Vehicular trailer hitching assist system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11813987-B2
Application number	US-202318167922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2023
Priority date	Sep 14, 2004
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A vehicular trailer hitching assist system includes a rear backup camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle and a control disposed in the vehicle. A display device includes a video display screen operable to display video images for viewing by a driver of the vehicle. Responsive to the driver initiating a hitching maneuver event by engaging reverse gear of the vehicle, rear backup video images derived from image data captured by the rear backup camera are displayed at the video display screen. An overlay overlays the displayed rear backup video images and aids in guiding connection of a trailer hitch of the equipped vehicle to a trailer tongue of a trailer. Continued display of rear backup video images that are overlaid by the overlay is ceased upon elapse of a threshold period of time or upon exceeding a threshold speed or upon exceeding a threshold distance traveled.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular trailer hitching assist system, said vehicular trailer hitching assist system comprising:
a rear backup camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular trailer hitching assist system;
wherein said rear backup camera that is disposed at the rear portion of the equipped vehicle views at least a portion of a vehicle bumper of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said rear backup camera comprises a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) imaging array;
said rear backup camera having a field of view at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;
said rear backup camera capturing image data during operation of the equipped vehicle;
a control disposed in the equipped vehicle;
said control comprising circuitry;
where said control receives a signal indicative of selection by a driver of the equipped vehicle of a transmission gear of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said control connects to a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
a display device of the equipped vehicle, said display device comprising a video display screen operable to display video images for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle during operation of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said control controls display of video images at said video display screen;
wherein, responsive to the driver initiating a hitching maneuver event by engaging reverse gear of the equipped vehicle, rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera are displayed at said video display screen;
wherein at least one overlay overlays the displayed rear backup video images;
wherein the at least one overlay aids in guiding connection of a trailer hitch of the equipped vehicle to a trailer tongue of a trailer;
wherein, during the hitching maneuver event, and while the driver of the equipped vehicle is maneuvering the equipped vehicle back and forth to align the trailer hitch of the equipped vehicle with the trailer tongue of the trailer, (a) said video display screen displays rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera that are overlaid by the at least one overlay during backward movement of the equipped vehicle with reverse gear selected by the driver and (b) said video display screen continues to display rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera that are overlaid by the at least one overlay during short-term forward movement of the equipped vehicle in drive gear that lasts until a threshold period of time elapses;
wherein the threshold period of time is not longer than 10 seconds; and
wherein the continued display at said video display screen of rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera that are overlaid by the at least one overlay is ceased by said control upon elapse of the threshold period of time.

2. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 1 , comprising a data processor, wherein the equipped vehicle is equipped with a sensor system comprising at least one non-visual sensor, and wherein said at least one non-visual sensor senses sensor data in a region external of the equipped vehicle, and wherein sensed sensor data is provided to the data processor, and wherein, via processing at the data processor of sensor data sensed by said at least one non-visual sensor, a potential hazard present exterior the equipped vehicle is determined to exist when the driver is reversing the equipped vehicle.

3. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 2 , wherein said at least one non-visual sensor comprises at least one ultrasonic sensor, and wherein said sensor system detects presence of an obstacle that is adjacent to the equipped vehicle.

4. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 2 , wherein said at least one non-visual sensor comprises at least one radar sensor, and wherein said sensor system detects presence of an obstacle that is adjacent to the equipped vehicle.

5. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 2 , wherein said at least one non-visual sensor comprises at least one radar sensor, and wherein said sensor system detects presence of a human that is adjacent to the equipped vehicle.

6. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 2 , wherein said at least one non-visual sensor comprises at least one ultrasonic sensor, and wherein said sensor system detects presence of a human that is adjacent to the equipped vehicle.

7. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 1 , wherein the equipped vehicle is equipped with a sensor system comprising at least one ultrasonic sensor, and wherein said sensor system detects presence of an obstacle that is adjacent to the equipped vehicle.

8. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 1 , wherein the equipped vehicle is equipped with a sensor system comprising at least one ultrasonic sensor, and wherein said sensor system detects presence of a human that is adjacent to the equipped vehicle.

9. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 1 , wherein said video display screen is disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle.

10. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle comprises a Controller Area Network (CAN).

11. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 10 , comprising a data processor, and wherein the data processor processes image data captured by said rear backup camera to alert the driver to a potential hazard present in a path of travel of the equipped vehicle.

12. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 11 , wherein said data processor has a data processing speed of at least 5 million instructions per second (MIPS).

13. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 1 , comprising a data processor, wherein the data processor processes image data captured by said rear backup camera to alert the driver to a potential hazard present in a path of travel of the equipped vehicle.

14. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 13 , wherein said data processor has a data processing speed of at least 5 million instructions per second (MIPS).

15. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 1 , comprising a data processor, wherein, via processing at said data processor of image data captured by said rear backup camera, presence of an obstacle adjacent to the equipped vehicle is detected.

16. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 1 , comprising a data processor, wherein, via processing at said data processor of image data captured by said rear backup camera, presence of a human adjacent to the equipped vehicle is detected.

17. The vehicular trailer hitching assist system of claim 1 , wherein said display device is disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle, and wherein at least one of (a) said display device displays rear backup video images for viewing through a mirror reflective element of said interior rearview mirror assembly by the driver of the equipped vehicle and (b) said display device automatically extends from said interior rearview mirror assembly responsive to a vehicle transmission being shifted into reverse gear, and wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a molded plastic mounting arm having a ball member at one end thereof and having electrical conducting elements extending therethrough, and wherein a mirror mounting portion is molded over said ball member, and wherein s

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Karner Lee
• Schofield Kenneth
• Lynam Niall R

Classifications

• B60R1/00 Primary

  Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles · CPC title

• B29C45/0017 Primary

  moulding interconnected elements which are movable with respect to one another, e.g. chains or hinges · CPC title

• B29C45/14754

  being in movable or releasable engagement with the coating, e.g. bearing assemblies · CPC title

• B60C9/00

  Reinforcements or ply arrangement of pneumatic tyres (inserts having reinforcing means B60C5/08; bead structure, e.g. turnup or overlap construction, B60C15/00) · CPC title

• B60Q9/00

  Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} · CPC title