Remote Parking Control for Coupled EV Towing Maneuvers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrified vehicles face challenges in performing reverse parking maneuvers while engaged in vehicle-to-vehicle energy transfer due to limitations in maneuverability and visibility, leading to potential collisions, uneven tire wear, and energy inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A remote-controlled vehicle interface system that uses a vehicle controller to calculate steering actions and generate actuator commands for coupled electrified vehicles, allowing for manual navigation through a 360° overhead perspective displayed on a mobile device, enabling coordinated steering, braking, and propulsion to execute complex parking maneuvers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the leading vehicle tows the trailing vehicle during reverse parking maneuvers, then both vehicles can be positioned at the destination, but steering control becomes difficult and collision risk increases due to interactions between steering angles and poor visibility
Solution Approach 1:
A remote interface system acts as an intermediary between the user and the coupled vehicles during reverse parking maneuvers. The system receives steering inputs from the user, calculates appropriate steering angles for both the leading and trailing vehicles, and transmits control signals to their respective steering systems. This intermediary control mechanism resolves the steering angle interaction problem by coordinating both vehicles' steering through a centralized system, thereby improving ease of operation while reducing collision risk through calculated, controlled movements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical steering control with an electronic remote control system. Instead of the user physically steering both vehicles manually, the system uses electronic sensors to detect user inputs, processes the steering requirements through algorithms, and transmits electronic control signals to the vehicles' steering actuators. This substitution of mechanical direct control with electronic mediated control improves ease of operation and reduces collision risk by enabling more precise and coordinated steering control
2Ease of operation
If the user manually monitors and controls complex reverse parking maneuvers of coupled vehicles, then better control is achieved, but user confidence decreases due to difficulty in monitoring progress and clearance distances
Solution Approach 1:
The remote interface system incorporates feedback mechanisms that provide the user with real-time information about the vehicles' positions, steering angles, and clearance distances to surrounding objects. Sensors on both vehicles detect their environmental context and transmit this data to the user interface, which displays it in a comprehensible format. This feedback loop maintains user confidence by enabling continuous monitoring of maneuver progress while preserving precise control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The remote interface system performs multiple functions simultaneously: it receives steering inputs, calculates steering angles for both vehicles, transmits control signals, and provides real-time feedback on position and clearance. This multi-functional system reduces the perceived complexity for the user by consolidating multiple control and monitoring tasks into a single integrated interface, thereby maintaining ease of operation while managing maneuver orchestration
3Manufacturing precision
If automated steering calculations are used for reverse parking maneuvers, then maneuver precision improves, but the system requires complex coordination of both vehicles' steering and movement
Solution Approach 1:
The remote interface system serves as an intermediary that centralizes the complex coordination logic. Instead of each vehicle independently managing its steering, the intermediary system receives the user's desired parking position, calculates the optimal steering sequence for both vehicles, and coordinates their movements step-by-step. This intermediary approach achieves high parking precision while managing coordination complexity by consolidating the control logic in a single system that can process and execute coordinated maneuvers
Data Source
AI summary
Electrified vehicles are coupled together by a towing device for in-flight energy transfer. A remote-controlled parking system collects images from vehicle-mounted cameras to produce a 360° overhead live streaming image that is displayed on a smartphone linked to a vehicle controller. A user interface (UI) on the smartphone accepts a first touch from the user on the streaming image showing the vehicles at a starting position in order to specify a maneuver endpoint. The controller calculates a sequence of steering actions to create a path to the endpoint. The UI displays the calculate path as an overlay on the live image. The UI generates an activation signal in response to a second touch input on the touchscreen, and forwards the activation signal to the vehicle controller during the second touch input to move the vehicles according to the actuator commands only while the user maintains the second touch input.