Trailer Backing Guidance With Live Hitch Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current trailer backup systems do not provide adequate feedback to vehicle operators for accurately maneuvering trailers to a specific location, leading to increased difficulty and reduced customer satisfaction.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing sensors, GPS, and a remote computing system to guide vehicle operators through trailer backing assistance, providing real-time feedback and dynamic on-screen instructions for precise maneuvering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current trailer backup systems are used, then basic trailer backing function is achieved, but trailer backing accuracy to specific location is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements real-time feedback by continuously displaying the live view of the trailer and hitch position, comparing actual position with the planned path, and providing dynamic on-screen instructions that adjust based on deviation from the target location. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables precise trailer backing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical trailer backup methods with an optical and computational system. Sensors capture visual data, GPS provides location information, and a remote computing system processes this data to generate guidance instructions, substituting mechanical trial-and-error backing with precision optical-mechanical guidance.
2Measurement precision
If complex trailer backup guidance systems are implemented, then trailer backing accuracy improves, but computational burden and component complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote computing system as an intermediary between the sensors/cameras and the vehicle operator. This intermediary processes complex computational tasks (path planning, position calculation, guidance generation) remotely, reducing the computational burden on the vehicle's onboard systems while maintaining high accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts complex computational processing from the vehicle's onboard systems and relocates it to a remote computing system. This extraction reduces component complexity and computational burden on the vehicle while preserving the high-accuracy guidance functionality.
3Ease of operation
If real-time visual feedback and dynamic instructions are provided, then trailer backing accuracy and customer confidence improve, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the trailer and hitch position through computer-generated visual representations displayed on the HMI. This optical copy provides real-time feedback without requiring complex mechanical feedback mechanisms, simplifying the physical system while enhancing operational ease.
Data Source
AI summary
A trailer backing assistance (TBA) application in a vehicle includes a vehicle attached to a trailer by a movable hitch. The TBA utilizes an HMI, sensors on the vehicle, a GPS system, and a remote computing system (RCS). A controller having a processor, memory, and input/output (I/O) communicates with the sensors, HMI, RCS and GPS via a V2I communications network. The memory stores the TBA which is executed by the processor. The TBA determines conditions have been satisfied, obtains and processes optical data from sensors and RCS, presents a vehicle environment view, prompts a vehicle operator for first and second inputs, calculates a current location of the vehicle, generates a planned path to a target location, presents an animation of the vehicle traversing the path, and continuously displays a live view of the trailer and hitch while actively adjusting on-screen instructions to guide the vehicle and trailer along the path.