Hitch assist system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10768633-B2
Application number	US-201816035853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2018
Priority date	Jul 16, 2018
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A hitch assist system is provided herein. The hitch assist system includes a sensing system configured to detect a hitch assembly and a coupler. A controller is configured to generate commands for maneuvering a vehicle along a first path or a second path. A user input device includes a display, the display configured to illustrate the first and second paths.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hitch assist system comprising:
a sensing system configured to detect a hitch assembly and a coupler;
a controller configured to generate commands for maneuvering a vehicle along a first path or a second path; and
a user input device including a display, the display configured to illustrate the first and second paths, wherein the controller determines an offset of the hitch ball relative to the coupler, calculates the first path having a positioning path and an alignment path, maneuvers the vehicle in a predefined distance along the positioning path at a first vehicle speed-setpoint, aligns the hitch ball to the coupler along the alignment path at a second vehicle speed-setpoint, wherein the second vehicle speed-setpoint is less than the first vehicle speed-setpoint, calculates the second path to align the hitch ball to the coupler, detects an obstacle proximate the vehicle, and operates the vehicle along the first path or the second path to avoid the obstacle.

2. The hitch assist system of claim 1 , wherein the user input device is configured to accept instructions for moving the vehicle along the first path or the second path.

3. The hitch assist system of claim 2 , wherein the display is a touchscreen having circuitry to receive an input corresponding with a location over the display.

4. The hitch assist system of claim 3 , wherein the touchscreen registers one or more touch events thereon for specifying the first path or the second path.

5. The hitch assist system of claim 1 , wherein the sensing system includes a rear imager located on a rear portion of the vehicle and is configured to capture one or more images of a rear-vehicle scene.

6. The hitch assist system of claim 5 , wherein the sensing system further includes a side-view imager configured to capture one or more images along a side portion of the vehicle.

7. The hitch assist system of claim 6 , wherein the user input device registers one or more touch events thereon for specifying a location of the hitch coupler within a respective field of view from the rear imager or the side-view imager.

8. The hitch assist system of claim 1 , wherein the display illustrates an overlay of a vehicle occupation zone of the first path or the second path, the vehicle occupation zone extending outwardly of a wheelbase path of the vehicle.

9. The hitch assist system of claim 8 , wherein the overlay further includes obstacles within a field of view of the sensing system.

10. A hitch assist method comprising the steps of:
determining an offset of a hitch ball relative to a coupler;
calculating a first path to align the hitch ball to said coupler, the first path having a positioning path and an alignment path;
maneuvering a vehicle a predefined distance along the positioning path at a first vehicle speed-setpoint;
aligning the hitch ball to said coupler along the alignment path at a second vehicle speed-setpoint, the second speed-setpoint less than the first vehicle speed-setpoint;
calculating a second path to align the hitch ball to said coupler,
detecting an obstacle proximate the vehicle, and
operating the vehicle along the first path or the second path to avoid the obstacle.

11. The hitch assist method of claim 10 , further comprising:
displaying the first and second paths on a touchscreen display, the touchscreen display configured to register one or more touch events thereon for specifying a chosen path.

12. The hitch assist method of claim 10 , further comprising:
displaying a vehicle occupation zone extending outwardly of a wheelbase on a display.

13. The hitch assist method of claim 12 , further comprising:
detecting obstacles proximate the vehicle or said coupler; and
illustrating the obstacles in relation to the vehicle occupation zone on the display.

14. The hitch assist method of claim 10 , wherein the positioning path and the alignment path each include a deceleration period and wherein the alignment path deceleration period is based on a comparison of a detected deceleration period compared to an estimated deceleration period.

15. A hitch assist system comprising:
an imager for capturing one or more images of a hitch assembly and a coupler;
a display generating an image patch based on the one or more images; and
a controller for:
identifying the hitch assembly;
identifying a coupler; and
displaying an overlaid vehicle occupation zone on the display that extends through the hitch assembly, the vehicle occupation zone defining an area in which a vehicle travels to align the hitch assembly with the coupler, wherein the controller determines an offset of the hitch ball relative to the coupler, calculates a first path having a positioning path and an alignment path, maneuvers the vehicle in a predefined distance along the positioning path at a first vehicle speed-setpoint, aligns the hitch ball to the coupler along the alignment path at a second vehicle speed-setpoint, wherein the second vehicle speed-setpoint is less than the first vehicle speed-setpoint, calculates the second path to align the hitch ball to the coupler, detects an obstacle proximate the vehicle, and operates the vehicle along the first path or the second path to avoid the obstacle.

16. The hitch assist system of claim 15 , wherein the imager is further configured to detect the obstacle proximate the vehicle and the controller is further configured to display the obstacle in relation to the vehicle occupation zone.

17. The hitch assist system of claim 15 , wherein the controller generates the first and second paths that align the hitch assembly with the coupler.

18. The hitch assist system of claim 17 , wherein the display is configured as a touchscreen, the touchscreen configured to accept instructions for moving the vehicle along the first path or the second path.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ling Yu
• Zhang Chen
• Niewiadomski Luke
• Lin Theresa
• Lavoie Erick Michael

Classifications

• B60D1/36 Primary

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

• B60D1/62

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

• B60R2300/105

  using multiple cameras · CPC title

• B60D1/245

  for facilitating push back or parking of trailers · CPC title

• B62D15/027

  Parking aids, e.g. instruction means · CPC title