Method for truck backup with dynamic length

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12371107-B2
Application number	US-202217938463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2022
Priority date	Oct 6, 2022
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle having a tailgate configured to move between retracted and extended positions is disclosed. The vehicle includes a first detection unit, a second detection unit, a third detection unit and a control unit. The control unit obtains a first input from the first detection unit and determines whether the tailgate is in extended position. The control unit further obtains a second input and a third input from the second and third detection units respectively, when the tailgate is in the extended position. Responsive to obtaining the second and third inputs, the control unit identifies a tailgate extended orientation. In addition, the control unit detects an obstacle presence in a vehicle rear side proximity and calculates a calibrated distance between the obstacle and a tailgate top side, based on the tailgate extended orientation. The control unit notifies a vehicle user when the calibrated distance is less than a threshold.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a tailgate configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position;
a first detection unit configured to detect a tailgate latch state;
a second detection unit configured to capture a vehicle cargo box view;
a third detection unit configured to capture a vehicle rear view;
a control unit communicatively coupled to the first detection unit, the second detection unit and third detection unit, wherein the control unit is configured to:
obtain a first input from the first detection unit;
determine, based on the first input, that the tailgate is in the retracted position or in the extended position;
obtain, based on the tailgate being in the extended position or between the retracted position and the extended position, a second input from the second detection unit;
identify, based on the second input, that a field of view of the second detection unit is obstructed;
activate the third detection unit based on the second detection unit field of view being obstructed;
determine, based on a third input from the third detection unit, that a tailgate extended orientation is an intermediate position by determining that a field of view of the third detection unit comprises a view of a ground underneath the vehicle and a structure of the vehicle;
calculate a tailgate level using a length of the tailgate and an angle of the tailgate in the intermediate position;
determine, based on the third input, a presence of an obstacle in proximity of a vehicle rear side;
determine, based on the third input, whether an obstacle height is above the tailgate level;
calculate a distance between the obstacle and a tailgate edge based on the tailgate extended orientation when the obstacle height is above the tailgate level; and
notify a vehicle user when the distance is less than a predetermined threshold.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
determine whether the vehicle is in a reverse mode; and
obtain the first input based on the vehicle being in the reverse mode.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a first tailgate latch and a second tailgate latch, and the first detection unit is configured to detect the tailgate latch state by determining a first tailgate latch state and a second tailgate latch state.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the tailgate is a split tailgate having a first part and a second part, wherein the first part and the second part are side-hinged, and wherein identifying the tailgate extended orientation comprises determining an angle between a rear bottom edge of a cargo box of the vehicle and a bottom edge of the first part of the tailgate.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
identify the tailgate extended orientation based on the second input and an angle between a vehicle rear side edge and a tailgate side edge.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
calculate a length of an extended tailgate portion based on the tailgate extended orientation; and
calculate the distance between the obstacle and the tailgate edge based on the length.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising ultrasonic sensors mounted in a vehicle rear fascia, wherein the control unit is further configured to:
obtain a fourth input from the ultrasonic sensors;
determine the presence of the obstacle based on the fourth input; and
determine whether the obstacle height is above the tailgate level based on the fourth input.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
calibrate an ultrasonic sensor distance baseline based on the distance; and
notify the vehicle user based on the calibration.

9. A method to assist a vehicle user during backup of a vehicle having a tailgate, the method comprising:
obtaining, by a processor, a first input from a first detection unit configured to detect a tailgate latch state, wherein the tailgate is configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position;
determining, by the processor, whether the tailgate is in the retracted position or in the extended position based on the first input;
obtaining, by the processor, a second input from a second detection unit based on the tailgate being in the extended position or between the retracted position and the extended position, wherein the second detection unit is configured to capture a vehicle cargo box view;
identifying, by the processor, that a field of view of the second detection unit is obstructed based on the second input;
activating, by the processor, a third detection unit based on the second detection unit field of view being obstructed, wherein the third detection unit is configured to capture a vehicle rear view;
determining, by the processor and based on a third input from the third detection unit, that a tailgate extended orientation is an intermediate position by determining that a field of view of the third detection unit comprises a view of a ground underneath the vehicle and a structure of the vehicle;
calculating, by the processor, a tailgate level using a length of the tailgate and an angle of the tailgate in the intermediate position;
determining, by the processor, a presence of an obstacle in proximity of a vehicle rear side based on the third input;
determining, by the processor, whether an obstacle height is above a tailgate level based on the third input;
calculating, by the processor, a distance between the obstacle and a tailgate edge based on the tailgate extended orientation when the obstacle height is above the tailgate level; and notifying, by the processor, the vehicle user when the distance is less than a predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
determining whether the vehicle is in a reverse mode; and
obtaining the first input based on the vehicle being in the reverse mode.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle comprises a first tailgate latch and a second tailgate latch, and the first detection unit is configured to detect the tailgate latch state by determining a first tailgate latch state and a second tailgate latch state.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the tailgate is a split tailgate having a first part and a second part, wherein the first part and the second part are side-hinged, and wherein the first detection unit is further configured to detect the tailgate latch state of the first part and the second part.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
identifying, by the processor, the tailgate extended orientation based on the second input and an angle between a vehicle rear side edge and a tailgate side edge.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
calculating a length of an extended tailgate portion based on the tailgate extended orientation; and
calculating the distance between the obstacle and the tailgate edge based on the length.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
obtaining a fourth input from ultrasonic sensors mounted in a vehicle rear fascia;
determining the presence of the obstacle based on the fourth input; and
determining whether the obstacle height is above the tailgate level based on the fourth input.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
calibrating an ultrasonic sensor distance baseline based on the distance; and
notifying the vehicle user based on the calibration.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in a distributed computing system, the non-transitory computer-re

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ghannam Mahmoud Yousef
• Bondy Bradford Scott
• Hamdan Muhannad Anwar
• Wegner Christian

Classifications

• E05F15/43

  responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound · CPC title

• E05Y2900/516

  for trucks or trailers · CPC title

• E05F2015/433

  using reflection from the obstruction · CPC title

• E05Y2900/546

  Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards · CPC title

• B62D33/03

  by swinging down {(B62D33/0273 takes precedence)} · CPC title