Trailer Reversal Control System with Dynamic Route Modeling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle control systems for reversing trailers lack the ability to inhibit user selection of impermissible target destinations and dynamically adjust routes based on obstructions and terrain, leading to potential trailer misalignment and safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A processor-based system that identifies permissible target destinations, determines the current trailer position, models a target route, and outputs vehicle control signals to guide the trailer to the specified destination, incorporating sensors and image processing to avoid obstacles and adjust the route accordingly, while inhibiting selection of unsafe destinations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the system allows free user selection of target destinations, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to selection of impermissible destinations causing safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary identification of permissible target destinations by analyzing terrain data, obstruction information, and trailer reversal feasibility before allowing user selection. This pre-validation ensures that only safe and achievable destinations are presented to the user, eliminating the risk of selecting impermissible targets while maintaining user freedom of choice.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to the user by indicating which destinations are permissible and which are impermissible based on safety and feasibility analysis. This feedback mechanism guides user selection toward safe options while explaining why certain destinations cannot be selected, thus maintaining reliability without completely restricting user input.
2Reliability
If the system provides detailed route modeling and obstruction detection, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processor is designed to perform multiple functions including target destination identification, current position determination, route modeling, obstruction detection, and feasibility analysis within a single integrated unit. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby improving reliability through comprehensive analysis while limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses existing vehicle sensors and processors to perform trailer control functions, rather than requiring entirely separate dedicated systems. The vehicle's existing navigation, sensor, and computing resources are leveraged to provide route modeling and obstruction detection, reducing additional hardware complexity while maintaining high reliability through sophisticated software-based analysis.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system dynamically adjusts routes based on obstructions, then adaptability is improved, but loss of time increases due to real-time processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary route modeling and identifies potential obstructions and alternative routes before the reversal maneuver begins. By pre-calculating multiple feasible paths and preparing contingency routes in advance, the system can quickly switch to alternative routes when obstructions are detected during execution, providing adaptability without requiring extensive real-time processing that would cause time delays.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a vehicle control system (1) for controlling a vehicle (3) to facilitate reversing a trailer (5) coupled to the vehicle (3). The vehicle control system includes a processor (33) configured to receive a target trailer destination (DTAR). The current position of the trailer (5) is determined by the processor (33). A target route (R) is then modelled to guide the trailer (5) from its current position to the target trailer destination (DTAR). The processor (33) is configured to output a vehicle control signal to control the vehicle (3) to guide the trailer (5) along the target route (R). The invention also relates to a method of controlling a vehicle (3) to facilitate reversing a trailer (5).