System and method for trailer height adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11077729-B2
Application number	US-201816019002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2018
Priority date	Jun 26, 2018
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle system comprises a hitch ball mounted on a vehicle and a controller configured to identify a coupler position of a trailer. The controller is further configured to control motion of the vehicle aligning the hitch ball with the coupler position and monitor a height of the coupler relative to the hitch ball. In response to the coupler height being less than a height of the hitch ball, the controller is configured to stop the motion of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle system, comprising:
a controller that:
identifies a coupler position of a coupler of a trailer;
controls motion of the vehicle completing an alignment of a hitch ball with the coupler position;
monitors a coupler height of the coupler relative to the hitch ball;
stops the motion of the vehicle in response to the coupler height being less than a hitch height of the hitch ball;
in response to the vehicle stopping, monitors the coupler in response to a manual adjustment of the coupler height;
in response to the manual adjustment of the coupler height, identifies a direction of the manual adjustment; and
outputs an adjustment instruction in response to the direction of the manual adjustment, wherein the adjustment instruction identifies whether the direction of the manual adjustment adjusts the coupler height to be compatible for connection to the hitch ball.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller further stops the vehicle at a predetermined distance from the trailer.

3. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising an indication device, wherein the controller controls the indication device to output a notification indicating the coupler height.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is in communication with a portable device and configured to wirelessly communicate the notification for display on a screen of the portable device.

5. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the indication device comprises a display screen in communication with the controller, wherein the controller outputs an instruction displayed on the display screen indicating the coupler height relative to the hitch height of the hitch ball on the display screen.

6. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the indication device comprises at least one of a light source, an audible apparatus, and a display screen.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller further controls the motion of the vehicle completing the alignment in response to receiving an input indicating that the manual adjustment is complete.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the motion of the vehicle completing the alignment of the hitch ball with the coupler position in response to identifying that the coupler height is compatible with the hitch height of the hitch ball for connection.

9. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor apparatus in communication with the controller, wherein the sensor apparatus scans a region proximate the vehicle and the controller detects the coupler position of the coupler of the trailer.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the sensor apparatus comprises an imaging system including one or more cameras mounted on the vehicle; and
wherein:
the controller identifies the coupler position based on image data received from the imaging system comprising position data of the coupler.

11. A method for controlling a vehicle comprising:
identifying a coupler position including a coupler height of a trailer in sensor data;
controlling motion of the vehicle aligning a hitch ball of the vehicle with the coupler position;
stopping the motion of the vehicle at a predetermined distance from the coupler position;
outputting an instruction for adjusting the coupler height;
monitoring the coupler height identifying a height compatibility between a hitch height of the hitch ball and the coupler height, wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring the coupler height during a manual adjustment of the coupler height;
identifying an adjustment direction of the manual adjustment; and
in response to the adjustment direction, outputting an adjustment instruction indicating feedback regarding the adjustment direction, wherein the adjustment instruction indicates whether the adjustment direction will result in the coupler height being greater than the hitch height.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein an indication is wirelessly communicated to a portable device outputting the indication outside the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
capturing image data scanning of a region proximate the vehicle, wherein the coupler height is identified based on the image data.

14. A vehicle system, comprising:
a hitch receiver of a vehicle;
a sensor system configured to capture sensor data comprising a coupler position of a trailer;
an indication device; and
a controller that:
identifies the coupler position from the sensor system;
controls motion of the vehicle aligning a hitch ball with the coupler position;
monitors a coupler height of the coupler relative to a hitch height of the hitch ball;
stops the motion of the vehicle in response to the coupler height being less than the hitch height of the hitch ball;
identifies a direction of an adjustment of the coupler height based on the sensor data;
monitors the direction of the manual adjustment in response to the adjustment; and
in response to the direction of the adjustment, outputs an adjustment instruction indicating feedback regarding the adjustment, wherein the adjustment instruction communicates an indication whether the direction of the adjustment changes the coupler height to be compatible for connection to the hitch.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the controller further:
receives an input via a user interface indicating a selection of a hitch ball, wherein the selection identifies a measurement of the hitch ball, wherein the manual height adjustment of the coupler height comprises a physical adjustment of the coupler height that is monitored by the controller based on changes in the sensor data.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the controller further:
accesses the measurement of the hitch ball indicating a hitch height.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Zhang Chen
• Davison Mark
• Ling Yu

Classifications

• B60W10/20 Primary

  including control of steering systems · CPC title

• B60D1/62

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

• B60W50/00

  Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit {, e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces} · CPC title

• B60D1/36 Primary

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

• B60W2050/143

  Alarm means · CPC title