Trailer backing up device and table based method

• US 20130024064A1
• Filed: 07/18/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shepard, Daniel Robert
• Original Assignee: Shepard, Daniel Robert
• Inventors: Shepard, Daniel Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,132,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/58 Auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/00 Steering not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically

Abstract

The present invention, when used to backed-up a trailer, indicates which direction and how much to steer to steer. The present invention is a method for rapidly determining the predicted direction where the vehicle and trailer become generally in-line. Servomechanisms can be incorporated to enable the vehicle to steer itself while the driver indicates the direction travel desired for the trailer, otherwise a pointer would indicate, for the current position of the vehicle'"'"'s steering wheel, the predicted direction of the trailer. 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. Furthermore, the present invention will indicated the projected directions of the left and right limits to control the direction of the trailer, particularly when maneuvering complex paths.

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) looking up a value in a fixed table based on a trailer of known length, d) 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 of the ratio of the length of the first vehicle to the length of the trailer used to create the table.

8. The method of claim 3 whereby said determining of the change in direction of said vehicles comprises the calculation of converting the turning radius value of said second vehicle based on the ratio of the length of the first vehicle to the length of the trailer used to create the table.

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.

21. The method of claim 15 whereby the image displayed on said video image display device further comprises an indication of the upper and lower limit to the projected direction of said first vehicle for a given hitch angle.

16. 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 look up a value in a fixed table based on a trailer of known length, d) means to determine the change in position of said vehicles where said first and second vehicle become generally in-line.

17. The device of claim 16 where said means to determine said change in position comprises interpolating a value from two or more values in the table.

18. The device of claim 16 where said means to determine comprises computing the ratio of the length of the first vehicle to a trailer of known length used to create the table.

19. The device of claim 16 where said means to determine comprises the calculation of converting the turning radius value of said second vehicle based on the ratio of the length of the first vehicle to a trailer of known length used to create the table.

20. The table of claim 16 whereby said table has two dimensions, whereby a first dimension is a function of the hitch angle between the first and second vehicle and a second dimension is a function of the turning radius of the second vehicle, whereby the entries in the table represent projected directions where said first and second vehicle become generally in-line as a function of a hitch angle, a turning radius and a trailer of known length.

22. 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) electro-mechanical means to effect the amount of steering of the second vehicle, said steering being limited by a maximum amount of steering, corresponding to a minimum turning radius, c) operator means to indicate the intended direction of said vehicles, said intended direction being where said first and second vehicle become generally in-line, and d) means to determine if an amount of steering exists within said limit to the amount of steering whereby said intended direction can be reached.

23. The system of claim 22 further comprising:

means to control said electro-mechanical means to effect an amount of steering, if an amount of steering exists within said limit to the amount of steering whereby said intended direction can be reached, whereby said effective amount of steering is equal to said existent amount of steering that will result in said first and second vehicle becoming generally in-line in said intended direction.

24. The system of claim 22 further comprising:

means to control said electro-mechanical means to effect an amount of steering, if an amount of steering does not exist within said limit to the amount of steering whereby said intended direction can be reached, whereby said effective amount of steering is a first amount of steering such that the first and second vehicles will reach a state where a second amount of steering exists within said limit to the amount of steering whereby said intended direction can be reached.