateral slippage of the wheels.
[0022] Optionally, the first wheel group is connected to the front axle of the vehicle, and the second wheel group is connected to the rear axle of the vehicle. However, conversely, the first wheel group may be connected to the rear axle of the vehicle, and the second wheel group may be connected to the front axle of the vehicle.
[0023] According to another aspect of the present invention, a system including the aforementioned control system and the steering system of the vehicle is provided.
[0024] Optionally, the system may further include one or more of the braking system of the vehicle, the suspension system of the vehicle, and the individual corner motors of the vehicle.
[0025] As yet another aspect, a vehicle equipped with the above system or the above control system is provided.
[0026] According to yet another aspect, a method for controlling the recovery mode of a vehicle for recovering an object connected to the hitch point of the vehicle is provided. The method includes receiving lateral position data indicating the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle, and receiving steering angle data indicating the steering angle of the first wheel group of the vehicle. The method also includes controlling the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle based on the lateral position data and the steering angle data, determining an additional steering angle to be applied to the second wheel group of the vehicle in order to cancel the steering angle of the first wheel group, and outputting a control signal for causing the steering system of the vehicle to apply the additional steering angle to the second wheel group.
[0027] As yet another aspect, computer-readable instructions configured to execute the above method when executed by a computer are provided.
[0028] Within the scope of this application, it is explicitly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples, and alternatives described in the preceding paragraph, claims, and / or the following description and drawings, particularly their individual features, can be employed independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and / or combination as long as those features do not conflict with each other. The applicant reserves the right to amend the originally filed claims or to file new claims accordingly. This includes the right to amend the originally filed claims to depend on and / or incorporate features of other claims that were not originally so claimed.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0029] One or more embodiments of the present invention will be described, for illustrative purposes only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
[0030] <00-00098> [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0031] [Figure 2A] Figure 2A shows a schematic view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0032] [Figure 2B] Figure 2B is a schematic view showing a rear view of the vehicle of Figure 2A.
[0033] [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a first flowchart showing the operations executed by the control system of Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0034] [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a second flowchart showing the operations executed by the control system of Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Modes for Carrying Out the Invention
[0035] Referring to Figure 1, a vehicle control system 100 is shown. Note that the control system 100 shown in Figure 1 comprises one controller 110, but this is just one example. The controller 110 includes processing means 120 and storage means 130. The processing means 120 may be one or more electronic processing devices 120 that operationally execute computer-readable commands. The storage means 130 may be one or more storage devices 130. The storage means 130 is electrically connected to the processing means 120. The storage means 130 is configured to store commands, and the processing means 120 is configured to access the storage means 130 and execute the commands stored therein.
[0036] The controller 110 includes an input means 140 and an output means 150. The input means 140 may include an electrical input 140 of the controller 110. The output means 150 may include an electrical output of the controller 110. The input means 140 is configured to receive a vehicle attitude signal 160 from one or more sensors of the vehicle, for example, the vehicle's inertial measuring unit (IMU). The vehicle attitude signal 160 is an electrical signal indicating one or more characteristics of the vehicle's attitude. This includes, but is not limited to, the vehicle's tilt, the vehicle's rotation (e.g., rotation of the vehicle around the yaw axis), and the vehicle's lateral movement (e.g., lateral movement of the vehicle around the roll axis). The input means 140 is also configured to receive a steering angle signal 162 from the vehicle's steering angle sensor. The steering angle signal 162 is an electrical signal indicating the steering angle of at least the first group of wheels of the vehicle. The input means 140 may further optionally be configured to receive a recovery mode signal 164 from a user via the human-machine interface (HMI) of the vehicle 200. This signal instructs the controller 110 to start driving the vehicle in recovery mode to assist in the recovery of the target. The output means 150 is configured to output a steering control signal 170 to the vehicle's steering system so that the steering system controls the steering of the vehicle's second wheel group. The output means 150 may optionally be configured to output a lateral control signal 172 to one or more additional systems of the vehicle so that one or more additional systems can be operated to control the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle. The output means 150 may also optionally be configured to output a driver control signal 174 to the vehicle's human-machine interface (HMI) so that the vehicle's driver can move the vehicle. If the vehicle is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, the driver control signal 174 may be output to the autonomous control system.
[0037] Figure 2A shows a vehicle 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle 200 includes a controller 110 as shown in Figure 1. The controller 110 is installed inside the vehicle 200 and can communicate with a steering system 220 located inside the vehicle 200, and can transmit a steering control signal 170 to the steering system 220. The controller 110 can also communicate with a steering angle sensor 222 located inside the vehicle 200, and a steering angle signal 162 is transmitted from the steering angle sensor 222 to the controller 110. The steering angle sensor 222 may be provided on the steering column of the vehicle 200, integrated with the steering system 220, and / or able to communicate with the steering system 220. Similarly, the controller 110 can also communicate with an inertial measuring device 230 located inside the vehicle 200, thereby transmitting an attitude signal 160 from the inertial measuring device 230 to the controller 110. Furthermore, the controller 110 can communicate with any of several additional control systems (indicated schematically as 225) located within the vehicle 200, and can transmit control signals 172 and 174 to these additional control systems. The additional control systems 225 include, but are not limited to, one or more suspension systems, one or more individual corner motors, the vehicle's braking system, and a human-machine interface.
[0038] Vehicle 200 may be an EGO vehicle, that is, a vehicle equipped with autonomous or semi-autonomous driving technology that can sense and navigate its environment without direct input from a human driver.
[0039] Vehicle 200 has at least one hitch point for connecting it to an object requiring recovery. For example, vehicle 200 may have a first hitch point 210A located near the front wheel group 280A, 280B of vehicle 200. This is merely an example, and it goes without saying that the first hitch point 210A may be located at any suitable location on the front of vehicle 200. Similarly, multiple hitch points may be located on the front of vehicle 200.
[0040] Figure 2B shows a rear view of the vehicle 200 in Figure 2A. The vehicle 200 may have a second hitch point 210B located at the rear of the vehicle 200, adjacent to the rear wheel group 280C, 280D, for connecting the vehicle 200 to an object requiring recovery. This is merely an example, and the second hitch point 210B can be located at any suitable position at the rear of the vehicle 200. Similarly, multiple hitch points may be provided at the rear of the vehicle 200. The vehicle 200 may also have either the first hitch point 210A and the second hitch point 210B, or both. The hitch points 210A and 210B provide connection points for attaching ropes or other connecting means to the vehicle 200. This connects the vehicle 200 to an object requiring recovery.
[0041] The steering system 220 may be configured to control the steering angles of the wheels 280A-D. In this regard, the wheels 280A-D may be controlled individually. In this case, the steering angle is directly controlled by the steering system 220. Optionally, the front wheel group 280A, 280B may be connected to the first axle, and the rear wheel group 280C, 280D may be connected to the second axle. Thus, the steering system 220 may be configured to control the steering angles of the wheels 280A-D via the first and second axles.
[0042] Naturally, vehicle 200 can be operated to assist in the recovery of any suitable object, including but not limited to a second vehicle, trailer, boat, rock, log, or any object whose weight does not exceed the power capacity of vehicle 200.
[0043] Figure 3 is a flowchart 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart 300 shows the steps that the control system 100 performs when controlling the recovery mode of a vehicle 200, such as the vehicle 200 shown in Figures 2A and 2B. In particular, the memory 130 may contain computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor 120, perform the method 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0044] In step 310, the control system 100 is configured to receive lateral position data of the vehicle 200. The lateral position data is received as an input signal 160 in the input means 140 of the controller 110 and includes data indicating the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle 200 as measured by one or more sensors of the vehicle 200 (e.g., an inertial measuring unit (IMU)). The position of the vehicle 200 around the roll axis and / or yaw axis indicates the lateral movement and / or rotation experienced by the vehicle 200, induced by loads from objects acting on hitch points 210A, 210B that are laterally offset from the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle 200. Such lateral movement reduces the amount of effective longitudinal force obtained when torque is applied by the drive system, which can cause the wheels to slip when the vehicle 200 starts to move.
[0045] In step 320, the control system 100 is configured to receive steering angle data of the vehicle 200. This steering angle data is received as an input signal 162 in the input means 140 of the controller 110 and includes data indicating the position of the steering wheel, for example, measured by the steering wheel angle sensor of the vehicle 200. This data indicates whether the wheels 280A-D of the vehicle 200 are positioned away from the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle 200. For example, recovery assistance may be performed on a curved road, and the user may be turning the steering wheel to a certain angle to move the vehicle 200 around a curve in the road, in which case this itself will cause lateral movement or rotation of the vehicle 200. In such a case, the steering wheel angle data 162 may indicate the steering angle of at least the first group of wheels 280A-B of the vehicle 200. This group of wheels 280A-B is located at the front of the vehicle 200 and is optionally connected to the front axle of the vehicle 200. However, the first wheel group is instead the wheels 280C-D located at the rear of the vehicle 200, and may optionally be connected to the rear axle of the vehicle 200. From the lateral position data and steering angle data, in step 330, the processing means 120 is configured to determine a further steering angle to be applied to the second wheel group 280C-D of the vehicle 200. This controls the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle and cancels out the steering angle of the first wheel group 280A-B. If the first wheel group 280A-B is connected to the front axle, the second wheel group 280C-D may be a group of wheels connected to the rear axle of the vehicle 200. However, if the first wheel group is connected to the rear axle, the second wheel group may be connected to the front axle. Therefore, if the steering angle data indicates that the first wheel group 280A-B is rotating at a first angle with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle 200, a further steering angle is determined to cancel out this first angle. Lateral position data may be affected by additional lateral movement and / or rotation in a specific direction (e.g., due to loads applied to hitch points 210A and 210B).If the above is indicated, the magnitude and / or direction of the further steering angle may be adjusted according to the magnitude and / or direction of the lateral movement and / or rotation. Therefore, the processing means 120 may be configured to determine an initial steering angle opposite to the steering angle of the first wheel group 280A-B, and then adjust the magnitude and direction of the initial steering angle according to the magnitude and direction of the lateral movement and / or rotation, thereby providing a steering angle to be applied to the second wheel group 280C-D.
[0046] For example, if the first wheel group is rotating at a 45° clockwise angle with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle 200 (i.e., rotating so that the vehicle 200 is turned to the right from the perspective of the driver or passenger), then further steering is determined to be 45° counterclockwise (i.e., to turn the vehicle to the left) with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle 200. If the lateral position data indicates that the load applied to hitch point 210A results in an additional lateral movement and / or rotation in substantially the same direction as the steering angle of the first wheel group 280A-B (for example, the vehicle 200 is tilted to the right from the driver's perspective), then a larger additional counterclockwise steering angle is determined to further offset this lateral movement and / or rotation. Conversely, if the lateral position data indicates that the load applied to hitch point 210A results in an additional lateral movement and / or rotation in the opposite direction to the steering angle of the first wheel group 280A-B (for example, the vehicle 200 is tilted to the left from the driver's perspective), then a smaller additional counterclockwise steering angle can be set to maintain the intended direction of travel while controlling this lateral movement and rotation.
[0047] When the processing means 120 controls the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle 200 and determines an additional steering angle to be applied to the second wheel group 280C-D of the vehicle 200 in order to offset the steering angle of the first wheel group 280A-B, the controller 110 outputs a control signal 170 in step 340 that causes the steering system 220 of the vehicle 200 to apply an additional steering angle to the second wheel group 280C-D. This reduces the effect of lateral movement or yaw rotation on the effective longitudinal force obtained when torque is applied to the drivetrain, and minimizes wheel slip. Furthermore, by applying a counter-rotation to the steering acting on one set of wheels, the steering and intended direction of travel are maintained. Optionally, before step 310, the control system 100 may be configured to receive user input data from the human-machine interface of the vehicle 200. The user input data is received as an input signal 164 in the input means 140 of the controller 100 and includes data indicating a request to start operation of the vehicle 200 in recovery mode.
[0048] Alternatively, after the control signal 170 is output to the steering system 220 of the vehicle 200, the controller may also output a driver control signal 174 to the human-machine interface (HMI) of the vehicle 200, requesting the driver of the vehicle 200 to begin moving the vehicle 200. If the vehicle 200 is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, the driver control signal 174 is output to the autonomous control system.
[0049] Figure 4 is a flowchart 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart 400 shows the steps that the control system 100 performs when controlling the recovery mode of a vehicle 200, such as the vehicle 200 shown in Figures 2A and 2B.
[0050] Steps 310, 320, 330, and 340 are the same as those shown in Figure 3, and for the sake of brevity, a detailed explanation will not be repeated. However, compared to Figure 3, the flowchart 400 in Figure 4 includes an additional step 335. In this step 335, the control system 100 decides whether to activate one or more additional systems 225 of the vehicle 200 to further control the detected lateral movement and / or rotation. The processing means 120 receives input signals 160 and 162 from the input means 140 and executes commands stored in the storage means 130 to decide whether to activate one or more additional systems 225 of the vehicle 200 to further control the detected lateral movement and / or rotation.
[0051] For example, if no angle is applied to the steering of vehicle 200, or if the steering angle is within a predetermined angular range (e.g., the steering wheel angle is within ±5° of the longitudinal centerline of vehicle 200, or the wheel angle is within approximately +1-2° to ±3° of the longitudinal centerline of vehicle 200), and the lateral position data indicates that vehicle 200 is tilted to one side, for example, towards hitch points 210A, 210B, then it may be determined that one or more additional systems 225 of vehicle 200 should be activated to counteract the lateral movement and / or rotation. As an example, the braking system of vehicle 200 may be controlled to keep the wheels 280A-D of vehicle 200 substantially aligned with the longitudinal centerline of vehicle 200, or at least maintain the applied steering angle. As another example, one or more individual corner motors of vehicle 200 may be controlled to make the wheels 280A-D of vehicle 200 substantially aligned with the longitudinal centerline of vehicle 200, or at least maintain the applied steering angle. As yet another example, the suspension system 225 of the vehicle 200 can be controlled to tilt the vehicle 200 in the opposite direction to the direction of lateral movement and / or rotation. For example, if lateral movement and / or rotation occurs towards the wheels 280A-D of the vehicle 200 that are closer to the hitch points 210A and 210B, the height of the suspension can be adjusted to counteract the lateral movement and / or rotation. Specifically, this can be done by increasing the air pressure in the suspension closer to the hitch points 210A and 210B. Thus, if there is no or very little steering angle acting on the first wheel group 280A-B, that is, if the lateral movement or yaw rotation is not primarily a result of steering, and the counter-rotation applied to the second wheel group 280C-D is not sufficient to counteract the lateral movement or yaw rotation of the vehicle 200, one or more additional systems 225 can be used to counteract the lateral movement or yaw rotation.
[0052] If, as described above, an angle is applied to the steering of the vehicle 200, and the lateral position data 160 indicates that the vehicle 200 is tilted or rotated in approximately the same direction as the steering angle, the processing means 120 determines that it is not necessary to offset the lateral movement and / or rotation with one or more additional systems 225. Conversely, if the lateral position data 160 indicates that the vehicle 200 is tilted or rotated in approximately the opposite direction to the steering angle (for example, with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle 200), the processing means 120 determines that one or more additional systems 225 of the vehicle 200 should be activated to control this lateral movement or rotation in order to maintain the steering and the intended direction of travel. For example, activating the brake system of the vehicle 200 and applying braking force to the wheels 280A-D of the vehicle 200 can help maintain the steering and the intended direction of travel. In this regard, applying braking force to the wheels on the vehicle 200 side corresponding to the direction of travel (i.e., the right wheels 280B and 280D when the steering angle corresponds to a right turn, and the left wheels 280A and 280C when it corresponds to a left turn) helps to increase the rotational speed in the intended direction. Conversely, if excessive lateral movement or rotation occurs in the direction of the steering angle, the braking system reduces the rotational speed by applying braking force to the wheels located on the opposite side of the steering angle (i.e., the right wheels 280B and 280D when the steering angle corresponds to a left turn, and the left wheels 280A and 280C when it corresponds to a right turn).
[0053] Optionally, the processing means 120 may be configured to determine whether the amount of lateral movement and / or rotation in any direction is greater than or equal to a threshold, and if the amount of lateral movement and / or rotation is greater than or equal to the threshold, to determine that one or more additional systems 225 should be activated to control this lateral movement and / or rotation. This threshold is any appropriate threshold corresponding to the amount of lateral movement and / or rotation to which counter-steering alone is insufficient to control the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle 200. For example, the threshold for lateral movement may be preset and correspond to ±30 degrees. Similarly, the threshold for rotation may be preset and correspond to an angle of ±30 degrees around the yaw axis of the vehicle 200. As another example, the processing means 120 may be configured to determine the threshold based on one or more of the terrain mode of the vehicle 200, the rolling resistance between the wheels 280A-D and the underside, and the coefficient of friction between the wheels 280A-D and the underside. For example, on surfaces with a low coefficient of resistance, such as snow or ice, a larger lateral movement threshold is determined, while on easily deformable surfaces, such as wet grass or sand, a smaller lateral movement threshold is determined. In this regard, the thresholds are determined based on these inputs using a lookup table stored in the memory means 130. Similarly, if the vehicle 200 is in the process of recovery and torque has already been applied to the wheels 280A-D, the lateral movement and / or rotation thresholds can be set higher. Thus, if the vehicle 200 experiences large lateral movement or yaw rotation (e.g., due to the steering angle and loads on hitch points 210A, 21OB) and the counter-rotation applied to the second group of wheels 280C-D is insufficient to offset the lateral movement or rotation, one or more additional systems 225 can be used to help provide the required level of offset.
[0054] Once the processing means 120 determines whether to activate one or more additional systems 225 of the vehicle 200 to control the detected lateral movement, the controller 110 outputs an additional control signal 172 to one or more additional systems 225 of the vehicle 200 in step 340 to further control the detected lateral movement and / or rotation. For example, the control signal 172 may be output as a braking control signal to the vehicle 200's brake system, or as a suspension control signal to the vehicle 200's suspension system. Alternatively, the control signal may be output to one or more individual corner motors of the vehicle 200.
[0055] Various modifications and alterations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A control system for controlling a vehicle recovery mode for recovering an object connected to the vehicle's hitch point, comprising one or more processors, the one or more processors The vehicle receives lateral position data indicating lateral movement and / or rotation; Receiving steering angle data indicating the steering angle of the first wheel group of the vehicle; Based on the lateral position data and the steering angle data, the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle is controlled, and a further steering angle to be applied to the second wheel group of the vehicle is determined in order to offset the steering angle of the first wheel group; A control system configured such that the steering system of the vehicle outputs a control signal for applying the further steering angle to the second group of wheels.
2. The one or more processors determine an initial steering angle to cancel out the steering angle of the first wheel group based on the steering angle data; The control system according to claim 1, wherein, based on the lateral position data, the magnitude and / or direction of the initial steering angle is adjusted according to the magnitude and / or direction of the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle, thereby determining the further steering angle applied to the second wheel group.
3. The one or more processors described above are: Based on the lateral position data and / or steering wheel angle data, it is determined whether to activate one or more additional systems of the vehicle to further control the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle; The control system according to claim 1 or 2, configured to output additional control signals to activate one or more additional systems of the vehicle in order to further control the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle based on the aforementioned determination.
4. The control system according to claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are configured to output the additional control signals to operate the one or more additional systems when the steering angle of the first wheel group is within a predetermined angular range.
5. The control system according to claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are configured to output the additional control signals to operate the one or more additional systems when the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle is in the opposite direction to the steering angle of the first wheel group.
6. The control system according to any one of claims 3-5, wherein the one or more processors are configured to output the additional control signals for operating the one or more additional systems when the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a threshold for the lateral movement and / or rotation.
7. The control system according to any one of claims 3-6, wherein the one or more additional systems include one or more of the vehicle's brake system, the vehicle's suspension system, and one or more individual corner motors of the vehicle.
8. The control system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive steering angle data from the vehicle's steering angle sensor.
9. The control system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein one or more processors are configured to receive the lateral position data from the vehicle's inertial measuring device.
10. The aforementioned first wheel group is separated from the hitch point, The control system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the second group of wheels is close to the hitch point.
11. The first wheel group is connected to the front axle of the vehicle, The control system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the second group of wheels is connected to the rear axle of the vehicle.
12. A system comprising a control system according to any one of claims 1-11 and a steering system for the vehicle.
13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising one or more brake systems of the vehicle, a suspension system of the vehicle, and one or more corner motors of the vehicle.
14. A vehicle comprising the system according to claim 12 or 13, or the control system according to claims 1 to 11.
15. A method for controlling the recovery mode of a vehicle for recovering an object connected to the vehicle's hitch point, The vehicle receives lateral position data indicating lateral movement and / or rotation; Receiving steering angle data indicating the steering angle of the first wheel group of the vehicle; Based on the lateral position data and the steering angle data, the lateral movement and / or rotation of the vehicle is controlled, and a further steering angle to be applied to the second wheel group of the vehicle is determined in order to offset the steering angle of the first wheel group; A method wherein the steering system of the vehicle outputs a control signal for applying the further steering angle to the second group of wheels.