Trailer State Detection Using Towing Vehicle Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated systems for towing vehicles with trailers lack the ability to perform automatic driving tasks safely and precisely for various trailers and loads, often requiring additional equipment and assuming the presence of a driver, which is inadequate for autonomous driving scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A safety system for vehicle combinations that utilizes existing sensors on the towing vehicle to collect data, extract information about the trailer's presence and state, and control driving tasks autonomously, without the need for additional hardware, using exteroceptive sensors and wheel speed sensors to determine trailer characteristics and blind spots, and integrate this information into existing autonomous driving systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dedicated sensors are added to the towing vehicle for trailer detection and monitoring, then the reliability and precision of trailer state detection is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by enabling existing sensors (wheel speed sensors, exteroceptive sensors for autonomous driving) to serve dual purposes: their primary functions plus trailer detection and monitoring. The wheel speed sensors detect both vehicle speed and trailer presence through slip analysis, while exteroceptive sensors capture both driving environment data and trailer characteristics, eliminating the need for dedicated trailer sensors
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies self-service by using the towing vehicle's existing sensor infrastructure to automatically detect and monitor trailer presence, type, and state without requiring additional specialized equipment. The extraction module processes sensor data to automatically identify trailer characteristics, making the system self-sufficient for trailer monitoring tasks
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system is designed to work with a variety of trailers and loads, then the adaptability is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring trailer characteristics increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies parameter changes by analyzing variations in wheel speed sensor data to infer different trailer characteristics. By monitoring changes in wheel slip patterns, acceleration profiles, and speed variations, the system dynamically adapts to identify different trailer types and load conditions without requiring predefined configurations or manual input
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical detection methods (physical sensors on the trailer) with sensor-based inference using the towing vehicle's existing sensors. The extraction module uses algorithmic processing of sensor data to detect trailer characteristics, substituting complex mechanical measurement systems with electronic sensing and data analysis
3Device complexity
If existing sensors are utilized without additional equipment, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision for trailer-specific parameters may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies segmentation by dividing the sensor data processing into distinct functional modules: a data collection module that gathers raw sensor data, an extraction module that isolates trailer-specific information from the data, and a control module that uses the extracted information. This segmentation allows precise extraction of trailer characteristics from general vehicle sensor data
Solution Approach 2:
The extraction module acts as an intermediary between the existing sensors and the control system, translating general vehicle sensor data into specific trailer state information. It processes wheel speed and exteroceptive sensor data to infer trailer presence, type, and condition, bridging the gap between generic sensors and trailer-specific monitoring requirements
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a safety system (100) for a vehicle combination (50) with a towing vehicle (52) and a trailer (55), wherein the towing vehicle (52) comprises a plurality of sensors (510) configured to provide sensor data about an environment of the towing vehicle (52) or a state of the towing vehicle (52). The safety system (100) comprises a data collection module (110) for collecting the sensor data; an extraction module (120) for extracting, from the sensor data, information about a presence of the trailer (55) or about a state of the trailer (55); a control module (130), configured to control, based on the extracted information, at least one driving task or to provide the information to another component of the towing vehicle (52) in order to increase the safety of the vehicle combination (50).