Systems, vehicles, and methods for adjusting lighting of a towing hitch region of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10272825-B2
Application number	US-201715399376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2017
Priority date	Jan 5, 2017
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A system for adjusting lighting of a towing hitch region of a vehicle includes processor, user input device communicatively coupled to the processor, and light source comprising actuator communicatively coupled to the processor. The light source are configured to selectively illuminate the towing hitch region of the vehicle. The system further includes memory module communicatively coupled to the processor that stores logic that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to receive user instructions from the user input device; and adjust an angle of illumination of the light source with the actuator to illuminate the towing hitch region based on the user instructions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for adjusting lighting of a towing hitch region of a vehicle, the system comprising:
a processor;
a user input device communicatively coupled to the processor;
a light source;
an actuator communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the actuator selectively adjusts an angle of illumination of the light source to illuminate the towing hitch region of the vehicle; and
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor that stores logic that, when executed by the processor, causes the system to:
receive user instructions from the user input device; and
adjust the angle of illumination of the light source with the actuator to illuminate the towing hitch region based on the user instructions.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rear view camera communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to capture image data of the towing hitch region of the vehicle; and
a display communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the logic executed by the processor further causes the system to:
receive the image data from the rear view camera; and display the image data on the display.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a drive mode sensor communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to output a drive mode signal, wherein the logic executed by the processor further causes the system to:
receive the drive mode signal of the drive mode sensor;
determine a drive mode of the vehicle based on the drive mode signal; and automatically adjust the light source with the actuator to a driving configuration when it is determined that the vehicle is in drive.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the driving configuration is a configuration in which the light source is directed toward a license plate region of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the light source is adjustable in at least one of an inboard direction, an outboard direction, and a vehicle vertical direction.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising network interface hardware communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the user input device includes a mobile device communicatively coupled to the processor by the network interface hardware.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the light source includes a plurality of light sources, wherein the angle of illumination of each of the plurality of light sources is configured to be adjusted.

8. A vehicle for adjusting lighting of a towing hitch region of the vehicle, the vehicle comprising:
a processor;
a user input device communicatively coupled to the processor;
a light source coupled to a rear portion of the vehicle;
an actuator communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the actuator selectively adjusts an angle of illumination of the light source to illuminate the towing hitch region of the vehicle;
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor that stores logic that, when executed by the processor, causes the vehicle to:
receive user instructions from the user input device; and
adjust the angle of illumination of the light source with the actuator to illuminate the towing hitch region based on the user instructions.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , further comprising:
a rear view camera communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to capture image data of the towing hitch region of the vehicle; and
a display communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the logic executed by the processor further causes the vehicle to:
receive the image data from the rear view camera; and
display the image data on the display.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 , further comprising a drive mode sensor communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to output a drive mode signal, wherein the logic executed by the processor further causes the vehicle to:
receive the drive mode signal of the drive mode sensor;
determine a drive mode of the vehicle based on the drive mode signal; and automatically adjust the light source with the actuator to a driving configuration when it is determined that the vehicle is in drive.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the driving configuration is a configuration in which the light source is directed toward a license plate region of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the light source is adjustable in at least one of an inboard direction, an outboard direction, and a vehicle vertical direction.

13. The vehicle of claim 8 , further comprising network interface hardware communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the user input device includes a mobile device communicatively coupled to the processor by the network interface hardware.

14. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the light source is coupled to a bumper of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the light source includes a plurality of light sources, wherein the angle of illumination of each of the plurality of light sources is configured to be adjusted.

16. A method for adjusting lighting of a towing hitch region of a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving user instructions from a user input device; and
adjusting an angle of illumination of a light source coupled to a rear portion of the vehicle with an actuator coupled to the light source to illuminate the towing hitch region of the vehicle based on the user instructions received from the user input device.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving image data from a rear view camera; and
displaying the image data on a display.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving a drive mode signal from a drive mode sensor; and
determining a drive mode of the vehicle based on the drive mode signal;
automatically adjusting the light source with the actuator to a driving configuration when it is determined that the vehicle is in drive.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the driving configuration is a configuration in which the light source is directed toward a license plate region of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the angle of illumination of the light source is adjustable in at least one of an inboard direction, an outboard direction, and a vehicle vertical direction.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Frederick Scott L
• Harris Ryan C

Classifications

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/635

  Region indicators; Field of view indicators · CPC title

• B60Q1/245

  Searchlights, e.g. adjustable from within the vehicle (adjustable headlights B60Q1/06) · CPC title

• H04N5/2256

  Electricity · mapped topic