System and method for adjusting trailer reverse assist parameters based upon estimated trailer position

A trailer reverse assist system of a tow vehicle coupled to a trailer, the trailer reverse assist system comprising:

• data processing hardware;
• and
• non-transitory memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the non-transitory memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
• receiving vehicle sensor system data from one or more sensors supported by the vehicle;
• estimating, based upon the received vehicle sensor data, a trailer pitch angle and a trailer roll angle, relative to the tow vehicle;
• estimating surface unevenness of a surface traversed by the trailer based upon the estimated trailer pitch angle and the estimated trailer roll angle;
• adjusting one or more parameters of the trailer reverse assist system or of the tow vehicle based upon the estimated surface unevenness;
• operating the trailer reverse assist system and the tow vehicle using the adjusted one or more parameters;
• and
• determining trailer pitch angle variance based upon the estimated trailer pitch angle, and determining, at the data processing hardware, trailer roll angle variance based upon the estimated trailer roll angle, wherein estimating the surface unevenness is based upon the trailer pitch angle variance and the trailer roll angle variance.

A computer software product for a trailer reverse assist system comprising computer program instructions, stored on non-transitory memory hardware and which, when executed by data processing hardware, causes the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:

• receiving vehicle sensor system data from one or more sensors supported by a tow vehicle;
• estimating, based upon the received vehicle sensor data, a trailer pitch angle and a trailer roll angle of a trailer coupled to the tow vehicle, relative to the tow vehicle;
• estimating surface unevenness of a surface traversed by the trailer based upon the estimated trailer pitch angle and the estimated trailer roll angle;
• adjusting one or more parameters of the trailer reverse assist system or of the tow vehicle based upon the estimated surface unevenness;
• operating the trailer reverse assist system and the tow vehicle using the adjusted one or more parameters;
• and
• determining at least one of trailer pitch angle variance based upon the estimated trailer pitch angle, or trailer roll angle variance based upon the estimated trailer roll angle, wherein estimating the surface unevenness is based upon the at least one of trailer pitch angle variance or the trailer roll angle variance.