Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Ralph D Schlottke

Norman Joseph Weigert

Avesta Goodarzi

Yun Qian Miao

Michael D Alarcon

Halit Zengin

Grant L Meade

Michael Nguyen

Manvir Dulai

Fred W Huntzicker

Curtis L Hay

Jarvis Chau

Alaa M Khamis

Todd J Brinkman

Fahim Javid

Utkarsh Saini

Dhruv Patel

Matthew S Zebiak

David A Canella

Abbas Mohammed

Priya B Abraham

Zachary T Kroeze

Sean S Monteiro

Steven Aiuto

Steve A Warden

Nash Escalada

Shi M Yu

Kenneth Jordan Weber

Patrick Andruszkiewicz

Sanjay K Shakyaver

Methods and systems are provided for controlling towing of a trailer by a vehicle. Sensors are configured to at obtaining sensor data pertaining to the vehicle and the trailer. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium is configured to store parameters that include dimensions pertaining to the vehicle, the trailer, or hitching of the trailer to the vehicle via a hitch. A processor is coupled to the sensors and to the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, and is configured to at least facilitate determining when instability of the trailer is likely to occur at a future time, using the sensor data and the parameters from the non-transitory computer readable storage medium; and taking vehicle actions, in accordance with instructions provided by the processor, when it is determined that the instability of the trailer is likely to occur at the future time.

System and method for trailer instability advanced warning based on hitch load measurement

In exemplary embodiments, methods and systems are provided for controlling braking of a trailer that is coupled to a vehicle. In an exemplary embodiment, a system is provided that includes: one or more sensors configured to obtain sensor data for a vehicle coupled to a trailer, the sensor data including: a measure of engagement of a brake pedal of the vehicle; and a deceleration of the vehicle; and a processor that is coupled to the one or more sensors and that is configured to at least facilitate dynamically controlling braking of the trailer, via instructions provided by the processor to a braking system of the trailer, based on both the measure of engagement of the brake pedal and the deceleration of the vehicle.

Trailer braking enhancement

Vehicles and methods for augmenting rearview displays for vehicles are provided. An exemplary method is provided for augmenting a rearview display for a vehicle having a gate moveable between a closed configuration and an opened configuration. The method includes collecting dynamic pixel images of an area behind the vehicle using a camera connected to the vehicle. Further, the method includes, in response to a command, displaying graphical overlays to the collected dynamic pixel images on a display screen, via a processor, wherein the graphical overlays depict an outline of the gate and/or projected path of the gate in the opened configuration.

Vehicle rearview display when rear gate opened

Methods and systems are provided for controlling thermal conditioning of a battery system associated with brakes of a vehicle towing a trailer. In one embodiment, a method includes: determining, by a processor, that a temperature of the battery system is outside of a defined temperature range; determining, by the processor, a delta value between a brake request and a battery charge limit; generating, by the processor, a control signal to at least one of a heater and a compressor of the vehicle based on the delta value; generating, by the processor, a control signal to the battery system to initiate regeneration braking; and generating, by the processor, a braking reduction request to reduce braking by the trailer.

Methods and systems for enhanced thermal braking for electric vehicle applications

Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for providing multi-trailer reverse assistance. In a multi-trailer reverse assistance system in an articulated transport system comprising a lead vehicle, an intermediate trailer, and a final trailer, the reverse assist system includes a controller. The controller is configured to: receive a view of an environment behind the final trailer; cause the view to be displayed in a display screen of a user interface device; receive, 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; continuously calculate controllable steering angles for directing the articulated transport system to direct the final trailer in the desired direction; and control the articulated transport system to direct the final trailer in the desired direction using the calculated controllable steering angles.

Method and apparatus in a motor vehicle for reversing multiple trailers

Systems, Methods, and Apparatuses are provided for monitoring cable connections between a trailer and vehicle. The system includes a monitoring device disposed within the vehicle; and a trailer cable and a breakaway trailer cable that provide a set of cable connections, the monitoring device is configured to: monitor the set of cable connections from connection data generated by a set of multimodal sensors integrated with the vehicle about statuses of the cable connections between the trailer and the vehicle; initiate a monitor function upon detection of a presence of the trailer connected to the vehicle by at least one sensor of the set of multimodal sensors integrated with the vehicle; and determine the statuses of the cable connections by fusing together using an information fusion algorithm one or more types of signal data from the set of multimodal sensors comprising optical signal data, radio signal data, and range signal data.

Multimodal sensor-based state of connection monitoring for a 7-pin trailer cable or the like, and a trailer breakaway cable

A method for enabling a V2V communications link between a trailer and a first tow vehicle including receiving a towing system activation control signal, transmitting a tow vehicle request, receiving a first tow vehicle response including a first tow vehicle location and a first tow vehicle identifier, determining a first distance between the first tow vehicle and the trailer, and enabling the V2V communications link in response to the first distance being less than a threshold distance.

Wireless trailer connection

A method for dampening trailer sway, includes: receiving, by a controller of a vehicle system that is coupled to a trailer, a vehicle speed signal of the vehicle system, wherein the vehicle speed signal is indicative of a vehicle speed of the vehicle system; determining a friction force to be applied to the trailer by an actuator using the vehicle speed of the vehicle system and a graph that establishes a relationship between the friction force to be applied to the trailer and the vehicle speed; and adjusting, by the controller, the graph that establishes the relationship between the friction force and the vehicle speed using the decay rate of the plurality of oscillation amplitudes to create an updated graph.

Vehicle trailer sway control method and system

A towing configuration of a vehicle coupled to a trailer may be evaluated by rolling a tire of the coupled vehicle and trailer over a compressible region of a pressure vessel filled with a hydraulic fluid. A peak pressure of the hydraulic fluid as the tire rolls over the compressible region of the pressure vessel may be determined. The tire load may be determined based upon the peak pressure. Based at least in part on the tire load, a determination may be made whether the towing configuration satisfies a predetermined set of criteria.

Vehicle and trailer load determination

Systems are provided for assisting in towing a trailer by a lead vehicle. A wheeled tow assist unit couples between the lead vehicle and the trailer. A drive unit onboard the tow assist unit drives the wheels in response to a force between the trailer and the tow assist unit. The tow assist unit bears at least a portion of the force required to tow the trailer.

Tow assist system

A system for trailer coupler localization for guidance during a hitching maneuver for a vehicle includes a trailer device including a trailer coupler and a graphic providing structure affixed to the trailer coupler. The structure includes at least one predefined graphic image. The system further includes a rear facing camera device attached to the vehicle and providing a captured image of the predefined graphic image. The system further includes a computerized controller, including programming to receive and analyze the captured image of the predefined graphic image to determine a relative position of the graphic providing structure to the camera device. The controller further includes programming to utilize the analysis to determine a relative position of the trailer coupler to a trailer hitch ball of the vehicle and to provide an output to control the hitching maneuver based upon the relative position.

System and method for trailer coupler localization for guidance during a hitching maneuver

Methods and apparatus are provided for generating a towing preferred navigational route including an input to receive a request for a navigational route wherein the request is indicative of a destination and a tow mode engagement, a memory to store an aggregated segment data wherein the aggregated segment data is generated in response to a plurality of tow enabled vehicles traveling the segment, a processor to generate the navigational route in response to the request for the navigational route and the aggregated segment data, and an output to couple the navigational route for display to a driver.

Method and apparatus for optimizing navigation routing for trailering

A hitch assembly for coupling a trailer to a tow vehicle comprises a king ball including a base and a king pin extending vertically from a top surface of the base, the king pin including a ball positioned on a distal end opposite the base, the ball adapted to be pivotally received into a hitch of the trailer. A hitch block includes a draw bar and a housing, the drawbar adapted to be horizontally inserted into a receiver mounted onto the tow vehicle, the housing including a throat adapted to receive the base of the king ball. A locking mechanism is adapted to automatically engage the king pin when the base of the king ball is inserted into the throat of the housing to secure the base of the king ball within the throat of the housing and locking the king ball and the hitch block together.

Automatically locking hitch

An imaging connection device is provided for use with a vehicle and a trailer. The vehicle includes a hitch assembly, a wired vehicle interface, and a vehicle communications unit, and the trailer includes a tow assembly and a wire harness. The imaging connection device includes a housing defining a first connector configured to mate with the wired vehicle interface and a second connector configured to mate with the wire harness; a connector interface at least partially arranged within the housing and extending between the first connector and the second connector; a camera unit at least partially arranged within the housing and configured to capture image data representing a side view of the hitch assembly; and a wireless communications unit at least partially arranged within the housing and configured to transmit the image data captured by the camera unit to the vehicle communications unit for display on a display device.

Towing arrangement with integrated imaging connection device

A power generation platform for delivering power to an external load includes an electrical system mounted to an autonomously-controlled chassis. The chassis has a powertrain that is responsive to control signals from a controller. The electrical system includes a fuel cell or other clean power supply for propelling the chassis, a direct current (DC) charging unit, a turbojet, a battery pack, and one or more electric machines. The DC charging unit and the battery pack are selectively connectable to the external load to deliver power to the external load, e.g., a propulsion battery pack of a vehicle or other system. The turbojet has a compressor, combustion chamber, and turbine, and injects low-emissions fuel into and combusts the fuel in the combustion chamber. The electric machine(s) are rotatably coupled to the compressor and/or the turbine to generate and transmit electricity to the battery pack.

Growing community of inventors

Oshawa, Canada

Ralph D Schlottke