Steering Angle Adjustment for Trailer Hitch Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hitching a trailer to a vehicle is a difficult and time-consuming process due to the challenge of aligning the vehicle hitch ball with the trailer coupler, often requiring repeated driving and steering maneuvers without clear sightlines, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors in alignment.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle maneuvering apparatus with a steering control system and sensors that capture data to control the vehicle's alignment, adjusting the steering angle to align the hitch with the coupler position, and calculating an alignment error distance to suppress or adjust the steering alignment routine as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual steering maneuvers are used to align the vehicle hitch with the trailer coupler, then the driver has full control over the alignment process, but the process becomes time-consuming and requires multiple repeated forward and reverse driving cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical steering control with an automated steering control system that uses sensor data to calculate and execute precise steering maneuvers. The system substitutes the driver's manual steering actions with automated steering angle adjustments based on real-time coupler position detection, thereby reducing the time required for alignment while maintaining alignment accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the vehicle to perform self-alignment by automatically detecting the coupler position, calculating the required steering adjustments, and executing the alignment maneuvers without continuous manual intervention. The automated system serves itself by autonomously completing the alignment process, reducing the time and effort required from the driver.
2Manufacturing precision
If the driver performs multiple steering maneuvers to achieve alignment, then the alignment accuracy can be improved through repeated adjustments, but the complexity of the operation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the coupler position using sensors and provides real-time feedback to the control algorithm. This feedback loop allows the system to make precise steering adjustments based on actual position data, achieving high alignment accuracy while reducing the number of maneuvers needed compared to manual trial-and-error approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations of the optimal steering path and required steering angles before executing the alignment maneuvers. By pre-calculating the alignment trajectory based on detected coupler position, the system simplifies the operational complexity while ensuring accurate alignment is achieved in fewer steps.
3Measurement precision
If the vehicle stops frequently to check alignment, then the alignment accuracy can be confirmed, but the productivity of the hitching operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection and physical checking of alignment with an automated sensor-based detection system. The sensors continuously monitor the coupler position and provide objective measurement data to the control system, eliminating the need for the driver to stop and visually verify alignment, thereby maintaining measurement precision while improving productivity.
4Device complexity
If no automated alignment system is used, then the device complexity remains low, but the alignment accuracy suffers due to reliance on driver experience and inference
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces sensors as intermediary devices between the vehicle and the trailer coupler. These sensors act as mediators that detect the coupler position and transmit this information to the control system, enabling accurate alignment measurement without requiring complex manual assessment methods. The intermediary sensors provide objective data that improves alignment accuracy while adding manageable system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle maneuvering apparatus comprises a steering control system configured to control a steering angle of a plurality of steered wheels of a vehicle. The controller is further configured to control the vehicle to stop in a stopped position upon completing a vehicle alignment routine and identify an alignment error distance between the hitch and the coupler position in the stopped position. The controller is further configured to calculate a change distance of the hitch based on the steering angle and calculate an aligned steering error distance. The aligned steering error distance is calculated by comparing the change distance to the alignment error. Based on the aligned steering error distance, the controller may selectively suppress the steering angle alignment routine.