Autonomous Towing Route Display for Tractor-Trailer Trace Errors

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing route search systems for autonomous towing devices fail to account for tracking delays and errors between a towing vehicle and a trailer, making it difficult to predict potential interference with surrounding objects during travel.

Innovation Solution

An information processing method that displays a predicted travel area correlated with the trace errors of both the tractor and trailer relative to the target route, allowing users to anticipate potential interference with surrounding objects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a route search system sets multiple travel routes for a towing vehicle, then route options are provided, but the system cannot predict potential interference with surrounding objects due to unaccounted trace errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveroute optionsVSAvoidprediction accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary simulation of the towing device's travel along each candidate route before actual execution. By pre-calculating predicted travel areas incorporating trace errors of both tractor and trailer, the system identifies potential interference with surrounding objects in advance, allowing safe routes to be selected before the towing device actually travels

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a virtual copy or simulation model of the towing device's travel behavior, including the tractor and trailer dynamics. This virtual model incorporates trace errors to generate predicted travel areas, allowing the system to analyze potential interference without physical trial runs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Ease of operation

If the system displays only the target route without considering trace errors, then the display is simple and clear, but users cannot anticipate potential interference with surrounding objects

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay simplicityVSAvoidsafety information

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system expands the display from a single-line target route (1D) to a two-dimensional predicted travel area that incorporates trace errors in both lateral and longitudinal directions. This dimensional expansion visually presents safety information including potential interference zones without overwhelming the user

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different visual characteristics to different regions within the predicted travel area. Areas with higher interference risk are displayed with distinct visual properties (e.g., different colors or patterns), allowing users to quickly identify critical zones while maintaining overall display clarity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20260104711A1Information processing method, information processing device, information processing program product, and storage medium

Publication Date: 2026.04.16 DENSO CORP

AI summary

An information processing method is executed by a processor to control display related to a target route to be traced by an autonomous towing device that tows a trailer by autonomously driving a tractor. The information processing method includes: receiving input of the target route between nodes as waypoints of the autonomous towing device; and displaying a predicted travel area through which the autonomous towing device is predicted to pass, in association with the target route. The predicted travel area is correlated with a trace error of the tractor relative to the target route, and a trace error of the trailer towed by the tractor.