Trailer backing up device and method

• US 20040215374A1
• Filed: 04/24/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Britta Shepard, Daniel R. Shepard
• Original Assignee: Glimpse Waters, Inc.
• Inventors: Shepard, Daniel Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,715,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/58 Auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 3/00 Fittings to facilitate pushing B60D1/00 takes precedence; vehicle bumpers B60R19/02; steering arrangements for backing a normally-drawn trailer B62D13/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/06 Tractor-trailer swaying
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/08 Driving in reverse
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations

Abstract

The present invention, when used in conjunction with a trailer to be backed-up, will indicate to the driver which direction to steer his vehicle as well as when and how much to steer. Trailers have been around for many years, yet every summer and winter one can observe the owners of boats and snowmobiles, respectively, backing up those devices on trailers with great difficulty. The problem arises from the fact that a trailer being backed-up is an inherently unstable system. A trailer being pushed wants to turn around and be pulled (i.e., to jackknife) instead. To compensate for this instability, the driver must skillfully reverse the direction of his steering so as to cause the trailer to want to turn around and be pulled from the opposite side thereby repeatedly crossing the centerline of the pushing vehicle. The moment when the trailer crosses this centerline is the moment of greatest instability and the position in which the driver would most desire to have the trailer travel. The present invention can be used with vehicles specially equipped for pushing a trailer having the present invention or, with certain simplifying assumptions, can be used with any vehicle. In a specially equipped vehicle, one could incorporate servomechanisms which would cause the vehicle to steer itself while the driver indicates the direction desired for the trailer to travel. With the incorporation of GPS or other direction sensing equipment, the driver would have only to operate the accelerator and brake. In a vehicle not specially equipped, a pointer would indicate, for the current position of the vehicle'"'"'s steering wheel, in what direction the trailer is presently being directed; to back-up the trailer, the driver would turn the vehicle'"'"'s wheel such that the pointer is kept pointing in the direction of the intended trailer destination.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the direction of a first vehicle connected to and being pushed by a second vehicle comprising the steps of:

a) measuring the angle of the connection between the first and second vehicle,

b) measuring the amount of steering of the second vehicle,

c) determining the change in position of said vehicles whereby said first and second vehicle become generally in-line.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of indicating a reference direction, said direction being the projected direction of where said first and second vehicle will be generally in-line.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising controlling the direction of said first vehicle by controlling the direction of said second vehicle based upon said reference direction.

4. The method of claim 3 whereby said controlling of the direction of said second vehicle is performed by a human operator.

5. The method of claim 3 whereby said controlling of the direction of said second vehicle is performed by an automatic driving device.

6. The method of claim 3 whereby said controlling of the direction of said second vehicle is performed by a semi-automatic driving device involving a human operator.

7. The method of claim 3 whereby said determining of the change in direction of said vehicles comprises the calculation Sin⁻

1(Δ

x Sin(θ

)/2L) or its equivalent or approximation thereof, where Δ

x is the distance traveled by said second vehicle, θ

is the angle of the connection between said first and second vehicles, and L is the distance from the point of the connection between said first and second vehicles and the point of rotation of the first vehicle.

8. The method of claim 3 whereby said determining of the change in direction of said vehicles comprises the calculation 180Δ

x/π

R or its equivalent or approximation thereof, where Δ

x is a measure of the distance traveled by said second vehicle and R is a measure of the turning radius of said second vehicle.

9. The method of claim 4 comprising display means to indicate to said human operator the projected direction of said first vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 whereby said display means comprises a pointing device that points in the projected direction of said first vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10 whereby said pointing device comprises a meter.

12. The method of claim 9 whereby said display means comprises a graphical display.

13. The method of claim 9 whereby said display means comprises a video image capture device and video image display device.

14. The method of claim 13 whereby said video image capture device is movable and is controlled to point in the projected direction of said first vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13 whereby the image displayed on said video image display device further comprises an indication of the projected direction of said first vehicle.

16. The method of claim 13 whereby the image displayed on said video image display device is shown as a left-to-right mirror image.

17. A device for projecting the direction of travel of a first vehicle being pushed by a second vehicle comprising:

a) means to measure the angle of the connection between the first and second vehicle,

b) means to measure the amount of steering of the second vehicle,

c) means to determine the change in position of said vehicles where said first and second vehicle become generally in-line.

19. The device of claim 17 where said means to determine said change in position comprises calculating where said vehicles become generally in-line.

20. The device of claim 17 where said means to determine comprises looking up in a data table where said vehicles become generally in-line.

18. A system comprising a first vehicle and a second vehicle connected by a movable joint, further comprising:

a) means to measure the angle of the connection between the first and second vehicle,

b) means to measure the amount of steering of the second vehicle,

c) means to determine the change in position of said vehicles where said first and second vehicle become generally in-line.