A method and a device for operating a tractor including a trailer. The method includes detecting the surroundings behind the tractor through the clearance underneath the trailer using a surroundings sensor system, which, for this purpose, is mounted close to the roadway surface from the tractor, in particular underneath a connection between the tractor and the trailer, the surroundings sensor system including at least one video sensor. The method further includes determining objects in these surroundings, which are not encompassed by the trailer, by recognizing individual, in particular moving, integral parts of the trailer as such and excluding these in a targeted manner, determining a driving strategy for the tractor depending on the objects in the surroundings, and operating the tractor depending on the driving strategy.

Described herein are methods and systems for estimating the current weight of commercial vehicles. A system comprising a weight estimator, which receives input from one or more vehicle systems and/or sensors, such as suspension, power train, speedometer, tire pressure monitoring system, and the like. The weight estimator uses these inputs to determine one or more weight values associated with the vehicle, such as the total vehicle weight, weight distribution per axle, weight distribution per wheel, load distribution, and the like. In some examples, the weight estimator submits these weight values to one or more other systems. For example, the weight values may be used as an indicator that the vehicle is overloaded and/or that the weight is distributed unevenly. In some examples, the weight values are used by a maintenance scheduler to determine the next required maintenance.

An erroneous start suppression device equipped with an electronic control unit that controls a drive device that generates a driving force of a vehicle, and the electronic control unit determines whether or not an accelerator operation of a driver is an erroneous operation based on whether or not a predetermined determination condition is satisfied; limits a driving force generated by the drive device when the electronic control unit determines that the accelerator operation of the driver is an erroneous operation; determines whether or not the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle; and changes the predetermined determination condition so that it becomes difficult to determine that the predetermined determination condition is satisfied when it is determined that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle.

Systems and methods are provided for adjusting the creep torque to maneuver a vehicle to a target location. In various embodiments, the creep torque adjustment mode is deactivated when the driver changes the direction of travel. The change in direction also causes the parameters of the creep torque control to be reinitiated to their initial values. In various embodiments, the creep torque mode is increased from a low creep towards a target creep. If the driver engages the brakes, the input torque is set to zero, and when the driver releases the brake, the minimum creep torque is set to the value that creep torque had risen to just before the brake was applied. This allows the driver to control the acceleration and speed, by just braking. In various embodiments, the creep control controls reverse creep to aid in hooking up a vehicle to a trailer.

A vehicular trailer hitching assist system includes a camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle and viewing at least rearward of the vehicle. An electronic control unit (ECU) includes an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera. The ECU, via image processing of image data captured by the camera, detects a trailer rearward of the vehicle and determines a first path of travel for the vehicle to follow to maneuver the vehicle toward the trailer and to align the tow ball of the vehicle with a trailer hitch of the trailer. The ECU generates an output to maneuver the vehicle along the determined first path of travel. Responsive to detection of an object entering the first path of travel, the ECU determines a second path of travel for the vehicle to follow that avoids the detected object entering the determined path of travel.

Disclosed are a power assisted towing mode control method and system for ecofriendly vehicles. The power assisted towing mode control method is executed to control a power assisted towing mode between a first vehicle as a towing vehicle and a second vehicle as a towed vehicle, and includes determining, by the first vehicle, whether or not an accelerator pedal amount exceeds a threshold value, calculating, by the first vehicle, driver request torque based on the accelerator pedal amount, calculating, by the first vehicle, motor allowable torque based on the driver request torque, receiving, by the second vehicle, the motor allowable torque and calculating motor dischargeable torque based on the motor allowable torque, and performing, by the second vehicle, motor torque output based on the motor dischargeable torque.

A method includes an initial trailer health assessment and real-time trailer health monitoring. The initial trailer health assessment includes autonomous pre-trip maneuvers of the autonomous vehicle during a first time period, and detecting a pre-trip vehicle health condition. A vehicle health score is calculated based on the pre-trip vehicle health condition. If the vehicle health score is at least a threshold value, real-time trailer health monitoring is performed during a trip of the autonomous vehicle during a second time period, by actively monitoring vehicle dynamics data and/or image data associated with the autonomous vehicle, to determine a fault condition of the autonomous vehicle. If the fault condition meets a first criteria, a control parameter and/or a travel plan of the autonomous vehicle is adjusted. If the fault condition meets a second criteria different from the first criteria, a signal is sent to cause the autonomous vehicle to cease movement.

An autonomous vehicle (AV) includes features that allows the AV to comply with applicable regulations and statutes for performing safe driving operation. Example embodiments relate to an autonomous vehicle having a trailer coupled to a rear thereof. An example method includes continuously predicting a trailer trajectory that is distinct from a planned trajectory of the autonomous vehicle. The method further includes determining that the predicted trailer trajectory is within a minimum avoidance distance away from a stationary vehicle located on a roadway on which the autonomous vehicle is located. The method further includes modifying the planned trajectory of the autonomous vehicle such that the predicted trailer trajectory satisfies the minimum avoidance distance. The method further includes causing the autonomous vehicle to navigate along the modified trajectory based on transmitting instructions to one or more subsystems of the autonomous vehicle.

Systems and methods for coordinating and providing towing acceleration assistance between towing vehicles and towed vehicles during vehicle towing events are disclosed. The towing acceleration assistance may be provided by the towed vehicle in the form of an assistive propulsive torque to assist the towing vehicle with acceleration during the towing event when one or more vehicle conditions indicate a need for the towing acceleration assistance. The towing acceleration assistance may end when the one or more vehicle conditions no longer indicate the need for the towing acceleration assistance.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for monitoring the stability of an ego vehicle, including at least a first and a second driver assistance device, the at least first and second driver assistance device being designed to guide the ego vehicle; an evaluation unit which is designed to determine a degree of risk of a detected and/or anticipated pendulum motion of the ego vehicle. An assessment unit is further included, the assessment unit being designed to assess, on the basis of the determined degree of risk, whether the at least first and/or second driver assistance device in an active state will lead to pendulum initiation or pendulum intensification of the ego vehicle.