Hitch assist system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11148489-B2
Application number	US-201816155009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2018
Priority date	Oct 9, 2018
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A hitch assist system is provided herein. The hitch assist system includes a mobile device remotely disposed from a vehicle and configured to receive a user input for adjusting an alignment position of a hitch assembly of a vehicle. A controller is configured to generate commands for maneuvering the vehicle such that the hitch assembly is moved to an adjusted position at which the hitch assembly is aligned with a coupler of a trailer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hitch assist system comprising:
a mobile device remotely disposed from a vehicle and configured to receive a user input for adjusting an alignment position of a hitch assembly of a vehicle; and
a controller configured to determine a path for the vehicle to move towards an alignment position with a coupler of a trailer and to generate commands to maneuver the vehicle along the determined path, the controller further configured to initiate an alignment operation based on the user input to adjust the alignment position of the hitch assembly with the coupler and to move the vehicle to the adjusted alignment position at which the hitch assembly is aligned with the coupler of the trailer.

2. The hitch assist system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device includes a touchscreen display configured to display a view of the hitch assembly and register one or more touch events thereon for adjusting the alignment position of the hitch assembly.

3. The hitch assist system of claim 2 , wherein the touchscreen display is configured to generate a graphical icon having multiple touchpoints for adjusting the alignment position of the hitch assembly.

4. The hitch assist system of claim 3 , wherein the touchpoints allow adjustment of the alignment position in at least one of a lateral direction and a longitudinal direction.

5. The hitch assist system of claim 4 , wherein the graphical icon is configured to display a difference in position between the alignment position of the hitch assembly and the adjusted alignment position of the hitch assembly.

6. The hitch assist system of claim 3 , wherein the touchscreen display is configured to generate an indicator graphically representing the alignment position of the hitch assembly and movable in response to each touch event.

7. The hitch assist system of claim 6 , wherein the touchpoints are graphically represented as arrows and each touch event on a given touchpoint incrementally moves the indicator in a direction specified by the corresponding arrow.

8. The hitch assist system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a difference in position between the alignment position and the adjusted alignment position.

9. The hitch assist system of claim 8 , wherein the controller stores the difference in position to memory to calibrate the system and is configured to apply the difference in position to future maneuvers of the vehicle toward the trailer.

10. The hitch assist system of claim 1 , wherein the hitch assembly comprises a hitch ball and the coupler comprises a coupler ball socket.

11. A method of correcting misalignment between a hitch assembly of a vehicle and a coupler of a trailer, comprising the steps of:
determining a path to move the vehicle to align the hitch assembly with the coupler;
performing a vehicle maneuver to move the vehicle along the determined path towards an initial alignment position of the hitch assembly with the coupler;
receiving a user input via a mobile device remotely disposed from the vehicle for adjusting the alignment position of the hitch assembly with the coupler; and
generating commands through a vehicle controller for maneuvering the vehicle such that the hitch assembly is moved from the initial alignment position to the adjusted alignment position at which the hitch assembly is aligned with the coupler.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
determining a difference in position between the alignment position of the hitch assembly and the adjusted alignment position of the hitch assembly.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of:
storing the difference in position to memory to calibrate the controller.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
performing another vehicle maneuver of the vehicle towards the trailer; and
applying the difference in position to another vehicle maneuver.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Golgiri Hamid M
• Niewiadomski Luke
• Lavoie Erick Michael
• Trombley Roger Arnold

Classifications

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/50

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K35/28

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · CPC title

• B60K35/90

  Calibration of instruments, e.g. setting initial or reference parameters; Testing of instruments, e.g. detecting malfunction · CPC title

• B60K35/211

  producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images · CPC title