Automated hitching system with steering acquisition and handoff

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208145-B2
Application number	US-201916269974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2019
Priority date	Feb 7, 2019
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle hitching assistance system includes a steering system having steered vehicle wheels mounted on an exterior of the vehicle and a steering motor mechanically coupled with the steered vehicle wheels. The system further includes controller that acquires control of the steered vehicle wheels by connection with the steering motor and, after acquiring control of the steered vehicle wheels, receives a command to execute an automated hitching maneuver and controls the steered vehicle wheels using the steering motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle hitching assistance system, comprising:
a steering system, including: steered vehicle wheels mounted on an exterior of the vehicle;
a steering wheel mounted in an interior of the vehicle and mechanically coupled with the steered vehicle wheels; and
a steering motor mechanically coupled with the steered vehicle wheels;
memory including at least one stored routine; and a
controller executing the at least one stored routine by:
upon activation of the system, acquiring control of the steered vehicle wheels by connection with the steering motor and causing the steering motor to move the steering wheel in a low-amplitude oscillation to indicate control of the steered vehicle wheels to a driver of the vehicle; and
after indicating control of the steered vehicle wheels, receiving a command to execute an automated hitching maneuver and controlling the steered vehicle wheels using the steering motor in reversing the vehicle toward a target trailer.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein, upon one of completing the automated hitching maneuver or no longer receiving the command to execute the automated hitching maneuver with the steered vehicle wheels in a non-zero steering angle, the controller causes the steered vehicle wheels to move to a position such that a steering angle of the steered vehicle wheels is zero.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein, after causing the steered vehicle wheels to move to the position such that the steering angle of the steered vehicle wheels is zero, the controller relinquishes control of the steered vehicle wheels.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller causes the steering motor to move the steering wheel by an amount perceptible to a user of the system to indicate control of the steered vehicle wheels to the user.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein acquiring control of the steered vehicle wheels includes: determining an initial steering angle of the steered vehicle wheels; and
sending a command to the steering motor corresponding with movement of the steered vehicle wheels to the initial steering angle of the steered vehicle wheels.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
the steering system further includes a steering angle sensor, the controller being in communication with the steering angle sensor; and
the controller determines the initial steered vehicle wheel angle from the steering angle sensor.

7. A vehicle hitching assistance system, comprising:
a steering system, including:
steered vehicle wheels mounted on an exterior of the vehicle; and a steering motor mechanically coupled with the steered vehicle wheels;
memory including at least one stored routine; and a
controller executing the at least one stored routine by:
receiving a command to execute an automated hitching maneuver;
upon receiving the command to execute an automated hitching maneuver, acquiring control of the steered vehicle wheels by connection with the steering motor and causing the steering motor to move the steering vehicle wheel in a low-amplitude oscillation to indicate control of the steered vehicle wheels to a driver of the vehicle; and
executing the automated hitching maneuver including, after indicating control of the steered vehicle wheels, controlling the steered vehicle wheels using the steering motor; and
ending the automated hitching maneuver with the steered vehicle wheels positioned at a non-zero steering angle and causing the steered vehicle wheels to move to a position such that a steering angle of the steered vehicle wheels is zero.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein, after causing the steered vehicle wheels to move to the zero-degree turn position, the controller relinquishes control of the steered vehicle wheels.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller further acquires control of the steered vehicle wheels by connection with the steering motor before being able to receive the command to execute the automated hitching maneuver.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the steering system further includes a steering wheel mounted in an interior of the vehicle and mechanically coupled with the steered vehicle wheels.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein causing the steered vehicle wheels to move to the position such that a steering angle of the steered vehicle wheels is zero causes the steering wheel to move to a centered position.

12. A vehicle, comprising:
a steering system, including:
steered vehicle wheels mounted on an exterior of the vehicle; and
a steering motor mechanically coupled with the steered vehicle wheels;
memory including at least one stored routine; and
a controller executing the at least one stored routine by:
upon activation of the system, acquiring control of the steered vehicle wheels by connection with the steering motor and causing the steering motor to move the steering vehicle wheel in a low-amplitude oscillation to indicate control of the steered vehicle wheels to a driver of the vehicle;
after acquiring control of the steered vehicle wheels, receiving a command to execute an automated hitching maneuver and controlling the steered vehicle wheels using the steering motor; and
ending the automated hitching maneuver with the steered vehicle wheels in a non-zero steering angle and—causing the steered vehicle wheels to move to a position such that a steering angle of the steered vehicle wheels is zero.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , further comprising a steering wheel mounted in an interior of the vehicle and mechanically coupled with the steered vehicle wheels.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein, after acquiring control of the steered vehicle wheels, the controller causes the steering motor to move the steered vehicle wheels to cause movement of the steering wheel to indicate control of the steered vehicle wheels.

15. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein causing the steered vehicle wheels to move to the position such that the steering angle of the steered vehicle wheels is zero causes the steering wheel to move to a centered position.

16. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein acquiring control of the steered vehicle wheels includes: determining an initial steering angle of the steered vehicle wheels; and sending a command to the steering motor corresponding with movement of the steered vehicle wheels to the initial steering angle of the steered vehicle wheels.

17. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein: after causing the steered vehicle wheels to move to the position such that the steering angle of the steered vehicle wheels is zero, the controller relinquishes control of the steered vehicle wheels; and the controller further acquires control of the steered vehicle wheels by connection with the steering motor before being able to receive the command to execute the automated hitching maneuver.

18. The system of claim 1 , further including an imaging system in communication with the controller, wherein: the controller identifies the subject trailer in data received from the imaging system upon activation of the system and before acquiring control of the steered vehicle wheels.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller requires that the command to execute the automated hitching maneuver be continuously received when controlling the steered vehicle wheels using the steering motor in reversing the vehicle toward the trailer.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Niewiadomski Luke
• Simmons Kyle
• Sharma Arnav

Classifications

• B62D15/028

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

• B62D15/0285 Primary

  Parking performed automatically · CPC title

• B62D5/04

  electrical, e.g. using an electric servo-motor connected to, or forming part of, the steering gear · CPC title

• 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

• B62D15/021

  Determination of steering angle · CPC title