Automatic alignment reattempt in automatic hitch operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279187-B2
Application number	US-202016810030-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2020
Priority date	Mar 5, 2020
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A hitch assist system for a vehicle 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 determine an offset between the hitch assembly and the coupler. The controller is further configured to generate a command for maneuvering the vehicle forward based on the offset exceeding an offset threshold. The controller is further configured to generate a command for subsequently maneuvering the vehicle rearward along an alignment path. The controller is configured to prompt termination of the forward maneuver of the vehicle based on a determination that alignment of the hitch assembly with the coupler is feasible via execution of the alignment path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for assisting a vehicle in hitching with a trailer, comprising:
a sensing system configured to separately detect a vehicle hitch assembly and a trailer coupler; and
a controller configured to:
designate an initial position of a portion of the hitch assembly relative to the coupler as an attempted alignment position;
determine an offset between the hitch assembly and the coupler at the attempted alignment position;
generate a command for maneuvering the vehicle forward based on the offset exceeding an offset threshold;
generate a rearward alignment path; and
prompt termination of the forward maneuver of the vehicle based on a determination that alignment of the hitch assembly with the coupler is feasible via execution of the alignment path.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the offset between the hitch assembly and the coupler is determined while the vehicle is stopped.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensing system includes one or more cameras.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the one or more cameras is located on a rear of the vehicle and is disposed to capture one or more images of a rear-vehicle scene.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to maintain a steering angle of a pair of steered wheels of the vehicle at a fixed angle during the forward maneuver of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the hitch assembly comprises a hitch ball and the coupler comprises a coupler ball socket; and
the offset is determined between the hitch ball and the coupler ball socket.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the offset threshold is about one half of a diameter of the hitch ball.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller only terminates the forward maneuver of the vehicle based on the determination that alignment of the hitch assembly with the coupler is feasible via execution of the alignment path after a minimum forward travel distance threshold has been exceeded by the vehicle.

9. A method of correcting misalignment between a vehicle hitch assembly and a trailer coupler, comprising the steps of:
determining an offset of a hitch ball of the hitch assembly relative to the coupler;
maneuvering the vehicle forward based on the offset exceeding an offset threshold;
calculating an alignment path to align the hitch ball with the coupler;
stopping the forward maneuver of the vehicle based on at least one of a determination that alignment of the hitch ball with the coupler is feasible via execution of the alignment path and a maximum forward travel distance threshold being met by the forward maneuver of the vehicle;
maneuvering the vehicle rearward along the alignment path;
stopping the rearward maneuver of the vehicle at an end of the alignment path; and
recalculating the offset of the hitch ball relative to the coupler.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein, when in the step of stopping the forward maneuver of the vehicle, the forward maneuver of the vehicle is stopped based on the determination that alignment of the hitch ball with the coupler is feasible via execution of the alignment path, the forward maneuver of the vehicle is stopped only after a minimum forward travel distance threshold has been exceeded by the vehicle during the forward maneuver.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein, when in the step of stopping the forward maneuver of the vehicle, the forward maneuver of the vehicle is stopped based on the maximum forward travel distance threshold being met, the recalculated offset exceeds the offset threshold and the method further includes a subsequent step of maneuvering the vehicle forward based on the recalculated offset exceeding the offset threshold.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein when the forward maneuver of the vehicle is stopped based on the determination that alignment of the hitch ball with the coupler is feasible via execution of the alignment path, the distance traveled in the forward maneuver of the vehicle is less than the maximum forward travel distance threshold.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of:
maintaining a substantially constant steering angle of the steered wheels of the vehicle while maneuvering the vehicle forward.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the substantially constant steering angle is about 0°.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein a maximum steering angle of the vehicle is maintained while maneuvering the vehicle rearward along the alignment path when the forward maneuver of the vehicle is stopped based on the maximum forward travel distance threshold being met by the forward maneuver of the vehicle.

16. A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle with a trailer, comprising:
a sensing system configured to separately detect a hitch assembly of the vehicle and a coupler of the trailer; and
a controller configured to generate commands for:
maneuvering the vehicle along a positioning path to an endpoint to position the hitch assembly in an initial position adjacent to the coupler;
maneuvering the vehicle forward from the endpoint;
terminating the forward maneuver of the vehicle based on a determination that alignment of the hitch assembly with the coupler is feasible via a rearward movement of the vehicle at a designated maximum steering angle; and
subsequently maneuvering the vehicle rearward along an alignment path such that the hitch assembly is aligned with the coupler upon completion of the alignment path.

17. The hitch assist system of claim 16 , wherein an offset between the hitch assembly and the coupler is determined while the vehicle is stopped at the endpoint.

18. The hitch assist system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the command for maneuvering the vehicle forward from the endpoint based on a determination that the offset between the hitch assembly and the coupler exceeds an offset threshold.

19. The hitch assist system of claim 16 , wherein the controller determines the positioning path of the vehicle via execution of a path derivation routine and determines the alignment path of the vehicle via a subsequent execution of the path derivation routine.

20. The hitch assist system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate a command to maintain a pair of steered wheels of the vehicle at a fixed angle during the forward maneuver of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Niewiadomski Luke
• Trombley Roger Arnold
• Simmons Kyle
• Brooks-Lehnert Shannon

Classifications

• B60D1/363

  Hitch guiding or catching elements, e.g. V-shaped plates partially surrounding a coupling member for guiding the other coupling member · CPC title

• B60D1/06 Primary

  Ball-and-socket hitches · CPC title

• B60D1/62

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

• B60D1/36

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

• G06V20/56

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title