A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.

A vehicle maneuvering system comprises at least one image device configured to capture image data and a controller. The controller is configured to identify a coupler position of a trailer in the image data and control motion of the vehicle navigating a hitch ball of the vehicle toward the coupler position. The controller is further configured to monitor a coupler distance extending from the coupler position and the hitch ball. In response to the coupler distance being less than or equal to the distance threshold, the controller is configured to classify a plurality of portions of the image data as trailer portions and non-trailer portions and identify the coupler position by processing the image via a feature extraction operation.

A vehicle-trailer system is disclosed. The system utilizes a controller that has a processor, a global positioning system that provides a geographic position to the processor, a data transmission device that sends and receives data through the controller and a camera signal encoder. The system also includes various three-dimensional (3-D) position sensors, which measure changes in spatial position with reference to location on three axes (e.g., 3-D compass comprising a magnetometer, a gyroscope, and an accelerometer). Moreover, the system comprises a vehicle network bus reader that communicates vehicle information from the vehicle network bus to the controller (e.g., controller area network (CAN) bus, or a local interconnect network (LIN) bus) wherein the controller is capable of communicably coupling to a remote client device, the remote client device configured to convey steering instructions.

A method for determining the presence of a trailer (12) attached to a vehicle (10), the method comprising: controlling a vehicle system to obtain a primary indication of the presence of a trailer (12); controlling one or more further vehicle systems to obtain one or more secondary indications of the presence of a trailer (12); and determining a confidence level for the presence of a trailer (12) attached to the vehicle (10) in dependence on the primary indication and the or each secondary indication.

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 system and method system for determining when an object detected by a collision avoidance sensor on one member of an articulated vehicle comprises another member of the vehicle are provided. The system includes a collision avoidance sensor disposed on a first member of the vehicle and configured to detect an object within a field of view of the sensor on a side of the first member of the vehicle. The system further includes a controller configured to determine an articulation angle between the first member of the vehicle and a second member of the vehicle and to determine in response to the articulation angle, whether the second member of the vehicle is the object within the field of view of the collision avoidance sensor on the first member of the vehicle.

A hitch assist system is provided herein that includes a sensing system configured to detect a trailer and obstacles proximate the trailer. The hitch assist system also includes a controller in communication with the sensing system and configured to define a final vehicle heading direction relative to the trailer when a hitch ball of a vehicle is aligned with a coupler of the trailer; determine an uppermost/farthest position of the vehicle from the trailer; determine a lowermost/nearest position of the vehicle from the trailer; and determine a vehicle path that aligns the vehicle within the uppermost/farthest and lowermost/nearest positions.

A vehicle control apparatus, configured to control a vehicle, includes an engine that is configured to drive wheels via a power transmission device. The vehicle control apparatus includes a towing state detector and an engine controller. The towing state detector is configured to detect whether the vehicle is in a towing state. The engine controller is configured to stop the engine in a case where a predetermined engine stopping condition is satisfied during traveling of the vehicle. The engine controller is configured to vary, in a case where the towing state detector detects that the vehicle is in the towing state, the predetermined engine stopping condition to reduce an operational range in which the engine is to be stopped compared with an operational range in a case where the towing state detector does not detect that the vehicle is in the towing state.

A vehicle is proposed to control regeneration and reuse of captured energy in a through-the-road hybrid configuration. The vehicle comprises a vehicle frame, an energy store, and a controller. The vehicle frame is configured for over-the-roadway travel under a power of plural drive axles. At least one of the plural drive axles is coupled via a primary drivetrain to a fuel-fed engine to drive at least a pair of wheels. At least one other of the plural drive axles is an electrically-powered drive axle configured to supply supplemental torque to additional wheels. The energy store is configured to supply the electrically-powered drive axle with electrical power in a first mode of operation and receive energy recovered using the electrically-powered drive axle in a second mode of operation. The controller is coupled between the electrically-powered drive axle and one or more sensor inputs to transition between different modes of operation.

Methods and systems for a vehicle transmission are provided herein. The vehicle transmission includes an input interface configured to mechanically couple to a motive power source. The vehicle transmission further includes a first disconnect device releasably mechanically coupling a first output to a first drive axle and a second disconnect device releasably mechanically coupling a second output to a second drive axle.