Trailer hitching assistance system including trailer type identification and adaptive interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023415648-A1
Application number	US-202318367057-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 12, 2023
Priority date	Jun 29, 2021
Publication date	Dec 28, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a controller that identifies at least one of the trailer or a coupling feature of the trailer within image data and determines that the at least one of the trailer or the coupling feature is outside of a target position area relative to the vehicle and outputs an instruction for movement of the vehicle determined to position the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area in response to identifying at least one indication of a user difficulty in positioning the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer, comprising:
an imaging system outputting image data of a field of view directed rearward from the vehicle, the imaging system including a first camera and a second camera; and a controller:
identifying at least one of the trailer or a coupling feature of the trailer within the image data;
determining that the at least one of the trailer or the coupling feature is outside of a target position area relative to the vehicle and outputting an instruction for movement of the vehicle determined to position the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area in response to identifying at least one indication of a user difficulty in positioning the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area; and
determining that the at least one of the coupling feature and the trailer is within the target position area and outputting a steering signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to steer to align a hitch of the vehicle with the coupling feature.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one indication of user difficulty in positioning the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area includes a number of changes in a state of a vehicle gear selector passing a predetermined gear change threshold.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one indication of user difficulty in positioning the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area includes a distance traveled while the controller determines that the at least one of the trailer or the coupling feature is outside of the target position area exceeds a predefined distance threshold.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one indication of user difficulty in positioning the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area includes a time elapsed while the controller determines that the at least one of the trailer or the coupling feature is outside of the target position area exceeding a predefined time threshold.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instruction for movement of the vehicle determined to position the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area includes an overhead depiction of the vehicle relative to the trailer and a heading indication of the trailer, presented on a display within the vehicle.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller further:
causes a portion of the image data to be presented on a display within the vehicle; identifies at least one of the trailer or the coupling feature of the trailer within the image data and assigns a trailer type to the trailer identified within the image data, the trailer type including a first trailer type and a second trailer type.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein
the first trailer type is a conventional trailer configured for coupling with the vehicle at a hitch ball disposed on a rear of the vehicle; and the second trailer type is a fifth-wheel trailer configured for coupling with the vehicle at a kingpin disposed over a rear axle of the vehicle;

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein:
when the assigned trailer type is the fifth-wheel trailer, the controller further configures the target position area to be disposed from a front of the trailer; and the instruction for movement of the vehicle determined to position the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area further includes an instruction to align a heading angle of the vehicle with a heading angle of the trailer within a predetermined threshold.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instruction for movement of the vehicle determined to position the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area includes an instruction graphic.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the instruction graphic includes a graphical vehicle representation, a graphical trailer representation, heading indications for the vehicle and the trailer, respectively, and an arrow indicating a direction for movement of the vehicle.

11 . The system of claim 1 , further including, in connection with determining that the at least one of the coupling feature and the trailer is within the target position area, outputting a graphic confirmation indication.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the graphic confirmation indication includes a change of color of a target graphic associated with the target position area and displayed upon identifying the at least one of the trailer or coupling feature.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the graphic confirmation indication includes a change of shape of a target graphic associated with the target position area and displayed upon identifying the at least one of the trailer or coupling feature.

14 . A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer, comprising:
a vehicle human-machine interface including a display screen within an interior of the vehicle; an imaging system outputting image data of a field of view directed rearward from the vehicle, the imaging system including a first camera and a second camera; and a controller:
identifying at least one of the trailer or a coupling feature of the trailer within the image data;
outputting a target graphic associated with the target position area on the display screen, the target graphic being associated with a target position area relative to the vehicle;
determining that the at least one of the trailer or the coupling feature is outside of the target position area relative to the vehicle and outputting an instruction for movement of the vehicle determined to position the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area in response to identifying at least one indication of a user difficulty in positioning the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area; and
determining that the at least one of the coupling feature and the trailer is within the target position area and outputting a steering signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to steer to align a hitch of the vehicle with the coupling feature.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one indication of user difficulty in positioning the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area includes at least one of:
a number of changes in a state of a vehicle gear selector passing a predetermined gear change threshold; a distance traveled while the controller determines that the at least one of the trailer or the coupling feature is outside of the target position area exceeds a predefined distance threshold; and a time elapsed while the controller determines that the at least one of the trailer or the coupling feature is outside of the target position area exceeding a predefined time threshold.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the instruction for movement of the vehicle determined to position the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area includes an overhead depiction of the vehicle relative to the trailer and a heading indication of the trailer, presented on a display within the vehicle.

17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the controller further:
causes a portion of the image data to be presented on the display; identifies at least one of the trailer or the coupling feature of the trailer within the image data and assigns a trailer type to the trailer identified

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Raeis Hosseiny Seyed Armin
• Bao Bo
• Niewiadomski Luke
• Trombley Roger Arnold

Classifications

• B62D53/08

  Fifth wheel traction couplings {(tractors for handling trailers in terminals B62D49/007)} · CPC title

• 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

• B60D1/36 Primary

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

• B60R11/04

  Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• B62D53/0842 Primary

  King pins · CPC title