US 12,005,900 B2
Vehicle controllability during trailer backup operations
Avesta Goodarzi, Whitby (CA); and Utkarsh Saini, Pickering (CA)
Assigned to GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed by GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed on Mar. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/653,942.
Prior Publication US 2023/0286507 A1, Sep. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. B60W 30/00 (2006.01); B60D 1/14 (2006.01); B60W 30/18 (2012.01); B60W 40/105 (2012.01)
CPC B60W 30/18036 (2013.01) [B60D 1/14 (2013.01); B60W 40/105 (2013.01); B60W 2300/14 (2013.01); B60W 2520/10 (2013.01); B60W 2520/22 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A trailer backup system in a vehicle for automatically adjusting vehicle dynamics while the vehicle is hitched to a trailer to reduce a likelihood of a trailer jackknife occurring, the trailer backup system comprising a controller, the controller configured to:
receive trailer profile information, wherein the trailer profile information comprises a vehicle wheelbase distance (L), a vehicle's rear axle to hitch point distance (d), and a trailer rear axle distance (D);
receive a dynamic vehicle steering angle (δ) and dynamic hitch articulation angle (θ) while the vehicle is moving in a reverse direction;
continuously calculate a maximum safe vehicle speed (vmax) at which to proceed in reverse without jackknifing based on the trailer profile information, the δ, the θ, a predetermined safe time to jackknife (TTJ_ne), and a maximum hitch articulation angle (θJK), wherein the TTJ_ne is a calibratable time value that specifies a safety margin in time before a jackknife condition would be predicted to occur;
wherein:

OG Complex Work Unit Math
If dθ/dt is positive, then θJK=θJK, and If dθ/dt negative, then θJK=−θJK;
compare a current vehicle longitudinal speed (v) to the vmax;
automatically generate a speed correction signal to cause the vehicle to slow down below the vmax when the v exceeds the vmax; and
send the speed correction signal to a vehicle motion control system to instruct the vehicle motion control system to reduce the v below the vmax, wherein the vehicle motion control system controls appropriate vehicle actuators to reduce the v.