Transverse Steering Device for Vehicle Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for guiding a vehicle to a target position, such as coupling or parking, face inaccuracies in starting position and orientation measurements, leading to significant lateral offsets and noisy position measurements, which affect the calculated driving trajectory.

Innovation Solution

The method involves performing distance and/or angle measurements between the vehicle and the target position to derive location and orientation data, filtering these data using Kalman filtering to account for vehicle characteristics and motion models, and using a cascade control system to derive and realize the target steering angle through active steering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If distance and angle measurements are performed to derive location and orientation data, then the vehicle can be guided to a target position, but measurement inaccuracies and noise lead to significant lateral offsets and errors in the calculated driving trajectory

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocation and orientation data accuracyVSAvoiddriving trajectory accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously measures actual location and orientation data during vehicle movement, compares it with the calculated driving trajectory, and uses this feedback to correct lateral offsets and trajectory errors in real-time, improving both measurement precision utilization and overall reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

A camera system captures images of the target position and surrounding area, serving as an intermediary to derive accurate location and orientation data that compensates for inaccuracies in direct distance and angle measurements, thereby improving trajectory calculation reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Extent of automation

If a driving trajectory is calculated based on starting position and orientation, then the vehicle can be autonomously driven to a coupling location, but inaccuracies in starting position and orientation measurements significantly affect the trajectory

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautonomous driving capabilityVSAvoidstarting position and orientation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary capture of the target position area with a camera before autonomous driving begins, deriving accurate location and orientation data in advance to establish a more reliable driving trajectory, reducing the impact of initial measurement inaccuracies

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces reliance on mechanical measurement systems for starting position and orientation with optical measurement using a camera to capture images and derive location/orientation data, achieving higher precision and enabling more accurate autonomous driving

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If the rear surrounding area is captured with a camera to evaluate offset distance and angle, then coupling can be achieved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoffset distance and angle accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The camera system serves multiple functions: capturing the target position for location derivation, capturing the surrounding area for offset evaluation, and providing visual feedback during autonomous driving, thereby achieving high measurement precision without proportionally increasing system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11780501B2Transverse steering method and transverse steering device for moving a vehicle into a target position, and vehicle for this purpose

Publication Date: 2023.10.10 ZF CV SYST EURO BV

AI summary

A transverse steering method for moving a vehicle including active steering to a target position includes: performing distance and/or angle measurements between the vehicle and the target position enabling the derivation of location and orientation data; deriving the location and orientation data; filtering the location and orientation data into current values, which include current location values and current orientation values; performing control which derives a target steering angle from the current values; and realization of the target steering angle by acting on the active steering of the vehicle.