Hitch Assist System Obstacle Avoidance Path Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process of hitching a vehicle to a trailer can be difficult, especially for those without experience, necessitating a system that simplifies the process in a intuitive and assistive manner.
Innovation Solution
A hitch assist system that includes a sensing system to detect a trailer and obstacles, with a controller to align the vehicle's hitch ball with the trailer's coupler, determine uppermost and lowermost positions, and define a vehicle path for alignment, using imaging and sensor data to guide the vehicle through non-linear segments and avoid obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a hitch assist system is implemented to simplify the hitching process, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hitch assist system enables the vehicle to autonomously perform the hitching alignment task. The sensing system automatically detects the trailer coupler position, and the controller independently calculates and executes the alignment path, allowing the system to serve itself without requiring manual intervention from the operator.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment operations with an automated electronic control system. Instead of relying on the operator to visually estimate and manually adjust the vehicle position, the system uses sensors to detect coupler position and a controller to automatically maneuver the vehicle into alignment, substituting mechanical skill with electronic automation.
2Productivity
If the vehicle follows a direct path to align with the coupler, then productivity is improved, but the vehicle may collide with obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing system performs preliminary detection of the environment ahead of the vehicle's intended path. By detecting obstacles in advance and calculating their positions relative to the planned alignment path, the system can pre-adjust the vehicle's trajectory to avoid collisions while still achieving efficient hitching alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle path is dynamically adjusted based on real-time obstacle detection. The controller continuously monitors the environment and modifies the alignment path as needed, allowing the vehicle to navigate around obstacles while maintaining progress toward the coupler alignment goal.
3Reliability
If the sensing system detects a wide area to identify obstacles and coupler, then reliability is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing system focuses its detection efforts on specific areas of interest rather than uniformly scanning the entire environment. The system prioritizes detecting the coupler in the expected vicinity and identifies obstacles only in regions that could potentially interfere with the hitching operation, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining detection reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A hitch assist system is provided herein that includes a sensing system configured to detect a trailer and obstacles proximate the trailer. The hitch assist system also includes a controller in communication with the sensing system and configured to define a final vehicle heading direction relative to the trailer when a hitch ball of a vehicle is aligned with a coupler of the trailer; determine an uppermost/farthest position of the vehicle from the trailer; determine a lowermost/nearest position of the vehicle from the trailer; and determine a vehicle path that aligns the vehicle within the uppermost/farthest and lowermost/nearest positions.