Method and apparatus in a motor vehicle for reversing multiple trailers

A method in a vehicle having a multi-trailer reverse assist system for use with an articulated transport system comprising the vehicle, an intermediate trailer, and a final trailer, the method comprising:

• receiving a view of an environment behind the final trailer;
• displaying the view in a user interface device;
• receiving, via a secondary steering device of the user interface device, a user intended direction of travel of the articulated transport system in reverse to direct the final trailer in a desired direction;
• and
• continuously calculating controllable steering angles for directing the articulated transport system to direct the final trailer in the desired direction;
• wherein the calculated controllable steering angles are used to direct the final trailer in the desired direction.

A vehicle having a multi-trailer reverse assist system for use with an articulated transport system comprising the vehicle, an intermediate trailer, and a final trailer, the vehicle comprising:

• a vehicle rear view camera for estimating a first hitch articulation angle (HAA) angle θ1 between the vehicle and the intermediate trailer;
• an intermediate trailer camera for estimating a second HAA angle θ2 between the intermediate trailer and the final trailer;
• a final trailer camera for providing a view of an environment behind the final trailer;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• receive the view of the environment behind the final trailer from the final trailer camera;
• cause the view to be displayed in a user interface device;
• receive, via a secondary steering device, a user intended direction of travel of the articulated transport system in reverse to direct the final trailer in a desired direction;
• continuously calculate controllable steering angles comprising controllable lead vehicle steering angles (δv) and controllable intermediate trailer steering angles (δT) for directing the articulated transport system to direct the final trailer in the desired direction based on the first HAA angle θ1 between the vehicle and the intermediate trailer measured using angular sensors or estimated using the vehicle rear view camera and the second HAA angle θ2 between the intermediate trailer and the final trailer measured using angular sensors or estimated using the intermediate trailer camera;
• and
• control the articulated transport system to direct the final trailer in the desired direction using the calculated controllable steering angles.