This disclosure relates to a system, method, apparatus and/or device for adjusting a pedal gain of a vehicle based on a trailer size detection.
Operators or drivers of vehicles may carry cargo in or on various locations of the vehicles (e.g., trunks, truck beds, or on roof racks). Additionally, drivers may tow open or closed trailers, other vehicles, and mobile homes with their vehicles. Conventional technologies use mass sensing for adjusting trailer drivability. For example, in some systems, the trailer mass is estimated to make adjustments to the accelerator pedal for accelerator mapping. Such systems do not account for a size of the trailer, nor can the driving characteristics be adjusted in real-time based on the size of the trailer. As such, there is a need for a method and a system for detecting a size of the trailer and adjusting the accelerator pedal according to the trailer size to create a more natural feel for an operator of the vehicle.
In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure may be embodied in a trailer detection system. The trailer detection system includes an image sensor configured to detect a trailering load attached to the vehicle, and an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the image sensor. The ECU is configured to determine the vehicle is operating in a tow mode, determine a frontal area of the trailering load, determine a category of the trailering load based on the frontal area, and adjust a pedal gain based on the category of the trailering load.
In one aspect, a method for adjusting a pedal gain of a vehicle based on trailer size detection includes detecting a trailering load attached to the vehicle, determining the vehicle is operating in a tow mode, determining a frontal area of the trailering load, determining a category of the trailering load based on the frontal area, and adjusting the pedal gain based on the category of the trailering load.
Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. Component parts shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale and may be exaggerated to better illustrate the important features of the present invention.
Disclosed herein are systems, apparatuses, and methods for a trailer detection system that detects a size of a trailer being towed by a vehicle and adjusts a pedal gain accordingly. Particularly, the trailer detection system uses rear facing cameras to detect a frontal area of the trailer to estimate an aero-dynamic impact of the trailer. Once the frontal area is obtained, the system adjusts the pedal to make the trailer easier to drive or tow as if the vehicle was in a non-towing condition. The trailer detection system allows for the addition of aerodynamics to be calculated into choosing the best pedal gain as speed increases. For instance, typically when a driver presses down 25% on pedal, the vehicle outputs a first acceleration level, but when the vehicles is in-tow, the same 25% pedal press will accomplish a lower acceleration. With pedal gain adjustment, the engine output will increase, and driving force will increase to overcome the additional load while the feel of the pedal remains the same for the driver regardless of the size of the trailer being towed.
Referring briefly to
Referring again to
The database 104 may include a road load map (e.g., tow-mode acceleration map) (e.g., see
The trailer detection system 100 includes one or more processors, such as the electronic control unit (ECU) 106. The one or more processors, such as the ECU 106, may be implemented as a single processor or as multiple processors. For example, the one or more processors may be a microprocessor, data processor, microcontroller or other controller, and may be electrically coupled to some or all the other components within the vehicle 102. The one or more processors may obtain sensor data from one or more sensors to determine when to adjust the pedal gain, as described herein. The ECU 106 is configured to calculate a towing road load (e.g., resistance to acceleration). For instance, as illustrated in
The memory 108 may be coupled to the ECU 106. The memory 108 may include one or more of a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM) or other volatile or non-volatile memory. The memory 108 may be a non-transitory memory or a data storage device, such as a hard disk drive, a solid-state disk drive, a hybrid disk drive, or other appropriate data storage, and may further store machine-readable instructions, which may be loaded and executed by the ECU 106. To give the driver further control, the memory 108 may store a mapping between the detected towed vehicle 105 and the pedal gain/adjustment required at the particular speed. The trailer detection system 100 may be configured to display an option to the driver (via a user interface) to activate or deactivate smart trailer pedal learning.
The trailer detection system 100 may include a user interface 110. The user interface 110 may be part of the vehicle 102 or a vehicle head unit (not shown). The user interface 110 may include an input device that receives user input from a user interface element, a button, a knob, a dial, a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen, a microphone, or the like. The input device may receive input from a user of the vehicle 102 such as a driver or a passenger. The input device may receive, for example, information corresponding to a request for cruise control, information usable to control an auxiliary component on or within the vehicle 102 (e.g., to control a navigation device or a stereo), or the like. In some embodiments, the input device may include additional input device(s) usable to control the vehicle 102 such as an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a steering wheel, or the like. The input device may also receive information corresponding to a request for the vehicle 102 to drive autonomously.
The user interface 110 may include, provide or be coupled to an output device. The output device may include any output device such as a speaker, a display, a touchscreen, or the like. The output device may output data to a user of the vehicle 102. The output device may, for example, output information corresponding to a status of the pedal gain adjustment, a status of an environment surrounding the vehicle 102 (e.g., information related to size of the trailer and/or a graphical representation thereof), and/or the like. Moreover, the output device 150 may output information corresponding to a menu for selecting the desired tow mod, for example.
In some embodiments, the user interface 110 may be a user interface device attached to or integrated with the vehicle 102 (e.g., an infotainment system configured to receive or output data). In some embodiments, the user interface 110 may be a user interface available on a remote device (not shown) such as, e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, or the like (e.g., which may be used to run a software program application to control various components on or within the vehicle 102) which may be connected to the vehicle 102 via wire or wirelessly. For example, the vehicle 102 may further include a transceiver or network access device (not shown) which may be utilized to establish a wireless connection between the vehicle 102 and the remote device including the user interface 110. The wireless connection may be provided by any type of wireless connection known in the art such as, for example, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a cellular protocol, Zigbee, or any other communications (e.g., wireless) protocol. The network access device may be referred to as a data communication module (DCM) and may communicate with any device or component included in the system 100 and/or any remote device.
The trailer detection system 100 may include at least one image sensor 112. The image sensor 112 may be connected to the vehicle 102 and may detect image data (including, e.g., a plurality of images and/or videos) corresponding to an environment surrounding the vehicle 102, data corresponding to a trailer being towed, and/or the like. For example, the image sensor 112 may include a camera or any other image sensor capable of detecting image data (e.g., based on light having any wavelength). The image sensor 112 may include one or multiple image sensors which may be oriented to detect image data in any direction relative to the vehicle 102. For example, the image sensor 112 may detect image data relating to a size of the trailer being towed (e.g., edge detection of the trailer) (see e.g.,
The image sensor 112 may include one or more sensors capable of detecting a status of a vehicle component (e.g., the trailer in tow) and/or an environment surrounding the vehicle 102. For example, the image sensor 112 may include a RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging) detector or sensor, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) detector or sensor, a LASER Doppler based detector or sensor, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the image sensor 112 may be a single sensor, dual sensors, or a plurality of sensors. In various embodiments, the image sensor 112 may be integrated into the vehicle 102. In various embodiments, the image sensor 112 may be a separate component configured to be coupled to the vehicle 102. Additionally, for more accurate measurements considering if the image sensor 112 (e.g., cameras) becomes covered with mud or anything else that impacts visibility, rear parking sensors can be used to gather the width of the trailer to improve the measurement accuracy. This may need to be used while driving to avoid picking up objects that are not the trailer. Camera visibility may further be retained by stowing the image sensor 112 when not in use and deploying when needed.
The trailer detection system 100 may include a network access device 114. The network access device 114 may include a communication port or channel, such as one or more of a Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) unit, a Wi-Fi unit, a Bluetooth® unit, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or reader, or a cellular network unit for accessing a cellular network (such as 3G, 4G or 5G). The network access device 114 may transmit data to and receive data from the different components besides the sound enhancement system 100, such as the vehicle 102 and/or the database 104.
The trailer detection system 100 may include one or more sensors 116. The one or more sensors 116 may include an airflow sensor 116a, an engine speed sensor 116b, an engine throttle sensor 116c and/or an accelerator pedal sensor 116d. The airflow sensor 116a may be positioned at an air inlet of the engine 122 and measure an amount of airflow and/or a rate of the airflow into the engine 122. The engine speed sensor 116b may measure a rotation speed of the crankshaft of the engine 122. The engine speed sensor 116b may measure the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the rotation of the engine crankshaft. The engine throttle sensor 116c may measure or determine the throttle position to determine the engine load. The accelerator pedal sensor 116d may be coupled to the accelerator pedal 132. The accelerator pedal sensor 116d may measure, detect or determine a position of the accelerator pedal 132 to determine the amount that the accelerator pedal 132 of the vehicle 102 is depressed. The one or more sensors 116 may include an engine torque sensor 116e. The engine torque sensor 116e may measure or determine the torque or the rotational force on the engine 122. The one or more sensors 116 may include one or more other sensors, such as a shift position sensor to detect the shift position or the gear position (i.e., which gear) of the transmission 124.
The trailer detection system 100 may be coupled to one or more vehicle components of the vehicle 102. The one or more vehicle components may include a navigation unit 118. The navigation unit 118 may be integral to the vehicle 102 or a separate unit. The vehicle 102 may include a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit (not shown) for detecting location data including a current location of the vehicle 102 and date/time information instead of the navigation unit 118. In some implementations, the ECU 106 may perform the functions of the navigation unit 118 based on data received from the GPS unit. The navigation unit 118 or the ECU 106 may perform navigation functions. Navigation functions may include, for example, route and route set prediction, providing navigation instructions, and receiving user input such as verification of predicted routes and route sets or destinations. The navigation unit 118 may be used to obtain navigational map information. The navigational map information may include a starting location of the vehicle 102, a current location of the vehicle 102, a destination location, a route between the starting location of the vehicle 102 and the destination location and/or date/time information.
The one or more vehicle components may include a motor and/or generator 128. The motor and/or generator 128 may convert electrical energy into mechanical power, such as torque, and may convert mechanical power into electrical energy. The motor and/or generator 128 may be coupled to the battery 120. The motor and/or generator 128 may convert the energy from the battery 120 into mechanical power, and may provide energy back to the battery 120, for example, via regenerative braking. The one or more vehicle components may include one or more additional power generation devices, such as an engine 122 or a fuel cell stack (not shown). The engine 122 combusts fuel to provide power instead of and/or in addition to the power supplied by the motor and/or generator 128.
The battery 120 may be coupled to the motor and/or generator 128 and may supply electrical energy to and receive electrical energy from the motor and/or generator 128. The battery 120 may include one or more rechargeable batteries and may supply the power to the sound enhancement system 100.
The battery management control unit (BMCU) 130 may be coupled to the battery 120 and may control and manage the charging and discharging of the battery 120. The BMCU 130, for example, may measure, using battery sensors, parameters used to determine the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 120. The BMCU 130 may control the battery 120.
The one or more vehicle components may include a transmission 124. The transmission may have one or more gears, a drivetrain, a clutch and/or a drive shaft. The transmission 124 converts the power from the engine 122 to move the wheels of the vehicle 102. The one or more vehicle components may include one or more paddle shifters 126. The one or more paddle shifters may adjust a shift position of the gears within an automatic transmission. The one or more paddle shifters 126 may be manually depressed, pushed, pulled or otherwise positioned to manually change gears of the transmission 124 electrically.
The trailer detection system 100 may have or use a network 134 to communicate among different components, such as among the vehicle 102 and/or the database 104. The network 134 may be a Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) network, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a cellular network, the Internet, or combination thereof, that connects, couples and/or otherwise communicates among the different components of the sound enhancement system 100.
The trailer detection system 100 determines whether the vehicle 102 is in tow mode (402). The trailer detection system 100 may use one or more sensors 116, such as the trailer brake sensor or a trailer wire harness is connected, to determine the vehicle 102 is connected to a towed vehicle. In various embodiments, the tow mode may be determined to be on based on user input. In response to determining tow mode is activated, the trailer detection system 100, via the ECU 106, detects a frontal area of a towed vehicle (e.g., a boat, a flat bed trailer, a box trailer, etc.) (404). For instance, an image sensor (e.g., the image sensor 112) located on a cab of the vehicle 102 and an image sensor located on a tailgate of the vehicle 102, cooperate to detect an image of the towed vehicle. Based on a height and width of the towed vehicle detected, the area of the front of the towed vehicle may be calculated. Using the calculated frontal area, the trailer detection system 100, via the ECU 106, may determine the type of towed vehicle being towed (e.g., a boat, a flat bed trailer, a box trailer, etc.) (406).
The trailer detection system 100 obtains or measures a towing road load of the vehicle 102 (408) based on the type of towed vehicle. For instance, with reference to
Exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in an illustrative style. Accordingly, the terminology employed throughout should be read in a non-limiting manner. Although minor modifications to the teachings herein will occur to those well versed in the art, it shall be understood that what is intended to be circumscribed within the scope of the patent warranted hereon are all such embodiments that reasonably fall within the scope of the advancement to the art hereby contributed, and that that scope shall not be restricted, except in light of the appended claims and their equivalents.