Patent ID: 6999856
Filing Date: 2006-02-14
Classification: B60D,G05D

Abstract:
1. A system for estimating a tongue length of a trailer being towed by a vehicle, said vehicle including a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels, said system comprising: a front wheel steering angle sensor for providing a front wheel steering angle signal indicative of the angle of the front wheels of the vehicle; a vehicle speed sensor for providing a vehicle speed signal indicative of the speed of the vehicle; a vehicle yaw rate sensor for providing a vehicle yaw rate signal indicative of the yaw rate of the vehicle; a trailer yaw rate sensor for providing an actual trailer yaw rate signal indicative of the yaw rate of the trailer; and a tongue length estimation controller for calculating the estimate of the tongue length, said estimation controller calculating the estimate of the tongue length based on an initial trailer tongue length, the front wheel angle signal, the vehicle yaw rate signal, the vehicle speed signal and the actual trailer yaw rate signal.