Hitch Assist System for Semi-Autonomous Trailer Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Attaching a vehicle to a trailer requires multiple persons, and those unaccustomed to hitching may face difficulties in aligning the vehicle path efficiently, as existing driver assistance systems do not adequately support single-operator semi-autonomous or autonomous alignment.
Innovation Solution
A hitch assist system that uses sensors and cameras to detect the trailer, calculate a vehicle path for lateral alignment of the hitch ball with the trailer hitch, and control steering and braking maneuvers to achieve alignment, allowing a single operator to align the vehicle with the trailer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple persons are used to control and guide the vehicle-trailer alignment, then the alignment accuracy improves, but the operational complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the vehicle to perform self-alignment to the trailer hitch using automated sensor detection and control. The vehicle autonomously calculates the alignment path and executes steering maneuvers without requiring external guidance from additional personnel, thereby reducing time consumption while maintaining alignment accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical guidance process involving multiple persons is replaced with an automated electronic system comprising sensors, processors, and control mechanisms. The system uses sensor data to automatically determine alignment paths and control vehicle steering, substituting human coordination with automated computational and mechanical control
2Device complexity
If manual guidance is used for vehicle-trailer alignment, then the system complexity remains low, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in providing efficient alignment instructions
Solution Approach 1:
An automated control system acts as an intermediary between the driver's intent and the vehicle's alignment execution. The system includes sensors that detect trailer position, processors that calculate optimal alignment paths, and control mechanisms that execute steering maneuvers, thereby simplifying the operator's task while improving alignment efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The control system performs multiple functions including detecting trailer position, calculating alignment paths, controlling steering, and monitoring alignment progress. This multi-functional integrated system improves ease of operation by consolidating complex alignment tasks into a single automated process that handles all aspects of vehicle-trailer alignment
Data Source
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AI summary
A hitch assist system for a vehicle comprises a camera mounted to view a reverse path of a vehicle, an input device connected for the hitch assist system, and a controller. The controller includes instructions for detecting a trailer proximate to a vehicle with the camera, determining a vehicle hitch ball location, determining a trailer hitch location, and calculating a vehicle path from an initial position to a final position. The vehicle hitch ball is laterally aligned with the trailer hitch in the final position. The controller also includes instructions for calculating the steering and braking maneuvers necessary to move the vehicle along the path to the final position and sending instructions to a vehicle steering system and a vehicle brake system to perform the calculated maneuvers.