The turning radius of a differentially steered vehicle towing a trailer is controlled when turning so that its turning radius is greater than a minimum allowable turning radius. The turning radius may be autonomously adjusted using a controller to monitor the instantaneous rotational speed differential between the driven wheels and increase or decrease the relative speed between the wheels when the instantaneous rotational speed differential exceeds a threshold rotational speed differential, indicating a turn which is too tight. Alternately, the turning radius may be controlled by the vehicle's operator, who receives a signal from the controller indicating that the vehicle's turning radius is less than the minimum allowable. The operator may then take action to enlarge the turning radius using manual controls.

In various embodiments, methods, systems, and vehicle apparatuses are provided. A method for estimating a Hitch Articulation Angle (HAA) using Ultra-Sonic Sensors (USSs) while ensuring quality detected echo signal performance using plausibility filtering, generating at least one set of USS data based on detecting a set of echo signals generated by a plurality of USSs configured about a vehicle coupled to a trailer; determining based on a set of USS data using a selected set of geometric equations in a plausibility filtering process for an arbitrary frontal shape of the trailer; and generating at least one comparison based on at least one set of USS data estimations to a kinematic model at low speeds for ensuring that results of the kinematic model to the HAA associated with the determined trailer shape is based on a pair of detected echo signals that are deemed to have a higher signal performance.

A method for ascertaining a spatial orientation of a trailer of an autonomously driving towing vehicle with trailer. The method includes the steps of reading in image data of at least one rear-facing camera, assigning image points of the image data to the trailer or to the vehicle surrounding environment, ascertaining a rear trailer edge or at least one point of the rear trailer contour from the image points assigned to the trailer, and determining the trailer angle as a function of image coordinates of the trailer edge or of the point, the dimensions of the trailer, and the position of the camera relative to the support point of the trailer.

In various embodiments, methods, systems, and vehicle apparatuses are provided. A method for adaptive control of electronic power steering (EPS) including sending, a torque control to an EPS that is based on input control signals from a vehicle trajectory control unit and a steering assistive control unit when the vehicle is coupled to a trailer engaging in a trailering action; configuring the steering assistive control unit, to generate a control signal based on an algorithm using an adaptive factor that models steering dynamics impacted by the trailer while engaging in the trailering action and modeling by the steering assistive control unit, an adaptive damping factor modeled on a tongue weight of a trailer coupled to a hitch of the vehicle wherein the hitch reduces a force applied to a vehicle front axle.

A method is carried-out by a controller architecture coupled to a beam assembly actuator, which is included in an articulating tongue arrangement connecting an agricultural implement to a tow vehicle. In an embodiment, the method includes: (i) monitoring, via the controller architecture, an effective tow length of an articulating beam assembly further included in the articulating tongue arrangement, the effective tow length measured along a straight line extending from a leading pivot joint of the articulating tongue arrangement to a trailing pivot joint of the articulating tongue arrangement; (ii) determining, at the controller architecture, an effective tow length target of the articulating tongue arrangement based upon operator input, sensor input, or a combination thereof; and (iii) transmitting commands from the controller architecture to the beam assembly actuator to maintain the effective tow length of the articulating beam assembly in conformance with the effective tow length target.

A driving assistance device of a vehicle connected to a trailer, a vehicle system including the same, and a method thereof are provided. The vehicle driving assistance device includes a processor that determines a driving situation and a braking situation of a vehicle towing a trailer based on vehicle's internal signals and determines an amount of rear wheel steering control and an amount of braking control based on the driving situation and the braking situation of the vehicle and a storage storing the amount of rear wheel steering control and the amount of braking control, determined by the processor, and the vehicle's internal signals.

A tow configuration may include a tow vehicle and first and second trailers. The intermediate trailer hitch angle with the tow vehicle is controlled with one objective being to improve the off-tracking performance of the other trailer. The hitch angle may be controlled through steerable wheels at the intermediate trailer or through wheel differential steering at the intermediate trailer.

A steering control unit and to a method of controlling the steering of a multi-unit vehicle is provided, the vehicle having a plurality of vehicle parts movably connected to one another and a plurality of steerable axle units. A first axle control unit is in conjunction with a first steerable axle unit and at least one second axle control unit is in conjunction with at least one second steerable axle unit. The steering control system has a central control module that is connected to the axle control units via a common data line for exchange of steering angle data. The axle control units have data interfaces for communication via the data line. The data interfaces transfer mutually identical data formats, whereby the steering control system is set up in a modular manner with a variable number of axle control units that can be integrated.

A system for monitoring a trailer includes a detection device configured to monitor a connection between a coupler attached to the trailer and a trailer hitch attached to a vehicle and generate data related to the connection, and a processing device configured to receive the data from the detection device, and analyze the data to detect whether a partial detachment condition is present. Based on detecting the partial detachment condition, the processing device is configured to generate a notification to a driver to alert the driver of the partial detachment condition and/or control operation of the vehicle.

A method of controlling tethered self-propelled platforms is provided. The method comprises providing a platform leader and a platform follower connected to the leader with a tether to define a first heading line of the leader and a first coordinate frame of the follower. Each of the leader and the follower is pivotally moveable relative to the tether, defining a leader angle and a follower angle. The method further comprises estimating a predicted position of the leader based on a current position, a current speed, and a current yaw rate of the leader. The predicted position of the leader defines a predicted heading line of the leader. The method further comprises determining a trajectory of the follower from the first coordinate frame to the predicted heading line defining a second coordinate frame of the follower. The trajectory is based on a desired distance the predicted heading line and a desired change in yaw angle of the follower. The method further comprises moving the follower along the trajectory to the second coordinate frame.