Trailer Sideswipe Avoidance Visual Haptic Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Towing a trailer around curves can be challenging due to the trailer not following the vehicle's path, increasing the risk of sideswipe collisions.
Innovation Solution
A trailer sideswipe avoidance system that includes a sensor system to detect objects in the vehicle's environment, a controller to determine if the object is in the trailer's path, and a visual display or haptic devices to alert the driver with collision alert and avoidance zones, guiding the steering wheel adjustments to prevent collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the driver manually controls the vehicle while towing a trailer, then the driver has full control over steering, but the risk of sideswipe collisions increases due to inability to detect trailer path deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the trailer's position relative to the vehicle's path using sensors, and provides real-time feedback through visual displays and haptic steering wheel feedback. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the driver to adjust steering to avoid collisions while maintaining manual control, resolving the contradiction between simple manual operation and collision avoidance reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system comprising sensors, controllers, visual displays, and haptic feedback devices that mediates between the driver's steering input and the actual trailer path. This intermediary layer detects path deviations and provides guidance without completely taking over control, thus improving reliability while adding only moderate system complexity.
2Reliability
If the trailer follows the vehicle's exact path, then collision risk is minimized, but the trailer's natural turning characteristics cannot be accommodated
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous feedback about the trailer's actual path versus the vehicle's path, enabling the driver to make compensating steering adjustments. This feedback mechanism allows the trailer to follow its natural turning characteristics while still avoiding collisions, resolving the contradiction between collision avoidance and turning maneuverability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts to the trailer's turning characteristics by continuously monitoring its position and providing real-time steering guidance. Rather than forcing the trailer to follow a fixed path, the system dynamically adjusts guidance based on the trailer's actual movement, maintaining both safety and natural handling.
3Reliability
If visual displays and haptic feedback are provided to guide steering, then collision avoidance improves, but the driver's attention and cognitive load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The haptic feedback device acts as an intermediary that communicates trailer path information directly through the steering wheel, reducing the need for the driver to constantly monitor visual displays. This tactile feedback channel reduces cognitive load while maintaining collision avoidance capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual display uses color-coded zones (e.g., green for safe, yellow for caution, red for danger) to communicate trailer position and collision risk. This intuitive color-coding system reduces the cognitive effort required to interpret complex sensor data, allowing the driver to quickly understand trailer position and adjust steering accordingly.
Data Source
AI summary
A trailer sideswipe avoidance system for a vehicle towing a trailer is disclosed. The trailer sideswipe avoidance system includes a sensor system configured to detect objects in an operating environment of the vehicle. The trailer sideswipe avoidance system may include a controller that processes information received from the sensor system to determine whether the object detected in the operating environment of the vehicle is in the travel path of the towed trailer. A visual display displays a trailer collision alert zone and a trailer collision avoidance zone. The position of the trailer collision avoidance zone on the visual display relative to the position of the trailer collision alert zone on the visual display directionally corresponds with a collision avoidance steering angle of the vehicle relative to a current steering angle of the vehicle when the controller determines that the object is in the travel path of the towed trailer.