Trailer backup assist system with waypoint selection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9926008-B2
Application number	US-201514627758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2015
Priority date	Apr 19, 2011
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A method of backing a trailer attached to a vehicle is provided herein. The method includes the steps of generating a plurality of waypoints on a display of the vehicle and selecting one of the plurality waypoints. The method also includes setting a trailer orientation for the selected waypoint and determining a backing path based on the selected waypoint and the set trailer orientation. The method further includes backing the trailer along the backing path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A trailer backup method comprising the steps of:
generating an aerial view on a display showing a vehicle attached to a trailer, and a plurality of parking locations positioned to the sides of the vehicle and the trailer, each parking location represented by a box;
selecting one of the parking locations, wherein the box associated with a selected parking location has an enlarged border so as to be visually distinguishable from the boxes associated with unselected parking locations;
displaying a trailer-shaped model inside the selected parking location;
setting a trailer orientation by manipulating the trailer-shaped model;
determining a backing path for achieving the set trailer orientation at the selected parking location; and
backing a trailer along the backing path.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one of the parking locations is selected using one of a rotatable knob and a touch event registered on a touchscreen of the display.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of driving a vehicle in a forward direction until the backing path has been determined.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining a backing path is based on backing parameters comprising a predetermined depth of the selected parking location, a width of the selected parking location, and a width of an initial path on which the trailer is currently located.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of autonomously steering the vehicle while backing the trailer along the backing path.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of modifying the backing path while backing the trailer along the backing path.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of modifying comprises providing a rotatable knob for adjusting a curvature of the backing path.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the box associated with the selected parking location is displayed in a different color than the boxes associated with unselected parking locations or made to blink.

9. A trailer backup method comprising the steps of:
displaying an aerial representation of a vehicle and a trailer;
generating a plurality of parking locations, each parking location represented by a box adjacent to one of the vehicle and the trailer;
selecting one of the parking locations, wherein the box associated with a selected parking location has an enlarged border so as to be visually distinguishable from the boxes associated with unselected parking locations;
displaying a trailer-shaped model inside the selected parking location, the trailer-shaped model having an indicator pointing to the front of the trailer-shaped model;
setting a trailer orientation by rotating the trailer-shaped model;
determining a backing path terminating at the selected parking location and resulting in the set trailer orientation; and
backing the trailer along the backing path.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the one of the parking locations is selected using one of a rotatable knob and a touch event registered on a touchscreen.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of driving the vehicle in a forward direction until the backing path has been determined.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of determining a backing path is based on backing parameters comprising a predetermined depth of the selected parking location, a width of the selected parking location, and a width of an initial path on which the trailer is currently located.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of modifying the backing path while backing the trailer along the backing path.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of modifying comprises providing a rotatable knob for adjusting a curvature of the backing path.

15. A trailer backup method comprising the steps of:
displaying an aerial representation of a vehicle and a trailer;
generating a plurality of parking locations, each parking location represented by a box;
selecting one of the parking locations, wherein the box associated with a selected parking location has an enlarged border so as to be visually distinguishable from the boxes associated with unselected parking locations;
displaying a trailer-shaped model inside the selected parking location;
setting a trailer orientation by rotating the trailer-shaped model about a central point;
determining a backing path for achieving the set trailer orientation at the selected parking location; and
backing the trailer along the backing path.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one of the parking locations is selected using one of a rotatable knob and a touch event registered on a touchscreen.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of driving the vehicle in a forward direction until the backing path has been determined.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of determining a backing path is based on backing parameters comprising a predetermined depth of the selected parking location, a width of the selected parking location, and a width of an initial path on which the trailer is currently located.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of autonomously steering the vehicle while backing the trailer along the backing path.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of modifying for the backup path by using a rotatable knob to adjust a curvature of the backing path.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Hafner Michael
• Pilutti Thomas Edward

Classifications

• G08G1/143

  inside the vehicles · CPC title

• B60D1/245

  for facilitating push back or parking of trailers · CPC title

• B60D1/62

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

• G08G1/14

  indicating individual free spaces in parking areas · CPC title

• H04N7/183

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title