The present disclosure provides a steering control system including a steering angle calculating unit configured to calculate a required steering angle of a vehicle based on a heading angle difference which is a difference between a heading angle of the current vehicle and a heading angle of a traveling road at a target viewpoint, a current spacing distance which is a spacing distance in a vehicle width direction between the current vehicle and the traveling road, and a predicted spacing distance which is a spacing distance in the vehicle width direction between the vehicle and the traveling road at the target viewpoint.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for estimating a steering angle of a vehicle, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus and a method for estimating a steering angle of a vehicle capable of estimating an actual steering angle without using a steering angle sensor.

A method for determining an orientation of a trailer, the trailer being configured to be coupled to a towing vehicle, includes detecting a relation of movements of at least two wheels of the trailer, upon moving the trailer, with at least one sensor arranged at the trailer for detecting a respective state of the at least two wheels. The method further includes calculating an orientation of a coupling device of the trailer based on the relation of the at least two wheels.

A method for managing a vehicle steering system of a vehicle having a steering assist system, including estimating a steering angle amplitude during a steering maneuver before rotating the steering wheel to the steering angle amplitude value associated with the steering maneuver. Using the estimated steering angle amplitude value to control activation of the steering assist system associated with the vehicle steering system. In one example, the estimated steering angle amplitude value adapts a torque assist signal of the steering assist system.

A system for estimating a hitch angle includes a control module with memory for storing programmatic control logic, a processor for executing the control logic, and one or more input/output (I/O) ports. Wheel speed sensors on a trailer communicate with the processor via the I/O ports. A trailering application defines a portion of the control logic and has at least first, and second control logics. The first control logic estimates the hitch angle from a first term, a second term and physical parameters of the vehicle and trailer. The second control logic provides the estimated hitch angle to one or more of a driver and to on-board control systems of the vehicle and trailer.

An optical sensor system for determining trajectory of a wheel includes: a wheel mounted in a wheel arch having an outer surface covered with evenly-spaced wheel treads; an optical sensor mounted in the wheel arch but not touching the wheel, for performing a plurality of counts corresponding to respectively capturing a plurality of images of the wheel according to the wheel treads, and comparing the captured images with a reference image to determine a 2D displacement. The optical sensor further performs a calculation to convert the measured 2D displacement of the wheel from its original position into a distance the wheel travels along a path in order to determine the wheel trajectory.

A method of determining a left or right side installation position of a trailer wheel of a trailer connected to a tow vehicle. A number of rotations of the trailer wheel is determined using an acceleration sensor, and a number of rotations of a left side tow vehicle wheel and a right side tow vehicle wheel is determined using an ABS sensor or ESP sensor of the left side tow vehicle wheel and the right side two vehicle wheel, respectively. A first correspondence value between the number of rotations of the trailer wheel and the number of rotations of the left side tow vehicle wheel is determined. A second correspondence value between the number of rotations of the trailer wheel and the number of rotations of the right side tow vehicle wheel is determined. A left side or right side installation position of the trailer wheel is determined based on the first correspondence value and the second correspondence value.

The present invention relates to a control system (1) for providing assistance to an occupant of a vehicle (V1). The control system (1) is configured to receive hitch angle data indicative of a hitch angle (α) of a towed vehicle (V2) coupled to the towing vehicle (V1). The control system (1) selects first and second image data subsets of at least first image data (DIMG1). The first image data subset represents a first viewport (VPL, VPR) on a first side of the towing vehicle (V1) and the second image data subset representing a second viewport (VPL, VPR) on a second side of the towing vehicle (V1). A signal (SOUT1) indicative of the first image data subset and the second image data subset is output to at least one display (5) for displaying the first viewport (VPL, VPR) and the second viewport (VPL, VPR) to the occupant of the towing vehicle (V1). The control system (1) is configured to select the first image data subset and the second image data subset in dependence on the hitch angle data. The first image data subset is selected to increase the prominence of the first viewport (VPL, VPR) relative to the second viewport (VPL, VPR) when the hitch angle data indicates that the towed vehicle (V2) is disposed on the first side of the towing vehicle (V1); and the second image data subset is selected to increase the prominence of the second viewport (VPL, VPR) relative to the first viewport (VPL, VPR) when the hitch angle data indicates that the towed vehicle (V2) is disposed on the second side of the towing vehicle (V1). In a variant, the control system (1) is configured to adjust the prominence of the first viewport (VPL, VPR) relative to the second viewport (VPL, VPR) in dependence on steering angle data indicative of a steering angle (β) (of the vehicle (V1). The present invention relates to a vehicle (V1, V2) incorporating the control system (1); a method of assisting an occupant of a vehicle (V1); computer software; and a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium.

An ECU includes plural sensor units and plural control units. The sensor units include magnetic field detection elements for detecting a rotation of a motor, and output mechanical angles related to the rotation angle in one rotation and count values related to the number of rotations of the motor, respectively. One rotation of the motor is divided into indefinite regions, in which detection deviation of the count values may occur, and definite regions, in which no detection deviation occurs. The definite region of the count value is set to deviate from the definite region of the other count value. Absolute angle calculation units calculate the absolute angles using the count values of the definite regions.

Four-wheel steering of a vehicle, e.g., in which leading wheels and trailing wheels are steered independently of each other, can provide improved maneuverability and stability. A first vehicle model may be used to determine trajectories for execution by a vehicle equipped with four-wheel steering. A second vehicle model may be used to control the vehicle relative to the determined trajectories. For instance, the second vehicle model can determine leading wheels steering angles for steering leading wheels of the vehicle and trailing wheels steering angles for steering trailing wheels of the vehicle, independently of the leading wheels.