Trailer Backup Assist Offset Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reversing a vehicle while towing a trailer can be challenging due to the need for opposite steering inputs compared to driving without a trailer, amplified steering errors leading to the trailer deviating from the path, and the risk of jackknife conditions, especially when attempting tight turns or switching between trailers with varying reactions to steering inputs.
Innovation Solution
A trailer backup assist system that includes a rotatable knob to select desired curvatures, a controller to determine offsets, and a compensation model to generate steering commands for the vehicle, ensuring the trailer follows the desired curvature while preventing jackknife conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a driver manually steers a vehicle while towing a trailer during reverse operation, then the driver can control the vehicle direction, but the steering inputs required are opposite to normal driving and amplify small errors causing the trailer to quickly depart from the desired path
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical steering control with an automated electronic control system. The system uses sensors to detect the desired curvature from driver input and automatically calculates and executes the appropriate steering commands, eliminating the need for the driver to manually manage the counterintuitive steering inputs required when reversing with a trailer.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the vehicle-trailer combination to self-correct steering errors automatically. The control system continuously monitors the actual path and compares it with the desired path, then autonomously adjusts steering inputs to compensate for deviations without requiring additional driver intervention or precise manual steering control.
2Length of moving object
If a driver attempts tight turns while reversing a trailer, then the turning radius is reduced, but the risk of jackknife conditions increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback monitoring of the hitch angle between the vehicle and trailer during reverse maneuvers. The control system uses this feedback to detect when the hitch angle approaches critical values that could lead to jackknife conditions, and automatically adjusts steering commands to maintain safe operating parameters while still achieving the desired turning radius.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a vehicle switches between various trailers with wide variance in length, then versatility is improved, but the trailer reaction to similar steering inputs varies significantly making control difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its control parameters based on the detected trailer characteristics. By measuring the actual response of the trailer to steering inputs and using this information to update control models in real-time, the system maintains consistent and predictable control behavior across different trailer types and lengths, eliminating the need for drivers to learn different control techniques for each trailer.
Data Source
AI summary
A trailer backup assist system for a vehicle reversing a trailer, according to one embodiment, includes a sensor that senses a hitch angle between the vehicle and the trailer. The trailer backup assist system may also include a steering input device, such as a rotatable knob, that is movable between a plurality of positions that each provide a desired curvature of the trailer. In addition, the trailer backup assist system may include a controller that determines an offset of the desired curvature when the knob is stationary in a central position. The control then generates a steering command for the vehicle to guide the trailer on the desired curvature, taking into consideration the offset.