Hitch assist system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10632803-B2
Application number	US-201815999125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2018
Priority date	Aug 17, 2018
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A hitch assist system is provided herein that includes a sensing system configured to detect a trailer proximate a vehicle. The hitch assist system also includes a controller for detecting a coupler of the trailer; determining a trailer-heading direction-based on a coupler orientation; and determining a path for aligning a hitch assembly on the vehicle with a coupler on the trailer based on the trailer-heading direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hitch assist system comprising:
a sensing system configured to detect a trailer proximate a vehicle; and
a controller for:
detecting a coupler of the trailer;
determining a coupler orientation;
determining a trailer-heading direction based on the coupler orientation; and
determining a path for aligning a hitch assembly on the vehicle with the coupler on the trailer based on the trailer-heading direction, wherein the trailer-heading direction is based on a longitudinal axis of the trailer and the trailer-heading direction is determined from one or more features extracted from a forward portion of the trailer, and wherein the controller is configured to create a boundary encompassing the trailer and an endpoint of the path is disposed on a perimeter of the boundary.

2. The hitch assist system of claim 1 , wherein the endpoint is disposed on a bottom corner of the boundary when the trailer-heading direction is greater than a threshold angle.

3. The hitch assist system of claim 1 , wherein a notification is provided to a user when the trailer-heading direction relative a vehicle heading direction is greater than a threshold angle.

4. The hitch assist system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to classify each trailer feature as on-trailer or off-trailer by thresholding an estimated height thereof.

5. The hitch assist system of claim 4 , wherein the controller determines the trailer-heading direction based on an eigenvector of the trailer features classified as on-trailer.

6. The hitch assist system of claim 1 , wherein the sensing system is configured to detect a distance between the vehicle and the trailer when the vehicle is disposed outwardly of a threshold range and utilizes an imager to determine trailer-heading direction when the vehicle is within the threshold range.

7. The hitch assist system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is moved along a path prior to an imager detecting the coupler.

8. The hitch assist system of claim 1 , wherein a first sensor is used to determine a first vehicle path and an imager is utilized to determine a second, updated path.

9. A hitch assist system comprising:
an imager for capturing rear-vehicle images; and
a controller configured to:
extract ground features and potential trailer features from the captured images;
compute vehicle motion displacement based on optical flow of the ground features, wherein computation of vehicle motion displacement is further based on a known height of the imager;
estimate a height of each potential trailer feature based on vehicle motion displacement and optical flow of the potential trailer features;
classify the potential trailer features as on-trailer or off-trailer; and
determine a final trailer-heading direction of a trailer based on the potential trailer features classified as on-trailer.

10. The hitch assist system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a proximity sensor providing sensor signals to the controller for determining an initial trailer-heading direction when the vehicle is disposed outwardly of a threshold range.

11. The hitch assist system of claim 10 , wherein the initial trailer-heading direction determines an initial vehicle path.

12. The hitch assist system of claim 11 , wherein the final trailer-heading direction determines a final vehicle path.

13. A hitch assist system comprising:
an imager for capturing rear-vehicle images; and
a controller configured to:
extract ground features and potential trailer features from the captured images; compute vehicle motion displacement based on optical flow of the ground features;
estimate a height of each potential trailer feature based on vehicle motion displacement and optical flow of the potential trailer features;
classify the potential trailer features as on-trailer or off trailer; and

determine a final trailer-heading direction of a trailer based on the potential trailer features classified as on-trailer, wherein an eigenvector of the trailer features is calculated to determine the trailer-heading direction.

14. A method of estimating a trailer orientation, comprising the steps of:
capturing rear-vehicle images;
extracting trailer and ground features from the captured images;
computing vehicle motion displacement based on optical flow of the ground features;
estimating a height of each trailer feature based on vehicle motion displacement and optical flow of the trailer features;
determining a trailer-heading direction based on at least a portion of the trailer features; and
predicting a trailer-heading direction within a boundary surrounding the trailer when the vehicle is disposed outwardly of a threshold range.

15. The method of estimating a trailer orientation of claim 14 , further comprising:
providing a notification when an angle between a vehicle heading direction and the trailer-heading direction is greater than a threshold angle.

16. The method of estimating a trailer orientation of claim 14 , further comprising:
pausing vehicle motion when a coupler is disposed outward of a movement region.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Niewiadomski Luke
• Zhang Chen
• Jales Costa Bruno Sielly
• Nagraj Rao Nikhil
• Nariyambut Murali Vidya

Classifications

• B60R2300/808

  for facilitating docking to a trailer · CPC title

• B60R11/04

  Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• B62D15/0285

  Parking performed automatically · CPC title

• B60D1/36 Primary

  for facilitating connection, e.g. hitch catchers · CPC title

• B60D1/06

  Ball-and-socket hitches · CPC title