Systems and methods to assist in coupling a vehicle to a trailer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9403413-B2
Application number	US-201514706821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2015
Priority date	May 7, 2014
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods for assisting in coupling a vehicle and a trailer include at least one sensing device disposed on the vehicle. A first coupling is coupled the vehicle and a second coupling is coupled to the trailer. A controller in communication with the at least one sensing device is configured to identify a spatial location of the first coupling. The controller is also configured to determine a spatial location of the second coupling using data from the at least one sensing device. The controller may also calculate a path between the spatial location of the first coupling and the spatial location of the second coupling and convey the path for facilitating movement of the first coupling toward the second coupling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of assisting in coupling a vehicle and a trailer, said method comprising:
providing a first transceiver at a first predetermined position;
providing a second transceiver at a second predetermined position;
disposing a third transceiver adjacent to a first coupling that is operatively connected to the vehicle;
identifying a spatial location of the first coupling with a controller;
based on the identification of the spatial location of the first coupling, moving the third transceiver adjacent to a second coupling that is operatively connected to the trailer;
sending wireless signals between each of the transceivers;
determining a spatial location of the second coupling using triangulation based on the timing of the wireless signals with the controller;
calculating a path between the spatial location of the first coupling and the spatial location of the second coupling with the controller; and
conveying the path for facilitating movement of the first coupling toward the second coupling.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein identifying the spatial location of the first coupling comprises:
sending wireless signals between each of said transceivers.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 , wherein identifying the spatial location of the first coupling includes determining the spatial location of the first coupling using triangulation based on the timing of the wireless signals.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein conveying the path comprises displaying the path to a user.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein conveying the path comprises transmitting the path to a steering control unit.

6. A method of assisting in coupling a vehicle and a trailer, said method comprising:
providing a camera positioned such that an image produced by the camera includes a region to a rear of the vehicle;
determining a position of a first coupling that is operatively connected to the vehicle based on the image;
calculating a spatial location of the first coupling from the determined position of the first coupling;
determining a position of a second coupling that is operatively connected to the trailer based on the image;
calculating a spatial location of the second coupling relative to the first coupling from the determined position of the second coupling;
calculating an alignment between the first coupling and the second coupling based on the calculated spatial location of the first coupling and the second coupling, the alignment comprising an angle between an axis of a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and an axis disposed through the first coupling and the second coupling;
calculating a path between the spatial location of the first coupling and the spatial location of the second coupling; and
conveying the path for facilitating movement of the first coupling toward the second coupling,
wherein conveying the path includes conveying a misalignment or alignment between the vehicle and the trailer.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 , wherein determining the position of the first coupling includes disposing a first light source adjacent to the first coupling and determining the position of the second coupling further comprises disposing a second light source adjacent to the second coupling.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 , wherein conveying the misalignment or the alignment between the vehicle and the trailer further comprises:
illuminating at least one of the first light source and the second light source to provide visual feedback of the alignment or misalignment.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7 , wherein conveying the path further comprises:
illuminating at least one of the first light source and the second light source based on a distance to travel between the first coupling and the second coupling.

10. The method as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the first coupling includes a hitch ball and calculating the spatial location of the first coupling includes applying a Hough Transform to the image.

11. The method as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the first coupling includes a hitch ball and calculating the spatial location of the first coupling further comprises receiving the size of the hitch ball.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 , wherein receiving the size of the hitch ball includes applying a Hough Transform to the image to calculate the size of the hitch ball.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein receiving the size of the hitch ball includes receiving the size of the hitch ball from a user via a human-machine interface (“HMI”).

14. The method as set forth in claim 6 , wherein conveying the path comprises displaying the path on a human-machine interface.

15. The method as set forth in claim 6 , wherein conveying the path comprises transmitting the path to a steering control unit.

16. A system for assisting in coupling a vehicle and a trailer, comprising:
a first coupling that is operatively connected to the vehicle;
a second coupling that is operatively connected to the trailer and connectable to the first coupling;
at least one sensing device disposed on the vehicle, the at least one sensing device including a first transceiver disposed at a first predetermined position of the vehicle, a second transceiver disposed at a second predetermined position of the vehicle and a third transceiver movable relative to the vehicle;
a controller in communication with said at least one sensing device and configured to
identify a spatial location of the first coupling based on a position of the third transceiver as adjacent to the first coupling;
determine a spatial location of the second coupling based on a position of the third transceiver as adjacent to the second coupling;
calculate a path between the spatial location of the first coupling and the spatial location of the second coupling; and
convey the path for facilitating movement of the first coupling toward the second coupling.

17. The system as set forth in claim 16 , wherein:
each of said first transceiver, said second transceiver, and said third transceiver are configured to send wireless signals to said other transceivers and receive wireless signals from each other.

18. The system as set forth in claim 16 further comprising a steering control unit in communication with said controller for controlling operation of the steering of the vehicle and wherein said controller transmits the path to said steering control unit.

19. The system as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to output the path to a human-machine interface.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Talty Timothy J
• Shields Mark E
• Zhang Wende
• Wuergler Michael A
• Hole Vernon

Classifications

• B60D1/36 Primary

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

• 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

• B60D1/24

  characterised by arrangements for particular functions · CPC title

• B60W30/00

  Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units · CPC title

• B60D1/62

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