Parking Assistance Steering Angle Control on Slopes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing parking assistance systems face challenges when parking on slopes, particularly for manual transmission vehicles, as they require frequent gear changes and can cause unnecessary steering wheel movements due to the driver's manipulation of the clutch, leading to driver irritation and stress on the electric steering system.

Innovation Solution

An automatically steering parking assistance system that uses a sensor system and roll direction detectors (such as ABS/ESP) to maintain a constant steering angle during the first route section and adjust it in subsequent sections, eliminating the need for driver intervention and reducing unnecessary steering wheel movements by utilizing roll direction information instead of gear information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If gear information is used to determine steering timing in parking assistance systems, then the system can control steering wheel movements, but frequent gear changes are required when parking on slopes which slows down the parking process

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking operation smoothnessVSAvoidparking time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical gear-changing operation with a sensor-based rolling direction detection system. The rolling direction detector (using ABS/ESP sensors) automatically identifies when the vehicle changes rolling direction, eliminating the need for manual gear changes by the driver while maintaining accurate timing for steering wheel movements during parking maneuvers on slopes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by allowing the parking assistance system to automatically detect rolling direction changes through sensor data from the rolling direction detector. This eliminates the need for driver intervention in gear selection, as the system autonomously determines the appropriate timing for steering actions based on detected rolling direction changes and vehicle state information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If the driver manipulates the clutch to change rolling direction on slopes, then the vehicle can be controlled, but the rolling direction detector detects multiple false changes before the actual change is perceptible to the driver

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverolling direction detection accuracyVSAvoiddriver control smoothness
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification by detecting multiple rolling direction changes before executing a steering action. When the rolling direction detector registers a change, the system waits for confirmation of sustained direction change before activating the steering wheel movement, thereby filtering out transient false detections caused by clutch manipulation while still responding to genuine direction changes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the rolling direction detector to continuously monitor vehicle state and adjust steering timing accordingly. By comparing detected rolling direction changes with vehicle state information (gear position, brake status), the system provides feedback-driven steering control that adapts to the driver's clutch manipulation patterns, ensuring smooth operation while maintaining detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If the steering angle is immediately changed upon detecting roll direction change, then the parking trajectory can be adjusted, but unnecessary steering wheel movements occur which irritate the driver and stress the electric steering system

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking efficiencyVSAvoidelectric steering stress
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system prepares the steering angle in advance based on predicted rolling direction changes but delays actual execution until the direction change is confirmed. By calculating the appropriate steering angle beforehand and only applying it after verification of sustained direction change, the system avoids unnecessary steering wheel movements that would otherwise stress the electric steering system and irritate the driver.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the rolling direction detector and vehicle state sensor to dynamically adjust steering angle changes. By continuously monitoring whether detected rolling direction changes are genuine or transient, the system provides feedback-controlled steering activation that prevents unnecessary electric steering movements, reducing stress on the system while maintaining parking efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2694315B1Parking assistance system based on rolling direction
Publication Date: 2016.06.29 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP2694315B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2694315B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2c

AI summary

The invention relates to a parking assistance system which automatically steers and which comprises a sensor system for measuring distance data between the vehicle and the vehicle surroundings, a rolling direction detector for detecting the rolling direction of the vehicle, and a processing device. The processing device ascertains a parking space using the measured distance data, calculates a trajectory to be carried out during the process of parking into the parking space, and automatically controls a steering device of the vehicle in a manner corresponding to the calculated trajectory during the parking process, in particular in order to steer the vehicle without a steering intervention by the driver. The aim of the invention is to prevent unnecessary gear changes by the driver and to allow a fluid clutch-controlled parking on a slope. This is achieved in that a steering device steering angle, which is set prior to a change of the rolling direction, is maintained for a specified first path section I after the rolling direction changes, said change being detected by the rolling direction detector.