Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Brian George Buss

Donald Jacob Mattern

Joseph M Raad

Tyler Daavettila

Dimitar Petrov Filev

Hamid M Golgiri

Michael Hafner

Gaurav Pandey

Ahmed Benmimoun

Stephen A Schendel

Ganesh Kumar

Md Nahid Pervez

Gregory M Mercuri

Syed Ahmed

Michael Feller

Sharnam Shah

A computer includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to determine an estimated pose of a vehicle in a global reference frame having a first error and to determine an estimated second error based on a combination of the first error and a map error, in which the map error represents a difference between the estimated pose of the vehicle in the global reference frame and a corresponding estimated pose in a map-referenced frame. The stored instructions being additionally to predict a third error in a future map-referenced measurement frame based on the estimated second error and a motion model and to compute an update to the third error by combining the predicted third error with an accumulation of instantaneous vehicle position and heading errors obtained via a comparison between a camera-observed feature and a corresponding feature from a digital map.

Vehicle pose estimation

A computer includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to receive a time series of vectors from a sensor, determine a weighted moving mean of the vectors, determine an inverse covariance matrix of the vectors, receive a current vector from the sensor, determine a squared Mahalanobis distance between the current vector and the weighted moving mean, and output an indicator of an anomaly with the sensor in response to the squared Mahalanobis distance exceeding a threshold. The squared Mahalanobis distance is determined by using the inverse covariance matrix.

Anomaly detection in multidimensional sensor data

While a vehicle is in an area, a stored map uncertainty value of map data for the area is retrieved. The stored map uncertainty value gives a range of uncertainty for at least one indicator of a travel path specified by the map data. Upon estimating the travel path and a vehicle pose, a dynamic map uncertainty value is determined based on a pose uncertainty value and a travel path uncertainty value. The pose uncertainty value gives a range of uncertainty for the vehicle pose in three degrees-of-freedom based on vehicle sensor data, and the travel path uncertainty value gives a range of uncertainty for the at least one indicator of the estimated travel path based on vehicle sensor data. Upon determining that the dynamic map uncertainty value is less than the stored map uncertainty value, the map data is updated based on the vehicle sensor data. Upon updating the map data, the vehicle is operated based on the updated map data.

Vehicle navigation

A system for assisting a vehicle in reversing a trailer includes a vehicle steering system, a vehicle sensor outputting a vehicle velocity and a trailer sensor outputting a trailer yaw rate. The system further includes a controller controlling the vehicle steering system in reversing the trailer to cause a control parameter based on the trailer yaw rate and the vehicle velocity to converge toward a predetermined value.

Control method using trailer yaw rate measurements for trailer backup assist

A system for assisting in reversing of a vehicle-trailer combination includes a vehicle steering system and a controller. The controller outputs a steering signal to the steering system to maintain the vehicle-trailer combination along a straight backing path and determines a straight-backing offset of a hitch angle in the vehicle-trailer combination as a proportion of an integral of a measured characteristic of the vehicle-trailer combination that varies from a desired zero value.

Adaptive steering control for robustness to errors in estimated or user-supplied trailer parameters

A system for assisting in reversing of a vehicle-trailer combination includes a vehicle steering system and a controller. The controller outputs a steering signal based on a control parameter to the steering system to maintain the trailer along a commanded backing path, determines an error between a measured behavior of a characteristic of the vehicle-trailer combination and a predicted behavior of the characteristic, and adjusts the control parameter based on the error.

A method of controlling a vehicle while the vehicle is backing up with a trailer attached thereto. The vehicle may include a brake system and a power train system. The method includes determining a trailer yaw rate, and estimating a modified trailer curvature. The modified trailer curvature comprises a ratio of the trailer yaw rate to the vehicle speed. The method further includes determining a maximum allowable vehicle speed as a function of modified trailer curvature utilizing predefined criteria that defines a maximum allowable vehicle speed for a given modified trailer curvature. The method further includes limiting the vehicle speed such that the maximum allowable vehicle speed is not exceeded.

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Ypsilanti, MI, United States of America

Brian George Buss