Trailer backup assist system

• US 10,160,382 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pliefke, Sebastian, Diessner, Horst D., Weber, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Mung, On S
• Application Number:
  US14/613,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20150217693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 348118
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/245 for facilitating push back or parking of trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 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 Class Codes: B60R 1/003 for viewing trailer hitches
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/808 for facilitating docking to a trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/027 Parking aids, e.g. instruction means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A trailer backup assist system of a vehicle includes a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior and rearward of the vehicle. An image processor is operable to process image data captured by the camera. With a trailer connected at the rear of the vehicle, the image processor is operable to determine an angle of the trailer relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. A user input is operable by a user to select a general direction or zone of travel of the trailer during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle. Responsive to the determined trailer angle and the selected zone of travel, the trailer backup assist system is operable to control the steering of the vehicle to drive the vehicle and trailer rearward such that the trailer travels generally towards a region encompassed by the selected direction or zone of travel.

Claims

1. A trailer backup assist system of a vehicle, said trailer backup assist system comprising:

a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior and rearward of the vehicle;

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera;

wherein, with a trailer connected at the rear of the vehicle, said image processor, responsive at least in part to image processing of image data captured by said camera, determines a trailer angle of the trailer relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle;

a display screen disposed in the vehicle viewable by a driver of the vehicle when operating the vehicle, wherein said display screen is operable to display images derived from image data captured by said camera;

wherein said trailer backup assist system is operable to electronically overlay a plurality of zones at the images displayed by said display screen, wherein each individual zone of said plurality of zones is indicative of a respective individual region rearward of the vehicle and trailer;

a user input operable by a driver to select an individual zone of the plurality of zones as a zone of travel for the trailer during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle;

and

wherein, responsive to the selected zone of travel for the trailer, said trailer backup assist system controls, during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle and trailer, steering of the vehicle to steer the vehicle and trailer such that, during the reversing maneuver, the trailer travels towards the respective individual region displayed in the displayed images and encompassed by the overlay of the selected zone of travel.

2. The trailer backup assist system of claim 1, wherein said image processor determines the angle of the trailer via determining a location of a target disposed at the trailer.

3. The trailer backup assist system of claim 2, wherein image data captured by said camera is morphed by image processing by said image processor before determining the location of said target.

4. The trailer backup assist system of claim 3, wherein said image data, when morphed by image processing, results in straightened lines in regions of image data captured by said camera.

5. The trailer backup assist system of claim 2, wherein, when connecting the trailer at the vehicle, said trailer backup assist system determines a zone where said target is located, and wherein the steering of the vehicle is controlled responsive at least in part to the determined zone.

6. The trailer backup assist system of claim 5, wherein the overlay of the plurality of zones comprises an overlay of a plurality of pie-shaped zones electronically overlayed at the images displayed by said display screen so as to appear at the displayed images at the rear of the vehicle and partially surrounding a hitch of the vehicle.

7. The trailer backup assist system of claim 6, wherein said system controls the vehicle steering to maintain said target in the selected zone of travel, and wherein the driver adjusts the vehicle steering to assist guiding the trailer in the desired direction of travel.

8. The trailer backup assist system of claim 1, wherein the overlay of the plurality of zones comprises an overlay of a plurality of pie-shaped zones overlayed at the images displayed by said display screen so as to appear at the displayed images at the rear of the vehicle and partially surrounding a hitch of the vehicle.

9. The trailer backup assist system of claim 8, wherein said system controls the vehicle steering to maintain a portion of the trailer in the selected zone of travel during reversing of the vehicle and trailer.

10. The trailer backup assist system of claim 9, wherein the driver adjusts the vehicle steering to assist in guiding the trailer in the desired direction of travel during reversing of the vehicle and trailer.

11. The trailer backup assist system of claim 9, wherein said image processor determines the angle of the trailer via determining a location of a target disposed at the trailer, and wherein said system controls the vehicle steering to move the target of the trailer relative to the overlayed plurality of zones in a manner that guides the trailer towards the respective individual region encompassed by the selected zone of travel during reversing of the vehicle and trailer.

12. A trailer backup assist system of a vehicle, said trailer backup assist system comprising:

a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior and rearward of the vehicle;

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera;

wherein, with a trailer connected at the rear of the vehicle, said image processor, responsive at least in part to image processing of image data captured by said camera, determines a trailer angle of the trailer relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle;

wherein said image processor determines the angle of the trailer via determining a location of a target disposed at the trailer;

a display screen disposed in the vehicle viewable by a driver of the vehicle when operating the vehicle, wherein said display screen is operable to display images derived from image data captured by said camera;

wherein said trailer backup assist system is operable to electronically overlay a plurality of zones at the images displayed by said display screen, wherein each individual zone of said plurality of zones is indicative of a respective individual region rearward of the vehicle and trailer;

a user input operable by a driver to select an individual zone of the plurality of zones as a zone of travel for the trailer during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle;

wherein the user selects the selected zone of travel based on the displayed overlay of the plurality of zones at the display screen; and

wherein, responsive to the selected zone of travel for the trailer, said trailer backup assist system controls, during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle and trailer, steering of the vehicle to steer the vehicle and trailer such that, during the reversing maneuver, the trailer travels towards the respective individual region displayed in the displayed images and encompassed by the overlay of the selected zone of travel.

13. The trailer backup assist system of claim 12, wherein, during connection of the trailer at the vehicle, said trailer backup assist system determines a zone where said target is located and wherein the steering of the vehicle is controlled responsive at least in part to the determined zone.

14. The trailer backup assist system of claim 12, wherein said system controls the vehicle steering to maintain said target in the selected zone of travel, and wherein the driver adjusts the vehicle steering to assist guiding the trailer in the desired direction of travel during reversing of the vehicle and trailer.

15. The trailer backup assist system of claim 12, wherein the driver adjusts the vehicle steering to assist in guiding the trailer in the desired direction of travel during reversing of the vehicle and trailer.

16. The trailer backup assist system of claim 12, wherein said system controls the vehicle steering to move the target of the trailer relative to the overlayed plurality of zones in a manner that guides the trailer towards the region encompassed by the overlay of the selected zone of travel during reversing of the vehicle and trailer.

17. A trailer backup assist system of a vehicle, said trailer backup assist system comprising:

a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior and rearward of the vehicle;

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera;

p1 wherein, during connection of a trailer at the rear of the vehicle, said trailer backup assist system determines a zone where a portion of the trailer is located and wherein the steering of the vehicle is controlled responsive at least in part to the determined zone;

wherein, with the trailer connected at the rear of the vehicle, said image processor, responsive at least in part to image processing of image data captured by said camera, determines an angle of the trailer relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle;

a display screen disposed in the vehicle viewable by a driver of the vehicle when operating the vehicle, wherein said display screen is operable to display images derived from image data captured by said camera;

wherein said trailer backup assist system is operable to electronically overlay a plurality of zones at the images displayed by said display screen, wherein each individual zone of said plurality of zones is indicative of a respective individual region rearward of the vehicle and trailer;

a user input operable by a driver to select an individual zone of the plurality of zones as a zone of travel for the trailer during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle;

wherein the user selects the selected zone of travel based on the displayed overlay of the plurality of zones at the display screen; and

wherein, responsive to the selected zone of travel for the trailer, said trailer backup assist system controls, during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle and trailer, steering of the vehicle to steer the vehicle and trailer such that, during the reversing maneuver, the trailer travels towards the respective individual region displayed in the displayed images and encompassed by the overlay of the selected zone of travel.

18. The trailer backup assist system of claim 17, wherein the driver adjusts the vehicle steering to assist guiding the trailer towards the region encompassed by the overlay of the selected zone of travel during reversing of the vehicle and trailer.

19. The trailer backup assist system of claim 18, wherein said image processor determines the angle of the trailer via determining a location of a target disposed at the trailer.

20. The trailer backup assist system of claim 17, wherein said system controls the vehicle steering to guide the trailer through multiple regions encompassed by respective overlayed zones so as to maneuver the trailer towards the selected individual region encompassed by the overlay of the selected zone of travel during reversing of the vehicle and trailer.