Mobile device interface for trailer backup-assist

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10684773-B2
Application number	US-201815861348-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2018
Priority date	Jan 3, 2018
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for mobile device interface for trailer backup-assist. An example vehicle system includes a vehicle and a mobile device. The mobile device includes a touchscreen, a communication module, and a controller. The controller is to present, via the touchscreen, an interface for trailer backup-assist and detect a swipe when the interface is presented. The controller also is to instruct, via the communication module, the vehicle to move in a direction corresponding to the swipe and continue to instruct the vehicle to move in the direction while detecting a continuous orbital motion extending from the swipe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle system comprising:
a vehicle; and
a mobile device including:
a touchscreen;
a communication module; and

a controller to:
present, via the touchscreen, an interface for trailer backup-assist;
detect a swipe when the interface is presented;
determine a swipe direction of the swipe;
instruct, via the communication module, the vehicle to move in a direction corresponding to the swipe direction; and
continue to instruct the vehicle to move in the direction corresponding with the swipe direction while detecting a continuous orbital motion that is contiguous with and extends from the swipe, wherein a turning radius of the vehicle is based on the continuous orbital motion, wherein the continuous orbital motion comprises a first motion portion extending from the swipe, a second motion portion extending from the first motion portion, and a third motion portion extending from the second motion portion, radii of the first motion portion, the second motion portion, and the third motion portion being different.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle includes a hitch, a hitch sensor configured to monitor the hitch, and a second communication module for wireless communication with the communication module of the mobile device.

3. The vehicle system of claim 2 , wherein the controller presents the interface for the trailer backup-assist in response to receiving a signal indicating that the hitch sensor detects a trailer is coupled to the hitch of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle system of claim 2 , wherein the controller presents a second interface for remote park-assist in response to receiving a signal indicating that the hitch sensor detects a trailer is not coupled to the hitch of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle system of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle includes an autonomy unit and the controller instructs the autonomy unit to perform the trailer backup-assist in response to detecting a user input when the interface is presented.

6. A method comprising:
presenting, via a touchscreen of a mobile device, an interface for trailer backup-assist;
detecting a swipe on the touchscreen when the interface is presented;
instructing, via a communication module of the mobile device, a vehicle to move in a direction corresponding to the swipe; and
continuing to instruct the vehicle to move in the direction while detecting a continuous orbital motion that is contiguous with and extends from the swipe, wherein a turning radius of the vehicle is based on the continuous orbital motion, wherein the continuous orbital motion comprises a first motion portion extending from the swipe, a second motion portion extending from the first motion portion, and a third motion portion extending from the second motion portion, radii of the first motion portion, the second motion portion, and the third motion portion being different.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the interface is presented in response to receiving a signal indicating that a trailer is coupled to the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 6 , further including instructing the vehicle to stop moving in response to detecting that at least one of the continuous orbital motion has stopped and the swipe has stopped before transitioning to the continuous orbital motion.

9. The method of claim 6 , further including instructing the vehicle to adjust a vehicle speed in response to detecting a change in speed of the continuous orbital motion.

10. The method of claim 6 , further including instructing the vehicle to adjust the turning radius in response to detecting a continuous motion transition from the second motion portion to the third motion portion, the continuous motion transition corresponding to a continuous change from a radius of the second motion portion to the third motion portion.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein instructing the vehicle to move includes instructing:
straight forward movement in response to detecting an upward swipe;
straight reverse movement in response to detecting a downward swipe;
a left turn in response to detecting a leftward swipe; and
a right turn in response to detecting a rightward swipe.

12. The method of claim 6 , further including presenting, via the touchscreen, a second interface for remote park-assist in response to receiving a signal indicating that a trailer is not coupled to the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12 , further including instructing an autonomy unit of the vehicle to perform the remote park-assist in response to detecting a user input when the second interface is presented.

14. The method of claim 6 , further including instructing the vehicle to stop moving in response to detecting that the continuous orbital motion is outside of a motion track of the interface.

15. The method of claim 14 , further including defining the motion track based upon a plurality of motion paths received from a user via the touchscreen.

16. A tangible computer readable medium including instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:
present, via a touchscreen, an interface for trailer backup-assist;
detect a swipe on the touchscreen when the interface is presented;
determine a swipe direction of the swipe;
instruct, via a communication module, a vehicle to move in a direction corresponding to the swipe direction; and
continue to instruct the vehicle to move in the direction corresponding with the swipe direction while detecting a continuous orbital motion that is contiguous with and extends from the swipe, wherein a turning radius of the vehicle is based on the continuous orbital motion, wherein the continuous orbital motion comprises a first motion portion extending from the swipe, a second motion portion extending from the first motion portion, and a third motion portion extending from the second motion portion, radii of the first motion portion, the second motion portion, and the third motion portion being different.

17. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein, the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to present the interface in response to receiving a signal indicating that a trailer is coupled to the vehicle.

18. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein, the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to instruct the vehicle to stop moving in response to detecting that at least one of the continuous orbital motion has stopped and the swipe has stopped before transitioning to the continuous orbital motion.

19. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein, the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to adjust a vehicle speed in response to detecting a change in speed of the continuous orbital motion.

20. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein, the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to adjust the turning radius in response to detecting a continuous motion transition from the second motion portion to the third motion portion, the continuous motion transition corresponding to a continuous change from a radius of the second motion portion to the third motion portion.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lavoie Erick Michael

Classifications

• H04M1/72412

  using two-way short-range wireless interfaces · CPC title

• B60D1/62

  involving supply lines, electric circuits or the like · CPC title

• B60R2300/8086

  for vehicle path indication · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/04883 Primary

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title