US 2026/0264670 A1Published application

Trailer hitch connection failure control in abrupt dynamic disturbance

AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC

InventorsMohammadali Shahriari, Mehdi Abroshan, Zhi Li, Ben MacCallum, Benjamin J. Eles

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Abstract

A system for trailer hitch connection failure control in abrupt dynamic disturbances includes a towing vehicle connected to a trailer via a hitch and one or more restraining devices. Sensors integrated into the towing vehicle detect static and dynamic state information about the vehicle, and actuators integrated into the towing vehicle alter the vehicle static and dynamic state. A hitch failure control (HFC) application monitors vehicle static and dynamic state information, determines that a flexible connection exists between the towing vehicle and the trailer, performs flexible connection control, including: receiving commands from a towing vehicle operator; and actively, automatically, and dynamically modifies the commands from the towing vehicle operator to maintain relative positions of the towing vehicle and the trailer within a gap distance xr that effectively prevents collisions between the towing vehicle and the trailer

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for trailer hitch connection failure control in abrupt dynamic disturbances, the system comprising:

a towing vehicle connected to a trailer via a hitch and one or more restraining devices;
one or more sensors integrated into the towing vehicle, the one or more sensors detecting static and dynamic state information about the towing vehicle;
one or more actuators integrated into the towing vehicle, the one or more actuators altering the static and dynamic state of the towing vehicle;
a controller having a processor, a memory, and input/output (I/O) ports, the I/O ports in communication with the one or more sensors and the one or more actuators, the processor executing program code portions stored in the memory, the program code portions including a hitch failure control (HFC) application comprising:
a first control logic for monitoring vehicle static and dynamic state information;
a second control logic for determining that a flexible connection exists between the towing vehicle and the trailer;
a third control logic for performing flexible connection control, including:
a fourth control logic for receiving commands from a towing vehicle operator;
and
a fifth control logic for actively, automatically, and dynamically modifying the commands from the towing vehicle operator to maintain relative positions of the towing vehicle and the trailer within a gap distance xr that effectively prevents collisions between the towing vehicle and the trailer.

7 more elements

A method for trailer hitch connection failure control in abrupt dynamic disturbances, the method comprising:

detecting, via one or more sensors integrated into a towing vehicle, static and dynamic state information about the towing vehicle, the towing vehicle connected to a trailer via a hitch and one or more restraining devices;
altering, via one or more actuators integrated into the towing vehicle, the static and dynamic state of the towing vehicle;
executing, with a processor of a controller, program code portion stored in memory of the controller, the controller further having one or more input/output (I/O) ports in communication with the one or more sensors and the one or more actuators, the program code portions including a hitch failure control (HFC) application comprising control logic for:
monitoring vehicle static and dynamic state information;
determining that a flexible connection exists between the towing vehicle and the trailer;
performing flexible connection control, including:
receiving commands from a towing vehicle operator;
and
actively, automatically, and dynamically modifying the commands from the towing vehicle operator to maintain relative positions of the towing vehicle and the trailer within a gap distance xr that effectively prevents collisions between the towing vehicle and the trailer.

6 more elements

A method for trailer hitch connection failure control in abrupt dynamic disturbances, the method comprising:

detecting, via one or more sensors integrated into a towing vehicle, static and dynamic state information about the towing vehicle, the towing vehicle connected to a trailer via a hitch and one or more restraining devices;
altering, via one or more actuators integrated into the towing vehicle, the static and dynamic state of the towing vehicle;
executing, with a processor of a controller, program code portion stored in memory of the controller, the controller further having one or more input/output (I/O) ports in communication with the one or more sensors and the one or more actuators, the program code portions including a hitch failure control (HFC) application comprising control logic for:
monitoring vehicle static and dynamic state information, including:
capturing, via one or more electromagnetic (EM) sensors, electromagnetic information about the towing vehicle and the trailer, wherein the electromagnetic information includes optical information relating to the hitch;
capturing, via one or more inertial measurement units (IMUs), acceleration, velocity, and position information about the towing vehicle and the trailer;
detecting, via one or more powertrain system sensors, a state of a powertrain system of the towing vehicle, the powertrain system sensors comprising:
transmission sensors, and engine control sensors;
and
detecting, via one or more brake sensors, a quantity of torque currently being supplied to one or more axles of the towing vehicle;
determining that a flexible connection exists between the towing vehicle and the trailer, including:
estimating an accelerating mass and a braking mass according to:
m
ˆ
a
=
F
axl
a
x
;
and
Eq
.
1
m
ˆ
b
=
F
axl
a
x
,
Eq
.
2
{circumflex over (m)}a is an accelerating mass of the towing vehicle, and {circumflex over (m)}b is a decelerating mass of the towing vehicle, ax is a longitudinal acceleration measured by the one or more IMUs, and Faxl is a measured force acting on one or more axles of the towing vehicle;
generating a mass difference estimation according to:
Δ
⁢
m
ˆ
=
❘
"\[LeftBracketingBar]"
m
ˆ
a
-
m
ˆ
b
❘
"\[RightBracketingBar]"
,
Eq
.
3
where:
Δ
⁢
m
ˆ
>
Δ
⁢
m
tr
.
Eq
.
4
such that when a change in mass estimation (Δ{circumflex over (m)}) is greater than a mass difference threshold Δmtr, then a flexible connection between the trailer the towing vehicle exists;
performing lateral flexible connection detection based on an understeer coefficient of the towing vehicle Δkus and an understeer coefficient threshold
Δ
⁢
k
us
tr
,
where:
Δ
⁢
k
u
⁢
s
=
❘
"\[LeftBracketingBar]"
Δ
⁢
k
u
⁢
s
(
k
)
-
Δ
⁢
k
u
⁢
s
(
k
-
1
)
❘
"\[RightBracketingBar]"
,
Eq
.
10
such that a change in understeer coefficient Δkus of the towing vehicle that exceeds the understeer coefficient threshold
Δ
⁢
k
us
tr
,
represented as:
Δ
⁢
k
u
⁢
s
>
Δ
⁢
k
u
⁢
s
tr
,
Eq
.
11
indicates that a flexible connection between the towing vehicle and the trailer exists;
measuring and generating, via the EM sensors, an estimated distance between the towing vehicle and the trailer, and upon determining that the estimated distance exceeds a predetermined hitched distance at rest changes while the towing vehicle and trailer are in motion, a longitudinally flexible connection is detected;
and
performing ball joint detection with information from the one or more EM sensors, and upon detecting a ball joint, determining that a flexible connection is present;
performing flexible connection control, including:
receiving commands from a towing vehicle operator, and
generating, with a driver brake pressure model, a trailer braking gain and a towing vehicle velocity;
monitoring, via a towing vehicle axle torque controller, a current gap distance and comparing the current gap distance to a desired gap distance, and generating a towing vehicle axle torque command;
monitoring, via a trailer brake controller, the current gap distance and comparing the current gap distance to the desired gap distance, and generating a trailer brake command;
and
combining the towing vehicle velocity and the towing vehicle axle torque command, and control logic for combining the trailer brake command and the trailer braking gain;
calculating a spring constant that emulates a rope-type hitch with a maximum length of xr_max and a minimum length of zero, wherein the minimum length of zero indicates the towing vehicle and the trailer are in contact with one another, and wherein the maximum length xr_max defines a condition in which the flexible connection, defined by the one or more restraining devices, is expanded to a largest possible distance;
calculating a supervised gap distance and a corrected velocity of the towing vehicle (v1) that mitigates, reduces, or substantially eliminates bouncing or pogoing of a towing vehicle-trailer physical system;
executing a flexible connection control algorithm that actively, automatically, and continuously adjusts towing vehicle operator command inputs to alter or correct the towing vehicle velocity v1 according to:
Δ
⁢
F
r
=
-
k
p
⁢
β
1
⁢
e
+
β
1
⁢
v
2
+
m
1
(
k
⁢
Δ
⁢
x
r
-
β
2
⁢
v
2
)
m
2
+
m
1
⁢
x
¨
r
+
k
⁢
Δ
⁢
x
r
,
Eq
.
5
where:
ΔFr is a required corrective longitudinal force, kp is a control turning parameter, β1 is a damping of the vehicle model, e is an error between desired and actual distances between the trailer and the towing vehicle, m1 is a towing vehicle mass, m2 is a trailer mass, Δxr is a trailer to towing vehicle connection deflection, β2 is a damping of the trailer model, k is a stiffness of the connection between the trailer and the towing vehicle, Fr is a total axle force, v1 is a longitudinal velocity of the towing vehicle, v2 is a longitudinal velocity of the trailer, xr,d is a length of the restraining device that defines the gap distance xr;
and
wherein outputs of the flexible connection control algorithm are used as inputs to one or more advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) functions of the towing vehicle that actively, dynamically, automatically, and continuously alter or modify the commands from the towing vehicle operator to adjust a longitudinal acceleration or deceleration of the towing vehicle and to maintain relative positions of the towing vehicle and the trailer within the gap distance xx that effectively prevents collisions between the towing vehicle and the trailer while a flexible connection between the towing vehicle and the trailer is present.

215 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/073,452Filed 7 Mar 2025
Published: 10 Sep 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

B60W 30/09
Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences: taking automatic action…
B60D 1/249
Characterised by arrangements for particular functions: for damping in the pulling direction and being integrated with the hitch, e.g. resilient…
B60D 1/28
Characterised by arrangements for particular functions: for preventing unwanted disengagement, e.g. safety appliances
B60D 1/62
Auxiliary devices: involving supply lines, electric circuits or the like