Vehicle Control System Preventing Trailer Shortcutting in Bends
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lane holding systems for vehicles, especially long vehicle combinations, fail to effectively prevent shortcutting during bends, leading to potential accidents by encroaching on adjacent lanes or road barriers, despite efforts to maintain the foremost axle within the traffic lane.
Innovation Solution
A control system that calculates a future desired trajectory for vehicles and trailers, using a horizon module to determine road features and a trajectory module to simulate steering wheel deflections, ensuring the vehicle stays within the lane by adjusting steering and speed to meet criteria such as minimizing propellant consumption and maintaining kinetic energy, while providing resistance to the driver if necessary to guide the vehicle back on track.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the foremost axle is kept within the traffic lane using simple automatic lane holding systems, then the vehicle can maintain lane position, but the rear portions of long vehicle combinations may still encroach upon neighbouring traffic lanes or ditch edges due to shortcutting during cornering
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates a desired trajectory in advance that accounts for the entire vehicle combination's path during cornering. By predicting the shortcutting behavior and pre-computing a trajectory that compensates for it, the system ensures the rear portions remain within safe boundaries before the maneuver is executed
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from monitoring only the foremost axle's position (one-point control) to tracking the complete vehicle combination's trajectory (multi-point control). This dimensional expansion allows the system to account for the relative positions of all axles and the articulation geometry during cornering maneuvers
2Reliability
If a desired trajectory is calculated to prevent shortcutting and ensure the vehicle stays within the lane, then traffic safety is improved, but the system complexity increases due to trajectory calculation and simulation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the vehicle's existing dynamic model and horizon information (already available for other control functions) to self-calculate the desired trajectory. By leveraging existing system resources and data, the trajectory calculation function is added without requiring entirely new hardware or external systems
Solution Approach 2:
The calculated desired trajectory serves multiple functions simultaneously: it guides lane keeping, optimizes cornering path, prevents shortcutting, and provides a reference for control evaluation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized systems for each function
3Reliability
If the vehicle follows a trajectory that prevents shortcutting during cornering, then the risk of accidents is reduced, but the distance travelled may increase and kinetic energy may be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts trajectory parameters such as lateral position and curvature based on vehicle speed, cornering radius, and articulation geometry. By optimizing these parameters in real-time, the system finds the most energy-efficient path that still prevents shortcutting, rather than using a fixed conservative trajectory
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies corrective steering only to the extent necessary to prevent the rear portions from encroaching on adjacent lanes. By using just enough correction to achieve safety margins rather than forcing perfect geometric alignment, the system minimizes unnecessary energy consumption and distance travelled
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a control system for a vehicle, which comprises: a horizon module adapted to identifying for the vehicle a future horizon which describes the road on which it is travelling, and to generating a horizon signal which indicates said horizon and the vehicle's location; a trajectory module comprising a vehicle model which describes the vehicle's dynamic behaviour, which trajectory module is further adapted to calculating for the vehicle a future desired trajectory on the basis of said vehicle model and said horizon signal so that at least one driving criterion is fulfilled, and to generating a trajectory signal which indicates said desired trajectory; a calculation module adapted to comparing the vehicle's state with said desired trajectory and to generating for a control unit in the vehicle, on the basis of said comparison, at least one control signal according to which the vehicle is then regulated. The invention relates also to a control method for vehicles.