US 11,884,261 B2
Vehicular trailer sway management system
Helmut A. Wodrich, Clarkston, MI (US); and Walter G. Woodington, Lincoln, MA (US)
Assigned to MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC., Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed by MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC., Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed on Mar. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/178,701.
Application 18/178,701 is a continuation of application No. 16/949,813, filed on Nov. 16, 2020, granted, now 11,597,378.
Application 16/949,813 is a continuation of application No. 15/695,378, filed on Sep. 5, 2017, granted, now 10,836,376, issued on Nov. 17, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/383,790, filed on Sep. 6, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0202460 A1, Jun. 29, 2023
Int. Cl. B60W 30/02 (2012.01); B60W 30/06 (2006.01); B60W 30/18 (2012.01); B60W 40/114 (2012.01)
CPC B60W 30/02 (2013.01) [B60W 30/06 (2013.01); B60W 30/18163 (2013.01); B60W 40/114 (2013.01); B60W 2300/145 (2013.01); B60W 2420/52 (2013.01); B60W 2510/18 (2013.01); B60W 2520/14 (2013.01); B60W 2552/00 (2020.02); B60W 2552/53 (2020.02); B60W 2554/00 (2020.02); B60W 2554/20 (2020.02); B60W 2554/4044 (2020.02); B60W 2554/60 (2020.02); B60W 2554/80 (2020.02); B60W 2554/801 (2020.02); B60W 2556/50 (2020.02); B60W 2710/226 (2013.01)] 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicular trailer sway management system, the vehicular trailer sway management system comprising:
at least one rearward-sensing radar sensor disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vehicular trailer sway management system and sensing at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;
wherein the at least one rearward-sensing radar sensor comprises an antenna array having multiple transmitting antennas and multiple receiving antennas, wherein the transmitting antennas transmit radar signals and the receiving antennas receive radar signals, and wherein the at least one rearward-sensing radar sensor is operable to capture radar data;
an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising a processor for processing radar data captured by the at least one rearward-sensing radar sensor;
wherein radar data captured by the at least one rearward-sensing radar sensor is provided to the ECU;
wherein, with a trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle, the vehicular trailer sway management system, via processing at the ECU of the provided captured radar data, determines oblique angles of the trailer relative to a longitudinal axis of the equipped vehicle;
wherein, as the equipped vehicle tows the trailer, and responsive to monitoring of determined oblique angles of the trailer relative to the longitudinal axis of the equipped vehicle, the vehicular trailer sway management system determines sway of the trailer relative to the equipped vehicle; and
wherein, responsive to the determined sway of the trailer relative to the equipped vehicle, the vehicular trailer sway management system at least in part controls operation of the equipped vehicle to manage sway of the trailer relative to the equipped vehicle.