Trailer Backing Steering Control With Mirror-Image Hitch Angle Setting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing driving support devices for tow vehicles lack the ability to effectively learn and adjust to the state of the towed vehicle, resulting in low operability.
Innovation Solution
A driving support device that includes an image control unit to display captured images in a mirror image state, a slider for setting a target hitch angle, and a setting unit to control the steering unit to achieve the target angle, allowing passengers to set and maintain the target angle during backward movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the driving support device displays captured images in a normal image state, then the display is straightforward, but the operability is low because the operation direction of the slider does not match the backward movement direction of the towed vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by displaying the captured image in a mirror image state rather than a normal image state. This reverses the horizontal direction of the displayed image so that the slider's left-right operation direction matches the towed vehicle's left-right movement direction, making the control more intuitive and improving operability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the real-world scene through image processing. By generating a mirror image of the captured image and overlaying it with the slider control interface, the system creates a virtual representation that aligns with the driver's operational expectations, allowing intuitive control without direct physical manipulation of the towed vehicle.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the driving support device provides comprehensive control functions, then the control capability is enhanced, but the burden on the passenger increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies self-service by automatically controlling the steering unit based on the driver's simple slider input. The driving support device performs the complex steering adjustments itself in response to the driver's intuitive left-right slider operations, eliminating the need for the driver to manually control the towed vehicle's steering and significantly reducing operational burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The slider control interface acts as an intermediary between the driver and the complex steering control system. Instead of requiring direct manual steering input, the driver interacts with the simple slider, which then translates this input into appropriate steering commands for the towed vehicle, simplifying the interaction while maintaining comprehensive control capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A driving support device that controls a steering unit such that a hitch angle between a tow vehicle, which tows a towed vehicle, and the towed vehicle becomes a target angle set as a target includes: an image control unit that causes a display unit to perform display of a captured image obtained by an imaging unit provided in the tow vehicle or the towed vehicle in a mirror image state and display of a setting image including a slider indicating the target angle input through an input unit; an acquisition unit that acquires input of the target angle at the time of backward movement of the tow vehicle from the input unit, in a state where the setting image is displayed; and a setting unit that sets the target angle based on the input.