# US 12,005,955 B2 · Method of reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of connected vehicle unit, control system, steering system, leading vehicle unit, and vehicle combination > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,005,955 B2 - Document ID: US12005955B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/501,083 - Filed: 2021-10-14 - Published: 2022-04-28 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-10-23 - Assignees: Volvo Truck Corporation - Applicants: Volvo Truck Corporation - Inventors: Thorsten Helfrich; Leon Henderson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005955B2 ## CPC - B62D 13/00: Steering specially adapted for trailers (combined traction and steering hitches B60D) - B62D 15/025: {Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence)} - B60D 1/30: for sway control {; Sway alarm means} - B60D 1/62: involving supply lines, electric circuits or the like - B62D 6/008: {Control of feed-back to the steering input member, e.g. simulating road feel in steer-by-wire applications} - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - B60D: VEHICLE CONNECTIONS ## Abstract The invention relates to a method of reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of at least one connected vehicle unit of a vehicle combination, the method comprising providing one or more parameters associated with a setup of the vehicle combination; determining, based on the one or more parameters, one or more critical frequencies having critical rearward amplification of a motion variable between the leading vehicle unit and the at least one connected vehicle unit; monitoring a steering input to the leading vehicle unit; determining whether the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies; and automatically triggering a countermeasure for reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of the at least one connected vehicle unit upon determining that the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of at least one connected vehicle unit of a vehicle combination comprising the at least one connected vehicle unit connected to a leading vehicle unit, the method comprising: providing, by a computing device, one or more parameters associated with a setup of the vehicle combination; determining, by the computing device, based on the one or more parameters, one or more critical frequencies having critical rearward amplification of a motion variable between the leading vehicle unit and the at least one connected vehicle unit; monitoring, by the computing device, a steering input to the leading vehicle unit; determining, by the computing device, that the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies; and in response to the determining, automatically triggering, by the computing device, a countermeasure to avoid or reduce the steering input exciting any of the one or more critical frequencies, for proactively reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of the at least one connected vehicle unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the critical rearward amplification is defined as a rearward amplification ratio of at least 1.1 between the at least one connected vehicle unit and the leading vehicle unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the motion variable is lateral movement, lateral acceleration, yaw, yaw rate, roll angle, or roll rate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more parameters is associated with a geometry of the vehicle combination. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining stability information of the vehicle combination based on the one or more parameters. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the countermeasure comprises communicating the stability information to a driver or to an autonomous driving system of the leading vehicle unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a maximum speed of the vehicle combination based on the one or more critical frequencies. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the countermeasure comprises communicating the maximum speed to a driver or to an autonomous driving system of the leading vehicle unit, or warning the driver if a current speed of the leading vehicle unit exceeds the maximum speed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a maximum steering angle for a given speed of the vehicle combination based on the one or more critical frequencies. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the countermeasure comprises communicating the maximum steering angle at the given speed to a driver or to an autonomous driving system of the leading vehicle unit, or warning the driver if the current steering angle of the leading vehicle unit exceeds the maximum steering angle at the given speed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the countermeasure comprises a force feedback to a steering wheel of the leading vehicle unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the countermeasure comprises disabling an assisting steering torque on a steering wheel of the leading vehicle unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the countermeasure comprises actively generating a counteracting steering torque on a steering wheel of the leading vehicle unit that counteracts the steering input. ### Claim 14 A control system for reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of at least one connected vehicle unit of a vehicle combination comprising the at least one connected vehicle unit connected to a leading vehicle unit, the control system comprising: at least one data processing device; and at least one memory having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program comprising program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to: provide one or more parameters associated with a setup of the vehicle combination; determine, based on the one or more parameters, one or more critical frequencies having critical rearward amplification of a motion variable between the leading vehicle unit and the at least one connected vehicle unit; monitor a steering input to the leading vehicle unit; determine that the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies; and in response to the determining, automatically trigger a countermeasure to avoid or reduce the steering input exciting any of the one or more critical frequencies, for proactively reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of the at least one connected vehicle unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The control system of claim 14, wherein the critical rearward amplification is defined as a rearward amplification ratio of at least 1.1, between the at least one connected vehicle unit and the leading vehicle unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The control system of claim 14, wherein the motion variable is lateral movement, lateral acceleration, yaw, yaw rate, roll angle, or roll rate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The control system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more parameters is associated with a geometry of the vehicle combination. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The control system of claim 14, wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to: determine stability information of the vehicle combination based on the one or more parameters. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The control system of claim 18, wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to: command communication of the stability information to a driver or to an autonomous driving system of the leading vehicle unit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The control system of claim 14, wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to: determine a maximum speed of the vehicle combination based on the one or more critical frequencies. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The control system of claim 20, wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to: command communication of the maximum speed to a driver or to an autonomous driving system of the leading vehicle unit, or commanding issuance of a warning to the driver, if a current speed of the leading vehicle unit exceeds the maximum speed. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The control system of claim 14, wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to: determine a maximum steering angle for a given speed of the vehicle combination based on the one or more critical frequencies. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The control system of claim 22, wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to: command communication of the maximum steering angle at the given speed to a driver or to an autonomous driving system of the leading vehicle unit, or commanding issuance of a warning to the driver, if the current steering angle of the leading vehicle unit exceeds the maximum steering angle at the given speed. ### Claim 24 A steering system comprising: a control system for reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of at least one connected vehicle unit of a vehicle combination comprising the at least one connected vehicle unit connected to a leading vehicle unit, the control system comprising: at least one data processing device; and at least one memory having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program comprising program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to: provide one or more parameters associated with a setup of the vehicle combination; determine, based on the one or more parameters, one or more critical frequencies having critical rearward amplification of a motion variable between the leading vehicle unit and the at least one connected vehicle unit; monitor a steering input to the leading vehicle unit; determine whether the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies; and automatically trigger a countermeasure for reducing or preventing lateral oscillations of the at least one connected vehicle unit upon determining that the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The steering system of claim 24, further comprising a steering wheel and a steering assistance unit arranged to exert an assisting steering torque on the steering wheel. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The steering system of claim 25, wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to: command the steering assistance unit to issue a force feedback to the steering wheel upon determining that the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The steering system of claim 25, wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to: command the steering assistance unit to disable an assisting steering torque on the steering wheel upon determining that the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The steering system of claim 25, wherein the computer program comprises program code which, when executed by the at least one data processing device, causes the at least one data processing device to: command the steering assistance unit to actively generate a counteracting steering torque on the steering wheel that counteracts the steering input upon determining that the steering input excites any of the one or more critical frequencies.