Trailer hitching aid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10933914-B2
Application number	US-201916263847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2019
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle system is disclosed herein. The system includes a hitch ball mounted on a vehicle. A controller is configured to identify a coupler position of a trailer and control motion of the vehicle to an aligned position, wherein the hitch ball is aligned with the coupler position. The controller is further configured to initiate a vehicle agitation routine after the vehicle has reached the aligned position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle system, comprising:
a hitch ball mounted on a vehicle,
an electric machine operable to move the vehicle to perform a vehicle agitation routine; and
a controller configured to:
identify a coupler position of a trailer;
control motion of the vehicle to an aligned position, wherein the hitch ball is aligned with the coupler position; and
initiate the vehicle agitation routine, after the vehicle has reached the aligned position.

2. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a human-machine interface, wherein the controller is configured to initiate the vehicle agitation routine in response to at least one user input received via the human-machine interface.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the human-machine interface is a portable device configured to communicate with the controller via wireless communication.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control a powertrain control system of the vehicle to move the vehicle forward a predetermined distance and backward a predetermined distance, in response to initiation of the vehicle agitation routine.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the predetermined distance of forward movement is from about 5 mm to about 100 mm.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the predetermined distance of backward movement is from about 5 mm to about 100 mm.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control a powertrain control system of the vehicle to move the vehicle in a series of forward and backward movements sequentially, in response to initiation of the vehicle agitation routine.

8. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an internal combustion engine configured to move the vehicle to the aligned position.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the electric machine comprises:
a starter motor configured to start the vehicle, wherein initiation of the vehicle agitation routine prompts activation of the starter motor.

10. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to control a vehicle brake control system to intermittently apply a service brake to stop the forward and backward movement of the vehicle during execution of the vehicle agitation routine.

11. A method for controlling a vehicle comprising:
identifying a coupler position of a trailer;
controlling motion of the vehicle to an aligned position aligning a hitch ball with the coupler position; and
after reaching the aligned position, controlling motion of the vehicle by performing a vehicle agitation routine in response to a human-machine interface receiving at least one user input, wherein controlling motion of the vehicle by performing the vehicle agitation routine comprises moving the vehicle a predetermined distance from about 5 mm to about 100 mm in at least one of a forward direction and a backwards direction.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the human-machine interface is a portable device configured to communicate with the vehicle wirelessly.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the step of controlling motion of the vehicle by performing a vehicle agitation routine comprises moving the vehicle in a series of forward and backward movements sequentially.

14. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of controlling motion of the vehicle by moving the vehicle forward a predetermined distance after a coupler of the trailer has dropped on to the hitch ball.

15. A vehicle system, comprising:
a hitch ball mounted on a vehicle;
a human-machine interface; and
a controller electrically coupled to the human-machine interface and configured to initiate a vehicle agitation routine in response to at least one user input received via the human-machine interface, wherein initiation of the vehicle agitation routine prompts the vehicle to move in a series of forward and backward movements sequentially, and wherein each of the forward and rearward movements ranges in distance from about 5 mm to about 100 mm.

16. The vehicle system according to claim 15 , wherein the forward movements are of a predetermined distance from about 10 mm to about 40 mm.

17. The vehicle system according to claim 16 , wherein the backward movements are of a predetermined distance from about 10 mm to about 40 mm.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dottavio James
• Pursifull Ross Dykstra

Classifications

• B62D15/025 Primary

  Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60D1/06

  Ball-and-socket hitches · CPC title

• B62D15/028

  Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically · CPC title

• B62D13/06 Primary

  for backing a normally drawn trailer · CPC title

• B60D1/62

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